Looking at the departing back of Captain Dubrovsky, I turned my head and asked Bandeleyev: "Colonel, how often do the soldiers guarding the prisoners change their guards?" ”

Bandeleyev hurriedly stepped forward and truthfully reported to me: "Comrade commander, during the day we change guards once an hour, and at night because of the low temperature, we usually change every half an hour. ”

I nodded, then pointed to the German prisoners in the distance, and said to him tactfully: "Colonel Bandeleyev, these German prisoners will be sent to a large use in the future, even if they cannot be satisfied with food and medicine, I don't want too many prisoners to freeze to death because the temperature at night is too low, otherwise we will have to arrange manpower to bury them." Do you understand? ”

"Understood!" Bandeleyev agreed, and then thoughtfully mentioned to me: "Comrade commander, it's too cold outside, let's go inside first." Speaking of this, he also pointed to the building that Dubrovsky had just come out of and introduced to me, "Although this building has only two floors and a basement under the German shelling and bombardment, we have two companies stationed in it, and even if the German prisoners want to riot, they can be defeated in the shortest possible time." ”

I followed Bantai Leyev to Dubrovsky's command post, a room on the ground floor, with a marching bed on the wall, and in the middle of the room was a tattered wooden table and chairs with two candles for lighting.

I walked over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down, beckoning Vitkov and Bantai Layev to sit down as well. After the two sat down, Vitkov cautiously asked: "Comrade commander, I would like to ask. Commander: Did they reveal the next combat mission of our army? ”

"What's next?" After I repeat Vitkov's words. Ponder hard in my known history. After the Battle of Stalingrad, did the Soviet army launch any major campaigns? After thinking about it for a long time, except for a little impression of the Battle of Kursk, I couldn't remember what other famous battles the Soviet army had launched. So I shook my head and replied: "I'm sorry, Comrade Chief of Staff, Commander Chuikov didn't reveal any information about this to me. I think our next task should be to clean up the ruins of the city. Burying the dead is the mainstay. And burying the corpses is the top priority, otherwise when the temperature rises, the ice and snow melt, so many corpses will definitely cause a large-scale epidemic. ”

After listening to what I said, Vitkov was silent for a moment, and then asked me worriedly: "Comrade commander, that is, for a long time, our army will not have any combat missions?" ”

I nodded: "I think the superiors should think like this." Seeing that Vitkov and Bandeleyev both had disappointed expressions on their faces, he hurriedly comforted them and said: "Even if the superiors do not arrange for us to take care of the prisoners, it is possible to transfer our army to the rear to rest and recuperate, as a reserve for a certain front." ”

"Anyway. Our division was the main force of the group army, but we did not expect that the battle would end as soon as it ended. But we were given tasks that even the militia could accomplish, and I was worried that the commanders and fighters would have affection. After listening to my words, Bandeleyev said unwillingly: "Comrade Army Commander, can you discuss with Commander Chuikov and transfer our division to other battlefields?" ”

"Colonel Bandeleyev," Vitkov said with a smile, patting Bandeleyev on the shoulder, "I know your fighting enthusiasm is high, but our commanders and fighters are not iron-clad, and they have all become exhausted after months of brutal fighting. They had to be given a good rest before they could get back into battle. ”

After hearing this, Bandeleyev meditated for a while, nodded, and said thoughtfully: "It's still the chief of staff who is right, it's me who is too anxious." Our division was replenished with a lot of recruits from Siberia during this time, and it was just right to take advantage of this free time to train. ”

"Colonel Bandeleyev," I suddenly remembered that he and Akhromeyev had always liked to lift the bar, and I didn't know how the two would cooperate after I left, so I specifically asked: "Are you getting along well with Major Akhromeyev?" ”

Bandeleyev was stunned for a moment, and then said a little embarrassed: "Comrade Army Commander, I understand the reason why you asked me this, it turns out that when you were the division commander in the division, I did often have conflicts with Chief of Staff Akhromeyev, but it was all for work matters, and there were no personal grudges. When I became a division commander, I occasionally had disputes with the major over the formulation of the battle plan, but I was able to reach a consensus very quickly. ”

After listening to Bandeleyev's words, I couldn't help but say two more words: "Colonel, I personally think that Major Akhromeyev is a good commander, otherwise I would not have deliberately asked him to come over from the Volkhov Front." You have such a deputy who is familiar with the situation in the division, and you will spend a lot less energy in future battles. ”

