Heavy German shelling lasted a full hour.

As soon as the enemy's shelling ended, before I could get through to the front, Chuikov's phone called, and his voice seemed a little anxious: "Is it Comrade Oshanina?" I'm Chuikov. ”

I hurriedly and politely said: "Hello, Comrade Commander. ”

Chuikov said: "Did you receive the order that General Biryukov gave you?" ”

I replied: "Yes, I received an order from the division commander that our regiment should withdraw from its existing positions, retreat two kilometers back to build new positions, and cover the crossing of the river by political workers from the base camp. At present, the enemy's artillery bombardment of our regiment's positions has just ended, and I intend to observe for a while, and if the enemy does not launch a ground attack, I will order the forward troops to withdraw from their positions one after another and rush to the new defensive area to build defensive positions. ”

Chuikov asked: "Are the casualties of the troops large?" ”

I don't know how to answer this question, under such intensive artillery fire just now, even if I can't count it, I can guess that the casualties of the troops will definitely not be less. Hearing that I was silent, and that Chuikov on the other end of the line was silent, perhaps he knew in his heart that his question was a little redundant.

I took a deep breath and replied, "Comrade Commander, I have not yet been in contact with the front. Due to the repeated blowing up of the telephone line between the observation post and the front line during the German shelling of our positions, our communications were repeatedly interrupted, so that I could not accurately and timely grasp the situation of the troops. Speaking of this, I hesitated slightly, but still said what I really thought in my heart: "Comrade commander, I think with the current strength of our regiment. Staying and holding on to your current position may be the best option. ”

When Chuikov heard me say this, he didn't speak.

I went on to say: "The troops suffered heavy casualties in the shelling just now. The accumulation of a large number of wounded will slow down our retreat. Perhaps before we could reach our new position, the attacking enemy had already rushed to the river. You see if the task of covering the crossing of the river by the political workers can be handed over to the troops of the 57th Army, or the troops on the right flank of our regiment. ”

"No, I don't have the right to command the troops of the 57th Army," said Chuikov. As for the troops of the 229th and 112th divisions on the right flank of your regiment, they are on the vast Great Plains. Engage in a desperate battle with the enemy, and you will not be able to withdraw from the enemy's entanglement. In contrast, the 214th Division was under much less pressure. That's why I'm sending your regiment to the river to build a defensive position to cover the river crossing. ”

Chuikov's words have all been said about this, and I will shirk the prevarication. It is estimated that there is a possibility of being court-martialed. So I could only bite the bullet and say, "Okay, comrade commander." I will arrange for the troops to retreat from their existing positions as far as possible, and move quickly towards the Don River to cover the river crossing. ”

After talking to Chuikov, I called the frontier again, but I didn't expect there to be no sound in the microphone at all. Seeing that there was a large number of telephones, Lukin hurried to the door and shouted outside, "Someone! ”

Soon a fighter came running. After saluting Lukin, he asked loudly: "Comrade Captain." Do you have any instructions? ”

"The telephone at the observation post and the front line is out again, so you ask the people in the communications platoon to check the line immediately, and restore the communication to normal as much as possible." Lukin said to the warrior.

Unexpectedly, after Lukin's words were finished, the warrior stood still and did not move, but lowered his head. Lukin said with a displeased face: "What's the matter, comrade soldier, why don't you go and carry out the order?" ”

The soldier raised his head and replied in a choked voice: "Report to Comrade Captain, the commanders and fighters of the communications platoon, all have died. ”

"What, what do you say? Comrade soldier, repeat what you just said. I was startled at the news, rushed to the door in a few steps, and asked loudly at the warrior.

The soldier was taken aback by me, and he nervously and stammered: "Comrade regiment commander, the fighters of the communications platoon, except for the personnel who remained at the observation post and the regimental headquarters on duty, the rest of the fighters, including the platoon commander, died in the enemy's artillery fire while rushing to repair the line. ”

The corners of Lukin's lips twitched when he heard the warrior repeat the bad news again, and he turned his gaze to the distant position, although it was not yet dark, but the smoke that covered the sky made the sky turn a deep black. He said to me in a pitch-shifting voice: "Comrade Regiment Commander, we are still unable to contact the front for the time being. Well, you stay in the observation post, and I'll go to the front and have a look. ”

Before I could speak, the phone rang in the room. Before I could pick it up, I knew that it was definitely not from the front, because the people in the communications platoon were all sacrificed, and no one went to repair the telephone line, and it must have been a call from the higher troops. I walked over and picked up the phone and said, "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, please!" ”

Bilyukov's voice came from the microphone: "Commander Oshanina, the enemy's shelling has stopped, what about the casualties of your regiment, can you immediately withdraw from your positions and quickly rush to a new defensive zone?" ”

"Comrade division commander," I said with some embarrassment, "our communication with the front line has been cut off, and we are not able to get in touch with the troops on the position for the time being......

