Chapter 14 Part Four 4-5

4 The fighting in the Kursk arc became intense.The initial plan of the German army was to use a powerful tank force to launch a swift and violent attack, destroy our bases in the south and north of Kursk, tighten the pincer offensive, surround the entire Kursk Red Army Army, and form a "German Stalinist" there. Geller".But this plan was quickly disrupted by the tenacious defense.The German command began to understand in the first few days that it could not break through the defense line, and even if it did break through, the German casualties would be very high, and it would no longer have the strength to tighten the pincer offensive.But it is too late to stop action.Many of Hitler's fantasies—strategic, tactical, political—were connected with this campaign.The avalanche had begun, and it was rushing down the mountain, and it was getting bigger and bigger, sweeping everything in its path, and those who started it were powerless to stop it.After advancing a few kilometers, the German army lost several divisions and regiments, hundreds of tanks, hundreds of artillery pieces, and several thousand vehicles.The attacking army was bleeding and weakening.The German command clearly realized that it was impossible to prevent the development of the situation, so it had to throw batch after batch of reserve forces where the fighting was most intense.

The Soviet High Command let the main force holding the line of defense here block the German attack.Seeing that the German offensive was increasing, it kept its reserves in the rear until the enemy's offensive power was exhausted.As Milesyev later learned, the troops covered by their regiment were attacking troops, not defensive ones.So in the initial stage, both the tankers and the associated fighter pilots were just bystanders of this great battle.When the entire force of the enemy was thrown into battle, the airfield's secondary combat readiness was lifted.Crew members are allowed to sleep in cave dwellings and even take off their clothes at night.Milesyev and Petrov redecorated their room.They tossed out postcards featuring female movie stars and pictures of exotic landscapes, tore up German horse-dung paper and wrapping paper, and decorated the walls with needles and freshly folded birch branches.Then their burrows would no longer rattle with falling sand.

One morning the two friends were stretching out on a wall bed hewn into the wall as the bright sun shone through the undrawn curtain onto the coniferous floor of the cave dwelling.At this time, there was a rush of footsteps on the path, and then a word that seemed unusual on the front line: "Postman!" Both of them threw off the quilt violently.But while Milesyev was clasping his false foot, Petrov had overtaken the postman and returned cheerfully with two letters from Alexei.This is a letter from my mother and Olya.Alexei snatched the letter from his friend, but just at this moment the rails were knocking on the airport, and the crew was called to the plane.

Milesyev put the letters in his bosom and immediately forgot about them.He followed Petrov towards the place where the plane was parked along the path in the woods.He was leaning on a hand stick and wobbling a little, but he was running fast.By the time he got to the plane, the motor cover had been removed, and the mechanic—a ridiculous young man with a pockmarked face—was eagerly milling around the plane. The motor roared.Milesyev looked at the "Six" plane, where the flight captain was sitting.Captain Cheslov flew his plane into the clearing.He raised his hand in the cab, which means: "Attention." The motor roared, the grass lying on the ground was blown white by the wind, and the green leaves on the birch trees fluttered in the wind, ready to fight against the dead branches. Break out of the woods together.

While still on the road, several pilots overtook Alexei, and one of them shouted to him that the tankers had turned to the offensive.This means that the pilots are now faced with the task of covering the tankers through the enemy positions that have been blown up and turned upside down by the artillery, clearing obstacles, and protecting the safety of the attacking tankers.Guard the air?Anyway the same.It wouldn't be a futile flight in this tense fight.Sooner or later you will encounter enemies on the other side of the sky.This is where the ability is tested, this is where he proves that he is as good as any other pilot, and this is where he proves that he achieves his goal!

Alexei was agitated.Yet it is not the fear of death, or even the sense of danger inherent in the bravest, calmest of men.Other things worried him: would the armourer check the machine guns and artillery; No, where is the cane? Will the gift from Vasily Vasilyevich be lost? I am even worried that someone will take away the novel he hastily left on the table, Yesterday he read the most interesting place.He remembered that he hadn't said goodbye to Petrov, so he had to wave to him from the cockpit.But Petrov did not see it.The face of the wingman's pilot, covered in a leather aviation cap, flushed with excitement.He watched eagerly the captain's upraised hand.hands down.The cockpit is closed.

The three planes of the first flight team whirred on the starting line, the plane started and ran; the second team followed closely; the third team also started to move.Now, the first planes take to the skies.Milesyev's team glides after them.The flat earth was already shaking from side to side below.Before the first flying team disappeared from sight, Alexei lined up his own team with it, and the third flying team followed closely behind. This is the frontier.Looking down from above, the land, mottled and scarred by the shells, looks like a muddy road washed by a heavy rain.Logs and broken bricks and tiles were exposed on the excavated trench passages, small shelters and bunkers.Yellow flames flickered and died all over the battered valley.This is the fire of the great battle.Looking down from above all this is as small and grotesque as a toy.It was unbelievable that everything below was burning, roaring and shaking.The god of death is wandering on the ground full of holes and on the battlefield filled with gunpowder, and it has gained a lot.

