"One hundred and sixty-seven people?!" Sokov repeated the number and asked curiously: "Sergeant Vasily, I want to ask, how do you arrange for so many people?"
"Comrade Division Commander, although there are three basements in the building that can accommodate a hundred people, I did not put all the people in the building." Vasily explained to Sokov: "One-third of the troops are deployed in
Outside the building, I arranged this because once the building cannot hold on, the people inside the building can evacuate to a safe area under the cover of the people outside the building."
Sokov originally wanted to praise Vasily, but when he heard that he was planning to evacuate the building, he immediately straightened his face and said: "What, Sergeant Vasily, do you think you are not sure of holding the building?"
Vasily did not notice Sokov's strangeness, but instead grinned and said: "Comrade division commander, the enemy's attack on the building has never stopped. I always have to prepare for the worst."
"Then where do you plan to retreat?" Sokov asked with a sneer: "Are you going to take your people and retreat eastward to the other side of the Volga River?"
Vasily, who belatedly realized that Sokov was unhappy, could not help but trembled all over. He quickly asked cautiously: "I wonder what you mean, Commander...?"
"Although I have never asked you to hold your position and not retreat even a step. But for this building, I have to make an exception." Sokov said with a serious expression: "Don't say that there are more than a hundred of you now, even if there are more than a hundred of you,
There are only ten people, but we still have to find ways to defend this building. Do you understand?"
"But two-thirds of the building has collapsed under the enemy's shelling and bombing." Regarding Sokov's somewhat unkind order, Vasily said awkwardly: "I think we can choose other options.
A complete building for defense..."
"Can other buildings compare with this building?" Seeing that Vasily was thinking about retreat, Sokov became more and more impatient. He did not want this building to be famous in later generations because of Vasily's decision.
, and became unknown. He raised his voice and said: "This building has a broad view to the south, west, and north. It is an excellent artillery observation position. To the east of the building is the Volga River.
If the enemy captures this building, they can just set up a general-purpose machine gun in the window and use firepower to block the ferry in the distance."
Faced with Sokov's criticism, Vasily couldn't help but lower his head. He felt that he had considered the problem too simply. He only wanted to evacuate the people in the building to other buildings for defense when he could no longer defend it, but he forgot
At present, this building has a unique geographical advantage. As long as one's own people stay in the building, they can block a huge area, making it difficult for the enemy to pass safely.
"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I was wrong." After Vasily waited for Sokov to finish speaking, he raised his head and looked at him to express his determination: "I will definitely devote my main energy to defending the building. Under no circumstances will I
Give up easily."
"Sergeant Vasily, you are right to have such an attitude." Seeing that Vasily realized his mistake, Sokov's tone became much gentler: "Sooner or later we will launch a counterattack against the enemy. With such an attitude
If you leave the building in front of the enemy's defense line, you can quickly tear the enemy's defense line apart. Do you understand?"
"Comrade Commander," Andrei was sitting next to Sokov when he was reprimanding Vasily, not even daring to speak out. Now seeing Sokov finish speaking, he stood up and said respectfully: "This building is located on three sides.
We are surrounded by German troops. It is not safe for you to stay here, so you should return to Mamayev Heights as soon as possible."
"Comrade Captain," Sokov looked up at Andrei who was standing in front of him and said to him: "If something happens in your camp, you want to go back. I plan to stay here for a day and see the soldiers in the building.
How we fought."
Seeing that Sokov had given him an eviction order, Andrei knew that there was no point in staying in the Vasily Building anymore, so he nodded and said goodbye to Sokov. Before leaving the house, he specifically told Vasily:
"Comrade Sergeant, I have handed over the division commander to you, and you must ensure his safety. Do you understand?"
Vasily naturally understood the importance of Sokov to the entire division, so after hearing Andre's instructions, he quickly replied loudly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, please rest assured that even if we sacrifice our lives, we will ensure that
Commander’s safety.”
"Okay, okay, don't say such useless things. The security platoon brought by Seryosha will ensure my safety, so don't worry about it." The care that the two of them showed for him made Sokov feel...
