After dawn, Sokov asked Samoilov to take him to see Ivanov's appearance, and then ordered him to be buried in a cemetery outside the city.
Sokov handed over the task of burying Ivanov to Samoilov. He also specifically told Samoilov: "After burying the deputy division commander, remember to make a mark. This way, when the war is over,
, his family can also successfully find his grave."
"I understand, Comrade Commander." After Samoylov finished his answer, he was silent for a moment and then said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I have a request."
"What request?" Sokov didn't know what Samoylov meant by saying this to him at this moment, so he asked curiously: "Tell me and listen."
"Comrade division commander, although you did not blame me for anything, I bear a great responsibility for the sacrifice of the deputy division commander." Samoylov said with a serious expression: "I request that I be sent to the combat unit. I want to use the enemy's
Blood, wash away my shame."
"Okay, Lieutenant Samoylov, you are thinking too much." Sokov felt that Samoylov's most suitable job is to be responsible for his own security work, rather than fighting face to face with the enemy on the front line.
, so he rejected the other party's request without hesitation: "No one wants to see the sacrifice of Comrade Deputy Division Commander. But since it has already happened, you don't need to carry any mental baggage. You should just stay here honestly."
Do a good job of security around me. Do you understand?"
After Samoilov left, Sokov told Seryosha: "Seryosa, let the soldiers get ready. I want to go to the west of the city to survey the terrain."
"What, you are going to the west of the city to survey the terrain?" Seryosha said nervously: "Misha, don't you know that there are many enemy stragglers outside? They are now desperate, so they hide in the dark and attack us.
A cold shot. For them, killing one person will save their capital, but killing two people will make a profit. In this case, you can't take risks."
"Seryosa, I am the commander of the Guards Division. It is necessary to understand the surrounding environment so that we know where to deploy the troops." Sokov knew that Seryosha was worried about his own safety, so he asked him
Explained: "If my guess is correct, in a few weeks there will be a brutal battle nearby. If we don't take precautions in advance, our division may be annihilated."
"What, is it possible that our division will be annihilated by the enemy?" Hearing Sokov's statement, Seryosha couldn't help being stunned: "Misha, now the enemy is being suppressed by our army. In this case
, do they still have a chance to turn around?"
"Seryozha, as long as the battle is not over for one day, the outcome of the battle is still unknown." Sokov said to Seryosha: "We as commanders must not take it lightly."
Under the cover of the guard company, Sokov spent most of the day inspecting the terrain in the west and north of the city. He felt that the location chosen by Ivanov was very correct. There were many hills in the west.
Suitable for building field fortifications to prevent German attacks.
As soon as he returned to the Workers' Cultural Palace, he called the communications soldier and ordered the phone to be connected to Mamayev Heights. When he heard Sidorin's familiar voice coming from the receiver, he asked into the phone: "Chief of Staff
Comrade, when can the troops set off?"
"Report to Comrade Division Commander," Sidorin replied: "The superiors have sent us one hundred and twenty trucks. The 122nd Guards Regiment is loading the trucks now. We should be able to set off before dark. We can arrive at the earliest tomorrow afternoon.
Lugansk.”
"That's good, that's good." Sokov learned that the troops could set off before dark, so he said to Sidorin: "I didn't know until I arrived in Lugansk that there were actually fifteen warehouses in the city.
There are a large amount of arms and supplies we need. But the force protecting the warehouse is too weak. If the Germans sabotage it, it will be all over."
"Don't worry, comrade division commander." Sidorin comforted Sokov: "The situation will improve when the troops of the 122nd Guards Regiment arrive. In any case, a reinforced regiment of more than 4,000 people is enough to maintain
Good order in the city.”
The infantry can take trucks in batches and rush to Lugansk, but Colonel Bely's tank brigade can't drive along the road, right? You know, tanks usually need to be maintained after traveling dozens of kilometers. If Bely
If they really lead their tank troops along the road track, it is estimated that 90% of the tanks will break down on the way before reaching the destination, and the tank brigade will lose its combat effectiveness in a short period of time.
