On the way, Shamrih suddenly asked an inappropriate question: "Comrade division commander, does the regiment commander know that our battalion went to fight in a friendly area?"
Shamrih's words stopped Sokov. He thought about it carefully. Whether he went to the Third Battalion last night or mobilized the Marine Battalion today, he didn't seem to say hello to their regiment leader Belkin. He shook his head.
He shook his head and said with a wry smile: "Comrade Captain, if you didn't remind me, I would have almost forgotten the existence of the downsizing regiment. But don't worry, although I am not at the headquarters, the chief of staff will definitely report this matter to the Belkin regiment."
Long ventilation.”
In order to resolve his embarrassment, Sokov promptly changed the subject and asked: "Comrade Captain, let me ask you, how do you plan to deploy the defense line after we reach the gully?"
Hearing Sokov's question, a surprised expression flashed across Shamrih's face, and he said with some confusion: "Of course, at least two lines of defense should be built in the gully to prevent the enemy from advancing along the gully.
Go out to the Volga River."
"Wrong, Comrade Captain, wrong." Seeing Shamrih's surprised expression, Sokov said with some pride: "The gully is full of ash and slag, and it is very difficult to build a defense line. Even if it is barely possible,
You have built two lines of defense, and the enemy can destroy your lines of defense with just one blast from a mortar."
The task Shamrih received was to hold on to the ravine between the Red October Factory and the Barricade Factory, but he knew nothing about the terrain there. At this moment, he heard that Sokov denied that he had built a defense line.
He did not lose heart, but asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, can you tell me what we should do?"
"Since it is impossible to build a defense line in the gully," Sokov said with a smile, "then you can place the main troops on both sides of the gully. After the enemy enters the gully, you can attack them from a high position. This way, you can both
It can destroy the enemy, and the casualties of the troops themselves will not be too great."
Shamrich was dubious about Sokov's statement. He hesitated and asked, "Comrade Commander, is this possible?"
"Okay, it will be clear when we get to the gully and look at the terrain there." Sokov was unwilling to waste too much time with Shamrih on this issue: "Before we see the real terrain, we will make a plan
No matter how many plans you have, they are just words on paper."
The troops passed through the Red October Factory and encountered a patrol team in the factory. The leader was a foreman in the assembly workshop. When he saw Sokov entering the factory with hundreds of sailors, his eyes lit up and he quickly
He raised his hand to tell his subordinates to stop, and then ran all the way to Sokov. After raising his hand to salute him, he asked excitedly: "Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov!"
He tilted his head and glanced at the hundreds of sailors behind Sokov, and asked excitedly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, are these the reinforcements you brought?"
"Comrade Foreman," Sokov knew the other person, but could not call him by his name, so he could only call him by his job title: "I am taking these soldiers to rush to the gully between your factory and the barricade factory.
Arrange defenses there to stop the enemy who might rush to the banks of the Volga."
Knowing that the soldiers brought by Sokov were not here to reinforce the factory, the foreman was somewhat disappointed. However, he still asked politely: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, do you need me to send someone to be your guide?"
Sokov had just been on the road, and he had been thinking about whether he should find a guide to prevent him from getting lost with his troops. When he heard the foreman say this, he quickly smiled and nodded, and said: "That's great,
Comrade Foreman, please find us a reliable guide to take us to the ditch."
"Woroni!" the foreman turned and shouted to the patrol standing not far away. Following his shout, a young militiaman ran out of the queue. He came to the front of the foreman and stood upright.
The body was waiting to receive the order. The foreman pointed at Sokov and told him: "Voroni, you serve as a guide for Lieutenant Colonel Sokov and take him and his troops to the ditch!"
"I understand, comrade foreman." After hearing the foreman's instructions, Voloni quickly agreed loudly.
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I wish you good luck!" After the foreman finished speaking, he shook hands with Sokov first, then raised his hand to salute a military salute, then turned back to his patrol team and led them to continue patrolling the factory.
