"What on earth is going on?" Guryev was happy to learn that the German 24th Armored Division was hit by artillery fire while moving north, but he wanted to find out what was going on:
"Comrade Chief of Staff, where did the artillery fire come from to cause such losses to the enemy?"
Zaldyuk shook his head and said with a wry smile: "This telegram from the headquarters is a bit unclear. We have no way of knowing where the German troops were shelled and how serious the losses were."
Guryev felt that he needed to figure out the matter as soon as possible, and immediately asked the communications team to connect the phone to the army headquarters. When he heard Krylov's voice coming from the receiver, Guryev did not bother to exchange pleasantries.
Then he asked straight to the point: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I would like to ask, what happened when the German 24th Armored Division was attacked by our army's artillery fire while moving north? What were their casualties?"
"It turns out to be General Guryev," Krylov said with a smile after hearing Guryev's voice: "I guessed that you would call to ask about this, and I guessed it right.
"
Guryev was not in the mood to play guessing games with Krylov at the moment. He asked anxiously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, can you tell me what is going on? This matter is very important to me."
"Comrade General, the situation is like this. A few days ago, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, who was responsible for guarding Mamayev Heights, sent a small force to fight guerrillas in the enemy's rear. The main task was to destroy roads, bridges, and attack
The enemy's transportation lines, military depots and headquarters." Krylov replied: "This time the 24th Armored Division was attacked, it was this small force that did it."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, if you say that the guerrillas are destroying roads, bridges, attacking enemy transportation lines, warehouses and even headquarters behind the enemy's rear, I believe it. However," Guryev said with some doubts about Krylov's statement.
Question: "But to attack an organized armored force and cause them heavy damage, I think it is simply impossible."
Guryev's statement is not without purpose. In previous offensive and defensive battles, to deal with a German armored division, the Soviet army had to dispatch at least four or five divisions to be able to draw a tie. Now it is only a small force.
To actually achieve such great results, in Guryev's eyes, it was simply a fantasy.
"Although we have not received further battle reports," faced Guryev's doubts, Krylov said calmly: "But based on the results they have achieved some time ago, I believe that all this is true."
The 73rd Infantry Brigade achieved results behind enemy lines. For reasons of confidentiality, it did not carry out large-scale publicity within the army. It only vaguely mentioned that the Infantry Brigade had achieved good results in the battle to defend Stalingrad. Therefore.
, it is completely natural for Guryev to have such doubts.
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Guryev heard Krylov say this, and immediately realized that the German 24th Armored Division seemed to have no threat to his defense area in a short period of time, and the stone hanging in his heart finally fell to the ground:
"Thank you, thank you for informing us of such good news."
…………
After Guryev left the assembly workshop, Sokov summoned Briski, Bolshak and Cousteau to discuss with them the shortcomings in the defense deployment.
After briefly talking about the defense situation of the assembly workshop, Sokov said casually: "In order to strengthen the defense here in the factory and turn it into a fortress that the Germans cannot conquer, it is necessary to further improve our defense. You guys
Let’s talk about the shortcomings of our defense!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Bolshak rushed to say: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, let me tell you my opinion. You see, the German artillery bombardment broke the barbed wire in front of the factory. As a result, the German infantry
You can easily get through the barbed wire fence and rush into our factory."
Sokov wrote down what Bolshak said in his notebook, then raised his head and continued to ask: "Does anyone else want to add?"
"Let me say a few words." Bolschak's words gave Briskey a heads-up, and he continued: "I think we should lay minefields in front of the position so that the German infantry cannot rush over quickly.
.”
"Comrade Captain, what you said makes sense, but I was negligent on this point." After admitting his negligence, Sokov asked Cousteau: "Comrade workshop director, do you know where I can get mines?"
"There are two hundred mines in the basement." Cousteau asked Sokov curiously: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, where do you plan to bury the minefield?"
Sokov did not answer his question immediately, but asked: "Comrade workshop director, where do you think we should bury the mines?"
Cousteau frowned and thought for a while, then said: "If we want to lay mines around the factory, the number of mines we have is far from enough. In this way, we can only lay them in the direction where the enemy may attack.
But buried here, once they are hit by fierce German artillery fire, these mines will be detonated..."
Hearing Cousteau's concerns, Sokov smiled faintly, and then said: "Comrade workshop director, you don't have to worry, we can bury the mines in the distance from the wall to the factory building, and try to bury them as dispersed as possible, so that we can
It will be more difficult for German engineers to clear mines."
"Comrade Brigadier is right," Briski has been following Sokov for more than a day or two. When he heard this, he immediately understood what Sokov wanted to express and quickly agreed: "We spread the mines and laid them so that
As soon as the enemy crosses the wall, there is always the possibility of stepping on landmines. Even if they find a large number of landmines in this area, it is not easy to eliminate them because our landmines are buried everywhere.
And when their engineers are clearing mines, our sharpshooters can snipe them. Without the engineers, I don’t see how the Germans can attack."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, laying landmines dispersedly can indeed cause losses and threats to the enemy, but this will also be very detrimental to us." Bolshak said with concern: "If we launch a counterattack, these landmines may also
Injure our commanders and fighters."
"Major Bolshak," Sokov waited for the other party to finish speaking, then asked calmly: "Do you think we can launch a counterattack against the enemy with our current strength?"
"I don't think so." Bolshak hesitated for a long time before replying: "My annihilation battalion has just been rebuilt. It may take some time to form combat effectiveness. And you only have 300 soldiers for defense.
It may be barely enough; but if it is used for offense, please forgive me, the number of people is really small."
