Chapter 816 The prologue of the big counterattack (p
Stimulated by the news that friendly forces would launch a counterattack early in the morning, when I went to bed, Kirilov, Bantai Lev, and Shelbina were still chatting excitedly around the table. ∑,
Before seven o’clock, Kirilov urged me to the observation post on the top of the mountain, saying that he wanted to see the spectacular scene when the two fronts counterattacked at the same time. Although I understand that the attacking area is more than a hundred kilometers away from Mamayev Hill, let alone look at it, I don’t even hear the noise, but in order not to discourage Kirilov and the others, I reluctantly agreed to his request.
Walking out of the headquarters, I saw that it was dim outside, and everything around was submerged in a thick milky mist. As it was very cold outside in the early morning, I murmured in a low voice while wrapping my army coat tightly: “Damn it, this weather is really cold.”
In the past, I went to the observation post on the top of the mountain, usually Kirilov and Bantai Lev, but today, in addition to the Chief of Staff Akhromeyev on duty, Kirilov and Bantai Lev , Shelbina and the three of them all followed me to the observation post. The small observation post was suddenly crowded by the four of us. It turned out that the observation post here had to go outside and stay with Basmanov and the others.
Waiting is the most difficult thing. As time goes by, the time to launch a counterattack is getting closer and closer, but the fog here is not rare. Pantai Leyev next to him was a little uncomfortable. He was walking around the house in a hurry, and at the same time he kept mumbling: “Damn, if this fog doesn’t disperse, then we will treat the enemy’s target. It will be difficult to prepare for artillery fire, and our aviation will be unable to move.”
Bantai Leyev had just finished speaking and did not wait for me or Kirilov to express his opinions. Shelbyner suddenly made a silent gesture. He listened to the outside movement with his ears sideways for a while. Then he said to us: “You heard it, the voice outside.”
Listening to Shelbina’s words, I thought he had good hearing and heard the gunfire of our army’s attack, so I quickly listened to the outside sound. But after listening for a long time, I didn’t hear the sound of guns at all, so I didn’t ask curiously: “Sherbina political commissar, why can’t I hear the guns coming from outside?”
“Yeah. I didn’t hear the sound of guns or guns.” Kirilov said, and then asked Shelbina: “By the way, Comrade Shelbina, how did you hear it?”
“Guns, what guns?!” Shelbina asked inexplicably. After a short pause, he took the initiative to explain: “I asked you to listen to the sound coming from the Volga River. The ice cubes are hitting the river bank continuously, and it seems that the river is starting to freeze again.”
Although we couldn’t see our army’s attack on the top of the mountain, and even the sound of the attacking guns, it didn’t affect the interest of Kirillov and the others in the slightest. To know from the outbreak of the war to the present. In the previous orders issued by superiors, they were used to “block and smash the enemy’s attack” and “knock them back from near a certain city.” But this time, the word “encircle and annihilate” was used for an unprecedented time. How to make Kirilov and the others not feel unusually excited.
When the three of them were discussing the spectacular scenes of our army’s offensive in full swing, I stood in front of the lookout, looking at the vast white fog in front of me, replenishing my mind that I had watched movies about the Battle of Stalingrad before. Under the artillery fire, ordinary German officers and soldiers scurried around like headless flies, while the helpless commander knelt in his command post, facing the icon on the wall, and kept drawing on his chest. cross. After receiving the news that the troops were under heavy shelling by our army, Paulus promptly issued an order to his chief of staff to transfer the 16th and 24th Tank Divisions under the 14th Tank Army to those that might be hit by our army. area. At the same time, he promptly called Baron Von Wicks, the army general who was still sleeping, and informed him of the news of our army’s offensive.
Time passed unconsciously, it was ten o’clock in the morning, and the dense fog outside gradually became thinner, and my vision gradually widened. After the three commanders analyzed and studied for several hours, they finally stopped. Bantai Leyev picked up the phone and called the division headquarters, and asked Akhromeyev who was staying there: “Hey, comrade chief of staff, this is Bantai Leyev. You have the group army headquarters transferred from you. The latest battle report?”
