Red Moscow

  Chapter 123 The Ball on the Battlefield (Part 1)

  The German air strike failed. Seeing the enemy plane flying away in a desperate manner, the female soldiers of the anti-aircraft machine gun company cheered.

  As soon as the battle ended, Liuba and Sveta came to the battalion command post together.

Seeing the arrival of the two, Belkin looked very happy, and he said with a smile on his face: "Good job, you are all good. It is because of your outstanding performance that the enemy's plan to bomb the high ground failed, which greatly improved the situation." This greatly reduced the casualties of the defenders. On behalf of the commanders and fighters of the entire battalion, I would like to express my gratitude to you!" After speaking, he raised his hand and gave a ring salute to the two female commanders.

  After speaking some words of praise to the two female commanders, Sokov asked with concern, "Are there too many casualties in the company?"

"When the German planes were diving, in order to avoid our anti-aircraft machine gun fire, the bombs they dropped fell far away from the air defense array." Liuba replied with a smile: "Our company did not suffer any casualties during the battle." .”

Knowing that the women's company suffered no casualties in the battle, Sokov breathed a sigh of relief, but he still told Liuba: "Comrade Lieutenant, the Germans have suffered from your losses today, and they will definitely retaliate. You can improve yourself." Be vigilant."

"Don't worry, Comrade Battalion Commander." Liuba said confidently: "As long as the enemy dares to send another plane, we will definitely shoot them down." After she finished speaking, she turned her face sideways and made a gesture to Sveta next to her. Wink.

  Liuba's every move was watched by Sokov, and he wondered in his heart: "What did Liuba wink at Sveta? Could it be that I was wrong?"

  Sveta coughed softly, and then said a little embarrassedly: "Comrades, two battalion commanders, in fact, we came here today because we have something to discuss with you."

"Comrade instructor," Belkin said to her very politely, probably because the other party was also a political worker, "if you have anything to do, just say it. I promise you, as long as it is within our ability, I will give it to you." You can do it."

"That's really great." Sveta looked at Liuba with a face full of surprise, and continued: "That's right, Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, in order to celebrate shooting down the enemy plane today, we want to hold a dance party and invite Some male fighters also participated..."

"No, absolutely not." Before Sveta finished speaking, Sokov rejected her proposal without hesitation: "Instructor Sveta, let me remind you that this is a battlefield, not a university campus, but a battlefield." A place where wars are fought, not where men and women embrace and dance."

   Neither Liuba nor Sveta expected Sokov to refuse so simply. Liuba asked a little unconvinced: "Why?"

"Why?" Sokov sneered, and said, "Comrade Lieutenant, don't you know that even if only a few male soldiers are invited to the ball, there are more than a hundred people, and we don't have such a large hidden department to accommodate so many people?" People. As for having a dance party in the open space, don’t even think about it. Our bonfire will point out the firing direction for the German artillery. As long as a few shells fly over, the soldiers participating in the dance can suffer heavy casualties. I don’t want this Tragedy happened."

  Seeing that the two female commanders who had come with hope were about to leave in disappointment, Belkin called them back. Then he turned to Sokov and said, "Comrade Battalion Commander, I think Lieutenant Liuba's proposal can be considered."

   "But..." Sokov was about to object, but Belkin raised his hand to stop him. He smiled and said, "Comrade Battalion Commander, listen to me first. If it's inappropriate, it's never too late to object."

   Seeing that things might turn around, Liu Ba hurriedly urged: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, hurry up and tell us about your arrangement."

Belkin coughed softly, cleared his throat, and said to everyone: "I think the location of the general dance will be in the open space next to the anti-aircraft position. Because of the high ground, even if we light the bonfire there, we will hold the dance." The ball will not be discovered by the German artillery. As for the male soldiers participating in the ball, I think we will select those soldiers who have performed outstandingly recently, and the number is limited to ten for each company, and the guard platoon is five."

   After talking about his own arrangement, Belkin glanced over everyone, and then asked tentatively, "I wonder what you think of this arrangement?"

   "I agree!" As soon as he finished speaking, Liuba was the first to express his support. Sveta, who was standing next to her, saw that Sokov was silent, and hurriedly pulled her clothes lightly. Liuba, who realized that she had lost her composure, shrank her neck, stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, and obediently closed his mouth. But her eyes were still on Sokov, anxiously waiting for his decision.

"Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander." After listening to Belkin's arrangement, Sokov felt that there was nothing wrong with making an exception and holding a dance party on the battlefield. He put on an indifferent look and said, "The two of us are working together. There has always been a division of labor in the world: military matters, I have the final say; life matters, you have the final say. I think things like holding a dance party should belong to the things in life.”

  Although Sokov did not agree, his statement has already acquiesced that the dance party can be held. After hearing what he said, Liuba cheered like a little girl: "Ula!" Then she raised her hand to her forehead and asked impatiently, "Comrades battalion commanders, are you allowed to go back to the army to prepare now? "

   "Allowed!" Sokov nodded and said with a smile, "Go back to the army first!"

I heard that a dance party will be held with the female soldiers. Those male soldiers who have been selected are all cleaned up, chopped wood, and placed a circle of freshly cut wood around the campfire. Logs so that the partygoers could have a place to sit.

Sokov and Belkin stood in the trench, watching the scene of male soldiers working in full swing in the distance, and couldn't help laughing. He said jokingly to Belkin: "Comrade deputy battalion commander, look at these male soldiers. Hearing that you can dance with female soldiers, the motivation you get is more effective than listening to any propaganda."

When Belkin heard what Sokov said, he actually said thoughtfully: "Comrade battalion commander, what you said makes sense. If the soldiers of our team are involved in propaganda and agitation, the effect may be achieved if female soldiers are also involved." Get twice the result with half the effort."

  The two were talking in the trench when they suddenly saw two platoon leaders Katya and Junia from the women's company walking over. Still far away, Belkin asked first: "Two platoon leaders, comrades, do you have anything to do?"

"It's like this, Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander." The platoon leader Katya said with a smile: "Our company commander wants the two battalion commanders to perform a show for the comrades at the ball tonight. Lieutenant Liuba asked me Come over and ask, what show do you want to perform?"

   "Let us perform a show?" Hearing what Katya said, Belkin showed a shy expression on his face. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "I can't do this. You should find someone else."

   Seeing Belkin's refusal to perform, Katya showed a disappointed expression on his face. She turned her gaze to Sokov, and said pitifully: "Comrade battalion commander, what about you? You won't reject us too, right?" She turned her head and glanced at Junia next to her, and added, "If the task cannot be completed , I will definitely be criticized by the company commander when I go back."

Sokov didn't want to embarrass the two young female soldiers, and after thinking for a while, he said to Katya: "Okay, Sergeant Katya, in order to prevent you from going back and being criticized by Lieutenant Liuba, I decided to hold a meeting tonight. At the ball, sing a song to the comrades."

"Great, this is really great." Hearing that Sokov was willing to perform, Katya clapped her hands excitedly, and then asked: "Comrade battalion commander, can you tell me what song you plan to sing?" ?”

  In a hurry, Sokov couldn't think of what song he should sing, so he pretended to be mysterious and said: "Comrade Sergeant, I will keep this secret for now, and you will know when the dance is held tonight."

  (end of this chapter)