Red Moscow

Sokov continued: "This assault rifle is durable and has a low failure rate. Whether it is under high temperature or low temperature conditions, its shooting performance is very good. Even if it is soaked in muddy water, it can still be used normally after being fished out. "

Sokov’s words made the eyes of all the commanders shine. You must know that most of Russia’s terrains are swamps and lakes. If this kind of assault rifle is really like what Sokov said, it can be used normally even if it has been soaked in muddy water. , if a large number of troops are equipped, there is no need to worry about the failure of the firearms when fighting in complex terrain.

But just to be on the safe side, Fomenko asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, are you telling the truth?"

"Of course it's true." Sokov raised his assault rifle high above his head and said, "I once used this gun to fight the Germans in the sewers of Stalingrad, which was full of mud. But when I use the weapon, there is no malfunction at all."

Confirming the superiority of this assault rifle, Fomenko recalled that Sokov mentioned at the meeting that he wanted to use this batch of firearms to equip a division, and asked quickly: "Comrade commander, I remember you just said, If you want to equip a division with this new type of weapon, why don't you just change our division's equipment."

When the other division commanders saw that Fomenko actually wanted to get there first, and how could he miss this batch of guns, they all shouted: "Comrade commander, the combat effectiveness of our division has been greatly improved after this period of training. Use this batch of firearms to equip our division..."

"No, how can your division's training level compare with ours? I think it should be used to equip our division..."

For a while, a dozen or so division and brigade-level leaders argued fiercely about which troops to equip these firearms. Sokov didn't speak, but listened quietly to everyone's quarrel with a smile on his face.

After everyone quieted down, Sokov continued: "Comrades, I wanted to ask for your opinions on which division to use this batch of firearms for, but judging from your reactions, you all want to get this batch of firearms." Firearms. Since your opinions cannot be unified, it is up to me to make the decision."

Hearing what Sokov said, everyone held their breath, wanting to know who will get these guns.

Sokov glanced over the division commanders, division political commissars, and brigade commanders present one by one, and finally settled on Colonel Khokhlov, the commander of the 182nd Infantry Division, and announced loudly: "I think the use of these batches guns to equip Colonel Khokhlov's 182nd Infantry Division."

As soon as the decision was announced, the commanders present were in an uproar: "Comrade Commander, why did you equip the 182nd Division with this batch of firearms?"

Facing everyone's doubts, Sokov said unhurriedly: "Since I took office, I have ordered all divisions to carry out military training, but more than a month has passed. After my inspection, the most obvious result is Hoch Colonel Love's 182nd Division. This is only the first batch of weapons. Next month, the superior will continue to supply us with new firearms. The principle of distribution at that time is that which division has outstanding training results, which division can give priority to equipment. A new assault rifle."

At first, everyone wanted to complain, but when they heard Sokov said that firearms would arrive next month, and that they would give priority to equipment for the divisions with outstanding training results, everyone started to fight in their hearts, and prepared to wait until they went back. As far as urging the troops to carry out training, we must achieve the most obvious results in the shortest possible time.

"Colonel Khokhlov!" Seeing that none of the commanders raised any objections, Sokov shouted to the crowd: "Please come out."

Following Sokov's shout, Colonel Khokhlov walked out of the crowd and stood straight in front of Sokov, ready to accept his order.

"Comrade Colonel," Sokov told Khokhlov: "After the new firearms are delivered to your division, you must urge the commanders and fighters to quickly become familiar with the use of the new weapons, understand?"

"clear."

"Also, there are still many soldiers in each division who are not equipped with weapons." Sokov urged: "The equipment replaced by your division should be collected immediately and handed over to the headquarters, which will distribute them to those troops in need. .”

The division commanders and brigade commanders present were somewhat disappointed because they were not assigned assault rifles, but they felt much better when they heard what Sokov said later. The weapons replaced by the 182nd division can arm those unarmed soldiers stand up. As long as each soldier has his own weapon, the effect of training can be greatly improved.

"Comrade Commander," Sameko waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and whispered in his ear, "How do you plan to distribute the new rockets and rocket launchers? You can't give them all to the 182nd Division, right? "

"This is impossible." Sokov replied resolutely: "Our 27th Army is a large group. If only one of the divisions is strong enough, we need each division and brigade to have sufficient combat effectiveness. It is intended to distribute the equipment equally among the divisions."

"Commanders, commanders," Sokov greeted everyone, "I have one more thing to announce to you. In addition to firearms, the superiors have also replenished us with a large number of new rockets and a certain number of rocket launchers. The equipment was distributed to divisions."

"New rockets and bazookas?" Hearing the two things Sokov said, the commanders present all looked puzzled. They looked at each other, hoping to learn useful information from each other. Don't look at the troops commanded by Sokov before, they have made a lot of contributions by using these two new weapons, but since Sokov arrived in the Koski area, these two weapons have never been shown. Love is also within reason.

"I don't think the commanders and comrades present may have seen these two types of weapons. How about I have someone demonstrate it to you, and you will know what's going on." Sokov said, turning around and ordering Seryozha : "Seryozha, go get twelve rockets and demonstrate them to the commanders."

When Seryozha brought people over with the rocket launcher, someone in the crowd laughed: "What is this? It looks like a farm tool. Could it be the new weapon that Comrade Commander wants to demonstrate to us?" .”

Sokov heard this kind of ridicule, but he didn't immediately distinguish it. After all, it would be better to launch a wave of rockets directly after saying a thousand words, and let the commanders present see the effect.

Sergey and other soldiers set up the 12-tube launcher, and after loading it, they trotted up to Sokov, raised their hands and saluted, and reported: "Comrade commander, the rocket has been loaded, please instruct !"

"Launch!"

