Chapter 1633 Unexpected Trouble

Although the troops of the 15th Guards Division could not reach Chijilin for the time being, since the troops of the 84th Division were still in charge of defense in the city, after receiving Sokov's order, Gritsenko immediately ordered the troops in the city The two regiments of the army withdrew from the city in an orderly manner. At the same time, he also ordered the regiment remaining outside the city to wait for the main force to complete the retreat before starting to retreat.

  The troops of the 384th Division began to retreat, while the Rusuf Regiment, which stood firm in Jingji Town, was still fighting fiercely with the German army attacking the town. Although part of the German army broke through the defense and rushed into the town, they were driven out of the town by counterattack commanders before they could reach the church in the center of the town.

  After the German army withdrew from the town, while the Soviet commanders were rushing to repair the fortifications, they suddenly saw a dozen mortars erected on the German positions in the distance. They thought that the German army was going to shell the town again, so they hurriedly found a place to hide to avoid the German shelling.

   Just after hiding, the German mortars opened fire. The concealed Soviet commanders soon discovered that what the Germans fired was not a lethal high-explosive bomb, but a propaganda bomb. Propaganda bombs exploded over the defensive positions inside and outside the town, and the leaflets inside were scattered like snowflakes.

  After the leaflets fell to the ground, many soldiers stepped forward to pick them up and found that the content on them was that the German army persuaded the Soviet army to surrender.

  After reading the contents of the leaflets, some soldiers sneered and threw them away; some soldiers not only did not throw away the leaflets, but bent down to pick up more leaflets and put them in their pockets. The commander standing nearby, seeing this situation, not only did not stop it, but smiled all over his face, and even bent down to pick up two and put them in his pocket.

  If it is other troops, the commander will usually stop loudly when he sees his subordinates picking up the leaflets dropped by the Germans. But in Sokov's army, such things are handled very loosely. Because Sokov knew very well that the commanders and fighters picked up the leaflets on the battlefield, which did not mean that they intended to surrender to the Germans. They usually used these leaflets to roll cigarettes or even use them as toilet paper.

  The head of the regiment, Ru Sufu, received a telegram from the division headquarters, asking him to prepare to hand over the defense to friendly forces. He didn't dare to be negligent, and after explaining that the chief of staff of the regiment was in charge of all matters in the command post, he brought two guards to the town to inspect, and at the same time prepared to make the battalions ready for the handover of defense.

After walking not far, Rusuf saw that the street was full of corpses, including his own subordinates and Germans. Not long ago, there was a desperate hand-to-hand combat here. In the end, the soldiers drove all the enemies who rushed into the town. out.

  Looking at all this, Rusuf couldn't help repeating to himself: "We've held it! We've finally held the town! As soon as the friendly forces arrive, we can hand over the defense to them..."

   Walking a little further, Rusuf saw not far ahead, soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield. They separated the dead comrades and the bodies of German officers and soldiers, and placed them neatly on both sides of the road.

Rusuf stopped, stared at the busy soldiers, and thought to himself: "I really didn't expect that the German army attacking the town was so powerful. I thought that my troops were equipped with assault rifles, new rockets, and bazookas. The enemy's attack is not difficult at all. But after the battle started, the enemy still tenaciously broke through their own defense. Fortunately, the friendly army will soon come to take over their own defense. Otherwise, if we continue to fight, can we hold the town? It's an unknown."

   "Comrade commander," a lieutenant walked up to Rusuf, straightened his body and reported to him: "The commander of the Ninth Company has reported to you that we are cleaning up the corpses of both the enemy and us. Do you have any instructions?"

   It turned out that Ru Sufu stood here in a daze for too long, and was seen by the ninth company commander who was leading the soldiers to clean the battlefield. He felt that he had to report his work to the regiment leader.

   "Relax!" Ru Sufu asked the Ninth Company Commander: "How long have you been working here?"

   "About seven or eight minutes, Comrade Regiment Commander." The Ninth Company Commander reported respectfully: "We are ordered by the Battalion Commander to collect the bodies of both sides and bury them properly."

  Russov nodded after listening, and said: "Comrade Lieutenant, hurry up, we will evacuate here soon."

  Hearing what Ru Sufu said, the Ninth Company Commander couldn't help being taken aback, and then asked: "Comrade Commander, are we going to give up here?"

