"Where did Rodimtsev and his two regiments go?" Such questions were not only asked by Tanasolov, but also by Gurov, who had just arrived at the new headquarters from the other side of the Volga River.
Asked, since no one knew the answer, Gurov had to consider the worst case scenario: "Comrade Commander, do you think they will all be killed overnight, or have surrendered to the Germans?"
"In any case, there are still thousands of people in the 13th Guards Division. How could they all be killed overnight? This is impossible." After rejecting this speculation, Chuikov continued: "As for the
A sneak attack is even more impossible. How could a force that fought tenaciously against the Germans lay down their weapons and surrender to the enemy?"
"Comrade Commander, I'm only talking about the two worst possibilities. I don't believe that the 13th Guards Division will all be killed overnight, or surrender." Gurov saw Chuikov's unhappy look.
, quickly explained to him: "As defenders of the city, every defender is precious. Now suddenly a troop has disappeared. What we can do is to find out where they are as soon as possible."
"Comrade Commander," Krylov waited for Gurov to finish and then offered a suggestion: "The 92nd Infantry Brigade is currently stationed there. I think they can be responsible for investigating the whereabouts of the 13th Guards Division. Thousands of people
It's impossible for a living person to just say that and disappear, there are always some clues to be found."
After listening to Krylov's suggestion, Chuikov nodded and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what you said makes sense. Immediately send a report to Tanasolov and ask him to search for members of the 13th Guards Division in the defense area as soon as possible.
We must find out where this unit has gone."
When Krylov went to arrange for the telegraph operator to send the report, Gurov said to Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, after I went to the east coast this time, I met the commander and the military commissar and talked with them."
Chuikov remembered that Gurov used to be the military commissar of the Southwest Front. If it had not been for the failure of the Kharkov battle and when he led his troops to break out, he lost contact with the Supreme Command. Maybe he would be the military commissar of the front instead of the military commissar of the Southwestern Front.
He served as his deputy and served as the military commissar at the group army level. Since he could sit down and chat with Yeremenko and Khrushchev, he must know a lot of inside information. He quickly asked: "Comrade Military Commissar, what did they say to you?"
?”
"Comrade Khrushchev said that General Rokossovsky's Stalingrad Front will attack the enemy from the north on September 20." Gurov said: "The purpose of this attack is to break the
The enemy's siege of Stalingrad..."
"Comrade Military Commissar," Chuikov interrupted the other party before he could finish his words, and said with some laughter and tears: "These contents were mentioned in detail in the telegram sent to me by the Front Army Headquarters. I would like to ask
Ask, is there any other content, such as any inside information?"
When Gurov heard Chuikov's question, he couldn't help but smile and shake his head: "Comrade Commander, I know what you want to know, but those are just small talk between me, General Yereomenko and Comrade Khrushchev.
It cannot be counted."
Upon hearing this, Chuikov noticed that the other party seemed to have something in his words, and quickly urged: "Comrade Military Commissar, even if it is just a casual chat between you, there must be content that interests me, so just tell me and listen."
"Okay, Comrade Commander." Seeing Chuikov's insistence, Gurov said openly: "I know if I don't tell you something that interests you, you will definitely pester me with questions. Ye Liao
General Menko said that Rokossovsky's troops will use armored breakthrough tactics this time to quickly penetrate the German defense line and rush to the Orlovka area to join us."
After Chuikov heard this, he just said "Oh" lightly and said thoughtfully: "The terrain in the Orlovka area is indeed suitable for the deployment of armored forces. But if we can think of this, then the enemy can also think of it.
At this point, I am worried that even if Rokossovsky’s tank troops break through the enemy’s defense line, it will be difficult for them to reach their destination and join us.”
"Comrade Commander, you are so pessimistic." Seeing Chuikov's indifferent reaction, Gurov said with some displeasure: "I believe that General Rokossovsky and the Supreme Command have taken your concerns into consideration.
, they should have countermeasures."
