I walked into the headquarters and saw five or six commanders standing in a circle around the wooden table, and none of them looked down at the map on the table, but at me and Captain Aratoli, who had just entered the door.

My gaze quickly swept over their collar badges, and judging by the ranks of several men, except for one major general, the rest were either colonels or political workers. I suspect that the general in front of me should be my new boss, Commander Kolpacchi.

Before I could make any move, Captain Arattorius stepped forward first, raised his hand to salute the general, and reported with a smile: "Hello, Commander Kolpakchi, Captain Aratoli of the Western Front reports to you and is at your order. ”

General Kolpacchi went up and shook Arattori's hand and said with a smile: "Comrade Captain, we meet again. Why did you have time to come to me today, is it that General Zhukov wants you to convey some orders? ”

Captain Arattori shook his head like a rattle and replied: "Comrade Commander, I have not come today to deliver any orders, I have been ordered to send a new adjutant to report to you. ”

"My new lieutenant?! I don't know who it is? General Kolpacchi asked with interest.

Aratoli pointed to me and introduced: "Comrade commander, this is this female commander, Major Oshanina. "Hearing that Aratolis introduced me to the commander, I did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly took a few steps forward, walked up to the general, raised my hand to salute him, and respectfully reported: "Report Comrade Commander, Major Oshanina has been ordered to come and report to you and listen to your orders. ”

The tall, well-proportioned general looked me up and down, and asked with a complicated expression, "Comrade Major." You are the adjutant that General Zhukov sent to me? ”

Hear him ask. I couldn't help but be stunned. Listening to his tone, it seemed like he didn't quite want to accept me. However, this thought only flashed through my mind, and I still straightened up and answered his question seriously: "Comrade commander, Comrade Zhukov sent me to the 62nd Army to assist you in commanding the operation. As for the specific position I will hold, Comrade General has specially explained that I will obey your arrangement. ”

After listening to my answer. Kol Pakchi muttered: "I asked General Zhukov to send me an experienced commander, but I didn't expect him to send me a female commander." At this point, he walked around me and said thoughtfully: "Comrade Major, if you were a male commander, perhaps I would not hesitate to send you to the post of regiment commander or battalion commander." But you're a woman, what kind of position do you have, it's really a headache for me. ”

After Kolpacchi finished speaking, he turned to look at Arattori and asked Arattori with a smile: "Comrade Captain." What position does Major Oshanina hold in your headquarters? Typist or confidential secretary? As soon as his words fell, there was a burst of laughter in the room.

Hearing Kol Parkucci say this, I couldn't help but be angry, isn't this a shabby person? Just as I wanted to refute, Aratoli saw that my face was not good, and hurriedly replied: "Comrade commander, you are mistaken, Major Oshanina is not from our headquarters. When I rushed to pick her up the day before yesterday from the Volkhov Front in the village of Petit Visela, she was in the headquarters of the 8th Army with General Meretskov. I heard from the Chief of Staff of the Front, General Stepimach, that General Meretskov had appointed her as the forward commander of the Sinianvino Heights, ready for her to lead the troops to attack the German defensive positions. Having received her, I rushed overnight to the headquarters of the Western Front, located in Ryazan. After Comrade Zhukov summoned her, he ordered me to send her to your headquarters. ”

Some words, spoken by outsiders, are far more effective than those spoken by me. After listening to Arattori's words, the mockery on Kolpakchi's face disappeared and was replaced by a solemn expression, he looked back at me and asked solemnly: "Comrade Major, I would like to ask, what position did you once hold in the army?" ”

Hearing Kolpakchi ask, I replied lightly: "I joined the army after the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, and during my time in Moscow, I successively served as a squad leader, platoon commander, company commander, battalion commander, commander of the Guards Division, chief of staff of the group army, etc.; In Leningrad, I held the posts of battalion commander and acting division commander. ”

After listening to my briefing, Kolpakchi was obviously stunned for a moment, then nodded, and said a little reluctantly: "Your experience is still quite rich, it seems that Comrade Zhukov sent you here, there is still a certain reason, I hope you can also show your magic in the 62nd Army." After that, he began to introduce me to the few commanders in the room. He first pointed to a political worker with a shaved head and dark and thick eyebrows, and said: "This is Comrade Gurov, a member of the Military Committee of the Group Army and a division-level political commissar. ”

I hurriedly saluted Gurov and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Military Commissar. ”

Then Kolpakchi pointed to a tall colonel and said: "This is Colonel Fanasyev, the commander of the 33rd Guards Infantry Division. The political worker next to him was his political commissar, Comrade Ryshchenko. I hurriedly raised my hand to salute the two of them.

"This is Colonel Koida, commander of the 184th Infantry Division, and his commissar Mashkov."

"This is the commander of the 192nd Infantry Division, Colonel Kharchenko, and the deputy division commander, Lieutenant Colonel Tarantsev."