They flew over the front line, made a half-circle behind the enemy, and crossed the line again.No one shot at them, probably busy with its hard work on the ground, and had no time to take care of the nine small planes flying snake-like above it.Where are the tank crews?aha!Isn't that them?Milesyev saw the tanks crawling out one by one from the green groves of the hardwood forest towards the fields.Viewed from above, they resemble gray beetles sluggishly.After a while, many more tanks swarmed out.Batch after batch of new tanks crawled out of the mottled greenery, crossed the valley, and stretched on the road.The first tanks had already climbed a hill and onto the shell-battered ground.Red flames flew out of the barrel of the tank.Even children and nervous women—if they watched from the air, as Milesyev did—would not be afraid of this mighty tank attack, of hundreds of tanks battling the remnants of the German base. A quick attack.Then, through the din and jingle that filled his earphones, he heard Captain Cheslov's hoarse, languid voice:

"Attention! I am 'Leopard No. 3', and I am 'Leopard No. 3'. On the right side, 'Wearing Straw Sandals' appears, and 'Wearing Straw Sandals' appears!" Alexei saw that the command plane in front looked like a small black dot.The little black dot is shaking, which means: do it like me. Milesyev passed the order to the team behind him.He glanced back: the wingman was circling side by side with him, with little distance between them.Well done! "Hold on, old man!" Milesyev called to him. "I can hold on," he replied amidst the chaos, boom, and din.

"I am 'No. 3 Leopard'. I am 'No. 3 Leopard'. Follow me!" Such an order came from the microphone. The enemy is close at hand.In the air a little lower than them, several German "口-87" single-engine dive bombers flew in their favorite formation-lined up in two rows.They don't retract the landing gear, which hangs under the belly of the aircraft while in flight.The tires are protected by rectangular fairings, like two straw-sandal feet protruding from the belly of the plane.Therefore, it is said that they are called "straw sandals" on all battlefields.These illustrious dive bombers earned a reputation as bandits in the battles against Poland, France, Holland, Denmark, Belgium, and Yugoslavia, a Germany so monstrous that the press all over the world rushed to speak of it in the early days of the war. New weapons, but in the airspace of the Soviet Union, it seems obsolete.

Soviet pilots have found their weaknesses in many battles. Excellent Soviet pilots even think that "straw sandals" are not too fat, just like hunting grouse and rabbits, which does not require hunters to have real skills. Captain Cheslov did not lead his flying brigade to rush towards the enemy, but turned around in one direction.Milesyev believed that the cautious captain was planning to go around behind the sun, hide in the dazzling sunlight, and then suddenly rush at the enemy without anyone noticing, and launch a violent attack on them.Alexei smiled slightly: Don't you think too much of "wearing straw sandals" for such a complicated flight?However, it never hurts to be cautious.He looked back again, and Petrov was flying behind.Against the background of white clouds, he can be seen clearly. Now, a column of enemy dive bombers circled below them.The Germans flew beautifully and smoothly, as if they were connected by an invisible thread.The wings of their plane shone blindingly in the sun. "...I am the 'No. 3 Leopard'. Attack!" Milesiev only heard an order from the captain. He saw Cheslov and his wingman, from the right and above, slam down the slope of the enemy formation like a mad slide down an iceberg.The bullets shot straight at the nearest "straw sandal", and the plane suddenly fell.Cheslov and his wingman, along with his group's third plane, quickly passed through the opening and disappeared behind the German line.Immediately the German bomber line closed up behind them. The "straw sandals" continued to fly in perfect formation. After Alexei finished his code name, he wanted to shout: "Attack!" But out of his excitement, all he could hear was a hissing "In-in-in!" He