After Akhromeyev listened to my plan to "replace soldiers with water", he immediately became energetic. After staring at the map for a long time, he threw a punch on the table with excitement, and said to me excitedly: "Master Comrade, this plan of yours is really great." As he said that he lit the grassland in front of Mamayev Hill with his hand, he analyzed and said to me, "Look, if the Volga River bursts, the flood will destroy the horse. Dozens of square kilometers in front of the Mayevgang, or even a larger area, became a piece of Ze State. In this way, the 44th, 76th, 71st, and 295th divisions of the German army placed in the north and northwest of the city will be affected by the floods. It prevents us from launching an attack from the north of the city, so that we can free up our troops to strengthen defenses in other directions."

When he finished speaking, he kept looking at the map with excitement, as if he was checking the results achieved after our plan was implemented. After a while, he looked up at me and asked tentatively: "Master Comrade, do you need to report this plan to the group army headquarters immediately?"

I replied calmly and said: "No, Comrade Chief of Staff. This plan is enough for the three of us to know, and there is no need to report it to the group army command."

After listening to Akhromeyev, he was taken aback. He asked in astonishment: "Why, comrade commander? We cannot implement such a plan if it is not reported to the headquarters."

Kirilov waited for him to finish, coughing beside him, and then explained to him: "Chief of Staff, this is the situation. I agree in principle with the plan proposed by the commander, but..."

Seeing Kirilov's words hesitating, Akhromeyev was a little anxious: "But what? Comrade political comrade, you can just finish it in one breath if you have anything, don't make trouble, make me anxious."

"Comrade Political Commissar. Let me explain this to the Chief of Staff." I was afraid that Kirilov would have any scruples when speaking, so I personally explained to Akhromeyev: "The reason why this plan could not be implemented. , Because the embankment of the Volga River is too strong. It is impossible to blow up the gap without a dozen tons of**. Under the current circumstances, do you think we can do so without knowing it. *Buried on the embankment?"

After hearing this, Akhromeyev frowned and thought for a while, and finally sighed helplessly, and said regretfully: "Yes, the German troops are stationed a few kilometers away, and they are near our high ground. There must be some scouts and so on, so there is something going on in front of our position. The enemy may know it in time."

After denying the plan of "replacement of soldiers with water", I suddenly thought that the German army had only deployed four divisions to the north of the city, but it had beaten our army into a panic, so I asked casually: "Comrade chief of staff, one German division has How many troops?"

Akhromeyev replied casually: "The German infantry division that is made up is 17,200 people, more than our two divisions."

For a long time, I only knew that there were tens of thousands of people in the German infantry division, but I didn't expect that there would be so many people, and I couldn't help but exclaimed, "Ah, there are so many people."

"Yes. Comrade Commander." After Akhromeyev finished speaking, he took out a notebook from his briefcase, turned a page into it, and pushed it in front of me. Said politely: "Let's take a look, this is the organization chart of the German infantry division."

I took the notebook and read it, and saw it read:

"The German Infantry Division governs divisions, reconnaissance battalions, communications battalions, 3 infantry regiments (3 battalions per regiment), artillery regiments, anti-tank battalions, engineer battalions, and divisional battalions.

Division: 158 people, 2 light machine guns, 17 motorcycles, and 31 wheeled vehicles.

Reconnaissance Battalion: 625 men, 25 light machine guns, 8 heavy machine guns, 3 75mm anti-tank guns. There were 3 20mm anti-aircraft guns and 3 50mm mortars. 4 81mm mortars and 2 75mm light infantry guns. There are 3 armored vehicles, 45 motorcycles, 30 wheeled vehicles, 3 carriages and 213 horses.

Communications Battalion: 474 people, 17 light machine guns, 32 motorcycles, 103 wheeled vehicles, 7 carriages, and 52 horses.

Artillery regiment: 2500 men, 32 light machine guns, 36 105mm howitzers, 4 105mm howitzers, 8 150mm howitzers, 40 motorcycles, 105 wheeled vehicles, 229 carriages, and 2274 horses.

Anti-tank battalion: 550 men, 18 light machine guns, 36 75mm anti-tank guns, 45 motorcycles, and 114 wheeled vehicles.

Engineer Battalion: 843 people, 34 light machine guns, 9 anti-tank guns, 20 flamethrowers, 44 motorcycles, 87 wheeled vehicles, 19 carriages, and 52 horses.

Divisional team: 2,300 people, 30 light machine guns, 8 20mm anti-aircraft guns, 88 motorcycles, 253 wheeled vehicles, 245 carriages, and 735 horses.

3 infantry regiments: 3250 men each, 123 light machine guns, 36 heavy machine guns, 27 anti-tank guns, 12 75mm anti-tank guns, 27 50 mortars, 18 81mm mortars, and 75mm light There are 6 infantry guns, 2 150mm heavy infantry guns, 47 motorcycles, 73 wheeled vehicles, 210 carriages, and 683 horses. "

After reading the formation of the German infantry division, I returned the notebook to Akhromeyev and asked: "So, how many people are there in a company in the German army?"

