Red Moscow

  Chapter 692 The death of the leader

   Just as Chuikov was about to hang up the phone, Sokov suddenly remembered another important thing: "Comrade Commander, I have one more important thing to do."

Sidolin and Ivanov, who were sitting next to them, heard Sokov say this, and thought that he was going to report that incredible incident to Chuikov, and they all pricked up their ears, wanting to hear what he said .

   "If you have anything to do, let's talk about it quickly." Chuikov said a little impatiently.

   "That's right. Didn't we seize a Tiger tank at the foot of the mountain the day before yesterday?" Sokov asked cautiously, "I want to ask, where is this tank now?"

"Due to the situation in the city, it is not good for our army. The superior has sent a ship to transport the tank to the east bank, and is planning to arrange military experts to conduct research." Seeing that Sokov was so concerned about the whereabouts of the Tiger tank, Cuikov held his temper. Said to him: "With the transfer of the tank, there is also a group of senior technicians from the Dzerzhinsky Tractor Plant. By the way, the comrade Kalashnikov who went to Stalingrad with Yakov also We went to the east coast together."

  Sokov was very worried about Kalashnikov’s safety. When he contacted the factory manager Peter to produce grenades, he asked about his whereabouts, but Peter said that Kalashnikov had been transferred to another factory by his superiors. The reason why I asked Chuikov about the Tiger tank at this moment was to inquire about Kalashnikov's whereabouts on the sidelines. Unexpectedly, before he could open his mouth, Chuikov had already offered the answer he wanted.

   Considering that Kalashnikov was inspired by himself some time ago, he developed the T-34/85 tank in the Red October factory. After so long, I don’t know how far his research has progressed. So Sokov asked again: "Comrade Commander, Kalashnikov was developing a new type of tank some time ago. I wonder how he is progressing?"

"I don't know." Chuikov replied very simply: "Kalashnikov belongs to the Armament Department, and I have no right to ask about the research he conducted." At this point, he paused for a moment, and then said, "Sure Colonel Koff, do you have anything else to do?"

   "No more, Comrade Commander."

   "Good luck!" Cuikov said briefly, then hung up the phone.

  As soon as Sokov put down the microphone, Sidolin asked anxiously: "Comrade commander, why didn't you report that to the commander?"

"Report, how do I report to the commander?" Sokov looked at Sidolin and asked coldly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you know who that person who looks exactly like me is? Who is this mysterious man wearing a mask and holding an invulnerable shield?"

  Ivanov originally had the same idea as Sidolin, but after hearing a series of questions from Sokov, which left Sidolin speechless, he changed his mind. He reminded Sokov: "Comrade Commander, although the number of people who know about this matter has been strictly controlled, I still feel uneasy. You know, even if we don't say it, the well-informed Ministry of Internal Affairs, You can also find out about this through their special intelligence channels. I'm worried that even if you want to explain it to your superiors, you won't be able to explain it clearly."

"Comrade deputy division commander, before I figure out what's going on, I don't think we should report this matter to the superior." Sukov said firmly: "If we don't know what to do when we face the superior's question, then the situation will be worse. It's even worse." He didn't want to discuss the matter any more, so he waved his hands at the two of them, "It's getting late, you go to rest early. Maybe there will be another fierce battle until dawn."

   It was just dawn, and in order to reverse the unfavorable situation around the Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory, Cuikov ordered the 112th Division and the 37th Guards Division to launch a counterattack.

   Without any artillery cover, the commanders and fighters of the two divisions charged the frontal enemy from different directions. Facing the attack of the Soviet army, the German army immediately called for artillery support. A few minutes later, the artillery shells roared and fell into the middle of the attacking troops, and shrapnel and soil were splashed everywhere. Shrapnel cut down.

  The soldiers who were intercepted by the enemy's artillery fell down on the spot. Zoludev, who was staying in the command post at the back, saw the soldiers lying on the ground with their heads in their hands, showing no sign of getting up from the ground. He couldn't help feeling anxious. He picked up the microphone and talked to Ander, the commander of the 117th Guards Regiment, who answered the phone. Reyev shouted: "Comrade Colonel, what's the matter with your troops, why are they all lying down? Let the soldiers stand up and continue to attack the enemy. Do you understand?"

