Second Lieutenant Meshart, who was on duty in front of the munitions warehouse, saw a covered truck in the distance, slowly driving along the street towards the warehouse. He saw clearly that the license plate hanging on the front of the truck was a temporary license plate for the munitions warehouse.
, I felt quite puzzled. Not a single car in the warehouse came out today. Where did this car come from?
A sergeant holding a signal flag also saw the car. He touched Meshart with his elbow and asked curiously: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, that car seems to be a warehouse car!"
"The license plate belongs to the warehouse, but there are no cars out of the warehouse today." Meshat ordered the sergeant: "Stop the car!" The sergeant immediately took two steps forward and waved the signal in his hand at the approaching truck.
flag to signal the other party to stop.
As soon as the truck stopped, Meshart and the sergeant came forward to ask where the truck came from and what it was doing at the warehouse. As soon as he came to the car, the driver stuck his head out and said with a smile:
"Second Lieutenant Meshat, it turns out you are on duty."
As soon as the driver spoke, Meshat immediately recognized that the driver had gone to the south of the city to deliver military uniforms a few days ago. However, he never came back. During the war, transport vehicles were often requisitioned by the frontline troops.
, the second lieutenant was already used to this kind of thing, and thought he would never have a chance to see the driver again, but he didn't expect that he would come back today.
"Are you alone?" Meshat asked, looking into the bridge.
"Comrade Second Lieutenant, and me." Sokov, who was sitting next to the driver, waved to the Second Lieutenant and said with a smile: "I came to the warehouse to get equipment."
Meshat clearly saw that the person sitting in the car was the major who had come to pick up the special one a few days ago. He quickly raised his hand and saluted him, and said businesslikely: "Comrade Major, please show me your ID!"
Sokov quickly took out the note written by Rokossovsky, put it in his military ID, and handed it out through the car window. Meshat took the ID and looked at it carefully, especially Rokossov.
He repeatedly checked the handwriting of Sokovsky's note. After confirming that it was correct, he handed the document and note back to Sokov, and then shouted to the soldiers standing at the door: "Move the roadblock!"
The truck stopped in the parking area of the warehouse. After Sokov got out of the car, he took Asya to the door of the quartermaster's office. Although the door was ajar, Sokov knocked politely twice.
Hearing someone shouting from inside: "Come in!" He reached out and pushed open the door and walked in.
The quartermaster who was working behind the desk heard someone coming in and asked without raising his head: "What's the matter?"
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Sokov walked to the table and said to the quartermaster with a smile, "I'm here to pick up the equipment."
The quartermaster heard the voice seemed familiar. When he looked up, he saw a face he least wanted to see. Thinking of the last time this person extorted a box of soap from him, he became extremely angry.
He asked with a straight face and angrily: "Major Sokov, what are you doing here again?"
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, what else can I do here, of course, to collect equipment." Sokov placed the note written by Rokossovsky in front of the quartermaster and said with a smile:
"This is a note written by Comrade Commander."
After the quartermaster took the note and read the contents clearly, he immediately shook his head like a rattle: "I don't have any anti-tank rifles here, not to mention twenty, not even one."
Sokov thought that the quartermaster was deliberately making things difficult for him, so he laughed and said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, my battalion is equipped with light weapons and does not have any anti-tank weapons. Last time, we died in order to blow up an enemy tank."
We have seven or eight soldiers. If twenty anti-tank guns cannot be given, ten can be given. With this kind of weapon, we can reduce many unnecessary casualties when facing enemy tanks in the future."
The quartermaster put Rokossovsky's note on the table, sighed and said: "Major Sokov, it's not that I don't give it, it's really because there is none in the warehouse. Each division lacks anti-tank weapons, so this
This kind of anti-tank rifle has become a hot commodity, and every time a supply from the rear arrives, it is immediately snapped up."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," seeing that he couldn't get the anti-tank rifle, Sokov could only do the next best thing: "Even if you don't have an anti-tank gun, you have to give us some other anti-tank weapons. You can't give up every time."
