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On the night of November 10, the Almaty airport was particularly busy.

At the top of the tower, Zhu Kezhen and meteorological experts climbed the tall aviation tower and took advantage of the last glimmer of light to carefully observe the clouds in the sky. On the tarmac below, all the planes have been removed from the canvas, and hundreds of refueling trucks, ammunition trucks, oxygen trucks, and maintenance trucks are shuttling back and forth.

At the forefront, four H-7 modified night auxiliary bombers, mounted on them with high-powered searchlights that could help guide and direct ground forces if necessary. This will be followed by 32 two-seater J-6 fighters equipped with radars, which will be responsible for intercepting possible enemy aircraft. The Y-6 in a dense formation is inspecting the landing gear, and this kind of transport aircraft of the same level as the C47 is actually not suitable for the needs of the Chinese Air Force, which already has strategic transport thinking and needs large airspace and large loads. So it is gradually giving way to following behind, and has changed the single tire of the landing gear to two wheels, enhanced the field take-off and landing capability, and carried 42 paratroopers at a time.

However, whether it is the Yun-6 or Yun-10, the limited airframe design does not have the head and tail doors that allow the vehicle to enter and exit quickly, so the Dapeng heavy glider, which can carry nearly eight tons of cargo at a time or transport a Hound wheeled armored vehicle, is ranked at the front. This low-cost glider, which was made entirely of wood, steel pipes and canvas and did not require an engine, has become one of the most important auxiliary means of the Airborne Forces.

In the nearby spacious hangar, several braziers were lit, and the airborne troops, wearing steel helmets, thick winter suits, and carrying heavy airborne bags, sat on the ground like a flock of heavy penguins. Some were quietly smoking, some were pulling out the paratrooper knives tied to their forearms, some were taking out submachine gun magazines to count bullets, and some were looking at the group in a daze. It's more about cursing the weather and making plans.

"The bastard came up with the idea to skydive in this weather? I got up last night and looked at the thermometer, and it was minus 11°. I don't know which miscellaneous staff officer thought of it! It's so cold on the ground, and I don't know what's going on in the sky. I can't wait for the landing, and my second child is also frozen. ”

"That's great, it's a curse to keep that thing."

"Haha"

"What's so funny? For your own attention, grenades, explosives, first aid kits, sapper shovels, and double ammunition carrying 18 kilograms of weight and a life jacket, and carrying a gun, and then jumping down from 800 meters in weather tens of degrees below zero against the north wind, isn't this pure tossing people. ”

"It's okay to be cold, but I'm afraid it will snow again at night. If there's snow on the umbrella, we're all going to be finished. ”

"If you want me to say, it's better to paddle through a clockwork dinghy than to jump down."

Ye Zishan, the commander of the sixth company, did not have a backpack, but sat near the door, listening to his comrades-in-arms scolding his mother. While checking the inflatable umbrella bag. His movements were unhurried, like a quiet girl. If it weren't for someone he was familiar with, Gen wouldn't have thought that he, who looked white and pure like a college student, was already a captain and company commander.

Inflatable umbrella bags are the main means of carrying additional equipment for paratroopers and are divided into three tiers. The outer layer is nylon, the middle is an air bag, and the innermost layer is a sponge. There's a small umbrella bag at the top. It is used to carry infantry heavy equipment and ammunition, such as the 84mm recoilless gun, the HJ32 general-purpose machine gun, the anti-materiel heavy sniper rifle, and the magnetic anti-tank grenade. Since these pieces of equipment are so heavy that anyone who hangs on them can cause a fall, this special umbrella bag is a must.

"Company commander. Why don't you talk about them? The leader of the second squad, who was inspecting together, stabbed Ye Zishan with his arm and said to Nunu, the soldier who scolded his mother: "If it goes on like this, their morale will be messed up." ”

Ye Zishan did not answer immediately, but stuffed two 127mm anti-materiel rifle bullet packs into the umbrella bag. After filling the air and tightening the mouth of the bag, he slowly raised his head. Like his overall temperament, his face is very delicate. The sword eyebrows are very much like a movie star. He didn't care about the broken mouth of his comrades, he knew that this was a natural reaction before joining the army, majoring in psychology, so he smiled lightly: "Let them vent, after all, this is our first actual combat parachute jump." ”

"I'll go to the meeting first. You're watching here, don't bother them, let them go as long as they don't violate military rules, understand? After Ye Zishan finished speaking, he looked at his watch to interrupt the platoon commander who was about to speak, and walked towards the command headquarters.

The headquarters was set up in a smaller hangar, and by the time it arrived, all the company-level officers of the two airborne divisions had taken their seats. Since the establishment of the Wehrmacht, the most important thing has been the tactics of the company and battalion level, and in this respect the armies of the world are unmatched, so before each operation, the officers at the company and battalion level need to participate in this kind of open meeting to understand the objectives in detail and clarify what they should do.

But today is a little different, after the division commander repeated the task that had already been memorized by everyone, after a loud standing sound sounded, Ye Zishan and everyone's breathing froze all of a sudden.

No one expected that just before boarding, the president would come!

After inspecting the northwest, Yang Qiu planned to return to Beijing immediately, but after careful consideration, he decided to wait for the successful crossing before going back. He didn't want to interfere in the command, for fear of putting more psychological pressure on the commanders and fighters, but Yue Peng insisted that it was necessary to boost morale before the war.

