Burning Moscow

Chapter 838: The First Battle of the Newly Formed Artillery Battalion (Part 1) After clearing the battlefield, Rokossovsky and Batov received the commanders who had participated in the battle at the observation post. At a time like this, I certainly couldn’t remain in the room and be a burden, so I found an excuse to leave. Dozens of commanders stood in the trenches outside the observation post; judging by their collar insignia, they were all junior and senior officers, likely the commanders of the 173rd Division ranging from company to division level. The first three to enter were all middle-aged; besides a colonel and a lieutenant colonel, there was also a political officer—presumably the division commander, political commissar, and chief of staff. They stayed inside only a few minutes before emerging again, followed by a lieutenant who stood at the doorway and shouted to the officers standing nearby: “ “Lieutenant Kurishenko, commander of the 2nd Company, 979th Artillery Regiment.” That familiar name immediately caught my attention. I watched as a commander pushed his way through the back ranks and strode quickly to the lieutenant’s side. Standing at attention, he reported: “Comrade Commander, I am Lieutenant Kurishenko. May I ask if Comrade Commander wishes to see me?” Seeing Kurishenko up close still took me by surprise. I had assumed that a commander with his level of combat experience would at least be middle-aged, but I hadn’t expected him to be so young—at most in his early twenties, tall and slender, with a handsome face. The lieutenant standing at the door gave him a once-over, then nodded and said, “Come along, Lieutenant Kurishenko. The two Commanders are waiting for you inside.” ” With that, he turned and walked into the observation post first, while Kurishenko hesitated for a moment before following him inside. Just as I was marveling at Kurishenko’s youth and promise, I suddenly heard someone behind me ask cautiously, “ “Excuse me, are you Commander Oshanina of the allied forces?” Hearing the question from behind, I quickly turned around. Seeing a second lieutenant standing before me, I asked with interest, “Comrade Second Lieutenant, I am Oshanina. May I ask what brings you here?” I took the telegram from the second lieutenant, nodded my thanks, and began to read it. The telegram was from Tkachev, and its contents were simple: “The Lyudnikov Division is in imminent danger. Order your unit to hand over the current defensive sector to friendly forces, then immediately return to the division headquarters to launch a rescue operation for that unit. ” After reading the telegram, my heart sank. I hadn’t expected that, even though the Great Counteroffensive had been underway for several days, the situation with the Lyudnikov Division had not only failed to improve but had actually worsened. Now they were facing the prospect of being completely annihilated by the Germans; it seemed their rescue was a matter of urgency. I hurried to the entrance of the observation post and, in accordance with regulations, asked, “Permission to enter?” ” No sooner had I spoken than Rokossovsky’s voice came from inside: “Come in, Lida.” As soon as I stepped into the observation post, before I could even speak, Rokossovsky added: “Lida, has something happened? Knowing you as I do, you would never barge in so abruptly unless it were something important.” “Comrade Commander of the Army Group, this is a telegram I just received from Commander Tykhov.” As I spoke, I handed the telegram to Rokossovsky. He took the telegram, glanced at it briefly, then handed it back to me, saying, “ “Lida, since the situation in the city is not looking good, you should return with your troops as soon as possible. Leave the defense of Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodishche to General Batov’s forces.” “Comrade Front Commander, I will have my division chief of staff, Major Akhromeyev, stay behind to oversee the handover of the defenses to General Batov’s forces.” ” After saying this, I raised my hand to salute Trikov and turned to leave. But as I turned, I saw Lieutenant Kurishenko standing ramrod straight in the middle of the room, and I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks. While I was outside just a moment ago, I had been mulling over how to get Kurishenko assigned to my division, but before I could come up with a good plan, I had to rush back to the division. Now that he was right in front of me, if I didn’t seize this opportunity to make my request to Batov, who knows how long it would be before I got another chance. So, gritting my