After repelling the 333rd Infantry Division of the German army, Luhansk returned to peace.
On the second day after the German retreat, two tank brigades, an artillery division and rocket artillery battalion sent by the Front Command, also arrived in Lugansk one after another. The addition of so many tanks and artillery in the city was a huge joy for Sokov. In this way, he had enough strength to resist the German attack.
Sokov personally took Samoilov's guard platoon to inspect the artillery division's defense zone, and had an in-depth discussion with the division commander Colonel Miakotin on the issue of providing artillery fire support to the defenders. When he left the command of the artillery division, it was already dark.
"Comrade Commander," Sokov left the command center of the artillery division and originally wanted to inspect the defense area of ​​the 75th Guard Division, but Samoilov reminded him: "It's already late. If you want to go to the 75th Guard Division, I think you'd better go tomorrow. There may be German spies lurking in the city. If they hide in the ruins and fire cold guns, we may find it difficult to ensure your safety."
When Sokov thought, it seemed that this was the case, he nodded and said, "Okay, then we will go back to the division headquarters first and check the defense status of the Gorishne Division tomorrow."
Seeing that Sokov followed his advice, Samoilov couldn't help but feel secretly happy. He knew that his division commander wanted to run around all day long and add a lot of difficulty to his guard work. It was getting late at this moment. If he was still wandering around in the city, who knew if something would happen? Since he agreed to return to the command center, it would be great.
Surrounded by the guard platoon, Sokov walked along the street towards his command center. On the way, he also asked Samoilov: "Comrade Lieutenant, the grassroots commanders suffered heavy casualties in recent battles. Are you interested in going to the grassroots company to be a company commander or deputy battalion commander?"
"Comrade Commander, I still want to stay by your side as a platoon leader." Samoilov said sincerely: "I come from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and have rich experience in security. But I think it is difficult to be competent for this position if I have to go to the grassroots level to be a commander."
In fact, Sokov couldn't bear to leave Samoilov. With this commander from the Ministry of Internal Affairs by his side, not only did the safety factor increase significantly, but some people would also be more at ease with him. "Okay," he said rationally: "Since you don't want to be a commander at the grassroots level, then continue to stay by my side. Don't worry, I will definitely not treat you badly."
They were walking forward when a soldier in front suddenly asked loudly: "Hey, which part of you are?"
Hearing the shouts of the soldiers, Sokov hurriedly looked forward, and saw a patrol of seven or eight people coming towards him. With the help of the bright moonlight, he could vaguely see the submachine guns on their shoulders and the epaulettes on their uniforms.
The other patrol team immediately stopped when they heard the shouts of the soldiers. An officer wearing a big hat in the team replied loudly: "We are from the Guard Battalion of the 41st Division of Guards. Which part of you are?"
"We are also from the Guard Battalion." The soldier replied loudly.
"No," Sokov heard the other party's answer and immediately realized something was wrong. He quickly said to Samoilov beside him: "They are pretending to be by the enemy!"
"The enemy is pretending?" Samoilov asked in confusion: "Comrade Commander, why do you say that?"
"Comrade Lieutenant, what's wrong with you? Have you forgotten that the guard battalion's equipment is all German weapons and the soldiers are wearing old-fashioned military uniforms?" Sokov lowered his voice and reminded the other party: "Look at them again. The Popov submachine guns are all made of epaulettes, not the collar seals commonly used in our division."
After Sokov's reminder, Samoilov immediately came to his senses. Now the guard battalion of the Guard Division is still equipped with German weapons and is wearing old-fashioned military ranks. The opposite side is obviously dressed as a friendly army. How could it be a warrior of the guard battalion? To understand this, Samoilov quickly reminded the soldiers around him in a low voice: "Note that the enemy is coming from the opposite side, everyone is ready for battle."
The soldiers of the guard platoon were all experienced and had rich combat experience. No one was surprised by Samoilov's orders. Instead, they quietly put their fingers on the trigger, pretending to be nothing, and walked towards the fake patrol.
As both sides crossed, Sokov shouted suddenly: "Let's fire!"
The soldiers who were ready to go immediately fired at the enemies. Amid the dense gunfire, the people fell down. Two clever soldiers rolled on the spot in a hurry, hid in the ruins next to them, and launched a fierce attack with the guards on the street.
