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Volume One: On the Songhua River Chapter 1940: Reaching a Dead End

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    At about four o'clock in the afternoon on September 30, the more than 50,000 remaining troops of the Soviet Transcaucasus Military District, who had suffered repeated blows and were exhausted, finally saw the winding river connecting the sky and the earth among the vast withered grass in the evening.  Under the sun, there are cool waves shining, as if there is infinite temptation, waving in the distance.

    The Soviet soldiers with numb expressions cheered. Although deadly gunfire continued to ring out behind them and on both sides, in the hearts of the Soviet soldiers, as long as they saw the Selenge River, they saw hope.  As long as we cross the river to the north bank, we can get rid of the lingering sound of guns and artillery for two days, the "click" sound of tank tracks, the soldiers of the independent division who are rushing out at any time, and the bombs pouring down from the sky above our heads.  Get a life back.

    On the other side of the river was his motherland, a place where his relatives were looking forward to his safe return. General Kulykin breathed a long sigh of relief. With the help of the guards, he sat down on the withered grass, feeling weak.  , looking at his boots that were covered with dust and mud and already broken in several places, he shook his head and smiled wryly at himself.

    The poor comrade commander lost his car during the retreat. This was not to show the spirit of marching on foot and sharing the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, but for safety reasons. The independent division's bombers and fighter jets were too intimidating in the open wilderness.  He was extremely interested in every military vehicle he boarded, and never spared bullets and bombs. After two frightening dangers, General Kulykin wisely chose to march on foot.

    " Mixing oneself among the soldiers is the best safety measure. Those damn Chinese pilots will never be able to identify themselves among tens of thousands of soldiers. It's just that.  It was a bitter experience for the general commander who always sat in the command car and gave orders.

    More than 300,000 troops marched southward in a mighty manner. After more than ten days, only tens of thousands were left.  After withdrawing in embarrassment to the north and suffering repeated blows, the Transcaucasus Military District has been severely weakened, or in other words, completely defeated.  Commander Kulykin always felt like he was in a dream, and it was a nightmare that would accompany him throughout his life. So what if he was withdrawn, maybe he was an agent of the All-Soviet Counterrevolutionary Committee.  The plane waiting for him in Irkutsk to escort him to Moscow was probably full of fuel, and there was just one missing prisoner on board.

    "But, even so, General Kurekin.  It is better to try to bring the remaining troops back. This is the responsibility and obligation of a commander. Now, I finally see that this river that makes me look forward to and sad is still dozens of kilometers away from Selenge.  On the south bank of the river, cross the river and everything is over.  All that's left is to wait for Moscow's ruling.

    Since two hours ago, the independent division troops that were chasing and flanking finally slowed down the intensity of the attack, allowing the troops to take a breather.  The sound of gunfire was far away, and it was impossible to guess why the Chinese Tang Qiuli did this?

    But this is a good thing after all. General Kulykin can understand this situation. Two days and two nights of fighting, constant pursuit, the hard work of retreat, and the more tiring pursuit. The soldiers of the independent division are also flesh and blood, and they also need  Rest, tanks and trucks also need to be refueled, and they have to deal with the blocking forces they are constantly deploying. All of them, including his own troops, are exhausted, General Kulykin thought with a sigh.

    Lieutenant General Zernenko, Chief of Staff of the Military Region, walked to General Kulykin with a tired face and said: "Comrade Commander, I have sent a regiment of troops to the bank of the Selenge River to determine the location and location of the pontoon bridge.  In order to arrange the troops to cross the river as quickly as possible, our radio station lost contact with the troops responsible for setting up the pontoon bridge five hours ago, and so far, we still have not been able to contact them!"

    Having said this, Lieutenant General Zernenko said with a worried face: "Comrade Commander, did something unexpected happen to our troops who built the pontoon bridge?"

    General Kulykin raised his eyes as heavy as a boulder and asked numbly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what unexpected situations do you think can happen?"

    Chief of Staff Zirnenko hesitated for a moment and replied: "This is what I judged. They were attacked by the independent division troops and the entire army was wiped out. Or, the radio station was blown up and they were unable to contact us!"

    Not to mention, Chief of Staff Zernenko's judgment was quite accurate. He directed the 11th Brigade Artillery Regiment to the east, and with a blast of shells, the Soviet infantry division headquarters that came to build the bridge was destroyed, along with  The radio truck was blown up into the sky. The division commander and political commissar, including the entire command organization, were killed immediately. Next, there were repeated attacks by the 3rd Cavalry Brigade of the Outer Mongolia Border Guard Army. There was no condition or chance to attack.  General Kulykin reported what happened.

