Kirianova was carried into the tent, and we carefully placed her on her bunk.

After settling her, I sent the women out of the house, then picked up the phone on the table and called the other two company commanders of the anti-aircraft artillery battalion, Captain Ali and Lieutenant Baku, to ask how they were doing.

Both replied to me on the phone that they had fought while enemy planes were attacking transport lines. Although no enemy aircraft were shot down, the company suffered no casualties.

When I put down the phone, Kirianova had already woken up, her eyes were unfocused on the top of the tent, and she said in a tired voice that was half asleep: "Lida, is our women's anti-aircraft artillery company finished?" ”

I crouched down, took one of her hands in both hands, and comforted her, saying, "Don't be so pessimistic, my dear. The formation of the company is still very complete, and the command should quickly replenish the company after receiving the news. ”

"A platoon, more than thirty girls, it's gone. They're still teenagers. Kirianova said as she covered her eyes with her other hand and sobbed.

"In war, sacrifice is inevitable." I knew that she was sad, but I didn't know how to persuade her, so I could only say a cliché, "In order to defend this lifeline of Leningrad, in order to prevent more people from starving to death in the city, it is worth the price we pay." After saying that, he patted her gently on the back of her hand.

Kirianova wiped away her tears, sniffled loudly, and suddenly asked: "Lida, as a friend, please tell me the truth, do you think we can defeat the Germans and achieve the ultimate victory?" When she said the latter, she was a little hesitant, because these were taboo words, and once they were heard by the people of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they might be vaporized from the world.

"Yes." Although I know very little about the history of the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union, I know the outcome of the most difficult outcome, so I did not hesitate to give her an affirmative answer, "You are injured, close your eyes and rest, what is there to talk about tomorrow, there is still a lot of work to be done for you." After speaking, he let go of her hand, shook off the quilt resting next to her, and covered her body.

I stood up, deliberating whether I should go out to help Orlova deal with the aftermath when the phone rang on my desk. I grabbed the microphone and said, "I'm Major Oshanina of the anti-aircraft artillery battalion, where are you?" ”

"It's the major," came the voice of General Shilov, who asked with concern, "You have returned to the anti-aircraft artillery battalion station?" ”

"Yes, Comrade General." My answer was concise and to the point.

"Are you safe on the way back, have you encountered an air raid by enemy aircraft? I have just received a report from the convoy that the German planes had just carried out an air strike on the ice transport line, and although the air defense forces fired back in time, our convoy inevitably suffered some losses. ”

"Report to Comrade General," I replied in a bitter tone, "I was about to report to you about this." While marching on the ice with the tank detachment, we encountered an air attack by enemy aircraft, and the tank detachment lost two trucks and a sled, a quarter of the casualties, and no tank losses. ”

"Huh?!" Shilov was a little surprised and said: "The casualties of the tank detachment are so large? ”

"Yes." I added that "the tank detachment was subjected to an air strike near the station of the women's anti-aircraft artillery company. At the time of the air raid, the commander of the anti-aircraft artillery company, Lieutenant Kirianova, promptly raised the combat alarm and ordered the air defense positions to open fire and attract the attention of enemy aircraft. After a fierce battle, the enemy aircraft was heavily damaged, but ......"

"But what, Comrade Major," Shilov asked anxiously, "please finish all your words at once." What's going on? ”

"Report to Comrade General, during the battle, the women's anti-aircraft artillery company suffered heavy losses, three anti-aircraft guns were blown up, more than thirty female soldiers were killed, the company commander, Lieutenant Kirianova, and instructor Orlova were wounded."

"Will they be able to continue to command the battle?"

I looked back at Kirianova, who was lying next to me with my eyes closed, and said in an affirmative tone: "It's okay." But the casualties of the troops were too great and needed to be replenished in time. ”

After listening to my words, Shirov fell silent. After a long time, he sighed and said, "Difficult, Comrade Oshanina. There are more than 30 female soldiers in a platoon, you must know that even if you count all the troops belonging to the ice command headquarters, you can't make up so many female soldiers. ”

"However, if there are not enough anti-aircraft artillery units, it will not be possible to guarantee the completion of the air defense mission. Comrade General, please think of a way to replenish the women's anti-aircraft artillery company as soon as possible. I knew that it would be difficult for him to replenish dozens of female soldiers at this stage, so I retreated to the next best thing: "If the number of female soldiers is not enough, can you give me the same number of male soldiers." ”

"I can't give you an answer right away about the replenishment of troops, I have to study it with the political commissar. As for the lost anti-aircraft artillery, there are still some stocks in the city, which will be replenished tomorrow. ”

After the call with General Shilov, Orlova came in from outside and reported to me that the bodies of the dead female soldiers had been taken away, and the seriously wounded female soldiers had been taken to the military hospital in the city by ambulance.

