After Lieutenant Jackman finished his request, he saw Captain Merck looking at him with a blank expression.

Just when Lieutenant Jackman couldn't help but ask Captain Merck if he had sudden facial paralysis, he saw Captain Merck rolling his eyes and looking at the sky.

Lieutenant Jackman subconsciously followed and looked up at the sky, although the sun had not yet appeared, but the sky was already bright at this time, and even in the originally dark forest, the vision was no longer restricted.

Lieutenant Jackman looked at the city of Idritsa, outside the forest in the distance, and saw that in addition to the sentry posts at the intersections, there were already Soviet soldiers walking back and forth between the houses and buildings in the city.

The young Lieutenant Jackman immediately understood what Captain Merck meant, and it was indeed difficult for a strong man to let them take prisoners in this kind of light.

Tapping the steel helmet on his head in anguish, Lieutenant Jackman anxiously pondered a new battle plan.

"Seeing this military uniform on your body, I can probably guess your combat pattern. I have a solution, but it requires both of us to take significant risks. Captain Merck said.

Lieutenant Jackman said, "War is an adventure, and the greater the risk, the greater the gain・・・・・・"

"The better the chance of earning the Iron Cross." Captain Merck said.

"Yes, tell us what you think, as long as there is a 50% success rate, we will act immediately." Lieutenant Jackman said.

"My battle plan is to use me and my men as victims to create opportunities for you to get close to the enemy, and my plan is ・・・・・・," Captain Merck said.

・・・・・・

At the intersection of Highway 563 into the city of Idricsa, the officer on duty, who had been standing on the side of the road and his eyes wandering, suddenly stopped, turned his back to the city, and looked west.

On the road in the west, a group of infantry seems to have come out of the ground. was trotting towards the sentry he was on duty.

The lieutenant on duty pressed his right hand to the pistol on his right waist, and a man stood on the side of the road, quietly watching the rapidly approaching group of infantry.

Behind him, the muzzles of two Maxim heavy machine guns were pointed at the road, and the machine gunner's eyes were wary of the unit that suddenly appeared.

More than two dozen infantrymen, panting, helped each other and ran to the lieutenant on duty. One of the lieutenants at the head slowed down, staggering as if he was about to fall to the ground at any moment.

"Comrade lieutenant, quick, give me water, water." The lieutenant's voice was hoarse, and the whole person seemed to be radiating heat.

The lieutenant said, his right hand already reaching for the lieutenant on duty.

The lieutenant took a vigilant step back, avoided the lieutenant's hand, turned back and waved at the soldier at the door of the roadside duty room. Motioned for them to go get the kettle.

"Comrade Lieutenant, please report your name and unit number." The lieutenant on duty asked.

"I'm Lieutenant Alexei Gorman of the Arsenal 9 garrison camp, Arsenal 9 has been attacked by the Germans and has been lost, I have more important military information to report, please take me to your Supreme Commander." Lieutenant Goldman pulled out his officer ID and handed it to the lieutenant on duty.

"Comrade Lieutenant, we need water and food, please provide us with some as soon as possible. Be quick. The military situation is urgent, inform your superiors as soon as possible. The city of Itrica is dangerous right now, so be quick. Lieutenant Goldman kept urging.

The lieutenant on duty asked his subordinate to hand the kettle to Lieutenant Goldman, and after looking through Lieutenant Goldman's military ID, he found nothing suspicious, so he handed it back to Lieutenant Goldman.

Lieutenant Gorman took the military kettle and did not drink it himself. Instead, he handed it to his equally anxious subordinates behind him, an action that immediately made the lieutenant on duty feel good.

Soon, more military kettles were taken out of the duty room.

After Lieutenant Gorman poured a few sips of cold water, his breath gradually calmed down, but the expression on his face was still impatient.

While he was drinking water. The lieutenant on duty walked into the duty room, picked up the phone and dialed the rear, and reported what happened to Lieutenant Goldman.

The lieutenant on duty reappeared next to Lieutenant Gorman with a large loaf of bread in his hand.

"Lieutenant Goldman, eat some bread first, and I'll send someone to take you to my superiors."

About ten minutes later, Lieutenant Gorman was taken into a two-story building near the side of the road in the western part of the city of Idricia.

After saluting and greeting the lieutenant colonel in front of him, Lieutenant Gorman learned that standing in front of him was Lieutenant Colonel Vorobev of the 21st Mechanized Corps Guard Corps.