    After listening to what Chief of Staff Zernenko said, General Kulykin couldn't help but twitch the muscles on his cheeks a few times. He sighed and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, no matter what the situation is, we have no other way to go, even if it is  There is no pontoon bridge on the river, and the soldiers have to wade across the river. Otherwise, they will be waiting for the overtaken independent division troops to be completely wiped out. Our Transcaucasus Military District will really end up with the entire army annihilated, you say  , isn¡¯t that the case?¡±

    Chief of Staff Zirnenko nodded silently, and then said: "Comrade Commander, the commanders of various units responded?, the troops are too tired. After temporarily getting rid of the pursuit of the independent division, can the troops rest for thirty minutes, recover their strength, and then cross the river in one go? I am also worried that the soldiers will not support it.  Staying there, especially since we weren't sure there was a pontoon, required wading!  "

    Suddenly, General Kulykin jumped up and shouted: "No, absolutely not! Order the troops, no rest, no pause, rest for thirty minutes. Oh my God, how can these bastards be so childish and dangerous?"  Thoughts? Those Chinese will appear behind us at any time!¡±

    After finishing speaking, he gritted his teeth and took the lead to stride forward. After walking less than three steps, a burst of fierce gunfire suddenly came from the bank of the Selenge River, and the faint sound of gunfire came from behind.  , echoing each other from a distance, telling General Kulykin and more than 50,000 Soviet soldiers that the way forward is impassable!

    General Kulykin stopped and listened carefully. The sound of gunfire by the river rang for a while and then fell silent. He turned back and looked at each other with Chief of Staff Zernenko, both of whom could see the expression on the other's face.  Horror, in fact, a bad premonition suddenly passed through the two top commanders of the Transcaucasus Military Region, "The troops of the Independent Division have rushed ahead and blocked the retreat!"

    However, as if deliberately avoiding this desperate judgment, neither of them said anything. They looked at the Selenge River gradually shrouded in twilight with uncertain eyes, with countless thoughts entangled in their hearts.

    The sudden sound of gunfire did not affect the Soviet army's continued retreat to the Selenge River. Thirty minutes later, a group of stumbling figures appeared in front of them like an illusion against the last wisp of burning clouds in the western sky.

    Chief of Staff Zernenko recognized him at a glance as the head of the regiment he sent out to the Selenge River to determine the number and location of pontoons. He hurried forward to greet him and asked angrily: "What happened when we arrived?"  Yes? Why are there gunfire on the shore? Tell me!"

    The colonel commander, with his face covered in gunpowder smoke and his body covered with mud, looked like a soldier who had just crawled out of the trench. Seeing the chief of staff asking himself, he said in a trembling voice: "Report to the commander, chief of staff, we  There is no retreat. On the south bank of the Selenge River, there are countless independent divisions waiting for us, and by the way, there are hundreds of tanks and countless artillery! "

    "As soon as one of our regiments approached the river, they were covered by a burst of fierce artillery fire. Then, the infantry of the Independent Division began to attack. A dozen people from my regiment came back, and the others stayed by the river!  "

    "Where is the pontoon bridge! Tell me, have you seen the pontoon bridge?" Chief of Staff Zernenko grabbed the regiment leader by the collar and roared at the top of his lungs.

    "Floating bridge? I didn't see anything! What the hell is that floating bridge?" The group leader yelled back with a sad face and as if he had lost his mind!

    A sick smile appeared on the corner of General Kulykin's mouth, and he said to Chief of Staff Zernenko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, let this poor guy go. He is telling the truth. We are blocked by the troops of the Independent Division."  We have no way out. The cunning Chinese has laid this trap a long time ago. He has been attacking us for two days and two nights just to drive us to a dead end. We have notified all the officers above the division commander to hold a meeting so that we can discuss a way out!"

    However, Yang Ketian, who was impatient to wait, would not give General Kurekin time to study. After swallowing up a bunch of time and trying his best, he decided to take the initiative to attack.  Troops, catch up. There are more than 200,000 troops. Who can feed this little Soviet army? When it¡¯s my turn, I¡¯m afraid there will only be a skeleton left in my mouth, and not even a shred of meat can be seen!¡±

    "The division pointed out that the Soviet troops that had retreated to the south bank of the Selenge River were stagnant 20 kilometers away from our blocking line. They seemed to be brewing a new conspiracy. In order to ensure the complete annihilation of this Soviet army, I plan to take action immediately.  There are troops, with the 4th Tank Brigade of the Armored Corps as the leader, followed by the 3rd Cavalry Brigade of the Outer Mongolia Border Guard, followed by the three mechanized brigades of the East Point, and repeatedly launch a full-line attack on the Soviet army to avoid nightfall and increase the difficulty of annihilating the enemy. The above plan  Is it appropriate? Please give me your instructions, sir!¡±

    Here, he asked the division commander Tang Qiuli to approve his battle plan. Yang Ketian's men were not idle either. All units were in an offensive posture. The tank brigade had already begun to launch and press towards the Soviet army. Behind it, there was a heavy black pressure.  The muzzles of the more than five thousand cavalry, three artillery regiments, and hundreds of large-caliber howitzers were slowly raised. The artillerymen pushed the shells into the barrel and looked at the small flag in the commander's hand.

    The fatal blow to the last remaining troops of the Soviet Transcaucasus Military District is about to begin!

    (To be continued)
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