Red Moscow

When Sokov was about to go to bed, he received a call from Konev: "Comrade Sokov, I think you already know the purpose of my call?"

"Yes, Comrade Front Army Commander." Sokov replied respectfully, "You are sending troops to reinforce the 69th Army."

"It's good to know." Konev asked cautiously: "I just want to know, how many troops do you plan to transfer for reinforcements? After transferring the troops, will it affect the defense of the Pushol River?"

Sokov knew very well in his heart that Konev would not easily agree to mobilize his troops until he found out the specific situation, so he quickly replied truthfully: "Report to Comrade Commander, I plan to transfer Colonel Koida's No. The 188th Division went to reinforce them. They were deployed on the right bank of the Psel River. Once transferred, the defense of the right bank will be taken care of by Colonel Khokhlov's 182nd Division. They are fully capable of cooperating with the troops on the left bank and firmly defending us The line established by the army on the banks of the Pushol."

When Konev received Vatutin's call, he did not immediately agree to the other party's request. He was considering that Sokov's 27th Army is now scattered in two areas. If it is divided again, its strength will become weak. Don't let the reinforcements fail to assist the 69th Army to block the enemy at that time, and the original position cannot block the enemy because of its weakened strength, the situation will not be so good.

After listening to Sokov's answer at this moment, Konev tapped the table lightly with his fingers, thinking quickly in his mind, since Sokov felt that he would still have the strength to hold the existing position after dispatching troops to reinforce friendly troops , then you can agree to Vatutin's request and send Sokov to reinforce the 69th Army.

After some weighing, Konev said into the microphone: "Comrade Sokov, since you think you should go to reinforce the 69th Army, then I will contact Vatutin immediately, and you should also get the troops ready to go. .”

After Sokov put down the phone, he dialed the number of the 188th Division Headquarters himself: "I'm Sokov, and I'm talking to your division commander, Colonel Koida."

After a while, Sokov heard Koida's voice: "Hi, Comrade Commander, I'm Keda, what instructions do you have?"

"Comrade Colonel, in view of the fact that the friendly defense line to the south of our army may be breached by the enemy, I am going to transfer your troops to strengthen the defense there." Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch: "How long will it take you? , to get the troops together?"

"One hour is enough." Koyda said somewhat proudly: "Our troops are in a state of readiness. As long as we issue a battle warning to them, we can gather in the shortest possible time."

For an army of more than 8,000 people, it can be assembled within an hour. Sokov felt that this was already the fastest speed. He nodded and said to Koida: "Comrade Colonel, please start now." Give the troops a battle alert, gather them all, and wait for my next order."

Twenty minutes later, Sokov finally got the call he wanted to wait for. Hearing Klitschko's voice, Sokov smiled and said, "Hi, General Klitschko, I have been waiting for your call."

Klitschko was taken aback for a moment, and asked puzzledly, "What are you waiting for my call?"

"Comrade General, since your troops are asking me for help, I must always ask you about the situation in the defense zone, so that we can allocate troops reasonably." Sokov said in a friendly tone, "Do you think so?"

"That's right, Comrade Sokov, you are right. I should indeed give you a detailed introduction to our defense situation here." Klitschko said on the phone: "The most dangerous thing in the current situation is the frontal defense. Defensive positions, although in this direction I deployed the 107th and 305th Infantry Divisions, but their defensive front was nine kilometers wide, which led to the dispersion of forces."

"Have you taken any measures?" Sokov asked.

"I plan to deploy the 81st Guards Division, which has just been withdrawn from the right flank of the German army, at the junction of the two divisions before dawn." Klitschko said this, and asked Sokov cautiously: "Sokov Comrade, I wonder how many troops you can send me?"

"A division of infantry."

"Ah, an infantry division?" Klitschko said with some disappointment, "Will it be too little?"

"Not at all, General Klitschko." Sokov explained to the other party: "This is a full-staffed division of more than 8,000 people. The whole division is well-equipped and has high morale. With their assistance, we will surely be able to Stop the German attack."

Knowing that the opponent's division has more than 8,000 people, Klitschko stopped talking. Now that the battle has progressed, the remaining soldiers of his infantry division are no more than three or four thousand, and the few are only two thousand. Now a new army of eight thousand has joined, which is equivalent to increasing the defense of several divisions. strength.

