Gunshots and explosions rang out only in the east of the city, then in the north, then in the west, and then in half of the city, where fires could be seen everywhere and gunshots could be heard like beans.

I raised my hand and looked at my watch, there were still ten minutes before four o'clock in the morning, and a regiment of attacks on the city had actually begun, and judging from the intensity of the battle, the way they attacked was not a sneak attack that we had said in advance, but a strong attack. Looking at the still quiet south gate, I felt a little comforted in my heart, and said in my heart: "Although Lieutenant Colonel Kosgaard's ability is a little worse, he is still quite reassuring, and he did not let the troops attack rashly before the attack time." ”

As soon as I thought of this, I suddenly heard a lively activity under the hillside, and someone was shouting loudly. I listened closely, and heard what seemed to be a commander shouting, "Forward!" Then a myriad of throats shouted in unison, "Forward, forward!" ”

"Hell," said Bandereev, who apparently also heard the commotion below, "what does this Lieutenant Colonel Kosgaard want to do, do you want the soldiers to rush up and die like this?" ”

By the light of the flares, I saw countless commanders and fighters standing in the grass below the hillside, striding in a neat line towards the city gate.

"Damn Lieutenant Colonel Kosgaard," I scolded indignantly, "he may have heard that there was a fight in the city, and he feared that all the battle achievements had been taken away by one regiment, so he could not wait to order the soldiers of the three regiments to attack." ”

Seeing the troops rushing out of the grass, the Germans who were holding on to the barricade at the entrance panicked. While desperately firing flares into the air, they fired wildly at our troops, and large areas of muzzle flames lit up in the barricades. A rain of bullets of various calibers. It splashed like a wind on the commanders and fighters who were advancing in a neat line.

When the distance is far away. Enemy bullets are not yet a threat. But as our troops got closer and closer to the fortifications, casualties inevitably appeared. Looking at the soldiers who fell one after another in the queue, my heart was like a knife, and I hurriedly called Wenger in front of me and ordered him: "Corporal, you go to Lieutenant Colonel Kosgaard immediately, and say that it is my order, and ask him to immediately stop the current offensive tactics of sending him to death." ”

"Yes!" Wenger agreed. Bent down and ran down the hill.

Although I knew that Wenger could not immediately convey my orders to Lieutenant Colonel Kosgaard, I was still anxious to see the falling commanders and fighters. I raised my binoculars and looked into the city, fearing that if I saw any moving lights in the dark streets, it would mean that the enemy's tanks and armored vehicles had been dispatched. In the steppes without shelter, tanks against our infantry, without anti-tank weapons, will become a one-sided slaughter.

I didn't expect to worry more about what was wrong with what was in my telescope lens. There are really moving lights on the streets. I hurriedly patted Bantai Leev and said to him anxiously: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander. If you look at the streets of the city, it looks like enemy tanks have been dispatched. ”

Pandereev raised his binoculars, looked in the direction I was pointing, then sighed and said: "Comrade division commander, you are right. It was indeed a German tank, and it seemed to be followed by an armored car. After speaking, he said regretfully to the commanders and fighters who were bravely rushing to the German position: "Alas, it is a pity, so many heroic commanders and fighters, I don't know how many people will be left after this battle?" ”

The troops of the 3rd Regiment were getting closer and closer to the barricades at the southern entrance of the city, and when they were less than 100 meters closer, the commanders and fighters who rushed to the front, except for those who were shot and fell, lay on the ground and opened fire with the enemy hiding in the fortifications.

I pointed to the barricades that were spewing flames of death, and said indignantly: "Damn the Germans, if Morozov's artillery battalion is here, I'll let him blow you all up with one shot!" ”

As soon as the words fell, an earth-shattering explosion was heard at the corner of the street, and a fire rose from the barricade fortifications on the left side of the street, and several soldiers were swept out of it by the blast of the explosion.

