Red Moscow

Four days later, in addition to the division's field hospital, all 16,000 people from the three guard regiments, the tank brigade, and the troops directly under the division were stationed in Luhansk and deployed defenses around the city.

In order to strengthen the command of the troops, Sokov suggested to Cuikov that Colonel Bely, the commander of the tank brigade, be appointed concurrently. The post of deputy commander of the 41st Guards Division. Sokov's application, without any hindrance, was quickly approved.

After the official appointment of Colonel Bely as deputy division commander, Sokov left the daily work to Sidolin, while he and Bely took armored vehicles to inspect the defense inside and outside the city.

Seeing Sokov's critical attitude towards the fortifications, Bely asked privately on the way back: "Misha, the Paulus Group has been defeated by us now. The troops under our command are also retreating steadily under the attack of our army. I really don't understand, why do you have to build these fortifications? You know, our troops have changed after months of fighting. They are very tired, and they should take advantage of this period of fighting to let them take a good rest for a while."

Hearing what Bely said, Sokov asked with a wry smile: "Comrade deputy commander, do you really think that we can relax our vigilance and rest here with peace of mind?"

"Isn't it?" Bely reminded Sokov: "Misha, according to the battle reports we have received, the troops of the Southwest Front Army are currently attacking Zaporozhye, where Manstein's headquarters is located, and successfully Break through the enemy's outer positions and rush into the city."

"Comrade Deputy Division Commander, even if the friendly forces can capture Zaporozhye, what does that mean?" Sokov retorted, "I have also read the battle reports during this period. It is recorded that my offensive troops defeated the German army. A few regiments or battalions, but very few enemies were actually wiped out.

Although the overall number of our army is larger than that of the enemy, the enemy attacked by our army keeps giving up some insignificant areas in order to achieve the purpose of gathering troops. And what about our army? As the front advances, the attacking force is farther and farther away from the supply base in the later stage; and each time a city is recaptured, enough troops must be left for defense, so that we have fewer and fewer troops for attacking, The offensive strength is also getting weaker and weaker. It won't be long before the local comparison of the enemy's and our forces' forces will change. Isn't it clear that the side with fewer troops will attack the side with stronger troops. Who will win the final victory? "

Sukov's words made Bely fall into deep thought. In fairness, he felt that the only way for the German army, which was attacked by the Voronezh Front Army and the Southwest Front Army at the same time, to not be wiped out, was to abandon their existing positions and quickly retreat to the other side of the Dnieper River. If you continue to stay and stand firm, you may fall into the encirclement of our army like Paulus' troops. But after he listened to Sokov's analysis, his thinking changed slightly.

After a long time, he turned to look at Sokov and asked, "Misha, when do you think the situation will change?"

"I don't think I can wait for a few days." Although Sukov knew the next historical trend, he was just a small teacher now, and he spoke lightly and couldn't change anything at all. He could only sigh softly, with a look on his face Reluctantly said: "Once our army successfully captures Zaporozhye, it is time for the German counterattack to begin."

Regarding Sokov's statement, Bely asked in puzzlement: "I don't understand why the enemy chose to counterattack after the fall of Zaporozhye?"

"It's very simple. Our army has recovered Kursk, Belgorod, and Kharkov one after another. The commanders and fighters all have a feeling of underestimating the enemy. They feel that the Germans' combat effectiveness has regressed. It is not a problem to defeat them. " Sokov said with a wry smile: "After our army occupied Zaporozhye, where Manstein's headquarters is located, this kind of underestimation of the enemy will reach a peak, and the enemy will skillfully seize this opportunity. The army launched a full-scale counterattack."

The armored vehicle stopped at the entrance of the division gate, and the sentry on duty at the gate saw the two division commanders returning, and quickly raised their hands to salute them.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," after entering the division headquarters, Sukov saw Sidolin and Anisimov sitting at the table, looking down at the map on the table, and asked casually: "What orders does your superior have?" Pass it on?"

