"Comrade General," Belkin said with a smile on his face: "We marched here from Kursk on foot. Since the road is not easy to walk, we inevitably spent a lot of time on the road."
After Kazakov asked the two of them to sit down, he walked back and forth in the room and said: "Two comrades, commanders, the situation is really unlucky. The convoy that was originally going to transport you back to Moscow has already left Ye.
Lietz. If you want to follow the order and return to Moscow, you will have no choice but to continue marching on foot."
"What, marching on foot?" Sokov suddenly jumped up from his seat when he heard what Kazakov said: "Comrade General, don't you know that it is more than 500 kilometers from here to Moscow. If we march on foot
If so, it will take us at least ten days to get to Moscow."
"Comrade Brigadier, please sit down first." Belgin, perhaps worried that Sokov would be impulsive, drew his gun and pointed it at Kazakov, and quickly pulled him to sit down again. Then he asked Kazakov tentatively
: "Comrade General, is there really no other way?"
Sokov just drew his gun outside and pointed it at the lieutenant colonel on duty. It was not impulsive, but after careful consideration. Because he knew very well in his heart that if he didn't do this at that time, there would be no chance to see Kazako.
Husband. As for repeating the old trick of threatening Kazakov with a gun, he has never thought about it. Just kidding, is the nature of pointing a gun at a lieutenant colonel comparable to that of targeting a lieutenant general?
If he does this again in the house, he will be tried by a military court, and even if Rokossovsky comes forward, he will not be able to protect himself.
However, Sokov felt particularly uncomfortable at the thought of asking the troops to walk more than 500 kilometers to Moscow in such a hot season. If he had to swallow his anger this time and let the troops march to Moscow on foot, then after arriving in Moscow, if the superiors could not help
If the army provides carriages, will they have to walk to Kazan again? When there is no transport fleet in Kazan, will the army still have to walk to Stalingrad? After their troops have completed the nearly two thousand kilometers, they will reach Stalin.
Grad would coincide with the most intense days of the fighting. The exhausted commanders and soldiers rushed into the battle and could only become cannon fodder. In order to avoid this tragedy from happening, Sokov decided that no matter what, Kazako would be killed today.
The husband thought of a way for himself to solve the troop transportation problem.
After listening to Belkin's question, Kazakov shook his head and said in embarrassment: "Comrade deputy battalion political commissar, this is not easy to handle. All the trucks have driven away. I will definitely not be able to do it in a short time."
You provide transportation. If you want to return to Moscow, perhaps walking on foot is your only option."
After receiving Kazakov's affirmative answer, Belgin's face was full of disappointment. He looked at Sokov and asked: "Comrade Brigadier, what should we do? Do we really have to walk for ten days to return?"
Moscow?”
"Comrade Political Commissar, after two and a half days of forced march, the commanders and soldiers are very tired. If we have to walk more than 500 kilometers, there will definitely be a large number of non-combat attrition." Sokov finished speaking to Belkin.
After speaking, he looked at Kazakov again and asked: "Comrade General, if I am not mistaken, Yelets should be an important transportation hub, right?"
"Yes, this is indeed an important transportation hub," Kazakov nodded and replied: "Our army's military supplies are first transported here and then transferred to other areas..."
"Comrade General, since it is an important transportation hub." Sokov said before Kazakov could finish, "In addition to road transportation, railway transportation should also be very developed. Now our brigade has to return by car.
Moscow is obviously hopeless, I wonder if you can arrange military columns for us to send us back to Moscow?"
Belkin's eyes suddenly lit up when he heard what Sokov said, and he said to himself: "Yes, although the convoy has already left, we can still take the military train back to Moscow, which will only take a few hours.
"With this thought in mind, he stared at Kazakov intently, waiting impatiently for his answer.
Kazakov stood there and thought for a moment, then turned and walked to his desk, picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said into the phone: "I am Kazakov, pick me up at the station immediately and find the military representative.
