When all the troops retreated to Mamayev's gang, the three regiment commanders came to the command center to report to Sokov on the battle situation of their regiment.
After Ivanov and Sokov shook hands with the three regiment commanders, he said from the side: "Comrade Commander, we have no heavy weapons except the MG34 machine gun and the Maxim heavy machine gun. Do you think we can ask our superiors for some equipment?"
"Comrade Commander," after Sidolin and Ivanov finished speaking, he asked Sokov tentatively: "Aren't you very familiar with Colonel Bere? Can he send a few tanks to us and let us lay them on the high ground as fixed turrets?"
"I'm afraid this won't work." Sokov rejected Cidolin's proposal without hesitation: "The angle of the tank of our army is not enough. Although its elevation angle can be used as an anti-aircraft gun, it is really placed on Mamayev's hill, but it cannot hit the enemy at the foot of the mountain. Instead, it lets the tank be placed here as the enemy's target."
"We lack heavy weapons," Ivanov said with a frown: "If you want to fight a defensive battle, you will suffer a lot."
"Comrade Deputy Division Commander is right." As soon as Ivanov finished speaking, the three regiment commanders expressed their agreement: "If our troops have more heavy firepower in the daytime battle, the enemy will pay a greater price."
"We used to have a new rocket that was very effective against enemy tanks and infantry." Cidolin said with great regret: "It's a pity that this new rocket has been exhausted in the battle some time ago."
Ivanov once heard Sokov mention this kind of rocket privately. When he heard Cidolin mention it again, he couldn't help asking: "Comrade Chief of Staff, have that new rocket really been used up? None of them left?"
Cidolin shook his head and replied with a wry smile: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, if we had rockets, when the Romanian army attacked Beigang a few days ago, our sailors would not have fought with the enemy for bayonets. As long as a few rockets pass by, all the enemies crowded together will be reimbursed."
"What a pity, what a pity!" After hearing this, Ivanov couldn't help but shake his head and said, "Since there is no strong defensive firepower, in the next battle, there may be hand-to-hand combat with the enemy."
Speaking of defensive war, Sokov couldn't help but think in his heart that since Yakov could not deliver the new rocket for the time being, he might be taken out by another amazing weapon to let the Germans taste the power. Thinking of this, he looked up at Ivanov and Cydolin and said, "Deputy Division Commander, Chief of Staff, I thought of a weapon that is not worse than the new rocket we use."
When Sidolin heard Sokov say this, he couldn't help but show a confused expression on his face. He frowned and asked, "Comrade Commander, why don't I know that we really have such weapons?"
"It's normal for you not to know," Sokov couldn't help but feel a little proud when he thought of the local equipment that came out a few years later, which could be used to come to the world in advance through his own hands: "Because I haven't made it yet."
When I learned that this powerful weapon had not been made yet, Ivanov, full of hope, suddenly smiled bitterly like a deflated ball, saying, "Comrade Commander, we are discussing how to defend, it is not a joke."
"Why, don't you believe me?" Sokov didn't expect Ivanov to suspect that he was bragging, and quickly said: "This thing is very simple to make. As long as there are enough materials, it takes only a few hours to create hundreds of them. When the enemy attacks, we can blow the enemy to ashes as soon as we launch it."
"Okay, comrade instructor, don't swear our appetite." Ivanov said anxiously: "Tell me quickly what kind of weapon it is and how to make it?"
"It's very simple. We just need to find some empty oil barrels as launchers." Sokov picked up the paper and pen and began to draw sketches. Ivanov and others hurried over and carefully observed the sketches drawn by Sokov. While drawing, Sokov explained to them: "...The principle of shooting is similar to that of old guns. After filling the oil barrel with launching medicine, put the explosive bag tied into a disc-shaped shape in it, and then igniting the launching medicine, and the explosive bag can be shot out..."
After Sokov finished drawing the picture, he looked up at Ivanov and Cidorin and asked, "What do you think?"
