Since receiving a call from Belkin in the morning, Sokov learned that after they repelled the attack of the German 24th Armored Division, he was still considering where to deploy troops to fill the gap once the position in that direction was breached by the Germans.
But after waiting and waiting until the afternoon, no more information about the German attack was received.
"Strange, why haven't the Germans attacked after such a long time?" Sokov looked at his watch. It was only more than two hours before dark. If the Germans didn't attack, it would be dark. The tanks were there.
The role played by night is far inferior to that of daytime. It was out of this consideration that he said to himself: "What on earth are the Germans doing?"
"Comrade Commander," Sidorin saw Sokov looking distracted. Without waiting for him to speak, he picked up the phone on the table, dialed Belkin's command post, and asked straight to the point: "Berkin
Captain Jin, how is the situation there?"
Seeing the German attack coming to an end, Belkin was also quite depressed. He tried his best to challenge the 24th Armored Division and let the Germans have a taste of the power of rocket launchers. In the end, after killing more than a dozen of the opponent's tanks, the Germans
The attack on our own position has completely stopped. It has been several hours now, and the enemy's position is still quiet, with no movement of attack at all.
"There is no movement on the enemy's position?" After hearing Belkin's answer, Sidorin frowned slightly and asked, "Captain Belkin, are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm absolutely sure." Belkin replied in a positive tone: "Since the German attack was repelled by us, the area they occupied has been quiet and there has been no movement at all."
Sokov, who was sitting aside, heard the conversation between Sidorin and Belkin, and an ominous premonition surged in his heart. He quickly stood up, took the phone from Sidorin's hand, and asked tentatively: "Political Commissar
Comrade, is it true that there is no movement from the enemy at all?"
"Yes, Misha." Although Belkin had just answered this question, when he heard that it was Sokov who was asking, he answered truthfully: "The enemy has not made any movement at all."
"Comrade Political Commissar, this is too abnormal." Sokov frowned and said to the microphone: "How could the enemy only attack once and not make any movement? I think there must be something wrong with it."
"Misha, I also think there is a problem." Belkin replied truthfully: "But I just don't know where the problem lies."
"Since there is no movement on the enemy's position," Sokov then asked, "Have you sent anyone over to conduct reconnaissance?"
"Reconnaissance? Send scouts to perform reconnaissance missions during the day?" Belkin said with some embarrassment: "Isn't it too dangerous to do this? You know, it is still daytime, if we send scouts, it is easy to be discovered by the enemy...
"
"Comrade Political Commissar, I think something is wrong with the enemy." Sokov did not wait for Belkin to finish speaking, but interrupted him: "Send personnel immediately to conduct reconnaissance, and we must find out what the Germans are doing."
Although Belkin still had different opinions on Sokov's tough order, out of respect for his superiors, he bit the bullet and agreed: "Okay, I will immediately send personnel to conduct reconnaissance in the combat area.
"
Seeing Sokov put down the phone, Sidorin couldn't help but asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, what are you worried about?"
"This is really strange." Sokov explained to Sidorin: "The enemy's strength is stronger than ours. Even if they attack our flanks and are blocked by the shrinking regiment, they will not be able to stay for long.
The troops had been standing still, so I thought there might be some problem, so I ordered Commander Belkin to send someone to try to conduct reconnaissance."
After saying this, Sokov said to Sidorin: "Chief of Staff, please call Comrade Commander to learn about the progress of the peripheral troops."
"Okay," since Golikov left, it has been much more difficult to get the latest battle reports. After all, there are many things that even commander Chuikov doesn't know, let alone the division commanders below. Sido
Lin was also anxious to know the situation outside. After receiving Sokov's order, he immediately ordered the communications troops to connect to the group army headquarters. He wanted to speak to Chuikov. "I immediately contacted Comrade Commander and asked what happened.
Something happened."
After the call was connected, Chuikov asked anxiously, without waiting for Sidorin to explain his purpose: "Lieutenant Colonel Sidorin, are you calling me in such a hurry? Is there something wrong?"
"There is no problem." Sidorin quickly replied: "The German 24th Armored Division, which attacked our division's defense area from the flank, launched an attack on the Belkin Regiment's position. Strangely enough, they started from that time
, there has been no movement. The teacher asked me to ask you, have you received the latest news?"
