USSR 1941

  Chapter 35 Gas Mask

   "What do you mean?" Major Gavrilov took the gas mask and looked at it.

Shulka looked around. Major Gavrilov understood and signaled the other officers to dismiss. He even asked the guards to clear a corner beside him... The Soviet army's secrecy system is too weak, especially now, just escape casually No one dared to take the risk that a single soldier might leak the secret again.

  Only Gavrilov, Commissar Fomin and Shulka were left at the table.

  For Commissar Fumin, Shulka is at ease, because in history, Commissar Fumin was disguised as an ordinary soldier when he was captured, but was betrayed by a traitor and was shot dead by the German army outside the gate of Holm. (Note: Commissar Fuming in the movie took the initiative to stand up, which is inconsistent with historical facts)

   "What do you want to say, Shulka?" Major Gavrilov raised the gas mask in his hand.

   "Major, I believe it's well sealed!" Shulka said.

   "Yes, of course!" Major Gavrilov replied: "It is used to protect against gas!"

   "And we can observe the outside situation through these two pieces of glass." Shulka pointed to the eyes on the gas mask and said, "Sorry, I don't know what it's called!"

   "Window!" Commissar Fuming said: "Circular window!"

   "Yes, the window!" Shulka continued: "And it has a long extension tube..."

   "What are you trying to say, Shulka?!" Major Gavrilov interrupted Shulka impatiently: "Now is not the time to learn how to use a gas mask!"

   "Of course, Major!" Shulka took the gas mask and said while gesticulating: "Good sealing, windows, and an extension tube...I wonder if we can use it to breathe underwater?"

"But why do we breathe in water? We don't even have water..." Major Gavrilov understood Shulka's meaning just after he finished speaking. He smiled and nodded again and again: "Good idea, Shulka, it's a good idea!"

   "What?" Commissar Fuming still didn't understand what was going on.

Major Gavrilov looked around, then made a small gesture, and then said in a low voice: "If we can breathe underwater, we can send a force to reach any place we want under the cover of the river. The place to go, I mean the other side!"

"Yes!" Shulka nodded: "That's what I'm going to say, we just need to make some simple modifications to the gas mask, and then it will be our diving suit, and we can swim under the river without knowing anyone. Feel free to reach the other side, and then launch a surprise attack on them!"

   Commissar Fumin's eyes couldn't help but light up. He turned his unexpected gaze to Shulka, nodded and said: "It is indeed a good idea, Comrade Shulka, it may save us all!"

   "How are we going to reform it?" Major Gavrilov asked.

   "I think we should change it like this..." Shulka said: "Take out the end of the extension tube and fix it on a wooden buoy to keep it afloat, so we can breathe air underwater!"

   Major Gavrilov and Commissar Fumin nodded again and again.

   "We also need to tie bricks to the calf!" Major Gavrilov, who is familiar with water, added: "Otherwise it will be difficult to maintain balance in the water, and it will be difficult to move around!"

   "Yes!" Commissar Fuming said: "We also need to know the depth of the water. If the water depth exceeds 2.5 meters, we may be in danger of being submerged!"

   "How do we know the depth of the water?" Shulka asked, which was unexpected to him.

   "Easy!" Major Gavrilov put away his gas mask and called back, "Karpusha!"

   "Yes, Comrade Major!" A guard trotted over upon hearing the sound.

  Major Gavrilov gestured on the map and asked, "Do you know the depth of the surrounding rivers?"

   "Of course, Comrade Major!" Karpusha replied.

   "I need you to mark a large water area of ​​about 2.5 meters, can you?"

   "Yes!" Karpusha replied very simply, picked up a pen and marked on the map while saying: "This, this, and this... The water flow here will be more rapid, and here it is more gentle!"

   Not long after, a simplified hydrographic map appeared in front of everyone.

  After Karpusha left, Shulka asked worriedly, "Is this reliable?"

   "Reliable!" Major Gavrilov replied: "He fishes in this river every day and knows everything about it!"

   "Okay!" Shulka was a little helpless.

  Know that just a little bit of a miss could bring danger to the entire operation, and everyone's life may depend on this plan.

  But he seemed to have no other choice, because it was only two hours before dawn, and the German army's blockade on the river bank was still very tight, so there was no time to reconnaissance these waters one by one.

   "Then, let's determine the attack position!" Major Gavrilov said.

   "We seem to have no choice!" Political Commissar Fuming suggested: "Behind the church, because we only need to cross a river in this area!"

  What Political Commissar Fumin said may be correct. It was also because of this that Shulka broke out after choosing a church.

  In other directions, if you break through at any point, you will land on another island after crossing the river, and then you have to cross a river to protrude from the encirclement.

  Major Gavrilov seemed to have no objection to this, but Shulka shook his head.

   "I don't think we can break out from here, Comrade Commissar!" Shulka said.

   "Why?" Commissar Fuming asked.

   "First of all, the Germans sealed off the river to prevent us from getting water!" Shulka explained: "This means that we can only send small troops to sneak along the river!"

  Political Commissar Fuming nodded: "If there are too many people, they will find out before they enter the water!"

   "Yes!" Shulka continued: "The enemy has deployed heavy troops in these parts, and we are only a small number of people and sneak attacks will have no effect at all!"

   "Then..." Major Gavrilov nodded: "We can only choose one of the three islands!"

  The Kobrin Fortress in the north was the first to be excluded, because the German army had just occupied it, and a large number of German troops were consolidating the defense.

   Instead, the two fortresses in the southwest and south, because the German army thought that the remnants of the enemy had been cleared and the defense was consolidated, so their forces were relatively small.

   "I think we should choose the West Island!" Major Gavrilov said: "Because it is a stone bridge, it is easy to attack, and the South Island is a cable bridge!"

   "No!" Shulka said: "Comrade Major, I think the South Island should be chosen!"

  (end of this chapter)