"Lieutenant Goldman, you said there was an urgent military situation to report, and now you can say it."

"Arsenal Nine was raided by the Germans and was lost, but that wasn't the most important thing. The next target for the Germans is Idricsa, which will soon be attacked by the Germans, and you must be prepared for battle. Lieutenant Goldman said quickly.

Lieutenant Colonel Vorobev nervously walked up to Lieutenant Gorman.

"How do you know? How many enemies are there? Approximate time will it arrive? From which direction to attack? ”

"My men and I saw them on our way here. There is at least one company in number, and I don't know if there are other troops behind. We finally saw them in the forest on the north side of Route 563, and I don't know exactly where the enemy was attacking. Lieutenant Goldman said.

Volobev thought for a moment, then walked to the next room, picked up the phone and dialed the military headquarters of the 21st Mechanized Army, and reported the information he received to his superiors.

Lieutenant Goldman pricked up his ears and listened to the sounds of the other room.

"Yes, yes, I'll send him to you at once, Comrade Commander."

Vorobev's voice reached Lieutenant Gorman's ears, and a smile flashed on Lieutenant Gorman's face, but it quickly disappeared.

At the strong request of Lieutenant Gorman, his men were taken to the canteen to eat, but he himself followed Lieutenant Colonel Vorobev in a sedan and got into the complex.

The sedan whirled around the complex, parked in front of a red-roofed villa with only half of the side remaining.

Along the way, Lieutenant Gorman silently noted the path he had taken.

Following Lieutenant Vorobev into the dilapidated villa and handing over their weapons to the guards, Lieutenant Gorman and Lieutenant Colonel Vorobev walked into the basement of the villa.

It originally appeared to be a wine cellar, which was divided into several rooms.

In a compartment with a round table and a chair with a back, Lieutenant Gorman saw an officer wearing the rank of major general.

"I'm Major General Lelyuschenko of the 21st Mechanized Army, Lieutenant Gorman, tell me about the loss of Arsenal No. 9, and tell me about the Germans."

I heard the other party claim to be the commander of the 21st Mechanized Army. A strange gleam flashed in Lieutenant Goldman's eyes.

"Yesterday at noon, we were on routine duty to arrange for the convoys of various units to receive supplies, and suddenly a group of German bombers flew to the west. In recent days, groups of bombers of the Germans have often flown by, and we did not pay attention to this bomber group.

But after the bombers approached us. A few white smoke bombs suddenly fell on our positions, and then tragedy struck.

After the departure of the German bomber group, the top of the nearby hill had been occupied by the Germans, and we launched a counter-attack, only to be repulsed by their advantage in the terrain, and then the second wave of German bomber groups arrived and completely destroyed the last of our forces.

I collected some of the scattered soldiers and hid them in the forest near the arsenal, waiting for the arrival of the counteroffensive troops. At the same time, send someone to report to the superiors. After all, we don't have a radio station in our hands, so we can only rely on this primitive way.

While waiting, we found that more Germans arrived at the arsenal, in large numbers, with a regiment of troops.

When it was almost dark, we found that one of the German troops in the arsenal had quietly left the arsenal.

Considering that the comrades had no food on them, they were hungry for most of the day. It didn't last long. I decided not to spy on the German troops in the arsenal, but to take someone to follow the German unit. See what they're doing.

After following them for a while, I found out that they were coming for the city of Idrisa, so I took advantage of the night to get rid of them and rush here to report the news.

Be careful with them, they will most likely summon a group of bombers to bomb the city first, as they did against us. Then take advantage of the chaos to attack the city, and we must be prepared. ”

Listening to Lieutenant Gorman finish what happened in one breath, the expression on Lelyushenko's face was extremely solemn.

Yesterday evening, a transport convoy of the 21st Mechanized Corps routinely went to the No. 9 arsenal to collect supplies, but was ambushed near the arsenal.

The surviving driver fled back to the city of Idritsia by car. Bringing back the bad news, Lelyushchenko did not hesitate to transfer a unit from the front to recover the No. 9 arsenal, and at the same time report to the command of the North-Western Front.

If the German troops were really close to Idricsa, even if it was only an air attack, it would be enough to pose a threat to their own military headquarters, and no one dared to guarantee that the Luftwaffe aerial bombs would not fall on the villa.

In particular, an unknown number of German infantry were hidden in the surrounding forests.

