Chapter 1514 Advance to the Dnieper River (8)

  Don't look at the German soldiers standing in the bus station who saw through Dobrushin's identity and responded in a timely manner. But it is a pity that their numbers are too small to be the opponents of the Soviet army at all. The battle lasted only a few minutes and ended with the complete annihilation of the German army.

  However, the battle at the bus station alarmed the nearby enemies, and they all rushed to the bus station from all directions, and started a battle with the troops led by Dobrushin.

  The battle at the bus station alarmed the German city defense commander. He quickly contacted troops from other places and rushed to the bus station to encircle and annihilate the Soviet troops who broke into there.

   When Uzakov heard the gunshots and explosions coming from the direction of the bus station, he cried out inwardly that it must be Dobrushin and the others who were exposed. He hurriedly said to Chuvashov: "Comrade Commander, no good, this must be the deputy division commander's exposure. You know, they only have one company's strength. If they are besieged by the German army, I am afraid that the entire army is in danger of being wiped out. They should immediately Send someone to rescue them."

Chuvashov thought that the nearest unit to him was the 302nd Guards Regiment, so he quickly called a signal soldier to convey an order to the regiment commander, and immediately dispatched a battalion of troops to rush there for reinforcements. Shin they rescued.

   Once the gunshots rang out, it would be unrealistic to think about a sneak attack. Uzakov sent several communication soldiers to contact the heads of the regiments one after another, ordering them to launch an attack by surprise before the enemy recovered, and caught the enemy by surprise.

A few minutes later, the citizens of Kremenchug, who were hiding at home, saw through the windows a scene that stunned them: Germans began to fight with each other. The sneak attack by another force resulted in heavy losses. After hearing the news, the German army who came to support them was ambushed by the previous army.

Just when the citizens were puzzled, they suddenly saw that the German army preparing for a surprise attack unfurled a flag, and seeing Lenin's head on the flag, everyone immediately understood that it was not the German army fighting, but the Soviet army pretending to be the German army. Infiltrated into the city and is attacking the invaders severely.

   After everyone cheered in low voices at home, they began to quietly go from house to house, telling more neighbors about the news that Soviet troops had entered the city pretending to be German troops. In this way, in less than half an hour, most citizens of the city knew this exciting news.

  However, there are still doubts among them. At the beginning of the year, the Soviet army captured Zaporozhye and established a landing field on the right bank of the Dnieper River. But the good times didn't last long. Not only were the Soviet troops on the right bank wiped out by the Germans, but even the troops on the left bank suffered huge losses.

  This kind of view spread among the residents, making everyone's mood low and ups and downs again, because no one knows how long the Soviet army can hold on to the German army's attack even if it occupies the city. If I go out to welcome the troops at this moment and cooperate with them to eliminate the German troops in the city, once they are driven out of the city by the Germans in the future, I am afraid that I will be killed.

The commanders and fighters who are fighting in the city have no idea what the citizens who are hiding at home watching the battle are thinking. They just want to eliminate the enemies in the city as soon as possible, control the city on the Dnieper River, and further establish a landing site on the right bank , as the starting point for the attack of the main force.

  The Soviet soldiers who set off on two buses had already reached the bridge over the Dnieper River. The commander of the second company was very smart. When he saw the bus driving on the bridge, he did not order the troops to shoot. Instead, he ordered the soldiers on one of the vehicles to get off the bus and take over the defense on the left bank of the bridge with the order of changing defense. And he himself led another car of fighters towards the right bank of the bridge.

  The disarming work on the left bank went smoothly. After all, the Germans only had one squad and were surrounded by Soviet soldiers several times their size, so they had to surrender obediently.

  When the second company commander led his troops to the defensive position on the right bank, a second lieutenant officer of the German army guarding the bridge saw a bus full of German officers and soldiers coming, so he led someone forward to stop the bus.

   After the car stabilized, the second lieutenant of the German army got into the car with a soldier, trying to find out the number of this unit. Before and after he went up and down, he saw the Second Company Commander sitting in the front row. He quickly stood at attention and saluted, and asked politely, "Mr. Captain, may I ask which department you belong to, and what's the matter here?"

