The counterattack led by Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko was more effective than Sokov imagined. In less than half an hour, the enemies who entered the sewer were either killed or driven out.
When receiving Papuchenko's report, Sokov's first reaction was: Isn't he lying about the military situation? With this question, he asked in confusion: "Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko, I heard that the German army has
After occupying the sewers in most areas to the west of the square, how could you retake the position in such a short period of time?"
"Comrade Division Commander," Papuchenko, who had just returned to the command post, replied with some excitement: "Our soldiers have been in the sewer for several days and have already adapted to the light here. Even without any lighting equipment,
We can also see the road clearly. The Germans have just entered the sewers and have not yet fully adapted. They have to use flashlights or other lighting tools when moving. Before launching a counterattack, I told the soldiers that as long as they see anything
Use lighting equipment to move figures, and immediately shoot without hesitation."
Learning that Papuchenko's troops were shooting at targets that might be enemies without any lighting, Sokov asked with some concern: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, aren't you afraid of accidental injuries?"
"Don't worry, Comrade Division Commander." Papuchenko replied: "Since there are no more troops in the sewers on the west side of the square, as we advance, as long as we see an oncoming figure, it must be the enemy.
, we shoot without hesitation. But the enemy often falls under our guns before they recover."
"Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko, you did a good job!" After hearing Papuchenko's tactics, Sokov first praised him, and then reminded him: "You must learn from this lesson and don't let the enemy occupy the sewers again.
.If they occupy the sewers again, it may not be that easy for you to drive them out."
"I am organizing manpower to block some areas easily controlled by the German army with sandbags and landmines." Papuchenko assured Sokov on the phone: "In this way, if the enemy wants to occupy the sewers again, they will
It’s going to be extremely difficult.”
As soon as Sokov put down the phone, the phone rang again. He thought Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko had something else to say, so he grabbed the phone and put it to his ear and asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, is there anything else you can say?"
Something?"
After a brief silence, Peter's voice came from the receiver: "Is it Colonel Sokov? I'm Peter."
"Hello, Comrade Factory Director." Sokov heard Peter's voice and asked tentatively: "Are you looking for Comrade Zinchenko? I'll have him answer the phone right away."
Before Sokov could take the receiver away from his ear, Peter said: "Colonel Sokov, I'm not looking for him, but you."
"Looking for me?" Sokov thought to himself, why did Director Peter call me specifically? Did he change his mind and plan to hand over all the old tanks collected from the battlefield to himself? He brought
With this question in mind, he asked cautiously: "Comrade Factory Director, what's the matter?"
"Didn't you ask me to produce 20,000 grenades for you a few days ago?" Peter said coldly on the phone: "Immediately send someone to the factory building and take away all the grenades. Let me remind you.
, if you arrive late and other troops take your things away, I will not be responsible."
"Comrade Factory Director, I will call Mamaev Gang immediately and ask them to send someone to pick up the grenades from you." Sokov was afraid that Peter would really hand over these grenades to other troops, so he hurriedly spoke into the phone
Said: "You must not hand these grenades to other troops before dark."
"Okay, I'll wait for you until dark." Peter said angrily: "If you haven't sent someone to collect the grenades after dark, I will hand them over to other troops. Anyway, whoever wants these grenades
There are plenty of them.”
Sokov was worried that the fat in his mouth would fly away, so he quickly called the division headquarters at Mamayev Ridge. After hearing Sidorin's voice, he ignored the pleasantries and said straight to the point: "Staff
Comrade Chang, the 20,000 grenades produced by the Red October Factory for us have been completed. You must send troops to the factory to collect them before dark."
Seeing Sokov put down the phone, Zinchenko smiled and said to him: "Comrade Colonel, please forgive me, since many troops are staring at those grenades, if you don't send someone to keep an eye on them as soon as possible, I'm afraid
It will be taken away by other troops soon, and I am afraid that even Director Peter will not be able to stop it."
Zinchenko's words reminded Sokov that now the troops in the city are facing a shortage of ammunition. With 20,000 grenades, at least for a short time, they no longer have to fight with the enemy on bayonets. If it really is
Chuikov and the others would probably not say anything if any of the troops forcibly took away the grenades. After all, the starting point of these troops was to better defend the city.
