The rescue convoy consisted of a jeep and five trucks. After the convoy left Mamayev Heights, it drove in the direction of black smoke. Although the City Defense Committee told Belkin that the crash site was a short distance from Mamayev
It was three or four kilometers away from Fugang, but the convoy drove a full seven or eight kilometers. Only then did Sokov, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, see the burning plane.
Sokov pointed there with his hand and said loudly to the driver: "Over there, drive the car!" As the car drove towards the position of the plane, Sokov looked at the flames rising high.
There was black smoke, and I thought to myself: The plane was burned like this. If the people inside had not escaped in time, they would have been burned to charcoal long ago.
The convoy stopped more than thirty meters away from the plane. Sokov got out of the car and looked at the burning wreckage of the plane. Seeing that there seemed to be no one in the cockpit, he ordered the guard platoon leader who ran over: "Let
The soldiers spread out to search and must find the crew members on the plane."
After more than ten minutes of searching, a voice suddenly came from the west of the wreckage: "Comrade Brigadier, we have found the crashed pilot."
When Sokov heard this, he trotted there quickly. When he got there, he saw two people lying on the grass, one was a pilot wearing a black flight jacket, and the other was a general wearing a military coat. He
He quickly stepped forward, squatted down next to the general, helped him sit up, and asked: "Are you General Chuikov?"
"Yes, I am Chuikov." Chuikov looked at Sokov in front of him and asked feebly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, who are you? Why are you here?"
"I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade, and I have been ordered to come to rescue you." After saying that, Sokov turned to the medical team not far away and shouted: "Get here quickly!"
After the medical team arrived, Sokov immediately ordered them: "You should seize the time to check General Chuikov and the pilot to see if their injuries are serious."
The assistant military doctor who led the team quickly examined the two men and ordered the health workers to bandage them. Then he said to Sokov: "Comrade Brigadier, General Chuikov found nothing on his body except the wound on his forehead.
There are obvious external injuries, but the possibility of internal injuries cannot be ruled out. I suggest that he be sent to the military hospital in Stalingrad immediately for examination."
"No need." As soon as the assistant military doctor finished speaking, Chuikov sat up with the help of the health worker. He waved his hand and said: "When the plane crashed, the pilot and I were just thrown out of the cockpit by inertia. The injuries should not be serious.
, no need to be hospitalized anymore.”
"Comrade General, this is not possible." Sokov guessed that he might soon be put under Chuikov's command, so he decided to use this opportunity to build a good relationship with Chuikov: "If there are really internal injuries, your life will be endangered.
If you really don't want to go to the hospital, you can go to our brigade's health team for observation for a period of time. If your injury is really not a problem, I will send someone to send you back to the front line."
Faced with Sokov's kindness, Chuikov did not insist on his opinion, but nodded and agreed to go to Mamayev Heights and observe the health team of the infantry brigade for a period of time.
The pilot was carried by the soldiers onto the truck of the medical team, while Chuikov and Sokov took a jeep back to Mamayev Heights. The assistant military doctor sat in the co-pilot seat of the jeep to protect Chuikov in case of any accidents on the way.
, rescue can be carried out in time.
On the way back to Mamayev Heights, Sokov curiously asked Chuikov: "Comrade General, can I ask how the plane you were on was shot down by the Germans?"
"My troops are moving to a new defensive area, and I decided to perform a forward flight of the army group in order to check our army's position from the air." In Chuikov's account, he deliberately avoided the troops, probably out of confidentiality considerations.
The serial number and stationed location only told how his plane was in distress: "...the plane I was on encountered a German fighter jet. You must know that the plane we were on was not equipped with weapons and faced the enemy's fighter jets.
, we are the lambs to be slaughtered.
German fighter jets attacked us at least ten times. Fortunately, the pilots were skilled and skillfully avoided them all. We once tried to land, but there were open grasslands below. Once we landed, we would be used as fixed targets by German aircraft.
In order to get rid of the enemy plane, the pilot flew in the direction of the sun, hoping to find a small village or small forest to land in, so as to get rid of the enemy plane that was chasing after him.
Although our plane kept making various evasive maneuvers, it was eventually hit by an enemy plane. Fortunately, before landing, the pilot cleverly adjusted the angle of the plane so that we were only thrown out when it fell.
He escaped from the cockpit without being killed on the spot. When the enemy planes saw our plane on fire, they probably thought we were doomed, so they circled in the air and then flew away to the west."
At this point, Chuikov stretched out his hand to Sokov and said gratefully: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, thank you. If you hadn't arrived with people in time, I guess my life might have been in danger."
Even though Sokov had met many important figures, when Chuikov reached out to him, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He hurriedly held the other person's hand and said with some excitement: "Comrade General, no need
Thank you. It is an honor for me and all the commanders and fighters of the infantry brigade to serve you."
After returning to Mamayev Heights, Belkin learned that Chuikov had been successfully rescued, and quickly came out of the tent to greet him. Together with Sokov, he helped Chuikov out of the car, then raised his hands and saluted respectfully.
Said: "Hello, General Chuikov, I am Belgin, the political commissar of the infantry brigade. I am glad to see you here."
"Hello, Political Commissar Belgin." Chuikov shook the other person's hand and said with a smile, "I'm very happy to meet you, too."
Belkin originally wanted to say a few more words, but the assistant military doctor interrupted and said: "Comrade Political Commissar, General Chuikov is still injured. I need to send him to the health team for examination immediately."
After the assistant military doctor reminded him, Belgin noticed that Chuikov's forehead was wrapped with a bandage, and he quickly asked nervously: "Comrade General, is your injury okay?"
"It's nothing. I just scratched a piece of skin on my forehead. When I landed on the ground, my chest and spine were sore from the fall." Chuikov turned his head and glanced at Sokov next to him, and said with a smile: "I originally said the injury is not serious, but yours
The brigade commander insisted on letting me go to the health team for observation for a period of time, and then send someone to send me back to the front line."
"Comrade General, for the sake of your health, necessary examinations are still needed." Belkin waited for Chuikov to finish speaking and then said respectfully: "You will now go to the health team with the assistant military doctor and rest there for a while.
After confirming that you are in good condition, we will send someone to take you back to the army."
"Okay." Chuikov readily agreed to Belkin's proposal, and then said to him: "You can find a way to call the 64th Army Headquarters and tell them my whereabouts so that they don't worry."
"Comrade General, please rest assured." Regarding Chuikov's instructions, Belgin naturally agreed: "We will report your situation to your headquarters as soon as possible."