When the Kazakh telegraph operator heard my order, he immediately shouted into the microphone in their native language, and then copied the information from the other party and handed it to me.

Seeing the reply of the above-class Leyev, I nodded with satisfaction, and then said to Yushchenko: "Comrade Captain, send two fighters to the place where we got off to meet the incoming troops. ”

"The troops we want, will they arrive so quickly?" Yushchenko was curious about how quickly Bantai Leev could react.

"Major Perstian's tank detachment is now parked on the road outside." Although Yushchenko's rank is not high, I have a lot of things to do with him, so I want to make it clear to him here, "As for the infantry company, two companies will be drawn from Gaidar's fourth regiment. In order to unify the command, he decided to send Godunov over. ”

"Major Godunov?" When Yushchenko heard me say this name, he couldn't help but say in surprise: "Isn't he commanding the new 3rd Regiment of the 22nd Guards Division?" Why didn't the acting regimental commander do it, but he had to run over and command two infantry companies? ”

"The new Third Regiment no longer exists, Comrade Captain." To Yushchenko's question, I replied with a serious expression: "In the fierce battles in the early stage, the troops of the New Third Regiment were exhausted. Don't think that commanding two companies will have the best share, and excellent commanders can achieve good results no matter where they are. Don't talk nonsense, arrange for someone to pick them up. ”

Katerina heard the conversation between me and Yushchenko, and hurriedly volunteered: "Comrade commander, let's let the women of our village go and meet the commanders and fighters." They know their way ......"

Didn't wait for Katerina to finish. I raised my hand to stop her. If only she really asked her to send someone. It is estimated that it will take a lot of effort to convince Pelce to let them be. So I said euphemistically: "Comrade Katerina, if the women of the collective farms had been sent over, it is estimated that our commanders and fighters would not have known them. In this case, I will ask the captain to send two warriors with your men. When our fighters receive their troops, you will have people who are familiar with the terrain and bring them here. You see. All right? ”

Katerina listened to my proposal, thought for a moment, and then nodded vigorously and agreed: "Okay, comrade commander, just do what you say, and I will arrange someone to act as a guide for you." ”

After Yushchenko and Katerina left the house, the operator reported to me: "Comrade commander, the political commissar called and said that his superiors were asking about the whereabouts of our army. ”

Think of the eavesdropping methods that the Germans are now invincible. I can't be sure if the information will be in the hands of the Germans if I report the whereabouts of the 79th Infantry Corps to the Front Command. I walked back and forth in circles around the house with my hands behind my back. Also consider how to reply to your superiors.

I don't know how long it took to turn around, but the operator called me softly again: "Comrade commander! ”

I stopped, looked at him blankly and asked, "What else is going on?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Commander." The operator replied with some nervousness: "Comrade Political Commissar is still online, and he is waiting for your final reply." ”

"Why didn't you say it earlier?" After rebuking the operator, I instructed him: "Immediately reply to the political commissar that I agree to report the current whereabouts of our army to the higher-ups." However, there can be no leakage about the next direction of our army's actions. ”

"Yes!" The operator agreed, then returned to the walkie-talkie and shouted at the microphone.

After about an hour, I heard the loud roar of tank motors outside, and I knew that it was Major Perstian's tank detachment, and I walked out.

I stood in the doorway and saw tanks with headlights in the distance, waddling towards me along the illuminated muddy village road. When the tank was still seven or eight meters away from me, the leading tank suddenly stopped, and the soldiers sitting on the body of the tank jumped down one after another to move their bodies that were about to freeze. Then, the top of the turret was lifted, and out of it came a tankman in a tanker's uniform. He stood on the body, looked at us, jumped off the body, and ran briskly towards me. Came to me, stood up and saluted and reported: "Report to Comrade Commander, Major Persjian, commander of the tank battalion of the 22nd Guards Division, has been ordered to come, I am waiting for your orders, please instruct!" ”

"You're coming quickly, Comrade Major." As I shook Pelsken's hand, I asked with concern, "Are the vehicles transporting fuel and ammunition keeping up?" ”

"Comrade commander, don't worry." Although there was a huge difference in rank between me and Persjian, he still didn't feel the slightest restraint in front of me, he pointed behind him and said, "There are seven trucks in the back, three are loaded with ammunition, and the other four are loaded with fuel. ”

After listening to Persjian's report on his belongings, I said with some regret: "It's a pity that in the defense of Zaporosh and the ensuing battle, your battalion lost all the armored vehicles, otherwise this is also a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield." ”

Pelce shook his head behind him and said proudly: "Comrade commander, although our armored vehicles have been lost, our mechanized infantry is still there." You don't see that when they march, they all sit on top of the tanks. Once the battle breaks out, they will be able to follow the tanks and charge at the enemy's positions. ”

I looked at the swarthy commanders and fighters in the distance, nodded approvingly, and said politely: "Good guys, they are all good guys." ”

Persjian came, followed by Captain Kurishenko of the artillery battalion and Captain Koricheng of the infantry company. Instead of calling them to a meeting immediately, I asked Katerina to arrange a place for our new fighters to stay. When all the fighters had moved into civilian houses, Godunov was late.