"The latest news?!" Regarding Sidorin's question, Chuikov did not recover for a moment, and still said in a daze: "The troops of our group army are engaged in small-scale battles with the enemy in the existing defense zone.
"
"Comrade Commander, you have misunderstood." Hearing Chuikov say this, Sidorin immediately realized that the other party had misunderstood, and quickly explained to him: "The division commander asked me to ask, do you know the latest battle situation of our army on the periphery?"
"Oh, that's what you're talking about. Wait a minute, let me ask the chief of staff." Sidorin heard Chuikov asking Krylov next to him: "Comrade chief of staff, what's new about the friendly forces on the periphery?"
Is there any movement?"
"I heard that the Supreme High Command issued a combat order to all the troops in the periphery." Krylov replied: "Let our troops carry out a centripetal attack on the Gumlak area."
"Central attack?!" Sokov, who had been listening to the conversation between Sidorin and Chuikov, couldn't help but interrupt and asked: "Have the superiors determined that the enemy's headquarters will be located in the Gumlak area?"
Dolin quickly repeated Sokov's question to Chuikov.
"Yes, the superiors said that the communications department found a large amount of radio wave activity in the Gumlak area, which should be the location of the German headquarters." Chuikov replied: "That's why the superiors ordered a centripetal attack on the Gumlak area.
Order."
"Gumlak area?!" Sokov waited for Sidorin to put down the phone and asked tentatively: "Last time, the reconnaissance team we sent to the rear used rockets to attack the Gumlak station occupied by the Germans.
?”
"That's right, it was the squad behind enemy lines led by Guchakov and Samoilov. They successfully destroyed the supplies stored by the German army at Gumlak station, interrupting the enemy's supplies for several days."
After Duolin answered this question, he asked tentatively: "Comrade division commander, do you plan to send troops to harass behind enemy lines again?"
"This is worth considering." Sokov nodded and said: "There are many numbers of German troops assembled there. If we send out a sabotage team behind enemy lines, even if we pretend to be the enemy, there is not much chance of exposing our identity. We need to
Let’s make a careful calculation of how large of a force should be sent and who will command it.”
Sidorin considered that when Sokov sent out small units behind enemy lines in the past, the personnel he selected were basically downsized regiments or guard battalions. As for the commanders and fighters of the other three regiments, he rarely considered them, so he reminded him:
"Comrade Division Commander, I think this time we can select manpower from the three regiments in front of Mamayev Ridge. Otherwise, the commanders and fighters in these regiments will privately complain about you and say that any important tasks you have will be handed over to the downsized regiment.
and the guard battalion to complete it, it seems that they have been treated as outsiders."
Sidorin's words reminded Sokov. When he thought about it carefully, he seemed to be a little too partial to the downsizing regiment and the guard battalion. In any case, the three Guards regiments were his subordinates, so he couldn't favor one over the other. Thinking of this
, he nodded and said: "Chief of Staff, you are right. Next time when selecting candidates for the small team behind enemy lines, choose people from the three Guards regiments."
After a moment of pause, Sokov added: "Be sure to select elite soldiers and strong generals. If possible, I hope that this small detachment can take over Paulus's army headquarters."
"Take away Paulus's army headquarters?!" Hearing Sokov's idea, Sidorin's breathing became rapid: "Comrade division commander, the enemy's headquarters must be heavily guarded. I'm worried about our
There is no way for the small team behind enemy lines to get close to the target."
"Don't we still have new rockets?" Sokov smiled faintly and said: "As long as you find the location of Paulus' headquarters, you don't have to get close at all. You only need to launch a few rockets from a distance to destroy the enemy.
I was beaten so hard that I was dizzy."
…………
Although the reconnaissance mission assigned by Sokov was a bit too difficult for Belkin, since the order had been issued, he could only find a way to carry it out.
He asked the regiment's chief of staff, Captain Vanya: "Comrade chief of staff, the division commander ordered us to immediately send out manpower to detect the movements of the enemy on the opposite side. Do you have a suitable candidate?"
