More than a dozen grenades with white smoke were tied to ropes by the soldiers and placed under the bridge. Soon, there was a series of explosions. Samoilov, Mikhailov and others standing on the bridge
Serelkov and others felt their feet shaking slightly.
After the blast ended, Serelkov gave another order: "Continue blasting."
Soon, the second batch of grenades with white smoke were also placed under the bridge by the soldiers...
As soon as the gunshots and explosions sounded on the Dnieper River Bridge, Sokov was awakened from his sleep. He grabbed the pistol placed under his pillow and asked warily: "Where was the gunshot?"
In fact, the bridge is five or six kilometers away from the church where Sokov's headquarters is located, but in the dead of night, some sounds can travel very far. Sokov, who was usually quite alert when sleeping, heard gunfire and explosions in the distance.
He was naturally awakened by the sound.
"Comrade Commander, it's nothing serious." Samyko heard Sokov's voice and turned to him and said: "There is a German sabotage team occupying the right bank of the Dnieper River Bridge. Lieutenant Samoilov is standing there.
The officers and men commanding the special company are destroying the enemy."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Sokov put the pistol aside and asked displeasedly while bending down to put on his boots: "If the Germans really occupied the right bank bridgehead, the special company without heavy weapons would have to pay a huge price
Even if we suffer casualties, it will be difficult to recapture the bridgehead on the right bank."
"In addition to the special company attacking from the left bank, there are also three companies of the infantry brigade attacking from the right bank." Sameko replied confidently: "Five companies attacking from two directions at the same time will definitely be able to eliminate these companies.
Share the enemy."
"The special company is nominally one company, but it is actually composed of two companies." Sokov picked up the pistol placed aside, walked up to Samyko, slapped the gun on the table, and continued: "
So many soldiers crowded on the bridge and charged towards the right bank bridgehead occupied by the Germans. Can you tell me what a heavy price we will pay?"
Sameko blushed and replied with some embarrassment: "Comrade Commander, I'm sorry. When I received the report, I learned that there were only 20 enemies. I thought it was nothing serious, so I didn't wake you up."
"Twenty people?" Sokov was stunned by this number. The Germans only sent out 20 people, but they actually wanted to blow up the bridge on the Dnieper River. Isn't it too fanciful? "Is this number reliable?"
"Totally reliable." Sameko nodded and replied: "This infiltration of enemies was discovered by a sentry of the 73rd Infantry Brigade. He also carefully counted the number of Germans. After the enemies had gone away,
, he immediately rushed back to the company to report to Captain Narva, and then the information was reported to my place layer by layer."
"This group of enemies was discovered in the defense zone of the infantry brigade." Sokov stared at the map on the table and asked thoughtfully: "How did they pass through our army's defense line and reach the Dnieper River smoothly?
Where’s the bridge?”
After listening to Sokov's words, Samyko realized that his idea was awry, and quickly explained: "Comrade Commander, the enemy did not infiltrate from the infantry brigade position."
When Sokov learned that the enemy had appeared in the infantry brigade defense area, he was still worried about Guchakov's future. He appointed him as the infantry brigade commander. There were many different voices. If the enemy was really successful
After infiltrating his defense area, if I want to promote him to another position, I am afraid that I will attract a lot of opposition.
At this moment, when Sameko said that they did not infiltrate from the infantry brigade defense area, he breathed a sigh of relief and also raised his own question: "If they did not infiltrate from the infantry brigade position, then did they fall from the sky?"
?”
"According to the report," Samyko pointed to the map and reported to Sokov: "The enemy passed through the mechanized army's defense area along the Dnieper River, quietly entered behind the infantry brigade's defense area, and then moved toward the 3rd Infantry Brigade's defense area.
From the bridge on the right bank of the Nieper River."
"What did General Solomatin do?" Sokov said angrily after listening to the report: "Did they not deploy patrols by the river, so they allowed the enemy to infiltrate so easily?"
"It rained for a while after dark." Although Samyko did not call Solomatin to learn about the situation, he could guess the reason why the German army successfully passed through the mechanized military defense area, so he took the initiative to say: "Maybe it was
While the patrol was taking shelter from the rain, the German sabotage squad passed through their defense zone."
