Red Moscow

When Koyda sent people to send the seized so-called new submachine guns to the headquarters, not only Sokov, Sameko and Lunev were waiting here, but even Yakov was there.

The reason why Yakov appeared here was proposed by Sokov. He told his two deputies: "Comrade Military Commissar, Comrade Chief of Staff, since Colonel Yakov is from the Armament Department, he has every right to The right to see this new German submachine gun at the first time."

Neither Lunev nor Sameko raised any objections to Sokov's formulation, so Yakov came to the headquarters logically, and accompanied the three of them to wait for Koida's subordinates to deliver the weapons to him. come over.

"Yasha," Sokov asked Yakov while waiting, "We are going to launch an attack on Kharkov in a few days. Whether we can successfully cross the Ud River depends entirely on you." Is it a hovercraft?"

"Misha, because of our relationship, I don't want to lie to you." Yakov said with a sad face: "Originally, these hovercraft were experimental products that had not yet been tested. After a period of use, many problems have been exposed. .Especially when transporting troops through the forest yesterday, quite a few hovercraft collided with trees, and if they are not repaired, they cannot continue to be used at all.”

"Can it be fixed before the battle starts?"

"That's enough." Yakov shook his head and said, "Many spare parts needed for maintenance need to be shipped from Moscow. With the current shipping capacity, it can be shipped here within ten days, which is relatively fast."

"Colonel Yakov," Sameko couldn't help feeling a little anxious when he heard this, "If the spare parts needed for maintenance can only be delivered here after ten days, plus the maintenance time, it will take about half a month. Now, will we still need to use hovercraft by then?"

"General Sameko, I can't help it." Yakov explained helplessly: "I just told Misha, because you were in a hurry to get these hovercraft, and we didn't finish all of them. It is inevitable that there will be some problems in the test."

Seeing Sameko's anxious look, Sokov quickly persuaded him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, don't worry. No one wants to see any problems with the hovercraft. But since it has not passed all tests, it hastily handed over to If it is not used by troops, then we should be mentally prepared that the hovercraft will make mistakes during use.”

"However, Comrade Commander, if our assault troops do not have the help of hovercraft in the battle to attack Kharkov, then they will only be able to use ordinary river crossing equipment to forcefully cross the Ude River under the enemy's hail of bullets. river."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you have to believe that there are always more solutions than difficulties." Sokov comforted the other party and said, "Maybe before the offensive battle starts, the hovercraft can be used normally again. Even if it cannot be used normally, our commanders and fighters can also Find another way to cross the Oud under the enemy's bullets."

Now that Sokov spoke for Yakov, Sameko knew that what he said was useless, so he shut his mouth obediently, sat at the table and looked down at the map in front of him, as if he wanted to find a possible path from it. The way through the enemy's defense zone.

"Misha," Yakov saw Sameko sitting aside sullenly, and apologized to Sokov in a low voice: "It's not that I refused to help you, it's because something unexpected happened and I can't do anything .”

"It's okay, Yasha." Sokov patted Yakov's shoulder and said reasonably: "I understand your difficulties, even if your hovercraft is not repaired when the offensive battle starts, it doesn't matter much. It is entirely possible to use other methods to break through the enemy's line of defense."

Lunev, who was originally silent, couldn't help but his eyes lit up when he heard what Sokov said, and asked quickly: "Comrade Commander, have you thought of any good way to break through the enemy's defense line even without a hovercraft?" ?"

"Comrade Military Commissar, I think you should remember that the Guchakov Battalion took Yasha's hovercraft and detoured to the rear of October Town under my order?"

This happened not long ago. There was no reason why Lunev could not remember it, so he nodded and replied, "I remember, of course I remember. It was you who asked Colonel Yakov to send them back to the back of October Town in a hovercraft."

"Since you remember this, you should remember even more. I asked them to disguise themselves as German soldiers. One was to cut off the connection between October Town and the enemy behind; the other was to sneak into the town and assist the troops of the 84th Division to capture October Town."