"What, sending reconnaissance personnel in broad daylight to reconnoiter the enemy positions on the opposite side?" After hearing this order relayed by Belkin, the muscles on Vanya's face twitched violently a few times, and he said with some embarrassment: "Regiment
Comrade Chang, aren't you worried that the scouts we sent will be discovered by the enemy?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, how could I not be worried about actinium." Belkin said with a wry smile: "But this is an order from Misha, and we can only carry it out unconditionally."
Hearing that it was Sokov who personally arranged the order, Vanya stopped complaining. He thought quickly in his mind, who should be sent to carry out this dangerous task? After thinking for a while, he finally thought of a suitable one.
candidate. He said to Belkin: "Comrade Commander, I have a suitable candidate who can perform the reconnaissance mission."
"who is it?"
"Sergeant Copetto of the Fifth Company of the Second Battalion," Vanya replied: "He is a very good tactician. I think it is most appropriate for him to lead the team."
"Okay." Belkin nodded when he heard that Vanya was so optimistic about the other party, and said in agreement: "Then give him the task as soon as possible, and quickly rush to the area controlled by the enemy to carry out reconnaissance missions."
Sergeant Copetuo, who received the mission, set off immediately with his five soldiers. In order not to be discovered by the enemy in front, the six of them carefully went around from the west. The reason for choosing this direction was,
This is entirely because this is within the control area of the German army. The German army on the opposite side does not have strict surveillance here and can easily get through.
According to Coppetto's idea, there might be a firefight with the Germans on the way. After all, it was daytime, and even if they took a detour, there was still a possibility of being discovered by the enemy. Therefore, from the moment they set off, all the soldiers were ready to fight.
Prepare. However, until they approached the German position in front, they still found no trace of the enemy.
Soldier Yefim curiously asked Kopetuo: "Comrade squad leader, what's going on? We didn't meet any Germans along the way? Where have they gone?"
"This is really hell." Copetuo didn't encounter the enemy at the place where he was most likely to encounter the German army. He was also quite puzzled. He thought to himself: What the hell did the Germans do? There was not even a patrol along the way, and they actually let themselves go.
This reconnaissance team successfully entered their position without any hindrance? "What on earth is going on?"
After walking for a while, Yefim suddenly said in surprise: "Comrade squad leader, do you think all the Germans have retreated? We can't see a single German on the road?"
"Have the Germans retreated?" Copetuo frowned and asked: "A few hours ago, they were still attacking our positions. How could they withdraw immediately? Let me see, they are probably lurking somewhere. Waiting for
We'll have to search hard later."
A few people unknowingly approached the first line of defense of the German army. They were afraid of exposing their target and did not dare to move forward. They stopped to find a place to hide and observed the movement on the other side from a distance. However, after looking for a long time, they saw nothing.
When there were people walking around in the fortifications, Yefim volunteered again: "Comrade squad leader, if you trust me, let me take two people over to have a look."
Seeing that there was no movement on the other side, Kopetuo was full of doubts, so he readily agreed to Yefim's request, but only reminded the other party: "You must be more careful. Once you find that something is wrong, withdraw immediately."
Come."
After Yefim and the others left, Kopetu ordered an accompanying telegraph operator: "Report to the regiment headquarters that we did not find any traces of Germans along the way. We are currently sending people to conduct reconnaissance of the German positions. The specific situation will be revealed later.
I will report it to the regiment headquarters.”
As soon as the radio operator here reported the situation to the regiment headquarters, Copetuo saw Yefim and the others who had just crawled forward and turned over into the German trenches. His heart could not help but rise to his throat, and he secretly said: Why are these people like this?
You are reckless. If you break into the enemy's position rashly like this, you will be eaten up by the enemy.
Just when I thought of this, I suddenly saw Yefim emerging from the trench, dancing like this, as if shouting something loudly. Seeing all this, the operator said to Kopetuo: "Comrade squad leader, the situation is a little bit...
Something's wrong. Is there no one on the enemy's position?"
"There is no one on the enemy's position?" Copetuo felt that this inference was really ridiculous. How could the Germans give up their position so easily? But seeing Yefim's expression in the distance, it seemed that that area was really
When there was no one there, he said to the remaining soldiers: "Let's go up and have a look."