"It's not about giving up here, Comrade Lieutenant." Rusuf patiently explained to the other party: "Soon, friendly troops will come to take over our defense. Once the handover of defense is completed, we will withdraw to the original landing site. The people who will take over the defense The friendly army is not familiar with the situation in the town, and it is best to finish cleaning the battlefield before they arrive. You have to bury all our comrades who died, understand?"

   "Understood, Comrade Commander." The Ninth Company Commander replied loudly, and asked tentatively, "Can I go back and continue working?"

   "It doesn't matter, Comrade Lieutenant." Rusuf nodded and said, "You and your subordinates continue to work."

  Russov continued to move forward. There were more traces of battles here. There were collapsed buildings, bomb craters one after another, and the wreckage of tanks that were still burning after being destroyed, and various weapons that were destroyed.

   Soon, Rusuf and his guards walked out of the town and walked towards the position outside the town.

After walking not far, a guard suddenly said to Rusuf in amazement: "Comrade commander, take a quick look, why are there so many people surrounded in the trenches? Are they not afraid of being bombarded by the German army if they are crowded together?" ?"

   Rusuf looked in the direction pointed by the guard, and sure enough, he saw a crowd of people crowded in the trench dozens of meters ahead. If the German army has a shell that falls nearby and explodes, at least half of the people can be reimbursed.

"What's going on?" Rusuf led the guards to the place where the crowd gathered quickly, and asked loudly, "You are so crowded here because you are worried that the shells from the Germans will fall, and too many people will reimburse you. Is it missing?"

When the commanders and fighters crowded in the trench heard Rusuf's voice, someone immediately said in surprise: "It's Comrade Commander!" As Rusuf entered the trench, the crowded commanders and fighters dispersed a little to make room for him. There is room to stand.

"Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander." Ru Sufu looked left and right, saw the Deputy Battalion Commander of the Second Battalion with a bandage on his head, stood not far away, and asked with a frown, "What happened? Why are there so many people here, don't you all want to be a target for the German artillery?"

"Comrade commander, let me introduce you." The deputy battalion commander pouted at the three officers wearing blue hats standing next to him, and said with disdain, "They are officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. To eliminate possible traitors and cowards."

Hearing the deputy battalion commander's introduction of his identity, the captain with the highest rank among the three officers came over, raised his hand to his forehead, and saluted Rusuf: "Hello, Comrade Colonel, we are from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Come to the front to eliminate possible traitors and cowards."

  Russov asked coldly: "Comrade Captain, is this your first time on the front line?"

   "Yes, Comrade Colonel." Hearing what Rusuf said, the captain showed a surprised expression on his face: "How do you know?"

"Comrade Captain," said the stern Rusuf with no expression on his face, "everyone who has been on the battlefield knows that you cannot salute the commander on the battlefield. The target of the shot. Understand?"

  Hearing what Rusuf said, the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs blushed immediately, lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry, Comrade Colonel, I should not salute you. I will pay attention next time."

  Russov put his hands behind his back and said with a serious expression: "Comrade Captain, I am Colonel Rusov, the head of the regiment. Can you tell me the reason why you came to our army?"

   "Comrade Colonel," the captain heard Rusuf ask himself, and quickly replied, "I was ordered by my superiors to come to the front and eliminate the cowards and traitors hidden in the army."

   "Why, do you think there are such people in my army?"

  Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the captain nodded vigorously, and replied: "That's right, Colonel Rusuf, we came here and indeed found two traitors hiding among you."

  Russov raised his eyebrows and turned to ask the deputy battalion commander next to him: "Comrade deputy battalion commander, what is going on? How could there be traitors hidden in our troops?"

   "Comrade commander," the deputy battalion commander glanced at the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, curled his lips and said, "I think this should be a misunderstanding. There are no traitors in my battalion at all."

"Why not?" A lieutenant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who hadn't said a word stepped forward two steps, came to Rusuf, waved a few pieces of paper in his hand, and said excitedly: "This is the evidence. from."

  Russov took a piece of paper from his hand, and after a quick look, he found that it was a leaflet for the German army to persuade him to surrender. He didn't continue to look down, but handed it back to the lieutenant, and asked disapprovingly, "Is there any problem with this?"

