After settling Sokov, Koshkin turned around and left to help him go through the admission procedures.
Sokov, who was sitting alone in the classroom, began to look at the surrounding environment. In front of the classroom was a podium slightly higher than the ground. On the wall of the podium was a huge blackboard, where the teacher would stand to teach the students. Classroom
The tables and chairs inside are arranged in six rows, with ten rows in each row, which means that if the classroom is full, it can accommodate sixty students.
Sokov secretly thought: There must be excellent young commanders in the training class, but he doesn't know what kind of teachers are assigned to them in the academy.
"Hey, friend." Just as Sokov was deep in thought, he suddenly heard someone greeting him next to him. He quickly turned around and saw that it was a navy captain with a medium build and a face full of freckles, standing in front of him.
.
"Hello, Comrade Navy Captain." Sokov smiled at the other party and asked politely: "Did you also take such a training class?"
"Yes, yes, I was assigned to this training class." The navy captain was obviously a talkative person. While shaking hands with Sokov, he took the initiative and said: "I am Sukhalev, from the Baltic Fleet.
"
"I am Sokov," Sokov hesitated for a moment, then said, "I was injured when I broke through the Dnieper River defense line and was sent to Moscow to recuperate."
Knowing that Sokov was injured during the battle to break through the Dnieper River, Sukhalev suddenly became interested: "Captain Sokov, I wonder in which area your unit made the breakthrough?"
"Klemenko."
"Klemenko?!" Sukhalev said with some surprise: "I heard that the troops that broke through the Dnieper River defense line from the Klemenko area were General Sokov's 27th Army. Your surname is also Sokov.
Koff, are you two related?"
Sokov wanted to tell the other party that I was Sokov, the commander of the 27th Group Army, but thinking that he had to keep a low profile when he came to study here, he shook his head and said: "We are not relatives."
"By the way, Captain Sukharev." Sokov didn't want the other party to find out his identity, so he changed the subject in time: "Are you a navy or a marine?"
"I'm a Marine."
"I know several officers of the Marine Corps, they are from the Northern Fleet." Sokov knew that the Soviet navy was divided into four fleets: the Pacific Fleet, the Black Sea Fleet, the Baltic Fleet and the Northern Fleet. The task of the Northern Fleet was to
The Arctic Ocean escorts merchant ships and is one of the weakest fleets. He was deeply afraid that Sukhalev would not pay attention to it, and specifically emphasized: "I once fought side by side with them in Stalingrad."
Hearing Sokov mention that he had fought with the Marines of the Northern Fleet in Stalingrad, this barely aroused Sukhalev's interest: "Captain Sokov, I don't know what their names are, maybe I'm at the Naval Academy
I even met them when I was studying here."
"Captain Shamrih, Captain Shapovalenko and Captain Yakuda." After Sokov announced the names of the three commanders of the Marine Corps battalion in one breath, he asked: "Captain Sukhalev, you
Do you know them?"
After hearing this, Sukharev shook his head, "I have never heard of it." He paused for a moment and then added, "You know, a fleet can range from tens of thousands to as many as ten or two hundred thousand. We
We’re not in the same fleet, so it’s normal that we don’t know each other.”
"I heard that during the battle to defend Leningrad, many sailors from the Baltic Fleet came ashore to join the army in the battle." Sokov continued to ask: "Captain, your unit must also have participated in many battles.
Fight?"
"You are right." In response to Sokov's question, Sukhalev nodded and said, "My Marine Corps did fight in many areas of Leningrad. Among them, the most difficult ones were
More than the small highlands beside the Neva River.”
This time it was Sokov's turn to be interested in what he said: "Captain, can you tell me about the small highland by the Neva River?"
Seeing that Sokov was interested in the small highland by the Neva River, Sukhalev did not show off and began to tell him: "Leningrad was besieged by the German army and cut off its relations with the outside world. In order to break through the German army's
The siege was encircled, and the city's defenders launched a battle to relieve the siege.