teeth, I turned back to Rokossovsky and Batov and said, “Comrades Commanders, I have one more request.” Rokossovsky assumed my request had to do with the handover of defensive responsibilities, so he said casually, “Lida, whatever you need, just ask. As long as it’s within our power, we’ll certainly help you.” I glanced sideways at Kurishenko standing nearby, then turned back to Batov and said, “Commander Batov, as you know, my unit has only been formed a few months ago, and we are severely lacking in combat-ready personnel across all branches and at every command level. For this mission to return to the city and reinforce our allies, the only units we can effectively deploy are infantry and artillery. With our current artillery strength, it will be very difficult to suppress enemy firepoints during the assault. Therefore, I humbly request that you allow Lieutenant Kurishchenko to be assigned to my division.” After I finished speaking, the room fell silent. After a moment, Bartov, having regained his composure, replied politely yet firmly: “Please forgive me, General Oshanina, but Lieutenant Kurishchenko is a commander in our 65th Army.” Having said this, he turned his gaze to Kurishchenko standing nearby and, adopting a deliberately official tone, addressed him: “There is no need for you here, Comrade Lieutenant. you may leave.” Kurishchenko snapped to attention, raised his hand to salute the few of us, and turned to leave. General Bartov’s words sent my heart plummeting into an ice cellar; seeing Kurishchenko about to leave, I couldn’t help but want to rush forward and grab him. Just as I was on the verge of despair, Rokossovsky suddenly spoke up: “Comrade Lieutenant, please wait.” Kurishenko, who had already reached the door, stopped in his tracks. He turned back around, still standing at attention, his eyes fixed straight ahead, quietly awaiting Rokossovsky’s instructions. Rokossovsky smiled and said to Batov, “Comrade Batov, when it comes to joining forces, we and Lida’s troops are comrades-in-arms; but when it comes to supporting our allies with our commanders, you’ve become as stingy as Grandet…” After saying these two sentences, Rokossovsky strode quickly to Lieutenant Kurishenko, placed both hands on his shoulders, and asked in a calm tone, “Comrade Lieutenant, what are your thoughts? Are you willing to go to this female general’s independent division?” ” Kurishenko cast a quick glance at me before answering loudly, “Comrade Army Commander, I resolutely obey all your orders.” Hearing Rokossovsky speak just now had filled my heart with wild joy, and now, hearing Lieutenant Kurishenko express his willingness to follow his superiors’ arrangements, my heart was absolutely overjoyed. After waiting for Kurishenko to state his position, Rokossovsky came back to me and asked with concern, “Lida, are you only asking for Lieutenant Kurishenko?” ” Hearing Rokossovsky’s question, I nodded frantically and added, “Yes, Comrade Commander of the Front. Although our division lacks sufficient artillery, as long as General Batov agrees to let Lieutenant Kurishenko serve in our division, I will be satisfied.” After I finished speaking, Rokossovsky made no comment. Instead, he furrowed his brow, clasped his hands behind his back, and began pacing back and forth in the observation post. After walking a few laps, he stopped, turned to me, and said, “Lida, when your division enters the city of Stalingrad, you will be facing a fierce battle. Sending just one artillery commander over will not be of much use. Moreover, for Lieutenant Kurishenko and his new subordinates to work in harmony, they will need at least a considerable period of adjustment—and time is precisely what you lack most right now. I believe it would be best to transfer the entire 2nd Artillery Company under your command. What is your opinion, Comrade General?” His final remark was directed at Batov, who stood beside him. I saw a look of resentment on Batov’s face and knew full well that he was deeply reluctant to hand over such an excellent artillery commander to me—even if he was currently only a junior commander. Rokossovsky’s words only added insult to injury. Batov clenched his jaw, his face contorted with anguish, but decades of military service had instilled in him the discipline to obey superior orders. