Poor Papuchenko still didn't know that this attack would not have any fire cover, and he asked excitedly: "Comrade division commander, when will Colonel Bely's tank unit arrive at the starting position?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko," Sokov replied with some embarrassment: "There was an accident. The tank troops ran out of high-explosive grenades and only had armor-piercing shells left. As you know, armor-piercing shells are very effective against the enemy's firepower. Not big, but we have to wait at least two hours for new high-explosive grenades to arrive. But our superiors ordered us to launch an attack immediately, do you understand?"
"Understood, Comrade Division Commander." When Papuchenko learned that the troops would not receive support from the tank troops when they attacked, although he was holding back his anger, he could not get angry at Sokov and could only bite the bullet and replied. : "We launch an attack immediately."
After putting down the phone, Papuchenko called a communications soldier and told him: "Go find the battalion commanders, and I will assign them offensive tasks." When the communications soldier turned to leave the command post, he He added later, "They are the three battalion commanders in our regiment. There is no need to call the battalion commanders of the 124th Regiment."
The three battalion commanders soon appeared in front of Papuchenko. They knew that the regiment commander must have called them here to arrange a combat mission, and their faces were full of expectations.
"Comrades, battalion commanders, we have just received an order from the division headquarters." Papuchenko said with a straight face: "We are ordered to attack the enemy's position immediately."
"Initiate an attack immediately?" A battalion commander asked curiously: "But comrade regiment commander, the tanks that the superiors promised to send to cover our attack have not yet entered the attack position!"
"Let the tanks go to hell." After hearing what the battalion commander said, Papuchenko immediately became angry and shouted angrily: "Even without the support of tanks, we will definitely be able to capture the enemy's position."
The second battalion commander sensed something was wrong in Papuchenko's tone, and quickly asked cautiously: "Comrade commander, didn't the division headquarters say that we can get cover from tank fire when we attack? Could something have happened?" ?”
Papuchenko was like a deflated ball and said feebly: "The division commander just called me and said that the high-explosive grenades used by the tanks had been used up during the attack, leaving only armor-piercing grenades that had little effect on the enemy's fortifications. . We have to wait two hours before the high-explosive grenades for tanks can be sent up from the rear."
"Comrade Commander!" the second battalion commander asked in surprise: "Since it only takes two hours for high-explosive grenades to be delivered to the rear, why don't we continue to wait? You know, we have to launch a second attack on the enemy. When the defense line launches an attack, it will not receive support from the artillery on the left bank. Since it cannot even receive support from tanks, the troops will suffer huge casualties."
"There is no way." After Papuchenko got angry, he also realized that Sokov had no choice but to give such an order. He walked to the table and sat down, took out the cigarette case from his pocket, and took out a cigarette. He held the cigarette in his mouth but did not light it immediately. He continued: "The superior ordered the division commander to launch an attack immediately. The division commander had no choice but to order us to attack the second line of defense without any cover."
"What a pity!" The third battalion commander took a few steps forward, lit a match, and helped Papuchenko light a cigarette: "If the battle can be carried out according to the division commander's deployment, how many unnecessary casualties will we save."
"That's right." The second battalion commander promptly agreed with the third battalion commander's statement: "If we follow our past tactics and just capture the enemy's first line of defense, we will suffer casualties of at least one battalion. And. Under the command of the division commander, we only suffered casualties of less than one company and successfully occupied the enemy's position."
"Okay, don't say these are useless." After Papuchenko took two deep puffs of cigarette, he threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his toes. Then he stood up and said to the battalion commanders: "You all go back to your own places. Go to the battalion, and after ten minutes, the first battalion will take the lead in charging towards the enemy's position; after they lose their ability to attack, the second battalion will take over..."
What happened next was exactly what Papuchenko expected. When the commanders and fighters of the first battalion rushed more than 200 meters away from the enemy position, they came under intensive machine gun fire from the position. The soldiers who rushed in front were shot and fell to the ground. The remaining soldiers quickly fell down on the ground and fought back.
Seeing that the first battalion was suppressed by enemy fire and unable to move forward at all, Papuchenko picked up the phone and called Sokov, pleading with him: "Comrade division commander, the enemy's firepower is too fierce. The attacking troops suffered heavy casualties, and I ask you to provide us with artillery support."
