After dark, the first people to appear near Nangang were German engineers. They were ordered to open a road in the minefield to allow the troops stationed in Nangang to pass.
Sokov stood in the observation post of Beigang, using his binoculars to look at the German engineers looming in the minefield. Belkin on the side asked curiously: "Comrade Brigadier, tell me, how can the German engineers do this on such a dark night?"
If you are clearing mines, won’t you be killed by mines?”
"I don't think so. Didn't you see that every engineer carries a flashlight?" Sokov pointed to the light group that appeared and disappeared in the minefield and said to Belkin: "They shine it with the flashlight.
After confirming where there was a mine, I immediately put out the flashlight. If there were only one or two engineers using this method to find mines, it would not be easy for our sentries on duty to detect them. But today the Germans were a little eager for success and actually dispatched
If there are less than one platoon of engineers clearing minefields, the noise is a bit big."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," the Fourth Battalion Commander Briski, who was standing aside, interrupted: "We have mortars on our position. If we fire towards the minefield, we can eliminate at least half of the enemy."
"If we fire now, not only will the enemy be scared away." Regarding Brisky's proposal, Sokov shook his head and expressed his objection: "Moreover, the bombardment will detonate the mines in the minefield. After the enemy is driven back, we will still need to spend money.
It’s time to re-lay mines, which is not worth the gain.”
It took the German engineers almost an hour to manage to open two passages in the minefield. A company that had been waiting on the outside immediately moved quickly along the passage towards Nangang. They stopped when they reached the foot of Nangang.
Moving forward, a German captain raised a flashlight covered with red cloth and waved it toward the top of the mountain.
After a while, a red bright spot appeared on the top of the mountain, and it was shaking constantly. Seeing that the communication code was matched, the German captain whispered: "Send the message down and quickly seize the position on the hill!"
"Pass the message down and quickly seize the position on the hill!"
"Pass it down,..."
The captain's order was passed on to every soldier by word of mouth. Although the intelligence obtained said that the Soviet army had abandoned this position, the German officers and soldiers did not dare to take it lightly. They bent their waists and pressed their rifle butts against
abdomen, cautiously approaching the position above.
When they were still more than ten meters away from the trench, the German captain ordered the troops to stop again. He squatted in a bomb crater and shook his flashlight in the direction of the trench. After a while, a shaking red flashlight also appeared in the trench, and then there were
A voice asked: "Is it from the 295th Infantry Division?"
The captain stopped shaking the flashlight and asked, "Who are you?"
"I am Corporal Ernst of the Special Operations Group." A voice came from the trench again: "You haven't answered me yet, are you from the 295th Infantry Division?"
The captain stood up and answered in the direction of the trench: "Yes, we are from the 295th Infantry Division. We were ordered to take over the Nangang position. I am Captain Stephen, the commander of the leading company."
"Mr. Captain, I'm coming out, tell your people not to shoot."
When the captain heard Ernst's voice, he quickly shouted behind him: "It's one of our own, no one is allowed to shoot." After giving all these instructions, he shouted toward the trench again: "Come out, Ernst."
Special Corporal."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw three figures coming out of the trench. Because the light was too dark, he couldn't see the other person's face clearly. He quickly took off the red envelope covered with the flashlight, looked at the other person, and found that it was facing him.
What came over was actually three soldiers wearing Soviet uniforms. He hurriedly pointed his pistol at the newcomers and shouted sternly: "Stop, if you don't stop, I will shoot!"
In the silent night, Captain Stephen's voice seemed particularly loud. The soldiers who had just lowered their guns heard what the captain said and hurriedly raised their guns to aim at the three people who came.
"Captain Stephen," the familiar voice came again, "I am Corporal Ernst. What's wrong with you? Why are you pointing the gun at me again?"
Stephen recognized that the person speaking to him was the voice that had just come from the trench, but he did not put down the gun in his hand, and continued to point at the other person and ask: "Why are you wearing Russian military uniforms?"
"What's so strange about this, Captain Stephen." Ernst said disapprovingly: "Since we are a special operations team deep behind the enemy's rear, what's so big about wearing Russian uniforms in order to conceal our identity?"
Ernst's words dispelled Stephen's doubts. He thought about it carefully, and it seemed that there was nothing wrong. To go deep into the enemy to perform tasks, wearing an enemy's military uniform was a means of concealing his identity. He quickly ordered
The soldiers put down their guns, then walked forward alone, shook hands with Ernst and the other three, and said, "Thank you for your hard work!"
Ernst looked at the shadowy figures in front of him and asked Stephen: "Mr. Captain, how many of you are here?"
"A company," Stephen thought, thinking that Ernst was here to meet him, so he did not hide it from him: "The battalion headquarters and the other two companies are still behind. They want to wait for us to occupy the position before coming over. Corporal, said
Tell me about the situation here."
Ernst nodded and said to Stephen: "Except for the east side, Nangang has defensive fortifications built on the other three sides. However, the Russians built a line of defense at the foot of the mountain in the east. It was originally to prevent our army from seizing the waterway.
The dock was built by taking the back road of Nangang. If they find that our army has occupied Nangang, they may immediately launch a counterattack. Mr. Captain, although I have no right to give you orders, I still suggest that you send people to the mountain immediately.
Build fortifications to the east of the post."
Stephen was convinced by Ernst's statement. While he ordered the communications troops to report to the battalion headquarters, saying that his company had entered the south hill position of Mamayev Hill, he also ordered people to rush to the east of the hill.
, to repair the fortifications.
Sokov, who was in the Beigang Observation Post, also saw the German troops ascending to the Nangang. When he found that there were only about two hundred enemies occupying the position, he was greatly disappointed. He thought to himself: What on earth is going on?
What's going on? Why is there only one company of troops? Didn't the Germans say they would send out a battalion? Could it be that the Germans discovered their intentions and deliberately sent only one company to test themselves?
Belkin only saw a group of dark figures ascending Nangang, and asked impatiently: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the enemy has taken the bait, can we notify the troops over there in Nangang to prepare for an attack?"
"Don't be anxious, my comrade political commissar." In response to Belkin's suggestion, Sokov shook his head and said: "Currently there is only one company of enemies on the hill. Let's wait and see if any more enemies enter Nangang."