When Sokov set out with the commanders and soldiers of the Fourth Battalion, it was already completely dark. At this moment, the German attack on the city had temporarily stopped. Four or five hundred meters away from the factory area of ​​the Red October Tractor Factory, a vanguard who was opening the road in front ran back to report to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the Germans were found in front."
A German was found in front of him?! Hearing the report of the vanguard, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little shocked. He thought to himself, how could there be Germans here? Have they occupied this area and cut off the connection between the factory and the Mamayev hill? Thinking of this, he hurriedly asked: "Do you see how many enemies are?"
"No!" the vanguard shook his head and replied, "Because the sky was too dark, we could only hear the faint sound of talking and the sound of the soldiers' helmets gently touching."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Brisky, who was beside him, came over and whispered in a positive tone: "It must be the Germans who knew we were going to reinforce the Red October Tractor Factory, so they set up an ambush in front of us."
But Sokov expressed doubts about Brisky's speculation: "This is impossible. I decided to bring troops to support the Red October tractor factory, which was temporarily decided by me. How could the Germans know?"
"Maybe the enemy eavesdropped on the phone between you and the Army Command." Brisky said with a very fast speech: "So they sent someone to ambush here. So, comrade brigade commander, stay here, I'll take someone up and take a look."
"No," Sokov shook his head and said, "Let's go up and see. If the Germans really ambushed in front of us, we might have to change the marching route."
Brisky knew that Sokov had injuries on his body and was unwilling to let him take risks, so he tried his best to dissuade him: "Comrade Brigade Commander, it's too dangerous ahead, you'd better stay here!"
"Comrade Captain, I am the brigade commander, I have the final say here." Sokov said firmly: "Take a few people and come with me first to see what's going on."
As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of rapid footsteps suddenly came from the front, and then a surprise voice asked loudly: "Comrades, do you know where the brigade commander and battalion commander are?"
"Damn, who is this guy talking?" Brisky asked angrily when he heard the unscrupulous voice coming from the front: "Don't he know that this will expose his target? What's more, there may be a German ambush in front of him."
"Comrade Battalion Commander," said awkwardly after Brisky finished speaking, "It seems to be Corporal Binichik, who is the head of our vanguard team."
Sokov keenly felt from what the vanguard said that things might be different from what he guessed, and quickly stopped Brisky, who was about to get angry: "Comrade Captain, let Binichik come here, I want to ask what's going on."
"What are you doing here?" Brisky glared at the vanguard standing in front of him and said, "Why don't you call Corporal Binichik over quickly and ask what's going on."
Not long after, the vanguard brought Binichik to Sokov and Brisky. "Comrade Corporal," Brisky asked with some displeasure: "What are you shouting in front? Are you trying to alarm the Germans who are ambushing ahead?"
"I'm wrong, comrade battalion commander, we're all wrong." Binichik replied with a smile: "It turns out that it's not the Germans in front, but the lurking whistle of the 39th Guards Division. We almost fought with our own people. Fortunately, when we approached their lurking place, a comrade shouted, "Stop, no one is allowed to come." Only then did we realize that the movement we heard just now was all caused by our own people."
"Where are the comrades of the Kokoshi Division?" Sokov interrupted and asked, "Where are they?"
"Comrade Sergeant," Binichik turned his head and shouted to the back: "Please come here."
With Binichik's shout, a soldier wearing a hooded poncho came to Sokov, straightened his body and said, "Hello, Comrade Commander, who are you from?"
Sokov guessed that Binichik must have told the other party his number. The sergeant asked this question just to verify it again, so he said without any concealment: "We are from the Fourth Battalion of the 73rd Infantry Brigade. I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. I want to meet your division commander, sergeant Comrade, can you lead me?"
"Hello, comrade Lieutenant Colonel." The sergeant of the Guards said respectfully: "I am very happy to serve as a guide for you. Please come with me. I will take you and your troops to the division command."
Under the leadership of the Guards sergeant, Sokov and Brysky led their troops through the lurking whistle and defense line of the Guards Division and arrived at the location of the division headquarters. However, they were still far from the division headquarters building, Sokov and the others were stopped by the soldiers of the Guards Division. After whispering a few words to the soldiers on duty, they came back and said politely to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, the headquarters is located in front. Do you think you can keep your troops here?"