Lelyushchenko stood up and shook hands with Lieutenant Goldman.

"Your information is timely, you have worked hard. You ・・・・・・"

Lelyushchenko approached Lieutenant Gorman, only to find that Lieutenant Gorman's military uniform was covered with dust and exuded a familiar smell of sweat.

Lieutenant Goldman's eyes were also covered in red cobweb-like bloodshots.

Aware of these details, Lyuschenko was even more moved.

"What do you need, just tell Lieutenant Colonel Vorobev, he will try to satisfy you."

"I need a hot meal now, and a bed, Comrade Commander." Lieutenant Goldman said.

"You and your men will get all this, go and rest."

・・・・・・

To the west of the city of Idricia, deep in the forest.

Captain Merck dictated a telegram for the correspondent to send to Colonel Dietrich.

The ticking of the radio kept coming to his ears.

In the woods behind him, a soldier trotted up to Captain Merck.

"Captain, the Russians are coming."

Captain Merck hurriedly followed the herald to the edge of the forest, just in time to see more than twenty trucks rushing out of the city of Idricia.

The trucks were parked outside the forest, with columns of infantry jumping out of the back compartments.

Behind the convoy of trucks, there were countless infantrymen, who trotted out of the city and joined the convoy of trucks.

Seeing the Soviet infantry group outside, Captain Merck rubbed his palms excitedly, the appearance of these Soviet troops meant that Lieutenant Jackman's operation had made initial progress.

Seeing the Soviet infantry, led by the officers, spread out in four or five straggler lines, strolling towards the forest, Captain Merck waved his hand and retreated to the depths of the forest with his subordinates.

About five minutes after Captain Merck and his men disappeared, the Soviet skirmish line swept through the bushes where he had been hidden.

Deep in the forest, after waiting for about ten minutes, Captain Merck finally saw figures among the trees and bushes in front of him.

The Soviet infantrymen, guns in hand, swaggered through the forest without any nervous looks, as if they were on a leisurely walk through the woods. He waited another two minutes, when the nearest Soviet infantry was less than fifty meters away from him.

Captain Merck raised his assault rifle and fired a triple burst shot.

In the forefront of the Soviet army, a captain fell headlong to the ground.

The MG42 machine gun, the G42 semi-automatic rifle, and the STG42 assault rifle, the murderous Type 42 brothers, poured countless bullets on the heads of the Soviet troops, instantly triggering a storm of death among the Soviet infantry.

Countless Soviet infantry spasmed and fell to the ground, blood gushing from the bodies of the corpses and wounded, staining the green leaves of the surrounding vegetation and moistening the soft ground.

Defenseless, the Soviet infantry suffered heavy casualties, one by one was swept down by bullets, and the screams of the Soviet wounded came one after another, making the surviving Soviet soldiers even more frightened.

After the initial panic, the surviving Soviet infantry, driven and cursed by the officers, broke free from the suppression of German fire and returned fire with their weapons, and the gunfire in the forest intensified.

The sound of gunfire in the forest, and the clouds of gunpowder smoke rising from time to time, immediately attracted the attention of the Soviet troops outside the forest, inside the city of Idricsa.

Lieutenant Colonel Vorobev's call soon reached the military headquarters of the 21st Mechanized Corps.

A staff officer picked up the phone, and after listening to Vorobeev's report, he said to Major General Lelyushchenko: "Comrade Army Commander, the phone call of Lieutenant Colonel Vorobev, our guard unit has encountered the Germans in the forest on the north side of Highway 563 west of the city, and is currently exchanging fire. The enemy fire was strong, and it seemed that there was a battalion of troops. ”

The staff officer and Lelyushchenko did not know that the guard unit had been defending the military headquarters all the time, had hardly participated in battles, had no intuitive understanding of the intensity of German small arms fire, and had no combat experience.

They overestimated the strength of Captain Merck, using their own firepower standards as a reference.

After listening to the report, Lelyuschenko said to the chief of staff beside him: "Fortunately, with the appearance of Lieutenant Goldman, we can get information in time and intercept those Germans, if they touch us, it will really cause us a lot of trouble." ”

The chief of staff nodded, agreeing with Lelyushchenko's opinion.

"When this campaign is over, we should apply for a medal for him."

"You're right, for a self-motivated and responsible young man like Lieutenant Goldman, the medal is the best affirmation of him." (To be continued.) )