red moscow

Chapter 3074

Faced with the second fierce Soviet offensive, the German troops on the riverbank stubbornly maintained their position, weaving a dense network of machine gun fire to block the Soviet advance. However, to their surprise, seven powerful 76.2mm cannons, concealed a kilometer away, had already silently aimed at the German positions. Every exposed firing point would become a target for precise Soviet artillery fire.

Colonel Sergei, commander of the 18th Guards Regiment, saw the enemy machine guns spitting fire relentlessly, suppressing his own troops without mercy. He immediately put down his binoculars, rushed out of the command post, and shouted to the artillerymen deployed behind the trenches: "Fire, brothers! Quickly destroy the enemy's machine gun positions!"

Upon hearing Sergei's order, the artillery company commander nodded slightly to indicate that he understood. He then raised the red signal flag in his hand and gave the order in a loud voice: "Artillery company! On my command, aim at those exposed firing positions and fire!"

As the order was given, seven 76.2mm cannons roared in unison, shells whistling as they hurtled towards the enemy lines, heading straight for the deadly machine gun positions. Amidst the deafening roar, three shells struck their targets precisely, and the previously frenzied firing subsided considerably. Seeing that the artillery company had successfully destroyed three German machine guns in its first volley, Colonel Sergei gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed excitedly, "Company Commander, your men are fantastic! Let them keep firing and completely eliminate all the enemy's machine gun positions!"

The artillery company commander nodded in signal, instructing his soldiers to quickly adjust the firing angle and then launch a second, more precise round of fire. This time, the accuracy was even greater; five shells hit the target in succession, sending flashes of fire and thick smoke soaring into the sky. The machine guns on the German positions fell silent, losing their earlier arrogance.

Seeing that the enemy machine guns had ceased firing, the Soviet soldiers, who had been suppressed by intense fire, rose to their feet, shouting "Hurrah!" and continued their charge. They quickly stormed into the trenches and engaged the enemy in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Just a few minutes later, a bright red flag was planted by the brave soldiers on the breastwork of the German position, marking the victory on this section of the front.

Seeing that the position could no longer be held, the German soldiers began to flee. They abandoned their positions on the riverbank and stepped onto the frozen surface of the Istra River, running towards the other side like stray dogs. In their haste to escape, some soldiers stumbled and fell on the ice. The immense momentum threw them far away, and after struggling to their feet, they continued to run, creating a scene of utter chaos.

Private Viktor and his comrades pursued the enemy on the ice, the surface crunching under their feet as if foreshadowing impending danger. He spotted a German lieutenant with a leg wound limping away not far ahead, and quickened his pace, determined to capture him alive to honor his sergeant who had died in battle.

Just as he was about to grab his opponent, a deafening roar suddenly came from upstream, as if the sky were falling and the earth were splitting. Victor instinctively turned his head and saw a plume of dust rising from the direction of the reservoir dam. Then, the turbid floodwaters surged down the river like a wild horse, unstoppable.

"Oh no! The Germans have blown up the dam!" Someone shouted in a hoarse voice, instantly causing panic among those around them. Everyone scrambled to run ashore with all their might to avoid being swallowed by the rapidly approaching flood.

However, the flood arrived with extraordinary speed. First, the ice suddenly broke apart, like glass cleaved by a giant axe. Victor's feet slipped, and he instantly lost his balance, plunging into the icy river. The frigid water instantly soaked through his cotton clothes, the biting cold seeping into his bones, causing him waves of excruciating pain. He frantically waved his arms, managing to grab onto a piece of floating ice, only to witness the German lieutenant struggling nearby, clutching a broken piece of ice, his face filled with despair and helplessness.

An even more violent and unstoppable wave crashed down like a ferocious beast, instantly engulfing Victor and the German lieutenant.

