Nekrasov leaned over and looked at me, and then asked me curiously: "Comrade Commander, do you still know German?"

When I heard his question, I immediately shook my head like a rattle, "I don't know any of the letters except for a few simple German speaking words."

"Then how can you understand the German troops deployed on the city defense map?" Nekrasov asked again.

"It's very simple," I pointed to the numbers on the picture and said to him: "These numbers are undoubtedly the numbers of the German troops. Even if I don't know the German letters, I can guess it." After saying this, I saw the officer sent by Xie Liujin again, and thought that if I just wanted to send a city defense map, I could send a communications soldier. Why would an officer be sent? It must be of any intention.

Thinking of this, I looked at the officer and asked, "Comrade Officer, what's your name?"

"Melcourley," the officer replied nervously when he heard my question: "Captain Melcourley, I am the intelligence counselor of the 89th Division of the Guards."

When the intelligence consultant heard his position, I asked with a hint of luck: "Comrade Captain, do you understand German?"

Melculy nodded and replied in a positive tone, "Yes, Comrade Commander, I understand German." As he said that, he shrugged his shoulders and added shyly, "I learned German in college. When the teacher ordered me to hand over the fortifications of the city to you, he also asked me to interpret for you."

"Captain," Nekrasov asked, "How long would it take if you were asked to translate this fortification map and mark it on our map?"

After thinking for a moment, Melculi replied: "Comrade General, I think at most half an hour, I can translate the contents of the German city defense map and mark it on our map."

Hearing Melkuli's answer, Nekrasov was immediately excited. After asking his subordinates to bring a map of Kharkov, he ordered Melkuli in a stack of voices: "Captain, hurry up, mark the enemy's troops on the map."

"Wait." Seeing Melculli bent down and ready to start work, I quickly spoke to stop them: "This is too slow. When the captain's marking is completed, it will be at least an hour before sending it back to the Army Command."

When Nekrasov heard me say this, he was stunned at first, then nodded vigorously and replied: "Yes, if the captain alone is to complete this work, it will indeed take a lot of time. I'll find someone to cooperate with him."

"Comrade Commander, our troops are now fighting fiercely outside, so every minute is precious. So even if the battle is shortened by one minute or less, our commanders and soldiers can shed a lot of blood." I did not agree with his proposal, but said to myself: "In order to save time, please let Captain Melkuli notify the headquarters directly of the distribution of the troops on the map."

As I said that, I picked up the phone and asked the communications trooper to help me connect to the Army Command. During the short process of waiting for the phone to be connected, I instructed Nekrasov: "Comrade Commander, please let another staff member with high drawing skills come over. When Captain Melkuli reports to the headquarters later, he will also mark the enemy's position on the map."

Nekrasov was very satisfied with my proposal and agreed very readily: "Okay, that's it!"

At this moment, Chisdakov's voice came from the receiver: "Hey, Comrade Commander, is it you?"

"Yes, comrade Deputy Commander, it's me." I answered quickly.

"How is your situation there?" Chisdakov asked carefully.

“The battle is still in progress!”

"Have General Managarov's troops arrived?"

"Not yet, I guess their troops will arrive in about half an hour." After a brief greeting with Chisdakov, I went straight to the topic: "Comrade Deputy Commander, Xie Liujin's troops captured the division headquarters of the 106th Infantry Division of the German Army, and seized a city defense fortification map inside."

"What, city defense fortification map?" Chisdakov asked in surprise after hearing this: "Is the latest German troops deployed?"

"I think it should be." I don't know if this picture formally reflects the current real military deployment of the German army, so I could only answer a vague answer. Then I said, "Xie Liujin sent me a German-speaking consultant. I will let him report the military deployment on the map to you. Remember, after the city defense fortifications is marked, we must report to the two fronts' commands immediately."

"Major Akhromeyev, please come over with a map of Kharkov." I heard Chisdakov calling Akhromeyev, and after he finished speaking, I emphasized again: "Comrade Deputy Commander, this city defense fortification map can help our troops accelerate the attack speed and reduce unnecessary casualties. So once the mark is completed, report it to the superior immediately!"

"Don't worry, comrade Commander." Chisdakov said to me: "In fact, there is no need to wait until the full mark is completed before reporting to the superior. You can report to the superior while marking it, so that you can save time greatly."

"Great, comrade, this is really great." After hearing Chisdakov's idea, my mood suddenly became relaxed. I originally sent the information from us to the Army Command in accordance with my method, and then reported it to the Front Command, and then used them to send the city defense map to the participating troops. It would take as soon as two or three hours. According to Chisdakov's proposal, it only takes at most one hour, and the commanders of the front-line divisions could receive this city defense fortification map and clearly know the distribution of the German troops. "Just follow your proposal."

After finishing my call with Chisdakov, I handed the microphone to Captain Melkuli, and said, "Comrade Captain, you can start."

When Mercury and Nekrasov's staff began to be busy, I pulled Nekrasov aside and said to him: "Comrade Commander, since we have this city defense map, even if it is dark, our attack must continue."

"Fight night battle?" Nekrasov said with a embarrassed expression on his face. "Comrade Commander, I think it is unwise to let the troops fight street battles with the enemy at night in a strange city."