"Comrade Colonel, these leaflets were found on their bodies." Rusuf's disapproving expression angered the lieutenant. He pointed at the two veterans standing with the back of his hand against the trench wall and said excitedly, "Why did they If you want to hide the leaflets from the Germans on your body, isn’t it just to prepare to surrender to the Germans with these leaflets when our army is at a disadvantage in the battle?”

   "Comrade Commander," an old soldier with a goatee said, justifying himself, "I'm not a traitor, I collect leaflets..."

   Before he finished speaking, the remaining second lieutenant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs yelled at him: "Shut up, you don't have a place to speak here."

  The veteran reprimanded by the second lieutenant could only keep his mouth shut obediently, and looked at Rusuf anxiously, hoping that he could come out and say something fair for him.

   "Colonel Rusuf," the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said again: "We are going to take these two traitors away. I hope you can send someone to assist us, so as not to be attacked by their accomplices along the way."

"Comrade Captain, I will not let you take away my subordinates." But after the other party finished speaking, Rusuf said in a neutral manner: "Yes, you did find leaflets dropped by the Germans from them, but This does not mean that they want to be traitors. The purpose of collecting these leaflets is to roll cigarettes or use them when going to the toilet. You cannot arbitrarily say that they are traitors just based on this.”

  Seeing that Rusuf supported the two veterans, the surrounding soldiers also shouted: "Yes, you can't take our people away, they are not traitors..."

"Colonel Rusuf," the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs saw that the surrounding soldiers were in a turbulent mood, and felt that the matter was a bit tricky. In order to get out of here smoothly, he decided to open a breakthrough from Rusuf: "It is the Group Army's Special Service Division that eliminates the traitors and cowards in the army. command, and whoever hinders it shall be guilty with them."

  The words of the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs frightened the surrounding soldiers. They all quieted down and cast a questioning look at Ru Sufu, wanting to know how he planned to deal with the three officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

   "The Special Service Section of the Group Army!" After repeating the unit mentioned by the officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Rusuf said with a sneer, "Why have I never heard of it?"

   "Comrade Colonel," the young second lieutenant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs jumped out and said, "This proves that you don't attach importance to the higher authorities. No wonder you found hidden traitors in your troops."

  When Rusuf was about to refute the other party, he suddenly thought of a key question, and asked the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: "Comrade captain, you haven't told me yet, which part are you?"

  Hearing Rusuf's inquiry, the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs raised his head and said arrogantly: "Of course we belong to the Special Service Section of the 7th Guards Army."

  Before the captain answered his question, Rusuf was still quite uneasy. He was going to call his division commander Fomenko for help when things got too close. But at this moment, after hearing the other party's unit number, he couldn't help sneering: "Comrade Captain, so you are from the Special Service Section of the 7th Guards Army?"

   "That's right." The captain asked back with some incomprehension: "Is there something wrong?"

"Comrade Captain, I want you to clarify one thing first." Rusuf said in a contemptuous tone: "Our regiment belongs to the 27th Army. You, an officer of the 7th Guards Army, what qualifications do you have to join my army?" The troops come to point fingers?"

   "Ah?!" This time it was the captain's turn to be surprised: "What, aren't you the 222nd Guards Regiment?"

   "No." Rusuf shook his head and said, "The 222nd Guards Regiment who came to take over our defense has not yet arrived, so until now, Jingji Town is still defended by my 254th Regiment."

After realizing that the troops in front of him were the 254th Infantry Regiment and not the 222nd Guards Regiment, the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs blushed again, and he apologized to Russouf with some embarrassment: "I'm sorry, Colonel Russouf. I made a mistake , I apologize to you for my rashness."

Ru Sufu didn't want to deal with this kind of people, so he waved his hand to the captain of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and said, "Comrade captain, you have nothing to do here, you and your subordinates should leave quickly, we have to hurry up and repair the fortifications." , in order to prevent the Germans from launching a new offensive."

  When the three officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs left in disgrace, the commanders and fighters in the trench cheered so loudly that they even alarmed the German army more than 200 meters away, making the enemy think that the Soviet army was about to launch an attack.

"Quiet, everyone please be quiet." Rusuf raised his hands, pressed down twice, and when the surroundings became quiet, he said loudly: "Comrades, in a while, the 222nd Guards Regiment of the friendly army will come." Take over our defense, and then everyone can retreat to the rear to rest. But before the friendly forces arrive, we will repair the fortifications first, so that they can rely on these fortifications to resist the German attack."

  (end of this chapter)