Today, the last bit of light of the sun fell on the position, and the smoke of gunpowder had already drifted into the distance, and just now, another group of US bombers flew from high altitude to the location of the old nest, and they were going to receive new orders, replenish fuel, reload bombs and ammunition, and complete new combat missions.

Zheng Damo, the machine gunner of the 2nd Company of the 1st Battalion of the 538th Regiment, may have had a red eye during the daytime battle, he saw a plane appear above his head, and he raised his gun and wanted to shoot, but a soldier next to him stopped him: "Lao Zheng, the height is not enough, forget it, it's not here to bomb us, don't waste bullets." ”

Zheng Da Mole sighed, many soldiers around him were killed by the enemy during the day, so he kept holding his breath in his heart, in the face of the shelling, they had no choice but to carry it, and when the enemy rushed over, the enemy's artillery would not explode.

Raising his head, he saw a small man in a company from a distance, stood up and walked towards him.

Wang Xiaoliang is stuffing bullets into the magazines of the big eight, their own guns don't have much ammunition left, but a lot of their bullets have been captured from the enemy's corpses, the big eight bullets and the bullets of the carbine cannot be shared, and the bullets of the Thomson submachine gun are a brand new bullet, which gives the volunteer soldiers three more choices.

It's just that the ammunition supply must also be captured from the enemy.

"Little man, what are you doing?" Zheng Damole walked over and sat beside him.

"Loading the bullets."

Wang Xiaoliang said without raising his head: "Our ammunition consumption is serious, our own guns are no longer stocked, the company commander let us foreign devils' guns, their guns are also very good, they can fire continuously, and the bullet magazine can jump out after firing." ”

After a pause, he asked again, "How's your ammunition?" ”

Zheng Da Mole said: "Like you, they are almost consumed, and many people have also changed the enemy's guns. ”

Behind them squatted a wounded man, his head was injured, he had been resting for a while, just now, he wanted to move, got up and moved a place, but the injured area was a little large, the blood that had just coagulated in the head was broken away again, the blood was flowing outside, the hygienist quickly bandaged him again with gauze, and soon, the gauze was partially dyed red.

Seeing this, Zheng Da Mole and Wang Xiaoliang put down the things in their hands, and also helped hold down the injured position and help bandage the wound.

Xia Yuan saw it from afar and walked over to ask about the situation: "What's the matter?" ”

This soldier was in the second platoon, he was wounded in the battle, the enemy came up and fought the enemy with a gun, until the enemy was repulsed, and then he lay on the ground to rest, for such a person, Xia Yuan admired it very much.

The wounded's face was even more ugly than before, his dark cheeks were not bloody, he lacked nutrition, his lips were chapped and peeling, and his eyes were covered with red bloodshots.

The voice was much hoarse than just now, but it was very crisp: "Captain Xia...... I'm fine, I'll get up in a while, the enemy will come up, and I can still fight with you. ”

His lips were chapped like tree bark, he clicked his mouth, and wanted to say something, Wang Xiaoliang took the kettle on his waist and shook it, and the wounded also saw that there was not much water in it, so he weakly pushed Wang Xiaoliang's hand, signaling that the other party did not need to give him water to drink.

Wang Xiaoliang said: "Comrade, let's take a sip first." ”

The kettle was brought to the wounded's mouth, and he only took a small sip before he ran out of water.

Xia Yuan said: "Let's send him to the wounded soldiers in the regiment first, it's getting dark, the enemy may not attack again, rest and let the old horse greet you." ”

The hygienist understood what he meant, and as soon as he beckoned, two people came, and then he pulled him down.

Several people stood up, all a little silent, Xia Yuan also felt a feeling of heart but weakness for the first time, Commander Lei and Instructor Shao came back, the two of them looked a little excited, and said, "There is a mission at night!" ”

Xia Yuan nodded heavily, thinking that what he said during the day had worked.

The enemy's mortar position moved forward, two miles away from them, and once the night covered the world, the night would be the time for their volunteers to move, and the enemy's mortar position directly in front of them was bound to be pulled out.

At the company's internal meeting, Instructor Shao said: "The higher authorities ordered us to drive south, cooperate with the second company, and destroy this mortar position of the enemy, and at the same time have another task, grab food and ammunition. ”

On an artillery position of the US army opposite the 538th Regiment, after the last shell was fired, a US loader instinctively wanted to continue to reload, and the second lieutenant walked over and signaled him not to reload again.