Nuannuan, but on the surface he pretended to be nonchalant, waved to Andre and said: "Comrade Captain, please go back to the camp command post quickly."
After sending Andrei away, Sokov asked Vasily to sit down and asked with concern: "Comrade Sergeant, we have to fight the enemy every day in the building. There must be a lot of wounded people. How do you arrange them?"
"The reason why he asked this was entirely because he occasionally thought of Shulka lying on the bench.
"Yes, we have injured people appearing almost every day, but fortunately their injuries are not serious." Vasily said easily: "We have enough medicines stored here, and there are nurses from Flour Mill Hospital, they can
Treat our wounded."
"Treating the wounded here?" Sokov asked tentatively: "Do you have enough medicine?"
"Comrade Commander, you don't have to worry about this." Vasily continued: "Ever since they saw that the enemy's fierce attacks on the building for a week were repelled by us, they suddenly gained confidence and went to the factory hospital at night.
From the ruins, usable medical equipment and medicines were moved out."
"Since there are enough medicines and nurses," Sokov pointed in the direction where Shulka was lying and asked, "Why can't even the bullet be removed from Shulka's leg?"
Sokov's question made Vasily feel a little embarrassed: "Comrade division commander, what I said is that there are nurses and enough medicines in the building, but there are no doctors. All the doctors in the hospital, when the enemy began to attack Stalingrad,
, all of them have been transferred to the army, and only a few nurses are left in the factory hospital."
After figuring out what was going on, Sokov said to Vasily: "Comrade Sergeant, if you encounter wounded people who cannot be treated in the future, you must send someone to Mamayev Heights. The military doctors in our health team can do it for the wounded."
Operation."
"I remember, Comrade Commander." Vasily nodded vigorously and replied, "I will definitely obey your order."
As soon as Vasily finished speaking, a four or five-year-old boy walked in from outside the house. He was holding two enamel teapots in one hand and a ceramic teapot in the other. He staggered to Sokov's house.
In front of him, he tried his best to raise the teapot and teapot above his head, and said to Sokov: "Comrade commander, please drink tea!"
Sokov took the teapot and teapot from the child, then placed them on the table, reached out to pick up the child, put it on his knees, and then asked Vasily: "Comrade Sergeant, where did this child come from?"
of?"
"He is an orphan." Vasily heard Sokov ask this, and the expression on his face became sad: "When I went on a sniper mission, I encountered a difficult opponent who dealt with me for several days.
No one can do anything about anyone. One day I asked a soldier to act as my assistant and continued to search for this enemy. I saw a woman and her child emerging from the ruins and tentatively heading towards our building. Who knew he was there?
He was killed by a bullet from an enemy sniper just after running a few steps. When the child saw his mother being beaten to death, he lay on the woman's body and cried. My assistant was deeply afraid that the child was in danger, so he did whatever he could.
He ran out of hiding and tried to rescue the child..."
Hearing Vasily's words stop abruptly in the middle of his words, Sokov felt an ominous premonition in his heart. In order to confirm his conjecture, he quickly asked: "Your assistant just rushed out like this. Why?"
Is there any danger?"
The muscles on Vasily's face twitched violently twice, and he continued: "Before he ran to the child, he was killed by a hidden German sniper. But his sacrifice came at a price, let me see clearly
I found the hiding place of the enemy sniper, and I fired at him and killed him. After the danger was eliminated, I left the hiding place and brought back the bodies of the child and my assistant."
"Since the war broke out in this city, countless orphans have appeared. Only by completely defeating the enemy can we avoid more orphans." After Sokov finished speaking, he looked at Vasily and asked: "Comrade Sergeant
,Do you agree?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander, you are right. Only by completely wiping out the enemy can we gain peace, and no children will become orphans because they lost their parents." After Vasily said this, he hesitated for a moment.
, and then asked Sokov hesitantly: "Comrade Commander, when you return to Mamayev Heights, can you take this child with you? You know, this is always a battlefield, and I don't know if I can survive to win.