"
When the military representative answered the phone, Kazakov raised his voice and asked: "Comrade military representative, tell me, are there any empty trains returning to Moscow?... When will the train leave?" Kazakov turned his head and asked in a low voice.
Sokov, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, where are your troops?"
Although Sokov did not hear the answer from the military representative at the station, he guessed that the departure time of the military train was coming. As soon as he heard Kazakov and other questions, he immediately replied: "Our troops are currently approaching the headquarters.
A street of places on standby.”
"Very good." After Kazakov said this, he said into the microphone: "Comrade military representatives, I order you to postpone the departure for half an hour. An infantry brigade will take the military train to Moscow to report... What,
You don’t have the right to change the train’s departure time?… Although you don’t have the right, I think as the garrison commander, I should have this right… That’s it, when the infantry brigade will arrive and when it can leave!”
When Kazakov got angry at the station army representative, Sokov and Belkin couldn't help but smile, because this way, the troops would not have to walk to Moscow.
After Kazakov made the call, he turned to Sokov and Belkin and said: "Two comrades, commanders, according to the dispatch plan, the military train returning to Moscow should leave in ten minutes. I have asked the military representative to postpone it.
When the train departs, you should rush over with your troops immediately."
After expressing their gratitude to Kazakov, Sokov and Belkin left the garrison headquarters and hurried back to the place where the troops rested. After learning about the location of the station from a patrol, the infantry brigade came again in a mighty manner.
Driving towards the station.
Sokov originally thought that when his troops arrived at the station, the station commander and military representatives would come out to greet him. But when he arrived at the station, he found that he had thought too much. Rows of military vehicles continued to drive into the station and parked on the platform.
, not long after, with the long blast of the whistle, military trains loaded with technical equipment and soldiers moved towards the real front line; there were also some trains carrying the wounded, returning from the front line direction, and slowly stopped on the platform.
, as soon as the car stopped, the medical staff waiting here opened the car and carried the seriously injured person lying on the stretcher into the car.
Seeing the endless scene on the platform, Sokov seemed a little confused. He stopped an officer passing by him and asked loudly: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, do you know where the station commander's office is?"
Unexpectedly, after the officer heard this, he waved his hand to Sokov and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, my unit only stopped here temporarily, and I don't know where the station commander's office is!"
Sokov asked several people in succession, but no one knew where the stationmaster's office he was looking for was. Fortunately, Belgin was smart and stopped a middle-aged man wearing a railway worker's uniform.
, and then asked where the stationmaster’s office was.
There were soldiers everywhere on the platform. The officers were shouting loudly. The soldiers who heard their orders hurried to the designated gathering place. Sokov and Belkin squeezed among the crowd.
, finally arrived at the door with the sign "Station Master's Room". After identifying themselves to the sentry on guard, the two walked into the station master's room.
As soon as he entered the spacious stationmaster's office, Sokov felt like he was in a vegetable market. Countless people were holding phones and shouting into the microphone. Sokov's eyes quickly swept through the room, and he found that most of them
Everyone was wearing the uniforms of railway employees, with only a few people wearing military uniforms, but these people had very low military ranks, and they were obviously not the people he was looking for. After scanning the room twice, he finally stopped at
On an officer in the corner. The officer who was on the phone wore the rank of captain. According to Sokov's analysis, he should be the military representative he was looking for.
Sokov winked at Belkin and walked quickly towards the captain. The captain who was on the phone felt someone walking in front of him, so he raised his head and looked at them. After seeing clearly
After the two men's military ranks, the captain quickly said a few words, put down the phone, looked at Sokov and asked: "Are you the commander of the infantry brigade?"
"Yes, I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, and this is my political commissar Belkin." Sokov replied: "We are here to take the bus back to Moscow."
Unexpectedly, after he finished speaking, the captain gave a faint hum, and then asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, how many people are there in your brigade?"
"There are almost five thousand people." Seeing the captain's lukewarm appearance, Sokov withdrew his outstretched hand and replied dryly: "There are no heavy weapons."