I was far away from the telephone, and I couldn’t hear Akhromeyev’s answer at all, but I knew very well that at this moment, Cuikov, like us, was anxiously waiting for the report from the Southwest Front and the Don Front. . Since he didn’t even know the specific attack situation, let alone Akhromeev. Of course, I am the only one who knows the progress of the battle, but unfortunately I cannot tell anyone what I know.
Bantai Leyev put down the phone and said regretfully to everyone: “The chief of staff said that he has not received any information from the group army command. It seems that even Commander Cuikov is not aware of the current situation.”
After Kirilov sighed, he suddenly saw me standing in front of the lookout with a calm expression. He walked to my side and asked tentatively: “Comrade Oshanina, do you think the Don Front and the Southwest Front Can today’s counterattack be successful?”
Hell if you don’t succeed. You know this is the great turning point of the Second World War. I said so in my heart, but on the surface I had to pretend to be thoughtful, pretend to think about it, and then replied: ” Comrade political commissar, this big counteroffensive is different from any previous offensive. The superiors immediately invested in the three fronts. Not only in terms of strength, but also the number of tanks and artillery far exceeded the enemy, but also firmly. Control the air dominance on the battlefield. You said, in this case, can our troops still be unable to defeat the enemy?”
Bantai Leyev and Sherbina, who had become frustrated because they did not get the exact information, became happy again after hearing what I said.
After a moment of excitement, Pantai Leyev asked me solemnly: “Comrade Commander, I don’t know when our offensive tomorrow will begin?”
I once again looked at the dense fog that had not yet completely dissipated outside, and said casually, “Wait after noon.”
“After noon?” Hearing this time, Bantai Leyev was taken aback for a moment, and then asked, “Comrade Commander. Is it too late?”
I leave the lookout. Walked to the middle of the room. Said to several of them: “Comrades, although we all know what the offense is going on today, the Germans don’t know. They think that our counterattack is the same as many previous counterattacks, and it’s for To save Stalingrad without losing, but hastily taken containment actions. According to my guess, the German army will launch an attack on our Mamayev Hill tomorrow.”
“Huh?!” My words startled the three of them. They were stunned for a while, and Kirilov asked: “If the German army really launches an offensive tomorrow, we will have a gap with them in weapons and equipment. If we fight against them, we may suffer a big loss.”
“Comrade Political Commissar, you are worrying too much.” I waved my hand and said disapprovingly: “I guess the focus of the German offensive is still the 107.5 height. As long as the second regiment can hold on firmly, we will take the opportunity when the German offensive weakens at noon. Launch a counterattack. Once the Germans are defeated, our infantry will be under the cover of tanks, following the enemy’s ruined troops and rush to their defensive positions. If we are lucky, we may be able to take the German-occupied Gorodishche city. Come down.”
As a veteran soldier, Pantai Leyev considered the problem more comprehensively than mine. Once I finished speaking, he immediately raised his own question: “Comrade commander, if our offensive troops encounter German air strikes, they should How to do it?”
“Relax, my deputy commander.” Hearing his concern, I smiled and replied lightly, “Since it is our army’s counteroffensive, the air supremacy of the battlefield will be firmly in our hands. Our air force will never give German fighters a chance to take off.”
When it was almost 12 o’clock, as the sky became brighter, the dense fog covering the earth completely dispersed. In the clear sky, no German bomber or fighter jet could be seen. When we left the observation post and walked back along the trenches, a German reconnaissance plane appeared in the sky. It hovered a few times over Mamayev Hill, flapped its wings and flew west. .
Pantai Leyev, who was walking in front of me, stopped, looked up at the reconnaissance plane that was leaving, and said thoughtfully: “Comrade commander, I saw that the friendly attack went smoothly and attracted the enemy’s air force. Passed.”
