"When attacking buildings occupied by the German army, platoons should be used as combat units." Sokov said to everyone: "The combat units should be subdivided into fire protection groups, assault groups and consolidation groups. Everyone knows what the fire protection group is, so I won't waste time. What I want to talk about today is the assault group and consolidation group.
The assault group is the first troops to launch an invasion into the buildings occupied by the enemy. After entering the building, they will use submachine guns, grenades, shovels, and engage in close combat with the enemies in the building to achieve the goal of destroying the enemy or driving the enemy out of the building.
The consolidation group enters after the assault group captures the building. Their mission is to clear the remaining enemies in the building to ensure that when attacked by the enemy, there will be no enemies in the building to destroy it..."
When Sokov introduced the new tactics, several company commanders took out their notebooks and recorded them carefully. They all knew in their hearts that the tactics taught to them by the division commander could not only achieve greater results in the subsequent battles, but also allow more soldiers to survive.
After finally coming to an end, Sokov picked up the teapot on the table and took a sip of water, and asked, "Whoever have any questions?"
"Comrade Commander!" Yegor raised his hand first: "I want to ask, what will we do next after we seize the building, eliminate or drive away the enemies inside?"
"It's very simple, turn it into a temporary fire support point and prepare to fight against the possible attacks by the German army." Sokov replied: "Once the troops that are stuck in the building find that the entire army is destruction, they need to withdraw from the building as soon as possible, retreat to another building, and rebuild a new line of defense."
"Comrades," Sokov specifically emphasized in order to give everyone a clear understanding: "You cannot compare with the Germans in terms of military strength and equipment. Therefore, you can only use different tactics to narrow this gap. Don't worry about the gains and losses of one or two buildings. Even if the enemy temporarily occupy it, as long as our soldiers are still alive, we will have the opportunity to retake it. There is no need to consume our precious living power for one or two buildings. Do you understand?"
"I understand, comrade of the division commander." Several company commanders replied in unison.
After the meeting, Guchakov left the battalion command post and met Samoilov in the trenches outside. He pulled the other party aside, handed the other party a cigarette, and lit it, and asked in a low voice: "Comrade Lieutenant, I want to ask, what are the division commanders' plans recently?"
Samoilov, who had been operating behind enemy lines with Guchakov before, immediately understood what the other party was asking, looked left and right, and then whispered: "Captain Guchakov, as far as I know, the division commander intends to organize a small team to go deep into the enemy line to carry out sneak attacks."
When Guchakov learned that Sokov was planning to send a squad deep into the enemy's back, he couldn't help but feel itchy and quickly touched Samoilov with his arm: "I said, comrade Lieutenant, can you say a few good things for me in front of the division commander? This time I will send me to carry out the mission."
Although Samoilov knew that Sokov planned to send a team deep behind the enemy, he did not know which troops would be drawn from to form this team. Therefore, after hearing Guchakov's request, he could only shake his head and say, "Captain, I think if you want to go, you should talk to the division commander in person. You are more important than me in front of him."
After sucking a few puffs of cigarettes, Guchakov threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his toes, and said to Samoilov: "Comrade Lieutenant, you are right. I will go to the division commander to make a request to see if he agrees that I will lead the team deep into the enemy's back."
When he thought of going to the ground and making achievements, Guchakov could no longer stay. He quickly returned to the gate of the battalion command post and asked, "Comrade Commander, I am Guchakov, can I go in?"
Hearing that Guchakov seemed to be looking for him, Sokov didn't know what was going on, he quickly agreed to the door: "Come in, Captain Guchakov."
After Guchakov came in, Andrei asked in surprise: "Captain Guchakov, is there something wrong with your company's defense zone?"
"No, Comrade Battalion Commander. It's not that there is something wrong with my company's defense zone." Guchakov waved his hand and said, "I came to find the division commander in person."
"Look for me?" Sokov asked with some confusion: "What's the matter?"
"Comrade Commander, I heard that you plan to send a small team to go deep into the enemy's back." Guchakov knew that Sokov didn't like others to talk around, so he said bluntly: "I request to be the commander of this team."
Although Sokov promised Ivanov this time to select suitable personnel from the three guard regiments to form a small team that penetrated deep into the enemy's rear. However, he has not yet decided on the candidate for the commander of the team. In his mind, Guchakov is indeed a suitable candidate, and the other party had attacked Gumlak Station with rockets last time, and he also had some understanding of the terrain of that area. Leading the team might make the action smoother.
However, the reason why Sokov did not mention this to Guchakov was that the activities of the Third Battalion in the city are also very important. If Guchakov, the company commander, was transferred away, it would probably affect the combat effectiveness of the company.
Seeing that Sokov was just staring at him but kept silent, Guchakov was a little anxious: "Comrade Commander, I have led the team to the enemy's backbone before and have command experience in this area. I strongly ask you, let me lead the team to carry out this mission this time!"
Sokov planned to send a small team deep behind the enemy, and even Andrei didn't know. At this moment, when he heard Guchakov suddenly advance, he couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Captain Guchakov, I want to ask you, where did you get this news?"
Naturally, Guchakov would not betray Samoilov, but instead answered with ease: "Comrade Battalion Commander, I have my own source of information. Please forgive me for not being able to tell you."
"Captain Guchakov," Sokov stood up and said thoughtfully: "Yes, I do plan to send a small team to the Gumlak area in the near future, and wait for an opportunity to eliminate the Paulus headquarters that may be there."