"I have no artillery support here." The 122nd Regiment was unable to break through the enemy's second line of defense, and Sokov was worried. He wanted to provide artillery support for the regiment, but unfortunately it was difficult for a clever woman to make a meal without straw. Now that he had no tanks or cannons, how could he provide artillery support for the troops. He could only say helplessly: "Didn't I tell you to set up a few more machine gun fire points in front of the German positions to suppress the enemy's firepower? Have you forgotten it?"
After Sokov's reminder, Papuchenko immediately remembered that Sokov had indeed reminded him like this. He had just been busy letting the troops attack, but he had forgotten this important matter. Thinking of this, he quickly said into the microphone: "Understood, comrade division commander, I will immediately send people close to the enemy's position to choose a suitable location to establish a machine gun fire point to suppress the enemy's attack..."
Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, a soldier with a gun rushed in from outside. As soon as the soldier entered the command post, he shouted in a panic: "Comrade Commander, he was beaten to death, he was beaten to death..."
Hearing the soldiers talking nonsense, Papuchenko couldn't help but get angry and wanted to go up and give him a big mouth. However, considering that he was talking to Sokov, in order not to leave a bad impression on the division commander, he Choose to be patient. He held the microphone and said viciously to the soldiers: "Your regiment commander is still standing in front of you and has not been killed by the enemy!"
Seeing that Papuchenko was angry, the soldier immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing and explained in a panic: "Comrade leader, I didn't mean you, I meant..."
"Who was killed?" Before the soldier could finish speaking, the second battalion commander had already barged in from outside, grabbed the soldier by the collar, and asked nervously: "Is the first battalion commander killed by enemy bullets?" ?”
"No, not the first battalion commander." The already nervous soldier was grabbed by the lapel of the second battalion commander, and became even more panicked: "It's Wu Liya. The enemy beat Wu Liya to death."
"Who is Wu Liya?" Papuchenko frowned and said disapprovingly when he heard the soldier's name: "I thought the first battalion commander was killed by the enemy, but it turned out that it was Wu Liya who was killed..."
Before Papuchenko could finish his words, he was suddenly shocked. He rushed in front of the soldiers, grabbed the second battalion commander's loosened clothes again, and asked viciously: "You are talking about Wu Liya? Is it the female health worker Wu Liya?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander, it is really her." The soldier carefully freed his clothes from Papuchenko's hands and said cautiously: "She was killed by an enemy sniper while rescuing the wounded on the battlefield. .Hit the head right, even the brains were knocked out."
Although there are only soldiers and civilians on the battlefield, and there is no distinction between men and women, both warring parties silently follow a principle and do not shoot at each other's medical staff during the battle. Now the enemy actually shot at the health worker, even a female health worker. Hearing the news, Papuchenko couldn't help but blood rushed to his head. He grabbed the submachine gun placed on the table and shouted to the regiment chief of staff sitting at the table: "Chief of staff, I leave this to you. I took people to eliminate these beasts, and they actually shot at women."
When he passed by the second battalion commander, he gave him a hard push and said, "Take the second battalion and follow me up. We must eliminate these beasts that are worse than beasts."
Seeing Papuchenko holding a gun and leaving with the second battalion commander and the soldier, the regiment chief of staff hesitated for a while before grabbing the microphone Papuchenko threw on the table and crying to Sokov Report: "Comrade division commander, no good, something happened. The regiment leader personally led his men to rush forward."
"What the hell, Papuchenko actually took charge of the charge himself. It's just nonsense." Sokov also heard part of what happened just now through the phone. When he learned that Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko actually got angry, The leader personally charged, and he quickly ordered into the microphone: "Comrade regiment chief of staff, I order you to immediately go to Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko to pull me back."
"Comrade Commander," Sokov had just finished speaking when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that it was Ivanov. Ivanov sighed and said: "Wuliya is the best female health worker in the division. She once carried more than 30 seriously wounded soldiers off the battlefield. Everyone likes her very much. I didn't expect that she would die in an enemy sniper attack. It is perfectly normal for Papuchenko to have such a reaction under the gun in his hand. Just let him go. If he is not allowed to kill several enemies with his own hands and avenge Wu Liya, I think he will never do it in his life. Peace of mind.”
"Okay, Comrade Deputy Division Commander. Since you said so, then my original order is cancelled." After saying this with a heavy heart, Sokov said into the microphone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I cancel the order just now." Order. Since the regiment leader has personally led the charge, you will be responsible for the regiment's work. If there is any latest situation, report it to me immediately!"
"Understood, Comrade Division Commander." The regiment chief of staff waited for Sokov to finish and quickly replied: "I will report to you the situation here at any time."
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