While Guchakov was speaking, a stray bullet passed by his ear and hit the wall behind him. Yegor was so frightened that he instinctively squatted down, but Guchakov continued with a normal expression. : "Second Company Commander, prepare your soldiers for battle. The enemy may be about to attack us soon."
After Yegor stood up and agreed, he turned around and went to set up defenses.
When Yegor left, Guchakov couldn't help but talk softly. He knew very well that his unit was now surrounded by the German army. If the friendly forces could not come to support in time, I am afraid that the final outcome would be It means the entire army is annihilated.
He secretly prayed for the radio operator who rode a motorcycle out to ask for help, hoping that he could successfully reach October Town and report the situation here to the commander of the 84th Division.
The telegraph operator who was ordered to go to October Town to ask for help was riding a motorcycle not far from Kazachia Compass Town. The motorcycle suddenly stalled. He got off the car and checked carefully and found that a hole had been punched in the fuel tank of the motorcycle. I don’t know if it was the bullet hole made by the original owner of the motorcycle when he was shot dead, or the hole made by a stray bullet when he rushed out of the town.
None of this matters now. A motorcycle cannot move forward without oil. The operator had no choice but to abandon his motorcycle and run along the road towards October Town.
When he was still three or four kilometers away from October Town, he suddenly saw a motorcade appearing in front of him. When he saw the convoy appearing, he couldn't help but feel a little bit in his heart, thinking that he was encountering German troops withdrawing from October Town. But after observing carefully for a moment, he found that the truck was a Soviet truck, and the people in the truck were also Soviet commanders and fighters.
When the operator saw this, he rushed from the side of the road to the middle of the highway. He originally wanted to shout twice, but due to the long distance running, he was already exhausted and out of breath. He couldn't shout, so he could only wave his hands desperately, hoping that the other party would see him.
Coincidentally, Captain Grisa, the fourth company commander who was sitting in the co-pilot seat of the first car, saw the radio operator standing in the middle of the road waving his hands, and quickly said to the driver: "Comrade driver, there is someone blocking the road ahead. Stop ten meters away from him."
The driver nodded and stopped the car about ten meters away from the operator.
As soon as the car stabilized, Grisa pushed open the door and ran toward the other party with an assault rifle. The operator grabbed Grisa's arm and said excitedly: "Comrade Captain, I finally found... you... I... I am Major Guchakov's operator, and I was... ordered to... You are begging...for help."
Grisa took off the water bottle he was carrying and handed it to the operator, comforting him and saying: "Comrade Sergeant, don't be anxious. Drink some water first and then speak slowly."
The operator nodded to Griza, took the kettle, drank a few sips, and after taking a few deep breaths, said: "Comrade Captain, I am Major Guchakov's operator. Now our The troops were facing danger, and because the walkie-talkie was broken, they couldn't contact their superiors, so the major sent me to October Town to ask for help."
After hearing what the operator said, Grisa frowned and said, "Comrade Sergeant, since it was Major Guchakov who sent you out to ask for help, why didn't we prepare transportation for you?"
"Ready, Comrade Captain." The operator nodded and said, "The Major personally prepared a German motorcycle for me, but as soon as I left the town, I found a hole in the fuel tank that had been shot by a bullet, and all the gasoline inside was leaking out. I had no choice but to run over and ask for help."
"Captain Grisa, what's going on? Why did you stop?" Major Golia, commander of the second battalion, came from behind and asked displeasedly. Seeing Grisa standing with an unknown staff sergeant, he added: "Who is he?"
"Comrade Battalion Commander!" Griza turned to face Goliya, straightened his body and reported: "This radio operator of Major Guchakov is in danger now. He was ordered to come to October Town. Asking for help.”
"Since you are in danger, why don't you send a report to the regiment headquarters instead of sending someone out to ask for help?" Golia asked vigilantly: "Aren't you worried that doing so will delay the opportunity for fighting?"
"Comrade Major!" After hearing Goliath's question, the radio operator quickly came to him and reported truthfully: "Our radio was damaged during the battle and we were unable to contact our superiors, so the battalion commander could only I was sent out to call for help. Since the fuel tank of the motorcycle I was driving was damaged, I had no choice but to abandon the motorcycle and run over to report to my superiors."