  Andreyev, who was in charge of the main offensive task, saw the enemy's artillery fire fiercely, and the commanders and fighters continued to charge without any cover, which was tantamount to death in vain. He was about to ask Ruoludev to retreat, but the division commander called him first. Since the superior ordered to continue the attack, it was obviously unrealistic to retreat at this time.

  After putting down the phone, Andreev put on his helmet, picked up a submachine gun, and said to his chief of staff: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I will leave this place to you. I will personally lead the soldiers to rush up."

   "Comrade Commander, it's too dangerous." Seeing that Andreyev was going to lead the charge himself, the chief of staff quickly hugged him and said anxiously, "You should stay and I will lead the charge."

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Andreyev pushed the chief of staff's hand away, and said with a wry smile: "The soldiers are being suppressed by the enemy's artillery and cannot move. If I, the regiment commander, don't take the lead in the charge, what do you think they will do?" Will it get up from the ground?"

  Andreyev rushed out of the command post with a gun in hand, and ran towards the area that was being shelled. From time to time, shells landed near him and exploded, and the soil kicked up scattered all over him, but he still kept running forward.

He came among the soldiers, waved the submachine gun in his hand, and shouted loudly: "Comrades, why are you all lying on the ground like a coward, stand up quickly, and continue to charge forward with me! Go forward, Comrades, go forward!"

  Although the gunfire covered his shout, some soldiers nearby still heard what he shouted clearly, but no one stood up, and all the soldiers still lay on the ground.

  Seeing that no one responded to him, Andreyev realized that it took great courage to stand up under the fierce enemy fire. He squatted down beside a soldier, bowed his head and said, "Comrade soldier, if you lie down again, calluses will be worn out from your belly. Hurry up and stand up and go forward with me."

  The soldier didn't want to get up, but the regiment leader was squatting beside him. He didn't have the face to continue lying down. He could only hesitantly get up from the ground, and rushed forward with a gun in his hand.

Seeing a soldier standing up, Andreyev smiled on his face, and he turned his head and shouted at another soldier: "Hey, comrade soldier, your comrades are all rushing up. What are you doing lying there?" Just like that, another soldier slowly got up and rushed up with a gun.

Andreyev stood up straight and shouted at the soldiers lying around: "Comrades, for the motherland! For Stalin! Come with me!" After he finished shouting this time, he pointed his gun and pointed forward rush away.

  The soldiers lying on the ground saw that the regiment leader charged with their guns in person, and got up one after another, followed Andreyev behind, and rushed towards the enemy's entrenched position.

   Seeing the commanders and fighters of the 117th Regiment, led by the head of the regiment, Andreyev, Zholudev charged towards the enemy's position, and he couldn't help showing a smile on his face. He turned his head and said to Chief of Staff Brushko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, did you see that? Colonel Andreyev led the charge in person. I believe that the commanders and fighters of the 117th Regiment will be able to break through the enemy's line of defense."

But Brushko was obviously not as optimistic as Zoludev. He looked at Andreyev who was leading the troops to charge in the distance, and said worriedly: "Comrade commander, how can Colonel Andreyev lead the troops to charge in person?" ? If he was wounded or even killed in battle, then the chain of command of the troops would be affected."

Perhaps Brushko has the characteristics of a crow's mouth. As soon as he finished his words, Zholudev looked through the binoculars and saw a shell landed in the middle of Andreyev and several soldiers and exploded. engulfed. "Damn!" shouted Zoludev, "Andreev seems to have been hit by artillery fire!"

"What, Colonel Andreev was hit by artillery fire?" Brushko was also taken aback when he heard what Zoludev said. After a long time, I still didn't see the Colonel's shadow: "Where is he, why didn't I see him?"

Ruoludev did not answer him, but turned around and picked up the phone, and said into the microphone: "I am Ruoludev, the commander of the 117th regiment, Andreyev, was wounded on the battlefield, and you immediately sent health workers to rescue him. .”

