Poor Papuchenko still didn't know that this attack would not have any fire cover, and he asked excitedly: "Comrade division commander, when will Colonel Bely's tank unit arrive at the starting position?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko," Sokov replied with some embarrassment: "There was an accident. The tank troops ran out of high-explosive grenades, and only armor-piercing shells were left. As you know, the role of armor-piercing shells in dealing with the enemy's firepower is
Not big, but we have to wait at least two hours for new high-explosive grenades to arrive. But our superiors ordered us to launch an attack immediately, do you understand?"
"Understood, comrade division commander." When Papuchenko learned that the troops would not receive support from the tank troops during the attack, although Papuchenko was holding back his anger, he could not get angry at Sokov and could only bite the bullet and replied.
: "We launch an attack immediately."
After putting down the phone, Papuchenko called a communications soldier and told him: "Go find the battalion commanders, and I will assign them offensive tasks." When the communications soldier turned around to leave the command post, he again
He added at the end, "They are the three battalion commanders in our regiment. There is no need to call the battalion commanders of the 124th Regiment."
The three battalion commanders soon appeared in front of Papuchenko. They knew that the regiment commander must have called them here to arrange a combat mission, and their faces were full of expectations.
"Comrades, battalion commanders, we have just received an order from the division headquarters." Papuchenko said with a straight face: "We are ordered to attack the enemy's position immediately."
"Initiate an attack immediately?" A battalion commander asked curiously: "But comrade regiment commander, the tanks that the superiors promised to send to cover our attack have not yet entered the attack position!"
"Let the tanks go to hell." Hearing what the battalion commander said, Papuchenko immediately became angry and shouted angrily: "Even without the support of tanks, we will definitely be able to capture the enemy's position."
The second battalion commander sensed something was wrong in Papuchenko's tone, and quickly asked cautiously: "Comrade commander, didn't the division headquarters say that we can get cover from tank fire when we attack? Could something have happened?"
?”
Papuchenko was like a deflated ball and said feebly: "The division commander just called me and said that the high-explosive grenades used by the tanks had been used up during the attack, leaving only armor-piercing grenades that had little effect on the enemy's fortifications.
.It has to wait two hours before the high-explosive grenades for tanks can be sent up from the rear."
"Comrade Commander!" the second battalion commander asked in surprise: "Since it only takes two hours for high-explosive grenades to be delivered to the rear, why don't we continue to wait? You know, we will launch a second attack on the enemy.
When the defense line launches an attack, it will not receive support from the artillery on the left bank. Since it cannot even receive support from tanks, the troops will suffer huge casualties."
"There is no way." After Papuchenko got angry, he also realized that Sokov had no choice but to give such an order. He walked to the table and sat down, took out the cigarette case from his pocket and took out a cigarette.
He held the cigarette in his mouth but did not light it immediately. He continued: "The superior ordered the division commander to launch an attack immediately. The division commander had no choice but to order us to launch an attack on the second line of defense without any cover."
"What a pity!" The third battalion commander took a few steps forward, lit a match, and helped Papuchenko light a cigarette: "If the battle can be carried out according to the division commander's deployment, how many unnecessary casualties will we save."
"That's right." The second battalion commander promptly agreed with the third battalion commander's statement: "If we follow our past tactics and just capture the enemy's first line of defense, we will suffer casualties of at least one battalion. And.
Under the command of the division commander, we only suffered casualties of less than one company and successfully occupied the enemy's position."
"Okay, don't talk about these useless things." After Papuchenko took two deep puffs of his cigarette, he threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it out with his toes. Then he stood up and said to the battalion commanders: "You all go back to your respective places.
Go to the battalion, and after ten minutes, the first battalion will take the lead in charging towards the enemy's position; after they lose their ability to attack, the second battalion will take over..."
What happened next was exactly what Papuchenko expected. When the commanders and fighters of the first battalion rushed more than 200 meters away from the enemy position, they came under intensive machine gun fire from the position. The soldiers who rushed in front were shot one after another.
Falling to the ground, the other soldiers quickly fell down on the spot and fought back while lying on the ground.
Seeing that the first battalion was suppressed by enemy fire and unable to move forward, Papuchenko picked up the phone and called Sokov, pleading with him: "Comrade division commander, the enemy's firepower is too fierce.
The attacking troops suffered heavy casualties, and I ask you to provide us with artillery support."
"I don't have artillery support here." The 122nd Regiment was unable to break through the enemy's second line of defense, and Sokov was worried. He wanted to provide artillery support for the regiment, but unfortunately, it's hard to make a plan without rice, and now he didn't have it.