After assigning the task, Krylov came back, stood in front of Chuikov and asked: "If our superiors order us to send troops to join forces with our comrades on the Stalingrad Front, where should we allocate troops?"
To join forces with Rokossovsky's troops, it is not enough to just send any troops to Orlovka. There are heavy German troops deployed there. If they are not defeated in advance, then joining forces will be a joke.
After Chuikov was silent for a long time, he said: "Now we don't even have a battalion of reserves in our hands. Before new troops enter Stalingrad, we have no ability to launch an attack on the enemy."
"There should be many scattered troops in the city," Gurov said tentatively: "Can we organize them and form a new army?"
"If these troops are used for defense, it will be more or less adequate. After all, we are engaging in street fighting with the enemy, and the role of a small team is no worse than that of a large army." In response to Gurov's suggestion, Krelo
The husband explained to him: "But we should also see that these soldiers come from different troops. Even if they are temporarily put together, the coordination between them is very poor. If they are used for offense, it may be difficult to break through the German defense."
While Chuikov and the others were discussing how to join forces with friendly forces, Tanasolov received a telegram from the headquarters. After reading it, he said to Andreev: "Comrade Political Commissar, look at this telegram.
The command just came from the Army Group Headquarters, isn’t the order they issued overwhelming others?”
Andreev took the telegram, quickly read the contents, and said to Tanasolov: "Comrade Brigadier, no matter what, a troop of several thousand people is missing just because it is said to be missing.
Knowing the reason, I think the heads of the headquarters will be restless."
"But how do we find it?" Tanasolov said in embarrassment: "It has been two days since our brigade came here. If the 13th Guards Division was just dispersed, they should take the initiative to contact us when they see us appearing.
We should get in touch, how could it be possible that we haven’t heard anything from him until now?”
He looked around. Although Vlasov and Klimov were not in the headquarters at the moment, in order to prevent the walls from having ears, he still lowered his voice and said: "Comrade Political Commissar, tell me, the soldiers of the 13th Guards Division
Will the troops rebel and surrender to the enemy?"
"Isn't this impossible?" Andreev expressed doubts about Tanasolov's guess: "Not long ago, the Second Battalion Commander sent us a telegram saying that more than a dozen Guardsmen of the 42nd Guards were found in the station.
Soldiers of the regiment. If Rodimtsev really ordered the troops to surrender, how could there still be soldiers at the station occupied by the enemy?"
"Comrade Political Commissar, do you think this is a conspiracy?" Unexpectedly, as soon as Andreev finished speaking, Tanasolov said in a shocking voice: "Those wounded are just smoke released by the Germans.
Let us not be aware of the fact that the 13th Guards Division has mutinied and surrendered."
"This is impossible." Andreev said decisively: "You know, although the Germans rushed into Stalingrad, they did not successfully occupy the city, but were forced to engage in street fighting with our army.
If the 13th Guards Division really surrenders, they will definitely publicize it in order to undermine the morale of our army."
After hearing Andreev's analysis, Tanasolov felt that it still made some sense, so he nodded and said: "Okay, since you said that the troops of the 13th Guards Division are still in the city,
Then I will immediately send people to search everywhere."
…………
In the past two days, Mamayev Kurgan became the focus of the German offensive, and the Soviet Union and Germany launched a fierce battle here. Although Sokov's troops relied on tunnel fortifications to carry out a tenacious blockade, they still paid a huge price.
For the first time, military doctor Pavlov came to Sokov and complained to him: "Comrade Brigadier, there are now more than a thousand wounded in the tunnels, including three to four hundred seriously wounded. As you know, the number of wounded in the tunnels has exceeded 1,000."
The turbid air is not conducive to the recovery of the wounded. If the seriously injured are not sent to the other side as soon as possible, they will die from wound infection."