Seeing Godunov, whose uniform was covered with mud and his face was blackened by gunpowder, I walked over and patted him on the shoulder, and said with emotion: "Comrade Major, you are a good regiment commander, what a good job!" ”

Hearing my compliment, Godunov lowered his head and said with some embarrassment: "Comrade commander. You've won a prize. I'm incompetent as the head of the regiment. You handed me three of the most elite assault engineer battalions. There are less than fifty people left. ”

"Comrade Major, due to the brutal fighting during this time, not only you, but all divisions have attrition to varying degrees, it is really not easy for you to keep a little seed for the assault engineer battalion." After comforting him a few words, I couldn't help but ask about the whereabouts of the remaining commanders and fighters, "That's right. Godunov, you just said that there are fifty fighters left, where are they now? ”

"They came with me to the village, and the people in the village are currently arranging a place for them to stay." After saying this, Godunov suddenly suggested to me: "Comrade commander, I don't see that there are many guards around you, so it is better to let them stay with you and be responsible for your safety." ”

"The arrangements for these commanders and fighters will be discussed later." I turned my head and instructed Yushchenko, who was standing next to me: "Go and call the other commanders here, and we will have a military meeting as soon as possible." ”

Once everyone was in the house, our impromptu meeting began. I began by saying to them: "Comrades. A dozen kilometers to the west of the village, there is a town of the enemy. It is said that quite a few troops are stationed. As soon as the Germans found out that we had abandoned Kafbas and had withdrawn to Kirovgrad and Alexandria, they would send troops to surround us from all sides. As long as the battle starts, this village will be an important point of defense for us. ”

"Comrade Commander, may I ask a question?" It was Captain Ke Licheng, the company commander of the 4th Regiment, who spoke. With my permission, he stood up and asked, "With all due respect, with the amount of strength we have, it is almost impossible to build a fortification in a short time. ”

After he finished speaking, although the others did not echo him, I could see from the way they looked at me that they actually had the same concerns as Captain Ke Licheng, but they were embarrassed to say it to my old superior.

"Comrade Katerina in the village once told me that to the west of the village, there is a fortification built by our army before the outbreak of war, and in addition to a trench several kilometers long, there are also many reinforced concrete pillboxes." After informing several people of what Katerina had told me, I said confidently: "After we have placed defenders in these pillboxes, the enemy will not be able to pass through this area at all without paying several times the price. ”

"Built before the war?" Godunov asked with some skepticism: "It's been almost two years now, can these pillboxes and fortifications still be used?" ”

"According to a woman comrade in the village, she went to visit relatives in the town some time ago, and when she returned, she encountered a snowstorm and spent the night in one of the bunkers." In order to increase everyone's confidence, I relayed the woman's words very carefully: "According to her, the bunker has not been damaged except for a lot of cobwebs, and it can be put into normal use if it is simply repaired." ”

After I finished speaking, everyone was silent for a while, and then Godunov spoke on everyone's behalf. He stood up and said to me: "Comrade Commander, if the enemy uses the town as the starting point of the attack and adopts the method of armored assault, can we hold it?" ”

"I don't think it's a big problem." Seeing that all of them were gloomy, I hastened to comfort them and said: "Comrades commanders, although we do not have as many tanks and artillery as the Germans, and we do not have air supremacy, as long as we use our tactics properly and have collective farm workers who support our army, we still have a great chance of victory. ”

Godunov was the first to stand up and take a stand in response to what I said: "Since Comrade Army Commander said so, then I will resolutely obey the order. As long as we still have one man, we will definitely not let the Germans pass through our positions. After he finished speaking, the rest of the commanders also stood up and expressed their obedience to my arrangement.

Seeing that everyone's opinions were unanimous, I moved on to the assignment again. I took out the map that Katerina had drawn for me, spread it out on the table, and told them about my troop plan: "There is a forest on the north side of the position, where Major Perstian's tank detachment can lurk, wait for the enemy tanks to pass in front of you, and then strike decisively, cut off the German tanks and infantry, and beat the enemy tanks from behind their buttocks. ”

"Please rest assured, commander," Pelsjian immediately straightened up and said to me after listening to the order: "I will never let a fascist tank escape back intact." ”

I nodded, and then set up the characters: "Major Godunov, the two infantry companies under your command are deployed in the fortifications west of the village. Remember, in the machine guns were placed in the pillboxes, so that in the shelling and bombardment of the enemy, the losses of our light and heavy machine guns could be minimized. ”

"Yes!" Godunov also stood up and made a statement.

"And you, Captain Kurishenko." Pointing to the south-western position of the fortifications, I said to him: "You put the artillery battalion here, and when you see the appearance of the enemy tanks, immediately open fire on them, completely disrupting their offensive formation, in order to cover the assault of Major Perstian's tank detachment from the flank." ”

Kulishenko did not answer me right away, he stared at the map on the table for a moment, and then asked me a question: "Comrade commander, now that the temperature is warming, many sections have become muddy. In order to arrange a qualified artillery position, it is necessary to cut down some trees to strengthen the artillery position. ”

"Captain, this matter you raised is a problem." After I said this, I thought for a moment, and then said, "I can ask Katerina to draw people from the village to help you cut down trees and help you strengthen the fortifications." ”

"Is this appropriate?" Captain Kurishenko said with some embarrassment: "They are all women. ”

"What happened to the women?" At this moment, I thought of a piece of wood carried by a group of American soldiers, easily carried by a Russian aunt on her shoulder, and I couldn't help but snort: "Women can still hold up half the sky." There is no need to discuss this matter, so it was decided. When the meeting is over, I'll go to Katerina to talk about it. Do you have any other questions? If not, the meeting will be adjourned. ”

"Comrade commander, please wait, I have a problem." This time, it was Godunov, who commanded the infantry, who spoke.

I stared at him and asked a little angrily, "Tell me, Major, is there anything else you haven't figured out?" ”

"Comrade Commander," I don't know if Godunov didn't hear the dissatisfaction in my tone, or deliberately ignored it, anyway, he still asked in a polite tone: "What are the arrangements for the fifty commanders and fighters I brought?" (To be continued......)