I trotted all the way to the foot of the hill and stood on the side of the road looking at the approaching convoy. As the convoy got closer and closer, my mood began to become uneasy, although I had just seen a few familiar faces in the carriage through the binoculars, but I did not know who the commander of the second lieutenant training team was this time. If it was Captain Akhromeyev, which I was familiar with, of course it would be the best. If there are other commanders I don't know, then it will take me a while to get acquainted with them.

The convoy came to a halt about twenty meters away from me, and when the passenger door of the first truck was pushed open, I held my breath and silently waited for the final answer to be revealed. When the door opened, a young commander wearing a steel helmet jumped out of the driver's seat, and he closed the door casually after getting out of the car. Although it was a little far away, and I could only see his face, I was quick to determine that it was none other than Captain Akhromeyev, whom I knew well.

I sighed, and the stone hanging in my heart fell to the ground, and I was about to walk over with my legs up, but I saw that the captain was already trotting towards me, so I stopped and stood there waiting for him to bring me.

The young and handsome Captain Akhromeyev, with a medal pinned to his chest, stood in front of me in high spirits with his men, and after standing up and saluting, he reported to me in a loud voice: "Comrade Colonel, Captain Akhromeyev reports to you that I have been ordered to lead the training team of the second lieutenants of the Volkhov Front to the Mamayev Post, to listen to your orders, please instruct!" ”

"Please take a moment, Comrade Captain." Looking at the young commander standing in front of me, I was so excited that I didn't know what to say, I just stared at him intently.

"Comrade Oshanina. Who is this commander? Kirillov's voice suddenly sounded beside him.

I quickly gathered my thoughts. Introducing Captain Akhromeyev to Kirillov. To cover up his gaffe: "Comrade commissar. Let me introduce you to Captain Akhromeyev, the supreme commander of the second lieutenant training team of the Volkhov Front, and at the same time the most important subordinate of the commander, General Meretskov. ”

When Akhromeyev heard me compliment him like this, he hurriedly said: "Serve Soviet China!" ”

Kirillov's eyes looked at the medal on his chest, nodded with satisfaction, and said: "Comrade Captain, it seems that you have served well. There is already a medal. ”

As the three of us spoke, the other commanders of the second lieutenant training team had already jumped out of the car and began to line up next to the truck. A commander was giving them orders, and when the troops were finished, he turned and ran towards us. When he got closer, I saw that he was a political worker, and judging from his military rank, he was a political instructor. I couldn't help frowning slightly, and said in my heart: The second lieutenant training team didn't have a political instructor before. Could it be that it was because he was going to be sent to the Mamayev post that the higher authorities specially sent him more?

I didn't bother to pay attention to the political instructor who was running over. Instead, he continued to introduce Kirillov to the captain: "Comrade Captain, come and get acquainted, this is Comrade Kirillov, the newly appointed political commissar, who is a staff member from the Central Committee. ”

"Hello, Comrade Political Commissar." Akhromeyev politely saluted him.

At this time, the instructor had already run in front of us, and after standing upright, he raised his hand to me and Kirillov and saluted: "Comrade Division Commander, Comrade Political Commissar, and Obestan the political instructor of the second lieutenant training team report to you that the second lieutenant training team has been assembled and is waiting for your next order. ”

I just smiled and nodded at the instructor named Oberstan, then shook my head at Kirillov and said, "Let's go, Comrade Political Commissar, let's go see these new grassroots commanders." ”

"Let's go, let's take a look." Kirillov readily agreed, and followed me.