couldn't see anything outside of the neatly lined flight queue.He took aim at a German plane that filled in for the one that Cheslov had knocked out.Alexei's ears were buzzing, and his heart was about to jump out of his throat.He aligned the bandit with the reticle of the sight and flew toward it, two thumbs on the trigger.There seemed to be a flicker of gray soft ropes on his right side.aha!The enemy plane fired, but missed.They shot again, and the planes got closer together...still safe and sound.But what about Petrov?He is also safe and sound.Petrov turned a corner from the left.This kid is really good! The "straw sandal" gray body is getting bigger and bigger in Zhunken.Alexey's fingers felt the coolness of the aluminum trigger.Come closer, come closer... Alexey is excited to feel that the time has finally come for him and his plane to become one!He felt as if the motor was beating in his chest.He felt the wings and the tail controls with all his being.He even felt that those dull prosthetic feet had found a feel, and in the crazy movement of speed, it didn't affect his fusion with the plane at all.The German's shapely, over-carved colossus slipped out of the sights, but was caught again.Milesyev flew straight at it and pulled the trigger.He didn't hear the shot, or even see the trajectory of the gunfire, but he knew it had hit.He didn't stop and continued on to another plane.He knew that the plane was going to go down and he would never run into it.Alexei was surprised to see a second plane fall beside him when he left the sight.Did he shoot it down by accident?no.This was shot by Petrov, who then flew to the right.This is to his credit.What a great job the newcomer has!Alexey was even more pleased with his young friend's success than with his own. The second team suddenly broke into the gap in the German formation.It was chaotic there.The second batch of German planes—flying them by inexperienced pilots, it seems—had fallen apart and lost formation.The planes of Cheslov's Battalion rammed among these scattered "straw sandals," clearing the sky and forcing the enemy to drop bombs on their own trenches in haste.Captain Cheslov's careful and meticulous plan was to force the Germans to blow up their bases.In the implementation of this plan, going around behind the sun played an auxiliary role. However, the formation of the first line of the German army was reorganized again, and the "straw sandals" continued to fly towards the bombing tank.The third team's attack was unsuccessful.The Germans did not lose a single plane, but one of our fighter planes was hit by enemy fire and disappeared.Being close to where the tank attack would begin, and without time to regain altitude, Cheslov decided to take the risk of attacking from below.Alexei agreed with him in his heart.He himself also wanted to use the miraculous vertical flight combat performance of the "La-5" aircraft to violently attack the belly of the enemy aircraft.The first team was already flying upwards, their taillines soaring into the sky like the rushing water of a fountain.Two German planes immediately fell from the formation.One of them was probably cut in half, and suddenly split open in the air.Its tail almost hit the motor of Milesiev's plane. "Follow!" Milesyev glanced at the wingman's silhouette, shouted, and then pulled the joystick over. The earth turned upside down.It was like a blow that threw him into the seat, against the back of it.He felt a bloody taste in his mouth and lips, and a red curtain shone before his eyes.The plane stood almost upright and flew upward.Lying on the back of the chair, Alexey saw in the front sight for a moment the speckled belly of the "straw sandals", saw the ridiculously shaped straw sandals covered with thick tires, and even saw the airfield sticking to it The mud on it. He pulled both triggers.He didn't know where it hit: the fuel tank, or the motor, or the bomb box, but the German plane disappeared in the tan smoke of the explosion. The blast threw Milesyev's plane aside as it flew through a cloud of flames.Alexey changed the plane to level flight.He looked at the sky.The wingman followed him from the right, hovering