Sokov knew that this was not the time to pursue responsibility, but to find a way to eliminate the enemies occupying the bridge head on the right bank. Otherwise, when they placed explosives on the bridge piers and detonated them with a bang, the bridge might be destroyed.
"Chief of Staff, how is the progress towards the bridge now?"
"The battle is still going on." Sameko replied: "The enemy used the two captured rotary machine guns to form a crossfire to block the bridge deck, frustrating the attack of the special company."
Sokov tried hard to recall the equipment of the special company, and asked in an uncertain tone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, isn't the special company equipped with rocket launchers? Facing the German firepower, you can use rocket launchers to deal with them."
"There are rocket launchers." Sameko replied with a wry smile: "But the range of the rocket launchers is only about 100 meters, and our soldiers can't get close to this effective range. Also, we don't know how many explosives the enemy has planted at the bridgehead on the right bank.
, dare not use heavy weapons easily, lest they accidentally detonate explosives and cause damage to the bridge."
When Sokov heard this, it seemed that this was really the case. Regardless of the rocket launchers equipped by his troops, they were particularly useful against German tanks and strongholds, but only if they were within effective range. Today's attack from the left bank is particularly special.
The company was unable to approach the effective range at all, and could only stare blankly at the enemy's firepower.
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov thought to himself, since it is difficult to achieve results by attacking from the left bank, then the only option is to consider troops attacking from the right bank. In any case, the Germans have limited forces, and it is difficult for them to face the enemy at the same time.
Launching a two-sided attack on his own troops, he ordered Sameko: "Immediately contact the combat commander in the infantry brigade and ask them to quickly launch an attack from the right bank to eliminate the enemy occupying the bridge."
"Captain Mikhailov is commanding the battle on the right bank," Samyko said: "I believe he is fully capable of taking over the right bank bridgehead occupied by the enemy before Samoilov."
"Immediately get in touch with Samoylov and Mikhailov and ask them to report the fighting situation at the bridge to the headquarters in a timely manner." Sokov said to Samyko: "This way we can make accurate decisions as soon as possible.
judgment.”
But when Samyko got in touch with Samoilov, there was an expression of surprise on his face. He excitedly reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, Lieutenant Samoilov reported that he was attacked by our army from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The German troops have basically been wiped out. Only a few enemies who planted explosives are still hiding under the bridge. Now Lieutenant Serelkov is leading his men to clear them out."
"The enemy is hiding under the bridge. This is not easy to handle." After listening to Samek's report, Sokov frowned. "As soon as our soldiers show up, they are very likely to be shot by the Germans."
"Comrade Commander, you can rest assured on this." Samyko said with a smile: "Lieutenant Serelkov ordered the soldiers to tie the grenade to a rope, pull the string, put it under the bridge, and use the exploding shrapnel to destroy the enemy.
"
Sokov asked worriedly: "What if the Germans jump into the river to escape?"
"Captain Mikhailev deployed a company of soldiers by the river to monitor the river closely. As long as he found any floating objects, he would immediately shoot without hesitation." Samyko said confidently: "Even if there are one or two
If an enemy dives to escape, he will be shot to death by soldiers on the shore."
Now that the battle on the Dnieper River Bridge has entered its final stage, Sokov no longer cares about the fighting here, but has turned his attention to other directions: "Is there anything going on with the 84th and 254th Divisions?
"
Samyko was stunned by Sokov's question. He looked at Sokov blankly, wondering why the other party would ask such a question: "Comrade Commander, I don't understand what you mean."
"The reason is very simple." Sokov clicked on the map on the table with his finger and explained to Samek: "According to my understanding of the Germans, if they really want to blow up the bridge, they will definitely not send out only one army.
force."
"You won't just send out one unit?" Sameko asked in surprise: "Comrade Commander, you mean that there are also enemy sabotage squads that have penetrated in, but we didn't notice it."
"Yes, that's how I think about it." Sokov nodded and said: "In order to prevent being intercepted by our army, the enemy's sabotage squad cannot come from the same direction. Therefore, I consider that the enemy may follow the third direction.