“Old man, this is a good sign.” Kirilov, who was following me, also stopped and said excitedly: “It proves that the enemy’s air force can’t hold it, so they are all concentrated to the west. There is no time at all. Take our Mamayev Hill into consideration. When I heard Oshanina talk about tomorrow’s offensive just now, I was also worried about the German aircraft coming to disrupt it. Now it seems that this worry is unnecessary. I believe the enemy will definitely be beaten by us. It’s broken.”
When our group returned to the headquarters, Akhromeyev greeted me immediately. He handed me a telegram and said excitedly: “Comrade Commander, this is the telegram that has just been received. It was issued by the commander of the group army. The latest report of the Soviet Intelligence Agency forwarded by the Ministry.”
“The latest battle report?!” Hearing this word, I looked at the telegram in my hand curiously, and saw it simply read: “Today, November 19, 1942, our great Red Army is in Stalingrad. The area turned to the offensive.” Even though the report was so vague, Kirilov and the others were excited to tears.
Akhromeyev then handed me an envelope and said, “Comrade commander, this was just sent by the commander of the group army. He said that he would send someone back after signing your signature.”
I took the envelope in Akhromeyev’s hand and drew out a piece of letter paper from it. I saw Cuikov’s handwriting on it: “Dear Comrade Stalin, we defenders of Stalingrad, write to you now. , And please tell the people of the Soviet Union that we are in high spirits and determined, and our hands are constantly hitting the enemy. Our letter is written on the cliffs of the great Russian river Volga, and we are determined to stay in the city of Stalingrad. Here, sending this letter from the trenches, we swear, in front of our heroes and elders who have defended Tsaritsyn, in front of comrades on every front, in front of the flag of our Red Army, and in front of the people of the Soviet Union. : To the last drop of blood, to the last breath, to the last beat of the heart, we must defend Stalingrad and prevent the enemy from entering the Volga River.”
It turned out to be a letter written by Trikov to Stalin. There are many signatures at the back of the letter. The first one is Trikov, followed by Gurov, Krylov, Vasiliev, Khogarsky, and Rody. Signatures of Mtsev, Lyudnikov, Guriyev and other division commanders. I took this unsent letter, walked quickly to the table, picked up the pencil on the table, and neatly wrote my name on the back.
After signing the names, I saw that there was no signature of the political commissar or the deputy commander of the division, except for the names of the division and division chiefs, so Kirilov and the others were not signed, but a few people circulated the letter. After they read it, I carefully put the letter paper back into the envelope and handed it to Akhromeyev, and solemnly instructed him: “Comrade Chief of Staff, this letter is very important, so I will send a class immediately. The soldier sent this letter to the headquarters.”
“Comrade commander,” I heard that the letter would be sent back to the command of the group army, and Bantaiyev offered to ask: “I’ll take someone to deliver the letter myself.”
“No Resolutely not!” As soon as Bantai Leyev’s words were uttered, I immediately stopped him. How could a deputy commander send the letter? In case something unexpected happens on the road, then What can I do? My eyes swept toward Basmanov who was standing next to him, so I called him to the front and handed him the difficult task of sending letters.
After Basmanov left, a few of us gathered around the map at the table and began to study the battle plan for tomorrow. Bantai Leyev and the others stayed in the observation post on the top of the mountain for a long time and gained a lot. He first pointed to the map and talked about his views: “Comrade commander, I think this way. Tomorrow, after our artillery fire is prepared, the counter-attack unit should be divided into two. The right road is dominated by four regiments, going straight to Gaodi North The German forward position on the side. After seizing the position, the following regiment drew enough troops to hold on, and the main forces of the two regiments continued to advance north.
Under the cover of the tank battalion, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd regiments rushed into the depths of the German army, striving to rush outside the city of Gorodishe within two hours and prepare for the attack. ”
After listening to Pantai Leyev’s plan, I did not make any comments. Instead, I asked the other commanders: “Do you have any different opinions on Colonel Bantai Leyev’s plan?”
“No!” everyone replied neatly. (To be continued…) –60440+d4z5w+16195986–>