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to reply in a steady tone: “Comrade Front Commander, since you have issued the order, I will resolutely obey.” I understood that under these circumstances, making such a poaching request—and having Rokossovsky’s support—would surely make Batov, who was losing a key officer, hate me to the core. But to secure the talent the division desperately needed, even knowing I was offending Batov, I had no choice but to press ahead with this matter. After receiving Batov’s reply, Rokossovsky nodded in satisfaction, then walked over to Lieutenant Kurishchenko and said to him, “Comrade Lieutenant, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and report to your new superior!” Upon hearing this, Kurishchenko quickly turned to face me, raised his hand in a salute, and reported loudly, “Reporting, Comrade Division Commander. Lieutenant Kurishchenko, former commander of the 2nd Company, 979th Artillery Regiment, 173rd Division, reporting for duty…” …” “Wait a moment.” Before Lieutenant Kurishenko could finish, I raised my hand to interrupt him. I knew full well that although I had used Rokossovsky’s influence to forcibly poach him from General Batov’s command, it would be difficult to foster a sense of loyalty to the Independent Division unless I offered him some incentive. So, I said to him with solemn gravity, “Comrade Kurishenko, from this moment on, you are the commander of the 2nd Artillery Battalion of our Red Banner Independent Division. Your rank is no longer lieutenant, but captain. Report to me again with your new rank and position.” Kurishenko’s face lit up with surprise at this unexpected promotion. After he had reported to me again using his new rank and title, I continued, “In addition to your promotion, all officers and soldiers of the former 2nd Artillery Company will be promoted: platoon leaders become company commanders, squad leaders become platoon leaders, and privates become squad leaders. Please convey this order to the soldiers shortly.” Kurishenko and I left the observation post. As we passed the group of commanders waiting outside, I suddenly heard someone call out to Kurishenko: “Hey, Lieutenant, where are you headed?” I looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was a lieutenant colonel standing at the front of the formation. Upon hearing the lieutenant colonel’s question, Kurishenko hurried over to him, saluted, leaned forward slightly, and began speaking softly into his ear. Though I couldn’t make out the words, I understood he must be reporting what had happened at the observation post. As Kurishenko spoke, the lieutenant colonel kept casting curious glances my way. Judging by Kurishenko’s attitude toward him, it was nine out of ten certain that this lieutenant colonel was the commander of the 979th Artillery Regiment. Once Kurishchenko had finished speaking, the lieutenant colonel walked over with him, came to a halt in front of me, raised his hand in a salute, and said politely, “Comrade General, Lieutenant Colonel Babayevsky, commander of the 979th Artillery Regiment of the 173rd Infantry Division, reports to you.” I raised my hand to return the salute and said politely, “Good day, Comrade Major.” “Although Lieutenant Kurishenko is young, he is a rare talent as an artillery commander.” Although this was Babayevsky’s first interaction with me, he spoke without reservation for the sake of his subordinate’s future. “So please be sure to make good use of him and allow him to fully utilize his strengths.” “Major Babayevsky. ” Facing this commander who cared so deeply about his subordinates’ futures, I smiled and said amiably, “Rest assured, I will certainly take good care of Captain Kurishenko. I believe it won’t be long before he becomes an outstanding artillery commander with distinguished combat achievements.” After exchanging these pleasantries, I quickly changed the subject: “ “I’m sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Babayevsky, but we have an urgent mission. Let’s leave it at that for today. We’ll have a proper chat when the opportunity arises.” Leaving the trench and stepping out into an open area, I stopped and gazed at the artillery positions in the distance. Turning to Kurishenko, I asked, “Comrade Captain, how long would it take to relocate your artillery company?” Kurishenko raised his hand to check his watch, then replied, “Reporting to you, Comrade Division Commander, it will take at least an hour.” “Then I’ll give you an hour and a half.” Since I needed to rush back to headquarters in the city to find Kirillov and the others, I gave him a brief order: “Once your troops are assembled, take them to the intersection south of Kanyei. I’ll be there with the main force to join you shortly.” “Yes, sir. I guarantee the mission will be accomplished.” Chapter 839: The First Battle of the Newly Formed Artillery Battalion (Part 2)No sooner had I returned