After spending a day in anxious waiting, Sokov finally received a telegram from Grisa after dark. The content of the telegram was very simple: I have confirmed that the enemy's ammunition depot is indeed in the town of Gorodishe and will be arriving soon.
Attack tonight.
After the telegram was circulated among several division leaders, Sidorin asked tentatively: "Comrade division commander, how do you think we should reply to Lieutenant Grisa?"
"Chief of Staff, record my reply." Sokov said briefly: "I wish you victory!"
After Sidorin recorded this sentence, he looked up at Sokov again, waiting for him to continue. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, Sokov didn't say anything more. He couldn't help but asked strangely: "Comrade division commander, just
Isn’t the content of this call-back a bit too little?”
"Chief of Staff," Sokov stared at Sidorin and asked in a strange tone: "Lieutenant Grisa and the others have found the enemy's ammunition depot and plan to attack tonight. What else do you think we have?
Do you need to warn him?"
"No, not anymore!" Sidorin replied in a panic: "I'll go and give him a telegram back."
When Sidorin dictated the message to the radio operator, Ivanov curiously asked Sokov: "Comrade division commander, Lieutenant Grisa and the others, can they withdraw safely after completing this mission?" Ivanov asked
I have never seen the power of new rockets with my own eyes, so I am always skeptical about the idea that a small team can destroy enemy ammunition depots from a long distance.
"Don't worry, comrade deputy division commander." Regarding Ivanov's worries, Sokov comforted him and said: "Lieutenant Grisa and the others have been operating behind the enemy's rear for a long time. Without the cooperation of this new rocket, they would not be defeated.
If the enemy is annihilated, the results that can be achieved will be very limited."
"Comrade Commander, the telegram has been sent." Sidorin came over and reported to Sokov.
Sokov thought that in addition to Grisa's squad, there were several other small troops also operating behind the enemy's rear. He didn't know if they had achieved any results in the past two days, so he asked Sidorin: "Comrade Chief of Staff
, is there any news from the other teams?"
"No." Sidorin shook his head and replied: "I guess they have not achieved any valuable goals for the time being, so they cannot achieve the desired results."
"Don't be anxious. Most of the commanders and fighters in these squads have no experience in operating behind enemy lines. They need to continue to learn and accumulate experience in battle." Seeing Sidorin's expression of frustration, Sokov quickly comforted him.
Said: "I believe it won't take long for them to learn how to fight behind enemy lines and achieve results that satisfy us."
…………
After receiving the call back from the division headquarters, Grisa was stunned. He asked the staff sergeant in charge of communications: "Comrade Staff Sergeant, did you not receive the entire message? Why is there only one sentence?"
"Yes, Comrade Lieutenant." The sergeant replied quickly: "I have repeatedly confirmed that the reply from the division headquarters only said this sentence."
"Comrades!" After confirming that the division headquarters' reply contained only one sentence, Grisa gathered the soldiers, raised the message in his hand, and said to them: "The division headquarters sent us a reply, and it contained only one sentence.
: I wish you victory!"
When the soldiers heard what Grisa said, they couldn't help but look at each other and were surprised by Sokov's concise reply. Seeing that everyone looked puzzled, Grisa explained to them: "Comrades,
The division commander's call back in this way means that he agrees with our battle plan and does not make any hard requirements on us. He only hopes that we can win. Do you think we can live up to the division commander's trust in us?"
"No!" the soldiers replied in unison.
"Okay, now that everyone has the confidence to complete the tasks assigned to us by our superiors, I'm relieved." After Griza finished speaking, he waved to the soldiers, "Everyone, hurry up and pack your things. We will set off in ten minutes.
.”
Marching at night is much safer than during the day. As soon as the small team advancing along the road sees the lights of the convoy on the road, they will immediately hide on the roadside and wait for the enemy's convoy to pass by before continuing on their way.
After more than an hour of rapid march, the detachment arrived at the river. Looking at the heavily guarded bridge in the distance, Griza asked Yelizavita again: "Comrade Sergeant, I ask you one last time, I really can't
Establish launch positions on the right bank of the river?"