As we walked towards the phalanx in the distance, Kirillov suddenly asked me in a whisper: "Comrade Oshanina, how are you going to arrange this second lieutenant training team?" ”

"With the exception of Captain Akhromeyev and Instructor Oberstein, the rest were assigned to the regiments as company and battalion commanders." Without thinking, I expressed my intentions, but I was afraid that Kirillov did not know the specific establishment of the division, so I added: "The battalion-level structure of each regiment has just been established, and the battalion commanders of each battalion have no choice but to let those company commanders who are prominent in the position temporarily act as temporary substitutes because they cannot find suitable commanders to serve as them. ”

Kirillov looked at the phalanx in the distance and asked with some doubts: "Is it appropriate to assign them to the regiments to take the position of company commander or even battalion commander?" ”

In response to Kirillov's suspicions, I said decisively: "Comrade Political Commissar, please rest assured, the second lieutenant training team is the most elite unit under General Meretskov, when the German army broke through the positions of the 52nd Army and threatened the supply line of the 2nd Shock Army, Comrade General did not hesitate to send a second lieutenant training team and a junior commander training company to repel the German attack and assist the 52nd Army in consolidating its own defensive line. ”

As we spoke, before we knew it, we came to the phalanx of the second lieutenant training team. Captain Akhromeyev stepped forward and said excitedly to his subordinates: "Comrades, standing in front of you now is the commander of the Oshanina division that you are familiar with. She was a major when she commanded us in battle, and in just a few months, she was promoted to colonel for her exploits, and she was also the commander of the independent division we were about to join. I believe that under her leadership, we will wait until we have completed the combat mission assigned to us by our superiors, repelled the enemy's attack, held the Mamayev post, and established new feats for the motherland and the people! ”

As soon as Captain Akhromeyev's words fell, a tsunami-like shout suddenly sounded in the phalanx of the second lieutenant training team: "Ula! Ulla!! Ulla!!! ”

I waited until they were almost finished shouting before I took a step forward. This action was immediately noticed by Captain Akhromeyev, who hurriedly raised his hands and pressed down, and the phalanx of the cheering ensign training team suddenly fell silent.

I took another step forward, smiled and raised my voice and said, "Hmm...... Dear comrades-in-arms. Hello! "I'm trying to keep my composure. But the voice is still a little out of tune.

Although I only said one word. But when I said "dear comrades-in-arms", I felt that the commanders and fighters in the phalanx were also infected by my feelings.

"I'm glad that, comrades-in-arms from the Volkhov Front, we're together again." I continued, "And it's in this ......" At this point, I suddenly got stuck, and because I was so excited, I forgot what I wanted to say next. Until I heard Kirillov cough heavily behind me. My mood calmed down a little, and then I repeated, "And at this very important moment for Stalingrad, you have been sent here by General Meretskov to fight side by side with me." On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the Independent Division, I welcome you! ”

As soon as my words ended, there was a round of applause. After my gaze swept over the faces of each of the commanders and fighters in the phalanx, I raised my hands and pressed them down, and when I had calmed down, I continued: "Comrades. To tell you the truth, the current situation in Stalingrad is very bad. The Germans were coming in from the north, west and south, and our troops, although fighting stubbornly, were retreating to Stalingrad behind us under the blows of superior enemy forces. The Mamayev Heights, which we are holding onto, may soon become a key area for the enemy. Because this is a vantage point overlooking the whole city, as long as they control it, the enemy can turn their heavy artillery up the hillside and shell the city named after the Supreme Commander himself, just as they did in the shelling of Leningrad. You say, 'Can we let the enemy set foot on this high ground?' ”

"Can't! No!! No!!! The phalanx in front of me responded to me neatly.

"Comrades and comrades-in-arms, although many of us will die in the next battle, I believe that the enemy will be held back by our heroic commanders and fighters under the Mamayev post, and I believe that the enemy will eventually be buried under the city of Stalingrad. Do you have faith? ”

"Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! All the commanders and fighters replied to me with a full heart.

I nodded with satisfaction at everyone's table. Then I changed the subject and said to everyone: "Comrades and comrades-in-arms, I have said before: you are all excellent commanders in the Red Army, and I firmly believe that in time, many of you will certainly grow into high-ranking commanders, become generals and even marshals in the Red Army!" Comrades, now I congratulate you, because from the moment you officially set foot on the land of Mamayev Heights, you have taken a great step towards your dream of being a general and a marshal. I tell you very responsibly that as long as you live to victory, to the moment when you see our flag planted on the roof of the Reichstag in Berlin, then many of you may have become generals. ”

"Colonel Oshanina, how long will it take for this day to come?" When a commander standing in the first row heard me say this, he couldn't help but take advantage of the gap between my words and asked a question on behalf of everyone.