Although they did not attack during the day like the infantry, they were also tired, and they all sat down on the ground without moving, when an American soldier approached with a case of beer in his hands.

The people who sat on the ground saw the beer coming, they all went over to get it, they drank it quickly, they drank it in three sips, they threw all the beer cans in one place, and then they all ran to the back rest area, they wanted to sit down in that place, and taste the malt aroma of a few beers.

There were more than 30 mortars in this position, and the direction of the muzzles was still aimed at the defensive position of the 538th Regiment, and at a distance of four or five meters in front of the mortar position, there were six infantry patrolling there.

After the beer drinkers had gone, the two sappers picked up the tin cans piled on the ground, fiddled with them, and then made them into a queue, tied them with wire or tied them, and gathered them in another place, and then left the place, and ran to the back, probably when it was time to eat, and they all went to the back room to get food.

Regiment headquarters.

Commander Pang is also drinking water, there is only a little bit of water left in a large tea jar, today's battle is over, it is now 7:40 in the evening, the seriously wounded are carried to the rear to rest, and the generally slightly injured are still at their posts. Around the positions, there are fewer and fewer fighters who are still working over time.

During the day, most of the fortifications damaged by the enemy's artillery fire in front of the position were incomplete, everyone came over to help the comrades who were still working, and continued to repair with sapper shovels, and some of the commanders and fighters of the company were still counting the casualties and preparing to report them in time, and some of the fighters' fried noodles were eaten during the day, and they had not eaten for most of the day, and their bodies were a little prostration, and they squatted in the trenches and squinted for a while, while some soldiers continued to rummage in the dirt for the remaining ammunition.

In the trenches, the guns seized from the corpses of the American soldiers were lined up, and these guns were eventually going to be sent to the rear, and sooner or later they would be useful, but the captured ammunition was pitiful, and the soldiers of the first battalion were wiping the guns with dirty towels, as if preparing something.

Regiment Commander Pang drank the last bit of water from Chagang Li, slammed the dust on the table covered with the map again with his hand, and continued to look at the map with his head stuffy, his expression was particularly anxious, and the 538th Regiment suffered a great loss in such a tough battle with the US army.

During the daytime battle, he had been watching the battle on the position with a telescope at the rear observation point, and one of the enemy's howitzers fell on the position, covering a range of more than ten meters, and the air waves swept away all the soldiers fighting nearby, and so many young lives were blown up by the enemy's artillery fire, and he felt distressed.

Seeing that Regiment Commander Pang was so sad, Chief of Staff Hu said: "Tonight, the first battalion is going to organize a sneak attack, and if we can touch the vicinity of the US howitzers, we will directly blow them up, so that we can have fewer shells and fewer losses tomorrow." ”

Captain Pang looked away from the map and said, "Heh, how much less?" Tomorrow the U.S. forces may bring in more artillery fire to fight us. However, the sneak attack can also boost everyone's morale. ”

Chief of Staff Hu said: "Yes, regiment commander, we fought very bravely today, and there is no problem in morale, let's encourage everyone again." ”

At this time, the division commander called, got straight to the point, and went straight to the point: "I know that your regiment has suffered heavy casualties today, and tomorrow on the premise that you still can't get food and ammunition to replenish it, can you hold my position for me?" ”

When Commander Pang heard this, his lips were clenched, and he vaguely felt that there was a lot of embarrassment in what the division commander said.

After a while, he replied: "Please rest assured, the division commander, the position will never be lost!" ”

Then the other end said: "Don't fight hard, lead the team well, the task in the future is still very arduous." ”

Head Pang nodded: "Yes, resolutely carry out the order!" ”

After a brief call, after hanging up the phone, Regiment Commander Pang said: "I will go to a company in a while to ensure the bullets of each heavy machine gun group, and once the soldiers in the front find that there are American soldiers carrying walkie-talkies, they must use firepower to directly block the shooting, and that must be to report the position of our artillery." ”

Chief of Staff Hu added: "Well, it is feasible, each heavy machine gun group must change positions at intervals of a few minutes if the conditions on the scene allow, otherwise it will be easy to be targeted by enemy artillery fire." ”