The offensive force took the lead in breaking through the German defenses at a place called Dubrovka on the banks of the Neva River, trying to join the 54th Army coming through the gap. Unfortunately, our army's
The attempt was discovered by the Germans, who concentrated heavy troops and launched a frantic counterattack against Dubrovka, hoping to drive the breakout troops in the city into the Neva River.
The battle lasted for several months. Although the enemy compressed our army into a small area, they were unable to drive our army into the river. Although our army tried many attacks and paid huge sacrifices, it still could not
To continue to expand the breach. In order to reduce unnecessary sacrifices, the commander of the Leningrad Front decided to stop the attempt to break through and leave only a part of the force to contain the enemy there."
"Captain, from what you said, the battle must have been very fierce." Sokov asked tentatively: "Are you also participating in the battle here?"
"Yes, the battle was very fierce." Sukharev said with a painful expression: "If we invest a regiment of troops, they will all be wiped out in less than half a day, and then we will dispatch new troops from the city and rejoin the battle. I
It was under such circumstances that I participated in the battle. Regrettably, as soon as the battle started, I was wounded by German shelling and withdrew from the battle."
Sokov was also a person who had been on the battlefield, so he could naturally imagine how tragic the battle situation was at that time. He nodded and said, "Captain, it is a blessing to be able to survive such a battle."
"Captain Sokov, I just heard from you that you once defended Stalingrad with the Marines." Sukhalev asked tentatively: "It is said that the survival period of soldiers entering the city is only 24 hours.
And the officer was only three days old. Your military rank at that time was not as high as it is now, right?"
"Yes, I was promoted to a military rank after the Battle of Stalingrad."
"You can survive. It seems that you are very lucky."
"I was injured once and stayed in the hospital for a month."
"Where was the area you were defending?"
"Mamayev Hill."
"Oh my God." Sukhalev was surprised to learn that the place Sokov fought in the Battle of Stalingrad was the Mamayev Hill. "As far as I know, the place called that place by the Germans was
It is an insurmountable high ground, and no matter how much troops they invest and what scale of attack they launch, they cannot seize the high ground from the defenders."
When Sukharev said this, he gave Sokov a thumbs up: "You are really amazing."
"The reason why we were able to hold the high ground was entirely because the Battle of Stalingrad began and we built defenses on Mamayev Hill." Sokov explained to Sukhalev: "We built a complete underground defense.
As soon as the enemy's shelling started, we hid in the tunnel to avoid the German shelling. As soon as the enemy's shelling stopped, we came out of the tunnel and entered defensive positions to block the enemy's attack."
"Oh, you actually built a tunnel on Mamayev Hill." Sukharev said with some surprise: "I asked why the Germans have been unable to conquer this small highland. It turns out that's the case."
"In the Battle of Stalingrad, the German army had an advantage both in the air and on the ground." Sokov said to Sukhalev with a smile: "If we don't build tunnels to avoid the German artillery and bombing, I'm afraid we won't be able to survive."
When the enemy's ground attack begins, our commanders and fighters will suffer heavy losses."
Sokov's words made Sukhalev realize: "On the cliff next to the small highland by the Neva River, the assembled troops and the wounded who were withdrawn are hidden there. As long as the German army does not dispatch aircraft, no matter how fierce the shelling is,
It cannot pose any threat to the troops hiding under the cliff."
"Captain, the cliff you are talking about is a kind of reverse slope." Sokov added: "The enemy's artillery fire can only hit the forward slope. As long as we are hidden on the reverse slope, even if the enemy uses curved artillery to bombard us, but
Due to the obstruction of the line of sight, it is also very difficult for them to hit the target."
"Sukharev, you are actually here." When the two were having a good conversation, another voice sounded in the classroom. Sokov looked in the direction of the voice and saw an army major striding away.
Coming in, he pointed at Sukhalev with his finger and said, "I asked you why you disappeared in the blink of an eye. It turns out you hid here."
"Victor, let me introduce you to a new friend." Sukhalev introduced Sokov to the major with a smile: "This comrade captain was injured in the battle to break through the Dnieper River defense line and returned to Moscow.
Come to recuperate, and now we are classmates."