"Yes!" Seryozha agreed loudly, turned over and ran back to the shooter, announcing, "Launch!"

Following the order, twelve rockets flew towards a slope two kilometers away, trailing long white flame tails. After a short time, the rocket bomb landed on the slope and exploded, making an earth-shattering sound, and blasting the slope into a sea of ​​flames.

Seeing this situation, the commanders present were all stunned. They did not expect that twelve seemingly inconspicuous rockets could cause such a powerful killing effect. After a long time, a division commander said with lingering fear: "My God, a salvo of these new rockets is almost as powerful as an artillery regiment."

"Seryozha," Sokov saw that Sergey had returned to him, and ordered him to say, "Please introduce this new type of rocket to the commanders."

After Seryozha promised, he began to explain this new type of rocket to everyone: "...the new type of rocket flies by the thrust of its own engine, and does not require complicated anti-recoil devices. The structure of the launching device is simple and light. The tools can be disassembled and combined, and the operation and maintenance are very easy. Under special circumstances, a single tube, two tubes, four tubes or eight tubes can be used for simple launch. The launcher has small size, light weight, and good mobility. It can be used by a jeep It can be pulled or dragged by mules and horses, and can also be disassembled and carried by manpower, which is very suitable for combat in Gobi, mountains, jungles and water network areas."

"This thing is really great." Fomenko said loudly: "When we are defending or attacking, we can use this new type of rocket to deal with dense German army columns and inflict heavy damage on them."

"Each infantry division can get 200 of this new type of rocket." Sokov waited for Fomenko to finish speaking, and said loudly, "I will send someone to teach you how to use this new type of rocket."

"What about our infantry brigade?" Lieutenant Colonel Uzakov interrupted and asked, "Can we also assign it to us?"

"I'm sorry, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." After hearing Lieutenant Colonel Uzakov's question, Sokov said apologetically, "The infantry brigade and marine brigade do not have the new equipment for this time."

"Why, Comrade Commander?" This time, Colonel Chuvashov, commander of the 84th Brigade of the Navy, questioned.

"Comrades, three brigade commanders," Sokov said to the three brigade commanders of the infantry brigade and the marine brigade: "If our army group is going to enter the battlefield, the first troops to participate in the battle must be five infantry divisions, and the three of you The first brigade will serve as the reserve force of the group army and will be put into battle at the end. Therefore, with new weapons and equipment, I will give priority to the infantry division, and I hope you can understand my intentions."

Hearing what Sokov said, the three brigade commanders couldn't say anything more, so they could only choose to remain silent.

Sokov continued: "Masters, I will order the soldiers of the guard company to demonstrate the use of the rocket launcher."

Outside the town, there were two German Panzer IV tanks with their tracks blown off. They were originally dragged back from the battlefield by the tank maintenance factory for refurbishment, but the workers thought that there were too many magazines in the armor of these tanks, so they threw them in Let them be exposed to the wind and sun outside the town.

Looking at the soldiers of the guard company, carrying a pipe and aiming at a distance of a hundred meters from the tank, someone raised a question: "What are these soldiers carrying? It can't be a new type of anti-tank gun. ?”

"Didn't Comrade Commander say that this is a bazooka, specially designed to deal with enemy tanks?"

"Can you penetrate enemy tanks at such a long distance?"

Under the guesswork of many commanders, the two soldiers in the half-squatting shooting position had already pulled the trigger. The fired rockets quickly flew towards the distant tank. With two bangs, the rocket hit the tank accurately, and the tank body was immediately wrapped in flames and began to burn blazingly.

Seeing this, the commanders couldn't help exclaiming: "My God, it's amazing that the bazooka can penetrate the German armor at such a long distance."

"This thing is simply an anti-tank artifact." A commander said excitedly: "With the bazooka, our soldiers don't have to risk their lives to get close to the enemy's tanks to throw explosives or anti-tank grenades."

After Sukov waited for everyone to quiet down, he announced loudly: "Each division can have twenty bazookas. In order to give full play to the power of rockets on the battlefield, I suggest that you set up a special anti-tank detachment. Let them equip them with bazookas to deal with enemy tanks."

"Comrade Commander," Major General Gritsenko, the commander of the 384th Division, asked tentatively, "Do you also send someone to train our soldiers on how to use the bazooka?"

"That's right." Sokov replied, "I will send commanders from the guard company to train you on how to use the new rockets and rocket launchers. I have only one request for you, to master the use of these two weapons as soon as possible." , so that in the future battlefield, your chances of winning will be even greater."

After the meeting, the division commanders did not leave immediately, but called the divisions one after another, ordering their subordinates to drive to the group army headquarters to receive their own weapons and equipment.

After Sokov and others returned to the headquarters, Sameko asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, please forgive me, I see that your recent series of actions seem to be preparing for war. Do you really think that Will the Germans launch a new attack on us soon?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, the enemy will not confront us forever. As long as we find the right time, they will attack our army by surprise. If we are not prepared for combat, we may be caught off guard by the enemy. Sokov said sternly: "Don't look at us as a reserve team, but once a new battle starts, we will be thrown into the battlefield soon. Prepare early so that we won't feel flustered when it's our turn to go to the battlefield."

"Comrade Commander," Lunev interjected and asked, "I know that your judgments on the future situation have always been very accurate. There are no outsiders here. Can you tell us truthfully when the enemy will probably come to you?" How about we launch a new campaign-level attack?"

Although both Lunev and Sameko had asked Sokov many times when the enemy would attack again, they were both ignored by Sokov. At this moment when he saw Lunev, he asked himself seriously, and after a short hesitation, he replied: "Comrade Military Commissar, the most suitable season for combat is June and July, so I judge that if the enemy wants to launch a campaign-level offensive against us, what should we do?" If so, the time should be the end of June and the beginning of July."