After introducing me to the commander in the room, Korpakchi shouted outside: "Semykov. ”

With his shout, a young lieutenant ran in from outside the house, and the captain came to his side, raised his hand and saluted: "Comrade commander, Captain Semykov, the staff officer of the combat department, is ordered to come and listen to your orders. ”

The first thought that came to my mind when I heard the lieutenant identify himself was that Kolpacchi would send me to the Operations Division as an operations staff officer in charge of giving orders. Unexpectedly, the facts quickly proved my guess wrong, and he instructed the captain: "Semykov, you take this Captain Aratoli to rest." ”

When Semikov and Aratoly walked out of the headquarters, he returned to the table, held the edge of the table with both hands, and said to several commanders with a serious expression: "Okay, comrades, everyone and the new Major Oshanina have finished getting acquainted. Next. We continue to discuss the defensive deployment of the army group. "Speaking of which. He beckoned to me: "Comrade Major, what are you still doing there, come and look at the map together." ”

I walked to the table, stood not far from Kolpakč, and quietly listened to his assignment: "The Germans launched an attack on the defensive line of our Army and the 64th Army on July 17, and since most of the troops had not yet entered the defensive position, we stubbornly resisted and did not achieve the intended goal. German troops, on the 19th, broke through the lines of our army. poured into the great bend of the Don.

The right flank of the line of defense of our army group, in the area of Kretskaya, Yevsstratowsky and Kalmykov, has been broken through. After committing new combat units, the Germans began to assault Manoylin, Majorovsky, and via Platonov to Buzinovka. Today, in the early hours of July 22, the vanguard of the 3rd and 60th motorized divisions of the German army has approached the Don River in the Goibinskaya and Skvolin areas. ……”

I had never been to Stalingrad, and I had never looked at the map of the region, and listening to the strange and awkward names of places from the lips of Kolpakci was like listening to a book from heaven. I couldn't figure out what he was talking about.

Kolpacic didn't notice anything unusual about me, and continued: "...... Given this situation. I decided to use the strength of the 13th Tank Army and the 33rd Guards Infantry Division to carry out a counter-assault on the attacking forces of the German army, resolutely restore the original posture of the defensive zone of the 33rd Guards Infantry Division, and then restore the original posture of the entire right flank of the group army. Having said this, he looked up at Colonel Fanasyev and asked: "Comrade Colonel, do you have any questions?" ”

Colonel Fanasyev shook his head and said: "Comrade commander, please rest assured that the 33rd Guards Infantry Division will definitely complete the counter-assault mission, drive away the Germans who occupied the positions of our troops, and restore the original defensive positions of our division. ”

Kolpacic raised his hand and looked at his watch, and said: "The time for the counter-assault is set for 10 o'clock this morning, and you only have eight hours to prepare. ”

Fanasyev snapped up his head and replied loudly: "Please rest assured, comrade commander, I promise to complete the task, and I will go back to the unit to deploy a counter-assault." ”

When the other commanders left one after another, only me, Korpaki, and Gurov were left in the room. At this moment, Senior Lieutenant Semykov, who had just sent Aratoli to rest, hurriedly walked in, handed a report to Korpakich, and said worriedly: "Comrade commander, I have just received reconnaissance information that a tank unit of the German army is gathering west of Kretskaya, and it is possible that it will launch a surprise attack on our positions after dawn. ”

"What? The tank forces of the German army, how many tanks were there? After listening to Semykov's report, Korpakchi was taken aback, he came to the map, pointed to the location of Kretskaya with his finger, and said to Gurov beside him: "Comrade Military Commissar, if we let the German tanks rush to the Kretskaya area, then our counter-assault forces may be cut off, and we must find a way to block the German tanks. ”

"How do you block it? Comrade Commander. Gurov said in a low tone: "Our current troops in this area are almost all lightly armed troops, not to mention tanks, artillery, and even mortars, so we want to block the tank forces of the Germans." Alas, it's difficult, Comrade Commander. ”

Kolpakci's brow furrowed when he heard Gurov say this, staring at the map and thinking about a solution. After a while, he raised his head and asked Semykov: "Comrade Captain, do you know where to find troops with anti-tank capabilities?" ”

As an operational staff officer, Semilov should be quite familiar with the deployment of troops, and in response to the commander's question, he shook his head vigorously and said: "Comrade commander, it is a pity that there are no formed anti-tank units to be found in the vicinity of the Kretskaya region. Seeing the disappointed expression on Kolparkic's face, he immediately added: "Although there are no formed units, there are still scattered small units. ”

Hearing Semilov's words, Korpakich's face showed a hint of joy, and he asked: "Comrade Captain, do you know where you can find these scattered small troops?" ”

Semilov stood up straight and replied: "Report to Comrade Commander, in the headquarters of the army group, there is an anti-tank company of the 33rd Regiment of the 84th Guards Infantry Division. ”

"Comrade Captain, you go and call their commander. I have a task to give him. ”

When Semykov left. Gurov asked Kol Pakchi with some concern: "Comrade commander. You're not going to use ten men to fend off the Germans' tank forces. To know this amount of troops, a single tank shell from the Germans could blow them all up. ”

Kol Pakchi smiled bitterly and said: "No way, now we have to put everyone who can fight into battle, so that we can stop the fierce Germans." ”

"And you're going to send someone to lead this small force?"