to the command post than Akhromeyev came up to me and reported: “ “Comrade Division Commander, the order has been relayed to the troops. The 1st, 3rd, and 4th Regiments are currently assembling. To avoid confusion, the regiments will withdraw from the city in succession, in the order of the 1st, 4th, and 3rd Regiments.” “Comrade Chief of Staff, you’ve done an excellent job!” I was deeply satisfied to see that Akhromeyev and his team had already arranged all the steps for the troops’ withdrawal while I was away from the command post. Seeing Kirillov and Bantayev sitting at the table talking quietly, I hurried over to greet them. As soon as I sat down, I informed them that I had secured an excellent artillery commander and an artillery company from Rokossovsky. After hearing this, Bantayev’s face lit up with a smile. “Comrade Division Commander, this is truly excellent. In the upcoming street fighting, we’ll need artillery in many places, but Major Morozov’s artillery battalion has been nearly decimated and can no longer provide sufficient fire support for our attacking forces. Now that we have this artillery unit, I believe they’ll be of great use in the coming battles.” Upon hearing that I was bringing in another artillery company, Kirillov’s reaction differed from the elation of Kirillov and Akhromeyev. Kirillov considered the matter much more comprehensively and cautiously asked me, “Comrade Oshanina, based on what you just said, did you poach this artillery commander named Kurishenko from Commander Batov?” Seeing me nod in affirmation, he continued, “Even though Commander Rokossovsky is out there negotiating on your behalf, won’t this move completely alienate General Batov?” Bantayev and Akhromeyev, who had been exceptionally excited about the arrival of the new unit, grew serious upon hearing Kirillov’s words. Both turned their gaze toward me simultaneously, waiting to hear how I would explain the situation. I was well aware that I had done something to offend someone, but when I considered that Kurishenko’s arrival would significantly reduce our division’s casualties during street fighting, I felt it was worth the risk. So, after a moment’s deliberation, I said to Kirillov, enunciating each word clearly: “Comrade Political Commissar, I know this will offend General Bartov. However, I have no choice but to proceed this way. You must understand that our division is about to enter the city to engage the Germans in street fighting. Without sufficient artillery support, we will pay a heavy price in these fierce battles. For the sake of victory, and for the officers and soldiers of the Independent Division, even knowing I’ll offend someone, I have no choice but to bite the bullet and do this.” After hearing my heartfelt words, Kirillov stood up, reached out both hands to grasp mine, and shook them vigorously. After a long while, he finally managed to utter a few words with great difficulty: “Comrade Oshanina, I’m sorry to put you through this!” As previously arranged, Kirillov, the 1st Regiment, the Guard Company, and I set out for Gorodishche first. After we departed, Bantayev and Akhromeyev followed with the 4th and 3rd Regiments, respectively. The jeep carrying Kirillov and me left the city, which lay in ruins, and reached the outskirts. Along the road leading to Gorodishche, we saw a long line of trucks towing artillery pieces. From a distance, I spotted Captain Kurishenko and several commanders standing next to a jeep. As soon as he saw our jeep approaching, he immediately broke into a jog with the officers to meet us. I told the driver to stop the car, then pushed open the door and stepped out with Kirillov, one on my left and one on my right. Kurishenko and his men came to a halt in front of us, then raised their hands in unison to salute Kirillov and me. He then reported to me in a loud voice: “Comrade Division Commander, the Second Artillery Battalion of the Independent Division is ready and can be deployed into battle at any time.” After Kurishenko finished his report, I pointed to Kirillov standing beside me and introduced him: “Comrade Captain, allow me to introduce you. This is Comrade Kirillov, Political Commissar of the Independent Division, from the Central Committee.” Upon hearing my introduction of Kirillov, Kurishenko and his men immediately snapped to attention and saluted in unison, politely calling out, “Good morning, Political Commissar!” Kurishenko then introduced his men to us: the officers wearing the rank of lieutenant were his deputy company commanders, while those with the rank of second lieutenant were the company commanders