"Since we don't have the strength to attack the enemy for the time being, no matter how we lay the mines, it won't cause us any losses." When Sokov said this, he saw Bolshak opening his mouth, as if he wanted to say something more.
, then raised his hand to stop him, and continued: "By the time we are able to launch a counterattack, almost all the mines laid by the Germans will have been stepped on. Even if there are a few left, they will not have any impact on us."
Already."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Sokov had just finished speaking when the radio operator sitting nearby suddenly called out: "The Chief of Staff has sent you a telegram."
"Bring it to me and see."
The operator stood up and handed Sokov a telegram he had just copied. When Sokov unfolded the telegram, he saw it read: "Urgent, please call back as soon as possible."
After Sokov read the contents of the telegram, the image of a pager suddenly appeared in his mind. He felt that the telegram was like Sidorin asking him to page him back. He put down the telegram and turned to Cousteau: "Workshop
Comrade Director, do you have a phone number here where I can contact Mamayev Gang?"
Cousteau pointed to the direct-dial phone next to Sokov and replied: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the phone next to you is fine. When you pick up the phone and hear someone talking, ask her to replace Mamaye for you.
Just go to the brigade headquarters in Fugang."
Sokov was eager to know what Sidorin had to do with him, so he followed the steps mentioned by Cousteau and contacted the brigade headquarters at Mamayev Ridge. As soon as he heard Sidorin's voice, he couldn't wait to hear Sidorin's voice.
Question: "Chief of Staff, this is Sokov, what happened?"
"Hello, Comrade Brigadier!" There was unbearable joy in Sidorin's voice: "I have good news to tell you, but because I can't get through your phone, I have to send you a telegram.
.”
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov felt dumbfounded when Sidorin said this: "I carry a walkie-talkie. In addition to sending telegrams, I can also make direct wireless calls."
"I know, Comrade Brigadier." Sidorin said with a smile: "Isn't it that I was worried that the wireless phone would be eavesdropped by the Germans, so I sent the telegram?"
Sokov had no intention of talking in circles with Sidorin, and said impatiently: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I have a lot to do. If you have anything to do, please tell me directly, okay?"
"That's it, Comrade Brigade Commander." Sidorin could hear the displeasure in Sokov's tone, and he quickly said seriously: "Lieutenant Grisa, who is operating behind enemy lines, sent us a telegram.
, saying that they attacked a German armored unit heading north today and eliminated nearly 20 tanks, more than 30 trucks, and more than 500 German soldiers. They confirmed through the documents on the German corpses that this was the 24th German army.
Armored Division."
"24th Armored Division?" After hearing the German unit number, Sokov couldn't help being secretly surprised, because this unit had been operating in the area on the left flank of Mamayev Hill, but now it inexplicably appeared in the area where small units were active.
, it is indeed puzzling: "Comrade Chief of Staff, have you figured out what's going on?"
"It's clear, Comrade Brigadier." Sidorin replied respectfully: "The Germans obviously want to transfer this unit to the factory area and let them assist the infantry in launching a new round of attacks on the factories occupied by our army.
attack. They may know that we have artillery observers on the hills of Mamayev Hill, who can guide the artillery on the left bank to carry out artillery strikes on the enemy, so they did not choose to use the railway in front of Mamayev Hill.
Along the line, they chose an area farther away from the high ground. But they were unlucky. Their marching route was just within the strike range of our small unit behind enemy lines. After Lieutenant Grisa discovered the enemy's marching group, he decisively ordered the soldiers
We used new rockets to attack and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy."
"Lieutenant Grisa is good." Sokov said happily: "They actively seized the fighter planes, inflicted heavy losses on the Germans, and reduced our defensive pressure in the direction of the factory area."
As soon as Sokov put down the phone, Brisky couldn't wait to ask: "Comrade Brigadier, what happened?"
"Comrade Lieutenant," Sokov said with a smile at Briski: "The chief of staff told me that a small unit behind enemy lines led by Lieutenant Grisa attacked the 24th Armored Division heading north and caused them damage.
Huge casualties. I think this armored division will be useless in a short time."
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, what did you just say? A small force of yours attacked the 24th Armored Division heading north and caused them huge casualties?" In any case, Bolshak is considered a soldier.
, after listening to what Sokov said, he also asked dubiously: "I want to ask, if the enemy is really so vulnerable, why is our defensive battle so difficult?"
"This, this..." Bolshak's words really stopped Sokov. After a long time, he began to say: "The small units in our brigade operating behind enemy lines all carry a new type of rocket.
.This kind of rocket can strike enemy targets several kilometers away. This new type of rocket was used in this attack on the advancing German armored division."
"New rockets?!" Bolshak couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he heard what Sokov said, and then asked tentatively: "Not long ago, those wooden boxes you brought with trucks contained this kind of rocket?"
New rockets?”
"That's right." Since everyone was a comrade in the same trench, Sokov felt there was no need to hide the matter anymore, so he nodded and replied: "Those boxes do contain new rockets."
Knowing that there were rockets in the factory that could cause huge casualties to the Germans, both Borschak and Cousteau breathed a sigh of relief, because they understood that with this kind of weapon, it would be necessary to
It will no longer be difficult to crush the German attack.
Cousteau couldn't help but ask: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, when do you plan to use these rockets to destroy the attacking enemies?"
"Don't be anxious, comrade director of the workshop." Sokov waved his hand to Cousteau and said: "This kind of rocket is suitable for hitting concentrated targets. When the German army launches a large-scale attack on the assembly workshop one day, we will be more ruthless.