above the dusty, white foamy clouds in the vast blue sky.The surrounding area is empty, only on the horizon, against the background of the white clouds in the distance, can you see the black spots of "straw sandals" fleeing in all directions.Alexey looked at his watch, he was taken aback.He felt the fight had been going on for at least half an hour, and the gasoline should have run out.But the watch indicated that all this took only three minutes. "Still alive?" he asked, looking back at the wingman flying side by side on the right. From the clutter of voices he heard a distant, extremely excited voice: "Live...see the ground...on land..." In the battered, rolling valley below, smoky oil fires ignited in several places.Thick smoke rose vertically in a column in the windless air.However, Alexei did not look at the burning wreckage of these enemy planes, he looked at the gray-green beetles scattered in all directions on the field.They crossed two valleys and rushed to the enemy's position, the tanks in front had already crossed the trenches.The red fire from their gun barrels has fallen behind the German base.Although the sound of firing still sounded behind them, and the German artillery fire smoked thickly, they climbed farther and farther. Milesyev understood what it meant to have hundreds of these beetles penetrate deep into the defeated enemy positions. The next day, all the newspapers carried a piece of news that rejoiced the people of the Soviet Union and freedom-loving people all over the world.In a section of the Kursk arc, after two hours of heavy artillery bombardment, the Soviet army broke through the German defense line, concentrated all its forces and rushed into the gap, clearing the way for the Soviet army to turn to attack. On this day, two of the nine aircraft of Captain Cheslov's flight group did not return to the airfield.Nine "straw sandals" were shot down in the battle.If you only talk about airplanes, nine to two is undoubtedly a good ratio.But the loss of two comrades dilutes the joy of victory. When jumping out of the plane, the pilots did not joke, shout, gesture, and discuss the twists and turns of the battle as usual after the victory. Thrilling, re-experiencing the danger that had disappeared, they walked up to the chief of staff melancholy, briefly reported the results of the battle, and dispersed without anyone looking at each other. In the regiment, Alexei was new.He hadn't even seen the face of the victim.But he has the same emotion as everyone else. A very important event happened in his life, and he exhausted all his will and spiritual strength to deal with it-this event determined his whole life in the future. Put him back into the ranks of worthy healthy people.How many times had he thought about that day in the hospital bed, and later when he was learning to walk, dance, and recover his driving skills through tenacious training!Now, after he had shot down two German planes, the day had finally come when he was once again an equal member of the fighter family.Like everyone else, he walked up to the chief of staff, reported the number of enemy planes he had shot down, explained the situation of the battle, and praised his wingmen. Then he walked under the shade of the nearby birch tree, thinking about those who did not come back today. Only Petrov did not wear a flying cap, his fair hair was disheveled by the wind.He was running around the airport, grabbing Zhun's hand whenever he met, and began to talk: "...I see: they are right next to you, you can touch them! Just listen... I saw the captain aiming at the command plane, so I aimed at the neighboring plane and fired!" He ran up to Milesyev, threw himself on the soft, grassy green moss at his feet, and stretched out his limbs.But he couldn't bear this leisurely posture, and jumped up at once, saying: "What a beautiful circle you made today! It's great! It's all black... Do you know how I beat the enemy today? Listen... I flew behind you and saw: It's right there, very close, like you're standing here now..." "Wait a minute, old man." Alexei interrupted him, patted his pocket, "letter, letter... where did my letter go?" He