Position No. 19 on the Don River, in a trench filled with rainwater and rotting corpses, a group of recruits with little combat experience, led by Aleutians and several veterans, operated anti-tank guns and anti-tank guns, time and time again. The German tanks approaching the trench line were driven back.
Wei Ran, who was also involved, had completely lost all other ideas at this time. He was just panting and going back and forth between the ammunition storage point and the artillery position with a few soldiers to prepare for the anti-aircraft gun. Tank guns provide plenty of shells.
The artillery shells that hit near the position from time to time lifted up the smelly mud and broken limbs, and then fell on almost all the survivors and corpses nearby.
But all the recruits, including Wei Ran, have long lost the fear at the beginning. At most, they can only wipe the dirt on their faces that obscures their vision and continue to be busy with their work. As for the ones who were dumped Whether the dirt is mud or rotten meat may no longer matter.
Because everyone knows that as long as the position under our feet is still there, as long as the Germans on the opposite side of the position are still there, death is just the inevitable outcome sooner or later.
The sound of gunfire from the anti-tank gun position, the explosion of artillery shells hitting the position, the roar of anti-tank guns and the several Deshka heavy machine guns, all these noises disturbed Wei Ran's hearing. It has long since been replaced by an almost constant buzzing sound.
But even so, through the flares that the Germans fired into the night sky again and again, he could vaguely see that from time to time there would be a tall or short figure rushing towards the enemy holding grenades bundled with wire. After leaving the trench, not long after, outside the visual blind area blocked by the trench, there will be a flash of light that seems to be burning life.
Finally, when the whiteness of fish belly gradually appeared above the head, meteors with long tail flames tore the night sky apart from the direction of the Don River behind them, smashing hard towards the people who were about to be torn apart at any time. German soldiers driving position 19 and their tanks and armored vehicles.
"Katyusha! It's Katyusha! It's our Katyusha!"
The Aleut captain shouted in surprise at the top of his lungs. This night's battle He, the second lieutenant, has been promoted to the company commander of this position. As for the former supreme commander of position 19...
Wei Ran, who was nearly deaf, glanced at the crater not far away. At the position command post, he tiredly put the shells he had just picked up back into the wooden box, and then sat down on the ammunition box next to him.
Although he couldn't hear what the Aleutian Captain was shouting at this time, he could guess that it was the female name that countless frontline soldiers during World War II dreamed about and longed for— —Katyusha!
After this round of rocket attacks, the battle that lasted almost all night finally came to a temporary halt. Except for a few soldiers on guard, almost everyone slumped on the ground tiredly, their eyes dull. Look above your head.
Soon after, some women with a wide range of ages and a dozen children aged fifteen or sixteen arrived in small baskets, which were barely clean.Drinking water, two large baskets of black bread mixed with sawdust and a small piece of boiled fish.
Pushing food into the hands of everyone who was still alive, these women and children bent down and cooperated with each other to carry the wounded soaked in muddy water to the rear hospital. When they came back, they would still be there. Piecemeal, a cannonball, a few grenades, a chain of ammunition or even a few magazines were sent.
After delivering the ammunition supplies to the ammunition dump in categories, they silently lifted up the fallen soldiers and sent them to the mass grave along a particularly quiet trench.
As these people went back and forth again and again, the reserves of the ammunition storage points were visibly filled up. Not only were the bodies of the dead soldiers and the wounded disappeared in the muddy trenches, they were even paved at several key positions. A layer of logs as thick as a wrist was built, which finally prevented the living people from continuing to soak in the muddy water.
"Click!"
The crisp sound of the shutter did not alarm many people, but Wei Ran, who had just barely recovered his hearing, suddenly raised his head, and then saw a man wearing a The female soldier in Soviet military uniform and boat cap is moving the Leica camera away from the Aleutian company commander.
Aleutian, who was photographed, was obviously very familiar with this female soldier. He just tiredly raised his trembling hands, and then asked in a hoarse voice, "Zoya, what are the other positions? How is it?"
"Not so good"
Zhuo Ya put away the camera and sighed, and replied sadly, "The No. 18 position next door suffered the most heavy losses. After the battle, there were less than 10 men and two anti-tank guns left that were barely capable of fighting."
"Uncle Mehri..."
The one next to Aleutian. As soon as the young soldier asked, the female soldier Zhuo Ya shook her head, "He blew up a German tank..."
Wei Ran, who was about to ask something, leaned against the wet bed again. Trench sat down slowly and tried several times to tell the people around him what he knew about the historical process, but in the end he kept his mouth tightly closed and did not utter a single word.
So what if I say it? Apart from being regarded as a madman, it does not help this battle at all. Even if the Aleut Captain believed his lies, could they give up this position? If you can really give up so easily, what's the point of those corpses that were carried away not long ago?
"Vanya! Where is Vanya?!" Aleutian stood up unsteadily and shouted hoarsely.
"I'm here" a shirtless strong man stood up from not far away and responded.
Wei Ran's pupils shrank for a moment. This strong man was the one who pulled him out of the corner of the trench last night and assigned him the job of ammunition hand!
“Let’s take stock of our situation, and ask the new recruits when supplies will arrive.”
The Aleutian company commander had already climbed up on a simple wooden ladder before he finished speaking. He leaned against the edge of the trench and looked out cautiously, then quickly jumpedBack to the trenches.
Hearing this, Vanya immediately began to count the number of people along the trench, and the female soldier Zoya also pointed the camera lens at a young soldier who was wiping an anti-tank gun.
After a short rest, the people who had barely filled their stomachs were organized by the Aleutian company commander, and they repaired the messy trenches in an orderly manner.
"What's your name?"
Wanya held a small notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other, and asked Wei Ran who was digging a ditch for the anti-tank gun position. road.
"Victor"
Wei Ran straightened up and replied breathlessly. At the same time, he glanced at the pistol holster on the opponent's waist without any trace. He saw it with his own eyes last night. However, the other party used that pistol to kill several collapsed recruits.
"It's a good name." After Vanya praised it, he continued to ask without raising his head, "Do you know the word?"
"Yes!" Wei Ran hurriedly asked Nodding, "I am a postman from the 64th Army Field Post Office. I can read! I can use a camera, and..."
"Keep digging your drainage ditch"
Wani Akko didn't have time to listen to Wei Ran's nonsense. He glanced at the messenger bag that was still slung on Wei Ran's shoulder. He scribbled down a few words and immediately grabbed another soldier to repeat the question.