Arc of Gunfire

Agsukov, early morning.

No one in the whole city could sleep because the sound of artillery fire in the distance never stopped.

The same was true for Aunt Alexeevich. She sat by the window, leaning against the wall, listening to the sound of artillery in the distance.

Just after dawn, Aunt Luna from upstairs hurried downstairs and ran to the counter in the reception room. She stuck her head in the window and looked at the aunt and asked: "Is the sound of gunfire getting closer?"

Alexeyevna: "Even if we are close, we can't hear it. We are not veterans who have been on the battlefield. This is the only time in the past two years that we have heard the sound of artillery."

That time, of course, refers to the time when Agsukov fell.

Aunt Luna sighed: "That's right. I just had a dream about Xie Na who used to live on the third floor. I told her that we were going to win and Agsukov was going to be liberated. Then Xie Na covered her mouth and started Crying - they all went over there and they were still crying.”

Xie Na on the third floor was raped and killed after Prosen's army entered the city.

Madam Alexeyevna stood up and took out a scarf from the cabinet next to the reception desk.

"Have you seen this scarf?" said the aunt. "Every time a Prosin does something bad, I put a flower on it. Two years have passed -"

The aunt shook her hand slightly, and the scarf unfolded directly, fell to the ground, and kept rolling forward.

Aunt Luna was a little confused. She asked subconsciously: "Do you remember clearly? So many little flowers!"

"I can't remember." The aunt sighed, "Actually, I made this scarf just to calm down the anger in my heart."

Aunt Luna understood: "I understand. I hid a photo of Officer Proson in the closet in my room, the one who manages our neighborhood. Whenever I get angry, I stab him in the face with an awl! Now the photos have been changed. I got five of them, and they’re all broken in the front.”

After speaking, Aunt Luna suddenly lowered her voice and pointed in the direction of the hidden secret door: "What did they say?"

Madam Alexeyevna sighed: "It is said that Prosin wants to massacre the city, so he is preparing to revolt to protect the people in the city."

Aunt Luna: "Well, what do you think about us joining in? We have been running errands for the guerrillas and resistance organizations in the past two years. What's wrong with giving us a gun to fight now?"

Aunt Alexeyevna sighed: "It's easy for you to say, fighting will kill people! Haven't we seen each other less in these years? After the uprising was launched, I don't know how many of these children will never come back."

Aunt Luna: "So we have to go too. You see, if the Proscenians shoot us, it will consume bullets, right? The guerrilla Pengchuk who was recovering from his injuries at my house said that as long as we keep turning around when running, Go, like snakes, the Prossens will need at least 10 bullets to shoot us, 10 bullets!

"The Prossen's machine gun needs to change the barrel after firing 100 rounds. You know, you can't shoot when changing the barrel. So ten of us old women can keep ten young men alive!"

"Think about it, Alexeyevna! We have already stopped menstruating and cannot have children. After liberation, we will not be able to work anymore. We can only wash clothes. But if ten young men survive! They can Build a house and plant crops!”

Madam Alexeyevna shook her head: "No, we are going, and they have to distract themselves from protecting us."

"Then just sit here and watch? Watch them die? Except for the veterans, most of them are children who have just grown up!"

At this time, the secret door opened. Serov came out of the secret door fully armed. He was a little surprised to see Aunt Luna: "Auntie, why did you come down? Hidden at home today, maybe the battle will be fierce. If the gunfire subsides, Just run away, it’s possible that we were wiped out by the Prosens, and they will come to take revenge!”

Aunt Luna: "Is it impossible for you to win?"

Serov smiled: "It's possible, so keep an eye on the radio. I know you have it. When we win, we will broadcast it on the radio station and play the song composed by General Rokossov!"

Aunt Luna: "Which one is it?"

"Take turns!" the young man behind Serov laughed.

The aunt immediately raised her eyebrows when she saw him: "Why do you want to go? You are not an adult yet!"

"Serov agreed that I should go!"

The aunt thought for a while and said, "No, you have another mission. Go out of the city and tell the Ant army outside that the Prossen people are going to massacre the city. Let them rush in quickly, otherwise they will get a ruin!"

Young man: "The underground diocese has sent many people out, and I am not missing one!"

Serov suddenly said: "You told me that you are very familiar with the streets of the city, right?"

"Yeah, I delivered newspapers and milk when I was a kid, and I got supply tickets to trade in for goodies at the church store. I traded in basketballs and new shoes."

Serov: "Then this glorious mission is entrusted to you. In order to prevent you from being discovered by the Prosins, the spear is handed over first."

The young man's whole face wrinkled.

Serov took out a beautiful Prosen pistol: "We got this from an ambush of an adjutant a few days ago. This is for your self-defense."

The young man immediately smiled, handed the spear to the guerrilla beside him, and took the pistol.

Serov: "Let's go quickly. Before it's completely bright, get out of the city as soon as possible and look for our army!"