thought of the letter he had received today, which he hadn't had time to read.He rummaged through all his pockets but couldn't find them, and was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat.He was only slightly relieved later when he felt the rustling envelope under the shirt on his breast.He took out Olya's letter, sat down under a birch tree, and, not listening to his friend's excited conversation, carefully tore off a small strip of paper from the envelope. Then a flare exploded with a bang.A long red and gold snake circled the airfield and then died out, leaving a trail of fading gray.The pilots jumped.Alexei put the envelope into his pocket as he walked.He didn't even have time to read a line.When he opened the letter, he felt that there was a hard sheet besides the letter paper.When he led his team to fly along the familiar route, he sometimes touched the envelope with his hand, what's inside? For the Guards Fighter Flying Regiment where Alexei was serving, the day when the tank troops broke through the line of defense was the beginning of a tough battle.Above the breakthrough, the flight brigade bombed in turn.As soon as one flying brigade withdrew from the battle and landed on land, another flying brigade took off to replace it, and the oil truck was already speeding towards the landing plane.Gasoline poured relentlessly into the empty tank.Above the scorching motor floated a mist like gel on the earth after a warm summer rain.The pilots did not leave the cockpit, and even lunch was brought to them in aluminum lunch boxes.But no one ate it.It's not what's on my mind today, it seems like a small piece is stuck in my throat. When Lieutenant Cheslov's flight group re-landed and the plane taxied to the grove to refuel, Milesyev sat in the cockpit, feeling the tired, pleasant aches and pains of his body, eagerly Looking at the sky, he yelled at the oiler a few times.He was drawn to fighting again - he wanted to test himself.He often felt the envelope rustle in his arms, but he didn't want to read it under these conditions. It was only at night, when the force's offensive zone was safely covered by twilight, that the crew was allowed to return to their cave dwellings.Instead of taking the usual shortcut in the woods, Milesyev took the detour through the weedy fields.He wanted to concentrate, to rest from the noise and roar, from the various impressions of the long day. In the evening, the air was fragrant, the sky was clear, and the silence was as if the distant roar of the cannon was no longer the sound of battle, but the roar of thunderstorms rolling by.The road passes through former rye fields.That desolate, reddish weed—in normal, peaceful human life, it only grows in the secluded corners of the yard and in the crevices of stones piled up on the edge of the field, or in places where shrewd human eyes seldom visit, Only then timidly stretched out the thin grass stalks—now it stands like an impenetrable wall, tall, arrogant, and powerful, trampling the land watered by the sweat of laborers for generations.It's just that in some places, the wild rye is bullied by weeds like soft grass, and grows sparse, dry ears.The overgrown weeds have sucked all the nutrients in the ground and absorbed all the sunlight, depriving the rye of nutrients and sunlight, so the ears of wheat withered before they bloomed and failed to bear fruit. Milesyev believes that the fascists also want to take root in our land, enrich themselves with our nourishment, rely on our abundant resources to grow shamelessly and crazy, cover the sun, and also want to turn the great The mighty, mighty people are driven out of their own lands and their gardens, and rob them of all, suck their bodies dry, and suffocate them—as the weeds choke these dry heads of wheat, and make these strong The beautiful plants are deformed.Alexei felt a childlike belligerence rushing over him.He lashed the reddish, heavy, smoke-colored crown with his cane, and was delighted to see the insolent bunches fall.Sweat dripped from his face, but he whipped the weeds that were wilting the rye.He was delighted to feel a frenzy for fight and activity in his tired body. A