On this day, if something happens to me, there will be no one to take care of the child."
In response to Vasily's request, Sokov agreed without hesitation: "Don't worry, Sergeant Vasily, I will definitely bring this child back to Mamayev Heights safely, and if necessary, arrange for manpower to bring him back."
Send it out of the city and to a safe place."
…………
A few hours later, it was dawn.
Sokov, who was taking a nap on the table, suddenly felt the ground shaking slightly, and then heard the roar of a tank engine. The enemy is attacking?! This thought flashed through his mind, immediately scaring the sleepy man out of his wits.
Without a trace. He sat up straight and asked Vasily, who was sitting opposite: "Comrade Sergeant, what happened? What's the roar of the tank engine outside?"
"Report to Comrade Division Commander!" Vasily put down the phone in his hand and reported to Sokov: "The observation post on the top of the building reported that a German troop passed through a neighborhood not far away."
"Were the German troops passing by?" After hearing Vasily's answer, Sokov thought for a moment, and then decisively ordered Vasily: "Take me upstairs to have a look."
Vasily led Sokov to the roof along the stairs that were full of holes. Sokov looked in the direction of the sound and saw that there was indeed a group of enemies marching on the block more than a hundred meters away.
In addition to tanks and armored vehicles, there are also a lot of infantry. Perhaps because they are worried about being hit by the building, those soldiers are marching close to the ruins on the side of the building. Even Sokov, who is standing on the top of the building, can only
During the intervals between seeing the ruins, shaking helmets kept appearing.
After looking at it for a while, Sokov turned and asked Vasily: "Comrade Sergeant, do the enemies occasionally pass by your building, or do they often pass by here?"
Vasily hesitated for a moment and replied: "Every two or three days, you can see the enemy's fast column passing through the street in front."
"Since the enemy passed under your nose, Comrade Sergeant, I want to ask," Sokov asked calmly: "Have you taken any measures?"
"No." Vasily shook his head and replied: "Some comrades once suggested sniping at the enemy from the roof of the building, but I was worried that it would attract enemy artillery fire or bombing, so I rejected the other party's suggestion."
After listening to Vasily's answer, Sokov was a little angry: "Comrade Sergeant, are you just watching the enemy pass in front of you and remain indifferent because you are worried about the enemy's revenge?"
Seeing that Sokov was angry again, Vasily asked cautiously: "Comrade Commander, what should we do?"
"What else can be done? Immediately move a few mortars and several general-purpose machine guns to the roof." Sokov pointed at the German column in front and said to Vasily: "Although the ruins block the sniper's sight, they can block the sniper's sight."
Don't stop the mortar shells. Use mortars to bombard the enemy's marching columns and destroy as many as you can. You must not let them pass through your defense zone so easily. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Comrade Division Commander." After Vasily finished speaking, he reached for the phone beside him and gave an order into the phone: "Second Lieutenant Chernushenko's mortar team, bring your mortars to the building immediately.
Come up; in addition, Lieutenant Afanasyev's machine gun platoon also moved two general-purpose machine guns to the roof..."
As Vasily's order was issued, in a short time, mortars and general-purpose machine guns were placed on the roof. Seeing that the soldiers were ready, Sokov pointed with his hand at the advancing German ranks and said loudly:
"First use mortars to bombard the enemy's ranks. When the enemy's infantry begins to run around, machine guns will continue to fire. I will give you five minutes. Once the time is up, no matter how many enemies are eliminated, immediately retreat to the basement.
"
"Comrade division commander, I don't understand why you only gave us five minutes?" Second Lieutenant Chernushenko asked puzzledly: "We can definitely bombard for longer."
Sokov glared at the other party and said: "Second Lieutenant, do you think the Germans are all fools? Their infantry was attacked by artillery fire. Will the tanks and armored vehicles sit around doing nothing? After our artillery mission is over, we will not move immediately.
Are you going to stay where you are and wait for the enemy's shells to hit you when you reach a safe place?"