Commander Pang listened, drew a small circle with a pencil on the map, and then said to Political Commissar Zhao and Chief of Staff Hu: "A battalion and a company have brought a very important piece of information, and the mortar and heavy machine gun crews of the US army are very arrogant, so they almost put the muzzle and machine gun muzzle on our heads, and if they rushed directly with a company at that time, they could be reimbursed." ”

Chief of Staff Hu said: "Impossible, as long as we jumped out of the position and charged at that time, the sterilized artillery fire would have reacted immediately, today's comrades have behaved very well, and tomorrow they will also have medicine, and we cannot easily jump out and charge, otherwise we will be blocked by unprovoked artillery fire, and we cannot suffer such losses." ”

Political Commissar Zhao added: "If conditions permit, it is best to grab a tongue and figure out the situation on the other side." ”

Indeed, from the beginning of the DPRK to the present, the understanding of the enemy by units below the rank of the Volunteer Army mainly comes from the provision of higher organs, and on the front line, capturing prisoners to obtain enemy information is the most direct and effective means, although it is risky.

The guards outside came in: "Report, the regiment commander, the political commissar, the commanders and fighters of the first battalion have arrived." ”

"Let them in."

Battalion Commander Li led the commanders and fighters of each company to enter the regiment headquarters first, while the rest of the soldiers stood in place and talked to each other, some talking about today's battle, and some talking about something else.

"Xia Yuan!"

The guard shouted suddenly.

The team was silent, Ma Da Nian, Lao Yang, and Chen Lie looked at Xia Yuan, saw him take a step forward, and responded: "Here!" ”

"Come in, the head wants to see you."

"Yes!"

Xia Yuan felt the gaze around him, nodded to them, and followed the guards into the regiment headquarters.

In the regiment headquarters, a few kerosene lamps emitted a dark light, dispelling the darkness inside, the commanders and fighters at all levels of the first battalion stood on the map in front of the table, saw Xia Yuan coming in, took the initiative to make a way, through the crowd, Xia Yuan saw a middle-aged man with a haggard face, looking at the map with a frown, seeing that people were coming, the man raised his head and said:

"My name is Pang Shichang, I have long heard Battalion Commander Li talk about you, a very good soldier, when I was fighting reactionaries before, I heard Battalion Commander Li talk about a company, saying that the platoon commander of a company and a platoon is a thorn, always rushing to the forefront in battle, not afraid at all, that is, many mistakes have been made on the battlefield, in my opinion, the merits and demerits are offset, these mistakes are nothing, when I was young, I was still fighting little devils, and I also made a lot of mistakes, the key is to make mistakes and correct them."

Commander Pang looked at the soldier in front of him and said patiently: "You are the first combat hero of our regiment, the commendation order from your superiors has come down, and now you are on the way, how about it, are you looking forward to it?" ”

Xia Yuan shook his head: "I dare not be a combat hero, those who sacrifice are combat heroes, and those who survive are what kind of combat heroes." ”

"Well said, you are really different from other soldiers, but you are wrong about one thing, the people who can come to the Korean battlefield and protect our country, regardless of life or death, are combat heroes, national heroes, and national heroes."

Commander Pang smiled: "Your company commander told me before that your vision is very unique, and when Battalion Commander Li talked about you, he was also full of praise, not only the guns were beautiful, but the grenades were also thrown accurately, the most important thing is to be smart, the tactical design is perfect, and the most critical point is that your company commander mentioned to me the changes in the enemy, saying that he heard from you, the changes in the enemy are very strange, I want to hear your opinion." ”

Xia Yuan raised his head and stared at Commander Pang, his brain was buzzing, and he realized something: "The enemy wants to carry out a big counterattack!" ”

"The Great Counterattack!?" Commander Pang pondered and said: "Today's enemy's attack is really strange, in the past, we chased and beat our buttocks, until today they turned their heads to hit us, the big counterattack was wrong, this is the US army's attempt to aid the east, we are a stumbling block on their way to the east, they want to help the east, they need to break through our blockade." ”

The two people have different perspectives, and naturally they look at problems in different ways. Xia Yuan fell into deep thought, and his brain was running wildly.

"I must seize the opportunity to be received by the regiment commander and tell them all about the enemy's next move, and as for whether I believe it or not, it is up to them to decide."

In fact, the current situation is already very dangerous, and I am afraid that if I say it, it may not be too late.