The major, known as Victor, came to Sokov. When he was about to speak, when he saw Sokov's face clearly, he couldn't help but trembled. Then he stood at attention on the spot, raised his hand to his forehead, and sounded a little loud.
He said tremblingly: "Hello, comrade commander, I am Major Victor, commander of the second battalion of the 546th Regiment of the 182nd Division. I am following your orders. Please give me instructions!"
Sukhalev on the side was confused by Victor's move. He looked at him and asked: "Hey, old man, when did Captain Sokov become your commander? When did you sing this?
Going out?"
"Sukharev," Victor didn't even put down his hand. He turned to look at Sukharev and said in a reproachful tone: "He is the commander General Sokov I often tell you."
"No way." Sukhalev looked at Sokov and then at Victor, with a puzzled expression on his face: "If he is your commander, why does he wear the rank of captain?
?”
Victor didn't know why Sokov wore the rank of captain, so he could only cast a confused look at Sokov, trying to figure out what was going on.
Seeing that his identity was revealed, Sokov laughed dryly, and then said to Victor: "Colonel Victor, put your hands down, you have held them up long enough."
"Yes!" Victor agreed loudly, put down his hand, and asked Sokov puzzledly: "Comrade Commander, why are you wearing a captain's uniform?"
"The reason is very simple." Seeing that there were only two people here, Victor and Sukhalev, Sokov did not hide it, but told them truthfully: "The reason why I entered the Frunze Military Academy to study this time is to
Start learning from the basic theory. If I wear a general uniform and sit among you to study, I am afraid it will make you feel stressed and affect your learning effect. Therefore, after negotiation, when I was studying in the junior training class, I took the status of a captain.
Come and study, so as not to cause psychological burden to everyone."
"So this is ah."
Although the two people in front of him knew his true identity, Sokov did not want more people to know about it, so he specifically told them: "Colonel Viktor, Captain Sukhalev, I hope you can
Can you keep this secret and don't tell others my identity?"
"It can be done!" they both replied in unison: "We will never reveal your identity."
After receiving the two's promises, Sokov nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Victor and asked: "Colonel Victor, are you a subordinate of Lieutenant Colonel Goryachkin?" Don't look at whether the 27th Army has any
There are only a small number of troops, but Sokov remembers the names of all officers above the regiment level.
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Victor replied respectfully; "My regimental commander is indeed Lieutenant Colonel Goryachkin."
"How is your division doing?"
"Not good." Victor shook his head and said, "Since you were injured and left, and a new commander took over your duties, the situation has changed. In the past, we could always achieve the greatest results at the smallest cost.
Results. But now, every battle is fought very hard. Not only the casualties of the troops are high, the results obtained are also very limited."
After briefly introducing the current situation of the army, Victor continued: "Comrade Commander, I wonder when you will be able to return to the army. All the commanders and soldiers are looking forward to your return."
"I probably won't go back to the 27th Army." Sokov shook his head and said, "Maybe after I recover from my injuries, my superiors will send me to other units."
Knowing that Sokov would not return to the 27th Army, Victor's face was full of disappointment. He reluctantly asked: "Comrade Commander, I don't know which unit you will be transferred to. I want to follow you."
Let’s go together.”
Victor's words reminded Sokov that no matter which army he joins in the future, he will always need some well-trained commanders. During his training at the Frunze Military Academy, he will definitely know a lot of them.
We must find ways to recruit outstanding students into our army when the time comes.
After thinking about this clearly, Sokov smiled and said to Victor: "Comrade Major, don't be anxious. I'm afraid I will have to wait a few months before I can recover from my injury and be discharged from the hospital. If I decide which unit to go to, I will definitely take it with me."
Some experienced commanders passed by."
Hearing what Sokov said, Victor's face suddenly showed joy: "Great, this is really great."
"Major, cherish your time training here." Sokov said to Victor: "With your ability, you may be able to become a general in the future."
While Victor was smiling, Sokov specially warned: "In order to prevent my identity from being exposed, you will all call me Captain Sokov from now on. Remember?"