"Half an hour ago, the Army Group Command made a call." Sidolin reported: "The call was made by Commander Chuikov. He said that General Krylov was about to be transferred, and he would pass by in two days." Here we are, hoping we can send someone to keep him safe."

"What, General Krylov is going to be transferred?" Sokov asked with some surprise: "Chief of Staff, then who will take over his position?"

"It's Major General Vladimirov." Sidolin replied: "The new Chief of Staff of the Army Group will officially take office tomorrow."

Knowing that Krylov was going to be transferred, Bere couldn't help asking curiously: "Do you know which unit General Krylov is going to transfer to?"

"It is said that he was transferred to the 21st Army to serve as the commander. At the same time, he was also transferred to Major General Vasilyev, the director of the Political Department of the Army, who was also transferred to the 21st Army to serve as a military commissar."

"Misha, it seems that our superiors have noticed our efforts in Stalingrad in the past few months." Bely said happily: "Look, it's been less than half a month since the end of the battle. Love and Vasilyev got promoted..."

As soon as Bely said this, Anisimov interrupted: "Our division participated in the entire battle. I don't know how the superiors plan to reward us?"

"It goes without saying," Sidolin said with a smile: "If there are no accidents, the division commander and deputy division commander will be promoted to generals in a short time. The rest of the commanders at all levels will also be promoted to the first rank. "

After everyone chatted for a while, Bely remembered what Sokov hadn't finished saying on the road, and asked, "Misha, if the Germans are going to launch a counterattack, which direction do you think they will move first?"

"I think that if the enemy wants to launch a counterattack, the first to be attacked must be General Vatutin's Southwest Front Army. The specific time is not long after our army captured Zaporozhye."

"Why?"

"If I were Manstein," Sokov pointed to the map on the table, and analyzed to several of his colleagues: "For the time being, I will ignore the Voronezh Front Army occupying Kharkov's front line, and concentrate my forces to eat it. The aggressive Southwest Front Army. After achieving the goal of this campaign, turn around and defeat the troops in the direction of Kharkov, and recapture Kharkov.”

"Comrade commander, I don't agree with you." As a chief of staff, Sidolin naturally knows the situation of the enemy and us well. He questioned Sukov's statement: "If we If the army really captured Zaporozhye, then the German defense line will be cut by us. If they launch a counterattack rashly, won't they expose their weak flanks to our army? Besides, the German army is short of ammunition now and fuel, their reserves cannot support a moderately large campaign."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you can't say that." Sokov retorted with a smile: "It is never the number of people and technical equipment that determine the outcome on the battlefield, but which troops use their tactics properly. Although Manstein is our enemy, but if he encounters General Vatutin's troops, I think he has a better chance of winning."

"Comrade commander, I still stick to my point of view." Sidolin continued: "The enemy's ammunition and fuel reserves do not support them in a medium-scale battle."

"That's right, the enemy is indeed short of ammunition and fuel now." Sokov said: "But don't our army lack ammunition and fuel? You know, the supply line of the Southwest Front Army is now more than a thousand kilometers long, and the roads along the way, The bridges were greatly damaged, so that the logistics troops transported supplies very slowly and in small numbers. Once the war broke out, the more technical equipment these troops kept in contact with the German army, the more they would become their burden."

"I think Misha is right." Hearing Sokov mentioning the technical equipment owned by the troops, Bely stood up and expressed his agreement: "The more tanks and armored vehicles the troops are equipped with, the more fuel and ammunition they need." More and more. Judging from the current supply situation of our army, it is impossible to provide the fuel and ammunition needed by the troops in a timely manner. Once the fuel and ammunition are exhausted, these tanks of our army will become a pile of scrap iron. Not destroyed by enemy tanks or captured."

"Comrades, I think everyone should remember that we captured a new tank from the enemy a few months ago?"

After Sokov’s reminder, everyone immediately remembered the sacrifices made by the commanders and fighters in order to capture this tank. As the commander of the tank brigade, Bely was immediately moved: "Misha, you mean that the enemy may use this kind of tank to deal with our tank troops when they counterattack?"

