Among all the defense zones of the 41st Division of the Guards, the most uneasy thing Sokov was the Archives Building that the Belkin Regiment was defended. Don’t see that this unit is his direct line, with strong combat power and rich combat experience, but since there are no heavy weapons such as tanks and cannons, it will inevitably pay a heavy price to completely block the German attack.
As the chief of staff of the division, Sidolin, also felt deeply about Sokov's concerns. Seeing Sokov frown, he said to him: "Comrade Commander, I know what you are worried about. Although it will make great sacrifices to guard the archives building, compared with friendly forces, our casualties are still within an acceptable range..."
"That's true," Sokov thought Cidolin was very reasonable. In less than a week, the friendly troops who entered the city to participate in the war had only a few hundred men left in one division, and basically lost their combat effectiveness. And his own military system was still relatively complete so far. "Maybe we have adopted new tactics different from friendly troops to reduce the casualties of the troops in combat."
"The reason why Lieutenant Colonel Papchinko's 122nd Regiment was unable to enter the workers' village that had become ruins was because they cleverly combined the defensive positions and sewers." Cidolin said with regret: "Although we reported this tactic to the Army Command and asked them to promote it within the Army, the effect was not ideal. The commanders who were used to position warfare disdain to use our tactics, which resulted in heavy casualties in the army."
"I don't care about what tactics others use, nor can I control them." Sokov said firmly: "But my troops must fight against the enemy according to my tactics. Only in this way can we support the day when the big counterattack comes."
Ivanov, who rarely speaks recently, heard Sokov say this and he aroused curiosity in his heart: "Comrade Commander, when do you think our army can launch a comprehensive counterattack?"
Sokov naturally would not tell the opponent that the large counterattack would launch on November 19, but deliberately remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Sorry, comrade, I think I cannot answer your question accurately. But based on the speed of our army's assembly, it is entirely possible that the large counterattack against the enemy will be launched at the end of November or early December. However, even if the counterattack is launched, I am afraid that the defenders in the city will not be able to launch a large-scale counterattack against the German army."
Sokov's words were far beyond the expectations of Sidolin and Ivanov. After hesitating for a moment, Sidolin retorted: "Comrade Commander, I disagree with your opinion. If our army really wants to carry out a large counterattack, the base camp will definitely send enough troops to strengthen the 62nd Army, so that we can cooperate with the friendly forces coming from outside and eliminate the enemies attacking Stalingrad."
"Chief of Staff, have you forgotten that some time ago, the base camp planned to send three divisions into the city and form a combat cluster to restrain the enemy attacking in the new city area in the north of the city?" Sokov specifically reminded him in order to break the unrealistic idea of ​​Sidolin, "But with the intensive bombing of the city by the enemy in early October, the base camp changed its mind. They found that too many troops were placed in the city and could only become targets of enemy artillery and bombing, so they only needed to retain a certain number of troops in the city so that the enemy could not rush to the Volga River."
"Comrade Commander," Ivanov, after he finished speaking, raised his concern: "I would like to ask you, if the enemy was besieged from the north, west and south by the troops surrounding the encirclement, would they rush to the bank of the Volga River desperately? If our troops are insufficient, can they block their attack?"
"The problems you are worried about are entirely possible." Sokov gestured on the map with his hands a few times and said: "At present, the enemy is concentrating superior forces. Under the cover of tanks and cannons, he attacked the barricade factory and the Derrensky factory. After trying to capture these two factories, he went forward to the Volga River to cut off the connection between the defenders and the outside world in the city. Although the superiors had just sent reinforcements to the Derrensky factory, I think it is still an unknown whether the factory can be defended."
Hearing Sokov say this, the muscles on Ivanov's face twitched violently for a few times, and he said lightly: "Comrade Commander, do you have no confidence in your friendly forces?"
"This is not a question of whether there is confidence or not," Sokov shook his head and said, "The enemy has mastered the air supremacy of the city, and there are tanks and the Great Army. If they want to defend the factory, they can only use their lives to fill it. I think for a long time in the future, there will be a cruel tug-of-war at the Barrier Factory and the Derrensky Factory, and there will be tens of thousands of casualties on both sides."
"Comrade Commander, do you think our superiors will re-organize our troops to reinforce these two factories?" As soon as Sadolin and Sokov finished speaking, he asked with some concern: "After all, now in the city, only our troops are relatively complete."
"This is inevitable," Sokov said helplessly: "In the following days, in order to block the enemy rushing to the Volga River, I think Commander Trekov may transfer some troops from unimportant areas to those dangerous places to participate in the battle. Whether it is the 122nd Regiment of Papchinko or the slashed Regiment of Belkin, they may be mobilized at any time."
"Comrade Commander, I have an idea." Ivanov stared at the map for a while, then looked up at Sokov and said, "Now the enemy's attack on Mamayevgang has become a little careless. Can we just leave a regiment to stick to the high ground, and then be drawn out to the place where the battle is most intense, and to support friendly forces?"
"No, comrade of the deputy division commander, this is definitely not possible." Sokov rejected the plan proposed by Ivanov without hesitation: "Although we have complete fortifications in Mamayev's Gate, and we only need to leave one or two battalions to defend the high ground, we cannot be careless because of this. Don't see that the enemy's attack is weaker now, but who knows that one day in the future, they will see that the attack on the north side of the city is not going smoothly, and they will focus on Mamayev's Gate again. If we are in a situation of insufficient troops, the high ground will be lost."
In order to make Sidolin and Ivanov pay attention to the matter, he pointed to the map and emphasized to the two: "As long as Mamayev's hill is always in the hands of our army, then after the large counterattack begins, the German army attacking Stalingrad will be immediately divided by our army into two unconnected pieces, one is the factory area in the north of the city and the other is the old city area in the south of the city."