In order to prevent the batch of grenades produced for him from being taken advantage of by other troops, Sokov quickly shouted out the door: "Second Lieutenant Samoilov, Second Lieutenant Samoilov!" He shouted twice in succession.
, but no one agreed, and then he remembered that he had sent Samoilov to escort the first battalion commander who retreated without authorization to the army headquarters.
"Comrade Colonel," Zinchenko heard Sokov calling Samoilov and quickly reminded him: "You sent him to escort the major who retreated without authorization to the army headquarters."
Sokov said oh, and then said to Zinchenko: "Comrade deputy director, I want to go to the factory building. If someone calls me, ask them to call the factory phone number."
"Don't worry." Zinchenko nodded and said, "I will ask those people to call you in the factory building."
Sokov took the only five remaining soldiers from the guard platoon through the factory area full of bomb craters and arrived at the factory building. After not coming for a long time, Sokov found that the place had changed. There were trenches dug around the building.
, holding a barbed wire fence, and building a reinforced concrete bunker on both sides of the entrance of the building.
Seeing Sokov and his party approaching, two militiamen immediately came forward to greet them. One of them, an elderly militiaman, asked politely: "Comrade commander, what can I do for you?"
"I am Colonel Sokov, commander of the 41st Guards Division." In order not to cause unnecessary trouble, Sokov directly stated his identity and purpose of visit: "I am here to see Factory Director Peter."
The old militiaman who asked the question might have just been transferred from another place and did not know Sokov at all. However, after hearing Sokov's identity and purpose of visit, he still said politely: "Comrade Colonel, please wait a moment.
Make a call."
Not long after the call was made, the old militiaman came over and said with a smile: "I have already called the inside. The factory office will send someone to wait for you at the door."
After thanking the old militiamen, Sokov walked through the barbed wire and trenches to the factory building. A middle-aged man wearing glasses stood at the door. As soon as he saw Sokov, he asked tentatively: "Is it Sokov?"
Colonel Koff?"
"Yes, it's me." Sokov looked at the other person and asked, "Who are you?"
"I am a clerk in the factory office," the other party replied with a smile, "I was ordered to pick you up here. Comrade the factory director is waiting for you in the office, please come with me."
The clerk led Sokov and his party to the factory director's office, and went up to whisper a few words to the secretary sitting in the outer office. The secretary got up and walked towards Sokov, with a smile on his face and said: "Comrade Colonel, come here
The factory director is waiting for you inside, please come in quickly!"
Sokov said to the soldiers following him: "You just stay here and wait for me." After saying that, he followed the attentive secretary and walked quickly towards the closed door of the office.
When Peter saw Sokov follow his secretary into the office, he quickly stood up, walked around from behind the desk, held Sokov's hand, and said, "Comrade Colonel, I didn't expect that we would meet again so soon."
After shaking hands with Peter, Sokov sat down at the conference table in the room and asked impatiently: "Comrade director, I would like to ask where are the newly produced grenades stored?"
Seeing Sokov's anxious look, Peter couldn't help but smile. After he sat down opposite Sokov, he said calmly: "Comrade Colonel, don't be anxious. Since these grenades are for you,
Custom-made, then no matter which army sends people, they can’t take away these grenades.”
Sokov looked at Peter, who was sitting across from him with a smile on his face, and suddenly realized that he might have been deceived. The other party used a grenade to deceive him here, and it might be something important. After he breathed a long sigh of relief, he turned his body towards
He raised his head, leaned back on the chair and asked, "Comrade Factory Director, did you call me here for something important?"
"It's like this, I just received a call from the Weapons and Equipment Department." Peter suppressed the smile on his face and said expressionlessly: "They asked about the spherical tank and the prototype of the new tank, and said that they will be shipped back to Moscow in the near future.
, let me get ready.”
Sokov never dreamed that Peter had deceived him and actually talked about this matter. He stood up suddenly and said to Peter: "Comrade director, I think you should know that the prototype of the new tank and several other
A T-34 tank is hidden near the factory gate, ready to go into battle at any time; while the ball tank was hidden near Orlovka by Colonel Bely's men during the last battle. Specifically,
Only the person involved knows the location."
"Then what should we do?" Peter waited for Sokov to finish and said expressionlessly: "You know, the use of these two prototype vehicles must be authorized by superiors, and I made an exception because of the tense war.