"Comrade deputy commander, you are right." Sokov nodded and said with certainty: "In the next battle, the German army will definitely dispatch this new type of tank to deal with our army's tank force. The enemy's new type The tank is equipped with an 88mm tank gun, and the thickness of the frontal armor has reached 102mm. The 76mm artillery used by our army's T-34 cannot penetrate the enemy's frontal armor even at a distance of 400 meters. The enemy's Tanks can easily destroy our army's tanks at a distance of one thousand meters."

"Misha, if the German army uses such tanks in large numbers, it will be a devastating disaster for our tank troops." Hearing what Sokov said, Bely became anxious immediately: "We should put this Report the situation, let the superiors notify the friendly forces, and let them take countermeasures."

"Comrade deputy commander, even if we report this matter, what effect will it have?" Sokov laughed contemptuously and continued: "Don't forget, a few days ago I led a guard company to the west of the city and When the enemy was fighting fiercely, the company commander of the garrison company in the city ran away with someone. Afterwards, I reported the matter to the front army headquarters and asked them to notify the friendly army to deal with the company commander who fled. There is no text, it is estimated that it will be nothing."

When everyone learned that the company commander who led the troops to flee was not dealt with, they couldn't help but feel a little depressed.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Sokov continued: "Also, why did the German army come to attack Luhansk a few days ago. I guess the enemy knew that there is our army's munitions warehouse here, and they are here to carry out sabotage. It is to prevent the troops of the Southwest Front Army from receiving any supplies, so that they can severely damage our troops in a shorter period of time."

"Comrade commander, what should we do?" After several months of getting along, Sidolin trusted Sokov very much, and he asked anxiously: "We know that our friendly forces are in danger, but we can't help them. It's a real pain. But what are we supposed to do here, just stay here and do nothing, and watch our friendly troops be defeated by the enemy?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you are wrong. We stayed here and did nothing." Sokov reminded Sidolin: "The task of our division is to defend Luhansk. When the friendly forces are defeated by the Germans, We have to rely on the simple fortifications outside the city to block the swarming enemies and prevent them from rushing towards Stalingrad."

"Misha." After a long silence, Bely proposed to Sokov: "You should report your judgment to the two-level headquarters of the Army Group and the Front Army. As for how the superiors treat it, that is their business. At least we have to have a clear conscience."

It’s not that Sokov didn’t think about warning his allies through Rokossovsky, but the current situation on the battlefield is clearly dominated by the Soviet army. If he raises it rashly, he may be labeled as “disturbing the morale of the army”. Maybe he will be beaten to the end, so he has been hesitating.

Hearing Bely's words at this moment, Sokov immediately realized that he was too concerned about personal gains and losses, and disregarded the safety of hundreds of thousands of Soviet commanders and fighters. After trying to understand this truth, Sokov said to Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, the Germans will not leave us too long. In the past few days, you have to urge the regiments to speed up the construction of the fortifications, and do a good job of planning. Prepare for a short-term resistance so that the enemy cannot approach the city in a short time."

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Sidolin said to Sokov: "I will definitely urge all regiments to speed up the construction of fortifications to ensure that a complete defense system is formed before the enemy launches an attack."

After Sidolin finished expressing his position, he suddenly remembered the matter of reporting to his superiors, so he tentatively asked: "Mr. Comrade, who do you think is more appropriate to report to your superiors?"

"In my name, send a report to the two-level headquarters of the Group Army and the Front Army, and report my judgment." Sokov said with a solemn expression: "If the superior wants to pursue any responsibility, I will bear it alone."

"Misha, look at what you're talking about." As soon as Sukov finished speaking, Bely continued: "We are a whole, and we naturally have to work together on this matter. I think it is the two of us." It was reported jointly."

"No, no, no," Anisimov also stood up and said, "Since the deputy division commander said that we are a whole, then this matter should be reported in the name of the division military committee. What do you think, comrade chief of staff?"

"I agree with the political commissar's opinion." Xidolin echoed: "Let's report this matter in the name of the division's military committee. If the higher-ups want to pursue the responsibility, we will bear it together."