"Voroni," when the troops continued to move forward, Sokov saw the thick smoke rising from the north, covering the sky. It was obvious that a building somewhere was burning. He pointed to the direction of the fire and asked himself
The young man who acted as a guide, Voroni: "Where is that place over there?"
"It's the Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory," Voronny said, looking at the place where the smoke was billowing. "Yesterday the enemy first bombarded it with artillery, and then bombed it with planes. The fire has been burning since the day yesterday and has not been extinguished until now.
.Sooner or later, these damn Germans will have to repay us twice as much for the crimes they committed against us."
"Comrade Voronny, you are right." Sokov raised his hand and patted Voronny gently on the shoulder twice and said, "Sooner or later we will repay this blood debt from the Germans."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Voroni looked at Sokov and said with some excitement: "You know, you are a legend in our factory!"
"Legendary?!" Sokov asked in confusion: "Comrade Voroni, how can I become a legend?"
"The fighters of the annihilation battalion, the militiamen and the workers of the assembly workshop who have fought alongside you have seen with their own eyes the glorious achievements you have achieved." Voroni tilted his head and looked at Sokov and said with admiration: "They all
Said, as long as you are in the area, no matter how many planes, tanks and artillery the enemy has, they will not be able to take a step forward."
"Comrade Woroni, this is all lies." Sokov waved his hand at the opponent and said modestly: "I did command the troops to win some battles, but they are not as magical as you say."
"Just like two days ago, in order to prevent being surrounded by the enemy, the 308th Division and the 95th Division had to withdraw from the battle and move to our factory." Faced with Sokov's low-key, Voroni became even more excited: "Listen
It was said that a regiment they deployed to the north to cover the breakout was almost wiped out in less than an hour. I heard those soldiers say that they thought they would not be able to retreat to the factory area, but who knew that at this moment,
A regiment you sent rushed to take over the defense, easily blocking the enemy's attack, and even continuously took counterattacks to restore a large number of lost positions..."
This was the first time Shamrich had heard of what Voroni had told him. In order to understand the fighting situation at that time, he walked beside Voroni deliberately, fearing that he would miss something the other party said.
Can't hear the full story.
After telling the story he knew, Voroni excitedly said loudly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, if your troops had not taken action in time, I am afraid that the factory area would not be as peaceful as it is now. Maybe we are somewhere with the intruders."
The enemies in the factory area are starting a battle. Comrade Lieutenant Colonel..."
At this point, Voroni suddenly paused. He had just seen Sokov's collar clearly. The vertical bars representing military rank were not three but four. Therefore, after a while, he said apologetically: "I'm sorry.
Comrade Colonel, I didn’t see your rank clearly just now!”
"It doesn't matter, Comrade Woroni." Sokov waved his hand and said easily: "I also just obtained the rank of colonel not long ago. When I was fighting in the Red October Factory, I was indeed a lieutenant colonel."
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov... no, it's Comrade Colonel." Seeing that Sokov didn't blame himself, Voroni asked cautiously: "Will you still bring troops to our factory to participate in the defense?"
"I'm sorry, Comrade Vorony, I can't answer this question for you." When Sokov said this, he glanced in the direction of the smoke-filled Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory, and then said: "Some time ago, the enemy
The focus of the attack was on the Red October Factory. Seeing that my troops were close, my superiors sent me to support them. Now the enemy seems to be more interested in taking over the Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory, so they are taking the next step.
In the coming days, that should be the focus of our army's defense."
Although Sokov did not explicitly say whether he would return to the Red October Factory, Voroni still heard what he wanted to express from his words, and said regretfully: "That's such a pity. Since you
After you become a legend, all the workers in our factory want to know you. I think everyone will feel sorry if you don't come to our factory again."
"Comrade Woroni," Sokov heard what Woroni said and replied with a smile: "This battle will not be over soon. In other words, we will have many opportunities to fight side by side in the future. When the time comes, your factory will
The workers here can see me.”
