The time it took to erect the bridge on the ice far exceeded the original idea. Engineers and soldiers from the front army and group army worked overtime all day and night. It was not until two o'clock in the afternoon the next day that the bridge was completed. .
When Sokov heard the report from the observation post that the bridge had been erected, he was certainly very happy, but to be on the safe side, he also took Yakubov to the observation post on the top of the mountain and raised his telescope to carefully observe the ice surface to confirm Whether the bridge has been erected. When he saw that a bridge spanning both sides of the ice had indeed appeared on the ice, he nodded with satisfaction, turned to Yakubov and said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, as soon as you return to the headquarters, I will send a telegram to your troops. Let them cross the river as soon as possible."
As soon as the two returned to the headquarters, Yakubov sent a message to the commander in charge of his regiment through the division's radio operator, informing the troops to cross the river immediately.
While Yakubov went to send the report, Sokov specifically ordered Sidorin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the comrades of the reserve regiment are not familiar with the terrain. You immediately send a few soldiers to guard the bridge. Wait for them to cross the river. After that, they were taken to their assigned positions and handed over to the commanders of each regiment to allocate the troops."
After Sidorin waited for Sokov to finish speaking, he nodded and said: "It is a good way to mix the commanders and fighters of the reserve regiment with the original troops, so that they can become familiar with the environment here as soon as possible so that they can better Get into the fight.”
Since the commanders and fighters of the reserve regiment were about to cross the river, Sokov felt that it was necessary to tell the commanders of each regiment the news immediately, so that they could all have fun, lest they always complain in front of him, saying that the troop attrition was serious, and hoped that Supplemented by soldiers. Nowadays, if a regiment adds 800 people, its strength can be improved.
He first called the headquarters of the downsizing regiment, wanting to tell Belkin the good news first, and also to find out what the situation was like in the barricade factory. After the call was connected, Belkin took the lead and asked: "Misha, I have something important to ask you."
"whats the matter?"
"Captain Andrei reported to me that you assigned him a deputy battalion commander." Belkin asked on the phone: "I want to ask what is going on and why he was suddenly assigned A deputy battalion commander, don’t you trust him and want to send someone to monitor him?”
"I sent someone to monitor Captain Andrei?" Hearing Belkin's statement, Sokov felt dumbfounded. He asked: "My comrade political commissar, who did you hear to say this? , it’s too incredible, isn’t it?”
"Don't worry about who told me." Belkin's mouth was still quite tight. He refused to reveal to Sokov who made such an analysis for him. Instead, he asked: "Misha, look Since we were once partners, can you tell me the truth, why did you suddenly think of assigning Captain Andre a deputy battalion commander?"
"My comrade political commissar, I called you just to tell you about this incident. Unexpectedly, you asked me first." Sokov thought that he had arranged for Zu Mingt to serve as the deputy battalion commander of the third battalion, but he didn't. After talking to Belkin, he couldn't help but blush a little, and then said frankly into the microphone: "The superiors sent us a reserve regiment with four full infantry battalions. After research by the chief of staff, deputy division commander, and I, It has been decided to distribute these four battalions equally among your four regiments to replace the men you lost in the battle."
Hearing Sokov say this, Belkin realized that he might have blamed him wrongly. Then he asked tentatively: "Misha, so the new deputy battalion commander you assigned is a member of the reserve group?"
"Yes, this deputy battalion commander named Zuminte is indeed a member of the reserve regiment." Sokov nodded instinctively and replied: "He came to me with the regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yakubov, to conduct I contacted and was recognized by Colonel Ivanov. The deputy division commander told me that Zumint was once the best battalion commander under him, with rich command and combat experience, and was later transferred to General Romanov’s 172nd Infantry Division. He was captured by the Germans during the battle. Although he later escaped from the prisoner of war camp, he was sent to a punishment camp for special reasons..."
After listening to Sokov's detailed introduction, Belkin said thoughtfully: "Misha, according to you, Lieutenant Zumint should be an excellent commander. Only let him serve as deputy battalion Isn’t it a bit overkill for the position of chief?”