The remaining enemies were particularly tenacious at any time, but their resistance quickly collapsed in front of the guard platoon with absolute numbers. One soldier was beaten into a sieve, and the remaining one threw away his weapons and raised his hand to surrender after he had completely shot out the bullets in his gun.
Although the gunfight lasted for a short time, it still attracted nearby patrols. The guard battalion commander Major Tenev took a patrol team to patrol nearby. After hearing the gunshots, they immediately brought people to support them. However, they were still a step late. When they arrived at the fire exchange site, the Germans disguised as Soviet troops had been destroyed.
Sokov glanced at the captives who were cut by two soldiers with their hands, waved his head, and ordered Tenev and Samoilov: "Take him to the command center."
A few minutes later, Sokov returned to his command.
Seeing Sokov enter the door, Vitkov asked with concern: "Comrade Commander, I just heard the dense gunfire from outside. What's going on?"
"There was a German squad, pretending to be our patrol, and I saw through it, and then there was a fire exchange." Sokov said to the surrounding Sidolin and the others: "Most of the enemies have been shot dead on the spot, and only one captive was captured."
After the captives were brought up, Sokov looked at the German in the uniform of the Soviet lieutenant and asked, "Your name, position and military rank."
"Comrade instructor," Sidolin reminded Sokov: "Our translation has not arrived yet. Do you see, will you interrogate after the translation has arrived?"
"No," Sokov waved his hand and said, "He can understand Russian. Am I right?" The last sentence was asked at the German prisoner.
"Yes, I can understand Russian." The captive replied.
"I'll repeat the question just now," Sokov said, staring at the other party, "report your name, position and rank, and the troops you are in."
The captive replied readily: "My name is Felix, my rank is a second lieutenant, and he is a combat staff officer of the 333rd Infantry Division."
"What is your purpose here?"
"We are ordered to assassinate your combat cluster commander Sokov." Felix said hatefully, "It's a pity that you have seen through you just approached here." He looked at Sokov and asked, "Sir, Colonel, I want to ask myself, I ask myself that my squad has no flaws, how did you see through it?"
"To others, your dress, and even your every move during the march are exactly the same as our commanders and fighters." Sokov sneered: "But in my eyes, they are all flaws."
"What's the flaw?" Felix asked.
"If you pretend to be another unit, you might get away with it." Sokov said: "But you have to pretend to be the guard battalion of the Guard Division. You may not know that the guard battalion is the only unit in the entire combat group equipped with German equipment, and since there is no time to change clothes, they are all wearing old-fashioned military ranks. But what about you, all of them are Bobosha submachine guns and military uniforms that have just changed their defenses. This is the biggest flaw."
"So that's how it is." Felix learned that this small detail was actually such that his disguised army was discovered, and he couldn't help but say in annoyance: "If I had known, I would have pretended to be another army."
"It's useless to pretend to be other troops." Cidolin said coldly: "Since this place has become the temporary command center of the combat cluster, all the troops patrolling outside have been replaced by division guard battalions. Even if other troops come here, they will be subject to strict inspections. You may also be able to be identified."
"Lt. Felix," Bi Lei, who had not spoken, suddenly asked, "You said you are from the 333rd Infantry Division, so let me ask you, where are you from?"
"I am a Brandenburger." Felix replied: "Almost all members of the 333rd Infantry Division are from Brandenburg."
"What a pity." Sokov sighed unexpectedly when he heard this, "It's a great sadness that the original elite troops were used as ordinary troops."
When everyone heard Sokov say this, their faces showed a look of shock. Witkov asked, "Comrade Commander, why do you say this?"
"On the eve of the great Patriotic War, the German army sent a large number of personnel to sneak into our territory." Sokov said to everyone: "These people wore our uniforms and our equipment. They destroyed our communication lines, blew up railways and bridges, attacked our army's command center, and paralyzed our army's command system. And these troops that carried out the damage were the German Brandenburg troops.
I didn't expect that such a unit with great military achievements would be used as an ordinary unit after it was expanded into a division. It would be a pity. If they were still wearing makeup and scattered to the rear of our army as before, it would make us very worried."
Seeing Sokov's evaluation of Brandenburg's troops so high, Felix couldn't help but feel a little fond of him. He couldn't help but ask curiously: "Mr. Colonel, can I ask, who are you?"
"Who am I?" Sokov smiled and replied, "Lieutenant Felix, I am the target of your assassination this time.
Chapter completed!