Hearing this question from me, not only Akhromeyev, but even Kirilov, who was sitting next to me, looked at me strangely, seeming to be surprised that I didn't understand the structure of the German army. Akhromeyev stood up and reported to me: "One German battalion had four companies, each with 215 people. After our interrogation of the prisoners, due to the long battle, most of the companies were left. Seventy to eighty people, and some even only twenty or thirty people."

I waved at Akhromeyev, and said disapprovingly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do not use the data provided by the prisoners as a reference for us to formulate a battle plan. You must know that if it is an ordinary soldier, what they understand It is only the situation of his platoon or company; even if the prisoner is a lieutenant officer, what he knows is only the situation of his battalion company. If we follow the prisoner’s confession, we think that the German army was greatly affected in the battle. If it is weakened and used to formulate a combat plan, it may suffer a big loss in battle."

After hearing what I said, both of them fell into deep thought. It took quite a while before Kirilov said thoughtfully: "No wonder the counterattack carried out by our army these few times. In the end, they all ended in failure. It seems that the staff officers who made the combat plan were too much. Referred to the prisoner’s confession. I thought that the enemy forces facing our army were greatly weakened, so it is inevitable to suffer a loss."

After saying these few words, he suddenly changed the topic and talked about the abnormal performance of the German troops in front of our division today: "Comrade Oshaninna, today the German troops launched wave after wave of attacks on the 107.5 heights. The posture of never retreating without taking the high ground, but in our division’s position. But it is calm, and even the enemy’s soldiers have not been seen. Tell me, what is going on?"

"The enemy should have done this deliberately. They sent troops to attack the 107.5 heights and turned a blind eye to our position. Perhaps it was to paralyze us and make us think that the position would not be attacked, and then proceed boldly from Mamayev Hill. Deploy troops to reinforce the high ground of the friendly army. In this way, they can use artillery to destroy our troops that have left the fortified fortifications."

After these few words were said, I realized that I had made a mistake. He quickly looked at Kirilov, for fear that he had any thoughts, after all, the two companies that were lost in the artillery fire during the day. He was the one who sent it out for advocacy. Unexpectedly, my worry was really not unnecessary, Kirilov’s face was full of shame.

In order to prevent Kirilov’s embarrassment, I quickly turned my head and said to Akhromeyev: "Comrade Chief of Staff, accompany me to the tunnel of the Second Regiment later and talk to the soldiers." , I deliberately smiled and said to Kirilov, "Comrade Political Commissar, I will trouble you to stay at the headquarters tonight."

Kirilov quickly stated: "No problem, I will leave the affairs of the command to me. You and the chief of staff can go with peace of mind."

After it got dark, Akhromeyev and I took a few guards. Walk along the trenches outside to the position of the second regiment. After some distance from the headquarters. Akhromeyev looked back at the guard who was following us far, then lowered his throat and asked me: "Comrade Commander, what happened to the political commissar today? I think his expression seems a little unnatural."

I snorted softly, and then said with a bitter smile: "Today, when the German army stormed the position of the 39th regiment, the political comrades transferred two companies of the third regiment, planning to pass through the open ground and detour back to the enemy's side to hit hard. As a result, as soon as our commanders entered the open area, the enemy’s long-range artillery fired over. In a few minutes, just a few minutes, our two companies were all over."

We were walking when Akhromeyev stopped suddenly, pointed his hand to the front, and said, "Master, this is a tunnel in the Second Regiment. Go in and take a look?"

Seeing me nodding, he hurried forward and opened the curtain of the tunnel entrance. The thick light-shielding curtain on the door was suddenly opened, accompanied by the dazzling light, a soldier with a gun rushed out, and at the same time shouted loudly: "Who? Password!"

Seeing Akhromeyev with a rifle on his chest with a hand lifted the curtain, standing there with a complicated expression, I resisted a smile, walked to his side, and pointed the gun. The soldier said: "Comrade soldier, I am the division commander, Colonel Oshanina, and this is the chief of staff, Captain Akhromeyev."

The soldier quickly put the gun away, raised his hand and saluted both of us: "I'm sorry, commander, chief of staff, I thought it was the enemy who touched it."

After Akhromeyev and I walked into the tunnel, they let down the curtain and said angrily: "Comrade soldier, if the enemy really touches this place, you will just wait to be caught in a pot."

After I raised my hand to stop the grumbling Akhromeev, I asked the soldier, "Comrade soldier, where is your regiment leader?"

The soldier was taken aback for a moment, and then replied, "Report to the commander, the commander is not in this tunnel."

"Then who is here?" I asked.

"The commander of the first battalion, Captain Khorushov, and the political instructor Comrade Savchenko are here. But they are not there."

"Where did they go?" Akhromeyev asked.

"I went to check out. You also know that we have a large defensive area here, and troops are everywhere..."