Willis chugs behind unexpectedly, then the wheels screech and the car stops in the road.Without looking back, Milesyev guessed that it was the regimental commander who caught up with him and caught him playing childish games.Alexei's face turned red all of a sudden, he pretended not to notice the car, and dug the ground with his cane. "Cut grass? What a fun game. I ran all over the airport, where's our hero? Where's our hero? Come and see him, he's fighting the weeds." The Colonel jumped out of Willis.He was an excellent driver himself, and enjoyed tinkering with cars in his spare time, as much as he enjoyed leading a team on difficult tasks, poring over oil-stained motors with the mechanics at night.He usually wears a blue jumpsuit, and only the solemn look on his thin face and the new and beautiful service cap can distinguish him from the dirty mechanic. Milesyev was still bewildered and dug the ground with his cane. The colonel grabbed him by the shoulder and said: "Well, let me see you. Heck, there's nothing special about you either! Now I should admit that when you were first sent, although everyone in the army was talking about you, I just didn't believe it, I didn't Believe that you will survive the war, and ... this is her, Mother Russia! I congratulate you. Congratulate you and salute you ... Do you want to go back to 'Mole City'①? Please sit down and I will see you go back." ①This refers to the cave dwellings where the pilots lived. "Willis" rushed forward from the spot, galloped at full speed on the field road, and turned wildly. "Hey, maybe you need something? Is there any difficulty? You don't hesitate to ask, you have the right to do so." said the regiment leader, driving through a small forest without roads, in the middle of a small hill full of cave dwellings walk through.This kind of underground city was nicknamed "Vole City" by the pilots. "I don't need anything, Comrade Colonel. I'm like everyone else. You'd better forget that I have no feet." "Okay... which cave do you live in? This one?" The colonel stopped the car just at the entrance of the cave.As soon as Milesiev got out of the car, "Willis" screamed, cracked the branches, turned around among the birches and oaks, and then disappeared into the woods. Alexei did not return to the cave.He lay down on a patch of moist, shaggy, mushroom-smelling moss under the birch tree, and carefully pulled Olya's letter out of the envelope.A photo slipped from his hand and landed on the grass.Alexey picked it up.His heart was beating violently and frequently. The photo showed a brand new face that was both familiar and at the same time unrecognizable.Olya is a portrait in military uniform.Shirts, belts, Red Star medals, even Guards epaulettes—all of them fit her perfectly.She looked like a thin, pretty little boy in military uniform.It's just that this "little boy" looked tired, and her big, round eyes were piercing, looking at people with a sharp gaze that teenagers don't have. Alexei gazed into those eyes for a long time, and could not help but be filled with an inexplicable sweet sadness.It's the same feeling you get when you listen to your favorite song from afar at night.He found a previous photo of Olya in his pocket, on which she was wearing a floral dress, sitting on a meadow full of flowers, among white chrysanthemum bushes full of stars.The odd thing was: this girl in the military shirt with the tired eyes he didn't seem to have ever seen, but this one was more dear to him than the one he had known before.The back of the photo read: "Don't forget me." The letter is short and optimistic.The girl was already commanding a platoon of soldiers.It's just that her platoon is not participating in the battle now.It is doing peacebuilding.They are restoring Stalingrad.Olya seldom talked about herself, but she spoke with gusto about this great city, about its ruins, and about how men, women and children who came here from all over the world now lived in the basements left by the war They lived in train carriages, plywood houses, and cave dwellings.They are building and repairing the city.It is said that every hard-working builder can get a house in the restored