Not only me, but even Bentai Leev was stunned by this unexpected turn of events. We looked at each other, and after a long time, I asked tentatively: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, do you see, it seems that the enemy's barricade fortifications have exploded?" ”

"Yes, I saw that too." Bandereev was also confused and said: "Could it be that the bullets of our commanders and fighters hit the enemy's accumulated ammunition and caused the explosion?" ”

Before we could discuss the results, another explosion was heard in the street, this time on the right side of the barricade. If the explosion just now was caused by the enemy's accumulation of ammunition being hit by the bullets of our troops, as Bandereev said, then what happened to this explosion?

When the third explosion sounded, the mystery was revealed. It turned out that the explosion was caused by a shell fired by a tank parked in the street, and the target of the attack was not our troops outside the city, but the German soldiers who were stubbornly resisting. In this kind of thing, if I still can't figure out what is going on, I am not worthy of being the commander of this division. I excitedly pointed to the place where the fire and smoke were rising, and excitedly said to Pandereev: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, look, look, the German barricade factories have been destroyed by us again. It was not the bullets of our fighters that hit the ammunition in the enemy's fortifications, but the guns fired by tanks parked on the streets. Oh my God, it must have been Basmanov who did it, they must have captured the enemy's tanks and turned their guns against the enemy's fortifications. ”

Seeing that the fortifications at the corner of the street were destroyed, and the defenders who were defending the fortifications were killed and wounded, the commanders and fighters who had been suppressed by the enemy's fire and were lying on the ground jumped up from the ground one after another, and rushed towards the city with their weapons in their hands and shouting. When I saw more and more commanders and fighters rushing over the bombed-out barricades and into the city at high speed, I was relieved to know that the city had basically been taken.

Because of our absolute superiority in strength and the fact that the enemy was taken by surprise, the resistance of the German troops in the city was sporadic and weak. In less than half an hour, the sound of gunfire and explosions, which had been loud and sound, had thinned out. I knew that this was the end of the battle, so I was relieved and boldly said to Bandereev: "Let's go." Comrade Deputy Division Commander. Wait for us to walk from here to the city. It's time for all the battles to end. ”

Bandereev held up a rifle that he had taken from an unknown guard soldier and said to me proudly: "It doesn't matter if the battle is not over, I haven't fought the Germans face to face for a long time, and my hands are itching, so I just want to find a few unlucky guys to try this rifle." ”

Surrounded by soldiers of the guard company, the two of us walked down the hill and met Kosgaard, who had been brought by Wenger. For the commander of the third regiment, I didn't give him a good face. You must know that he has not been under my command for a day or two, and in today's battle, he would actually arrange such a dense formation to launch an attack, causing unnecessary casualties in vain.

Kosgaard was clearly aware of his mistake and stood there honestly. In the end, it was Bantai Leev who couldn't look past it and came out to play a round: "Okay, comrade division commander, don't blame Lieutenant Colonel Kosga, he is also eager to fight, so he can't wait to launch an attack." And the commanders and fighters of the second battalion of the third regiment. Almost all of them were the recruits I brought in, and they were already untrained. I think it's remarkable to be able to face such ferocious fire from the enemy, not only did not break away, but bravely rushed forward without flinching. ”

Since Bandereev had come out to help them speak, and asked me to teach Kosgaard a lesson in front of the commanders and fighters of the Third Regiment with a straight face, I couldn't do it, so I said in a soothing tone: "Let's go, Lieutenant Colonel Kosgaard." ”

Kosgaard didn't expect my attitude to change so quickly, and he still stood there and asked stupidly: "Go, where to go?" ”

Without saying a word, I raised my leg and kicked at him, scolding angrily: "Where to go, where else can I go?" Of course, it was to enter the city and join up with a regiment of troops. With that, I walked past him towards the city.

Walking past the corpse-strewn and smoky barricades, and by the light of the burning wood in the fortifications, I saw a German tank parked in the street in front of me, and in front of the tank stood seven or eight soldiers in German uniforms, and I could tell from the white towels tied to their arms.