I saw that this soldier belonged to the kind that could be said. I was afraid that he would not finish talking, so I stopped him in time and told him to say: "Okay. Comrade soldier, take us to your battalion command post. I will wait for them there."

The soldier agreed. He also called a soldier sitting not far away to stand guard for him before leading us to the depths of the tunnel.

On the walls on both sides of the tunnel. Every four or five meters, there is a recessed groove with a steam lamp on it. No wonder the light here is so sufficient.

We followed behind the warriors, passed through the tunnel or among the warriors sitting or lying down, and came to the innermost hut. The soldier took a step forward, lifted the curtain at the door, and politely said to us: "Commander, chief of staff, this is the battalion command post. You go in and take a rest. When the battalion commander comes back, I will notify him immediately."

"Thank you, comrade soldier." After thanking the soldier politely, I walked into the command post with Akhromeyev, went to sit down at the earth table, and waited patiently for Khorushov's return. .

Not long after we sat there, the door curtain was suddenly opened, and a soldier without a hat walked in from the outside, with a tea mug in each of his hands. Put the tea mug behind the table in front of us. Said: "Teacher, Chief of Staff, please have tea."

I raised my head and smiled at the soldier in front of me, and said, "Thank you. Comrade soldier."

Originally, I thought this soldier would turn around and leave, but I didn't expect him to stand in a daze like roots on the soles of his feet, and he looked at me up and down with a decent eye.

Seeing this soldier's almost impolite behavior, I felt a little unhappy, and I was about to say a few words about him. But he spoke first. He stammered and asked: "Excuse me, sir, comrade sir. Are you Lida?"

I heard him call my nickname. I couldn't help looking at him in surprise, since I came to Stalingrad. Except Zhukov, no one seems to have called me that. I slowly stood up and asked tentatively: "May I ask who you are???"

Seeing that I didn't blame him, the soldier said with excitement: "Comrade Commander, don't you know me? I am Sergey Osipovich."

I looked at the soldier in front of me, and saw that he was about forty years old, with a big head. He was supposed to be a big fat man, but he was skinny. The military uniform was worn on his body, like hanging on a shelf. Just as empty. I searched hard for this name in my mind, but unfortunately, deep in my memory, there is really no acquaintance by this name. So I shook my head and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, Comrade Soldier, I really can't remember who you are."

Seeing that I didn't recognize him, the soldier showed a frustrated expression on his face, but he still reminded me: "If you think about it again, we met many years ago."

A few years ago, when I heard him say this, I couldn't help but smile to myself and said in my heart that I hadn't been in this world a few years ago, how could I know you. Thinking of this, I raised my hand, trying to coax the soldier out.

When the soldier saw that I still didn’t think about it, he couldn’t help but sighed, and continued: “Unexpectedly, you really forgot me. You must know that we met at the marriage registry a few years ago. If I remember correctly, that day was just right. I was on duty, and an officer ran in and said that his name was Oshanin and he wanted to marry a beloved girl...."

As soon as Sergey said this, I immediately remembered him, and to be precise, I guessed who he was. He was the staff member who handled the marriage level for Oxianing and Lida. Because Lida was not old enough at the time, he also persuaded Oxianing to go to the city defense commander to come forward, and the two people successfully retained the marriage procedures.

After I figured out Sergey’s identity, I quickly stretched out my raised hand to him, and at the same time said kindly: "It turns out it is you, Comrade Sergey, please forgive me for not recognizing you in time."

Sergey held my hand with both hands and shook it vigorously. "Comrade Commander, if it weren't for your wedding to Captain Oshanin, which was presided over by the city defense commander himself, I wouldn't have such a deep influence on you. . Time flies so fast. Several years passed in a flash. I didn’t expect you to be a colonel now. By the way, how is Captain O’shanin now?"

When Sergey asked about Oshanin, UU reading www.uukanshu.com, I suddenly said with an embarrassment: "He was seriously injured in the defense of Moscow and was sent to the hospital behind. Since then, we have been completely Lost contact." Seeing the scrawny former marriage registry staff in front of me, I asked curiously: "By the way, Comrade Sergey, how did you make it like this? If I remember correctly, you used to But a big fat man."

Sergey let go of my hand, a pained expression appeared on his face, "Oh, it's hard to say a word."

"Please sit down, after all, we are all old acquaintances." I greeted him to sit down, and comforted him: "Anyway, we have nothing to do now. Just tell us about your experience."

After Sergey sat down, he took the tea mug I handed over, and after thanking him, he began to tell his personal experience: "The second week after the war broke out, I also joined the army. But during the battle in July. My unit was surrounded by the Germans and we became prisoners of war. Later, I and more than 20,000 captured comrades in arms were sent to the Soviet prisoner-of-war concentration camp in Vitebsk in Belarus by the Germans."

"What happened in the prisoner-of-war camp that made you what you are now?" (to be continued)

ps: I sincerely thank the book friends for the monthly support of the dead Haechi Children's Shoes! ()