When he heard the word wound infection, Sokov immediately thought that the US military should not have provided the anti-inflammatory holy drug penicillin to the Soviet army. The medicines used to treat the wounded today should be sulfonamides with large side effects and insignificant effects. If this is true,
If the seriously injured are left in the tunnel, the mortality rate may be very high.
Thinking of this, Sokov picked up the phone on the table, called Chuikov, and said straight to the point: "Comrade Commander, there are three to four hundred seriously injured people in our battalion, and they need to be evacuated to the east coast for treatment immediately. I hope
Can you help us arrange a ship?"
"Arrange a ship?!" After hearing Sokov's request, Chuikov immediately became furious. "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, do you think I can get a ship? You know, all ships are used for evacuation.
Citizens are leaving the city, or transporting weapons, ammunition and other supplies. Let alone you, even me, it is not easy to use a boat."
"But, Comrade Commander, they really need treatment." Seeing that Chuikov was unwilling to help, Sokov couldn't help but become a little anxious. "They were injured to protect Mamayev Heights and Stalingrad.
I can't just watch them die in the tunnel."
"Comrade Commander," Gurov, who was sitting next to Chuikov, heard Sokov's angry voice and whispered to Chuikov: "I think the 73rd Infantry Brigade can be responsible for finding the 13th Guards Division.
, after all, their station is not far from the 13th Guards Division, so it is most appropriate for them to investigate the truth."
Chuikov gave Gurov a thumbs up and praised his suggestion. However, if he wanted Sokov to do his best for him, he must promise them some benefits, so he said into the microphone: "Okay, Sokov
Kokov, you win, I have sent the Minister of Logistics to discuss with the commander of the Volga River Fleet, asking them to take your wounded with them when they return to the east bank."
"Great, Comrade Commander, this is great." When Sokov heard that Zhukov agreed with his point of view, he quickly covered the microphone and said to military doctor Pavlov: "Comrade military doctor, the superiors have agreed to give us
Arrange ships to send the wounded to the other side for treatment. You can go back to the health team first. If anything happens, I will send someone to notify you immediately."
After Pavlov left, Sokov let go of his hand covering the microphone and thanked Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, on behalf of all the seriously wounded, I would like to express my gratitude to you." Although under the current medical conditions, even if
If they are sent to the field hospital on the east coast, many soldiers will still die, but it is better than leaving them all dead in the tunnel.
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," Chuikov took the opportunity to say, "Don't hang up the phone yet, I still have something to tell you."
When Sokov heard what Chuikov said, he couldn't help but feel a little bit in his heart. He thought to himself, "I knew Chuikov agreed so readily. He must have some intention. It seems that he guessed it right. Maybe there was a flaw in the defense line somewhere."
Let myself, the firefighting captain, lead the people to turn the tide. Although I was complaining in my heart, I still said insincerely: "Comrade Commander, if you have any instructions, please tell me directly. I will definitely work hard to complete the task you assigned me.
"
Chuikov couldn't help but feel secretly amused when he heard that there was a trace of vibrato in Sokov's voice. He understood what Sokov was thinking, so he first gave him a reassurance: "Don't worry, Sokov will
Colonel, although the current situation is very unfavorable to our army, I will not let you lead the troops to stop the Germans somewhere, but you have other tasks."
Chuikov's words immediately made Sokov feel more at ease. His men had suffered a lot of casualties in the past two days. If he deployed his troops elsewhere, it would weaken the defense force of Mamayev Heights. In this situation, he could not
Would like to see.
"That's it, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." Before Sokov could speak, Chuikov continued: "Rodimtsev's troops have lost contact with the headquarters for two days. The mission I gave you,
Just send people to search where they once stationed and find out where they are going, do you understand?"
Rodimtsev's troops are missing? This news was like a bolt from the blue, which made Sokov a little dumbfounded. Thousands of troops were just gone without saying anything. This is too outrageous! He hurriedly asked: "Commander
Comrade, is the 13th Guards Division really missing?" After receiving a positive answer, he added, "Do you have any clues?"