Sokov raised his head and glanced at Ivanov sitting opposite, and saw that his deputy division commander was looking down at the map in front of him, as if there was something important on it that attracted him. Sokov knew in his heart that he and Belkin were talking about Zumint, and Ivanov deliberately avoided his eyes to avoid suspicion. He said into the microphone: "My comrade political commissar, I also know that the deputy battalion commander's position is a bit low, but if he wants to obtain a higher position and military rank, he needs to perform well in battle. If he can really use Facts have proved that he is an excellent commander, not to mention the deputy battalion commander, even the deputy regiment commander or even the regiment commander is not impossible."
Belkin and Sokov were once partners, and they knew each other's character very well, and knew that as long as they were the commanders he liked, they would be reused regardless of their past identities. He did not continue to discuss this issue, but carefully asked Sokov: "Misha, when will the reinforcements you mentioned arrive at us?"
When Sokov saw Yakubov walking towards him, he said into the phone: "We just sent a call to the troops on the other side. I'm afraid they will start crossing the river within an hour. I think before dark, You will be able to get additional troops. By the way, I will also arrange a deputy commander for you, you might as well get to know him first."
"Deputy Captain?!" Belgin asked in surprise: "Misha, where are you going to send me a deputy captain?"
"It's Lieutenant Colonel Yakubov, the commander of the reserve regiment," Sokov said into the microphone: "The troops he commanded were dispersed to various regiments, and he himself became a polished regiment commander. Therefore, I arranged for him to come Your regiment will be your deputy, and I hope the two of you can work well together.”
After speaking, Sokov waved to Yakubov and said to him: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I am on the phone with Commander Belkin of the downsized regiment. Come over and say a few words to him and get to know him by the way."
Yakubov took the microphone from Sokov's hand, put it to his ear, and said respectfully: "Hello, comrade leader, I am your deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Yakubov. Nice to meet you." you."
"Hello, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Belkin heard an unfamiliar voice talking to him. After hearing the other party identify himself, he said politely: "On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the drawdown regiment, I welcome you and your subordinates. Become one of us.…”
While Yakubov was on the phone with Belkin, Sokov chatted quietly with Sidorin, who had just finished the phone call. He asked the other party to call several other regiment commanders to pass on the good news about the upcoming recruitment of troops. Let everyone have fun. Although he was talking to Sidorin, his eyes kept glancing at Yakubov to see his reaction when he was talking to Belkin on the phone.
It turned out that he was worried that if a regiment leader like Yakubov was to be the deputy commander under Belkin, he would have some emotions. However, judging from his conversation with Belkin, he seemed quite satisfied with his arrangement.
After a while, Yakubov put down the phone, looked at Sokov and asked: "Comrade division commander, when will you send someone to take me to the barricade factory?"
"There's no rush, Lieutenant Colonel Yakubov, don't be anxious yet." Seeing Yakubov in such a hurry to get to the barricade factory, Sokov waved to him and said, "Your troops haven't crossed the river yet. After they all cross the river, it won’t be too late for you to take the fourth battalion to the barricade factory.”
Yakubov heard Sokov's voiceover and knew that there was not much point in going to the barricade factory alone at this moment. It would be better to wait for the troops to cross the river and then rush to the barricade factory with the four battalions. Seeing such reinforcements arriving, the defenders in the factory could somewhat boost their morale.
The commanders and fighters of the reserve regiment had just begun to cross the river, and the German attack on the barricade factory began again.
Staying at the battalion command post, Captain Vasily saw one or two hundred German infantrymen rushing toward his defensive position under the cover of five assault guns. He quickly dialed Belkin's phone and reported to him: : "Comrade Commander, the enemy's assault guns are coming up. I request artillery support."
"Comrade Captain, I'm afraid I can't agree to your request." Unexpectedly, Belkin said: "It is snowing outside and the visibility is limited. The artillery positions deployed in the rear cannot see the enemy clearly at all."
"Then what should we do?" Vasily asked anxiously: "We can't just watch the enemy's assault guns approach the position and use artillery fire to destroy our firepower points one by one, right?"
"Comrade Captain, how come you were so smart before and so confused now?" Belgin heard Vasily complaining and said with some hatred: "Have you forgotten the secret weapon in your hands?"