   "Second Lieutenant," the second company commander replied with a serious expression: "We belong to the 106th Division and were ordered to take over the defense of the bridge."

  After hearing this, the Second Lieutenant of the German Army showed a confused expression on his face: "Mr. Captain, but I haven't received an order to hand over my defense?"

"Damn, really damn." The second company commander heard the German second lieutenant say this, and quickly put on a look of anger: "Before we left Poltava, we have already sent a telegram to your city defense commander, saying that we will serve General William, the commander of the 11th Army, ordered to take over the defense of the Dnieper Bridge. Haven't you been informed, Mr. Second Lieutenant?"

Hearing what the second company commander said, the second lieutenant shook his head and said like a rattle: "No, Mr. Captain, I have not received any orders at all." After a moment of silence, he continued: "How about, please get out of the car first, Go to the bunker and take a rest, I'll call my superiors and ask what's going on."

The second company commander did not object to the second lieutenant's proposal. On the contrary, he replied straightforwardly: "Yes, Mr. second lieutenant, you can call your superior first. After confirming the superior's order, hand over the defense to us. Not too late."

When the second lieutenant of the German army got out of the car to make a phone call, a soldier approached the second company commander and said to him in a low voice: "Comrade company commander, I have observed carefully. There are only 12 defenders on the right bank, and we are fully capable." Deal with them. Do you think we should do it now?"

   Before the Second Company Commander could speak, gunshots and explosions were heard from the direction of the city, and black smoke could even be seen rising in the distance. Seeing this, the second company commander knew that the German army had been attacked in the city. Now that the fight broke out, the German army was worried that the Soviet army would seize the bridge, so they would definitely call the officer guarding the bridge to make him more vigilant.

Thinking of this, the second company commander quickly turned around and said to the soldiers sitting behind: "Comrades, fighting has already broken out in the city. The enemy must have seen through our identities, and immediately disarmed these enemies. If they resist, one of them will be killed." All the remaining land shall be wiped out."

  Hearing the order from the second company commander, the soldiers agreed abruptly, opened the three doors, got out of the car, and rushed towards the German soldiers not far away.

  The second lieutenant of the German army was on the phone in the bunker, but because of the fighting in the city, the telephone line of the German army command was busy, and he could not get in at all. Just when he was in a hurry, he suddenly saw the German captain in the car rushing into the bunker with five or six soldiers, and said quickly: "Mr. Captain, I am calling my superiors, but for some reason, the phone has been disconnected." .”

   "Mr. Second Lieutenant, I don't think you need to call your phone." After the second company commander said this, he turned his head and told the soldiers standing beside him: "Unload his gun."

   The two soldiers agreed, stepped forward and grabbed the shoulder of the German second lieutenant, and pulled his pistol out of the holster. The second lieutenant didn't know why the Second Company Commander asked someone to disarm him, so he kept shouting: "Don't get me wrong, don't get me wrong, you belong to me, everyone is from me."

  A soldier standing next to the second lieutenant gave him a sip: "Bah, who is on your own."

  The second company commander sneered and said: "Mr. Second Lieutenant, I am not mistaken, we are the Soviet Red Army, and you have become our prisoner."

   "Ah?!" The German second lieutenant had a horrified expression on his face: "Are you Russians?"

   "Take him down," the second company commander ordered the two soldiers, "lock him up with his subordinates."

   After occupying the bridge, the second company commander ordered his subordinates to strengthen the fortifications on both sides of the strait and arrange new shooting positions to prevent possible German counterattacks.

   Just when they were so busy, Battalion Commander Yakuda rushed to the bridge with the other two companies. Seeing that the bridge had been controlled by his subordinates, Yakuda breathed a sigh of relief, and he quickly ordered the radio operator who followed behind him: "Send a report to the regiment commander, saying that our battalion has successfully occupied the Dnieper River Bridge, the bridge In perfect condition and ready to use."

When the second company commander came in front of him, Yakuda not only did not praise him, but reprimanded him unceremoniously: "Comrade captain, I see that you have requisitioned two buses, why didn't you think of leaving a place for me? Did you Don’t you know that the battalion command company is fighting, not the other way around? You don’t want me to get in the car, do you want to replace me to command the whole battalion?”