Our soldiers, hold cluster grenades and die together with the enemy tanks."
The quartermaster thought for a while and asked: "Major Sokov, do you have artillery in your army?"
Hearing the quartermaster's question, Sokov nodded quickly and said: "Yes, there is an artillery platoon, but so far, there is not a single artillery..."
"Okay, as long as there are artillery." The quartermaster interrupted Sokov before he finished speaking: "There is also an anti-tank gun in the quarters warehouse, which has been there for a long time. Today I will
I made my own decision and gave it to you."
The quartermaster led Sokov and Asiya to a warehouse. He pointed to a long-barreled artillery gun beside the wall and said: "This is the ZIS-2 57mm anti-tank gun.
The tube length is 4 meters, the total weight is 1150 kilograms, the maximum range is 8400 meters, and the maximum rate of fire is 13-15 rounds/minute."
Sokov originally thought that the anti-tank gun given to him by the quartermaster was at best a 37mm anti-tank gun known as a "stepping stone". Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a 57mm-caliber anti-tank gun. Just when he was surprised by this anti-tank gun.
When the tank gun couldn't put it down, I heard the quartermaster say: "Because this kind of artillery is expensive, about ten times more expensive than similar artillery, so only 371 pieces were produced. As for the cannon shells, well, there are four boxes on the wall.
It’s all loaded with shells from this gun.”
Hearing that there were artillery shells in the boxes next to him, Sokov immediately opened one of the boxes happily. After seeing the contents clearly, he couldn't help but frowned: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, why are there only three artillery shells in one box?
"He suddenly felt like he had been cheated. The second battalion commander's Italian gun still had seventeen rounds of shells, but the anti-tank gun he picked up in the warehouse actually only had twelve rounds of shells.
"No way," the quartermaster shrugged and said helplessly: "This kind of artillery ceased production in December last year, so the production of supporting ammunition also stopped. There are only so many shells. If you want it, just
Take it; if you don’t want it, I won’t force it.”
Asiya, who was on the side, heard what the quartermaster said, and quickly pulled Rasokov's sleeve and asked in a low voice: "Misha, what should we do? Do we want this anti-tank gun or not?"
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Sokov was thinking in his mind. Although there were only twelve artillery shells, as long as it could destroy two or three German tanks, it would be worthwhile. Thinking of this, he nodded vigorously and said decisively:
"I want this anti-tank gun."
After a visit to the warehouse, he only received one anti-tank gun with a pitiful amount of shells. Naturally, Sokov was unwilling to accept it. He pestered the quartermaster again and said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, one gun is too little. Can you give me more?"
We have some other anti-tank weapons. For example, anti-tank mines, please give us two hundred of them!"
"What, two hundred?!" The quartermaster heard the Sokov Lion speak loudly and almost ran away. "You think the production of anti-tank mines is about baking bread. Just put the dough in the oven and take it out in ten minutes.
Will it be ready when it comes out?" He took two deep breaths, looked at the sky and said, "Just twelve anti-tank mines, do you want them?"
When Sokov was messing around with the quartermaster, he never thought that he could get something out of him. Unexpectedly, he actually took the initiative to give twelve anti-tank mines. This was really an unexpected surprise, so he hurriedly agreed: "
I want it! I want it!" After saying that, he winked at Asiya on the side, indicating that she would help him again.
Asiya saw Sokov's eyes and immediately understood. She walked to the quartermaster, grabbed his arm, shook it and said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, even if you gave us anti-tank mines, if the enemy's
If tanks don't pass through the area where we lay mines, the anti-tank mines will still be of no use. Do you think you can give us some other weapons?"
The quartermaster originally wanted to refuse, but when he lowered his head, he saw that it was a delicate female soldier pleading with him. He could not say no if he refused. He hesitated for a moment, sighed, and said to Sokov: "Okay,
Major Sokov, considering the actual difficulties of your battalion, I will give you another batch of anti-tank grenades." He opened his palm and gestured, "Only fifty, there will be no more than one."