Bandeleyev nodded as he wrote down what I had said to him in a notebook. Looking at the thick notebook in his hand, I couldn't help but be a little curious, wanting to see what was recorded in it, and after coughing lightly, I asked tentatively: "Colonel Bandeleyev, when I was still in the independent division, I often saw you holding this notebook and memorizing, can you show me, what have you written?" ”

I had expected that Bandeleyev would find an excuse to reject me, but he unexpectedly handed me the notebook that he never left with him. I took the notebook and opened it carefully, only to see that the previous records were some of the daily affairs of the new editor when he was still the commander of the new editor. I wasn't interested in these things that didn't concern me, so I sped up turning the page. As I turned to the middle, I suddenly saw a lot of content written in a row, and the time was just before he was transferred to the independent division, and I looked at it carefully.

I saw that it read: "...... Now, we have lost the advantage of human resources, and we have also lost the advantage of food reserves. To continue to retreat means suicide, which is equivalent to the loss of the country.

Every inch of land we lose is tantamount to strengthening the enemy, which greatly weakens our defenses and weakens our motherland. Therefore, it is necessary to fundamentally eliminate the endless theory of retreat, and to eliminate the 'vast land and wealth of our country'. The population is large. Food is inexhaustible'. These arguments are false and harmful. It will weaken our fighting spirit. Fuel the prestige of the enemy. If we don't stop retreating, we'll lose all our food, fuel, steel, raw materials, factories and railways. From this, it is time to stop retreating.

'No step back' should be our main slogan at the moment, and we must stubbornly hold every position, every inch of territory, and every piece of land until the last breath ...... without hesitating bloodshed and sacrifice."

See here. I quickly closed the notebook and handed it back with a red face. The contents that can be recorded in Bantai Leyev's notebook should have been said by a relatively high-ranking leader, and these remarks directly refute the view that I have always advocated "exchanging space for time". Bandeleyv has been a deputy for so long, but he has never raised any objections to the tactics I have adopted, which can be regarded as a sign of respect for me.

Just then, Captain Dubrovsky, who had gone out on a mission, returned. When he entered the door, he raised his hand and saluted me, and then reported to me: "Comrade Commander, Captain Dubrovsky reports to you. The task you have given me has been completed smoothly. ”

I stood up to get out of my embarrassing situation. To Dubrovsky said: "Comrade Captain, take me to see." Seeing that Vitkov and Bandeleyev were about to stand up, I hurriedly raised my hand to stop the two, "You two don't have to go, stay here to rest, I'll go and see it alone and come back." ”

Leaving the building, Captain Dubrovsky and I, under the protection of Yushchenko, walked through the thick snow towards the location of the prisoners of war. As I walked, I asked the captain, "How many horses did you get?" ”

"All four, all killed by shells. It hasn't been long since it died, and it's cold, so it's not rotten. The lieutenant hurriedly said, "I will first let some of the captives get the dead horses back, and then I will order Captain Rosenberg to take the rest of the men around the neighborhood, and Ken will not find any other food." ”

"Comrade Lieutenant," I nodded with satisfaction at Dubrovsky's arrangement, and then said to him, "we may not be able to provide enough food for the Germans in the short term, so if we want to prevent them all from starving to death, we can only mobilize them and search everywhere for food." ”

"But Comrade Commander," said Dubrovsky, shaking his head, in embarrassment, "the city has been besieged by the Germans for months, and what can be eaten has probably been looted by the inhabitants, our soldiers, or the Germans, and it is very difficult to find enough food here." ”

This food problem is not only difficult for him, but also for me. If my superiors don't give us food, I can't conjure food out of thin air. I deliberately avoided the subject, pointed to the captives in the snow and ice, and said to Dubrovsky what I had just said to Bandeleyev: "Captain, I hope you can assure me that even if you cannot provide enough food and medicine to the captives, you will not allow too many people to freeze to death on a cold night, can you do it?" ”

After listening to my instructions, Dubrovsky said word by word: "Comrade commander, I can only do my best to do this, and in addition to sending Captain Rosenberg to lead people to find food, I will also send a platoon of fighters with a group of prisoners to collect everything that can be burned in the nearby ruins." I'm going to build a few bonfires so that the captives can keep warm on the cold nights. ”

As we talked, we unknowingly came to the place where the captives were. In a dilapidated building without a roof, the ground was filled with tightly wrapped German soldiers. On the ground between them, a dead horse with its skeleton exposed, and a soldier with a dagger was slicing through its flesh. Every time he cut off a piece, he handed it to the soldier who had been waiting next to him for a long time, and continued to cut it. The soldiers who got the horse meat immediately put the meat on top of the wire sticks, and around a freshly lit bonfire, they held the meat and grilled it on the bonfire, and the whole air was filled with the smell of roasted meat.