As I had not received any definite information from General Shilov about the replenishment of the troops, I did not sleep soundly all night, and kept getting up from my bunk, gazing worriedly at the motionless telephone on the table by the moonlight that came in from the curtain of the door. After making sure it wouldn't ring suddenly, he collapsed on the bed in disappointment.

After dawn, Kirianova, who had been lying down for almost a day, had almost returned to normal, and she and Orlova had eaten early and went to the air defense position, while I continued to stay in the tent and wait for General Shilov's call.

The phone didn't ring, but there was the sound of neat steps and loud passwords outside.

Is it to replenish our troops? I couldn't help but rejoice in my heart, but soon I felt that something was wrong, why was it that the voice of a man was shouting the password outside, could it be that General Shilov really sent me a group of male soldiers?

When I was putting on my military coat, there was already a sound of "stand up" and "take a break" outside the door. I quickly buttoned up, lifted the curtain and walked out.

What caught my eye was three neatly lined up, all young men. To tell the truth, I know a lot of these young soldiers, especially the officer who is waiting for the team, that is, Lieutenant Ugad of the road escort team.

Seeing me come out, Lieutenant Ugad trotted over to me. He came to me, stood up and saluted, and then reported loudly: "Report to Comrade Major, our unit has been ordered to replenish the women's anti-aircraft artillery company, and is waiting for your orders. ”

I returned the salute and muttered in my heart: "This General Shilov is too unreliable, I will admit it if I find a group of male soldiers to come to the female soldier company, but you can't transfer a group of infantry to be anti-aircraft artillery?" Artillery can be quickly turned into infantry, but infantry may not be able to be a good artilleryman. "But now that they're here, I can't drive them away anymore. When I saw Orlova coming, I stopped her and told her to take the men to the air defense position.

I went back to the tent, and the phone rang after the night's wait.

Hearing that it was Shilov's voice, I immediately complained to him: "Comrade General, what is this said? I need anti-aircraft artillery, but you sent me a bunch of infantry. ”

"Comrade Oshanina," Shilov said earnestly, "now our air defense is insufficient, and we can only consider converting a unit of infantry into anti-aircraft artillery." As for the fact that they don't know how to operate anti-aircraft guns, it doesn't matter, you can let the female soldiers teach them, maybe it won't be long before they become an elite air defense force. ”

I secretly said in my heart, I guess before they became elites, all the female soldiers in the company were hooked up by them. Although I thought so in my heart, I still had to follow Shilov's meaning and say: "Yes, Comrade General, you are quite right, I will arrange for female soldiers to teach them how to use anti-aircraft guns as soon as possible." ”

"Leda, what the hell is going on? For what reason, the command sent us the infantry of the road escort team. "As soon as Kirianova entered the tent, she complained to me.

Although I had resentment and dissatisfaction with the command, I couldn't show it in front of my subordinates, so I could only say businessmanlike: "Kirianova, this is an order from the ice command, and we must carry it out." ”

Thinking that after these half-way monks became antiaircraft artillerymen, even if they mastered the art of antiaircraft artillery shooting, in the short term, their combat effectiveness was not flattering. At present, it seems that the best way is to break them up and disperse them among the female soldiers, so that their combat skills can be rapidly improved.

So I finally ordered Kirianova: "I plan to adjust the structure of the women's company, and draw one squad from each of the two women's platoons and add one male squad to form a new platoon." The squad that was taken out by the female platoon was supplemented by the male soldiers of the remaining two squads. ”

I don't know if Lu Dao said something that didn't mean it, but anyway, Kirianova thought for a while before she figured it out, and before leaving, she asked, "How is the position of Lieutenant Ugad who leads the team arranged?" ”

I waved my hand and said, "Let him be the deputy commander of the women's company." ”