"I believe that with the efforts of all of us, we will be able to see this day in three years at most." Although I knew the exact date of the German surrender, I could not tell you the exact date, and if I did, I would have become a god, so I only gave the curious commander a general date.

After everyone had calmed down, I continued: "As I said before, as long as conditions permit, I will never use you, the outstanding commanders of the Red Army, as ordinary soldiers. I deliberately transferred you all the way from the Volkhov Front to Stalingrad, let alone use you as cannon fodder. Now I will assign you to the regiments of the independent division, and according to your abilities, you will take up the position of company platoon commander, or even battalion commander. ”

After finishing speaking, I didn't care about the reaction of the queue, and turned around and called Akhromeyev: "Comrade Captain! ”

Hearing my call, Akhromeyev hurriedly took two steps forward, came to me, and quietly waited for my order.

"How many people are there in the second lieutenant training team?" I glanced at the neatly arranged phalanx and asked.

"Comrade division commander, please allow my instructor to report to you." Instead of answering my question right away, Akhromeyev sideways turned around and let out Oberstein, the political instructor who was standing behind him.

Seeing that I nodded in acquiescence, Instructor Oberstein also stepped forward, straightened his body, and respectfully reported: "Report to Comrade Division Commander, after the first two months of fighting, there are only 82 people left in the second lieutenant training team. This time, he was ordered to be transferred to the Mamayev post to be under your command, and Commander Meretskov felt that there were a little too few people, so he transferred some cadets from the junior commander's teaching company to supplement them, and now there are a total of 152 people in the second lieutenant training team. ”

After listening to Oberstein's report, I secretly counted the number of people in the phalanx, a row of 30 people, a total of five columns, exactly 150 people, plus Captain Akhromeyev and the Oberstein instructor in front of me, exactly 152 people.

At this time, Kirillov again walked up to me and asked for my opinion in a low voice: "Comrade Oshanina, how do you interrupt how to distribute these 152 people?" ”

I also lowered my voice and replied to him: "Commissar, don't worry, I know it in my heart." Then I raised my voice and said to the phalanx of the second lieutenant training team: "Comrades of the second lieutenant training team, I will assign everyone a place to go next, please be mentally prepared." After saying this, I looked at them again, and then began to announce the results of my assignment: "The first platoon goes to the first regiment and reports to Lieutenant Colonel Sederikov; The second platoon went to the 2nd Regiment and reported to the acting regiment commander, Captain Pugachev; The commanders of the third and fourth platoons were assigned to the third and fourth regiments, and since the commander of the third regiment was wounded now, the day-to-day work of the two regiments was taken care of by the commander of the fourth regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Gaidar, and you just went to him to report; The fifth platoon went to the 5th regiment and reported to the regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Oleg, and political commissar Vylol. ”

"And this captain and instructor, how did you arrange it?" Kirillov couldn't help but ask when he saw that I had assigned all the rest of the second lieutenant training team, except for Akhromeyev and Oberstein, who were standing in front of us.

I looked up at the two people in front of me, thought for a moment, and then, without bothering to consult Kirillov, announced loudly: "Captain Akhromeyev, from today onwards, will temporarily act as chief of staff of the independent division and will be responsible for assisting me in commanding the operation. As for the political instructor Oberstan, "Speaking of this, I couldn't help but hesitate, I originally wanted to be randomly assigned to that battalion, but after thinking about it, I had just assigned so many political workers under Kirillov to the troops, and if the official position given to this instructor was too small, even if he didn't say it, Meretskov would be unhappy when he found out." Thinking of this, I gritted my teeth and said decisively, "Assigned to the regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Sederikov to take up the post of regimental political commissar." (To be continued......)