under his command. “Is everything ready, Comrade Captain?” Although Kurishenko had already reported to me when I got out of the car that the unit was ready and could depart at any moment, I still asked out of habit. In response to my redundant question, Kurishenko patiently replied, “Yes, Comrade Division Commander, everything is ready. I’ve checked with all the platoon leaders, and all personnel are combat-ready.” “Since everything is ready, let’s move out.” After saying this, I turned to Kuleshov and asked, “Comrade Captain, who should lead the way? You or me?” “Let my deputy company commander lead the way; he knows the terrain,” Kurishenko replied briefly. “Comrade Captain,” Kirillov said amiably, seeming to take a liking to the newly promoted captain, “Let your deputy company commander lead the way, and you should ride with us in the same vehicle.” Faced with an invitation to ride with a commander of much higher rank, Kurishenko remained composed. He first briefed his subordinates on numerous precautions, and after dismissing them, he turned and walked over to the jeep, opened the door, and invited us to get in. Kirillov and I sat in the back, while Captain Kurishenko took the front passenger seat. As I watched the trucks parked by the roadside start up one by one and head toward the ambush site, I curiously counted them. To my surprise, this count revealed something amiss. As far as I knew, Kurishenko’s artillery company had only nine guns, yet I counted twelve trucks towing artillery pieces. Once our jeep started moving, I asked Kurishenko in the front seat, “Comrade Captain, I recall that your artillery company had only nine guns, but now there seem to be twelve. What’s going on?” Upon hearing my question, Kurishenko quickly turned to face me and replied, “Comrade Division Commander, here’s the situation: while I was assembling my troops, I ran into my former division commander, Colonel Khorikov. He told me that, on the orders of Army Commander General Batov, three additional guns had been specifically allocated to my unit to strengthen our combat capabilities.” After listening, Kirillov chuckled and said to me, “Comrade Oshanina, I was just worried that bringing Captain Kurishenko to our division might offend General Batov, but it seems I was overthinking it.” After saying this, he turned to Kurishenko in the front row and asked, “Comrade Captain, how old are you this year?” “Comrade Political Commissar,” Kurishenko replied politely, “I was born in 1922, so I’m just turning 20 this year…”I heard the grammatical error in Kurishenko’s speech and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Kurishenko, who had been reporting to the Political Commissar, immediately stopped and just stared at me in surprise. Seeing that Kirillov was also giving me a puzzled look, I quickly corrected Kurishenko: “Comrade Captain, you meant to say you were born in 1922, not that you were born from 1922.” My remark immediately set Kirillov roaring with laughter, and even the driver chuckled softly. Although Kurishenko’s face turned bright red from our laughter, he continued: “ …I joined the army in September 1940, the month of my birthday. After a period of training as an artillery officer, in June 1941, I was assigned to serve in the 979th Artillery Regiment of the 173rd Infantry Division under the Kiev Special Military District, with the rank of lieutenant…” He briefly recounted his background to Kirillov. After Kurishenko finished presenting his background, Kirillov continued his questioning: “Comrade Captain, we’ve transferred you here from the Don Front. Do you have any thoughts on that?” Upon hearing Kirillov’s question, Kurishenko fell silent for a moment, seemingly considering how best to answer. He spoke slowly, as if carefully weighing his words: “Comrade Political Commissar, this is how I see it… In any case, it’s all for the defense of the Motherland. Whether we strike at the fascist invaders in the Don Front or the Stalingrad Front, it amounts to the same thing. Wouldn’t you agree?” Kirillov nodded in satisfaction at Kurishchenko’s reply and remarked approvingly, “Comrade Captain, that’s exactly the right way to think. I’ve been worried all along that Comrade Division Commander might transfer you from the 173rd Division, and I wondered what you might think of that.” At this point, he promptly changed the subject. “If you have any requests for us, please feel free to make them. As long as it’s within our power, we’ll do our utmost to fulfill your wishes.” Kurishenko frowned thoughtfully, then continued: “Comrade Division Commander, here’s the situation. My