"What about the tank brigade?" Sokov asked into the microphone: "We can't let them drive in along the road tracks, right?"
"The intention of the Front Army Headquarters is to send the tanks of the Tank Brigade to Luhansk by train." Sidorin said awkwardly on the phone: "But, Comrade Division Commander, you should know that the defense battle of Stalingrad has just ended.
A lot of work is not yet completely on track. The railway department's personnel sent from other places are nervously repairing the railways that were damaged by the Germans. It will take about a week to restore limited traffic functions. By then, we will be able to let the tanks
The tanks of the brigade are headed to Luhansk on a flatbed truck.”
A week later, Sokov couldn't help but shake his head and smile when he heard the data mentioned by Sidorin. According to his idea, in another week at most, the Soviet army would begin to retreat steadily under the German counterattack. If by then he
Without tank troops in hand, it will be very difficult to block the fierce German offensive. Even if you can barely block the enemy's attack, I'm afraid the casualties of the troops will not be a small number.
Hearing the sudden silence from Sokov's side, Sidorin thought Sokov had hung up the phone and shouted twice: "Comrade Commander, Comrade Commander, are you still there?"
"Of course I'm still here, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sidorin's voice woke Sokov out of his thoughts, and he quickly continued: "Chief of Staff, I have an idea that can get the tank brigade to Lu faster.
Gansk.”
"What's your idea?" Sidorin knew that Sokov had always been resourceful. When he heard what he said, he suddenly became excited: "Tell me quickly, what are your ideas?"
"If you want to wait for the comrades from the railway department to restore the railway line to Mamayev Kurgan, I'm afraid one or two weeks is not enough." Sokov said to Sidorin: "The war is critical now, and it is not possible to wait blindly.
Realistically. So I ask you to tell Colonel Byrey that you can drive the tank to the station closest to Mamayev Heights, board the train from there and drive to Luhansk."
"Comrade Commander," Sidorin expressed doubts about Sokov's statement: "Is this possible?"
"I think it is completely feasible." Sokov continued: "The tank brigade starts from Mamayev Heights and can reach the railway stations that are still in operation within ten or twenty kilometers at most. Our tanks can definitely
Board the train at these stations and get to Luhansk as quickly as possible.”
"Comrade Division Commander, I have a question." Sidorin asked cautiously: "The current situation is very favorable to our army, but you said that the enemy may launch a counterattack against our army at any time. Is this really the case?
?”
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." In order to dispel Sidorin's feeling of underestimating the enemy, Sokov said seriously: "It is not possible, but certain. According to my analysis, the Germans will defeat the enemy in the shortest possible time.
Launch an attack on Luhansk. If our defense forces lack technical equipment such as tanks and artillery, we will not be able to stop the enemy's ferocious attack."
The victory in the Battle of Stalingrad and the surrender of Paulus and his hundreds of thousands of soldiers gave the defenders of the city a feeling of underestimating the enemy. What Sidorin didn't know was that because of Sokov's emergence,
Not only were more German prisoners captured than in real history, but the destruction of the Paulus Group was also advanced by about a week.
Only Sokov, who came from later generations, knew all this. He was even thinking that his appearance had made Rodimtsev and his 13th Guards Division, who were originally brilliant, become unknown. Paul
The number of prisoners under Luce increased by tens of thousands, and even the destruction of the Sixth Army was advanced. In this way, as long as he works hard, he might be able to turn the tide when the Southwest Front Army suffered a counterattack and suffered a disastrous defeat.
function.
"Comrade Chief of Staff, not only the tank brigade must find a way to quickly move towards Lugansk, but also the infantry must find a way to speed up the march." Sokov told Sidorin: "If we rely solely on automobile transportation, at least
It will take half a month to deploy all the infantry in Luhansk."
Sidorin knew that what Sokov said was true. After the trucks carrying the commanders and fighters arrived in Luhansk and dropped off the troops, it would take a day to return to the Mamayev Heights for the second batch of combat troops.
