Chapter 1623 Shelling in the middle of the night (Part 2)
This is a very bold plan. If the Guards Division voluntarily abandons the town, but the main force of the German army does not enter the town as the Soviet army expected, the entire plan may fail. Once the plan fails, Sivarenko will serve as
The highest commander of the garrison may be sent to a military court.
This is a gamble. You can make a name for yourself if you win, but if you lose, Sivarenko's future will be ruined. Sokov took this issue into consideration when he sent out the liaison officer, because the liaison officer he sent out
The level cannot be too low, otherwise it will be difficult to convince Sivarenko.
Knowing that Sokov was going to send someone to contact Sivarenko and request him to lead the troops to withdraw from the town before dark, Belkin immediately asked for help: "Misha, I think you should give this task to
I'll finish it."
"Do you want to go?" Although Sokov felt in his heart that Belkin's level was completely sufficient, considering that the German artillery shells had already fallen and exploded in the town, sending Belkin into the town at this time would probably be life-threatening.
Based on this consideration, Sokov seemed very hesitant.
"Misha, don't worry." Belgin guessed the reason for Sokov's hesitation and said with a smile: "You don't have to worry about my safety. You know, the environment I was in during the battle to defend Stalingrad.
It’s much worse than here. Since I was able to survive back then, and now I’m just going to the town to get in touch with friendly forces, why are you worried?”
"Colonel Belkin, you are the deputy commander of the 84th Division. I have no right to let you take risks." Sokov said seriously: "I think it's better to change to someone else."
"Misha." When he heard Sokov rejected him, Belkin became a little anxious: "You know, it is an extremely risky thing to withdraw the Guards Division from the town that is still fighting at this time.
.As the division commander, General Sivarenko will definitely weigh the priorities repeatedly. If the person sent to contact him is too low-level, he will simply ignore it. After all, this involves his future."
After Belkin finished speaking, political commissar Manokhin supported him and said: "Comrade Commander, I think what Colonel Belkin said makes sense. If the person sent to contact him is too low-level, I am afraid that General Sivarenko will not be able to do anything at all."
You will not pay attention to him. Now you also know that German artillery shells fell in the town. The person we sent to contact him would have to take risks. If he does not gain the trust of General Sivarenko, wouldn't his trip be in vain?
?”
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Rusev, the lowest-ranking man, couldn't help but interrupt at this moment: "Before you arrived, I sent someone to contact General Sivarenko and asked him to wait until his troops could not support him.
At that time, he retreated into our regiment's defense area in time. But unfortunately, our proposal was rejected by him.
I guess the reason for the refusal was because the liaison officer I sent was too low-level, just a lieutenant, so it was only natural that he would not buy it."
Seeing that everyone wanted Belkin to serve as the liaison officer, Sokov just smiled lightly and did not immediately express his position. Instead, he turned to ask Koida who was sitting next to him: "Colonel Koida, what do you think about this matter?"
?”
"Comrade Commander, this is an internal matter of the 84th Division. It's not good for me as an outsider to interfere." After Koida cleared away his responsibilities, he still couldn't help but said: "But I think if you want to persuade
The Guards Division has withdrawn from the town, and Colonel Belkin is undoubtedly the best candidate."
Koida's attitude made Sokov finally make up his mind: "Okay, since everyone's opinions are so unified, then respect everyone's choice and send Colonel Belkin to the town of Ratseve to persuade General Sivarenko
.”
In this way, Belkin came to Sivarenko's headquarters and persuaded him to lead his troops to evacuate the town of Ratseve and retreat into the defense area of the 254th Regiment so that Sokov's artillery could shell the German troops stationed in the town at night.
force.
"Chief of Staff," Sivarenko, who was persuaded by Belkin, shouted to his Chief of Staff. When the latter came to him, he ordered: "To the commanders of the 47th and 50th Regiments.
Make a phone call and order them to use alternate cover to withdraw from Ratsewe town after repelling this German attack."
The division chief of staff vaguely heard the conversation between Sivarenko and Belgin, and knew that the other party planned to launch a violent bombardment of the German troops stationed in the town at night and use artillery fire to destroy these damn Germans. So he waited until Sivarenko
After saying that, he replied loudly: "Understood, comrade division commander, I will call the two division commanders immediately and ask them to prepare for retreat."
