Chapter 85 Kyiv Defense Line
Originally, Shulka and others were going to retreat 30 kilometers as planned and then build a new line of defense, but they were "intercepted" halfway.
The troops withdrew from the front line smoothly. Although the German army also discovered the retreat of the Soviet army, they were helpless in the face of a large number of mines and muddy roads.
But the heavy rain also troubled the 333rd regiment.
The most serious thing is that no one can rest in this torrential rain environment, although everyone is sleepy.
Then there's the difficulty of eating, taking the loaf out of the raincloth quickly turns to a rainwater-laced slush, and you have to swallow this disgusting slush as fast as you can, or it will run through your fingers Walk.
Once again, I was wet all over. Because the boots were filled with water, they were as heavy as a stone. Every time I stepped on it, I could feel the sound of water and air squeezing each other inside.
So, when the troops passed through a village, the thief suggested: "Comrade Sergeant, why don't we stop and go to those houses to warm up or take a rest?"
The actor answered immediately: "It's a good idea, even if it takes a few minutes!"
A few minutes... Everyone knows that the actor is addicted to smoking again.
"No, Fovalikov!" Shulka replied: "This is not for me to decide. If you really want to do it, I think you should ask the second lieutenant!"
Shulka fell silent when he said the thief, because everyone knows that asking the second lieutenant can only invite a curse... That's the second lieutenant's way of speaking.
At this moment, several cars staggered to the side of Shulka and the others. The driver poked his head out of the cab and asked, "Hey, are you from the 333rd Regiment?"
"Yes!" Shulka replied.
"Get in the car!" The driver only said two words.
"What?" Shulka didn't understand what the driver meant. Shulka didn't dare to make a decision without receiving an order. He was just a platoon leader.
But the next second he was relieved, because the second lieutenant blew his whistle in front and ordered: "Get in the car!"
The soldiers rushed into the car with a cheer, without even waiting for Shulka's order.
Shulka shook his head, secretly thinking that after all, they are the Soviet army, and they should not have too high demands on them.
As soon as they got into the car, the soldiers fell on the chairs like a puddle of mud.
The veteran took off his boots, and the smell immediately made everyone cover their noses.
"Matvey!" The Cossack said dissatisfied: "Do you want us to spit out yesterday's dinner?"
"Aren't you like this?" The veteran shook his boots to pour water out, and then took off the "foot wrap".
At this time, the Soviet soldiers did not have socks. Their standard equipment was to wrap their feet with a piece of cotton cloth as socks, just like women who bound their feet in feudal society.
Of course, Shulka would not tell them that, unless he wanted to be lifted up by his subordinates and thrown into the river... What the fighting nation hates the most is being called like a woman, not to mention that it will offend people That's the whole army.
"We are the same!" retorted the Cossack, "But do you have to take it out?"
This is correct. No one has washed their feet properly since the soldiers came out of the Brest Fortress. One can imagine what the smell of these feet will be.
"What do you know?" The veteran replied: "You better do the same, or you will soon know the consequences!"
The old soldier is right. If the feet are soaked in water for a long time, they will become swollen, deformed, and lose consciousness. What is more serious is that there are many germs in the sewage, which can invade the body and cause skin diseases or other diseases.
This was quickly verified from other troops.
"Take off your boots!" Shulka ordered: "Like Matvey!"
"Yes, Comrade Sergeant!" The soldiers responded, and then took off their boots one by one holding their breath.
Immediately, there was a disgusting smell in the carriage. If you had to describe it, it would be like pickles that were not successfully pickled, and there were almost no flies to join in the fun.
But having said that, although the smell is a bit unpleasant, it is still very comfortable to free the feet to blow the air, so that the soldiers are unwilling to wear wet shoes back for a long time.
After a while, Shulka called out to the thief sitting at the end: "Ask the driver, where is he taking us?"
The thief knocked on the partition of the car and asked loudly to the cab: "Comrade, can I know the destination?"
"Kyiv!" the driver replied.
"Kyiv!" The thief turned around and said, "We are going to Kyiv!"
Immediately there was cheering in the car, especially those recruits who had just joined the army... Going to Kyiv means they can go home.
But soon they will be disappointed.
Because they are going to the Kyiv defense line instead of Kyiv.
The car staggered on the road for more than four hours before arriving at the destination... It was dark and raining. In fact, the more important thing was the poor road conditions in the Soviet Union. There were potholes everywhere. Once flooded, no one knew how deep it was. , so the driver will never dare to try to run over easily.
So the speed can only be about 30 kilometers per hour.
This can be said to be a disadvantage, but it is also an advantage... This road condition also caused a headache for the German mechanized troops.
Shulka believes that if the Soviet Union had a few decent roads at this time, there would be no victory in the Defense of Moscow, because the Germans would definitely be able to end the battle before the severe winter.
Cars stopped in front of an air-raid shelter one after another, and then they heard harsh whistles from outside. Major Gavrilov shouted outside: "Everyone get out of the car!"
The soldiers hurriedly picked up their equipment and rushed to the back of the vehicle, some of them were even putting on their shoes in a hurry... As I said before, don’t place too much hope on the discipline of the Soviet army.
After the troops lined up in the heavy rain, Major Gavrilov gave the order: "Rest in place and disband!"
Shuerka was about to turn around but was stopped by Major Gavrilov: "Shuerka, come with me!"
"Yes, Comrade Major!"
Shuerka didn't ask why. During the time he came to this world, he had learned to ask as few questions as possible.
But when Shulka saw soldiers and civilians busy building defense lines everywhere in the dark, he understood... The 333rd Regiment's return from the front line must have something to do with the construction of fortifications. After all, they are the only one that succeeded in the front line Defeat enemy forces using the "camouflage" tactic.
Sure enough, under the leadership of Major Gavrilov, the two quickly walked into an air-raid shelter.
The person looking at the map in the air-raid shelter was none other than General Kirponos, the commander of the Southwest Front Army.
(end of this chapter)