"This is also impossible." I don't know what Nekrasov said, but there is no way. We are now racing against time. If the German army knew that we had seized their city defense fortifications, once the adjustment was made, our troops would suffer a great loss, so we must fight quickly. "When the German army still doesn't know that we have seized the city defense fortifications, they have to run around in an uninterrupted attack. Even in the end, they don't know that we have understood their troops' deployment, they don't have time or method to make adjustments."

"It seems that this is the only way." Nekrasov sighed helplessly and said to me: "I will inform the commanders of the regiments to prepare for battle. When the two divisions of General Managarov arrived, they will immediately attack the enemy."

Just as Nekrasov was assembling a task to his subordinates, a radio operator walked up to me and handed me a telegram, and said, "Comrade Commander, your telegram!"

I took the telegram and saw a word written on it: "Good!" The signature was Zhukov.

Holding the telegram sent by Zhukov himself, I suddenly became excited and muttered to myself that if our troops could greatly shorten the attack on Kharkov based on this city defense fortification map, then there would definitely be great benefits waiting for me when the battle ended.

An hour later, Managarov, who was exhausted, walked into the command center. He saluted me while walking towards me, and said, "Hello, Comrade Commander, how are you doing here?"

"Our commanders and fighters are fighting tenaciously." I said in an official voice and then asked, "Comrade General, have the 29th Guards Division and the 107th Infantry Division arrived?"

"All have arrived." Managarov asked after a brief answer, "Comrade Commander, I don't know where you plan to use these two divisions?"

"Comrade General, please come here." I guided him to the table, pushed the city defense map marked by the staff to him, and said with a smile: "Look at what this is?"

Managarov glanced at the map disapprovingly. He turned his eyes away, and before he could talk to me, he focused his attention on the map in front of him. After looking carefully for a while, he said excitedly: "Comrade Commander, is this, this, this, Kharkov's fortification map?"

"That's right, Comrade General." I looked at him and said with certainty: "This is the fortifications of Kharkov."

Managarov grabbed the map and asked excitedly: "Where did you get it?"

"It was the commander Xie Liujin and his team seized it from the division headquarters of the 106th German Infantry Division." In order to make Managarov know about it, I also added: "Since I know the deployment of the German troops, I plan to let the troops continue to attack and even fight night battles with the Germans."

"Your decision is right," Managarov said approvingly: "We will beat the Germans hard before they came back to their senses and had no time to adjust their deployment. By the way, where are you going to use my two divisions?"

"That's how I think, Comrade General." I pointed to the offensive line on the map and politely said to Managarov: "Your two divisions follow these streets and attack the Derzhinsky Square in the city center to fight for the German command in the area. Are you confident?"

"No problem." Managarov agreed readily: "I will inform the two division commanders now, and after a little rest, I will immediately attack the enemy."

After Nekrasov waited for Managarov to leave, he walked to me and said with some concern: "Comrade Commander, we have all gone to participate in the attack, and your troops here will become weak. If the German army launches a counterattack, you may be in danger."

"Don't worry, comrade Commander." Regarding his concern, I smiled and said, "The current guard mission here can be taken over by General Kravchenko's motorized regiment. As long as you fight harder in front, the safer our place will be." After that, I raised my hand and looked at my watch, urging him, "Okay, it's getting late, and your troops will set off soon!"

Nekrasov nodded and said to me with a serious expression: "Comrade Commander, please rest assured, I will definitely bring you the news of victory!" After that, he raised his hand to salute me a solemn military salute, and then turned around and walked out of the command center.

Since all the troops participating in the war received the German city defense fortifications provided by me, the battle went on fierce battles, and fierce battles were taking place all night inside and outside the city of Kharkov.

At one o'clock in the morning, Shivakov called me. He reported to me excitedly: "Comrade Commander, our third-way troops have broken through the German defense one after another, rushed into the city, and are developing in depth."

"I understand, Comrade Commander." I heard that the other three troops rushed into the city one after another, and my mood became excited. "Please convey my gratitude to the commanders and fighters! Then tell the commanders and fighters not to stop after rushing into the city. Whenever there is gunfire, rush to wherever there is gunfire. You must completely eliminate the enemy in the shortest time. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Comrade Commander." Shivakov replied loudly.

Since the three troops who were fighting hard outside the city rushed into the city, the reserve team outside the city could not let them be idle, so I then called Chisdakov and asked him to put all the other divisions into the battle.

Another hour later, I received a call from Xie Liujin, who reported to me emotionally: "Comrade Commander, my troops have rushed to the city center and raised a red flag on the Gosprom, the tallest building in the city."

"Great, General Xie Liujin, this is really great!" I heard that the 89th Division occupied the city's landmark building tonight, and my heartbeat immediately accelerated. I said in a voice that became hoarse because of excitement: "The results you have achieved today will be recorded in history!"

"By the way, comrade Commander, there is one more thing I haven't reported to you yet." After Xie Liujin's mood stabilized, he continued: "According to my soldiers' reports, the 183rd Division of the 69th Army also advanced along Sumei Street to Derzhinsky Square and was fighting fiercely with the German army. In other areas, friendly troops broke through the German army's peripheral positions and rushed into the city."

"General Xie Liujin, immediately send troops to reinforce friendly forces." Hearing that friendly forces also rushed into the city, I immediately ordered Xie Liujin, "to eliminate the enemies in the city center as soon as possible." (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!