"This is too far from the town." Yelizaveta replied: "If a launching position is established by the river, the chance of hitting the target will be very low."
"Okay, then we will find a way to cross the river to the other side, choose a place close to the town, and establish a launching position." After Grisa finished speaking, he immediately arranged for soldiers to collect equipment that could cross the river and prepare to transport the rockets and launch tubes to the other side.
go.
The October night in Russia was already very cold, and the river was even colder. Grisa selected Yelizavita, Aino and five other warriors to cross the river with him to carry out the attack mission on the other side, while the remaining warriors stayed on the right bank to serve as guards.
Several people piled their stripped military uniforms and weapons on the raft with rockets and launch tubes, gritted their teeth and jumped into the cold river water. After seven or eight minutes of splashing, they finally reached the other side. When they landed,
, everyone’s lips were turned purple from the cold, and their whole bodies were shivering.
While shivering, Grisa quickly put on her clothes and urged others: "Hurry up and put on all your clothes. If you get typhoid fever, you'll be in trouble."
After everyone got dressed, they loaded up their rockets and launch tubes and trotted towards the town of Gorodishe. Although there was no moon in the sky and no one carried a compass, no one was worried about going in the wrong direction.
, because the brightly lit town of Gorodishe is like a guiding light, pointing the way forward for the soldiers.
"Okay, don't run." After running for a while, Grisa felt that he was already warm, so he remembered everyone and said to Yelizavita: "Comrade Sergeant, let's set up a launching position here.
!”
Yelizaveta stopped, squinted one eye, raised his thumb to measure the distance, then nodded and said, "Okay, Comrade Lieutenant, we will establish the launch position here."
When Yelizaveta began to set up the launch site, Grisa once again looked at the town of Gorodishe in the distance with the telescope, and thought with regret: If so much ammunition could be transported back to Mamayev Heights,
How great would it be? With so many weapons and ammunition, no matter how many enemies come, we can beat the crap out of them.
Yelizavita and other soldiers installed the launch tube on the tripod and began to aim and load. After doing all this, he stood up straight and said to Grisa: "Comrade Lieutenant, the rockets have been loaded.
Ready to launch at any time!”
Grisa took one last look at the town of Gorodishe with infinite nostalgia. He sighed softly at the town that was about to be razed to the ground, as well as the weapons and ammunition that would be reduced to ashes, and then he raised his raised hand downwards.
He waved the ground and shouted: "Launch!"
"Launch!" Yelizavita shouted immediately, and the soldier responsible for the operation launched the rocket.
Three rockets trailed long flame tails, roared out of the launch tubes one after another, and flew towards the town of Gorodishe in the distance. Although Yelizaveta told Grisa that rockets were fired from this distance
, the probability of destroying the target is 80%, but his heart is in his throat at this moment, because the team only has these three rockets, and once it fails to hit the target, it means the complete failure of this operation.
In the church square in the town of Gorodishe, German soldiers were busy loading ammunition onto the trucks coming from the front. When they heard the screams in the air, they involuntarily stopped what they were doing and raised their heads into the air.
Looking around, we saw the rockets still flying in the air. Although everyone didn't know what they were, they knew that if they landed on the ground and exploded, they would definitely take their lives, so everyone shouted and ran away.
The first rocket hit the onion dome of the church. The rubble stirred up by the explosion fell from the sky overwhelmingly, smashing the German soldiers who were running around below to howl. The second rocket missed the target a little far, and fell from the church square.
It passed over the sky and hit a building on the east side.
Fortunately, the third rocket accurately landed in the ammunition pile on the square and exploded. The square immediately turned into an erupting crater, tightly wrapped in rising black smoke, and explosions were connected in the black smoke.
, one after another, there were explosions everywhere, and fire everywhere. Some of the frightened and desperate German soldiers were running around like headless flies, and some were curled up on the ground holding their heads and howling desperately,
However, without exception, they were all blown to pieces in the explosion.
Looking at the sky above the town in the distance, which seemed to be blooming with countless fireworks, Grisa knew that his mission was completed. He raised his hand and patted Yelizaveta on the shoulder several times, and said approvingly: "Well done.
