Chapter 146 The Battle of the Highlands (Part 2)

   As for Andrei's question, Sokov did not answer, but only ordered the two company commanders: "Let the troops rest where they are!"

   "Yes!" The two company commanders agreed, and then shouted at the commanders and fighters who stopped on the road: "Rest where you are! Rest where you are!"

When the soldiers disbanded and looked for a place to rest nearby, Rokossovsky took the two company commanders to a place a little far away from the team, found a fallen tree trunk and sat down, and then said to the two: "I I was always uneasy, thinking that the Germans would attack us at any time."

"Comrade Battalion Commander, since you know that the Germans are going to attack, why did we go to Susinich?" Andrei asked curiously: "As soon as our two companies leave, the defense of the high ground will be greatly weakened." Yet?"

"No way," Sokov spread his hands and said helplessly, "General Chernyshov gave me a death order. If I don't see troops appearing in Sukhinich at three o'clock in the afternoon, I will be killed." Just remove me from my post."

"What, you want to be dismissed?" Sukov said that the two company commanders were taken aback. Vasily raised his hand and looked at his watch, and said anxiously: "Comrade battalion commander, it's half past one now. If we don't hurry up, we won't be able to get to Susinich before three o'clock."

   "What's the hurry, wait a little longer." Sokov said this lightly, and reached out to the two of them: "Whoever has a cigarette, give me one."

  The two company commanders simultaneously took out a pack of captured German cigarettes from their pockets and handed them to Sokov. Sokov took out a cigarette from Vasily's cigarette case, lit it in his mouth, and took a sharp puff, but was choked and coughed loudly. He coughed and complained: "Damn, what kind of smoke are you smoking? It tastes like horse shit."

  Vassily grinned, and said: "Comrade battalion commander, these cigarettes are made of Turkish tobacco leaves, and the taste is inevitably a bit strong, and most people are still not used to smoking them."

Sokov threw the cigarette in the snow, stepped on it with his toes, and said to the two company commanders: "We will stay here until three o'clock. If the German army has not attacked the unnamed highland, we will go to Suhinich." .”

   "But, Comrade Battalion Commander." Vasya asked uneasily, "If you can't reach Suhinich before three o'clock, aren't you going to be dismissed?"

"Don't worry, Captain Vasily, the division commander will not dismiss me." Sokov said to the two men, "He was worried that I would disobey orders and would not send him troops, so he specifically said it to scare me. If three If the Germans do not attack the Unnamed Heights before this time, then we will go to Susinich; if the Germans start attacking before this time, then I can take you back justifiably."

In the following time, like ants on a hot pot, the two company commanders circled around the trunk where Sokov was sitting, and looked in the direction of the unnamed highland to see if they could hear the sound of artillery or see Rising black smoke. However, there was still silence over there, and there was no movement at all, so that both of them were thinking in their hearts: Maybe the battalion commander made a mistake, and the Germans will not attack the unnamed highland for the time being, at least not today.

Seeing that it was half past two, Andrei lost his composure. He walked up to Sokov quickly and said loudly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, it seems that the enemy will not attack. We still Hurry to Susinich as soon as possible, lest you be reprimanded by the teacher."

  As soon as Andre's voice fell, there was a dull explosion sound from the direction of the unnamed highland. The sound was similar to the sound of a car blowing out. He hurriedly looked in the direction of the unnamed highland, only to see a wisp of black smoke rising slowly over the highland.

"The German artillery is testing." Vasily also stopped, glanced in the direction of the unnamed highland, and said to Sokov excitedly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, it seems that their attack is about to start .”

"Could it be that some soldier accidentally fired a grenade?" Although he heard the explosion and saw the rising black smoke, Andrei was still not sure whether the Germans would attack, so he cautiously asked Sokov : "If it's a grenade exploding, that's pretty much what we hear."

"Nonsense," as soon as he finished speaking, Vasily retorted him: "The soldiers of the third company are full and have nothing to play with grenades. The movement just now is obviously the German army's test firing before the shelling started. I It seems that we should return to the high ground immediately and prepare for battle."

"Two company commanders, please stay safe." Seeing that the two were about to quarrel in the next moment, Sokov stood up and said with a smile: "As for the explosion that just came, it was the German artillery that was firing. Whether it's the test firing or the explosion of the grenade, we'll see the outcome after a while."

   Then, a series of explosions came from the direction of the high ground, followed by large swathes of black smoke rising. Seeing this scene, Vasily looked at Andrei and said triumphantly, "How about it, Second Company Commander, did you hear clearly this time? It wasn't the sound of the grenade exploding, but the German heavy artillery bombarding the unnamed high ground."

   "Assemble the team." Sokov said to the two company commanders: "We must return to the high ground immediately."

But at the moment in the battalion command post behind the high ground, Belkin was in a state of anxiety. He walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, muttering incessantly: "What should I do? What should I do? I just transferred two companies. The Germans started shelling the high ground, and it looked like they were about to attack."

   At this moment, the radio operator sitting in front of the telephone turned his head and said to him: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, the division headquarters has sent a telegram, asking when the troops we have transferred will reach Suhinich."

"Call the division commander back immediately." Belkin stopped quickly and said to the radio operator: "It is said that the battalion commander has led the second company and the machine gun company to Suhinich, and I believe they will reach the division headquarters soon. In addition, tell Commander, it is said that the enemy has started shelling the unnamed highlands, and there seems to be signs of an attack."

  After the operator finished making the call, he turned his head and asked, "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, if the Germans really attack aggressively, with our current strength, can we hold the position?"

Belkin, who was holding back his stomach, heard the radio operator's question and immediately fired at him: "Comrade soldier, I remind you that you are a radio operator, not a battalion commander. Can you hold the position?" It's not your turn to worry about this kind of thing. Forget it this time, and next time you say something that doesn't fit your status, I will put you in confinement. Remember?"

   "Remember, Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander." The radio operator glanced at Belkin with a guilty conscience, and replied timidly.

  (end of this chapter)