Leisk, northern section of the Ring Line, 15th Battalion, 591st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division:

As night fell, the sound of gunfire gradually faded away, and from time to time one or two flares flew off, reflecting the corpses scattered in front of the position.

Thirty-six-year-old Private Zhang Xinyu touched the darkness, opened a tinplate can, and used the distributed aluminum spoon to dig up the meat inside and eat it - powdery, greasy, salty, luncheon meat.

"Lao Zhang, do you still have cigarettes?"

Twenty-year-old private Zhang Yu approached, and a pair of big eyes lit up strangely under the bullet light.

During the daytime battle, both men were unharmed, which was not too lucky—the company's casualty rate that day was less than 20%.

The 2 defensive section was not dangerous, almost on a flat field, but perhaps because of this, the enemy's artillery did not "take care" much of this inconspicuous place - most of the shells hit the small hill on the eastern 2 stronghold.

"No, it's all over in the afternoon."

Zhang Xinyu replied lightly, grabbed the kettle on his waist, shook it, and it was empty.

Zhang Yu cleverly handed over his kettle.

"Do you want water? I'm still a little bit there. ”

"Thank you." Zhang Xinyu took it unceremoniously, and poured two mouthfuls of it in a row.

Zhang Yu sat next to him, sniffed, and laughed: "Still eating canned meat?" I heard that the cooking class should be fired and eaten in the evening."

"Didn't it burn?"

"I heard that the houses in the town were demolished, the wood was chopped up and loaded into trucks, and they were distributed.......

Zhang Yu unloaded his rifle and began to check the cartridge box on his waist.

Zhang Xinyu swallowed a few more mouthfuls of meat. Smacked his lips without emotion: "There are few trees in this place, can't it be transported by train?" There is no railway, and I don't think this land can become a climate, so I can herd sheep, raise horses, and set up a few tents. ”

"What if there is a railway? We can't even cook yet? I don't know what else to do after the house is demolished - how many bullets do you have left? ”

Zhang Xinyu didn't count, and replied casually: "Three or four clips." ”

"Hit so much? It's weird, it's not my first time in battle. Why do you keep shaking your hands today, and I have dropped several times when I change the magazine......"

With the flash of the flare, Zhang Xinyu saw Zhang Yu holding his head with both hands. Bunched up like a rabbit, his face nervously twisted and twitching.

"Let's kill someone for the first time today." Zhang Xinyu was not surprised by this.

"Yes. Hit two ...... It's still three, I don't know the way, I don't know the way I hit the ground. Or someone else's ......"

Zhang Xinyu shook his head and patted the little brother's shoulder: "You don't have to take this kind of thing to heart, no matter who hits, anyway, we withstood it today, and Mao Zibing can't even rush the barbed wire." Also, we're alive, and that's enough. ”

"You never count, do you?"

"Well, I haven't counted, I'd rather count the stars."

The moon is light and the stars are bright. In between flares, as long as you are still in the mood, it is also a good time for stargazing.

"Purple gas is coming from the east. Emperor Star ...... I can't read it, I can't understand it......"

Zhang Xinyu muttered to himself. But Zhang Yu on the side became interested.

"Lao Zhang, do you know astrology?"

"My second uncle is good at this, I learned a little from him."

The spoon scraped, hissed, in the end, Zhang Xinyu put down the can, licked the spoon, took out a handkerchief and wiped it.

Zhang Yu blinked, leaned closer, and asked mysteriously, "What did you mean by what you just said, Emperor Xingqi?" Want to change the emperor? Or do you have to change the dynasty again......"

Zhang Xinyu hurriedly raised his fingers and shushed.

"You're looking for death, I'm unlucky enough, don't pull me into troubled waters."

Zhang Yu coughed twice, looked left and right twice, and lowered his voice even more: "I didn't ask randomly, I have heard the wind for a long time......"

Zhang Xinyu raised his hand: "You hear the ground, it's rotten in the stomach, don't get involved with me, I'm going to sleep in the cave for a while, and call me again when I have a hot meal." ”

As soon as the words fell, a gunshot rang out on the left, and a hoarse voice exclaimed: "Maozi is here!" Maozi is coming! There's hairs over there over the barbed wire—"

Zhang Xinyu's little plan was in vain.

……

Semipalatinsk, command of the North-Western Front.

“…… It has now been ascertained that the 53rd Army/Composite Armored Brigade of the enemy, which was attacked by Pavlodar Tracing the River, was supported by a large number of river boats. The army group is now divided into two battle groups, the north bank and the south bank, which advance along the north and south banks of the Irtysh River respectively, and are transported by boats and boats on the river to support each other......"

"By this afternoon, the enemy's northern bank group had broken through our 19th Division at Semenovka, approaching the line from Bolliya Vladimir to Dolon, less than 50 kilometers from Seg, and the southern 7 had broken through the position of our 103rd at the Konechinnaya crossing, approaching the Chagan area, across the river from Dolon."

General Yan Canglong, chief of staff of the front army and commander of the Irtysh group, put down his whip and turned his head to Commander Liang Tianhe, who had been listening beside him.

"It's time to put in the reserves."

Liang Tianhe sighed, his eyebrows twisted slightly: "Will it be early?" Fight them off like this, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat the big fish from the north. ”

Yan Canglong was anxious: "If we don't fight back, the city will be in danger, once the enemy captures Chagan, he can easily go to the line from Nazmenka to Suwalkbulak, threatening our railway transportation - we must not risk the railway." ”

Liang Tianhe groaned slightly, shook his head, and returned to his seat with his hands behind his back.

"No, it's better to fight back later, but some troops can be drawn from the reserves to strengthen the current defensive line. Today there are two anti-tank battalions, and tomorrow, the two vanguard armored battalions of the Praetorian Guard should also arrive, enough for you to hold out for a while. Remember, don't beat your enemies too hard and make them think they still have a chance. ”

"How many reserves can be drawn? Tactical local counterattacks are fine, right? Yan Canglong asked unceremoniously.

"Half at most, including artillery. Tactical counterattacks can be launched by commanders at all levels at the front according to the situation, but they must have sufficient reasons and grasp, and they must strictly guard against the enemy's surprise attack by taking advantage of the situation. I think you can understand that a massive counterattack is self-inflicted until enough armored forces arrive. ”

After the instruction was completed, Liang Tianhe felt that his right eye was still jumping, and he couldn't stop rubbing it several times.

"Damn, it's been one night, what the hell is this ...... to dance?"