"I remember, I remember." Lunev said repeatedly: "I remember all of these, but because they got lost in the forest and lost time, they did not carry out the task of assisting the 84th Division in capturing October Town."

"Comrade Military Commissar," Sokov said to Lunev with a smile, "Since we can disguise a battalion as a German army, can we also disguise a regiment or even a division as a German army?"

"Comrade Commander," Sameko, who was depressed, immediately stood up from his seat when he heard Sokov say this, and said a little excitedly, "Are you planning to order some troops to disguise themselves as German troops and sneak into the German troops?" defense depth?"

"Yes, that's what I thought about it." Sokov felt that it was very appropriate to order the troops to dress up as German troops and go deep into the enemy's rear to cooperate with the frontal offensive troops: "Our troops dressed up as German troops and go deep into the enemy's rear can Turn the enemy's lair upside down, so that it can reduce the pressure on the frontline troops in a disguised form."

"Then which army do you think can undertake this arduous and glorious task?"

"How about the 98th Guards Division?" Although Sokov is the top military director of the group army, he never makes any public comments. He will seek the opinions of his two deputies in advance for some important decisions, and this time is no exception: "If you have no objections, immediately call Colonel Chuvashov and order his troops to prepare for departure."

But Sameko asked with some concern: "Comrade commander, do you think they can complete such a task? After all, they have just merged from three brigades into one guard division, and the commanders and fighters of each unit still need a break-in and adjustment." familiar process."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you don't have to worry about this." Sokov waved his hand at Sameko and said, "Although the 98th Guards Division has just been established, the three brigades have fought side by side many times before the reorganization. The commanders and fighters here are very familiar with each other, I believe they have already gotten used to it, and it is very appropriate to send them to carry out this mission."

After pondering over Sokov's words several times, Sameko finally nodded slowly and said, "Okay, Comrade Commander, since you have made a decision, let's arrange for your order to be executed."

After finishing speaking, he picked up the phone on the table, connected to the division headquarters of the 98th Guards Division, then handed the microphone to Sokov, and said respectfully: "Comrade Commander, the call has been connected, Chuvashov The Colonel is awaiting your order."

"Colonel Chuvashov," Sokov who answered the phone, said into the microphone: "I have an important task that I want to entrust to you to complete. It should be a test for all of you."

"Comrade Commander, the commanders and fighters of the entire division are now holding back their energy and want to fight the enemy face to face. It is really great that you can assign combat tasks to us now."

"Comrade Colonel, listen." Sokov explained his plan to the other party in detail, and finally said: "Your division will set off after dark, and you must find a way to pass through the enemy's defense line and enter the designated area. place of attack."

"Comrade Commander, I just looked at the map." Chuvashov waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and offered: "If we want to go to the vicinity of Kharkov, we must go through October Town, Kazakhya Luopan Town, Jergachi and other places. Now these places are under the control of the enemy, and I worry that the troops will be spotted by the enemy when they pass through these towns."

"Comrade Colonel, your news is outdated." Sokov said happily: "After the fierce battle of our army, October Town and Kazakia Compass Town were liberated by our army. Now Dergach, It is facing the threat of our army."

Knowing that October Town and Kazakhya Compass Town had been liberated, Chuvashov was very surprised, and he couldn't help asking curiously: "Comrade Commander, when did this happen? I do not know?"

"It's right if you don't know." Sokov said with a smile: "October Town was liberated yesterday, and Kazakia Compass Town was just liberated today. I haven't had time to get these two good news. Inform the entire army, so it is normal for you not to know."

"That's really great." After confirming the two great news from Sokov, Chuvashov also became excited. In this way, the chances of the troops he led being spotted by the enemy on the road will increase. was greatly reduced. "Since these two towns have fallen into the hands of our army, it will be very easy for us to pass here."

