The first thing to do is to let Captain Andre's third battalion serve as a guard on the south bank of the Aksay River and cover the two infantry divisions on the north bank to build fortifications.
Secondly, Sokov found a group of engineers and ordered them to place explosives on the road bridge and railway bridge over the Aksay River, and just wait for the Germans to rush over and blow up the bridges immediately.
When Andrei was about to take people across the bridge to the other side, Sokov stopped him. Based on Andrei's understanding of Sokov, he guessed that he must have thought of some weird idea, and quickly asked: "Brigade
Comrade Chang, what instructions do you have?"
"Captain Andrei," Sokov looked to the left and right and saw that they were all commanders and fighters of the third battalion. He said to Andrei confidently and boldly: "The battle to defend Stalingrad will last for a long time. Because
For various reasons, we may not be able to replenish our troops. Therefore, before the battle to defend Mamayev Hills begins, we must rely on our own capabilities to replenish our troops."
"Additional soldiers?" Andrei was stunned when he heard what Sokov said, and then asked: "Comrade Brigadier, what you want is for us to recruit a group of new soldiers from nearby villages and small towns."
Hearing Andrei say this, Sokov was so angry that he kicked him and said angrily: "What are we recruiting for recruits who have no fighting ability? Let them stay in our tunnel fortifications. We only need a few."
When I was young, I was frightened to the point of mental breakdown, which also affected the morale of the troops."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Andrei, who had been kicked by Sokov for no apparent reason, asked aggrievedly: "Then where should we replenish enough troops?"
Sokov raised his hand and slapped Andre on the helmet, and said angrily: "You idiot, you are on guard duty on the south bank of the Aksay River. There will definitely be many small troops who have retreated from the front line.
If you ask carefully, as long as they are not from the 138th and 157th Infantry Divisions, they will all be organized into the third battalion. Do you understand?"
Hearing what Sokov said, Andre suddenly understood. He quickly said with a smile on his face: "Understood, Comrade Brigade Commander. Don't worry, as long as my third battalion is on the south bank, I will accommodate you at least a thousand people a day."
…”
"Go away! The total number of soldiers in the other two infantry divisions is less than 5,000. You can actually accommodate a thousand people a day. Are you planning to turn the third battalion into a third division?" Before Andre finished boasting.
Bullshit, Sokov raised his hand again as if to slap him. Andre quickly jumped to the side to avoid Sokov's slap: "Why don't you take your men to the other side to guard him."
When Sokov returned to Chuikov, he found that he was talking to a sailor officer wearing a black uniform. Chuikov saw Sokov coming and quickly waved to him and said: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, let me introduce you to him.
.This is Colonel Smirnov, commander of the 154th Marine Brigade."
"Comrade Colonel, this is my chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. He is also the commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade. I made my own decision and left him here to help."
Seeing that the other party's military rank was higher than his own, Sokov raised his hand and saluted first: "Hello, comrade colonel!"
"Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff." Smirnov quickly raised his hand in return.
"Now that you all know each other, I will continue to introduce the situation." Chuikov waited for Sokov and Smirnov to finish their greetings, and then continued: "Hoth's Fourth Armored Group has broken through the defenses of the 51st Group Army.
, and occupied Lemontnaya on August 1 and approached Kotelnikovo. So far, the left wing of the 64th Army and the entire Stalingrad Front has been gradually surrounded by the enemy from the south.
Our purpose in forming the Southern Group is to cover the left flank of the Army Group and the Front and slow down the German advance towards Stalingrad."
After Smirnov waited for Chuikov to finish speaking, he immediately asked for instructions: "Comrade General, I wonder where you plan to deploy our brigade?"
Chuikov pointed to the map spread on the ground and said: "Now there are no organized troops in front of us, so I plan to combine Lyudnikov's 138th Infantry Division and Kuropatenko's 157th Infantry Division.
Positioned on the north bank of the Aksay River, blocking Hoth's Fourth Armored Army.
The defensive position of your brigade is five kilometers behind these two divisions, as the second echelon. And the headquarters of my southern group is located one kilometer away from you in the town of Upper Kumskaya."
"Comrade General," he said with some concern after looking at the map in Kumskaya Town: "Your command position is too far forward. If the German army shells our brigade's defense area, it is entirely possible that you will be accidentally injured. I
It is recommended that you move the command post back."
"Move back?!" Chuikov looked at Smirnov and asked: "Comrade Colonel, where do you think I should move the headquarters?"
Smirnov had long seen the Soviet troops behind Chuikov's temporary headquarters. He pointed at the map and replied: "Comrade General, look, this is the 118th fortification area. In their
There is also the 29th Infantry Division in the rear. I think you should put the headquarters with them."
"Comrade Colonel, thank you for your kindness." Chuikov smiled and said to Smirnov: "I think commanders should stay with their soldiers, so as to stabilize the morale of the military and boost morale." Seeing Si
Mirnov seemed to still want to persuade, so he raised his hand to stop him and said, "Okay, you don't have to say anything, just carry out the order."
Sokov and Chuikov drove to the town of Verkhovskumskaya. The headquarters was located in a windmill outside the town. Chuikov saw that the communication soldiers had set up the antenna, and he ordered his accompanying adjutant: "K.
Rimov immediately established contact with the Army Group Headquarters and told General Shumilov that I was building a defensive line on the north bank of the Aksay River, where we were preparing to stop the enemy who threatened the left flank of the Army Group and the Front."
Unexpectedly, after more than ten minutes, Klimov had not yet contacted Shumilov at the Army Headquarters. Chuikov could not wait any longer and asked dissatisfiedly: "Comrade Adjutant, why haven't you contacted the Army Headquarters yet?"
connect?"
Klimov stood up from the radio and said aggrievedly: "Comrade Commander, our radio operator has been calling, but for some reason, he has never been able to establish contact with the army headquarters."
"What the hell is going on?" Chuikov walked back and forth in the mill with his hands behind his back and said to himself: "Since yesterday, I can't get in touch with the army headquarters. What the hell is going on?
"After walking back and forth for a few times, he stopped and said to Klimov, "Then ask the radio operator to call the front army headquarters to see if he can get in touch."