Although the Mamayev Hill was quiet here, and the enemy planes had stopped bombing the pier, the gunfire in the distance had not stopped, and it was obvious that the three armies under Zhukov's command were engaged in a desperate battle with the Germans.

After dark, the rumbling of distant shells and bombs became clearer, and the night sky to the northwest was reddened by the flames of battle.

I learned about the fighting taking place on the northern side of the city from the operations office of the army group through the Guò radio. Since the Germans firmly held air supremacy on the battlefield, the counterattack of the three armies suffered a setback from the very beginning. Our troops, after paying great sacrifices, finally broke through the defensive formation of the German troops and advanced five to seven kilometers. But in the afternoon, the Germans, under the cover of aircraft and powerful artillery fire, suddenly counterattacked the positions of the 24th and 66th armies, and the battle lasted several hours, and although the Germans lost a large part of their forces in the battle, they succeeded in undoing the gains made by the two armies during the day. Although the 1st Guards Army also encountered a counterattack by the Germans, under the stubborn resistance of the commanders and fighters, their vanguard was still wedged three kilometers into the German defense area.

Pugachev, who was staying with me in the command headquarters, asked worriedly after reading the battle report: "Comrade division commander, do you think this counterattack commanded by General Zhukov will be successful?" ”

I shook my head slowly, and said in a somewhat helpless tone: "At present, the German army firmly holds the air supremacy on the battlefield, and when our troops launch an attack, they will inevitably pay huge sacrifices under the indiscriminate bombing of enemy aircraft, thus directly leading the attack to be frustrated. ”

Although hear me say so. But Pugachev also said with luck: "It's not that General Zhukov appeared somewhere. Does that mean the offensive is about to begin? Why don't you even have confidence in this counterattack? ”

I snorted softly. "Captain Pugachev, it's not a question of confidence, but the strength of our army is not comparable to the Germans for the time being. In addition, there was no air supremacy, and the number of artillery and tanks to support the infantry attack was insufficient, so even if three armies attacked at the same time, it would not be possible to achieve the desired results. Otherwise, two German armoured armies would not have advanced under Stalingrad today. Had it not been for the timely measures we took, perhaps the Germans would have set up camp in the city. ”

I've just finished my sentence. Pugachev suddenly looked around nervously, and then lowered his voice and said to me: "Comrade division commander, you are a defeatist argument, if it is heard by the people of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you will be in trouble." ”

I looked at him, then at Razumeyeva, who was sitting in the doorway, and when I saw that she was also staring at me nervously, I smiled and said lightly: "Don't worry, it's just the two of you here." Will you report my words to the Cheka personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs? After hearing this, the two shook their heads in unison. Means they won't betray me.

Seeing that the attitude of the two was so resolute, I also struck while the iron was hot and said: "You are all people I trust, and I believe that you will not betray me." Speaking of this, I suddenly remembered that Vonia was fainting blood, and hurriedly said to Razumeyeva: "By the way, Comrade Ensign, there is something I want to tell you. There is a female soldier named Vonia in the guard company, she has a problem with blood sickness, and she is not suitable to stay in the combat unit, I want her to go to your communication company, I don't know what you mean? ”

Razumeeva hurriedly nodded and agreed: "Okay, comrade division commander, it just so happens that the current communication company is short of manpower, so let her come to our company." ”

As soon as she finished speaking, the curtain was suddenly lifted, and Basmanov ran in from outside, and he said to me excitedly: "Report to Comrade Division Commander, good news, the political commissar of our division is here!" ”

Commissar? I just mentioned to Chuikov in the afternoon that I need a political commissar and a chief of staff, but I didn't expect him to be quite efficient, so I sent the political commissar to me in the evening. I hurriedly asked excitedly: "Comrade Captain, where is the commissar?" ”

"Right outside the door!"

"Right outside the door?!" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, outside the door." Basmanov replied in the affirmative.

Hearing Basmanov's affirmative answer, I excitedly pushed him away, lifted the curtain and walked out of the headquarters. As soon as I walked out, I saw a commander in a large-brimmed hat standing sideways in a trench looking out at the terrain, and a soldier with a submachine gun standing straight behind him. I hurriedly walked over and took the initiative to greet me: "Hello, Comrade Political Commissar, welcome to the Independent Division." ”

When the commander heard my voice, he slowly turned around and said with a smile: "Hello, Colonel Oshanina, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon!" ”

Since the moonlight was not very bright and the distance was a bit far, I didn't see what the other person looked like. But when he turned around, I had a vague sense of kindness, and as soon as he spoke, I immediately knew who the new commissar was. No wonder Chuikov was so mysterious when he mentioned to him the political commissar who was newly sent to the independent division. Since it was an acquaintance, a smile appeared on my face, and I greeted him, and at the same time took the initiative to extend my hand and said in a friendly voice: "Hello, Comrade Kirillov, welcome to work in the Independent Division. ”

It turned out that the group army sent me was not someone else, but Kirillov, the director of the political department of the group army, whom I was familiar with. When I shook hands with him, I was still wondering if he had made any mistakes, otherwise why didn't the director of the political department do it, but he was transferred to an independent division to be the political commissar of the division?

