Seeing Starcha calling the regiment headquarters and informing the forward and second-line positions that one-third of the commanders and fighters would be mobilized into the positions, Sokov felt that this matter still needed to be communicated to the troops on the left and right wings, otherwise it would really wait until
The Germans carried out a sneak attack, and the fighting was fierce here, but the troops nearby didn't know what was happening.
As soon as Starcha finished the call, Sokov asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, can your phone communicate directly with the division headquarters?"
"Yes." Starca nodded and replied: "According to your order, all battalion command post telephone numbers can directly contact the division headquarters."
After receiving Starca's accurate reply, Sokov ordered him: "Get me through the division headquarters immediately. I have important matters to explain to the chief of staff."
After the call was connected, Sokov did not beat around the bush and said directly to Sidorin who answered the phone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I am now at the forward position of the 124th Regiment. We have just captured a German reconnaissance personnel. According to the
According to his confession, I think the enemy may launch a sneak attack on our division's position. You should immediately call Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko of the 122nd Regiment and Lieutenant Colonel Yershakov of the 125th Regiment and order them to deploy three points
One of the troops was put into combat positions to prevent possible German attacks."
In fact, Sidorin had been worried that the German army would not be reconciled to the defeat during the day and would send troops to carry out sneak attacks at night. At this moment, after hearing Sokov's order, he quickly replied: "Don't worry, comrade division commander, I will notify both parties immediately."
As a regimental commander, let them prepare for battle to prevent possible sneak attacks by the Germans."
After a pause, Sidorin spoke into the microphone again: "Comrade division commander, I think the front line is too dangerous. I'm afraid it's difficult to guarantee your safety. Why don't you go back to the division headquarters first?"
If the incident with the German scouts had not happened, maybe Sokov would have returned to the division headquarters immediately after inspecting the positions of the other two regiments. But at this moment, he felt that he could not leave. "Comrade Chief of Staff, I have already
Order the commanders and soldiers to enter the position. If I leave at this time, I am afraid it will give everyone a bad association and affect the morale of the troops, so I decided to stay."
"Okay. Now that you have made your decision, I respect your decision." Sidorin sighed secretly and said, "Comrade Commander, the frontier is too dangerous. You should be more careful."
…………
Time passed by minute by second, but there was still no movement in front of the position. Starcha seemed restless when he thought of his soldiers lying in the trench in the ice and snow. He simply stood up, with his hands behind his back and it was not spacious.
were walking back and forth in the command post.
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Sokov looked at him and said, "Although you have been sitting for a long time, getting up and walking around can restore blood circulation and make people awake. But in such a narrow space, you are going back and forth like this.
If you move around, it will affect others."
Starcha quickly returned to Sokov and said with a smile: "Comrade division commander, you see our soldiers have been lying in the snow for more than two hours, but the enemy has not made any movement at all. I am worried that they will
They are frozen, do you think we should let them withdraw and only leave some soldiers to serve as guards?"
Sokov understood Starcha's mood very well. He raised his hand and looked at his watch and said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I know it's hard for the soldiers to stay outside, but even if they want to evacuate, they have to wait until the early morning.
Let’s talk after three o’clock. If the enemy hasn’t made any movement by then, you can ask them to withdraw and rest.”
"Comrade Battalion Commander," Sokov turned to the battalion commander and asked: "Do you have flares in your battalion?"
"No." The battalion commander looked at Starcia, shook his head and replied, "Our battalion hasn't had time to equip it."
"How can this be done, Lieutenant Colonel Starcha." After learning that there were no flares on the first battalion's position, Sokov said to Starcha with a straight face: "It's so dark outside, if the German army really launches an attack on us.
If we attack, how can the soldiers in the trenches see the enemy clearly?"
"Chief of Staff," Starcha immediately realized his negligence after being reminded by Sokov, and quickly picked up the phone: "Send someone to deliver two boxes of flares to the front immediately, as fast as possible!"
After receiving the call, the regiment chief of staff did not dare to neglect, and quickly ordered his men to send flares to the first battalion at the front. Although Starcha said to send two boxes, he took it upon himself to send five boxes. The chief of staff did not
Thinking of it, it was precisely because of his own initiative that the 1st Battalion used the illumination of flares to eliminate more enemies in the subsequent battle.