"That's great." Woroni said excitedly: "When I return to the factory, I will definitely tell my co-workers what you said. They will definitely be very happy."
The conversation between the two made Shamrih marvel at the conversation. From Voroni's story, he learned about a series of results achieved by Sokov, which gave him a better understanding of Sokov.
.In the past, he obeyed Sokov because he was unwilling to accept it because of his superiors and subordinates; but now, he is sincerely convinced by Sokov.
Sokov was busy talking to Voroni and did not notice the change of expression on Shamrih's face: "Comrade Voroni, please introduce to me the terrain of the gully."
"Comrade Colonel," Voroni heard Sokov's question and quickly replied respectfully: "The gully was formed by the impact of the river. It is about three kilometers long, two hundred meters wide and narrow.
The area is also seventy or eighty meters long. Since there is no river water in the ditch, our factory and the barricade factory both dumped the ash and slag produced in the ditch..."
While listening to Voroni's story, Sokov imagined in his mind how the troops should deploy their defenses. After Voroni finished speaking, he asked: "Comrade Voroni, can tanks or armored vehicles be driven in the ditch?"
"No," Voroni heard Sokov's question and immediately shook his head like a rattle: "Although the width of the gully ranges from 70 to 80 meters to 200 meters, because the ditch is full of stoves,
There is only a two- to three-meter-wide path in the middle of the ash and slag, which is paved with tracks and can be used by the mine carts that dump the furnace ash."
After Voroni's narration, both Sokov and Shamrih had a perceptual understanding of the terrain of the gully. Shamrih thought to himself: "It seems that Comrade Division Commander's idea is correct.
Yes, it is impossible to build a solid defense in the gully. Even if you reluctantly build two lines of defense according to your own ideas, the German army will be defeated very quickly with just one bombardment by mortars."
"Comrade Captain," just as Shamrih was thinking wildly, he suddenly heard Sokov calling him. He quickly turned to look at Sokov, only to hear the other party ask: "After Comrade Woroni's introduction, you
Now that you have a certain understanding of the terrain of the gully, can you tell me how you plan to organize defense in the gully?"
"Comrade division commander," Shamrih is also an experienced commander. After understanding the terrain, he quickly thought of a defense plan in his mind. When Sokov asked himself, he immediately said: "
I plan to place a company in the middle of the gully for frontal defense, while the main force of the battalion will ambush on both sides of the gully, waiting for the enemy to enter the ambush circle, and then give them a sudden and severe blow."
Regarding Shamrih's plan, Sokov still raised questions: "Comrade Captain, what kind of fortifications do you plan to have this company deployed in the gully build for them?"
Shamrich turned his head and glanced at Woroni, and then said: "Comrade division commander, this Woroni just said that there is a track for the passage of mine carts in the middle of the ash and slag in the gully. I plan to put it there.
These mine carts are placed across the middle of the road, and then sandbags are piled next to them to quickly form a simple fortification. Although such a fortification is simple, it may not be easy for the Germans to pass through."
Sokov thought to himself that the gully was filled with furnace cinders. The Germans could not walk on those furnace cinders and could only advance through the middle path. If Shamrich and the others really used mine carts and
Sandbags build a line of defense, which can indeed block the enemy's attack. When the enemies are crowded in the gully, and the troops ambushing on both wings are attacking, the enemies who enter the gully will be severely damaged, if not completely wiped out.
.
"Comrade Captain, you are very thoughtful." Sokov nodded and agreed with Shamrih's plan: "When we arrive at the gully later, we will deploy defenses according to your plan."
The troops walked forward for more than twenty minutes and finally arrived at the gully. Sokov stood on the edge of the gully and looked into the gully. He saw mountains of furnace ash piled inside that were at least seven or eight meters high.
It is a trail for the mine carts that dump furnace ash. After looking at the terrain, Sokov turned to Shamrih and said: "Comrade Captain, first take your company commanders to familiarize themselves with the terrain, and then start immediately