"Can this work?" Although Sokov said so well, Ivanov was still unsure. He asked tentatively: "If our soldiers ignited the explosive pack inside when they ignited the bottom of the launching medicine, wouldn't it cause huge casualties to his own people?"
"Don't worry, deputy division commander." Sokov carefully observed the structure of this "thunder cannon" when he visited the military museum in his previous life, and knew the way it was made. He knew that the explosives ejected from the oil barrel would cause huge damage to the enemy's infantry, fortifications, tanks, etc., so the enemy was frightened to give it the nickname "conscienceless cannon". "I am confident that this simple weapon can cause huge casualties to the enemy."
"Comrade of the Deputy Commander," Sidorin saw that Ivanov's face still had a disbelief expression, and quickly said, "You may not know that the new rocket we used some time ago was designed and developed by the commander."
Sidolin's words made Ivanov's vision of Sokov. He looked at Sokov and said in surprise: "I really didn't expect that the division commander could still design weapons. Then I would like to ask you, how heavy is the explosive pack you plan to launch with the oil barrel and how far is the range?"
"It costs at least ten kilograms of explosive packs." Sokov replied without hesitation: "As for the range, according to my calculations, it can reach a distance of 150 to 200 meters."
After hearing Sokov's words, Ivanov showed a surprise expression on his face: "Comrade Commander, if this weapon is really as powerful as you said, we can launch at the top of the hills at the attacking enemies, consuming a lot of their vitality. By the way, what name do you plan to give this weapon?"
"Flying Thunder Cannon." Sokov didn't want to use the title "No Conscience Cannon", so he used the commonly used title: "Do you think this name sounds good?"
"Good sound!" Cidolin nodded and asked thoughtfully: "Comrade Commander, I don't understand, since there are such simple and powerful weapons, why do you have to spend so much energy to design and develop new rockets?"
"Chief of Staff, the reason is very simple." Sokov knew that he would not explain it clearly to Cydolin, and there was always a bump in his heart: "The accurate head of this thunderbolt cannon is too low, but when it is launched, the gasoline barrel used as the launcher will roll, causing the ejected explosive pack to fly far."
After Sokov's explanation, Sidolin's face showed a sudden realization. He felt that the teacher's words were reasonable. It was not reliable to temporarily use gasoline barrels to launch explosive packs, and it was inevitable that the accuracy was not reliable.
"If we want to use the thunder cannon, then we need a lot of explosives." Sokov looked at the three commanders and asked, "I wonder which commander is willing to bring people to the Red October Factory to get enough explosives back?"
"I'll go, I'll go..." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, the three commanders rushed to carry out this mission.
Sokov's eyes swept across the faces of the three of them one by one, and finally stopped on Yershakov. He took a step forward and put his right hand on the other party's left shoulder. After saying, "Col. Yershakov, you will complete this task."
"Comrade Commander, why is this?" Seeing that Sokov handed over the task to Yershakov, Lieutenant Colonel Papuqinko was dissatisfied: "Our regiment can also complete this task."
"Lieutenant Colonel Papuchinko," Sokov turned to face Papuchinko and said, "The reason I handed over the mission to the 125th Regiment is that they are stationed in Beigang, close to the Red October factory, and it is more convenient to carry materials; the second is that Lieutenant Colonel Yershakov's troops have covered the retreat of Gurdiev and Gorishne Divisions during the day. When he goes to the factory, he will definitely meet the commanders and fighters of these two divisions. The commanders and fighters of friendly forces will definitely thank Lieutenant Colonel Yershakov for covering their retreat, and will provide them with necessary help when our soldiers carry materials."