Before the flares were delivered, the third company commander who was staying on the position called. He reported to the battalion commander who answered the phone: "Comrade battalion commander, there seems to be movement in front of our company's position, but it is too dark.
Can't see anything."
"Comrade division commander," the first battalion commander quickly covered the microphone with his hand and reported respectfully to Sokov: "The third company commander reported that there was movement in front of their position, but it was too dark to see anything.
Not sure."
"Comrade battalion commander, please transfer it to him." Sokov said to the battalion commander: "We will send flares over immediately to ask them to pay attention and not let the enemy get close to the position."
The battalion commander quickly removed his hand from the microphone and said loudly: "Third company commander, continue to monitor closely and be careful not to let the enemy get close to our position. I will send someone to send you illumination bombs immediately."
Since there was a strange movement in front of the position, everyone could not sit still. Starcha waited for the battalion commander to put down the phone and then ordered him: "Immediately send someone to pick up the soldiers who sent the flares, and as soon as possible
Transfer to the front."
The regimental commander and battalion commander personally dealt with the matter very efficiently. In less than five minutes, a box of flares was delivered to the third company position. Seeing the flare coming, the third company commander quickly ordered the soldiers to fire one to illuminate the situation.
The front of the position.
When the launched flare slowly fell from the sky, it illuminated the open space in front of the position. The third company commander squinted his eyes and observed carefully. He saw that the snow-covered open ground was quiet everywhere, and no moving objects could be seen.
When the flare went out, the soldier who fired the flare said with relief: "Comrade company commander, it seems we are too nervous. How could the Germans launch an attack in such cold weather?"
Although the third company commander found nothing during the observation just now, he always had an ominous premonition in his heart, as if he was being targeted by a group of wild beasts hiding in the dark. He always felt that his scalp was numb and his heartbeat was racing.
, his vest felt chilly. Thinking of this, he ordered the soldiers: "Fire two more flares."
"Comrade Company Commander," the soldier reminded the third company commander when he thought that he had not found anything just now, and even if he fired flares again, he would not gain much. It was so cold outside, it was better to find a way to go back to the shelter early to sleep:
"Didn't you just look? There's nothing outside."
"Yes, I didn't see anything just now." The third company commander said to his soldiers: "But I still feel uneasy in my heart. You can shoot two more flares and let me observe carefully."
Seeing that the third company commander was stubborn, the soldier had no choice but to raise his gun and fire the flare again. However, he did not fire two flares in a row, but after firing the first flare, he fired the second flare every two or three seconds.
, this can extend the lighting time.
Under the illumination of the flares, the third company commander carefully observed the minefield in the distance again, but still did not see anything strange. "Am I getting nervous?" He thought as he turned his sights further away.
Barbed wire. At this glance, he noticed something was wrong. In several places, the barbed wire had been cut open to allow several people to walk side by side. Just when he was about to take a closer look, the flare went out.
"Fire two more."
"Comrade Company Commander, we have launched three flares, but nothing has been found."
"Stop talking nonsense, follow my order and continue firing." The third company commander lowered his voice and said to the soldiers: "I see that the barbed wire fence in the distance seems to have been cut with several gaps."
After hearing what the third company commander said, the soldiers quickly adjusted the launch angle so that the launched flares could illuminate the terrain around the barbed wire fence more clearly. As soon as the flares were launched, the soldiers quickly opened their eyes and looked towards the location of the barbed wire fence.
I went there and saw that the barbed wire fence had been cut in several places.
The third company commander observed more carefully than he did, and found traces of people crawling on the snow inside and outside the gaps. Seeing this, the third company commander understood that there must be many German soldiers who had cut along the barbed wire.
Climbed in. They should be wearing white camouflage clothes and lying in the snow, making it difficult to find their specific location.
This time, as soon as the flares went out, the third company commander quickly called the battalion command post to report: "Comrade battalion commander, several gaps have been cut in the barbed wire fence at the front of our company's position, and there are people crawling on the snow near the gaps.
trace."
