Seeing the confused reactions of the two, I smiled slightly and explained to them: "Didn't Comrade Chief of Staff just say that we lack enough artillery, I think so, since the higher authorities can't send us artillery, then we will find a way to form an artillery unit of our own." ”

"Comrade division commander, but what does this have to do with the empty gasoline barrels you want??" Akhromeyev asked curiously.

Kirillov and Akhromeyev glanced at each other, and then echoed: "Yes, Comrade Oshanina, I was also confused by you, what kind of connection will this empty gasoline drum have with the artillery we are about to form?" ”

"I'm just going to use empty oil drums to make a new type of cannon." As soon as I said this, the jaws of the two of them almost hit the table. When I saw Akhromeyev holding a pen in his hand, I stretched out my hand to him and said politely: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please lend me your pen for use." ”

Akhromeyev quickly stood up, leaned forward, and handed me the pen across the table.

I took the pen from his hand, thanked him, unscrewed the cap, and placed the barrel on the table. I looked at the cap of the pen in my hand, thought about it, put it on the barrel of the pen again, and began to explain to the two commanders the principle of the upcoming flying thunder cannon: "My political commissar and chief of staff, the new cannon I am talking about is actually an explosive pack launcher with a gasoline barrel as a barrel. The main body of this weapon, also known as the explosive projectile, is an empty gasoline barrel filled with propellant, in which a packet of explosives bundled into a disc is placed and the propellant is ignited to use the impact of the explosion. You will be able to pack up to 10 kilograms of explosives. Projectile to a place 150~200 meters away. ”

When I introduced them to the principle of the Flying Thunder Cannon. The two stared intently at the cap on the table. After a long while, Akhromeyev said in an uncertain tone: "Comrade division commander, your idea is good, but none of us are professionals, and whether this kind of explosive pack launcher can be made is still a question." ”

Kirillov waved his hand and said dryly: "Well, since all three of us are laymen. Don't waste your time here. It is better to call the commander of the artillery battalion, Captain Morozov, and the commander of the engineer company, Lieutenant Mihayev, and ask them to give professional advice again. ”

"Comrade Commissar is quite right." Both of them were very reasonable, and I followed the advice and said decisively: "Since this is the case, I will call Morozov and Mihayev over and let the professionals comment on my ideas." ”

After I finished speaking, before I could give my orders, Akhromeyev got up and walked to the telephone, called Morozov and Mihayev respectively, informing them to rush to the command immediately. There are important tasks to be assigned to them.

Receiving a call from Akhromeyev, Morozov and Mihayev did not dare to slack off. Trotted forward and backward to the headquarters. While he was still breathing, Morozov asked breathlessly: "May I ask the division commander and political commissar to come to us, do you have any new instructions?" ”

I hurriedly beckoned them to sit down at the table, and asked Akhromeyev to repeat what I had just said to them. After listening to this, the expressions of the two were very different, and Morozov stared at the cap of the pen on the table with a frown, as if considering the feasibility of my proposal. Mihayev, on the other hand, looked nervous and kept looking around.

Kirillov stood behind Mihayev with his hands behind his back and asked with a smile: "Lieutenant Mihayev, what do you think of this idea of the division commander?" ”

Mihayev hurriedly stood up, turned around and replied awkwardly: "Report to the commissar, I have no opinion. ”

"Why?" Kirillov's face changed as he said this.

Kirillov's face changed, and Mihayev also saw it, and hurriedly explained: "Comrade political commissar, you also know that I, the commander of the engineer company, am not a real engineer, and I do not master the professional skills of an engineer, and I am familiar with nothing except repairing houses or repairing fortifications. ”

Seeing the disappointed expression on Kirillov's face, I hurriedly asked Morozov, who was pondering: "Comrade Captain, what do you think about this matter?" ”

My words woke Morozov from his contemplation, and he hurriedly stood up and replied cautiously: "Report to the division commander, I have thought about it carefully, and theoretically speaking, this idea of yours can become a reality. ”

