Things turned out just as Shulka thought. Early the next morning, news came from the troops that they were preparing to break out.
But this was not because Shulka convinced Major Gavrilov.
In fact, after Major Gavrilov returned to the headquarters and made an impassioned statement to the instructor, not only did he fail to persuade the instructor to break out, but it also strengthened his determination to hold on.
"The situation is very clear now, Comrade Artu!" Major Gavrilov said: "If we don't break through, we will never have a chance again!"
"You mean there are still our comrades resisting in the central fortress?" the instructor asked.
"Yes!" Major Gavrilov didn't understand what the instructor meant by asking this.
"You mean we have to leave them alone to break out?" the instructor asked again.
Major Gavrilov was speechless for a moment, but at the same time he understood what the instructor meant.
"No, I will never abandon our comrades to break through!" the instructor said sternly: "Comrade Major, have you ever thought that if we succeed in breaking through, the Germans will concentrate their efforts on attacking the central fortress. This is almost
It means we have single-handedly cut off their way of survival!"
"But we have no choice..."
Major Gavrilov is obviously right. There is no such thing as someone harming someone on the battlefield. In emergency situations, the method of docking the tail of a gecko must be used to preserve strength.
"Of course we do!" the instructor interrupted Major Gavrilov: "Believe in our motherland, believe in our army, Comrade Major. The supplies we have now obtained are enough for us to be stationed for half a month. But
Obviously, within half a month, our army will drive these invaders back, and then we will be saved! Don’t you see? This is a good opportunity for us to make great achievements!”
After hearing this, Major Gavrilov understood that the most important thing was the words "contribution". At this moment of life and death, the instructor was still thinking unrealistically: Hold on to the Brest Fortress
, when the Soviet army came back, they became heroes, and then they were promoted and made rich.
If Shulka heard this, he would know that this was impossible unless they could hold on for three years... The Soviet army did not fight back and recover Brest until three years later.
But at this time, Major Gavrilov was not sure. At the same time, he could not convince the instructor, so he could only sigh.
Originally, Major Gavrilo thought that he would continue to hold on to the fortress just as the instructor said, but things changed.
The influence comes from the central fortress.
The situation of the central fortress is similar to that of the Kobrin fortress. It is commanded by political commissar Fomin and captain Zubachev. The difference is that there are many family members of officers in the central fortress. Another point is that political commissar Fomin and Zubachev have the same idea.
, they all believe that they should stick to it.
On the one hand, this is because they need to protect their families and cannot break out with their women and children. On the other hand, they are unaware of the external situation and think that this is a local battle that will end soon. As long as they hold on long enough, reinforcements will arrive.
.
Until a Soviet fighter plane appeared over the fortress...
It was an I-15 biplane fighter. Its appearance made the soldiers in the central fortress cheer loudly. They thought they had finally waited for this moment, and the Soviet army had returned.
But before their cheers stopped, two German fighter planes emerged from the clouds and shot down the I-15 very simply.
Fortunately, the pilot parachuted out in time and was rescued by the soldiers of the central fortress.
"Have the reinforcements arrived? Where are they?" Political Commissar Fuming asked the pilot impatiently.
"What reinforcements?" The pilot looked at the young political commissar in front of him in confusion.
"Our troops!" Fumin asked again: "Where are they? We need rescue!"
The pilot hesitated for a while, then seemed to understand what was going on. He regretfully told Fomin: "Sorry, political commissar. Our troops have retreated, and the Germans have reached Baranovichi. There are no reinforcements and no people."
I know you are still fighting, I just lost my way..."
Fu Ming was stunned in place for a long time without reacting.
Knowing the exact situation, of course they would no longer cling to the unrealistic illusion of waiting for help, so they quickly formulated a breakout plan.
There is no doubt that the north is the best direction to break out. In addition to the reasons Shulka analyzed before, it is also because the Kobrin Fortress to the north of the central fortress is still resisting, and the two armies should join forces to break out together.
Therefore, Fomin sent several communication troops to the Kobrin Fortress.
In the early morning, the sun gradually rose from the east, and the sunlight penetrated the thick fog on the Bug River and cast golden light towards the Kobrin Fortress.
Shulka opened his raw eyes and shuddered. Although it was already summer, the outdoor temperature was still as low as ten degrees at night. Sleeping in the trench with a cold gun was definitely not a pleasant experience.
After a while, other soldiers woke up one after another... It wasn't the sun that woke them up, but the cooking soldiers starting to distribute food. No one would want to miss this.
"Hey, today's gift is bread!" Long Legs exclaimed in surprise when he got the food.
"You should thank Comrade Shulka!" Pukarev glanced in Shulka's direction: "Thanks to him!"
"certainly!"
"For your bread, Shulka!"
…
The cook saw something from the soldiers' performance, so he secretly put an extra piece of bread into Shulka's lunch box and shook hands with Shulka: "It's an honor to meet you, Comrade Shulka!
"
"Thank you!" Shulka replied, accepting his gift with peace of mind.
However, before Shulka could stuff the bread into his mouth, fierce gunshots rang out.
Shulka was not in a hurry. He closed the lunch box and put it in his backpack before grabbing his gun. The other Soviet soldiers dropped their food and immediately grabbed their guns and prepared for battle in front of the trenches.
Turns out Shulka was right…
This time it was different from before. There was only gunfire but no artillery sound, and the direction came from the south. These proved that it was not the Germans who launched the attack.
Sure enough, after the gunfire, the surroundings fell into silence again, except for the occasional ferocious barking of German wolfhounds.
"It's the comrades from the central fortress!" Okunev whispered: "They want to cross the river at night and get closer to us!"
"Looks like they didn't make it!" Shulka said.
But Shurka soon discovered that he was wrong. Just when Shurka and others were about to take out their rifles, a small black dot suddenly appeared in the thick fog and stumbled towards the trench.