It was already three o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived in Dokuchaev. As soon as the army command was arranged, we received an emergency telegram from the army command.

The telegram was personally issued by Khalidonov himself. The telegram said: "In order to clear the obstacles to the main forces of the front army on the road ahead, your troops should launch an attack on the enemy troops entrenched in Kinnotska, Norway in the west of Dokuchaev, and restore the smooth flow of Highway H20. The battle must end before 10 am on the 10th."

After seeing this telegram, I looked up and asked Witkov: "Chief of Staff, do you have detailed information about the German army?"

Witkov nodded and handed me a telegram I had just received, and said with a serious expression: "Norway's town of Kinnotsga is seven kilometers southwest of our city. It is fifteen kilometers away from Volnovaha. The enemy built a large number of civil bunkers and firepower points here, firmly controlling the entire highway, and completely cutting off the connection between our front army and the southern front army."

I received the telegram and did not read it immediately, but asked casually: "What kind of force is the enemy?"

"According to our reconnaissance," Witkov had already memorized the contents of the telegram. When he heard me ask, he immediately replied without any ambiguity: "The German army has set up a battalion in the town, stationed two infantry companies, and an artillery observation station. Once the defenders are attacked, they can call for long-range artillery fire for support. Therefore, several operations launched by the 6th Army to open up the traffic line ended in failure."

I took the telegram and quickly found the location of the Norwegian town of Kinnotsga on the map. I have to say that the Germans chose this position very well. Not only did they seriously threaten the flanks of our army, but they also restricted our army's actions. It was like a fishbone stuck in our throats. It was really annoying.

"Comrade Commander, how are you going to fight?" When Witkov asked this, he unconsciously raised his hand and looked at his arm. Perhaps he was worried that we would not have enough time to attack. "You know, friendly forces have launched several attacks on this town, but they all ended in failure under the enemy's artillery fire. So if we want to attack, we must find a way to destroy the enemy's artillery observation room so that the enemy cannot provide fire for artillery when we are attacked."

"You are very thoughtful, Comrade Chief of Staff." After seriously considering Vitkov's proposal, I said, "Let's do this, send out the sniper team of Lieutenant Vasily immediately and let them find a way to kill the enemy's artillery observation room. As for the next battle." When I said this, I couldn't help but raise my hand and look at the watch. I found that the hour hand had pointed at four o'clock. "Call up a few division commanders to have a meeting first and plan it well."

When Vetkov accepted my order and went to call the commanders of the divisions, Kirillov approached me and whispered: "Comrade Oshenina, the time given to us by our superiors is too short. If we fight in such a hasty way, I am afraid that our attack will..."

Before Kirillov finished speaking, I quickly raised my hand to stop him from speaking, glanced at the busy communications officer. I also whispered to Kirillov: "Comrade Political Commissar, I understand. Our troops have just arrived here and are still unfamiliar with the surrounding environment. If they rashly enter the battle, they will suffer a great loss. But the superior's order is clear, and we must resolve the battle before 10 o'clock tomorrow morning anyway."

"Are you sure?" Kirillov asked worriedly.

I tried to squeeze out a smile on my face and said calmly: "Comrade Political Commissar, don't forget our division. Although it has not been established for a long time, it has always been an outstanding army with combat experience. When we were covering the main force of the 64th Army to withdraw to Stalingrad, we also severely damaged the 29th Brigade of the German Motorized Infantry through night attacks and captured their division commanders. I believe that in tonight's battle, the commanders and soldiers of the Bantaileev Division will definitely make new contributions."

Since the 171st Infantry Division and the 84th Tank Brigade stationed in the Volnovaha area were too far apart from us, the military meeting did not allow the military chiefs of these two units to participate. Only Bantaileev, Gurdiev, and Artillery Commander Kavilin in Dokuchaev attended.

Perhaps because of yesterday's victory, from the moment Bantaileev entered the door, I found that he was in a particularly excited state. He and Major General Gurdiev were talking and laughing loudly. After all, nearly 300 enemies were wiped out in one battle, but none of them were killed. As the military chief of the division, he really had the capital to be proud.

Seeing that everyone was sitting, Bantaileev pulled Kavilin next to him with excitement and started talking again. Kirillov couldn't help frowning. He slapped the table twice and said to Bantaileev dissatisfiedly: "Comrade General, we are about to have a meeting, please keep quiet." Bantaileev, who was scolded by Kirilov, smiled embarrassedly at us and closed his mouth obediently.