Morozov's words rekindled the hope of the disappointed Kirillov, and he couldn't wait to ask: "Captain Morozov, you are a professional, you have more say than all of us, do you think that with empty gasoline barrels, you can really make the kind of cannon that the division commander said?" ”

Morozov nodded vigorously and said affirmatively: "Yes, according to the introduction of the chief of staff, the explosive projectile canister mentioned by the division commander has some similarities with the previous heavy mortars, they are all used at large elevation angles, and the firing range is relatively short, but the power of the explosion is absolutely amazing. And the caliber of this weapon is absolutely amazing, how thick the oil drum we use is, then how big the caliber of the cannon is. In my experience, the powerful blast impact of this ten-kilogram package of explosives. Everywhere they passed, both the fortifications and the soldiers were blown away, not even the people hiding in the tanks, because they would be shocked to death if they were not killed. ”

After listening to Morozov's explanation, Kirillov's face showed an expression of surprise. He turned his head and asked me excitedly: "Comrade division commander, if this kind of cannon is built, will it be able to achieve the effect that Captain Morozov said?" ”

I nodded and said seriously: "Yes, Comrade Commissar." Once manufactured, we could use the opposing German tanks, armored vehicles, field fortifications, and dense offensive formations. And this cannon is made in a simple way, as long as there are gasoline barrels. When our front-line troops are equipped with such weapons, will they still be afraid of the intensive charge of German tanks and infantry? ”

After listening to my words, Kirillov was immediately excited, and his mouth continued to say: "It's amazing, I'm going to immediately call Comrade Commander and ask him to supply us with enough explosives." ”

"Wait a minute, Comrade Commissar." Kirillov walked over to the telephone and had just picked it up. But he was stopped by Morozov. He looked back. Looking at Morozov. Puzzled, he asked, "Comrade Captain, do you have anything to say?" ”

Morozov turned his head, looked at me with a sad face, and said: "Comrade division commander, in the past, the old-fashioned heavy mortars used explosives to shoot out iron balls, and there was no problem of detonating them. But how to detonate the explosive package, I haven't figured out a good way yet. ”

I thought it was some kind of technical problem, but I didn't expect it to be such a small problem. I waved my hand and said disapprehantly, "Comrade Captain, don't worry, this is easy to do." At the same time as the propellant lead is lit, the fuse on the explosive package is also ignited. Remember, the fuse should be made longer, otherwise it will not fly out of the barrel or explode just after flying a short distance, and it will accidentally injure our own people. ”

"Understood, Comrade Division Commander, now I understand everything." Morozov rubbed his hands together excitedly. Putting on an eager look, "I'm going to go find the gasoline barrel." Find another place to experiment. Division commanders, political commissars, please rest assured, I promise to complete the production of this explosive projectile before dawn. ”

Kirillov picked up the phone again, and when he was about to call the headquarters, he suddenly listened, turned his head and asked me: "Comrade Oshanina, this new weapon is called an explosive projectile, which is a bit too awkward, can you choose a simple name?" ”

I pretended to think for a moment, and then said solemnly, "Let's call it the 'Flying Thunder Cannon'." "Originally, I wanted to start with another name, but because of my lack of knowledge, I ended up using the old name of this weapon.

Kirillov dialed Chuikov's phone and excitedly reported to the other party: "...... Comrade Commander, Division Commander Oshanina is preparing to create a new weapon for the defense of the heights, and I hope you can help a little. ”

Attracted by Kirillov's words, Chuikov asked with interest: "What kind of weapon?" ”

"Comrade Oshanina named this new weapon 'Flying Thunder Cannon', that is, an empty gasoline canister is filled with propellant, and then the explosive package bundled into a disc is put into it, and then the propellant is ignited, and the explosive bag weighing 10 kilograms can be thrown to a place 150~200 meters away by using the impact force generated by the explosion. According to her, this weapon can be used against German tanks, armored vehicles, field fortifications and dense infantry offensive formations, but I think that this weapon, if used in street fighting, can also destroy buildings occupied by the enemy and reduce casualties among our counterattacking forces. ”