Get on the bus. This back and forth wastes time.
"Comrade Commander, do you have any good ideas?"
"After the 122nd Regiment set off in a car, the 124th Regiment was ordered to march on foot in the direction of Luhansk."
"What? Let the 124th Regiment march to Luhansk on foot?" Hearing Sokov's order, Sidorin couldn't help being shocked. He quickly reminded Sokov: "Comrade Division Commander, in the current bad weather, the troops
You can only walk twenty or thirty kilometers a day, and it will take at least a month to reach your destination."
Seeing that Sidorin did not realize his intention, Sokov quickly explained to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I did not ask the 124th Regiment to walk to Lugansk. I asked them to stay somewhere and wait for their return.
So you can get on the return bus to Luhansk in the shortest possible time.”
"This is a good idea." After Sokov explained, Sidorin understood what was going on. He nodded quickly and said: "Comrade Division Commander, I think both the 124th and 125th Regiments can do this.
Transporting troop vehicles in this way can save time on the road and at the same time transport troops to their destinations in the shortest possible time."
"Chief of Staff, since you have understood my intention, then execute the order." Sokov said into the microphone: "Let each regiment leave its station in batches and march in the direction of Lugansk. Remember
, let the soldiers keep warm and try to reduce non-combat attrition due to weather."
After Sokov ended his call with Sidorin and saw that Seryosha had brought in the garrison commander, he personally poured him a cup of hot tea, placed it in front of him and said with a smile: "Comrade Captain,
My guard company commander, Captain Seryosha, must have told you the purpose of inviting you here, right?"
"Yes, Comrade Colonel." The defending company commander nodded and said, "Captain Seryosha told me everything on the way here."
"Then tell me how you plan to strengthen the security of the warehouse?"
Hearing that Sokov deliberately defended the warehouse in advance, the defending company commander said somewhat unhappily: "Comrade Colonel, where we are now is the rear of our army. And on the battlefield, our army is making very smooth progress.
, it’s a bit of a waste for our superiors to leave a company of ours here to guard the warehouse. You know, the enemies are already scared by us, how dare they come out to confront us? "
"You can't say that, Comrade Captain." Seeing that the defender's company commander was not very vigilant, Sokov quickly reminded him: "According to the original departure plan, I should arrive here tomorrow or later.
So you can see me now only because the deputy division commander I sent to attack the front station was killed by an enemy sniper while surveying the terrain. If according to what you just said, this is the rear of our army, you can sit back and relax.
Then how did my deputy division commander die?"
Hearing what Sokov said, the defending company commander immediately realized that his view was too optimistic and had actually forgotten the tragedy that happened not long ago. He quickly admitted his mistake to Sokov: "Comrade Colonel, I was wrong.
I underestimated the enemy too much, and I apologize to you."
"Comrade Captain, there is no need to apologize." Sokov waved his hand at the defender company commander and said to him: "We should discuss how to protect these warehouses in the city so that they will not be destroyed by the German army.
"
"Comrade Colonel, you should know that we only have one company in the city." The defending company commander said in embarrassment: "With this small number of troops, it is simply not enough to defend fifteen warehouses. Fortunately, the Germans
In the abandoned city, everyone has already evacuated, otherwise we would not be able to hold on to these warehouses."
"If you don't have enough manpower, I can support you partially." Sokov said to the defender's company commander: "If you still don't have enough manpower, you can recruit militiamen from the residents and let them help defend the warehouse. If I guessed correctly,
A lot of the food in the warehouse is going to be distributed to city residents, right?"
"That's right, Comrade Colonel, you guessed it right." The defending company commander nodded and said, "There are several warehouses of food that are used to distribute to residents."
Seeing that his guess was correct, Sokov urged the defending company commander: "Comrade Captain, I think there will be a battle here soon. You'd better organize the militia in the city as soon as possible. Even if they can't defend the warehouse,