Seeing the appearance of a large number of our people, the people on the opposite side hurriedly greeted us. When they approached, I saw clearly that it was Basmanov who led the group, and he came up to us and began to report without saluting: "Comrade division commander, Captain Basmanov, commander of the guard battalion, reports to you that we have succeeded in seizing the enemy's baggage and captured tanks and armored vehicles parked in the square. In the battle just now, the captured tanks were used to provide the necessary artillery support for the attacking troops of our army! ”

"Well done, well done!" Pantai Laiev stepped forward and shook his hand, and said with emotion: "It is precisely because your mission has been completed well that our attack on the city today can be so smooth. ”

When Pantai Leev let go of Basmanov's hand, I also stepped forward to shake his hand and asked, "Are there any casualties?" Although I did not specify which unit suffered heavy casualties, Basmanov understood that I was asking about the small detachment he led pretending to be German, and quickly replied: "Report to the division commander, one person was killed, and two others were wounded." ”

Hearing that they had achieved such a great result with such small casualties, a smile finally appeared on my face, and I nodded in satisfaction and complimented him, saying, "Well done, Captain Basmanov." When I get back to Mamayev Height, I will take credit for you and your men, and when you have time, you will sort out their names and give them to the deputy division commander. ”

From here to the occupied German headquarters, we could not go by tank, so we had to walk. When I was walking side by side with Basmanov, I asked him curiously: "Comrade Captain, tell me how you managed to capture the enemy's baggage." ”

Basmanov agreed, and then began to report to me about the process of their seizure of the baggage: "When we came outside the city in an armored car, we were stopped by the German soldiers in the barricades. My heart beat faster when I heard the German talking outside the car, and the pistol was only in my hand, the muzzle of the gun was secretly aimed at Braun, and if he had given the Germans the slightest hint, I would have fired without hesitation.

However, in the end, there was no danger. Braun was very cooperative with us, and he told the German soldiers outside the car that we had just returned to the city to rest after completing our search mission. When the Germans heard him say this, they simply let our armored vehicles go.

When our armored vehicles came to the square, a German soldier directed us to stop between tanks and armored vehicles. I couldn't have been happier at the time, I was still worried about how to get close to the enemy's tanks and armored vehicles, but I didn't expect that someone would send a pillow just when I wanted to fall asleep, and the Germans actually let us park next to the tank, which was really good.

When we got out of the car, I looked around and saw that there were only three soldiers guarding the tanks, but there were quite a few German soldiers guarding the baggage, about twenty or so, but they were all scattered. I gestured to the soldiers around me, and they struck out decisively, killing all three German soldiers who were guarding the tank.

Then we divided into two groups and went to hunt down the German soldiers who were scattered to guard the baggage. When the enemy was almost killed by us, I suddenly thought of a question, and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. ”

"What's on your mind?" Bandereev asked curiously.

"We've killed so many German soldiers at once, and if the time comes for the changing of the guard to find that the people here are gone, will we be exposed soon?" Basmanov replied.

"Didn't it be exposed in the end?" I said disapprovingly, and then urged Basmanov: "Captain, you go on, what happened?" ”

Basmanov agreed, and then continued: "But since the German soldiers guarding the baggage have been almost killed, it is not so easy to stop, so in this way, we have made all the German soldiers near the baggage clear in just a few minutes." Soon, one of the soldiers noticed that there were several tents not far from the baggage, apparently for the German soldiers guarding the baggage. I hurriedly sent someone over to check. Four German soldiers were found sleeping in each tent, all asleep. So, I decisively gave the soldiers an order to enter the tent in pairs and take out the enemy inside with a dagger.

Since the enemy slept deeply, the fighters who went in to carry out the mission quickly completed the mission and came out. After cleaning five tents in a row, we came to the last one. But when he went in, he found that it was empty, and when he asked Braun, he learned that this was the tent where the officers were resting, and if he was not there, he probably went to the battalion headquarters to report his work.

I asked the soldiers to hide the corpses of the Germans, and then everyone pretended to be soldiers standing guard, stopped in the square, and waited patiently for the German officers who had gone to report to their work. (To be continued......)