I instructed Lukin: "Comrade Captain, call the company commanders of the companies and tell them to pay attention to concealment, and all the men on the position, except for the observation posts, should withdraw to the concealment department, and try to avoid unnecessary casualties." ”

Due to the casualties among the regimental commanders in yesterday's air raids, the battalion-level structure has been abolished in the regiment at present, and every order I have given is directly issued to each company commander through Guò Lukin.

Two more shells landed near the observation post and exploded, and the earth on the roof was shaken and fell with a loud explosion. Lukin looked at the roof with some concern, and then persuaded me: "Comrade regiment commander, it's too dangerous here, let's find a safe place to hide first, and then come back when the enemy's shelling is over." ”

Although there was a lot of dust on my steel helmet and shoulders, I was too lazy to dust it, and the dirt on the roof would fall later, and even if I did, it would not be long before it would fall again. I waved my hand at Lukin's kindness and declined. I pretended to be calm and said: "Comrade Captain, don't be nervous, the enemy's artillery is shelling the positions of our regiment, and these shells that fell outside the observation post should have been accidentally missed by the enemy, and there will be no danger if we stay here." ”

After listening to my far-fetched reason, Lu Jin grinned and smiled a little helplessly: "Okay, since Comrade Regiment Commander said that it is safe to stay in the observation post, then I will stay here with you." ”

In order to ease his nervousness, I smiled and said, "Captain Lukin, really don't worry, it's not the first time I've been on the battlefield, although I've been injured a few times, it's all right. You see. Am I not standing well before you now? ”

The enemy shelling did not last long. Half an hour later. The shelling of the enemy has just ended. The enemy's attacking forces came into view. Ten German tanks drove violently towards our positions, and German soldiers in steel helmets trotted behind the tanks.

As the enemy's shelling stopped, the commanders and fighters who were hiding in the concealment also returned to the trenches one after another. Lukin asked me for instructions: "Comrade Regiment Commander, how should the next battle be fought?" ”

I looked at the enemy tanks and infantry who were getting closer and closer to the position, and said to Lukin slowly: "Comrade Captain, tell the three company commanders of the first line of defense not to rush the enemy's tanks first, but let them rush forward." As soon as they had broken through our first line of defense, they opened fire to wipe out the infantry that followed them. As for the tanks that rushed over, they were handed over to the troops in the second line of defense to deal with. Do you understand my command? ”

After Lukin readily agreed, he began to call the company commanders: "I'm Captain Lukin, give me a company commander." Is a company long? He shouted into the microphone: "The regimental commander orders the troops of the first line of defense to leave the enemy's tanks alone, but let them rush forward, and when they have rushed through the trenches, you will open fire decisively." You must destroy all the enemy infantry that is following behind the tank, do you understand? Very good. Now that you understand, you immediately convey the order to the second and third companies. ”

After the call, he went on to call the commander of the fourth company.

"Fourth Company Commander, is that you?" Lu Jintong gave an order to the company commanders with a microphone: "The regiment commander orders that after the enemy's tanks have broken through the first line of defense, you must quickly send out a battle, use the communication trenches to approach the enemy's tanks, and use Molotov cocktails to destroy all these tanks without infantry cover." Do you understand? Okay, just understand, you can immediately relay this order to the company commanders of the 5th and 6th companies, and let them act with your company. ”

Since the front received my order to spare the enemy tanks and only hit the infantry behind, no one fired when the enemy tanks approached the trenches. Ten German tanks lined up in battle formation smashed through the wreckage of the motorcycles that were still burning in front of the position, crossed the first line of trenches of our army, and galloped forward at full speed.

The enemy's infantry numbered small, a company of one hundred and fifty or sixty men, but it was clear that they were veterans with a lot of combat experience. As soon as the gunfire rang out at the front of our troops, they fell to the ground and fired back. Several German machine gunners quickly seized a vantage point, set up a machine-gun position, and then several machine guns opened fire at the same time, and the commanders and fighters facing their position were so pressed by the heavy machine-gun fire that they could not look up in the trenches.

I turned to Lukin and said, "Comrade Captain, give me Captain Slavin, the commander of the 7th Company." ”

After that, I observed the enemy tanks that broke through our positions. I saw that the car that rushed to the front suddenly burst out of the body, and after driving forward for some distance, it slowly stopped, and began to burn in place. I looked left and right with a telescope, and there was no figure of our soldiers near the tank, so who broke this tank?