"Well, that sounds pretty good. But I don't know what kind of help I can provide to you? ”

"We need explosives, lots of explosives." Kirillov unceremoniously said to Chuikov: "As far as I know, in an underground warehouse near the army group, a large amount of explosives were stored, which were originally intended to be used when the enemy attacked the city and blew up important facilities. However, the plan to destroy the city has apparently been shelved now, so the explosives have been forgotten there. Comrade commander, I beg you to hand over this batch of explosives to our division. With the newly manufactured 'Flying Thunder Cannon' and enough explosives, we have even more confidence in holding the Mamayev Heights. ”

Chuikov was moved by Kirillov's words, and he said almost without thinking: "Okay, I'll make up my mind about this, let the convoy bring you four tons of explosives first, and if it's not enough, I'll continue to replenish it for you." At this point, he suddenly remembered another thing, and continued, "By the way, when you meet Comrade Oshanina, please tell her that after repeated reconnaissance by our scouts, it was discovered that the Abganerovo station, where she was once stationed, was flattened by explosives, and the Germans lost at least nearly a thousand people here. For her achievements, the Front Command will soon give her the reward she deserves. ”

Kirillov put down the phone and said to me with a smile on his face: "Do you hear me? Comrade division commander. On behalf of General Chuikov, I have the honour to inform you that the command of the Front intends to reward you for the heavy losses caused by the explosives you planted during the evacuation of the Abuganerovo station, and here I would like to congratulate you in advance! With that, he held out his hand to me.

After Kirillov and I shook hands, Akhromeyev, Morozov, and Mihayev also came forward to shake hands with me and congratulate me. While shaking hands with them, I thought: Lao Maozi is really polite, in addition to saying thank you and congratulations, he usually shakes hands with people frequently.

I raised my hand to look at my watch, and seeing that it was not early, I said a few more words to Morozov: "Comrade Captain." The vehicle of the command of the army group transporting explosives. It is estimated that it will be there in another hour. Don't forget to send a few fighters to meet you. At the same time, you have to use this time to organize people to prepare empty oil drums, and if there are not enough people, ask Mihayev or Pugachev to borrow some people to help. Also, don't use ordinary wires to bundle explosive packs, I'm afraid it will fall apart in the air, so it's best to tie them with wires. "Seeing that the things that should be explained are almost explained. He waved at him and Mihayev and said, "Okay, it's not too early, you better rush back to the army to make preparations immediately." ”

As the saying goes: use people without suspicion and suspicion. So after I gave the task, I didn't chase Morozov to ask about the progress of the manufacture of the flying thunder cannon. When the time was almost up, Kirillov and Akhromeyev and I rested at our desks in the headquarters.

Just as I was falling asleep, there was a loud noise outside. Since it was a silent night, the decibel level of this sound was raised in disguise, and it startled my drowsiness without a trace. I sat up straight and looked across from Kirillov, who was also unconscious. He asked weakly: "Comrade Political Commissar, what happened?" ”

Kirillov and I woke up around the same time. Naturally, he couldn't know what was going on, so he shook his head and looked at Akhromeyev next to him. The chief of staff was not much better, and after hesitating for a moment, he said tentatively: "Could it be that Captain Morozov is testing the 'Flying Thunder Cannon'?" ”

Hearing Akhromeyev say this, I think this is really possible, after all, he said that he would complete the construction of the Flying Thunder Cannon before dawn, and maybe he was really testing new weapons. Thinking of this, I leaned slightly and pricked up my ears to listen to the voices coming from outside the headquarters.

After a while, there was another loud bang, followed by explosions in quick succession, with little interruption in between. Hearing this, I couldn't help but smile and shake my head and said: "This Morozov, I really thought that the explosives sent by the army headquarters did not cost anything, so I played with it openly." However, in just a few hours, he had made so many flying thunder cannons that they could withstand when the Germans attacked after dawn. ”

I was talking to myself when Akhromeyev suddenly yelled: "Oops, not good. Division commanders, political commissars, haven't you heard it yet? This sound did not come from the east or north, but from the west, could it be that the Germans were shelling the 107.5 heights jointly defended by the 2nd and 3rd regiments. ”

"What? It's the Germans who are shelling! "Although I instinctively did not want to believe that what Akhromeyev said was true, I reached for the phone on the desk and wanted to ask Khrushov and Godunov, who were on the high ground, what was going on.