The floodwaters surged ever higher, shattering the once-solid ice into countless fragments under its powerful impact, scattering water in all directions. The fleeing German soldiers and the pursuing Soviet troops were utterly helpless against this sudden catastrophe, swept away by the turbid, raging river, adrift downstream. The roar of the Istra River became deafening, as if all the sounds of the world had converged there, playing a tragic and poignant elegy for these young and vibrant lives. Colonel Sergei, witnessing his soldiers and the fleeing enemy being swallowed by the relentless flood, was stunned into silence, a profound and indescribable grief and helplessness welling up within him. After a long while, he finally recovered from this sudden shock, rushed into the command post, grabbed the telephone on the table, his fingers trembling slightly with tension and anger, and quickly connected to division headquarters. He cried out urgently, his voice trembling with sobs, "Commander, Comrade Commander, something terrible has happened! The Germans have suddenly blown up the dam upstream, and almost all the soldiers in our regiment have been killed!"

"What? The Germans blew up the dam?" Beloborodov asked incredulously, his voice filled with deep doubt and unease. "Is what you're saying true? How could that be?"

“It’s absolutely true, Comrade Division Commander.” Sergei continued his report, his voice filled with endless grief and anger. “After our soldiers occupied the positions on the riverbank, they pursued the enemy troops who had fled the positions. But just as they reached the middle of the river, the enemy, in a fit of madness, suddenly blew up the dam upstream. A raging flood poured down instantly, and they, along with the fleeing Germans, were mercilessly submerged by the flood. Their chances of survival were extremely slim.”

Before Beloborodov could ask for more details, a staff officer rushed in and, looking flustered, pointed to the report and said, "Comrade Division Commander, the enemy suddenly blew up the dam upstream, and the raging floodwaters swallowed everything on the ice like a ferocious beast, including our brave soldiers and those fleeing Germans, all of whom suffered a devastating disaster."

"Damn Germans! How could they so cruelly blow up the dam? It's utterly inhuman!" Beloborodov cursed angrily, then calmed down, knowing this wasn't the time to vent his emotions. "No, this must be reported to the Commander immediately." He then spoke into the microphone in a deep voice, "Colonel Sergei, I know the situation there. Immediately organize a full-scale rescue effort. Save every single person you can; don't give up on any hope. Understand?"

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Sergei nodded, his voice firm and strong. "I will immediately arrange for a full-scale rescue operation and will not let you down."

"Chief of Staff!" After hanging up the phone, Beloborodov quickly instructed his chief of staff, "Get me connected to headquarters immediately. I need to give the Commander a detailed report on the emergency situation here. It's urgent."

A moment later, the call connected. Beloborodov took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice calm and composed, and gave Rokossovsky a detailed report on the dire and critical situation: "Comrade Commander, the Germans have insanely destroyed the upstream dam, and the floodwaters are surging down unstoppably. During the pursuit of the enemy, a large number of soldiers of my 18th Guards Regiment have been swept away by the flood, and their fate is currently unknown. The situation is extremely critical and we urgently need rescue."

Rokossovsky paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, clearly struggling to process the sudden bad news, before replying in a heavy but firm tone: "Comrade Beloborodov, you must do everything in your power to organize a rescue effort, at all costs, while closely monitoring enemy movements to prevent them from taking advantage of the chaos to launch a counterattack and create even greater disorder. I will also immediately coordinate with all parties to provide full support and jointly deal with this sudden disaster."

Belobolodov replied firmly and without hesitation, "Yes, Commander, we will resolutely carry out the order, go all out, and never let you down." After hanging up the phone, he immediately gave the order to the Chief of Staff: "Notify all units to suspend all large-scale operations and devote all forces to the rescue work. We must race against time. Every comrade we save is a glimmer of hope. We must not let any soldier sacrifice his life in vain."

"Yes, Commander." The Chief of Staff nodded and said solemnly, "I will immediately transfer the 31st Guards Regiment to carry out the rescue, ensuring that the rescue operation is swift and effective."

(End of this chapter)