Although I had just won a big victory, I knew that this victory was made up of a lot of fortuitous factors, and even if I wanted to replicate it once, it would be almost impossible. If we are complacent and take it lightly, it is still unknown whether we will be able to hold our positions when the Germans have recovered their strength and have a new assault.

Since the 51st Guards Division had suffered heavy losses in yesterday's and today's battles, and if they were allowed to continue to divide their forces to defend the recovered positions No. 2 and No. 3, the overall defensive force would be weak, so I had Colonel Chernov's 90th Guards Division take over the defense of the area. At the same time, Bere's tank corps was also deployed in the rear of the two Guards Divisions, responsible for providing cover and support to the infantry.

After my deployment was completed, Tawartkiradze finally couldn't help but ask his own question: "Comrade commander, according to our original assumption, after giving way to a number of passages for the attacking German troops, they should attack the second line of defense of our army with all their might." But the current situation is that some of their forces are rushing towards our second line of defense, while more troops are constantly attacking the defensive areas of our division and the 52nd Guards Division, as if they will not be reconciled until we are completely destroyed. What is the reason for this? ”

In response to Tawart Kiradze's question, I smiled wryly and pointed to the map and said, "Comrade General, I am to blame for this, and I have made a mistake in judgment. I always thought that the Germans, having opened a gap in our line, would rush forward regardless of it. But one point is overlooked, even if a number of passages are made way for the Germans, all the commanding heights in this area can be obtained. It's still completely in our hands. So that we can condescendingly inflict heavy casualties on the Germans. In this case. If the Germans did not eliminate these insecurity, how could they dare to move forward with confidence and boldness? ”

As soon as I said this, Tavart Kiradze suddenly realized: "So that's the case, no wonder the Germans are attacking us like crazy, even after the second and third positions have been lost, the German offensive has not weakened, it turns out that they want to completely destroy us before they dare to continue to advance to the second line of defense." ”

I'll wait for Tavart Kiradze to finish. nodded, and continued: "Although the Germans suffered a big defeat today, they will definitely not give up. The enemy is several times more powerful than us, and there are many more tanks and artillery than we do, so you will be under a lot of pressure in the next defensive battle. ”

"Comrade Commander is right." Chernov, when I finished speaking, immediately picked up the conversation and said: "I estimate that by tomorrow morning at the latest, the Germans will launch a frantic attack on us." ”

I looked at the commander of the Guards Division, who was a little strange, and asked cautiously: "Comrade Colonel, in the face of the frantic attack of the German army. Can you stop them? ”

"No problem, Comrade Commander." Chernov assured me with an oath: "Our division is in the battle that has just ended. There were certain casualties, but the main force of the division was still intact, and I think there was no problem in holding back the German attack. ”

After listening to this, I turned to Tavart Kiradze and asked: "Comrade General, what do you say?" ”

Hearing my question, Tavart Kiradze said with a solemn expression: "Comrade commander, although I also want to tell you that there is no problem with us holding our positions. However, in these two days of fighting, more than half of the troops were killed and wounded, and if the Germans came back to attack with a few more high-intensity attacks, our division would almost be disorganized. ”

I also had a headache when I heard Tawart Kiradze say that more than half of the troops had been killed or wounded, and at present I only had one Guards Division left in my hands, which I was going to use for the major counteroffensive, and I absolutely could not replenish any unit at such a time. Therefore, I hesitated for a long time before I asked tentatively: "Comrade General, what do you think about it?" ”

"Can you send me a reserve?" Tawart Kiradze opened his mouth to ask for troops, "If we don't get support, I guess it's going to be difficult to hold the position." At that time, the reason why the No. 2 and No. 3 positions were lost was because all the defenders on the positions died heroically, and the enemy was able to occupy the high ground. ”

"Why are the casualties of the troops so large?" Hearing Tawart Kiradze say this, I asked in wonder: "Aren't there relatively complete tunnel fortifications on positions No. 2 and No. 3, how can the troops be killed and wounded in such a short period of time?" ”

Tawaltkiradze thought for a moment and replied: "I guess it was because the commanders and fighters were not familiar with the tunnels, so they were reluctant to use the tunnels to conceal themselves when they were shelled or bombed, and as a result, a large number of unnecessary casualties were caused. ”

Tawart Kiradze's words were a wake-up call to me, and I thought that with the fortifications of the tunnels, the defenders would have suffered much fewer casualties when they defended. I didn't expect that there would be people who didn't know how to use the tunnel for defense, and paid the price they shouldn't have paid in vain. Thinking of this, I asked worriedly: "Comrade General, the commanders and fighters on the No. 1 position today will not make similar mistakes again, right?" ”

"Comrade Commander, don't worry! Position No. 1 had no problem at all, they just knew that if they relied on tunnels and surface positions, they could resolutely hold their positions under the frantic attack of the German army. Hearing me mention the No. 1 position, Tawart Kiradze immediately became full of confidence, and when he saw me looking at him in surprise, he quickly explained: "Don't forget, Lieutenant Colonel Lukin, the commander of the 309th Regiment, but your old subordinate, he is very familiar with your set of tactics. ”

Hearing Tavart Kiradze mention Lukin, I immediately understood that the reason why the 51st Guards Division was able to hold the No. 1 position may have something to do with Lukin, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Before I could speak, the telephone on the desk rang, and Tavart Kiradze picked it up casually and listened to it for a moment, then immediately handed it to me, and at the same time whispered: "Comrade commander, it is General Vatutin. ”

When I heard that it was Vatutin, my eyebrows couldn't help but rise, and my heart said What is he calling me for at this time? I put the microphone to my ear and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Commander of the Front Army. ”