"Comrade Colonel, although our makeup attack was beyond the expectations of the Germans, we should not be paralyzed by it." Sokov reminded Chuvashov: "You are going deep behind the enemy's rear. If any accident occurs, you will attack the Germans." Your lives are at risk."

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Chuvashov said to Sokov: "You once told us that a wounded beast bites a person more painfully, and the German is this wounded beast."

"It's good if you understand this truth, then let the commanders and fighters prepare as soon as possible." Speaking of this, Sokov thought of another key question. In any case, the 98th Guards Division now has five or six thousand people , to let them make up as Germans, can you find so many German uniforms? Quickly asked: "By the way, do you have enough German uniforms?"

"Comrade Commander, we only have about 2,000 sets of German uniforms. But don't worry, I can only wrong those commanders and fighters who don't have German uniforms and let them pretend to be prisoners of our army, so that they can easily sneak into the enemy's barracks .”

"Comrade Colonel, you are very thoughtful." Sokov was still wondering where to mobilize so many German uniforms for the 98th Guards Division, but after hearing Chuvashov's plan, he couldn't help applauding : "The real Germans, seeing that your army is escorting many prisoners of war of our army, I think you will no longer doubt your identity, so that you can easily blend into the enemy's defense line and prepare for the large army. "

He paused for a moment, then asked again: "Do you still have any difficulties?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Chuvashov said on the phone: "There are two more things that need your help."

"Speak, Comrade Colonel." Sokov said without hesitation: "As long as I can do it, I will support you with all my strength."

"Since we want to pretend to be the enemy, we must first change our weapons. Otherwise, as soon as we enter the German defense zone, the enemy will see that our soldiers are holding assault rifles in their hands, so why don't we pass it on?" Chuvashov said: "The first Second, before our troops pass through the defense zone of friendly forces, I hope you can say hello to them, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings when they arrive."

"Comrade Colonel, I will ask the logistics department to prepare a batch of German weapons for you immediately. Secondly, even if you don't tell me, I will greet the troops along the way, so as not to cause conflicts between you and them due to misunderstanding."

As soon as he put down the phone, Sokov told Sameko: "Chief of Staff, immediately call the Chief of Logistics and order him to prepare a batch of captured German weapons for the 98th Guards Division."

"Seized German weapons?" Sameko was talking to Yakov just now, and he didn't hear the other party between Sokov and Chuvashov. He asked in surprise: "Comrade commander, do you want to use these weapons?" What are the weapons for?"

"Chuvashov told me that since they wanted to pretend to be Germans, the weapons they used should naturally not be those of our army, so as not to be seen through the German defense line."

"How many weapons do you need?"

Sokov thought for a while and replied, "I think fifteen or six hundred rifles and submachine guns are enough. To increase firepower, they can also be equipped with a few MG42 general-purpose machine guns."

"We have seized a lot in the past few months. With so many weapons in the warehouse, there should be no big problem."

After receiving the order, Sameko quickly called the chief of logistics and explained to him the preparation of German weapons for the 98th Guards Division. As for the question raised by the other party, he did not answer at all, but said in a stern tone: "Comrade Colonel, this is an order from the headquarters, you can just follow it, understand?"

The director of logistics did not dare to refute, so he could only bite the bullet and replied: "Understood, Comrade Chief of Staff, I will arrange manpower as soon as possible to send the weapons to the garrison of the 98th Guards Division."

"Hurry up, the 98th Guards Division will leave in one or two hours. If your weapons have not been delivered before they leave, you will be dismissed."

Before the director of logistics sent someone to deliver weapons to the 98th Guards Division, the soldiers sent by Koida finally arrived. He handed over the two seized "new submachine guns" to Sokov, and said respectfully: "Comrade commander, this is the new submachine gun captured by our division. The division commander ordered me to send it to you."

After looking at a gun over and over for a while, Yakov said to Sokov: "Yasha, this is not a submachine gun at all, but a new type of assault rifle. But judging from its appearance, it seems that it is not as good as Get on the assault rifle we use."