At about 12 o'clock at noon on 21 September, as the Soviet Army's first attack wave troops took control of several footholds, the speed at which the Soviet engineering units erected pontoon bridges was significantly accelerated, and the bridge deck that could be used for tanks to cross was extended to the south bank.

All the troops of the Outer Mongolian border guards could not rush down their positions and counterattack the Soviet troops on the river beach, once they left the fortifications and trenches, the troops would be killed and wounded by Soviet tank fire, I am afraid that before they rushed to the Soviet soldiers, the troops had already suffered most casualties, and the maximum what the brigades could do was to counterattack the Soviet troops who rushed to the position and recapture the breakthrough, but they could not drive them back to the north bank, or completely annihilate them.

On the beachhead on the south bank, the Soviet troops who stood still seemed to have received an order, and after being counterattacked, they only consolidated a few footholds, and did not attack again, and the gunfire on the battlefield calmed down for the time being, but several brigade commanders, including Wang Qingshan, knew that this was just a more brutal and calm before the start of the fierce battle, and the Soviet army was waiting for the arrival of follow-up attacking troops and tanks.

Wang Qingshan gritted his teeth, constantly shuttling on the position, the situation on the battlefield was seen by him, the Soviet soldiers who were pressed on the river beach reacted quickly, and had dug out a simple trench, all kinds of fire points, light and heavy machine guns continued to shoot monotonously short points at their positions, it seemed that they were correcting the shooting target, and the bullets were around Wang Qingshan's side and head, constantly screaming and flying over.

However, Wang Qingshan also saw that the biggest threat to his position was the Soviet tanks. and the pontoon bridge that continues to extend to the south bank, "We should find a way to get rid of the pontoon bridge of the Soviet army, or when Lao Maozi's tank drives to the south bank, the troops can only blow it up with grenades and human lives!" He thought to himself.

After observing the forward position, in an anti-artillery hole, Wang Qingshan gathered the commander of the second regiment and the three battalion commanders together, and Wang Qingshan said: "Everyone can see it. The pontoon bridge of the Soviet army is in front of the first battalion of your second regiment, the commander of the first battalion, in the counterattack just now, your battalion did not fight very well. If it weren't for the brigade guard company to fill it in, it would be your soldiers. I've already run away! How the hell did you become a battalion commander? ”

The head of the second regiment turned pale. He glared at the battalion commander angrily, and was about to speak, Wang Qingshan waved his hand to stop him, and the battalion commander lowered his head in shame and said in a low voice: "Brigade commander, regiment commander, it's my work that hasn't done a good job." I underestimated the intensity of the battle, and only then did the situation that the brigade commander said, and I asked the brigade to punish me, and I had no problem shooting me! ”

Said here. The commander of the first battalion raised his head suddenly, his voice became louder, and said: "Brigade commander, regiment commander, you also know that my battalion, about 90 percent, are new soldiers, and I have nothing to say if I lose this face today, but I have a request, before shooting me, give me a chance to kill the Soviet pontoon bridge in front of our battalion!" ”

Wang Qingshan asked quietly: "First battalion commander, do you have anything else to do?" Say it! ”

Huo Ran, the commander of the first battalion, got up and said loudly: "Brigade commander, there is no good way, I will transfer the veterans of the whole battalion, form a death squad, rush out of the position, and mix with the Soviet soldiers, their tanks will not work, and then, break through the interception of the Soviet army, forcibly swim across, and blow up the pontoon bridge with grenades, I don't believe it, I can't blow up a half-stubble pontoon bridge with hundreds of lives!" ”

Wang Qingshan slapped the bullet box suddenly, and said angrily: "Confused, you are going to fight hard, you want to die yourself, don't pull the lives of the soldiers, even if you are in the Soviet army on the river beach, rush out of a channel, but do you consider the situation of crossing the river, the water is turbulent, and before your people swim to the pontoon bridge, they have already been washed away by the river, and they are not drowned, blow up the bridge, what are you going to blow up?" ”

"Besides, the Soviet sappers who built the bridge, the Soviet firepower point on the north bank as a fire cover, are they decorations? A machine gun and grenade can blow your people to pieces, and you can't even rely on the edge of the pontoon bridge, even if you want to fight hard, it's not such a way to die! ”

The first battalion commander was violently trained by Wang Qingshan, and he was speechless, his face turned red, Wang Qingshan glared at him fiercely, turned his head and said to the other two battalion commanders: "How many mortars and soldiers are there in the mortar company of your battalion?" ”

The two battalion commanders lowered their heads, and the second battalion commander said bitterly: "Brigade commander, I won't tell you that the mortar company of our battalion is added together, that is, a little more than a platoon, and the rest are destroyed under the tank fire of the Soviet army!" ”

The 1st and 3rd Battalions, the situation was similar to that of the 2nd Battalion, that is, the entire 2nd Regiment, three battalions, all the mortars were put together, and the top of the sky was the firepower of a reinforced company, fortunately, because of the ammunition reserves before the battle, a lot of effort was put into it, and the shells were very sufficient.