From the earpiece came Vatutin's hearty laughter: "Hello. Comrade Oshanina. I just saw the telegram. Say you've won a big battle. With the support of the air force, the German 'Hitler Division' and the 'Reich Division' were successfully defeated, which was a remarkable victory. It just so happened that the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal Vasilevsky, was with me, and he was also very pleased when he saw the telegram, and quickly informed Marshal Zhukov and the Supreme High Command of the news. ”

"Comrade commander of the front army, the comrades of the Air Force have also made great contributions to the achievement of this victory." I know our record, in the telegram that Tavart Kiradze sent to the command of the Front. It is clearly written, but not much is said about the merits of the Air Force, and I take the opportunity to mention the Air Force to Vatutin at this moment: "Our pilots did a great job, not only driving out the German air bandits, but also guiding and covering the attacks of the tank corps and infantry. It was because of their full cooperation that we were able to achieve such a victory. ”

"You're doing a good job." Vatutin said with a smile on the phone: "I heard from the comrades of the Air Force that your commanders and they cooperate quite tacitly, and often as soon as they bomb them, your tanks and infantry rush forward and beat the dazed German troops to pieces." ”

On the phone with Vatutin. I suddenly remembered Apanashchenko, when Vatutin had finished speaking. Immediately said to him: "Comrade Commander of the Front, I have something important to report to you. ”

Vatutin's mood was obviously good, and he smiled and said, "If there is anything, just say it." ”

"That's right, Comrade Commander." I organized the vocabulary in my head, and then reported to him: "You also know that the deputy commander of the Front, General Apanashchenko, has come to our forward positions. In order to ensure his safety, when I persuaded him to go back, I lied to him that the battle report reported in the telegram was not detailed, and asked him to report to you in person the details of our victory when he returned. ”

"Is he back?" Vatutin asked nervously.

"Go back, Comrade Commander. As soon as he heard that he was going back to report to you the details of the battle, he immediately left without hesitation. After saying this, I tentatively asked, "Is it appropriate for me to lie to him like this?" ”

"Nothing inappropriate, Comrade Oshanina, you are thinking too much." Regarding my cautious attitude, Vatutin said with a big grin: "Even if Comrade Apanashchenko knows the truth of the matter, he will not blame you, after all, you are also thinking about his safety." ”

"That's good." After I was at ease, I made my request to Vatutin: "Comrade commander, if possible, please prevent Comrade Deputy Commander from coming to the front again, it is too dangerous here, and I am really worried that something will happen to him." ”

"I see what you mean, Comrade Oshanina." Hearing this, Vatutin's tone also became serious, and he said solemnly: "I will try to prevent him from going to the front again." ”

After the call with Vatutin, I did not leave immediately, but continued to stay at the headquarters of the 51st Guards Division, supervising them in completing the repair of the fortifications and improving the defenses.

Seeing that I had been staying in his division headquarters, Tavart Kiradze could not help but look a little restless, and finally seized an opportunity and tactfully proposed to me: "Comrade commander, judging from the current situation, the Germans will definitely not attack again today, so you should go back to the army group headquarters first." ”

To tell you the truth, I really want to pat my ass now, so I go straight back to the headquarters of the group army, and stay in the safe command headquarters to give orders, isn't it much better than being scared here? But until it was certain that the troops of the 90th Guards Division would be able to hold their defensive zone, I could not go anywhere, lest I have to take the risk of running when I got there.

In order not to worry Tavart Kiradze, I explained to him: "Comrade General, I know that you persuaded me to return to the headquarters for the sake of my safety. However, I did not see Colonel Chernov's troops blocking the German attack, and I did not want to go anywhere. ”

"But, Comrade Commander." Tavartkiradze said unwillingly: "With all due respect, your stay here will not be of much use, but will make Colonel Chernov feel restrained and become cautious when directing the battle. ”

Tavart Kiradze's words made me hesitate, and I put myself in Chernov's shoes and realized that this was really the case. If Chuikov had been in my divisional headquarters when I was at the Mamayev Heights, I would have felt restrained in commanding the troops, and I would not have been able to give full play to my abilities.

Thinking about it made me change my mind. So I stood up and said to Kiradze, ****** tower: "Comrade General, what you said is very reasonable, since this is the case, I will not stay here to increase your psychological burden. ”

As soon as the words ended, I sensed Tawartkiradze breathe a sigh of relief. But instead of exposing him on the spot, I explained a few more words to him and prepared to leave.

As soon as I got to the door, I heard the phone on my desk ring again. I was afraid that someone was calling for me, so I stopped at the door, glanced at Kirazer ****** tower, and motioned for him to answer the phone.

After running over and picking up the phone and listening for a while, Tawart Kiradze suddenly became furious, and he slapped the table and said loudly: "Brutes, it's just a bunch of brutes. Second Lieutenant, you send the old lady to me at once. ”

I didn't understand why Tavartkiradze suddenly got so angry, so I hurriedly re-entered the house and asked him curiously: "Comrade General, apart from what, why is there such a big fire?" ”

Tavart Kiradze was still angry at the moment, and he said to me angrily: "Comrade commander, this is so. My men called to say that they had rescued an old lady who had escaped from a village a dozen miles away. The old lady cried to our soldiers that when the Germans returned to the village in the afternoon, they drove all the people in the village to the drying ground, and without saying anything, they opened fire with machine guns. The old lady was hiding in a nearby haystack and saw with her own eyes that the whole village had been killed by the Germans. ”

Although Tawaltkiradze's words were brief, I also rushed to the top of my head, and cursed in my heart that these damned SS soldiers, defeated by our army, had no ability to come to us to settle scores, but ran to slaughter the unarmed villagers. As long as I know which German unit did this, then I will not spare them, and as long as they are caught, they will all be shot on the spot, and I will never accept their surrender. (To be continued.) )