Yang Qiu hadn't tasted the taste of war for many years, so he looked at the pairs of eyes looking at him below, as if he had returned to the smoke years when he personally led troops across Europe and Asia. After smiling slightly, he suddenly walked to the side and carried two ammunition boxes. Everyone was surprised, not understanding what the president was trying to do, so they just watched him finish moving the boxes, and then fold them and stand up.

"It's so much better. I can see each of you, and I'm sure you can see me too, right? ”

"Huh."

No one expected that the president was carrying ammunition to let everyone see clearly, and the little humor made Ye Zishan and everyone laugh, and they all raised their heads to listen to the president's instructions. "To be honest, if I could be ten years younger, I would definitely kick the rest of the troops and fight with you. Why? Because I think you are the real fearless warriors!

Fly in an airplane, face the enemy's dense anti-aircraft artillery fire deep behind enemy lines, and then face the dark and unknown land, and jump! How much courage does it take? People who haven't experienced it can't think about it! Because no one knows what is hidden in that darkness. Maybe there are only a few yellow sheep below to satisfy your cravings. Perhaps an endless number of machine guns and cannons.

I don't know if my words make you nervous, but I want to say it anyway. The Airborne Forces are born to always face encirclement and counter-encirclement armies! An army that constantly fights in adversity is needed! Because your mission is to cross thousands of miles and plunge sharp bayonets into the heart of the enemy. So, I want you to always remember six words. ”

"Don't abandon! Don't give up! ”

"Don't abandon! Don't give up! ”

"Let's go!"

The president's loud and impassioned speech rekindled the fighting spirit of the airborne troops who had been tortured by the weather. When Ye Zishan returned to the hangar, all the rest hangar doors were opened at the same time. Airborne troops of two divisions simultaneously rushed out of three airfields around Almaty and boarded transport planes with heavy backpacks.

Two hours later, the flare was raised.

Meanwhile. A force of two infantry regiments, a cavalry regiment, 31 armoured vehicles and 17 BT7 tanks had quickly crossed Akchatau and entered the eastern Kovinratsky area.

"General, we've reached the intersection. Do you want to go east to East Kazakhstan or camp first? "The commander of the Cossack cavalry regiment in a cloak rushed to the armored car and pointed his whip at the Hessesen mountain bag in front of him to ask for instructions on the next action.

Five hours of continuous night walking. Nietzecokov also felt sore, so when he saw the tired faces of the cavalry, he didn't want to continue his journey, so he picked up his binoculars to check if there were any camps around. To be honest, he still doesn't think Lukin's instincts are right, although he also thinks that it's a pity that the wide Lake Balkhash is not used, but it's winter, and the lake won't freeze but the shore will. The icy water temperatures can also make it difficult for those who want to rely on rowboats and steamboats to get close. However, he was not the kind of foolish officer who climbed up by shoeing his beard, so he gladly accepted the task to take a look, and chose to go directly beyond Akchatau into the eastern Kovin ratsky area near Balkhash, and changed the original three infantry regiments to two infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment. This is more flexible, and as long as it is not subjected to massive bombing, small groups of night patrol aircraft can quickly get rid of it.

There are two dirt roads in the telescope that lead east to East Kazakhstan. 70 km to the south is Balkhash. Camping at the crossroads is dangerous, and there are no woods or shelters. So I called for a cavalry staff officer sent by the Kazakh Soviet Republic and asked if there was a camp nearby.

"General, this area is only inhabited by some small tribes, and there is no place to hide." The Kazakh cavalry staff officer, who spoke fluent Russian, pointed to the Kima Hills in the southeast and said: "We have two choices, either go directly to Balkhash or the Kima Hills in the southeast. It is sheltered by hills on three sides, north, south, south, and south, and in the middle is an open and flat water meadow. It's only 30 kilometers from here, there is a large wooded area where you can camp, and if Chinese planes want to find a place to land near Balkhash, only the Kima Hills can stop more planes, and nothing else. ”

"Only 30 km?"

"Yes, at our speed, we can camp in the woods in an hour."

"Okay, leave a company here to wait for the commander and the main force, and the rest of the people continue to set off to bomb!" Before Nitsekov could finish speaking, a bright fireball suddenly rose from the front of the convoy.

When Nitsekov subconsciously lowered his head to dodge, there was a clattering machine gun sound in front. Turning sideways, I saw that a BT7 tank led by it had turned its belly and ignited a raging flame, and the two trucks next to it were even more frantically strafed by unknown machine guns.

"Enemy attack!"

On the contrary, the commander of the Cossack cavalry regiment next to him reacted the fastest, shouting a warning to dodge.

How can there be enemies here? Nitsekov wondered if his current location was less than 70 kilometers from Balkhash, and if the enemy's planes landed, they could not hide the three infantry divisions deployed along the coast, could it be that the small group of Wehrmacht troops behind enemy lines misunderstood that they were a convoy transporting supplies to Balkhash?

Nietsecokov had a chill down his spine, and if it was mistaken for a supply convoy, then the small group of enemies on the opposite side would definitely summon planes to help. Thinking of the tragic situation of the convoys sent by Karaganda during this time, he did not dare to linger, shouting for the tanks to attack to stop the enemy, and the convoy and cavalry continued to advance towards the southeastern woods