After listening to the operator's explanation, Golia asked noncommittally: "Comrade Sergeant, what is your name?"
"Comrade Major." The operator replied in a loud voice: "My name is Losev."
"Oh, your name is Losev." Golia turned around and ordered a soldier behind him: "Go and find our radio operator. The entire regiment's radio operators once studied together. If this sergeant is our He is one of our own, and our radio operators should know him."
A minute later, the radio operator of the second battalion appeared in front of Golia with a walkie-talkie on his back: "Comrade Battalion Commander,..."
Before the operator could finish his report in accordance with the regulations, Golya interrupted him, pointed at Losev who was standing not far away, and asked the operator: "Comrade operator, do you know him?"
The operator glanced at the other person, then nodded and replied: "Yes, Comrade Battalion Commander. He is Sergeant Losev, the operator of the 1st Battalion. We once studied together."
After confirming Losev's identity, Golya put down his doubts. He turned to Losev and said, "Sergeant Losev, please tell me everything about the situation in Kazachya Compass Town. .”
Losev nodded and told how after the troops arrived at the designated location, they would meet up with the special tank battalion heading south, how they would ambush the German reinforcements, and how they would follow the broken troops into the town and start a fight with the superior defenders. Fighting.
After listening to Losev's story, Golya said thoughtfully: "Comrade Sergeant, if what you said is true, then Major Guchakov's situation is very bad."
Losev suddenly became anxious when he heard what Golia said: "Comrade Major, everything I said is true."
"Sergeant Losev, of course I know what you said is true, otherwise I would have ordered someone to arrest you." Golia turned to the radio operator standing next to him and said, "Send a report to the regiment commander immediately. , saying that the first battalion is now in danger and asking for instructions on the next step of action."
Based on Golia's dictation, the operator sent an urgent telegram to the regiment command post. He received a call back soon, and he quickly reported to Golia: "Comrade Battalion Commander, the regiment headquarters ordered us to speed up our march and rush to the Compass Town of Kazachia against time to rescue the critical battalion."
After listening to the regimental commander's order, Golia waved his hand and announced loudly: "Everyone get on the bus, speed up all the vehicles, and rush to Kazachiya Compass Town as soon as possible to relieve the comrades of the first battalion."
Losev followed Grisa into the cab of the first car and temporarily acted as a guide, showing the way for the convoy.
More than half an hour later, Grisa saw the wreckage of a destroyed German tank with billowing black smoke on the road ahead, as well as German corpses scattered everywhere. Only then did he confirm that everything Losev had just said was true. He quickly urged the driver: "Comrade driver, speed up, we have to rescue the enemy before they wipe out a battalion."
But as the convoy approached Kazachia Compass, intensive gunfire suddenly came from the front, and several bullets pierced the windshield of the car window. Grisa and Losev were both unharmed, but the driver was shot several times, leaned back, and then threw himself forward on the steering wheel.
Seeing the car losing control and rushing toward the roadside, Grisa, who was sitting next to the driver, quickly reached out and grabbed the steering wheel, trying his best to stop the car from rushing down the roadbed, and at the same time, he stepped on the brakes hard.
Before the car was stable, Losev pushed open the door and jumped out of the car. After lying down, he rolled on the spot and found a safe place to hide.
"Comrade Sergeant, what's going on?" After Grisa stopped the car, he jumped out of the car, rolled on the spot and came to Losev's side, and asked sternly: "Didn't you say there is no one outside the town? Enemy?"
Losev looked up at the German soldiers who were shooting in the trenches in the distance, and said in an uncertain tone: "Comrade Captain, I assure you that when I left the town, there was still a squad guarding the outer positions of the town. Here. Since there are Germans inside at the moment, I’m afraid they all died.”
Regarding Losev's explanation, Grisa felt that it was quite normal. A battalion was surrounded by German troops. How long could a squad guarding the outer position last in the face of the enemy's siege?
He turned and looked behind him, and saw all the soldiers in the car getting out of the car. Except for two soldiers who fell to the ground, the rest of the soldiers crouched on the side of the car, using the car to block German bullets.