city of Stalingrad in the future.If so, why not let Alexey know that he will have a place to rest after the war. The sky in summer is always dark.Alexei read the last few lines of the letter by illuminating it with a pocket torch.After reading it, he took another photo.The young soldier's eyes looked at him seriously and honestly.Dear, dear, it is not easy for you... You did not escape this war, but the war did not destroy you either!are you waitingWait, wait!you love me don't you?Then love, love, dear!But Alexey was ashamed, for a year and a half he had hidden his misfortune from her, the hero of Stalingrad.He wanted to go back to the cave at once and write to her honestly and frankly and tell her everything.Let her decide - the sooner the better.When everything is clear, it will be easier for both of you. After what happened today, he was able to speak to her on an equal footing.Not only can he fly, but he can also fight.He had promised himself, and had sworn, that either his hopes were dashed, or that he would be an equal in battle, and he would tell her it all.Now he has succeeded.Two of the planes he hit fell and burned in the bushes in full view.The watchman recorded everything in the combat diary.The news had reached the divisions, the army, and Moscow. Anyway, the oath has been fulfilled, and I can write letters.However, strictly speaking, is the "straw sandals" a real opponent for fighter jets?You know, a good hunter doesn't bother to talk about killing a rabbit to prove his hunting skills. The warm, damp night thickened in the woods.Now, when the roar of the battle has moved to the south, and the distant firelight can barely be seen behind the branches, the night sounds in the summer woods, full of flowers and fragrance, are clearly heard: there are grasshoppers. The warm and tense chirping at the edge of the forest, the low croaking of hundreds of frogs in the adjacent swamp, the sharp squeaking of crakes, and that overwhelming, occupying, and enveloping The song of night driving in the wet night. The bright moonlight and black shadows intertwined together, and slowly crawled along the grass to Alexei's feet.He still sat on the soft, now damp moss under the birch tree.He took the picture out of his pocket again, put it on his lap, and looked at the moonlit picture in thought.The small, black silhouettes of night bombers flew southward one by one in the clear blue sky overhead.Their motors roared low.The sound of war could be heard in the moonlit woods, where night-drivers sang, like the peaceful hum of the may beetle.Alexei sighed, put the photo back into the pocket of his military shirt, jumped up elastically, shook off the allure of this enchanting night from himself, creaked the dead branches, and ran back to the in his own cave.His wingman was snoring sweetly and rhythmically now.He sprawled like a Hercules, lying on the narrow military bed. 5 At dawn, the crew was woken up.The headquarters received a reconnaissance report, which said: Yesterday, a large German flying division flew over the Soviet tank breakthrough area.This news also confirmed the observation materials on the ground.We can conclude that the German command, considering the threat posed by Soviet tanks breaking through the main strongholds of the Kursk arc, called in the "Lichtergofen" air division composed of excellent German pilots .The division was last routed at Stalingrad and rebuilt somewhere in the German rear.The team was notified in advance that it was preliminarily believed that the enemy was equipped with a new type of "Fokker-Furif-190" aircraft, and that there were a large number of them and they were all experienced.They were ordered to be very vigilant to safely cover the second echelon of mobile units that began to mass behind the assault tanks during the night. "Licht Goffin"!Experienced pilots are familiar with the division's name.It is a division that Hermann Göring highly values.Wherever the Germans encountered difficulties, they transferred it there.Some pilots of this division showed full piracy in the battle against the Spanish Republic.They are brave and flexible in battle, and are recognized as the most terrible enemy. "It is said that some 'Licht Goffin' flew towards us. It would be great if we met! Oh, it would be strange if we let these 'Licht Goffin' escape!" Petrov said in the cafeteria Li Da made a discussion.He wolfed down his breakfast, looking now and then at the open window.