"What, you have almost five thousand people?" The captain was stunned by Sokov's words. He looked at Sokov and asked in surprise: "Aren't you an infantry brigade? Why are you about the same number as an infantry division?"
Sokov was in a hurry to get the troops on board and did not explain in detail to the other party. He simply said: "Our brigade was formed under the order of the Supreme Commander himself, so the organization is different from other troops. Comrade Captain,
Wonder where we will board the train?”
"The military train you are traveling on is parked at Platform No. 5. I will send someone to take you there right now..." Before the captain could finish his words, he changed his words and said, "Forget it, I'll take you there myself. Please wait for me.
In a moment, I will tell you something and then take you there."
While the captain was explaining the matter to his subordinates, Belkin leaned close to Sokov's ear and whispered: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I wonder if you have noticed that this military representative originally did not want to take us to Platform No. 5.
.But when I heard that our army was organized by the Supreme Commander himself, my attitude changed."
Before Sokov could speak, the captain who had finished explaining his work had returned to the two of them and said respectfully: "Two comrades, commanders, let's go to platform No. 5 now. By the way, your troops are now at
Where?"
"Outside the station," Sokov replied shortly.
"I understand, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel. I will immediately arrange for someone to take them to Platform No. 5." The captain said with a smile on his face: "Now, please two commanders, please follow me."
He followed the captain to platform No. 5. Compared with the place just now, the captain seemed much deserted. The captain explained to the two of them with a smile: "This military column is to deliver ammunition to the front line. It was supposed to arrive ten minutes ago."
Depart and return to Moscow. But since General Kazakov personally greeted you, the departure time will be postponed until you board the train. However, two comrades, commanders, please ask your troops to move quickly. The train will be delayed by an hour.
It won’t have much impact yet. But if the delay is too long, it will affect the overall transportation scheduling work. I hope you can understand.”
"Understood, understood. I completely understand." As soon as the captain finished speaking, Belkin nodded and said, "We will board the train as soon as possible."
Sokov suddenly remembered a later joke in his mind, which said that no matter how late the Aeroflot plane took off, it would always arrive on time. I wonder if this military train would arrive on time if it departed an hour later.
What about Moscow?
When the troops began to board the train, the station army representative said apologetically to Sokov and Belkin: "Comrades, two commanders, according to the usual practice, a special box should be prepared for you. But I didn't expect that you as a brigade would actually
There were so many people that we transferred a few more wagons from other places to accommodate everyone. So..."
"Comrade Captain, you don't have to say anything." Before the military representative could finish his words, Sokov raised his hand and interrupted him: "We all understand your difficulties. Since the carriage is so tight, a special box
There’s no need, we’ll just squeeze into the same carriage as the soldiers.”
The captain originally thought that he would be scolded if he could not provide a separate carriage for Sokov and the others, but he did not expect that the two of them were so easy to talk to, which surprised him. The captain turned around and waved to a subordinate not far away, and waited.
When the other party came to him, he leaned in and whispered a few words into his ear. The subordinate nodded, turned and left.
The scene of the captain chatting privately with his subordinates happened to be seen by Sokov, but he did not pay attention. His main attention was still focused on the commanders and soldiers who were boarding the train. He thought to himself: It takes almost a day and night to get to Moscow from here.
At that time, the soldiers could sleep in the car until dawn.
At this moment, the captain's subordinates ran back from a short distance away, holding a paper bag in their hands. It was bulging and it was unknown what was inside. The captain took the paper bag from his subordinates and handed it to Sokov.
He smiled and said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, this is my opinion, please accept it."
Belgin took the paper bag and glanced inside. Seeing that there were more than a dozen apples in the paper bag, he said politely: "Comrade Captain, you arranged the military queue for us. We haven't had time to express our gratitude to you. Why?"
I can still accept your gift. Please take it back."
Just when Belkin was about to hand the paper bag back to the captain, Sokov on the side reached out to take the paper bag and said to the captain with a smile: "Comrade Captain, since you are so enthusiastic, I will accept your gift."