  The head of the regiment was bombarded on the battlefield, and the soldiers who followed the charge naturally saw it, and the commander immediately led people to rescue him. They found the **** Andreyev near a bomb crater, and immediately carried him back. As for the offense, it was also terminated because of Andreyev's injury.

   Ten minutes later, Andreev, who was lying on a stretcher, was carried to Zolludev's headquarters. The military doctor who had been on standby here immediately stepped forward, squatting in front of the stretcher to carefully examine Andreyev's injuries.

   Seeing the military doctor squatting beside the stretcher and watching for a long time, but there was no sign of giving treatment, Zholudev asked angrily, "Comrade military doctor, what's the matter with you, why didn't you treat Colonel Andreyev?"

  The military doctor stood up, walked in front of Zholudev, shook his head, and said with a wry smile: "Mr. Commander, it's not that I don't want to treat him, but it's because his injuries are too serious, and I have no ability to revive him."

  Zoludev grabbed the military doctor's skirt and said excitedly, "You haven't been treated yet, how do you know he won't survive?"

The military doctor did not struggle, but said calmly: "Comrade Commander, I just checked his injuries carefully. Not only were his legs broken, but his chest was also shattered by the bomb. No matter how skilled a doctor is here, There was no way to save his life."

Hearing the military doctor's explanation, Zholudev let go of his shirt, squatted down beside Andreyev's stretcher, held the hands of his subordinates, and asked with a choked voice: "Comrade Andreyev, do you still have any more?" What do you say?"

  Andreev, who was dying, looked at Zoludev who was squatting beside him, and opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something. But because his alveoli had been flooded with blood, he couldn't make any sound at all, instead gushing out streams of blood from his mouth. He saw the world with infinite nostalgia for the last time, tilted his head, and sacrificed.

  The military doctor bent down, approached Zholudev's ear, and whispered: "Comrade Commander, Colonel Andreyev has died."

"Ah, sacrificed!" Although seeing Andreyev's eyes closed, Zoludev still couldn't accept the fact that his subordinates had sacrificed, and he said excitedly: "You are talking nonsense, I just saw that he is still alive." I want to talk. Military doctor, I order you to rescue him immediately and make sure to bring him back to life."

  Facing Zoludev's irrational order, the military doctor felt extremely embarrassed. Just when he was undecided, not knowing whether he should do his last job, the division political commissar Shcherbina walked in from outside the headquarters. He looked down at Andreev, who was lying on a stretcher and was not breathing, and then Said to the mournful Zolludev: "Comrade Commander, Colonel Andreyev has died, please mourn!"

  Among the commanders of the Guards Division, Colonel Andreyev was the one who had the closest relationship with Joludev. Unexpectedly, he became the first commander of the division to die. Ruolu Defu just held his comrade-in-arms' hands that were getting colder and colder, looking at the face that was blackened by gunpowder smoke and covered with blood, tears could not stop sliding down his face.

Shcherbina bent down, put his hands on Zholudev's shoulders, and said in a low voice: "Comrade commander, Colonel Andreyev has died. You have more important work to do, please don't let me go." Too sad!"

Chief of Staff Brushko waited for Shcherbina to finish speaking, and quickly echoed: "Yes, Comrade Commander, please be sorry, you still have more important work to be done. Our attack has been repulsed by the enemy's artillery fire , What should we do next? Reorganize the troops to attack, or let them switch to defense on the spot?"

  If Andreyev hadn't died under the enemy's artillery fire, maybe Zholudev would follow the orders of his superiors and continue to let the troops attack the frontal enemy. But at this moment, he realized that letting the troops attack the enemy in the front without the cover of artillery fire would undoubtedly send the commanders and fighters to their deaths.

It was precisely because of this consideration that after hearing Brushko's question, he replied without hesitation: "Chief of Staff, order the troops to stop the offensive and turn to the defensive on the spot, preparing to resist the possible offensive of the enemy. "

  (end of this chapter)