I could tell that the soldiers had been starving for a long time, and had not eaten for several days. Before the frozen horse meat on the bonfire was cooked, he stuffed the half-cooked frozen meat into his mouth one by one, and devoured it, as if he was eating delicacies from the mountains and seas. And when I saw them stuffing bloodshot horse meat into their mouths, I couldn't help but feel a wave of nausea. At the same time, I feel sorry for the soldiers, who thought that they would be able to get enough food if they surrendered, but now it seems that they are clearly going to be disappointed.

I didn't want to look any further, so I turned away without saying a word. After walking a short distance, I heard hurried footsteps behind me, and I knew that Dubrovsky had caught up, so I stopped, turned to him, and said, "Captain, when the day is dawn, let these prisoners go to work." The first thing to do is to bury all the corpses that can be found nearby, and then let them clean up the ruins of the building and build shelter for themselves from the wind and snow. ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Dubrovsky replied in a steady tone: "I will resolutely complete the task!" ”

As soon as Vitkov and I returned to the corps headquarters, we didn't even have time to drink a cup of tea when the phone on the table rang. Vitkov stepped forward and picked up the microphone and listened to it, then handed it to me, and at the same time said: "Comrade commander, it's the phone number of Commander Chuikov. ”

"Oshanina, where are you going, why are you only answering the phone now." As soon as I was pressed to my earpiece by the earpiece, I heard Chuikov's impatient voice coming from inside: "I have something important to inform you, and I can't find anyone." ”

When I heard him say something important, the first thing that came to my mind was: Do we want to transfer our army to other battlefields to participate in the war? Although he thought so in his heart, he still said respectfully in his mouth: "Comrade commander, I just went with Chief of Staff Vitkov to check on those prisoners, so ......"

"Alright, to hell with the captives!" Without waiting for me to finish, Chuikov interrupted the rest of my words and said a little triumphantly, "I have good news for you." Commander Rokossovsky had just called from Moscow and said that after discussions in the base camp, it had been decided to change our 62nd Army into the 8th Guards Army, and that all divisions and regiments that had participated in the defense of Stalingrad would be awarded the title of Guards. ”

"To award the title of Guards to all troops?!" Listening to what Chuikov said clearly, I couldn't help but be overjoyed, if the troops were promoted to the Guards unit, then the commanders of each division would also be promoted accordingly. So I excitedly asked: "I wonder if the new numbers of the four infantry divisions, a tank brigade, and an artillery regiment of the 79th Infantry Corps have come out?" ”

"The numbers of the units, after being awarded the title of Guards, will definitely be changed. But don't be in a hurry, these things will have to wait for Commander Rokossovsky to return from Moscow. Chuikov said unhurriedly: "Although the number is not known for the time being, but the four colonels under your command, Bandeleyev, Gurdieev, Vachuk, and Andryushchenko, will definitely be promoted to generals." As for you, because you have just been promoted to general, this promotion will not be your share for the time being. ”

Although I didn't have my share in the promotion this time, I wasn't worried at all, after all, my foundation was too shallow, and it was not a good thing to be promoted too quickly. Besides, the four infantry divisions under his command have all become Guards Divisions, and the 79th Infantry Corps may also be changed to the Guards Army, so it is only a matter of time before I, the commander, is promoted.

Chuikov ignored my feelings and said to himself: "Commander Rokossovsky also said that we will leave Stalingrad in two days and go to the villages along the Akhtuba River to station. Then the entire army group went there to rest and replenish and receive new weapons. ”

When I heard that the troops were about to be withdrawn, I could not help but worry about the fate of the more than 20,000 prisoners, so I asked Chuikov: "Comrade commander, if we want to leave Stalingrad, what will happen to the more than 20,000 prisoners in our military districts?" ”

After hearing this, Chuikov was silent for a moment, and then said: "When your department is transferred, hand over this batch of prisoners to General Shumilov's 64th Army, and you don't have to worry about the rest." ”

Now that Chuikov has said this, there is nothing I can do about the fate of the more than 20,000 captives, and I can only pray secretly in my heart that after the troops of the 64th Army take over, as many captives as possible will survive. (To be continued......)