"Have you found the enemy's lurking position?" the battalion commander asked quickly.
"No." The third company commander replied: "They may be wearing white camouflage uniforms. Even if we use flares to illuminate them, it will be difficult to detect their specific location."
"Major, immediately transfer the mortar platoon from the battalion." After Starcha learned that the enemy had broken through the barbed wire fence and had climbed in, he immediately ordered the battalion commander: "Let them face the place where the enemy may be lurking.
Carry out shelling, I don’t believe the shells can’t blow them out.”
A few minutes later, four 82-mm-caliber mortars from the battalion's mortar platoon were set up in the trench of the third company. The artillery platoon leader went out to check the distance, and then reported a series of data to his men.
The gunners adjusted the firing angle of the muzzle according to the parameters of the platoon leader, and then began to load and shoot. The shells roared out of the barrel and fired rapidly toward the enemy's possible hiding place.
The shells landed in the snow and exploded. Pillars mixed with black soil and white snow powder rose into the sky. At the same time, there were black figures flying away. They were German soldiers lurking in the snow.
Seeing that the Soviet army discovered their lurking, the German soldiers naturally did not lie down and wait for death. They got up from the snow, formed a sparse formation, and rushed towards the Soviet position.
"Get ready to fight!" The third company commander raised his pistol and shouted with great majesty, then said to the soldier beside him who fired the flare: "Whenever I ask you to fire the flare, you can fire it again."
The sneak attack German soldiers approached the Soviet position step by step, but the third company commander remained silent. He was ready to put the enemy into the best range before firing. His calmness made the soldiers next to him anxious: "Comrade company commander
, when are we going to launch the flares? The enemy is less than a hundred meters away from us."
"Don't be anxious, wait until the enemy gets closer before attacking." The third company commander said calmly: "They can't run fast in the snow, we can put them closer."
But when the German army rushed to the position still forty or fifty meters away, the third company commander suddenly shouted: "Fire!" and then took the lead in firing a shot at the enemy. The soldiers nearby did not dare to neglect and quickly fired illumination bombs into the air.
Comrades staying in the trenches can clearly see where the enemy is.
As the flares took off, the charging German soldiers were exposed to the dazzling light, but the soldiers in the trenches clearly saw the enemy's position, and they pulled the triggers without hesitation. For a moment, the explosion
There was a loud sound of gunfire, and countless weapons with flashing muzzle flashes fired desperately from the trenches, knocking down the German soldiers who came up in droves.
Sokov, who was staying in the headquarters, heard the gunfire outside, immediately grabbed the assault rifle in his hand, and said to Starcha and the first battalion commander: "The enemy is coming, you immediately give the soldiers orders."
Order them all to get into position and prepare to repel the enemy's attack."
As the order was issued, the commanders and soldiers who were still in the shelters and anti-aircraft holes took their weapons and ran into the trenches, entered their combat positions, and shot at the German troops exposed to the light of the flares.
, knocking them down one by one like target practice.
As the battle started, calls came from the positions on the left and right wings, asking what happened. Sokov said to Starcha: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, please tell the troops on the left and right wings that the enemy is attacking your regiment."
forward positions, let them defend their positions and not meddle in other people's business."
"Comrade Commander," Starcha heard Sokov's voiceover and quickly asked tentatively: "If the German army concentrates its forces to launch a fierce attack on us, I'm afraid that with our current strength, it may be difficult to stop it.
Enemy attack."
"Don't worry, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Regarding Starcha's worries, Sokov comforted him and said: "It's night now. When the enemy attacks, they don't have the support of artillery and tanks. It's just a group of infantry who want to charge.
I'm afraid it won't be that easy to get in."
"But……"
Starcha wanted to defend something, but was interrupted by Sokov: "Nothing, I know you want the troops on the left and right wings to support you to increase the chance of holding the position. But have you ever thought about it,
On such a dark night, if you let the troops from the left and right wings come over, how will you identify ourselves and our enemies? What will you do if you start fighting with your own people?"
After Sokov reminded him, Starcha discovered that this was really the case. If friendly forces came to reinforce him, it would be impossible to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy in such a dark environment. What if we really fought with our own people?