Belkin did not express any opinions on Sivarenko's arrangements. As a commander with rich command experience, he knew very well that once the German attack was repelled, there would be no one or two hours of preparation time.
They would not attack again. In this way, the commanders and fighters of the 15th Guards Division could calmly withdraw from the town and retreat into the defense zone of the Russov Regiment, where they could regroup.
Sivarenko knew Sokov's preparations and readily agreed to retreat. However, the commanders below did not understand why Sivarenko made such a decision. Especially the commander of the 50th Guards Regiment, who personally
Sivarenko called and asked angrily: "Comrade Division Commander, I would like to ask, our regiment has fought well and has repelled two German attacks in a row. Why do we need to retreat at this time?"
"
"Comrade Colonel," the troops have not yet begun to retreat. Sivarenko does not intend to tell the truth about the deployment for the time being. If someone falls behind and is captured during the retreat, it will reveal the reason for the retreat of the troops, so he just said vaguely:
"We abandoned the town to better eliminate the enemy."
"I don't understand." The regiment leader said reluctantly: "If the order to retreat is really given to the commanders and soldiers, I think everyone will be emotional. After all, so many of our comrades have died here. We
How could they leave their bodies behind, abandon the town and run away?"
Hearing what his subordinates said, Sivarenko's expression dimmed. In less than a day, he had a regiment of commanders and fighters lying on the land on the right bank of the Dnieper River forever. If he really wanted to abandon them
The corpses retreated, but he was still very unwilling to do so.
"Comrade Colonel," in order to avoid the other party's entanglement, Sivarenko suppressed the smile on his face and said with a straight face: "Don't you know that orders from superiors are for execution, not discussion?
Don't say anything else, immediately convey my order to commanders at all levels, and as soon as the German attack is repelled, immediately withdraw from the position and retreat to the outside of the town."
"Comrade division commander," the regiment commander hesitated for a moment, and finally said what he was thinking: "Can you wait until our regiment has repelled the German attack before giving the order to retreat to the commanders?"
"Why?"
"If the news of the retreat is conveyed before repelling the German attack, I am worried that many commanders and soldiers will be unwilling to continue fighting, which will lead to the defeat of the battle." After clarifying his reasons, the regiment commander said again: "Comrade Division Commander
, I beg you again, wait until our regiment repels the German attack before conveying this order to the commanders and soldiers, okay?"
Sivarenko thought about it carefully and realized that what the commander of the 50th Regiment said made sense. When the commanders and fighters who were fighting fiercely with the enemy suddenly heard that the troops were about to retreat, I am afraid that many people would panic and just want to withdraw as soon as possible.
Keep fighting the enemy.
He didn't bother to put down the phone in his hand, and said to the chief of staff of the division who was on the phone beside him: "Chief of Staff, have you notified the commander of the 47th Regiment?"
The division chief of staff quickly covered the microphone with his hand and reported to Sivarenko: "Comrade division commander, I am conveying your order to the commander of the 47th Regiment."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sivarenko realized that he had not thought carefully when conveying the order, and quickly ordered the Chief of Staff: "Tell the commander of the 47th Regiment to wait until the battle is over before giving the order to retreat to the commanders and soldiers, so as not to affect the
An ongoing battle.”
"Understood." The division chief of staff agreed, released his hand covering the microphone, and said to the commander of the 47th Regiment on the other end of the microphone: "Comrade Colonel, the division commander just ordered that in order to avoid affecting the ongoing battle, you can
Wait until the enemy is repulsed before giving the order to retreat to the troops."
After hearing the chief of staff finish the call, Sivarenko spoke to the phone again and said: "Comrade Colonel, your proposal is correct. According to what you said, after the enemy's attack is repelled, the commanders and soldiers will be notified to withdraw."
fighting."
After arranging everything, Sivarenko put down the microphone in his hand and looked at Belgin who was sitting at the table drinking tea. He said uneasily: "Colonel Belgin, the situation here is not good.
, there are a lot of shells falling near the church, for your own safety, you should go back first."
"It doesn't matter, General Sivarenko." Belkin said with a smile: "You haven't left yet, how can I leave first?"
"But you are the liaison officer sent by the 84th Division. How could I let anything happen to you?" Although Sivarenko did not know about the friendship between Belkin and Sokov, he must have become a colonel.
If something happens to an important person in his own defense area, he cannot explain to Sokov: "How about I recruit a guard class to protect you from leaving Ratsewe Town?"