"Secret weapon?!" Vasily repeated Belgin's words, suddenly remembering the new weapon that he had almost forgotten, and asked quickly: "Comrade leader, do you mean the rocket launcher?"
"That's right." Belkin replied affirmatively: "I heard from the division commander that this is specially used to attack enemy tanks. Now that the situation is special, I approve your battalion's use of rocket launchers to deal with German assault guns."
Although rocket launchers have been equipped with troops for some time, since they have never participated in actual combat, commanders and soldiers are skeptical about whether rocket launchers can deal with enemy tanks and assault guns, and Vasily is no exception. He asked Belkin with a wry smile: "Comrade Commander, the enemy's assault gun has 50 mm frontal armor and a certain slope. If the rocket hits it, it may ricochet."
"Comrade Captain, why are you so long-winded?" Seeing that Vasily kept chattering in his ears, Belgin became a little impatient: "When does something invented by Comrade Commander not be used? Don't forget, The new rockets equipped by your battalion were also invented by the division commander. Since the new rockets can make the Germans howl like ghosts, then the rocket launchers will definitely not let us down when used against the enemy's assault guns."
Seeing the enemy's assault guns getting closer and closer, Vasily did not dare to neglect. He quickly put down the phone, called a communications soldier, and ordered him: "You immediately notify the anti-tank platoon and ask them to carry rockets to the position." In the crater ahead, choose the right moment to attack the enemy's assault gun."
Vasily's first battalion has an anti-tank platoon with five subordinate anti-tank groups, each equipped with a rocket launcher. After receiving Vasily's order, the anti-tank teams climbed out of the trenches and hid in the crater dozens of meters ahead. Fortunately, the snowflakes dancing in the sky blocked the enemy's sight, preventing them from discovering these anti-tank fighters in time.
Each anti-tank team has five people, one shooter responsible for launching rockets, one deputy shooter, and one ammunition hand. What remains is the team leader and a combat veteran, armed with a submachine gun, tasked with protecting the shooter.
Seeing that the enemy's assault gun entered the 100-meter shooting range, the leader of Team No. 1 stuck his head out to observe the situation, and then gave the shooter an order to fire. The shooter placed the rocket launcher firmly on his shoulder, quickly locked the assault gun into range with his eyes through the sight, and decisively pulled the firing trigger.
A rocket with a tail flame rushed towards the assault gun a hundred meters away. A few seconds later, it accurately hit the target and made a loud noise. Then the assault gun was wrapped in flames and thick smoke. After continuing to move forward for more than ten meters, it stopped in place and burned.
The success of Group 1 greatly inspired the soldiers of the other four groups. The shooters also stood up one after another, imitating their comrades, carrying the rocket launcher on their shoulders, aiming at the enemy's assault gun and pulling the trigger. Four rockets were fired one after another, and without exception they hit the moving assault guns, turning them into piles of burning wreckage.
The German soldiers following the assault gun were dumbfounded. They did not hear the scream of the shell in the air, but saw several balls of fire emerging from the crater in front of the Soviet position, and then the assault gun opened a path in front of them. They caught fire and exploded one after another. The ammunition in an assault gun exploded, and the flying shrapnel mopped up the soldiers following behind.
The remaining German soldiers hurriedly took cover on the spot to prevent themselves from being injured by flying shrapnel. After a while, they cautiously raised their heads and looked in the direction of the Soviet position, trying to figure out what weapon the Soviets used to destroy their assault guns? After watching for a while, they saw that the Soviet position was quiet. If it weren't for the five assault guns still burning in front of them, the German officers and soldiers would have thought they were hallucinating.
The German officers commanding from behind discovered that the assault gun had been destroyed by the Soviet army. They knew that without the cover of the assault gun, it was obviously unrealistic to attack again, so they issued an order to retreat. When the panicked German officers and soldiers heard the order to retreat, they crawled off the ground one after another, risking their waists and fled towards the back as if they had been granted amnesty.
Seeing the enemy retreating, the anti-tank teams hidden in the craters crawled out of the craters and returned to their positions one after another. As soon as they entered the position, they were welcomed by the battalion commander Vasily. The captain came forward and gave each of them a hug, and said excitedly: "You guys, you are great, simply great. You killed the German assault guns so easily, scaring them into running away in panic." ”