Just as he was thinking, another tank caught fire and burned, and after a few steps forward, he plunged headlong into the traffic trench next to him. I saw that there were still no soldiers of our army around, and then I remembered that the division commander sent us three anti-tank guns, and Lukin equipped them with the fourth company, and these two destroyed tanks should be their masterpieces.

Seeing that two tanks were destroyed in succession, the remaining tanks became cautious, slowed down and fired at the second line of defense of our army on the march.

Lukin handed the microphone to me and said, "Comrade Regiment Commander, Captain Slavin's phone has been answered. ”

I took the microphone, and without politeness, I said bluntly to Slavin: "Comrade Captain, order the mortar platoon to fire and knock out the enemy's machine-gun positions." After the battle, they opened fire on the enemy's densely populated area, killing and wounding them in large numbers with artillery fire. Remember, don't hurt your own people by mistake. ”

"Please rest assured, the regimental commander, I will immediately order the mortar platoon to open artillery fire." Slavin shouted in reply through the microphone.

When I looked out again, the number of German tanks destroyed in front of the second line had increased to five, and the remaining tanks quickly stopped advancing and stopped shooting indiscriminately.

Lukin handed the microphone to me again and reported: "Comrade regiment commander, it's the division commander's phone. ”

"How's going on with you? Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina. Bilyukov's dissatisfied voice came from the microphone: "I heard from the observation post that the enemy's tanks have broken through the first line of defense of your regiment and are stopping to shell the second line, what the hell is going on?" Why did the enemy's tanks break through our lines? ”

To his rebuke, I calmly and clearly reported to him: "Report to Comrade Division Commander, because our regiment lacks anti-tank weapons, so when the enemy attacks, I specially order the troops in the front line to spare the enemy's tanks and only hit the infantry behind. And the tanks that broke through our line of defense, because there was no cover of infantry, our troops in the second line of defense could wipe them all out. At this point, I raised my binoculars and looked out, and continued: "The enemy has a total of ten tanks, and at present more than six tanks have been destroyed in front of the second line of defense of our regiment, and the remaining four are firing aimlessly at our positions. I saw soldiers carrying Molotov cocktails quietly approaching the tanks through the Guò communication trenches, believing that it would not be long before they were all wiped out. ”

"Well done, Comrade Oshanina. When the battle is over, be sure to call me right away. With that, there was no sound in the microphone.

I handed the microphone back to Lukin and said to him, "Comrade Captain, I'm sorry that today I turned you into my signal soldier." I will remain in the observation post, and you will immediately go to the 7th Company and command the mortar platoon to bombard the enemy's infantry, and be sure to annihilate this invading enemy in the shortest possible time. ”

Under the pinpoint fire of mortars, the machine-gun positions of the Germans were destroyed. Lukin also commanded the mortar platoon to bombard the stubborn German infantry, and the shells fell one after another on the German soldiers who were lying on the ground and exploded, and the explosion caused one soldier after another to be pulled up from the ground, thrown high into the air, and fell heavily to the ground.

I saw that the ten German tanks were burning in front of the second line of defense in various postures, and the German infantry in front of the first line of position, under the blow of artillery fire, also suffered heavy casualties, and it seemed that it was time for the troops to attack, so I asked the newly arrived signal corps to help me connect a company.

As soon as the phone was connected, I shouted into the microphone, "Is it a company commander?" I am the regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina. Did you see that? The ten German tanks that rushed through your trenches were wiped out by the troops of the second line of defense. Don't hesitate any longer, lead your company and take out all the Germans in front of you. ”

At my command, the sound of military trumpets, muffled by the sound of gunfire, soon sounded on the forward positions. As the trumpets sounded, the commanders and fighters in the trenches climbed out of the trenches one after another, shouting and rushing towards the enemy.

After a hand-to-hand battle, except for a few soldiers who escaped, the rest were either killed, or obediently surrendered with their hands raised and became prisoners of our army.

After receiving a call from the commander of the first company to report the results of the battle, I hurriedly called Biliukov and excitedly reported to him: "Comrade division commander, hello! I am Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, and the enemy who attacked our positions has been completely destroyed. In the battle just now, we destroyed 10 enemy tanks, killed 127 soldiers and captured 25 people. ”

"Do you know the enemy's number?"

"After interrogation, it was determined that they were all from the 71st German Infantry Division."

"Okay, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, well done. I will report this result to Comrade Commander immediately. I warn you, you must not be proud, and let the warriors hurry up and strengthen the fortifications and be ready to repel the enemy's attack again. (To be continued......)