"Gumrak region?!" Guchakov was overjoyed when he heard the place name Sokov said: "Comrade Commander, you should remember that I once led a team to attack Gumrak Station with Lieutenant Samoilov and destroyed the supplies stored there by the German army."
When Sokov heard Guchakov mention Samoilov's name, Sokov immediately understood how the other party knew that he was planning to send a team behind enemy lines. It turned out that Samoilov told him. However, Sokov was not angry and did not intend to blame Samoilov at all. Instead, he looked at Guchakov and asked: "Captain, please tell me, if you are the commander of the team, who should be the commander of your company?"
"I can let my deputy company commander take my place." Guchakov, who was eager to participate in the enemy's operations, couldn't wait to answer: "The last time I left, he was responsible for commanding the troops."
"Comrade Commander," Andrei and others Guchakov said, adding: "The deputy company commander of the Ninth Company is a sailor commander from the infantry brigade. He has brave combat and rich command experience. Even if Captain Guchakov is not here, he can command the troops to fight well."
Seeing that there was a suitable candidate who could take over Guchakov's command, Sokov made up his mind: "Okay, since that's the case, then the enemy's rear squad will be left to you to command this time." He raised his hand and looked at the watch: "I'll give you half an hour to go back to the company to hand over the command, and then follow me back to Mamayev's hill."
Sokov's words gave Guchakov a reassurance. He nodded vigorously, then quickly rushed out of the battalion headquarters and rushed back to hand over the command. Sokov gave him half an hour, but in less than twenty minutes, he ran back panting and reported to Sokov excitedly: "Comrade Commander, the command in the company has been transferred. Can we set off now?"
Since Sokov's work to the Third Battalion has been completed, there is not much need to stay. Instead, it will cause concerns from Sidolin, Ivanov and others. Seeing that Guchakov had finished the work, he took him back to Mamayev's hill.
When Ivanov saw Guchakov following Sokov into the division headquarters, his expression turned gloomy and sunny. He glanced at Guchakov who was standing by the door and asked Sokov a little sourly: "Comrade Commander, what are you doing with Captain Guchakov? You don't want to appoint him as the commander of the team behind the enemy, right?"
"Yes, comrade Deputy Division Commander, that's what I think. After all, he once led his troops to move near Gumlak Station. He had an understanding of the terrain there, so it would be best to send him as a commander." After saying this, Sokov asked back: "How are the personnel you selected?"
"I selected thirty-five people together, most of whom speak German." Ivanov replied: "The person in charge of commanding them was Lieutenant Kaven of the 124th Regiment."
"Since the team has been selected, I will now announce the candidate for the commander." Sokov told Ivanov: "Captain Guchakov is the captain of the team, and Lieutenant Kaven is the deputy captain. Deputy Division Commander, what do you think of my arrangement?"
"It's very reasonable." Although Ivanov felt a little uncomfortable when Guchakov replaced his subordinates and became the supreme commander of the team, considering that Guchakov's rank is higher than Lieutenant Kaven and he led the team to move near Gumlak Station, he was indeed more suitable for the position of commander than Kaven, so he nodded and said, "Comrade Commander, I agree with your arrangement."
"Captain Guchakov." Sokov turned around and called Guchakov over and said to him: "The members of the enemy's squad have been selected. You will meet them later and get familiar with each other, which will also help the next battle." Guchakov agreed, asked Ivanov clearly where the squad gathered, and turned around and walked out of the command center.
"Comrade Commander," said to Sokov after Sedolin and others left: "According to the situation reported by the Army Command, the Germans seemed to have stopped moving towards the Don River and turned toward Stalingrad. It seems that we will soon have a bad battle."
"I guess it was Hitler's order to Paulus again." Ivanov continued: "After the large counterattack at Moscow began last year, the German army was defeated by us. Hitler also issued an order to prohibit retreating to the troops, but Guderian violated his order and retreated with the troops to avoid greater losses. In contrast, Paulus was much more obedient than Guderian."
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help laughing: "It is a good thing for us that the Germans stopped retreating. Our army can take advantage of this favorable opportunity to eat up the Paulus Legion that was trapped in the encirclement little by little."
"Can this work?" Ivanov obviously did not have much confidence in completely annihilated the 6th Army: "You know, we have surrounded the enemy many times, but in the end, not only did not eliminate the enemy, but the attacking troops suffered heavy casualties. I am worried that it would not be easy to eliminate the 100,000 German troops besieged."
Sokov muttered to himself: "In fact, the surrounded German army is not 100,000, but 330,000 people from 22 divisions. If you know the real data, you will not be scared to death." But these words were just thinking about them in your heart, and he did not say them.
"For them, the Germans did not retreat, at least they would have delayed the destruction time." Sokov said slowly: "The German tanks lack fuel and ammunition. If they want to retreat, they can only be discarded. Once they enter the Great Plains, they will be attacked by our troops from all directions. Without tanks and cannons, the German troops supported by them will probably collapse quickly and be wiped out one by one by one by us, just like the Napoleon army that attacked Moscow back then."
After listening to Sokov's analysis, Cidolin asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, I want to ask you, do you think we can wipe out the German army that has been encircled?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, this is impossible." Before Sokov could speak, Ivanov rushed to say: "I have already said that the German army trapped in the encirclement of our army still has strong combat power. I am worried that by then, not only will it not be eliminated, but our troops will suffer heavy casualties, which will not be worth the loss."
Chapter completed!