After hearing this, the second company commander laughed dryly, and then he justified himself and said: "Comrade battalion commander, I didn't consider that you don't understand German. In case a German checks the car on the road, I would like to ask you a few words, what are you doing?" If you don’t even understand, wouldn’t our identities be exposed?”

"Okay, okay, don't make excuses. No matter what your starting point is, you have successfully won the Dnieper River Bridge, and I have no right to blame you." After Yakuda said this, he asked Erlian Chief: "Comrade Captain, how did you arrange the defense of the bridge?"

   "In addition to the original bunkers and sandbag fortifications on the bridge, I also ordered the soldiers to dig trenches..."

Yakuda looked at the position where the soldiers dug the trenches, shook his head, and said, "No way, Comrade Captain, the trenches you dug are too close to the bridgehead. Once the enemy breaks through our defense, they can rush directly to the bridge." .The trenches have to be dug sixty to eighty meters away from the bridgehead so that we can gain a certain depth of defense, understand?"

"Understood." After the second company commander replied loudly, he raised his own difficulties to Yakuda, "But comrade battalion commander, we don't have enough manpower. After all, when I brought the troops over, I only brought two platoons of troops .”

"Okay, stop complaining." Yakuda interrupted him, "Didn't I bring the 1st and 3rd companies here? They will help you build fortifications. I think before the Germans attack, they will New trenches should be dug."

When the commanders and fighters of the first company and the third company started the soil work, the commander of the second company asked Yakuda curiously: "Comrade battalion commander, I heard gunshots and explosions in the city, and saw the rising black smoke, what happened there?"

"I don't know the specific situation." When Yakuda heard gunshots and explosions from the rear while marching, he specially sent someone to ask Shamrih what happened in the city. Mlih was also at a loss, so he could only tell the messengers to tell Yakuda not to meddle in other people's business. If they can't take down the bridge over the Dnieper River, they will be punished.

  At this moment, when the second company commander asked about the matter, Yakuda could only say vaguely: "I think it should be that a certain unit was discovered by the Germans, and there was an exchange of fire between the two sides. The general situation should be like this."

   "Comrade Battalion Commander, do you think we can occupy Klemenchug?"

"Needless to say, it is certain to occupy the city." Yakuda said confidently: "You know, since I know the commander, he has never lost a battle, and I believe this time is no exception." .”

In the face of Yakuda's blind confidence in Sokov, the second company commander did not feel that the other party was exaggerating. In everyone's mind, as long as it was a battle commanded by Sokov, no matter how cruel and tragic the battle process was, the final victory was achieved. It must be your own army that wins.

  The news of the occupation of the bridge was quickly reported to the division headquarters. Chuvashov, who was burning with anxiety over the delay in taking down several churches in the city center, heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the news. As long as the bridge is captured, no matter how tenacious the enemy is, the troops arriving one after another will be able to successfully establish a huge landing field on the right bank.

   After reading the telegram, he said to Uzakov: "Chief of Staff, immediately send a telegram to the Army Group Command to report to Comrade Commander that our division has occupied the Dnieper River Bridge, so that he will be happy too."

   After receiving Chuvashov's report, Sokov was both happy and worried. Hi, it is naturally because the Dnieper River Bridge has been controlled by our own troops; the worry is that if the German troops in the city cannot be cleared quickly, when the main force of the German army counterattacks Klemenchug, the German troops in the city may be destroyed. Cooperate with their actions and attack back and forth, putting the 98th Guards Division in danger.

  Thinking of this, he asked Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, when will our second echelon arrive at Klemenchug?"

   "The train transporting the troops has not yet returned." Sameko reported to Sokov: "Even if the train arrives at this moment, the troops will leave immediately, and I am afraid that they will not arrive in Klemenchug until midnight."

   "Then call the commander of the second echelon immediately and let them get ready." Sokov said to Sameko: "Once the train returns, immediately board the train and rush to Kremenchug."

   "Actually, the fastest way is to order the troops to set off along the railway immediately." Sameko suggested: "In this way, when they meet the returning train halfway, they can board the train immediately."

   "This is a good way to save the troops waiting time."

  (end of this chapter)