USSR 1941

  Chapter 38 The Sound of Guns

  Submit it in the middle of the night, please ask for a recommendation ticket... There are too few tickets, brothers, there are more than 600.

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  The airtightness of the gas mask is really good, and the extension tube is thick enough, so you can breathe smoothly underwater.

Shulka likes this feeling: he can't hear the sound of guns and guns outside, and there is no stench of blood and mud. Looking up through the round window, the flames of the gunfire outside are as gorgeous as fireworks... It's like being isolated from the world, as if all the pain and danger don't exist.

   Of course, the only downside is that it is a bit cold.

Shulka shuddered and couldn't help curling up together, and then he saw his comrades go into the water one by one and gather around... It was a bit scary, the Soviet gas masks were ugly, and the soldiers called them "dead heads" ", coupled with the poor light and being in the water, they gathered in a pile like zombies in a horror movie.

Shulka squatted at the bottom of the water, lighting a special flashlight... The so-called "special" is actually wrapped in black cloth to reduce the brightness and then wrapped tightly with several layers of tarpaulins. Only a small hole is made in the bright light. Just be careful Using it, the Germans in the opposite direction could not see the light.

  The function of this flashlight is to illuminate the watch so that Shulka can see the time, and the other is to guide the soldiers to move closer to it and move in the right direction.

Similar things are very common on the battlefield. For example, the Germans have a special fluorescent stick. Their scouts use this kind of fluorescent stick to guide the tank to move forward in the dark. The direction of the Soviet army cannot see the light at all, so it will not be exposed. Location.

   After much difficulty, Shulka finally saw the time: 3:50 in the morning, just over an hour before dawn, as Major Gavrilov said, the time is really tight.

  Pukarev also has a flashlight like this. He held up the flashlight and drew a circle, and then the soldiers moved closer to him.

Then, Pukarev held the flashlight behind his back and walked towards the other side of the river first... Shulka couldn't do this. Know which direction to go.

   Fortunately, he just had to follow the bright light ahead.

A group of people moved slowly under the water. It is not an exaggeration to describe it as "crossing the river by feeling the stones". Although they can observe through the round window on the gas mask, the visibility is very poor, and only one little shadow.

   Several times, several fighters tripped over something.

  Fortunately, all of this was carried out under the water, and there were no major abnormalities on the surface of the water, so the journey was safe and sound, and we reached the opposite bank after 20 minutes.

  There was a burst of gunfire from above...that was the German soldiers blocking the river bank with firepower so that the Soviet army could not get water, which proved that Shulka and others did not go the wrong way.

  Then the warriors waited in the water, staring at Shulka and Pukarev for their orders.

  Shuerka looked at the watch, watching the time beating every minute and every second.

At 4:30, following Major Gavrilov's order, the Soviet army ambushing in the east fired a few shells towards the opposite bank of the river, followed by a burst of shouting, and teams of Soviet soldiers Army soldiers rushed out of the darkness carrying the raft and headed straight for the Bug River.

   Then there was another burst of gunfire, and more than ten smoke bombs hit the surroundings, and soon a thick fog rose near the river.

Seeing this situation, the German commander in charge of defending the river bank was Colonel Lucas. The sound of the guns woke him up in bed immediately... In fact, Colonel Lucas was not asleep. He knew that in this situation The Soviets had a chance to break out of the siege only at night, so he could sleep peacefully only during the day.

  Adjutant once said to him: "Don't worry, Colonel, the Soviets have no chance to break through!"

  But Colonel Lucas did not dare to take it lightly.

"Never underestimate your enemy, Andre!" Colonel Lucas said: "What's more, our opponent fought so bravely, and not long ago, he almost succeeded in breaking through by being fooled by us. Who can guarantee that there will be no other enemy?" once?"

   It was later proved that Colonel Lucas was right, but he didn't want to be right!

  At this time, after getting out of the headquarters, Colonel Lucas raised his binoculars and looked out. There was a cloud of smoke. Although there were flares, he still couldn't see anything, only the vague raft and the Soviet army.

   Relying on smog to force the transition?

  Lukas frowned involuntarily, this is not a good way... He was somewhat puzzled why the Soviet commander on the opposite side was sometimes smart and sometimes stupid.

  For example, now, the German army has already marked the river with artillery fire. As long as there is an order, no matter whether there is smoke or not, the shells can be accurately blasted in the river.

   Therefore, their offense is doomed to fail.

   "Colonel!" The adjutant urged.

  If they do not contact and order to fire, the Soviets are likely to cross the cordon.

  The signalman looked at the colonel with a microphone. He had already contacted the artillery to get them ready, just waiting for Colonel Lucas to order.

   Although Colonel Lucas had some doubts in his heart, he hesitated for a while, and finally he nodded.

   "Fire!" Following the order of the communicator, the whistle of shells rang out in the air.

   Then there was only a burst of "booming" noises, and pieces of shells burst into flames near the river, and those that exploded in the river water stirred up jets of water that soared into the sky.

  Occasionally there are a few violent vibrations...that is the German super-caliber mortar.

  The purpose of the German army using this kind of mortar at this time is not to blow up the walls of the fortress or kill many enemies, but to psychologically deter the enemy and make them surrender.

  What the German army and Colonel Lucas didn’t know was that these artillery sounds not only failed to act as a deterrent, but instead became the beginning of the Soviet army’s breakout battle and even a kind of cover...

  The forced crossing to the east was of course a fake. The smoke bombs were not used to cover the forced crossing, but to prevent the Germans from seeing through that it was a feint.

   Its purpose is to let the German army fire.

  Shuerka believes that the German army will fire artillery. This is because the German army has no shortage of artillery shells at this time.

   What loss can there be by firing a cannon? At most, it consumes some shells.

But if the Soviet attack is real and the Germans don't fire, then the Germans will suffer a lot... It's not that the Soviets can break out of the encirclement, but that the Soviets can at least cross the river and engage in close combat with the Germans, which will happen anyway Inflicted some casualties on the Germans.

   Colonel Lucas was certainly unwilling to take the risk, so even if he had doubts, he would eventually fire.

  So...

  Under the Holm Bridge, Pukarev, who was hiding in the water, gave a signal with a flashlight, and the soldiers climbed out of the water one by one.

  (end of this chapter)