"What?" Biryukov interrupted me, "Since the communication is interrupted, why don't you let the communications corps rush to repair the line?" You must know that if you miss the warplane, you and I will both have to go to court-martial. ”

"Comrade division commander, please listen to my explanation." I hurriedly excused: "In order to ensure the connection between the regimental headquarters and the front line, the soldiers of the communications platoon braved the enemy's heavy artillery fire again and again to repair the telephone lines that had been blown up by the shells, and all of them died honorably. ”

Hearing me say this, Biryukov fell silent. Hearing that he didn't speak, I hurriedly added: "Comrade division commander, please allow me to go to the front to check the specific situation, and Captain Lukin will stay in the observation post to keep in touch with you." ”

"I will allow it." Biryukov readily agreed, and at the same time told me: "Remember the order: quickly assemble your troops and retreat to the Don to build new fortifications." ”

I said hello to Lukin and walked out of the observation post. Walk along the trenches to the front. After walking a few steps, I heard Lukin shouting loudly from behind: "Guard platoon, come here for two squads." Go to the front with the regimental commander, and remember that her life must be safeguarded, and this order cannot be changed. ”

In my eagerness to find out what was going on in the forward troops, I was not walking, but trotted along the trenches, and the soldiers of the guard platoon followed me as if they were running a marathon.

When I rushed to the second line of defense. I happened to meet those commanders and fighters who came out of the concealment department. I pulled a soldier who passed by and asked aloud: "Where is your battalion commander?" ”

The soldier glanced at the rank on my collar badge and hurriedly stood up and saluted. Then he pointed to a passage next to him and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, if you walk thirty meters along this road, you will see a hidden part that is half-buried in the ground. There was the newly formed battalion command post. ”

I follow the guidance of the fighters. Came to that battalion command post. When I walked into the shelter department, the commander of the second battalion was holding the telephone and shouting desperately, and when he saw me entering the door, he hurriedly left the telephone and saluted me: "Hello, comrade regiment commander. How did you get here? ”

I returned the salute and asked, "Second Battalion Commander, what are the casualties of your battalion?" ”

The commander of the second battalion hurriedly replied: "Report to Comrade Regiment Commander." The casualties of the troops had just been counted, and the casualties were almost two hundred. There are about as many remaining combatants. ”

I didn't talk nonsense with him either, and ordered straightforwardly: "Second battalion commander, I just received an order from my superiors that our regiment should immediately withdraw from its positions. Go to the Don River and build a new defensive position to cover the crossing of friendly forces. You immediately organize the transfer of troops and go to the regimental observation post to find Captain Lukin to accept the mission. ”

The commander of the second battalion was probably accustomed to obeying orders, and without even asking the reason for the retreat, he readily agreed.

When he heard that I was going to the position of the 1st Battalion next, he couldn't help but be a little nervous, and hurriedly persuaded me: "Comrade Regiment Commander, there may be unexploded shells on the way to the 1st Battalion. Let me send a correspondent to help you deliver the order. ”

I waved and said resolutely: "Second battalion commander, you don't have to worry about my safety, immediately organize the troops to retreat." ”

On the way to the first line of defense, I thought to myself that the more than 200 men of the 2nd Battalion, plus the 7th Company and the guard platoon, could already piece together 5 or 600 people, and as long as the 100 men left in the 1st Battalion, then the strength of our regiment would barely be enough to fight a blocking battle. However, the ammunition stored near the regimental command post could not be transported away, and it seemed that we could only blow it up when we left, and we must not cheapen the Germans.

As a result, when I got to the first battalion, I found that the situation was much worse than I had thought. Due to heavy enemy shelling, the trenches were razed to the ground, and not a single active figure was seen in the entire position.

I stopped and anxiously shouted at the empty position, "Is there anyone else?" Is there anyone else on the ground? ”

The guards who followed me also shouted in unison, "Is there anyone else?" Are there any people alive? ”

With our shouts, the floating earth on the ground moved, and with a small effort, a dozen warriors came out of the ground. Seeing that some comrades appeared, the guards ran up one after another to help them get out of the dirt.

A few minutes later, in front of me, more than forty soldiers lined up in two neat rows, and standing on the far left of the queue was the former company commander, the current first battalion commander. I walked up to him, looked at the bandage around his head, and asked with concern, "First battalion commander, are your injuries serious?" ”

Unexpectedly, he replied loudly: "Report to the regiment commander, the rest of the commanders and fighters of the first battalion are here." I assure you that as long as there is one person left in the battalion, the enemy will never be allowed to move forward. ”

At this time, the sergeant standing next to him whispered to me: "Comrade regiment commander, the battalion commander's ears are deaf. ”

After listening to the soldier's explanation, I couldn't help but be stunned, and then I understood why the first battalion commander would answer the wrong question just now. I said to the sergeant: "I order that the first battalion now withdraw from its position and move the whole battalion to the Don River to take up a new combat mission." (To be continued......)

PS: Heartfelt thanks to book friends: Chu Xiangshui, the dead hedgehog, qiu121, and Mao Yantong! , t00030003, peterzyj's valuable monthly passes.