Wang Qingshan nodded, with a fierce look on his face, and said: "Okay, I'll arrange it, the second battalion and the third battalion, each transfer a mortar platoon, and immediately rush to the position of the first battalion, and then, with the Soviet pontoon bridge as the artillery target, two platoons are arranged left and right, within five minutes, ten shells must be fired, two platoons, twenty mortars, two hundred shells, I don't believe that a wooden pontoon bridge cannot be blown up?" ”

"I don't care what other brigades do, in our brigade, just do it, but let me make it clear first, this is a life of death, a job with a head, after the mortar fires a few shells, it will be targeted by the Soviet tank guns, all the gunners, you must be mentally prepared not to go back, after you return to the battalion, pick some gunners with rich combat experience and stable psychological elements, don't get me some soldiers who hear the sound of shells and turn their legs and stomachs!"

On the north bank of the Sejingge River, at about 12:30 p.m. on 21 September, Lieutenant General Zirnenko, chief of staff of the Transcaucasian Military District of the Soviet Union, looked at the commander of the military district, General Kurygin, whose face had obviously eased, and said: "Comrade commander, I have received a report from the commander of the first attack wave that the troops of the independent division have resisted very stubbornly, and several breakthroughs that have been captured have been lost again. ”

General Kurygin's face had no expression at all, which made the chief of staff of Zirnenko somewhat confused, and he then reported: "However, the attacking troops have gained four footholds on the south bank of the Sejingge River, but because the casualties are too great, they have no ability to continue the attack, and I follow your orders and order them to hurry up and build fortifications and wait for the follow-up attack troops. ”

"However, the troops of the second attack wave were suddenly shelled by the artillery of the independent division, suffered heavy casualties, and no longer had the ability to bear the follow-up attack, Comrade Commander, this is very disadvantageous to us, if the first wave of attack troops does not get reinforcements, the situation will be very dangerous, and it is possible to be driven back to the north bank!"

General Kulygin, looking up at Lieutenant General Zirnenko, asked: "Is it still smooth for the sappers to erect the pontoon bridge?" How's it going, will my tank be able to reach the south bank before nightfall? ”

Lieutenant General Zirnenko replied: "Comrade commander, according to the report of the commander of the engineering unit, because of our tank artillery fire, the fire of the troops of the independent division was completely suppressed, and the erection of the pontoon bridge is progressing smoothly, but when all the pontoon bridges are erected, it will take about four and a half hours, don't you think, wait until the pontoon bridge is erected, use the tank troops to assault the positions of the independent division, right?" ”

Senior General Kurygin, looking at him with strange eyes, said half-loudly: "My comrade chief of staff, it is very strange, you can ask such a childish question, wait for four and a half hours, anything can happen, if the troops of the independent division ignore the casualties and forcibly carry out a counter-assault, can the troops who have already gained a foothold still be able to gain a foothold on the south bank?" The greatest threat to the Chinese is the troops that have already landed. ”

"Convey my order, replace the troops shelled by the artillery of the independent division, remobilize the new troops, form a follow-up attack echelon, the size of the force, not less than ten infantry regiments, cross the river to reinforce the first attack wave troops as quickly as possible, their actions will not be hindered in any way, because, the artillery of the Chinese has been exhausted, Comrade Zirenenko, their artillery is almost inaudible, as long as we continue to increase our forces on the south bank, perhaps, this evening, you and I will set foot on the land on the south bank!"

It would take two and a half hours to remove the troops that had been bombarded, replace them with new ones, and then organize an attack across the river, but General Kurygin did not care about delaying this time, the tank artillery fire firmly controlled the south bank, and the positions of the troops of the independent division would be blown apart as long as one of the firing points came out, and the artillery of the independent division had already been beaten dumb in the artillery battle just now.

To put it another way, the rhythm of the battlefield is completely controlled by one's own hands, so there is no need to hastily organize an attack, as long as eight fully equipped infantry regiments can land on the south bank and break through the blocking line of the independent division's troops, just this evening, and then, there is no danger to defend the steppe, and Kulen is in front of you.

The two mortar platoons transferred from the second battalion and the first battalion of the second regiment had already moved to the position of the first battalion, and Wang Qingshan called the two platoon commanders and six squad leaders together to carefully arrange the tasks.

Wang Qingshan finally said: "Twenty mortars, must be fired at the same time, before the Soviet tank fire is suppressed, blow up the pontoon, the specific task and danger, your battalion commander has already said, I will not talk much nonsense, only one demand, before you are blown up by the Soviet shells, you must blow up the pontoon bridge, even if there is the last breath left, you must blow up the shells, okay, each enter the position, wait for my order!" ”

(To be continued)(To be continued......