How can tanks and artillery provide artillery support for the troops? He could only say helplessly: "Didn't I tell you to build a few more machine gun fire points in front of the German position to suppress the enemy's firepower? Have you forgotten?
?”
After Sokov's reminder, Papuchenko immediately remembered that Sokov had indeed reminded him like this. He had just been busy letting the troops attack, but he had forgotten this important matter. Thinking of this, he quickly spoke into the microphone
Said: "Understood, Comrade Division Commander, I will immediately send people close to the enemy's position to choose a suitable location to establish a machine gun fire point to suppress the enemy's attack..."
Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, a soldier with a gun rushed in from outside. As soon as the soldier entered the command post, he shouted in a panic: "Comrade Commander, he was beaten to death, he was beaten."
died……"
Hearing the soldiers talking nonsense, Papuchenko couldn't help but get angry and wanted to go up and give him a big mouth. However, considering that he was talking to Sokov, in order not to leave a bad impression on the division commander, he
He chose to be patient. He held the microphone and said viciously to the soldiers: "Your regiment leader is still standing in front of you and has not been killed by the enemy!"
Seeing that Papuchenko was angry, the soldier immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing, and explained in a panic: "Comrade leader, I didn't mean you, I meant..."
"Who was killed?" Before the soldier could finish speaking, the second battalion commander had already barged in from outside, grabbed the soldier by the collar, and asked nervously: "Is the first battalion commander killed by enemy bullets?
?”
"No, it's not the first battalion commander." The already nervous soldier was grabbed by the lapel of the second battalion commander, and became even more panicked: "It's Wu Liya. The enemy beat Wu Liya to death."
"Who is Wu Liya?" Papuchenko frowned and said disapprovingly when he heard the soldier's name: "I thought the first battalion commander was killed by the enemy, but it turned out that it was Wu Liya who was killed..."
Before Papuchenko could finish his words, he was suddenly shocked. He rushed in front of the soldiers, grabbed the second battalion commander's loosened clothes again, and asked viciously: "Wuliya, are you talking about?
Is it the female health worker Wu Liya?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander, it is really her." The soldier carefully freed his clothes from Papuchenko's hands and said cautiously: "She was killed by an enemy sniper while rescuing the wounded on the battlefield.
.Hit the head right, even the brains were knocked out.”
Although there are only soldiers and civilians on the battlefield, and there is no distinction between men and women, both sides of the war silently follow a principle: not to shoot at the medical staff of the other side during the battle. Now the enemy actually shot at the medical staff, even a woman.
Health worker. After hearing the news, Papuchenko couldn't help but blood rushing to his head. He grabbed the submachine gun on the table and shouted to the regiment chief of staff sitting at the table: "Chief of staff, I'll leave this to you."
Yes, I took people to eliminate these beasts, and they actually shot at the woman."
When he passed by the second battalion commander, he gave him a hard push and said, "Take the second battalion and follow me up the mountain. We must eliminate these beasts that are worse than beasts."
Seeing Papuchenko holding a gun and leaving with the second battalion commander and the soldier, the regiment chief of staff hesitated for a while before grabbing the microphone Papuchenko threw on the table and crying to Sokov
Report: "Comrade division commander, no good, something happened. The regiment leader personally led people to rush forward."
"What the hell, Papuchenko actually took charge of the charge himself. It's just nonsense." Sokov also heard part of what happened just now through the phone. Now he learned that Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko actually got angry.
Leading the charge in person, he quickly ordered into the microphone: "Comrade regiment chief of staff, I order you to go to Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko and pull me back immediately."
"Comrade Commander," Sokov had just finished speaking when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that it was Ivanov. Ivanov sighed and said, "Wuliya
She was the best female health worker in the division. She once carried more than 30 seriously wounded soldiers off the battlefield. Everyone liked her very much. I didn't expect that she would die under the gun of an enemy sniper. Papuchenko had such a talent
His reaction is perfectly normal. Just let him go. If he is not allowed to kill several enemies with his own hands and avenge Wu Liya, I think he will never feel at ease in his life."
"Okay, Comrade Deputy Division Commander. Since you said so, my original order is cancelled." After saying this with a heavy heart, Sokov said into the microphone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I cancel the order I just issued."
Order. Since the regiment leader has personally led the charge, you will be responsible for the regiment’s work. If there is any latest situation, please report it to me immediately!"
"Understood, Comrade Division Commander." The regiment chief of staff waited for Sokov to finish and quickly replied: "I will report to you the situation here at any time."