We descended the Nieper River, passed through the area defended by the 84th and 254th Divisions, and rushed to join the German troops who occupied the bridge."
When Samyko heard what Sokov said, he felt panicky. He secretly blamed himself. As the chief of staff who advised Sokov, he had not thought about the problem as thoroughly as the commander. He quickly said: "I will immediately
Call General Fomenko and Colonel Shechtman and ask them how things are going there."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, you are responsible for calling Colonel Shechtman." Sokov said to him: "I will do the talking for General Fomenko."
So the two made a clear division of labor and called the two division commanders at the same time.
Sokov heard Fomenko's tired voice coming from the receiver and said quickly: "Hello, General Fomenko, I am Sokov. I'm sorry to disturb your sleep."
"Hello, Comrade Commander." Fomenko, who was originally sleepy, suddenly became energetic when he heard that the caller was actually Sokov. He knew that if there was nothing important, Sokov would definitely
He would not call me in the middle of the night and ask quickly and respectfully: "What instructions do you have?"
"General Fomenko, the situation is like this." General Sokov's German sabotage squad took advantage of the rain to move up the Dnieper River, passed through the mechanized army's defense line, and occupied the Dnieper River Bridge.
He told Sameko about the incident at the bridge on the right bank in detail, and finally said: "I think the enemy must have sent more than one sabotage team, so I called to ask if your patrol in that direction had found anyone suspicious.
."
"Comrade Commander," Fomenko did not answer Sokov's question hastily, but replied cautiously: "I will first understand the situation and then report to you. Do you think it is okay?"
Sokov didn't know that he could get the information he wanted from Samyko right away, so he nodded and agreed to his request: "Okay, General Fomenko, I'm waiting for your report."
When Fomenko put down the phone, Colonel Manokhin, the division political commissar, came over wearing a military coat and asked curiously: "Comrade division commander, the commander called in the middle of the night. Is there any important task that you want us to complete?"
?”
"Comrade Political Commissar," Fomenko said to Manokhin with a serious expression: "An enemy penetrated from the mechanized army's defense area to the rear of our army and once occupied the right bank of the Dnieper River Bridge. Fortunately, the superiors responded in time and eliminated them.
This German sabotage squad prevented greater losses."
Knowing that the enemy's infiltration did not cause too much loss, Manoxin felt lucky in his heart: "Fortunately, the enemy did not infiltrate from our defense zone, otherwise you and I would probably be blamed by our superiors."
"Comrade Political Commissar, you may be speaking too categorically." Fomenko shook his head and said, "Although we have not received any reports yet, we cannot rule out the possibility of enemy infiltration. We will notify the patrol teams everywhere and increase the number of patrols.
The intensity of the patrol will never allow the Germans to pass through our defense zone smoothly."
The awakened chief of staff came over and happened to hear the next few words of Fomenko. He quickly expressed his position and said: "Comrade division commander, don't worry. I will immediately notify the patrol teams and ask them to increase their patrol intensity to prevent the Germans from attacking."
permeation of."
"Wait a minute, Comrade Chief of Staff." Just when the Chief of Staff was about to make a call, Manokhin stopped him, and then said to Fomenko: "Comrade Commander, I think the reason why the Germans were able to do so smoothly
The passage through the mechanized army's defense zone was probably disguised."
The words woke up the dreamer. Fomenko raised his hand and slapped himself hard on the forehead, and said repeatedly: "Yes, yes, comrade political commissar, what you said makes sense. Maybe the Germans are disguised as our soldiers."
, are ready to swagger through our defense zone, we have to guard against this."
"If the enemy puts on the uniform of our army," the chief of staff asked with some embarrassment, "how will our patrol identify them?"
Fomenko recalled his conversation with Sokov, and then said to the Chief of Staff: "Comrade Chief of Staff, according to our current information, the Germans are in a group of 20 people, and each of them is holding a large
Box. Tell our patrol team that whenever they see a small team dressed like this, they don’t even have to come forward to question them and just shoot them.”
"What should we do if we accidentally injure friendly troops?" the chief of staff asked.
Fomenko replied expressionlessly: "If a friendly force is accidentally injured, I will be responsible for everything when my superiors hold me accountable in the future."