After a while, Klitschko spoke again: "Comrade Sokov, I will immediately send a liaison officer to establish contact with you and lead your troops into the designated defense zone."

Seeing that Sokov ended the call with Klitschko, Sameko tentatively asked: "Comrade Commander, can the superior provide us with transportation?"

"No, the superior is not unable to provide us with any means of transportation under the current circumstances." Sokov said, stepping on the bench with one leg, patted his knee with the palm of his hand, and continued: " If we want to go to the new defense zone, we can only rely on our own two legs."

Klitschko's liaison officer arrived at the headquarters half an hour later. After confirming his identity, Sokov called Koyda to the command post, explained some precautions for entering the new defense area, and said to him: "Comrade Colonel, it's getting late, you should start your troops as soon as possible. Before the Germans launch a new attack, complete the deployment in the new defense zone."

After the troops set off, Sokov lay on the camp bed and was going to sleep, but for some reason, he couldn't fall asleep after tossing and turning. Since he couldn't fall asleep, he simply sat up and began to consider whether he should also follow Keida to the new defense area.

Sokov's movement alarmed Sameko who was sleeping not far away. He sat up quickly and asked Sokov with concern: "Comrade Commander, can't you sleep?"

"Yes," Sokov nodded, and said in an affirmative tone: "Our troops are marching towards the new defense area, but I, the commander, is lying on the bed and fast asleep, how can I sleep? "

After thinking about it, he decided to go to the new defense area with the troops himself, then bent down and began to put on his boots. While putting his boots on his legs, he said to Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the more I think about it, the more I feel uneasy. I want to go to the new defense area to see it myself. Everything here will be in your charge."

Knowing that he could not change Sokov's decision, Sameko could only say euphemistically: "The front is too dangerous. Take more troops when you go out. Even if you encounter any danger, you can get out in time."

"I'm still the guard platoon with Samoilov," Sokov nodded gratefully at Sameko, and said, "There are more than fifty of them, and all of them are veterans who have experienced many battles. They are by my side, safety should be no problem."

Sokov led the guard platoon in three jeeps and two trucks and drove along the road towards the new defense zone.

Half an hour after the convoy set off, it was dawn. Samoilov, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, suddenly turned around and said to Sokov, "Comrade Commander, look quickly, the troops of the 188th Division are ahead."

Sokov looked out the front window, and sure enough, he saw a team of thousands of people marching on the winding dirt road. From a distance, he could see a flag bearer holding a military flag at the front. The company formed a square formation one by one, formed a four-way column, and walked forward neatly.

The convoy drove forward close to the long queue of infantry marching in a hurry, constantly crossing one infantry phalanx after another. When he was about to reach the front of the team, Sokov who was sitting in the car suddenly called out: "Stop the car."

The driver didn't know what was going on, so he stepped on the brakes quickly. The jeeps and trucks following behind saw Sokov's jeep stop. Although they didn't know what happened, they stopped in time. Only the jeep that opened the road in front drove forward for another one or two hundred meters, and found that the convoy behind had stopped, and panic also stopped on the side of the road.

Sokov pushed open the car door and shouted towards a phalanx not far away: "Hello, Colonel Keida."

Following Sokov's shout, Koyda and his chief of staff trotted up to Sokov in the phalanx. He was a little surprised and asked, "Comrade Commander, why are you here?"

"I'm not worried, so I came here to take a look." Sokov glanced at the phalanx formed by the members of the division, frowned and asked, "Why, your division doesn't even have a car?"

"Originally the liaison officer of the friendly army brought a car and asked me to go with him in the car." Koyda said with a smile: "But I was worried that the troops would have a misunderstanding with the friendly army along the way, so I asked him to go back in the car to say hello. .”

"Get in the car." Sokov stepped back and motioned for Koyda to get in the car: "Let's go to the division headquarters of the 81st Guards Division first."

But Koyda was obviously reluctant to leave his troops behind: "Then what about my troops?"

"Isn't there a chief of staff?" Sokov pointed at the chief of staff with his hand, and said, "Comrade chief of staff, Colonel Keida and I will go to the division headquarters of the friendly army first, and you bring the troops over here as soon as possible."

"Yes, Comrade Commander." The division chief of staff straightened up and replied, "I will lead the troops there as soon as possible."

Seeing that Sokov had arranged everything, Keida bent down and got into the jeep. After Koyda closed the car door, Sokov ordered the driver: "Drive."