Witkov stood up and said to the participants with a serious expression: "Comrades, in order to open up the H20 Highway and restore the connection between our Southwest Front and the Southern Front. The head of the army asked us to launch an attack on the German army entrenched in the town of Kinnotsga, Norway tonight, and resolve the battle before 10 am tomorrow."

After hearing that Witkov announced his order, Bantaileev stood up. He frowned slightly, stared at Witkov seriously, and said in a low tone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, it is still very short for our troops to arrive at Dokuchaev, and the commanders have no time to get familiar with the surrounding environment. I would like to ask how our commanders can command their troops to attack the enemy's entrenched town in an unfamiliar environment?"

"General Bantaileev, please sit down." Before answering his question, Vetkov politely asked him to sit down, and then said: "Because there is a German artillery observation station in the town, we sent the sniper team of Lieutenant Vasily. In addition to sniping the German artillery observers, their mission will also ignite two fires outside the town to guide our artillery to shoot targets."

Regarding Vetkov's answer, Bantaileev nodded with satisfaction and did not speak anymore. Kirillov looked at Gurdiev and said, "Comrade Gurdiev, do you have any opinions, you can also say them."

Gurdiev thought for a while and replied: "Comrade Political Commissar. I want to know the attack sequence of the troops. What is our division's mission this time, whether to serve as the main attacker or as a reserve team?"

Kirillov did not answer his question, but turned his head to look at me. Waiting for me to give Gurdiev an accurate answer. I stood up and coughed. He said to Gurdiev: "Comrade General, since your division has many new recruits, if you are allowed to serve as the main attacker in such a night battle, the effect may not be very good. Therefore, according to the arrangement, your division will continue to serve as the reserve team, and the main attacker will be responsible by Major General Bantaileev's troops." Seeing Gurdiev's expression of silence, I comforted him and said. "The reason I chose them to take on the main attack mission is that their division always maintains enough combat backbones. As long as there are new recruits in it, the entire army will be able to form combat effectiveness in no time. Moreover, they have rich experience in night attacks, which is the best fit to deal with the enemies in the town."

After I finished speaking, Vitkov asked me for instructions and said, "Comrade Commander, do you have any arrangements for the 171st Infantry Division and the 84th Tank Brigade stationed in the Volnovaha area?"

"Chief of Staff. Record the order." After seeing that Vitkov had prepared paper and pen, I continued to say: "The 171st Division drew a regiment, commanded by the division chief of staff, Colonel Borvinov. Cooperated with Colonel Bere's tank brigade, he moved towards the town of Kinnotsga in Norway at night. After our army's artillery fire was ready, he immediately launched an attack on the town." Seeing that he had recorded the order, I waved my hand at him and ordered, "Send the order immediately by telegram."

The shelling before the attack was scheduled to be at 7 pm. When the shelling began, the 22nd Guard Division, which had been assembled, would quickly approach the town of Kinnozga, Norway by truck. Get off at about two kilometers away from the town. As soon as the shelling was over, it would immediately launch a charge towards the city.

Kirillov and I stood on the fourth floor of a building on the edge of the city. We looked into the direction of the town of Kinnotsga in the distance. Outside, lead-gray dark clouds covered the moon. The sky seemed particularly low. The snow on the fields outside the city had only a faint reflection. I held up the telescope and looked for a long time, but I could only see the dark outline of the town, and I couldn't see anything else clearly.

After a long wait, I suddenly saw two flashing flames lit outside the town. Almost at the same time, Kirillov also saw the bonfire lit by Lieutenant Vasily and the others, pointing to the distance and saying to me excitedly: "Comrade Oshenina, look, the flames in the distance must be the fire that guides the artillery."

I nodded, turned around and walked to the middle of the room, picked up the phone on the table, shook it twice, and heard the voice of Lieutenant Colonel Kavilin, I decisively ordered him: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, let's start!"

"Yes!" After hearing Kavilin agree, I shouted at others: "Start shelling!"

As soon as I dropped the phone, a thunderbolt sounded outside. Then, the dense cannon sounded like thunder. The cannons of the 266th Artillery Regiment and the heavy howitzers of the Bantaireev Division Artillery Battalion opened fire violently at Norwegian Kinnotsga from different distances and locations.

The battle started, and the unbearable waiting was over.

Before the start, our actions were not discovered by the Germans, which made me very satisfied. Before the start, I was concerned about whether it could be launched smoothly. After the start, I was concerned about how to win. In order to correctly handle various possible accidents in the battle, I tried my best to revisit my plan in my mind, and found that there was no mistake, so I breathed a sigh of relief.