"General Sivarenko, it really doesn't matter." When Belkin entered the town by car, a shell landed and exploded not far away from the jeep. The masonry and tiles lifted up made the roof of the car clatter. Even so.
Following Sivarenko's advice, he was escorted out of the town by a guard squad, but he would still encounter dangers on the way. A cannonball might fall and the group would be wiped out.
Belgin said tactfully: "You haven't left here, how can I leave first?" Seeing what Sivarenko wanted to say, he quickly added, "Comrade General, you don't need to persuade me anymore. As long as you
If you don’t leave here, I won’t leave either.”
Seeing that Belkin was so resolute, Sivarenko knew that his persuasion would probably have no effect, so he could only acquiesce to allow the other party to continue to stay in his division headquarters. Anyway, the church was relatively strong, as long as it was not hit by the German heavy artillery.
If it hits, there should still be no danger of collapse.
"Comrade Commander, there is a telegram here." A telegraph operator sitting in the corner suddenly called Sivarenko loudly: "It's from the 44th Regiment."
"What, a telegram from the 44th Regiment?" Sivarenko couldn't help being surprised when he heard the operator say this. According to his idea, the 44th Regiment that stayed in Jingji Town lost contact with the loss of the town. It should be
was annihilated by the German army. But when he heard the telegram from the 44th Regiment, he quickly rushed behind the telegraph operator and took the telegram from his hand.
"Comrade division commander," the division chief of staff rushed over from the other side and asked with some excitement: "Is this really a telegram from the 44th Regiment?"
Sivarenko quickly glanced at the signature at the bottom of the telegram. Sure enough, it was the name of the commander of the 44th Regiment. He nodded and replied: "Yes, it is indeed a telegram from the 44th Regiment."
"Where are they now?" the division chief of staff asked impatiently: "Are they trapped in the town, or have they retreated to other places?"
After quickly reading the contents of the telegram, Sivarenko raised his head and said to the division chief of staff: "After they broke out from the town, since the roads going south had been blocked by the enemy, they could only go up the Dnieper River.
Find a safe place to stop and rest.”
"Along the river?" The division chief of staff frowned tightly, his eyebrows knitted into a knot: "Comrade division commander, if you go up the Dnieper River, aren't you going deep into the heart of the German army? They will soon be there.
They will be surrounded by German troops, and eventually they will be completely annihilated by the enemy when they run out of ammunition and food."
"Yes, although they are safe for the time being, as long as the Germans free their hands, they will definitely concentrate their forces to encircle and suppress them." Sivarenko glanced at the telegram in his hand, sighed softly and said: "Now they
There are only more than 200 people left, many of whom are wounded. Once surrounded by German troops, I am afraid they will not be able to hold on for long."
"Ammunition is also a problem. After their breakout operations, each soldier may not even have a base number of ammunition." The division chief of staff cautiously put forward his own suggestion: "Otherwise, we can send a unit to meet them.
?”
Sivarenko laughed dryly and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, have you forgotten that the enemy is storming the town of Ratseve? Do you think we can still send troops to bring back the 44th Regiment that is far away from us?"
After listening to Sivarenko's words, the division chief of staff put aside the unrealistic thoughts in his mind. Now the main force of the division was already feeling a little unsustainable in the face of the German attack. Where could he spare his troops to find a third position far away from the main force?
44th Regiment. He said with a heavy heart: "Comrade division commander, can we just watch the remaining commanders and fighters of the 44th Regiment being annihilated by the German army, and nothing can be done?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, you are right, we can't do anything now." Sivarenko sighed and said: "You call them back and ask them to find a place to hide until we repel the German attack.
, will send someone to pick them up."
Although Sivarenko said this, the division chief of staff knew in his heart that this telegram was probably the last telegram sent to the 44th Regiment. He walked to the operator and said to him: "Comrade operator, I dictated
Please send the content of the message to the 44th Regiment."
Belkin saw Sivarenko approaching and asked with concern: "Comrade General, have the troops holding on to Jingji Town successfully jumped out of the German encirclement?"
"Yes, they did break through the encirclement." Sivarenko said with a wry smile: "But their road to the south was cut off by the German army, so they had no choice but to go north. Now they are getting farther and farther away from us, and more and more
Going further into the hinterland of the German army, I am afraid that the fate they will face next is death."