"yes!"

The young man was about to go to the front door, but the aunt grabbed him and said, "Go to the back door!"

"Okay!" The young man ran away quickly.

Serov: "Then let's go, aunt."

The aunt hesitated to speak, and finally just nodded lightly: "Let's go."

Serov opened the front door, looked at the situation on the street, and then strode out.

The guerrillas followed him.

Serov: "Don't follow so close! Battle formation! Makarov, young people don't understand and you don't understand either? Disperse!"

The guerrillas formed a loose fighting formation. They had killed many Prossens in the past two years, but this was the first time for most of them to launch a formal attack like this.

Mother Alexeyevna leaned against the window and watched them go away.

Soon, the sound of machine gunfire was heard in the distance. It should be that guerrillas in other areas of the city were revolting.

Soon, the gunfire intensified.

Madam Alexeyevna returned to the window of the reception room, sat behind the reception desk, picked up her needlework, and tried to start knitting, but she made several mistakes in succession.

There was another explosion outside, possibly a grenade.

Proson's machine gun sounded like it was tearing through canvas.

Aunt Luna remembered something, took three steps at a time and went upstairs, and came down a moment later with the radio.

"My radio can hear Yebao's shortwave broadcast. Let's listen to it."

She turned on the radio and adjusted the knobs.

Aunt Alexeyevna: "Look at the time, Yebao is not like us, beating into a pot of porridge, now it must be the music program in the morning."

As soon as he finished speaking, the melody of music came from the tape recorder:

"Listen to the battle horn, sound the alarm, put on your military uniform, and take up arms. Youth League members gather together and embark on the journey, united as one to defend the country!"

Mother Alexeyevna put down her needlework and stared at the radio.

The gunfire outside became more intense.

The song on the radio also entered the chorus: "Darth Vidania (goodbye) Dear mother, please kiss your son goodbye. Goodbye mother, don't be sad, don't be sad, wish us a safe journey."

Mother Alexeyevna suddenly said: "That's what my sons said when they left."

Aunt Luna: "Serov and the others just said the same thing, pretty much the same thing!"

"Yeah. Yeah."

The radio is still singing: "Goodbye my dear hometown, the star of victory will shine on us. Goodbye, mother, don't be sad, don't be sad, wish us a safe journey."

Madam Alexeyevna stared at the speaker of the radio, lost in thought.

Aunt Luna, who always talked a lot, did not speak. Only the singing on the radio echoed in the communication room, against the increasingly fierce gunshots outside.

————

The No. 207 reconnaissance aircraft of the 20th Reconnaissance Aircraft Regiment of the Air Force of the First Saria Front was approaching Agsukov according to the flight plan.

Prior to this, five reconnaissance missions like this over the city had been carried out.

But this time, the Front Army Air Force approved for the first time the reconnaissance altitude to be lowered to less than 500 meters.

The enemy's anti-aircraft artillery fire at this altitude is extremely fierce. Flying over the enemy's heavily fortified city at this altitude is called "medal flight" by pilots, because as long as they return successfully, they can basically get a medal.

Lieutenant Dyukov, the pilot of No. 207, finally won this honor.

Yes, honor.

As for danger, the young men in the Air Force have never been afraid.

As they approached the city, observer Serev asked Lieutenant Dyukov: "Lieutenant, are you Mrs. Agsukov, right?"

"Yes, Commander Rokossov and I are from the same hometown! I heard that he wanted to fly over the city by himself, but was held down by the chief of staff."

Serev: "How is it possible to let him fly himself? Miss Emilia's ability cannot be effective against the enemy's anti-aircraft gunners! Is it possible that she can also say, "I want to do an Immelman spin to avoid the anti-aircraft guns below?"

The key to air combat is to master information and occupy a position - energy advantage makes it easier to occupy a position, and mastering information is the prerequisite for taking advantage of capabilities.

Therefore, Emilia has an extremely huge advantage in normal air combat.

But the anti-aircraft guns on the ground don't need to occupy positions, they just need to fire into the sky.

"The city is ahead!" the lieutenant shouted, "get ready to take pictures!"

Observer Serev immediately turned his attention back to the ground.

"Strange," he said, why is there so much smoke on the ground? Did we shell the city?

"No, on the map updated before we took off, the First Mobile Group Army should still be on the outskirts of the city, so artillery can't hit the city!"

While he was talking, the plane had already entered the sky over the city.

There was no anti-aircraft fire to greet the pairing of Dyukov and Serev.

Maybe it was because the ground was already in a ball.

Dyukov: "What's going on? I've never heard of airborne operations?"

"It's the guerrillas! The Prosen army is fighting the guerrillas!"

Serev looked down: "The guerrillas are being massacred! We have to help them!"

Dyukov: "We have Deshka machine guns, you indicate the attack route, and we will give the Prosins a boost!"