窗外女服务员拉雅正从一簇野花里挑出几束，把它们插到用炮弹做的涂上白粉的杯子里。 这段关于“利赫特果芬”的煞有介事的长篇大论与其是说给已经喝完咖啡的阿列克谢听的，不如说是给那个姑娘听的。因为她一面摆弄着花，一面还有意无意地甲眼梢偷看着漂亮的彼得罗夫。密列西耶夫带着敦厚的微笑待着他们。但是，要是谈到正经事，他可不喜欢玩笑和空谈。 “'利赫特果芬'并不是别的东西。'利赫特果芬'——这就是说，如果你不想在杂草中被烧死，你就得时刻警惕着。要竖起耳朵听，而且不能失去联系。'利赫特果芬'——老弟，就是这样的野兽：你还没来得及张开嘴喊叫，它们就把你咬在嘴里咯吱咯吱嚼了起来……” 黎明时分，在上校的亲自指挥下，第一飞行大队离地升空了。当它采取行动的时候，第二飞行大队的十二架歼击机也在准备着起飞。指挥它的应该是苏联英雄、近卫军少校费陀多夫。他是团里除了团长之外最有经验的飞行员。飞机准备就绪，飞行员们坐到了驾驶舱里。油门开得很小的马达轻声响着。林边吹来一阵阵疾风，就像在大暴雨之前，最初那豆大的雨点劈劈啪啪地落在干渴的大地上时吹来的那阵席卷尘土，震撼森林的疾风一样。 阿列克谢坐在驾驶舱里看着，第一组飞机好像从天上滑下来一样急剧地降落了。他不由自主地数着它们，不希望发生什么事，但是在两架飞机着陆的空当里却变得不安起来，直到最后一架飞机降落了，全都回来了！阿列克谢这才放下心。 最后一架飞机还没来得及开到旁边，少校费陀多夫的“一号”飞机已经离地起飞了。歼击机一对一对地飞上了天空。现在，它们已经在树林后面排好了队形。费陀多夫晃动了一下机翼就飞上了航线。飞机飞得很低，小心翼翼地保护着昨天的突破口的空域。阿列克谢现在不是从高空俯瞰大地，也不是从远景上遥看大地，而是从离地很近的飞机上看他疾驰而过的大地。昨天他从高空俯看下面觉得像是玩具一样的东西，今天展现在他面前的却是一望无际的巨大战场。机翼飞快地掠过了布满弹坑、战壕和土沟的田野；掠过了草地和小树林；掠过了狼藉遍野的尸体和被炮手扔下的、高高耸立的、孤零零的一排排大炮；掠过了被炸坏的坦克和长长的一堆歪歪扭扭的铁块和树木，就在这里炮兵连曾截住过好几队敌人。他又飞过了一大片被炮火完全炸平的森林。从上面看来，这里好像是一片遭受了大队马群践踏的田野。这一切好像电影一样一幕幕地飞掠而过，而且这部影片像是没完没了的。所有这些都说明了这场会战的激烈和血腥，说明了损失的惨重，同时也说明了获得这场会战的胜利是多么的伟大。 一行行坦克的履带辙印在这片宽阔地带留下了纵横交错的沟痕。这些沟痕伸向远方，伸向德军阵地的深处。这样的辙痕很多，满目都是——直到地平线的尽头，好像一大群叫不出名字的野兽慌不择路地在田野上向南方奔去。紧随在这远去的坦克后面的是望不到尽头的纵队——有摩托化炮兵，汽油车，由拖拉机牵引的巨大的带修理篷的辎重车，和蒙着帆布的卡车——从很远的地方就能看到它们后面扬起的蓝灰色尾尘。从空中俯看，纵队似乎是在非常缓慢地移动着。而当歼击机飞得再高一点的时候，所有这一切就好像是蚂蚁在春天的小道上移动着。 歼击机钻进了在这无风的天气里高高扬起的尾尘中，就像钻进了云层里一样。它们顺着纵队一直飞到“维利斯”的上空。车里面大概坐着坦克部队的首长们。纵队上方的天空是明朗的，可是在遥远的地平线雾蒙蒙的边缘已经可以看到那忽高忽低的战场的浓烟。这组飞机纵身飞去，在淡蓝色的天空中，像一条小蛇弯弯曲曲地飞行着。就在这时，阿列克谢在紧靠地平线的地方开始发现一个，随后又发现了一群低空飞行的小黑点。德国人！他们也紧贴着地面飞行着。很明显，他们在瞄准长满红色杂草的田野上扬起的、很远就能看得见的尾尘。阿列克谢本能地回头看了一眼，他的僚机在他的后面飞行着，保持着最短距离。 飞行员凝神听着，从遥远的地方传来了一个声音： “我是'海鸥二号'，费陀多夫；我是'海鸥二号'，费陀多夫。注意！跟着我！” 在空中已经形成这样一种习惯：因飞行员高度紧张，所以当指挥员还没来得及发布完命令，飞行员已经在执行他的命令了。当从远处的某个地方透过铃声和哨声传来新的命令时，全机组保持着共同的密集队形，已经一对接一对地转过弯截住了德军飞机。视力、听力和思想——所有这一切都紧张到了极点。除了这些迅速出现在眼前的敌机和传达命令的飞行帽耳机里的铃声和叮当声之外，阿列克谢什么也看不到，什么也听不到。他没有听到命令，而是突然非常清楚地听到一个声音，这个声音激动地用外语喊着： “阿赫通！阿赫通！……'拉—符夫'。阿赫通！”这大概是一位德国地面侦察员在喊着。他警告他们的飞机遇到了危险。 这个著名的德国空军师按自己的惯例想尽办法在战场上安插了密如网状的侦察兵和地面观察兵。他们在夜间和无线电发报机一起用降落伞空投到可能发生空战的区域。 随后又听到另一个不太清楚的、嘶哑暴躁的声音用德语低声说： “噢，通纳尔魏特尔！林克斯'拉—符夫'！林克斯'拉—符夫'！……” 通过这个沮丧的声音可以听到一种掩饰不住的惊慌。 “'利赫特果芬'却害怕'LA—5'飞机！”密列西耶夫恶狠狠地咬牙切齿说。他看着向他逼近的飞机，感到准备就绪的身体里有一种快乐的轻松感和令人神往的狂喜，以至于他的头发都竖了起来。 他看清楚敌人了。这是一架“福克—符里夫—190”强击歼击机，是一种有力、敏捷的飞机。它们刚刚投入到战斗中就被苏联飞行员起了个“前桅帆”的绰号。 它们的数量要比苏联飞机多出一倍、它们按照“利赫特果芬”师所特有的最严密的队形飞行着：它们呈梯级排列，结对飞行，后面的每一架飞机都保护着前面一架飞机的尾部。凭借高度的优势，费陀多夫带领他的机队投入了进攻。阿列克谢已经暗中瞄准了一架敌机，他一边留神着其他飞机，一边尽量使那架飞机处于准星之内，朝它冲过去。但是这时有人超过了费陀多夫：一队驾驶“雅克”飞机的机组从另一个方向绕了过来，迅速从上面向德国人进攻——而且非常成功，一下子就打乱了敌机的队形。空中开始乱了套。双方队形分散成单独的两架一组和四架一组的战斗队。歼击机竭力地用密集的子弹，拦住敌人，然后绕到机尾，从侧面进攻。 一对对飞机盘旋着，互相追逐着，在空中跳起了复杂的圆圈舞。 只有经验丰富的眼睛才能在这种混乱中辨清形势，就像只有经验丰富的听党才能分辨出从耳机钻入驾驶员耳朵里的各种声音一样。这时天空中各种声音都有：有进攻者嘶哑的叫骂声；有被击中者可怕的哀号声；有胜利者洋洋得意的喊叫声；有受伤者的呻吟声；有神经紧张的人在陡急的盘旋中的咬牙切齿声；有沉重的呼'吸声……有人在战斗中快乐地用外语唱着歌；有人像孩子一样大叫一声，喊着“妈妈”；有人大概是扣动了扳机，恶狠狠地喊着：“打死你，打，打，打！” 被瞄准的猎物从密列西耶夫的准星里溜了出去。随后，他又在自己飞机的上方看到了一架“雅克”。它的尾部被一架雪茄状的直翼的“前桅帆”紧紧咬住。从“前桅帆”的机翼上已经有两道平行的子弹线射向了“雅克”，碰到了它的机尾。密列西耶夫火速向上飞去搭救。一眨眼的工夫他的上面又闪过了一个黑影。他竭尽全力把长长一梭子子弹射进这个黑影。他没有看见“前桅帆”发生了什么事。他只看到，尾部受伤的“雅克”已经飞远了。密列西耶夫回头望了一下：在忙乱中僚机有没有拉下？没有，它几乎是在并排飞行着。 “老伙计，别落后了。”阿列克谢从牙缝里挤出了一句话。 耳朵里鸣响着叮当声，劈啪声，唱歌声，用两种语言喊出的得意的吼声和害怕的叫声，还有嘶哑声、咬牙声、骂人声、沉重的呼吸声。听着这些声音使人觉得歼击机不是在空中作战，而像两个对手使出浑身的力气在地上厮打着，滚动着，累得气喘吁吁、声音嘶哑。 密列西耶夫观察了一下天空，想瞄准一架敌机。可是，他突然觉得背后冒起一股凉气，连后脑勺的头发都竖了起来。稍稍下方，他看到了一架“La—5”型飞机和一架从上面向它进攻的“前桅帆”飞机。他没有看见“La—5”飞机的号码，但是他知道，他也感觉到这是彼得罗夫。“福克—符里夫”笔直地向彼得罗夫冲去，连续不断地向他射击。彼得罗夫的生命危在旦夕。按照空战的规则，他们的作战距离太近了，所以阿列克谢不能飞过去帮助他的朋友。没有一点时间，也没有地方可以让飞机转弯。但同志的生命在千钧一发之际，密列西耶夫不得不铤而走险。他加大了飞机油门，让他的飞机垂直冲下去。飞机带着自身的重量，再加上惯性和强大的马力，巨大的张力使飞机颤抖着。它像石头一样——不，不是像石头，而是像火箭一样——一边用子弹压住敌机，一边向短翼的“前桅帆”身上扑去。由于这种疯狂的速度和急剧的下降，他的意识模糊起来。在向下俯冲的时候，他的模糊不清、充血的眼睛勉强发现，在他的螺旋桨的正前方“前桅帆”被一片爆炸的烟云笼罩着。可是彼得罗夫呢？他跑到哪里去了？他在哪里？被击落了吗？跳伞了吗？离开了吗？ 四周的天空晴朗而寂静，从远处一架已经看不见的飞机上传来了一个声音： “我是'海鸥二号'，费陀多夫；我是'海鸥二号'，费陀多夫。向我靠拢，向我靠拢。返航。我是'海鸥二号'……” 费陀多夫大概把他的机队带走了。 密列西耶夫和“福克—符里夫”算完帐之后，就让他的飞机脱离了疯狂的垂直俯冲状态。他贪婪沉重地呼吸着，享受着这到来的平静，感受着危险已过的快意和胜利的喜悦。他看了看罗盘，想确定一下回去的路线。可是当他发现汽油已经不多了，未必能够飞回机场时，便皱起了眉头。但是紧接着他又看到了一件比油量表的指针接近零点更可怕的东西：一架不知道从哪里钻出来的“福克—符里夫—190”从一团毛茸茸松软的云里向他直冲过来。没有时间考虑，也没有地方躲避了。 两个对手迅速地对冲起来。