company has only 120 men, and now our superiors have assigned us three additional artillery pieces. As a result, we’re a bit short-handed. I wonder if the division headquarters could provide us with some additional artillery personnel?” Kirillov said nothing, but turned to look at me, waiting for my decision. Hearing that Kurishenko’s request was so straightforward, I replied immediately and readily, “No problem. I’ll provide the necessary personnel as soon as possible.” To put his mind at ease, I explained further, “Last month, we rescued a group of captured officers and soldiers. From among them, we selected nearly two hundred artillerymen and assigned them to the division’s artillery battalion. Since the division lacks a sufficient variety of artillery pieces, these gunners have mostly been deployed as infantry. Once we return to Stalingrad, I will have Major Morozov reassign the surplus gunners from that battalion to your battalion.” “Thank you, Division Commander!” Although Kurishchenko tried his best to remain calm, his face still betrayed an unmistakable look of joy. As we were talking, the car suddenly slowed down. I raised my hand and patted the driver on the shoulder, asking him in surprise, “Comrade Driver, why did we slow down?” The driver turned his head and glanced quickly at me behind him, replying, “There’s a three-wheeled motorcycle coming toward us up ahead. It looks like Captain Yushchenko, the commander of the Special Guard Company, is riding on it.” I tilted my head and looked through the windshield to see a motorcycle coming straight toward us; the three people on it were all wearing those special bulletproof vests. I guessed that Yushchenko might have something to report to me, so I quickly ordered the driver, “Comrade Driver, pull over to the side of the road and stop.” No sooner had our car come to a stop at the roadside than the motorcycle pulled up alongside us. Captain Yushchenko, who had been sitting in the sidecar, jumped down, strode quickly to my car window, saluted, and reported: “Comrade Division Commander, we have thoroughly reconnoitered the entire route from here to Mamayev Hill and found no sign of the enemy.” The ambush we suffered on the road last time served as a lesson to me. So before we set out today, Kirillov dispatched Captain Yushchenko’s special guard company to temporarily act as scouts and check whether the road to Mamayev Hill was safe. I certainly didn’t want to be ambushed by the Germans again while on the move. “Thank you, Comrade Captain.” After offering a polite thank-you to Yushchenko, I instructed him: “You must head into Gorodishche immediately and tell Lieutenant Colonel Oleg, commander of the 2nd Regiment, to remain in the city on guard duty until friendly forces arrive to relieve him.” As the jeep we were riding in continued on its way, Kirillov asked Kurishenko again: “Comrade Captain, your artillery battalion is to be deployed in street fighting within Stalingrad. What are your thoughts on this?” Hearing Kirillov ask about his area of expertise, Kurishenko spoke his mind without hesitation: “... Since my artillery company has long been engaged in defensive operations, the sudden shift to offensive operations—and specifically urban assault operations—means the officers and men will need time to adapt.” “Comrade Captain, how many days do you estimate this adaptation period will take?” Kirillov asked with a serious expression. Kurishenko thought for a moment before answering, “At least three days.” “No, Comrade Captain, absolutely not.” Hearing their conversation, I couldn’t help but interject: “I’ll give you one night at most; by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, you must be engaged in combat. Moreover, street fighting differs greatly from your previous tactics. Due to the numerous buildings in the city, artillery visibility will be compromised, so you cannot establish fixed artillery positions. To better support the infantry’s advance, I require you to disperse the artillery into groups of two or three guns, advancing behind the infantry. As soon as you spot enemy fortifications or firing positions, destroy them decisively and efficiently.” My words left Kurishenko speechless. After I finished, he muttered in protest, “Comrade Division Commander, the tactics you’re describing don’t comply with the relevant artillery regulations…” “To hell with the regulations,” I said impatiently. “To achieve victory, we must fight however is most advantageous; we cannot be bound by rigid rules. Understand?” “I understand, Comrade Division Commander,” Kurishchenko replied with a resigned look.