I lent it to you. If I can’t return it and my superiors ask, how should I respond?”
"Tell the truth." Not to mention that the spherical tank hidden in the Orlovka area cannot be retrieved. Even if it can be retrieved, Sokov is unwilling to return it to Peter. After all, this kind of tank can play a huge role on the battlefield.
They were all hidden in the basement of the factory. "If your superiors ask, you can say that both tanks were destroyed in the battle."
Seeing Sokov telling lies, Peter was really dumbfounded. When he handed the two prototype cars to Sokov in private, he never thought that he could take them back intact, if his superiors didn't call and ask.
With these two prototype cars, I guess he had forgotten about it a long time ago.
Peter looked at Sokov and smiled lightly, and then said: "Comrade Colonel, if I really follow what you said, I may be dismissed by my superiors. When the new factory director is replaced, I don't know if he can still maintain his loyalty to you.
What is the current level of support?”
Peter's words made Sokov fall into deep thought. Although a few hours ago, the two of them had some unpleasantness due to tank problems. But honestly speaking, Peter did a pretty good job in supporting himself. If it weren't for him,
Providing so many tanks and explosives to block the enemy's attack will inevitably cost him a heavier price. If Peter is really dismissed from his position as factory director, it is still unknown whether the new leader will accept his blame.
After some thought, Sokov gritted his molars and said: "Comrade factory director, if your superiors want to blame, you put the responsibility on me. Although I am just a colonel, but in weapons and equipment
I can still talk to Comrade Ustinov at the Ministry to some extent."
In fact, Peter had already dealt with the matter when he received the call from the Weapons and Equipment Department. The reason why he mentioned it to Sokov was just to test him and see how he would react. Fortunately, Sokov did not shirk responsibility and even
Peter took the initiative to take the blame on himself, and Peter was very satisfied with his attitude.
He stood up and walked to Sokov's side, raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Okay, Comrade Colonel, since you are willing to take responsibility, then next time the Weapons and Equipment Department calls me, I will
I will reply according to your words."
Before Sokov could express his position, the phone on the desk rang. Peter walked over and picked up the phone: "I'm Peter, where are you?...Yes, the colonel is here with me?...You are
Do you want to talk to him?...Understood, I will ask him to report to you immediately!"
"Comrade Factory Director," Sokov guessed that the call Peter answered had something to do with him. As soon as he put down the phone, he asked anxiously: "Who called?"
"It's General Chuikov." Peter replied: "He said he has something urgent to ask you and asked you to go to the army headquarters immediately."
Knowing that Chuikov had something urgent to do with him, Sokov could not sit still and quickly stood up to say goodbye to Peter. However, he was stopped by Peter: "Comrade Colonel, I don't think it is appropriate for you to meet the commander like this.
"
Sokov lowered his head and glanced at himself, only to see that his military coat was covered with dried mud. It was indeed a bit inappropriate to meet Chuikov in such a dress. He said with some embarrassment: "But, Comrade Factory Director, I will
There is no replacement for such a military coat."
"Don't worry, I have a military coat here. You can put it on first." After saying that, he walked behind the desk, bent down and took out a folded military coat from the cabinet below, the corners of his mouth twitching violently.
After a few clicks, he handed the military coat to Sokov: "Comrade Colonel, please wear this."
Sokov took the military coat and saw that it was a sergeant's military coat. He didn't even think about why Peter had a soldier's military coat here, so he took off his military coat and put on this one.
After changing his clothes, he expressed his gratitude to Peter, raised his hand in salute, turned and walked out of the office.
The secretary sitting in the outer office had a look of astonishment on his face when he saw the military coat on Sokov. Seeing this, Sokov couldn't help but curiously asked: "Comrade secretary, do you know this military coat?"
"
"Yes!" The secretary nodded vigorously and replied: "This is the military coat left by the factory director's son. He usually hides it in the cabinet like a treasure. I never expected that he would give this military coat to
you."
"Director Peter's son is also a soldier!" Sokov asked somewhat unexpectedly: "Comrade secretary, do you know which army he is in?" Sokov's purpose in asking this was to meet Director Peter's son in the future.
, you can take more care of each other.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the secretary smiled bitterly and said: "Director Peter's son died heroically in the battle to defend Moscow last year. This military coat is his legacy."