When Papuchinko heard Sokov say this, he immediately closed his mouth obediently. Not to mention anything else, just covering the retreat of the two divisions during the day would be enough to make the commanders and soldiers of the friendly forces be grateful to him. However, he did not want to stay in Mamayev's hill and did nothing, so he took the initiative to ask Sokov: "Comrade Commander, since you have handed over the task of carrying explosives to the 125th Regiment. Then, please hand over the task of making flying thunder cannons to our regiment to complete."
Before Sokov could make his statement, Starcha was dissatisfied again. He said to Papchinko: "Lieutenant Colonel Papchinko, our regiment can complete the task of making thunder cannons. You can't compete with us for the mission. Don't forget that it was my regiment that protected you to safely withdraw during the day."
Staercha's words made Papchinko speechless because it was the truth. After the 122nd Regiment withdrew from its defensive position, it first retreated to the 124th Regiment and then moved to Mamayevgang. Without the cover of the Staercha regiment, they might not be able to return to Mamayevgang smoothly.
Seeing that Papchinko was speechless, Sokov hurried out to smooth things over: "Okay, we are not just using the flying thunder cannons in Nangang, but also using it in Beigang. Lieutenant Colonel Papchinko, your troops are now stationed in Beigang and the 125th Regiment, so you will be responsible for the production of the flying thunder cannons needed in Beigang."
After saying this, Sokov turned his head and saw Starcha's unhappy look, and added: "And you, Lieutenant Colonel Starcha, if at dawn, your regiment cannot complete the production of fifty thunderbolt launchers and required explosive packs, I can only ask."
After the three commanders who had accepted different tasks left the command center happily, Ivanov smiled and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I really didn't expect that in just one day, the three commanders under my command obeyed your orders so much. I was in vain."
"Deputy Division Commander and Chief of Staff, let's discuss the placement of the flying thunder cannons." Sokov thought that the range of the flying thunder cannons was limited. If the position was not well placed, the effect would be greatly reduced. Therefore, he said to Ivanov and Sidolin: "I now understand why in ancient times, the artillery was placed in the front of the war. Because the range of the artillery was limited at that time. If it was placed behind the large army, it might not be able to hit the enemy when it was launched, but it hit its own people. There is the same problem with this flying thunder cannon, so we must try to keep its position as far as possible."
"It's not easy to deal with, comrade of the division commander." Cydollin frowned and said, "Now our positions are all halfway up the mountain. If we want to make the thunder cannons stand in front, we must be placed in front of the position. But in this way, the soldiers who fire explosive packs are easily attacked by the enemy."
"Yes, if our defensive positions are still placed on the hillside, then the flying thunder cannons can only be deployed in positions that are prone to enemy attacks." Sokov sketched again on paper with a pen: "But if we move the defensive positions to the top of the hillside, we can place the flying thunder cannons near the western edge."
Sidolin knew that the original defensive position was originally on the hillside, but when he was acting brigade commander of Vitkov, he was moved to the hillside. At this moment, he heard Sokov say that he was going to transfer the position back to the top of the hillside, but he had no objection. But Ivanov didn't know the location of the original position, so he immediately raised an objection: "Comrade Commander, is it appropriate for us to transfer the defensive position at this time?"
When Sokov heard Ivanov's question, he was stunned at first, and then he remembered that the other party had just arrived at Mamayev's hill and was not sure where his original defensive position was. He smiled and said to him: "Don't worry, comrade of the deputy division commander, it will definitely not cause any confusion. You must know that our original position was arranged on the top of the hillside."
"Since it was originally arranged on the top of the hillside," Ivanov asked in confusion: "I don't understand, why did you move to the hillside again?"
"The reason is very simple." Sidolin explained to Ivanov: "Because the division commander was injured for a while, Colonel Witkov, deputy chief of staff of the army, came to act as a brigade commander. You also know that each commander has his own characteristics, so the first thing he did here was to move our defensive position to the hillside. The division commander's proposal was nothing more than to bring our defensive position back to its original position."
"How to attack the enemy on the top of the hillside?" Ivanov asked in confusion.
Chapter completed!