"Comrade Commander," Seeing that Sokov actually talked about the possibility of the German army being divided and surrounded after the start of the large counterattack, Cidolin showed a surprised expression on his face: "Do you really think that after the large counterattack begins, we can surround the German army?"
"Yes, that's what I think." Sokov nodded and asked back: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you think our army can't do this?"
Sokov's bold speculation was skeptical in his heart, both Sidolin and Ivanov. If someone else said this, they would have refuted it long ago. Now that the city is in danger, it is a question whether it can be kept. You are talking about the matter of dividing and surrounding the enemy, which is simply a daydream. But since this was said by Sokov, the two could only remain silent, and at the same time, they smiled politely, indicating that they had heard Sokov's statement.
The reaction of the two was completely within Sokov's expectations. He thought to himself: If he had not come from later generations and knew the final outcome of the Stalingrad defense battle, he would have been skeptical about whether the 62nd Army could defend the city.
Just as the indoor atmosphere was in awkwardness, the phone ringing on the table rang, and Cidolin grabbed the microphone and stuck it in his ear and said, "I am Chief of Staff Cidolin, where are you?"
Cui Kefu's voice came from the receiver: "Hello, Comrade Sidolin. I am Cui Kefu!"
"It's Comrade Commander, Hello!" Hearing that it was Cuikov's call, Sokov and Ivanov both raised their ears and listened quietly to the conversation between Sidolin and Cuikov: "Do you have any instructions?"
"You immediately draw a company's troops to the ferry by the Volga River."
Sokov's heart skipped a beat and he said that Goria's troops had just returned to the building a few hours ago, and they actually wanted to draw personnel from their troops to carry out some tasks. He tried his best to control his dissatisfaction and listened quietly to the orders that Cuikov was about to assign.
Cidolin asked politely to the microphone: "Comrade Commander, what is the next task after our troops arrive at the ferry?"
"That's right. I just received a call from the Front Command, saying that a batch of rockets provided by Moscow will be transported from the other side before dawn." Cui Kefu said with a very fast speech: "We don't have enough manpower to transport you ammunition now, and we can only send people to collect it by sending people to you."
When Sokov learned that Cuikov asked him to send troops to the ferry to receive the rockets transported from Moscow, he was overjoyed. He quickly walked to the door and said to a soldier guarding the door: "Comrade Soldier, go, Lieutenant Selyosha, call me here."
"Comrade Commander," the warrior at the door said in embarrassment when he heard Sokov's order: "Lieutenant Seryosha may still be sleeping now."
"Go and call him up." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, he immediately ordered in an unquestionable tone: "Now there are tasks that are more important than sleeping to him, and order him to report to me immediately."
When Sokov walked back to the table, Sidolin had already put down the phone. Before Sokov could ask, he took the initiative to report: "Comrade, the commander said on the phone that there were 500 rockets brought to us by the superiors this time. I am worried that only one company was sent to transport them, and I am afraid that there would be not enough manpower."
There are now a large number of residents involved in transporting supplies at the ferry. Sokov has known it from Krelov for a long time. Seeing that Sidolin was worried about the shortage of staff for transporting supplies, he smiled and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, you don't have to worry about manpower. Now there are a large number of residents at the ferry that will help us transport supplies."
"The residents by the river are eager to escape to the other side by boat," Cidolin asked with some concern because he did not understand the situation of the ferry: "If they stay and risk their supplies to the troops, they will not complain, right?"
"It is inevitable that some people complain." Sokov said lightly: "But when can we successfully cross the river now be an unknown for these residents. Instead of staying on the shore and doing nothing, it is better to let them do some work within their ability. Besides, every resident involved in the transportation of supplies can get food supplies every day."
After hearing this, Cidolin said in surprise: "If the residents who transport supplies can get food supplies every day, I think they can mobilize their enthusiasm. I don't know who came up with such a good solution?"
"Who else can it be?!" Sokov knew that there was no word "modest" in the Russian dictionary, so he said carelessly: "Of course it's me."
"Did you think it?" Sidolin couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise when he heard Sokov say this. But after a moment, his expression returned to normal, and he said naturally: "Yes, only the teacher can think of such a good way."
"Report!" Before Sokov could speak, a sound of shouting for a report came from beside him. He turned his head and saw that it was Selyosha who was ordered to come. Maybe it was because he was in a hurry. Selyosha who was standing at the door was still wearing a belt.
"Come to me, Lieutenant Selyosha." Sokov waved to Selyosha and said, "I have important tasks to hand over to you."
Xie Liaosha came to the table, straightened his body and said, "Comrade Commander, please give orders."
"That's right, comrade Lieutenant." Sokov said to Selyosha in an official voice: "The five hundred rockets assigned to us by our superiors will be unloaded at the ferry before dawn. You immediately take your company to the ferry to prepare to receive these rockets and transport them to Mamayev in the shortest time. How about it, are you confident?"
"Have confidence!" After answering, Xie Liaosha said with some embarrassment: "Comrade Commander, my company has only 150 people now. If you want to transport such a rocket back, I am afraid that some manpower needs to be added."
"There are enough staff at the ferry to help you unload and transport rockets." Sokov was worried that Selyoshao would not pay attention to it, and he emphasized to him specifically: "This batch of rockets is the key to whether we can defend the Mamayev hill, so you must not make any mistakes. Do you understand?"
"Don't worry, comrade Commander." Selyosha replied confidently: "I will definitely transport these rockets back to Mamayev's hill safely. Will I be allowed to go back to assemble troops?"
Chapter completed!