Chapter 10: The Female Soldier Regiment in the Swamp (Part 1)

  As for the second point, it's even simpler. Under the strategic idea of "preserving every inch of national territory" by Comrade Stalin, the Soviet military command organized a comprehensive passive defense, using soldiers' lives to slow down the German army's offensive pace. On a 1,800-kilometer front line from the Baltic Sea to Mount Kharbash, several hastily assembled fronts withstood the German army's long-planned powerful offensive. If they could succeed, it would be an unimaginable thing.

  As for the third point, it seems that there is nothing to say. A historic and unprecedented purge, from high-ranking generals and marshals to ordinary regimental commanders, Stalin ruthlessly eliminated countless military personnel with cruel means. Even now, Chu Si Nan believes that a large number of experienced and outstanding military leaders are still being held in some secret prisons. Even those who were released from prison due to the urgency of war, when they returned to the army, would not be able to shake off their psychological burdens. How could such timid and hesitant military commanders lead the army to resist the mighty German forces? Look at this young Akhromeyev in front of us now, his face clearly says "only talk about military affairs, don't mention national politics", it can be seen how terrifying that purge was.

  "Comrade Akhromeyev," Chusov thought for a moment, then looked into the young soldier's eyes and asked sincerely, "What do you think are the chances that our troops can hold back the Germans by building defensive fortifications in Vigie?"

  Akhrarov fell silent, and only after a long time did he say: "Captain Comrade, in fact I have always agreed with your point of view, that is, not to go to Vitebsk, but to turn to Drissa. Although the possibility of it becoming the main battlefield against Germany is also small, but facing the highly mechanized German army, we seem to have only relied on the Western Dvina River to temporarily slow down their attack. What we are considering now, and what is most realistic, can only be to suppress the fierce offensive momentum of the German lightning war. This time, the Germans' appetite is too big, the overall offensive posture in the west, as well as the increasingly long supply line that appears as the front line advances, will be their fatal weakness. As long as they...

  "Something's going on!"

  Akromeyev's words had just reached this point when a soldier who was always on the lookout suddenly shouted in a low voice.

  "Ah-choo!"

  Chu Si Nan's heart suddenly shook, and he quickly stood up, holding the submachine gun he had obtained from the German on his shoulder, ready to fight. At this moment, he was completely at a loss, with only six Soviet soldiers by his side. If it were a German search party that had arrived, their chances of survival in the face of danger ahead and pursuers behind would be almost zero.

  "Rustle..."

  "Crack, crack......"

  After a burst of gunfire, the people following Chu Si Nan had already raised their guns, and it seemed that everyone was ready to fight to the death.

  The reeds in the south are still swaying, with large areas of reeds waving like waves, first bending northward and then standing up, then bending again and standing up again. Judging from the scale alone, it is estimated that a team with a considerable number of people is coming.

  As the reeds swayed gently, Chu Si Nan's heart was also being lifted up bit by bit. He was a special forces soldier, one who had received modern combat training. If it came to stealth and fighting in a balanced state, he wouldn't feel any difficulty. However, special forces soldiers are human too, those heroic figures that can single-handedly take out an entire company or battalion only exist in fantasies and American blockbusters. In real battles, that's just nonsense. Not to mention anything else, to annihilate several hundred people head-on, even if every shot hit its mark, would require several hundred bullets. A single soldier carrying that many bullets...

  Just as Chu Si Nan's heart was about to jump out of her throat, the edge of the reeds by the south was suddenly broken through, and several slender figures covered in mud and soaked from head to toe jumped out.

  "Don't shoot!" Chu Si Nan suddenly shouted loudly, these uninvited guests were obviously not the German army's pursuers, but should be Soviet female warriors who had escaped from somewhere, although their military uniforms were dirty and could not see their original appearance, but the military caps on their heads could see some colors, that was a familiar gray yellow, which was the true color of the Soviet military uniform.

  "Bang!"

  "Bang!"

  Although Chu Si Nan had shouted out, someone still opened fire. Fortunately, perhaps the shooter's marksmanship was not good, or maybe it was because of this loud shout that they were startled and missed their target. Chu Si Nan saw with relief that none of the female soldiers who first jumped out of the reeds were shot down; they were only frightened by the gunfire and instinctively retreated back into the reeds.

  "Don't shoot, it's our own people!" Chu Si Nan first pressed down the guns held by several soldiers beside him, then raised his hands and waved the submachine gun he had snatched from the Germans, shouting loudly.

  The dense reeds were quiet for a while, and finally someone came out. She held a rifle in both hands, stood on the empty ground in front of the reeds, looked around for a moment, and then shouted: "What's your number?!"

  "Northwestern Front Army, Eleventh Army Group, 103rd Division, 4th Regiment, 3rd Company." Chu Si Nan said in one breath.

  "What's your name?!" The female soldier continued to ask, "Rank?!"

  "Chu Si Nan, temporarily taking on the duty of Upper Lieutenant." Chu Si Nan replied helplessly.

  "Are you Chinese?" The female soldier asked strangely, but didn't wait for Chu Si Nan's answer. She put down the rifle in her hand and slung it over her shoulder, then clapped her hands and walked towards this side. Along with the sound of her clapping, a burst of young women's silvery laughter suddenly came from the quiet reed marsh, followed by a group of female soldiers running out happily.

  "Hello, Comrade Captain. I'm glad to meet you here." Walking up to Chu Si Nan's side, the female soldier from earlier extended her hand and shook his, saying "We also belong to the 11th Army Group, Communications Company. I am Captain, Military Commissioner Gil'ni Lov'a."

  "Hello, Comrade Zhil'neva," Chus said with a smile on his face, but in his heart he was bitter and laughing wryly. What's there to be happy about running into each other in this place? It's like seeing a ghost.

  "Everyone stay where you are." Zhil'niylovna first turned back to say to the many female soldiers who had walked over, then continued to ask, "Comrade... Sichuan, did you also retreat from Weijin? What about the other comrades in your company? Why are there only a few of you?"

  "No, we retreated from the direction of Vilnius," replied Chutsa Nan. "The situation on the front line is not optimistic, so our superiors ordered us to move in this direction to merge with the follow-up troops and form a second line of defense. As for our numbers... these are all the warriors of our entire regiment, the other comrades have made heroic sacrifices."

  Jilnairova's face showed a look of distress, and even the female soldiers behind her who were originally laughing and chatting fell silent.

  "Comrade Chusonan," Gil'nelova said with a sigh after a brief silence, "I regret to inform you that Vigie is no longer needed. The German vanguard has already occupied the area, and our main forces retreated westward in the direction of the Dvina River yesterday afternoon."