Sokov expressed his understanding of the caution shown by the sergeant of the Guards. He nodded and said, "Well, comrade Sergeant, I will bring a guard over, okay?"
When he heard that Sokov had only one guard, the guard sergeant nodded quickly: "Yes. Please follow me, comrade commander, I will take you to see the division commander."
Sokov asked Brisky to stay in control of the troops and followed the guards' sergeant to the building where the division headquarters was located. On the way, the sergeant apologized to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I just asked about the tactics of duty. He said that the division commander went to the 112th Guards' 112th Regiment half an hour ago, and only the political commissar Chernesov was in the command center."
Cherneshov! When he heard this name, Sokov immediately remembered the commander of the 11th Guard Division he knew during the Moscow Defense War. He couldn't help but think in his heart: It's really strange that the military chief and the political cadres are two different systems. How could General Cherneshov become a political commissar?
With such questions, Sokov came to the division headquarters of the Guards Division. The sergeant who led the team asked Sokov to wait for a while at the door and report by himself. Not long after, the sergeant came out and made a call for Sokov, and said with a smile: "Comrade Commander, please come in, the political commissar is waiting for you inside."
After thanking the guards, Sokov stepped into the command center. As soon as he walked into the command center, a burly political worker came up and said with a look of spring breeze: "It's Lieutenant Colonel Sokov? Let me introduce myself. I am Cherneshov, the political commissar of the 39th Guards Division. I would like to welcome you on behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the Guards Division."
When he learned that the person in front of him was the political commissar of the division, Sokov knew that he had made a mistake. The commander was not the one he knew, but he had the same surname. He shook hands with the other party and asked casually: "Comrade Political Commissar, I want to ask, where is the division commander?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, it's really a coincidence that you came." Cherneshov replied: "The division commander went to the 112th Guards Regiment to inspect the defense. He may not be able to come back tomorrow morning. If you are willing to wait, you will see him."
Sokov came here to assist the workers in the factory to strengthen the defense of the factory. When I came here to meet Guriyev, I was just a form, and it was not necessary to see him. Since Guriyev was not here at this moment, he was unwilling to waste more time, so he said to Cherneshov tactfully: "Comrade Political Commissar, the order I received was to assist the workers in the factory to strengthen the defense. Since the commander in the division was not here, I won't disturb you."
Seeing Sokov just walk away so simply, Cherneshov couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, but he soon came to his senses, caught up with Sokov, and accompanied him to walk outside. "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, it's about three kilometers from us to the factory building. In the past, there were factory cars that could drive directly over. But now," said this, he bent down and patted his legs with his hands, and continued, "You can only walk over with your own feet."
Seeing Sokov come out of the building, Brisky hurriedly came up and asked with concern: "Comrade Brigade Commander, what is the situation? What does the political commissar of the division say?"
Sokov smiled bitterly and replied, "The division commander is not here and the political commissar is not in charge of military affairs. What else can he say? Okay, stop talking about this. Here is three kilometers away from the factory building we are going to. Let the soldiers rush over and set up defenses as soon as possible, so that when the Germans start attacking, we don't even have decent fortifications."
After just under a quarter of an hour of rest, Sokov was about to set off again. He was worried that the soldiers would complain. But with the order issued, the soldiers who were sitting on the ground resting stood up one after another and quickly lined up into four columns. Under the leadership of commanders at all levels, they took big strides towards the factory building in the distance.
After walking about halfway through, he encountered a worker patrol. It may be because the Germans broke into the factory during the day, so that the captain led the team was nervous. When he saw an army appearing in front of him, he immediately ordered the patrol to scatter on the spot and find a place to hide, ready to open fire at any time.
Seeing the patrol ahead hiding, Sokov was worried that it would cause unnecessary misunderstandings for his continued leadership of the troops, so he ordered the troops to stop, walked forward alone, stopped more than ten meters away from the hiding place of the workers' patrol team, and said loudly: "Comrades in the Workers' Patrol, don't be nervous. I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, the commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade, and I was ordered to bring people here to strengthen defense."
Chapter completed!