As soon as my hand caught the phone, it rang first. As soon as he put the earpiece close to his ear, he heard Khrushov's hoarse roar coming from inside: "Report to the division commander, the Germans are carrying out a fierce artillery bombardment of our heights!" ”

"How's the fortification I asked you to repair?" I asked out loud.

Unexpectedly, after listening to my question, Khrushov was silent for a moment. Hearing that he did not speak, my heart could not help but sink, and my heart was broken, and they must have been lazy, and did not carry out the orders I had given, and built fortifications overnight, and as a result, the Germans began to shell them, and they were blinded.

After a long while, Khrushov said in a hesitant voice: "Report to the division commander, we have only repaired part of the fortifications, and we can't accommodate all the soldiers. Speaking of this, his speed of speech suddenly accelerated, "Comrade Division Commander, what should we do now?" If the troops had remained on their positions, there would have been few men left by the end of the German shelling. ”

Although I would have rushed over and slapped him twice, it was clearly inappropriate to do so now, and it was imperative to withdraw the troops from the unfortified positions, or else they would be killed in vain under enemy fire. Thinking of this, I ordered him cleanly: "Except for a few observation posts left on the position, the remaining commanders and fighters, whether they are from the second regiment or the third regiment, will withdraw from the positions on the northern slope in batches and temporarily take refuge on the southern slope. Before putting down the phone, I specifically told him: "Report to me every ten minutes." ”

After waiting for me to put down the phone, Kirillov walked up to me and asked anxiously: "Comrade division commander, what should we do now?" ”

I sighed and said, "We don't know the purpose of the sudden shelling of the 107.5 heights by the Germans, so we can only stand still for the time being and see what the Germans do after the shelling." After saying that, I glanced at Nadya, who was sitting next to the walkie-talkie by the wall, and hurriedly walked to the door and shouted loudly outside: "Lieutenant Lazumeeva, come to me!" ”

When Razumeyeva came in, I simply gave one order: "Comrade lieutenant, you stay here and ensure that the communications of the command are in a state of unimpeded communication at all times." ”

Ten minutes passed quickly, and Khrushov called again and reported to me: "Report to the division commander, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd regiments, except for a few observation posts, have withdrawn to the southern slope to hide and stand by. ”

"What about the casualties of the troops?"

Hearing this, Khrushov's voice suddenly became quieter again: "After the shelling began, there were about a company of casualties. In the process of transferring, almost another company was killed or wounded. ”

"Where is your command post?" At this moment, I do not care about the damage caused by his dereliction of duty, but I am concerned about his safety: "If your command is also within the range of German artillery fire, you can also withdraw to a safe place." ”

"Please rest assured, the division commander, my command post is southwest of the high ground, and the German artillery fire cannot hit me here, and I am safe."

"It's still the old rule, call every ten minutes...... Hey, hey! Before I could finish my sentence, there was suddenly no sound in the microphone. I turned around and handed the microphone to Razumeyeva, who was standing not far away, and at the same time said with a little dissatisfaction: "Lieutenant, come and listen, what is wrong with this phone, why is there no sound all of a sudden?" ”

Razumeyeva took it and listened to it, immediately handed me back the microphone, and said politely: "Report to the division commander, it is not the telephone that is malfunctioning, but the wiring is faulty, and it may have been blown up by German artillery fire." Please wait a moment, I'll send someone to check the line right away. Then she turned and ran out of the headquarters, and soon her voice came in from outside: "Operator, you immediately go check the telephone line from here to 107.5 Heights." ”

Within two minutes, she walked in from outside, and said to me respectfully: "Comrade Commander, I have sent someone to check the line, and in a quarter of an hour at most, you will be able to resume communication with the 107.5 Heights." (To be continued......)