"I'm going to send Captain Semykov, who had previously been a company commander in the unit and commanded such skirmishes. He has a lot of experience. ”

"But don't forget, he's also a good staff officer. At present, there is an urgent need for a large number of talents like him in the army group headquarters, and once he dies in battle, it will be difficult to find a suitable person to take over the part of the work he is responsible for. ”

Gurov's words made Kol Pakchi hesitate. At this time, I found that my opportunity to perform had come, although the number of anti-tank companies was a little smaller, but it was used to fight an ambush or something. It's still more than enough. If it's a regular war, maybe I'm a little inexperienced. But when it comes to guerrilla warfare, that's what I'm best at. Thinking of this, I took a step forward and said to Kolpacic: "Comrade commander, if you can believe me, I am willing to lead this small force to stop the tank forces of the Germans. ”

"What? You go? When Kolparkic heard me say this, he was stunned for a moment, and then rejected my request without hesitation: "Our male is not done dead, and it is not your turn to perform such a dangerous mission as a woman." ”

"Comrade commander," I said in a resolute tone, "I have performed similar combat missions many times, and each time I have successfully fulfilled the tasks assigned to me by my superiors. As for the gender you mentioned, it was the time of the war, and there were only soldiers and commanders in the army, and there was no distinction between men and women, and I never considered myself a weak woman. ”

After listening to my words, Kol Parkucci fell silent. After a while, Gurov spoke first: "Comrade commander, I think Major Oshanina's proposal is worth considering. If she can become a commander valued by Comrade Zhukov, there must be something special about her. Personally, I think that if she is the commander of a small unit, she will definitely be able to complete this mission well. ”

Seeing that Gurov also stood up to speak for me, Kolpakchi stopped insisting and reluctantly agreed to send me as the commander of this small unit.

At this time, Semykov came in with a lieutenant officer and reported to Korpakchi: "Comrade commander, I brought the company commander of the anti-tank company. ”

The lieutenant stepped forward, stood side by side with Semykov, raised his hand and saluted and reported: "Report to Comrade Commander, Lieutenant Peter, commander of the anti-tank company of the 84th Regiment of the 33rd Guards Infantry Division. Boloto reports to you and is at your disposal. ”

"Comrade Lieutenant, come to the table." Korpakch called the company commander to the table, pointed to the map on the table, and said to him: "According to intelligence, there is a German tank unit that may pounce on the Kretskaya area during the day. I command you and your company to hold them back at all costs and buy time for our troops to build fortifications. ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander, we promise to complete the task." Lieutenant Peter agreed very cheerfully, and then asked, "I wonder how many people can be added to our company?" ”

"Supplement? Excuse me, Comrade Lieutenant. The supplement you want, no, not a single one. Kolpacic said apologetically, "This task can only be accomplished by the forces you have now. ”

Lieutenant Peter's smile froze on his face, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses and say in surprise: "Just a few of us, to stop the attack of the German tank troops?" ”

Kolpacchi frowned and asked with some dissatisfaction: "Comrade lieutenant, how many people are left in your company." ”

Lieutenant Peter wiped a handful of sweat and replied honestly: "There are still ten men left in the whole company, and in addition to the six wounded, there are four fighters including me." ”

"What, only four combatants?" This time it was Kol Pakć's turn to be surprised.

When I heard Lieutenant Peter say that there were only four people left in the company, my heart sank suddenly, and these few people were trying to stop the German tank troops. I kind of regret that I was too impulsive just now, and I jumped out and recommended myself without understanding the situation.

Kol Parkucci paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. Military Commissar Gurov's eyes moved with his body, and after a while, he asked tentatively: "Comrade commander, the disparity in strength between us and the enemy is too great, and it is unrealistic to rely on a few of them to block the German tanks. Do you think you could consider canceling this operation? ”

Kolpacic waved his hand, did not stop, and said with some embarrassment: "Comrade Military Commissar, let me think about it again. ”

Kol Pakchi is in a dilemma, and my mind is at war with heaven and man, and I don't know what to choose. The disparity between the strength of the enemy and the enemy is too great, and if you go on a mission, there is almost no possibility of coming back alive. When people are dead, what's the use of making a good impression on their superiors. However, I have already asked Kolpacic just now, and if I take the initiative to withdraw at this time, I will not be able to mix in the 62nd Army in the future. (To be continued......)

PS: Thank you book friends: @@@@@@@@, No Smile Assassin 2, Chu Xiangshui's precious monthly pass