I let Kirillov into the command and beckoned Razumeeva to pour tea, I asked curiously: "Comrade Kirillov, aren't you the head of the political department of the army group, why were you transferred to an independent division to serve as political commissar?" ”

Kirillov smiled and replied: "Colonel Oshanina, you don't know, I am still the director of the political department of the group army, but Commander Chuikov said that your independent division lacks political workers, so in order to strengthen the leadership of the independent division, he asked me to temporarily serve as the political commissar of your division. ”

"The commissar is there, but there is still a chief of staff." Although I have a political commissar, the burden on my shoulders is much easier. But if there is another chief of staff. It's even more perfect.

"Don't worry. Comrade division commander. After listening to my words, Kirillov smiled and comforted me: "Don't worry, as far as I know, the chief of staff of the independent division will be in two days at most." ”

"Great," I couldn't help but slap the table with excitement when I heard this unexpected good news, and then asked: "Comrade Political Commissar, do you know who the chief of staff is." What rank? ”

"Who's going to be the chief of staff," Kirillov shook his head and said regretfully, "I really don't know." But all I know is that he has the rank of captain. ”

"What, just the rank of captain?" I couldn't help but be a little disappointed when I heard this, and muttered: "The chief of staff of the division is actually the rank of captain, will the rank be too low?" ”

"No!" Kirillov said disapprerovitically: "In the army in previous years, major division commanders, lieutenant regimental commanders abounded, and a division chief of staff with the rank of captain is nothing. ”

Hearing Kirillov say this, I couldn't help but smile wryly, and my heart said that can it be compared to previous years? At that time, it was the Great Purge, and the middle and senior commanders were almost killed. These vacancies had to be filled with low-level commanders. But in the presence of Kirillov, these words could not be said casually. Perhaps he was an active participant in the purges.

Seeing that I was suddenly silent, Kirillov changed the topic in time: "I came this time and brought you an anti-aircraft machine gun company to strengthen the air defense of the Mamayev post. ”

"Great, Comrade Commissar." Hearing the news, my sluggish feelings suddenly rose, and I asked excitedly, "I don't know where they are now?" ”

Kirillov stood up, with a knowing expression on his face, and said to me with a smile: "I was in the trench outside just now, just watching them deploy defensive positions. Let's go, let's go and have a look, I understand, if you don't see this anti-aircraft machine gun company with your own eyes, you probably won't be able to sleep well at night. With that, he turned and walked out.

I smiled embarrassedly, followed Kirillov and again went out of the division headquarters.

The two of us went to the trench and walked to where Kirillov was standing just now, and he pointed into the distance and said to me: "Comrade division commander, come and see, they are arranging anti-aircraft positions there." ”

I looked in the direction of Kirillov's finger and saw a group of men digging simple bunkers on the hillside to place anti-aircraft machine guns on stands. I looked at it for a while and couldn't help frowning, judging by the location of the digging bunkers, they were going to line up a couple of machine guns.

At this time, Kirillov turned his head and asked me: "Comrade division commander, do you think the anti-aircraft machine gun company is in this position?" ”

Because of the importance of the matter, I did not hesitate to express my opinion: "No, the anti-aircraft machine gun company is in such a position, except that it will be difficult to shoot down the enemy planes except to become a target for the German planes." ”

"What, what did you say?" Kirillov asked rhetorically, surprised.

I didn't bother to answer him, took Basmanov out of the trench, and walked quickly along the hillside towards them. When I was approaching, the commander of the guard battalion, who had already understood my intentions, hurriedly shouted loudly: "Stop, stop!" ”

When the soldiers who were digging trenches heard the shouting, they all stopped what they were doing and turned their heads to look at us uninvited guests in surprise.

A commander wearing the rank of captain ran up to me, raised his hand and saluted, and said: "Report to Comrade Division Commander, I am Captain Talhan, the commander of the anti-aircraft machine gun company. Batilashvili, at your orders. ”

After raising my hand and returning the salute, I said to the captain in a friendly manner: "Comrade Captain, welcome you and your company to Mamayev Heights. ”

"For the service of the Soviet Fatherland!" Captain Talhan asked politely after saying a cliché. "Comrade division commander, our company is building defensive positions for anti-aircraft machine guns, are we allowed to continue?"

