After Sokov left, he quickly formed a sniper team composed of five sharpshooters. The task he gave them was to snipers kill all enemies that appeared in their vision.
Hearing Jetrov's order, the elderly sharpshooter Matvey asked in confusion: "Captain, what should the cooks who go to the river to fetch water every day? Do you also treat them as enemies?"
Jetrov looked at Matvi, bit his back teeth and said, "Comrade Commander said that as long as people wearing German uniforms are all our enemies. No matter what kind of troops they are, they will be eliminated, do you understand?"
"I understand!" Although the sharpshooters did not know the reason why Jetrov issued this order, they still responded respectfully: "We will definitely eliminate all the enemies that appear in our vision."
When Sokov returned to the division headquarters, Chief of Staff Portukin already knew about forming a sniper squad. He asked Sokov carefully: "Comrade Commander, why did you suddenly think of forming a sniper squad at the forefront?"
Hearing Potukin's question, Sokov raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise: "Comrade Chief of Staff, is there anything wrong with the decision I made?"
"I want to talk about my personal opinion. If there is something wrong, please don't be angry." Portukin said cautiously: "According to our reconnaissance, the German army has an artillery battalion on the other side. Once our army starts to snipe the enemy on the other side, it may be retaliated by the German artillery. You must know that our fortifications by the river are not strong, and once we are bombarded, they will inevitably suffer huge casualties."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I have considered the issues you are worried about." Sokov waited for Portukin to finish his comments: "After the battle some time ago, my division's morale had fallen to the bottom. If I don't find something to boost my morale, I'm worried that the performance of our division will be disappointing on the day the attack begins."
Speaking of this, Sokov deliberately paused for a moment to observe Potukin's reaction. Seeing that the other party was silent, he continued: "In front of our position, it is not the Champsell Street in Paris, which allows the Germans to take a free walk there. We want to see one and destroy the other, and beat them to the trenches and dare not stand up. Do you understand?"
After Potukin waited for Sokov to finish speaking, he nodded with a wry smile and said, "I understand."
Sokov knew very well. Although Potugin said it clearly, he did not agree with his own actions. He added: "Our snipers must closely monitor every place where enemies may appear. As soon as they appear, they will destroy them. Don't underestimate the role of snipers. If they can destroy five to ten enemies a day, then by the day of attack, they will at least destroy an enemy of a company. This is an amazing result."
Sokov's words made Potugin's eyes lit up, and he continued: "Comrade Commander, if each sniper team can destroy five to ten enemies every day as you said, as long as we form a few more sniper teams, then when the attack begins, the strength of the German army on the opposite side will be greatly weakened." As he said that, he picked up the phone on the table, "I will call the commanders of the other two regiments and ask them to form a sniper team immediately to kill the enemies that appear in front of their positions."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov saw that Portukin had been persuaded by him and even wanted to take the initiative to call the other two regiment commanders and explain to them about forming a sniper team. He quickly reminded: "Tell the two regiment commanders that in the early stages when the sniper team starts the sniper operation, it will definitely attract revenge from German artillery fire. I hope they should be mentally prepared in advance."
Shortly after its establishment, the sniper team of the 1135th Regiment hid in the woods by the Jizdra River and fired cold guns on the German positions opposite. Among them, the sharpshooter Matvey, who was appointed as the captain of the team, fired a total of thirteen shots, killing 7 German soldiers and injuring one, and the other soldiers also killed one to two.
Before the operation, Captain Jetrov once warned them that after sniping the enemy, they should prevent revenge from German artillery. Therefore, when they found that no target appeared in their field of vision, they transferred the sniper location in time.
As soon as they left, the German artillery fire roared. Walking at the end, Matvey saw dazzling fireballs rising in the woods, several birch trees as thick as bowls were blown up in the waist, and were thrown to the side by the air waves. This scene made him sweat in a cold sweat, thinking that if it weren't for the timely transfer, the sniper team would have to explain it here.
The other snipers, seeing Matvey running out of the woods in a mess, quickly asked with concern: "Sergeant Matvey, are you okay?"
"It's okay, I'm fine." Matvey, who was pale, shook his head and said to his subordinates: "While the Germans are bombarding this woods, we will find a new sniper location and teach the Germans a lesson."
When a young sniper heard Matvey say this, he quickly reminded him: "Comrade Sergeant, we have killed many enemies today. According to my statistics, there are far more than ten. I think we should go back first and come tomorrow."
"No, we can't go back now." Matve pointed to the other side and said to his subordinates: "Don't look at the Germans on the opposite position being beaten so hard that they dared not show up. At this moment, their shells are bombarding the woods. I think someone will definitely come out to check the effect of the shelling. Let's find a new sniper location and teach the Germans a lesson." Seeing that Matve is so stubborn, the snipers could not continue to refute, so they could only follow them and continue to find a new sniper location.
When they came to a bush by the river, a sniper suddenly pointed at the opposite side and said excitedly: "Comrades, look, the Germans have indeed emerged from the position."
Everyone looked in the direction of his fingers, and indeed saw more than a dozen German soldiers emerging from the trenches that were originally empty. They were pointing at the woods that were bombarded, discussing something happily.
Seeing this, Matvey shouted excitedly: "Everyone immediately enters the shooting position and selects their own shooting targets. When he hears my order, he will shoot at the same time. We must find a way to kill more Germans in the shortest time."
Chapter completed!