After Asya left with the children, Sokov asked Sidorin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, did the commander call and mention the underwater pontoon and reinforcements on the east bank?"
"No," Sidorin shook his head vigorously and replied, "No, never mentioned it."
"It's strange," Sokov said to himself: "I clearly saw that the pontoon bridge had been erected, but why didn't the commander tell us about it? Could something have changed?"
In order to find out what was going on, Sokov personally called the headquarters and prepared to ask Chuikov to find out. He said into the phone: "Comrade Commander, this is Sokov."
"Oh, it's Colonel Sokov." Chuikov was a little surprised that Sokov would take the initiative to call him. He quickly asked: "How is the battle situation in the archives building?"
"The enemy launched four attacks on the Archives Building, but we repelled them all." Although Sokov personally experienced the battle, he did not see the specific results, so he could only report to Chuikov in general: "We defeated him.
About three to four hundred Germans were killed, and one enemy aircraft was shot down and damaged."
"The results are very good." Chuikov was very satisfied with the results achieved by Sokov's troops: "If you continue to fight like this, it won't be long before you can completely cripple a German regiment. By the way,
Have any war reporters from Moscow come to your division headquarters?"
"No, Comrade Commander." Sokov originally wanted to ask about the pontoon bridge, but Chuikov inadvertently brought the topic to war reporters. He quickly shook his head and said: "So far, I haven't seen it yet.
Until the political commissars and war correspondents show up."
"What, they haven't arrived at your division headquarters yet?" Chuikov heard Sokov's answer and said in surprise: "But they should have arrived at your division headquarters three hours ago. How come they haven't arrived at your division headquarters so far?
Didn't show up, did something unexpected happen?"
Fortunately, Sokov had just asked Anisimov who he set off with, so he could answer Chuikov's question: "Comrade Commander, I think not. I went with the political commissar to pick up the reporters in the field.
It is the guard battalion commander Major Tenev and a hundred soldiers. With their combat effectiveness, even if they encounter a company of German troops, they can protect the reporters and political commissars from danger."
"No, if you're not afraid of 10,000, you're just afraid of the worst. You'd better send people to search along the way to see what happened." Chuikov said solemnly: "These two reporters are from Moscow. They can't make any mistakes.
Error."
"Okay, Comrade Commander." Seeing that Chuikov insisted on sending people to search for them, Sokov could not contradict him, so he could only bite the bullet and agreed: "I will send people to find their whereabouts immediately."
"If you find them, call me immediately." After Chuikov finished speaking, he was about to hang up and nodded, but when he heard Sokov said wait a minute, he asked impatiently: "Comrade Colonel, is there anything else you can do?
?”
"That's it, Comrade Commander. I was on the archives building today and saw that the underwater pontoon bridge on the Volga River seems to have been erected." Sokov asked cautiously: "I want to ask the three infantrymen who are about to arrive on the east bank.
Master, when can we enter the city?"
"So this is what happened." After Chuikov heard what Sokov said, he sighed and said: "Colonel Sokov, the situation has changed now, and the superiors have adjusted their plans accordingly.
Three divisions have been dispatched to the city."
"Ah, they won't enter the city anymore?" Sokov's heart sank suddenly, and then he asked in surprise: "Comrade Commander, why is this?"
"It's all because of the German bombing," Chuikov said helplessly: "The base camp feels that even if all three divisions are sent into the city, it will not be of much help to the overall situation due to the lack of air superiority and a sufficient amount of technical equipment.
If these troops are lost in the enemy's bombing, it will have an adverse impact on future counterattacks."
When he learned that it was an order from the base camp, Sokov's heart immediately went cold. Although he had always opposed the establishment of a new combat group in the south of the city, once there were three more divisions of defenders in the city, the comparison of the enemy's and our forces would
, some changes will occur. But if they do not enter the city, in the next few days, their troops will become fire brigade, and they will be transferred to whichever direction the situation is unfavorable.
Chuikov warned Sokov again that once the war reporters arrived at the division headquarters, they must call him and report to him. After saying that, without waiting for Sokov to say anything else, he hung up the phone.
Seeing Sokov's face turned pale after he put down the phone, Sidorin knew something was wrong. He quickly asked: "Comrade division commander, what did the commander say?"
Sokov organized his thoughts in his mind and said: "The commander said that the political commissar and the war correspondent should have arrived at our place three hours ago. He was worried that something went wrong with them and asked us to send people to look for them immediately."
"I will arrange it immediately." Considering that Seryosha was Sokov's friend, Sidorin cautiously asked for instructions: "I think it is better to send Seryosha's security company to carry out this task."
"Just send Seryosha." Sokov expressed no objection to Sidorin's arrangement. But after he sighed, he continued: "The commander also told me that the superior changed his mind and was originally scheduled to enter
The three divisions in the city will not come again."
"Why?" Ivanov jumped up from his seat when he heard the news: "Comrade division commander, what happened? Why did the superiors change their minds? You must know that the number of troops in the city is tight. If there are three more troops,
A division might be able to reverse the unfavorable situation at hand."
"The enemy controls the air over the city, and the technical equipment needed for our major counterattack is almost all on the east coast." Sokov explained to Ivanov with a wry smile: "Even if three infantry divisions are allowed to enter the city,
The role they can play is also very limited."
After Sidorin finished calling Seryosha, he reported to Sokov: "Comrade division commander, I have given an order to Lieutenant Seryosha. He said that he can lead the troops to set off in just a quarter of an hour."
But before Seryosha's guard company could set off, Anisimov appeared at the door of the division headquarters. When he saw Sokov pacing back and forth in the room, his eyes lit up and he quickly said loudly: "
Comrade Commander, when did you come back?"
"Political Commissar?!" Sokov followed the voice and saw Anisimov standing at the door. He couldn't help but be overjoyed. He quickly walked over, held the other person's hand, and asked nervously: "Comrade Political Commissar"
, where have you been and why are you back now? I am worried about your safety and plan to send someone to look for you."
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Comrade Division Commander." Anisimov replied: "I received war reporters from Moscow, and they wanted to check out our division's defense area, so I took them around.
I didn’t even bother to say hello to you. This is my fault, I’m really sorry.”
"Where is comrade journalist?" Sokov asked.
Anisimov turned and shouted toward the door: "Please come in!"
Following his shout, two middle-aged men in military uniforms walked in from outside.