Grisa did not blindly order his men to charge. He knew very well that if he attacked the enemy without any fire cover, it would be equivalent to asking his men to die, so he shouted loudly : "Machine gun, where is the machine gun?"
Following his shout, a machine gunner carrying a rotary machine gun bent down and ran to his side. He half-crouched and asked: "Comrade company commander, what are your instructions?"
"Establish a machine gun position immediately to suppress the enemy's firepower and cover the entire company's charge!"
The machine gunner agreed, quickly set up the machine gun, and then started shooting at the German troops in the distant position.
As soon as the German firepower was suppressed, Grisa stood up from the ground, raised the assault rifle in his hand high, and shouted loudly: "Brothers, follow me! We must kill the comrades in the first battalion. Get out!"
Under the leadership of Grisa, the commanders and fighters of the fourth company formed a dispersed formation and launched a charge towards the German position in the distance. The dispersed formation meant that the German machine gun firepower on the position was difficult to kill and injure a large number of attacking Soviet commanders and fighters. Although soldiers were shot and fell from time to time, the soldiers who followed did not pause at all. They stepped over the bodies of their comrades and continued to rush forward. As for whether the comrades lying on the ground were dead or alive, they had no time to care. It was the responsibility of the health workers to save the dead and heal the wounded, and what they had to do was to rush into the enemy's position as quickly as possible and eliminate every German they saw inside.
After suffering one-third of their casualties, the officers and men of the Fourth Company finally successfully rushed into the outer positions outside the town and started a hand-to-hand battle with the enemy in the trenches.
Seeing the car losing control and rushing toward the roadside, Grisa, who was sitting next to the driver, quickly reached out and grabbed the steering wheel, trying his best to stop the car from rushing down the roadbed, and at the same time, he stepped on the brakes hard.
Before the car was stable, Losev pushed open the door and jumped out of the car. After lying down, he rolled on the spot and found a safe place to hide.
"Comrade Sergeant, what's going on?" After Grisa stopped the car, he jumped out of the car, rolled on the spot and came to Losev's side, and asked sternly: "Didn't you say there is no one outside the town? Enemy?"
Losev looked up at the German soldiers who were shooting in the trenches in the distance, and said in an uncertain tone: "Comrade Captain, I assure you that when I left the town, there was still a squad guarding the outer positions of the town. Here. Since there are Germans inside at the moment, I’m afraid they all died.”
Regarding Losev's explanation, Grisa felt that it was quite normal. A battalion was surrounded by German troops. How long could a squad guarding the outer position last in the face of the enemy's siege?
He turned and looked behind him, and saw all the soldiers in the car getting out of the car. Except for two soldiers who fell to the ground, the rest of the soldiers crouched on the side of the car, using the car to block German bullets.
Grisa did not blindly order his men to charge. He knew very well that if he attacked the enemy without any fire cover, it would be equivalent to asking his men to die, so he shouted loudly : "Machine gun, where is the machine gun?"
As he shouted, a machine gunner carrying a rotary machine gun bent down and ran to him, half-crouched and asked: "Comrade company commander, what are your instructions?"
"Establish a machine gun position immediately to suppress the enemy's firepower and cover the entire company's charge!"
The machine gunner agreed, quickly set up the machine gun, and then started shooting at the German troops in the distant position.
As soon as the German firepower was suppressed, Grisa stood up from the ground, raised the assault rifle in his hand high, and shouted loudly: "Brothers, follow me! We must kill the comrades in the first battalion. Get out!"
Under the leadership of Grisa, the commanders and fighters of the fourth company formed a dispersed formation and launched a charge towards the German position in the distance. The dispersed formation meant that the German machine gun firepower on the position was difficult to kill and injure a large number of attacking Soviet commanders and fighters. Although soldiers were shot and fell from time to time, the soldiers who followed did not pause at all. They stepped over the bodies of their comrades and continued to rush forward. As for whether the comrades lying on the ground were dead or alive, they had no time to care. It was the responsibility of the health workers to save the dead and heal the wounded, and what they had to do was to rush into the enemy's position as quickly as possible and eliminate every German they saw inside.
After suffering one-third of their casualties, the officers and men of the Fourth Company finally successfully rushed into the peripheral positions outside the town and started a hand-to-hand battle with the enemies in the trenches.