I walked to the window, raised my telescope and looked at the town in the distance. A very spectacular picture immediately appeared in front of us. The fire in the town soared into the sky, reflecting the nearby sky into orange. One building after another collapsed under the light of the fire.

Seeing this scene, Kirillov said excitedly: "Lieutenant Colonel Kavilin's artillery is well prepared! I think that as soon as the artillery is over, the troops will immediately rush into the town to clear away the remaining enemies."

I should be very happy to see the town occupied by the German army and was blown into a sea of ​​fire by our artillery fire, but at this moment I felt an unknown premonition, so I said without comment: "Comrade Political Commissar, we cannot be too optimistic. You must know that after all, we are fighting in a strange area. It is hard to say whether we can completely wipe out the German army in the town."

"Yes," Kirillov agreed: "The Germans are unwilling to accept their failure. After our troops rushed into the town, they may encounter the enemy's resistance."

I stared at the burning town in the distance and said thoughtfully: "Comrade Political Commissar, under our fierce shelling, in addition to the heavy casualties of the German army, the destruction of the town must be particularly serious. If Colonel Bere's tank brigade arrived at this moment, it would not be able to unfold in the town. Instead of doing this, it would be better to let them change their mission, detour to both sides of the town, and cut off the German army's retreat."

"Comrade Oshenina, you are very thoughtful and I have no objection." Kirillov has always been very supportive of my work. He agreed with my proposal most of the time, and it is no exception. "I will call the Chief of Staff immediately and ask him to inform Colonel Bere, and let the Tank Brigade detour to both sides of the town. We must cut off the German retreat, which must be cut off." After that, he walked to the telephone and called.

After half an hour of shelling, it finally stopped. The infantry attack that decided the victory or defeat of the battle finally began. Since the town was still burning, I could see the black crowd rushing towards the town from all directions like a tide.

Seeing that more and more people entering the town, I breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the table in the middle of the house to sit down, while gently pounding my legs that had become sore due to long-term standing. Suddenly, a walkie-phone operator who was originally sitting in the corner of the wall walked to me and said nervously: "Comrade Commander, the vanguard of the Second Regiment, which was the first to rush into the town, was blocked in the attack!" He saw me looking up at him, swallowed nervously before finishing the words behind. "Major Yaming, deputy commander of the Second Regiment, died, and Captain Horusov, the commander of the First Battalion, is commanding on his behalf."

When he heard that the Second Regiment's attack was blocked and the deputy commander of the Second Regiment died, Kirillov and I were shocked. To be honest, since Major Yaming came from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, although he performed remarkable in his battle to defend Mamayev and the 1075 Highlands, he never received my respect, and he didn't even raise his military rank a higher level. At this moment, he heard the radio operator say that he had sacrificed, and my heart seemed to be stabbed by something. I took a deep breath and said to the radio operator: "Captain Horusov asked me to talk to me!"

When the radio operator contacted Korushov, he handed me the sending machine and headphones. I put the headphones on my head, held the sending machine in one hand and said, "Comrade Captain, you have done a good job! The troops cannot be in a mess of command because of the sacrifice of a commander. For the enemy's firepower point, first, destroy it with a mortar! Second, it is to leave a small amount of troops to restrain it, and the large army temporarily bypass it to clear the enemies in other areas, and do not let a fascist bandit escape from our hands."

After I returned the headphones and the sender to the radio operator, I picked up the place on the table, called the military command, and decisively ordered Vitkov: "Chief of Staff, please contact Colonel Bere immediately. After completing the encirclement of the town, their tank troops should use tank guns to support the infantry rushing into the town and provide them with necessary artillery fire support." Speaking of this, I covered the microphone and asked Kirillov, who was standing opposite: "Comrade Political Commissar, are there any corrections and additions?"

Kirillov shook his head and said, "No."

Seeing that Kirillov had no objection, I decisively ordered Vitkov: "Okay, Comrade Chief of Staff, just give my order to Colonel Bere. At the same time, order the troops of the other three regiments to speed up the attack!"

The battle was going on tensely, and the German artillery seemed to understand that our army was attacking the town of Jinnotsga, Norway. A few shells fell sparsely in the middle of our attacking team and exploded, causing us some casualties. More shells fell on the empty wasteland and exploded, causing a stream of snow columns mixed with soil. (To be continued)

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Chapter completed!