Okay, Comrade Sergeant, when we get back to Mamayev Heights, I will definitely ask the division commander for credit."
Yelizaveta looked at the town of Gorodishe with constant explosions in the distance. Listening to Grisa's praise for herself, she grinned and then shouted to several soldiers: "What are you still doing?
, hurry up and remove the launch tube from the tripod. If we wait for the Germans to surround us, we won’t be able to leave even if we want to.”
Everyone packed up their launch tubes and tripods and hurried towards the river. Although a huge explosion occurred in the town of Gorodishe and the German soldiers staying inside and outside the town suffered heavy casualties, no one can guarantee whether there are still people nearby.
There was a small enemy force, so they had to flee to the other side of the river as quickly as possible to barely escape the danger.
The sergeant waiting by the river saw Grisa and the others getting up from the river and rushed to greet them. While helping them get dressed, he took out the vodka in the flask and gave it to the shivering soldiers.
Give them two sips to drive away the coldness in their bodies.
The sergeant asked the shivering Grisa: "Comrade Lieutenant, I saw flames shooting into the sky in the direction of Gorodishe town and constant explosions. It seems that the enemy's arsenal has been destroyed by us. We need to spread the news immediately
, report to the division headquarters?”
Grisa looked left and right and replied: "There may be a German patrol here at any time. We'd better find a safe place and send a telegram to the division headquarters."
Half an hour later, the small unit arrived at a safe area. Griza looked at the surrounding environment and ordered the sergeant: "Comrade Sergeant, immediately send a telegram to the division headquarters, saying that we have successfully destroyed the
The enemy's ammunition depot is located in the town of Gorodishe."
Sokov received the telegram and cheered repeatedly. Then he picked up the phone and was about to report the good news to Chuikov, but was stopped by Ivanov. The latter frowned and said in a suspicious tone: "
Comrade Division Commander, don’t you think the team completed its mission too smoothly?”
Hearing what Ivanov said, Sokov immediately realized that there was something in the other person's words and instinctively asked: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, what do you want to say?"
"Whether they destroyed the enemy's ammunition depot, I think we should verify it." Ivanov said expressionlessly: "Until we get confirmed information, I don't think we should report it to the headquarters for the time being."
"Verification, how to verify?" Sokov said with some dissatisfaction: "According to my analysis, Grisa and the others finally escaped from danger, should they be allowed to take risks again?"
"However, if you rush to report the results without verification, once they are proven to be unreliable, your superiors will blame you and I will be in trouble!" Ivanov continued: "I think we should wait a little longer. If you
I am unwilling to send Grisa and the others to verify the results of the battle, so I suggest that a new team be sent immediately to the direction of Gorodishe town to verify the results of the battle."
Just when the two people had different opinions, the phone on the table rang. Sidorin quickly picked up the phone and said: "I am Lieutenant Colonel Sidorin, where are you?...Hello, Comrade Commander,
Any instructions please?…”
When they heard the call from Chuikov, the two stopped arguing and both pricked up their ears to hear clearly what Chuikov was saying. But Sidorin handed the microphone to Sokov: "Comrade division commander, the commander wants to talk to you.
Speak!”
"Colonel Sokov!" Chuikov's voice came from the receiver: "Did you send someone to sneak attack the German ammunition depot in the town of Gorodishe?"
"Comrade Commander, we did send a small team in that direction to try to find and destroy the enemy's ammunition depot." Sokov hesitated for a moment and decided to report the contents of the telegram to Chuikov: "I just received a message from the small team.
A telegram from Lieutenant Grisa, the leader of the detachment, said that they had successfully destroyed the enemy's ammunition depot in the town of Gorodishe with rockets." However, he thought of Ivanov's concerns and finally added, "
However, this result has not yet been confirmed.”
"If I can call you, I can prove that this result is real." Chuikov said with a smile on the phone: "I just received a call from the observation station in the barricade factory. They said that the town of Gorodishe
Suddenly, there were flames in the sky and constant explosions. It looked like a big explosion of arms. Think about it, if your soldiers had not succeeded in their actions, how could the enemy's ammunition depot have exploded?"