"Comrade Captain, your air defense position can't be set up like this. You must know that this not only does not pose much threat to enemy aircraft, but is likely to cause heavy casualties in air raids. ”

When Talhan heard me say this, he couldn't help but be stunned, and after a long time he muttered: "Then Comrade Division Commander, how should we arrange the air defense positions?" ”

I turned to Basmanov and said, "Comrade Captain, let the anti-aircraft machine gun company swing in the same triangular formation as during the day. Each of the three anti-aircraft machine guns formed a small triangle, and the three triangles formed a large triangle. In this way, no matter which direction the enemy aircraft is coming from, a sufficient density of fire can be guaranteed. Increased the hit rate of the machine gun. Then I turned my head. Said to Talhan: "Comrade Captain. Did you hear me? Let's line up the anti-aircraft machine guns in the kind of formation I just mentioned. ”

After hearing this, Tarhan stood still and did not move, and it so happened that Kirillov came to my side. Captain Talhan turned to Kirillov for help. Kirillov apparently heard my deployment, and after nodding, he decisively ordered the captain: "Comrade captain, didn't you hear the order of the division commander?" Go ahead and do it now. ”

When Kirillov spoke, Captain Talhan agreed, turned and went back to his unit. And Basmanov, who was standing next to him, also hurriedly followed.

Although Kirillov had just firmly supported me in front of his subordinates, when he saw that the anti-aircraft machine gun company had adjusted its formation and started digging bunkers in a new position, he still asked with a worried face: "Comrade Oshanina, does this formation really work?" ”

Although this formation has a higher hit rate than the kind of air defense positions commonly used by the Soviet army, I can't guarantee that I will definitely be able to shoot down enemy planes, so I have to smile and say vaguely: "We used this formation at the dock during the day to shoot down an enemy plane, I think the effect is still there." ”

After dawn the next day, Kirillov, who was bent on finding out the merits of the new air defense formation, dragged me out of the command headquarters. We found a shelter with a wide field of vision, and waited together to see the enemy planes flying over our high ground. Will it be knocked down by an anti-aircraft machine gun company. In order to facilitate the command of the anti-aircraft machine gun company, he also asked the communications company to pull a telephone line directly to the air defense position in advance.

At about nine o'clock in the morning, two enemy planes flew over from the north. Today they did not sweep directly over the heights to bomb the docks, but circled around the Mamayev Gang. After circling twice, the enemy aircraft began to reduce altitude.

Seeing that the enemy planes were circling around the high ground, Kirillov hurriedly dialed the anti-aircraft machine gun company and said into the microphone: "Captain Talhan, the enemy planes are hovering over your company, and when they are lowered to a suitable height for shooting, they will open fire decisively." ”

Almost at the same time as Kirillov's words were finished, the sound of rapid and tight machine-gun fire sounded on the hillside.

The enemy plane, which was gradually lowering its altitude, was taken aback and immediately raised its nose in an attempt to raise it, but it was already too late, a slow-moving enemy plane had been hit by a dense number of anti-aircraft machine gun bullets, and a long puff of black smoke came out of the tail, and after the fuselage smoothed forward for some distance, it uncontrollably carried down to the north side of the main position, and went to find the company of the plane that was shot down yesterday.

When the other enemy plane, which was lucky enough to pull up, saw that its companion was hit, it was unwilling to leave like this, and after circling in the air again, the plane cocked its butt and dived downward. At the same time, bombs were dropped on the positions of anti-aircraft machine gun batteries. Due to the haste with which the bomb was dropped, it did not hit the target, but fell into an empty ravine more than 100 meters away.

After the enemy plane swooped down, it could not successfully pull up again, and it exploded in the air by the oncoming dense machine-gun bullets, and the burning fragments fell on the hillside one after another.

Seeing that our anti-aircraft machine gun connection shot down two enemy planes in a row, Kirillov excitedly shouted into the microphone and praised: "Well hit, good fight!" Captain Talhan, please congratulate your men on my behalf, they fought so beautifully. ”

Although we easily shot down two enemy planes, my mood did not become lighter, and yesterday we shot down one on the high ground, confusing the Germans, because the pilots did not survive, perhaps they thought that they were shot down by the anti-aircraft artillery regiment on the pier. But we shot down two enemy planes that flew to the heights today, and the Germans, too, are fools and understand that the presence of air defense forces on the heights could provoke their frenzied retaliation.

Half an hour later, my fears became a reality, and this time the Germans came in two four-plane formations, flew over the high ground and circled for a while, and then began to swoop down in line and bombard our high ground indiscriminately.

In an instant, bombs fell on the hillside and exploded everywhere, and the positions of the anti-aircraft machine gun batteries were filled with smoke. In the face of the bombing of enemy planes, the fighters of the anti-aircraft machine gun company stuck to their combat posts and stubbornly fired fiercely at the enemy planes. (To be continued......)