Red Moscow

But what happened next was different from what Sokov imagined. While he was sitting in the observation post, waiting for an attack order from the division headquarters, a soldier broke in from outside. As soon as he entered the door, he asked loudly, "Where is the battalion commander?"

"I am the battalion commander." Sokov saw clearly the rank on the other party's collar badge with the help of candlelight in the room. It was a sergeant, and asked quickly, "Comrade sergeant, what do you want?"

The sergeant squinted his eyes and looked at Sokov. After he got used to the light in the room and saw clearly the military rank of the officer sitting at the table, he was sure that this was the person he was looking for. He quickly raised his hand in salute and replied: : "Hello, Comrade Major. I am the communications soldier of the division headquarters. I have been ordered to invite you to the division headquarters."

"Are you going to accept a combat mission?" When Sokov said this, he subconsciously glanced at the phone in front of him, thinking that if Chernyshov had any orders, he could notify himself through the phone, why bother? It is unnecessary to send a signal soldier.

The sergeant shook his head and replied: "I'm sorry, Comrade Major, I was just ordered to invite you to the division headquarters. As for what it is, I don't know." After saying this, he paused for a moment, and added , "Comrade Major, let's go now."

Sokov followed the sergeant out of the observation post, bent over and walked along the newly dug communication trench towards the division headquarters. When he was still fifty or sixty meters away from the division headquarters, he suddenly saw several automatic sleds parked in the snow, so he couldn't help asking the sergeant: "Comrade sergeant, is there any important person in the division headquarters?"

"I'm sorry, Comrade Major." Although the signal sergeant knew who was coming in the automatic sled, for reasons of confidentiality, he said vaguely, "I don't know."

"Comrade Sergeant, I know that you didn't answer me because you kept the whereabouts of the senior chiefs a secret." Sokov pointed at the automatic sled parked in the snow: "My troops have used this It is a kind of sled, and I still know its performance. These few vehicles cannot participate in the battle, and can only be used to transport senior commanders."

Seeing that Sokov guessed the matter fairly closely, the sergeant nodded and gave him an affirmative answer in a low voice: "That's right, the comrade commander of the group army is here."

When Sokov walked into the division headquarters, he saw that many people were already sitting in the room. The division commander Chernyshov was sitting at the table, and on the other side were Rokossovsky and Military Commissar Lobachev. . Sokov hurriedly stepped forward to salute several people and reported his arrival. The expressionless Rokossovsky nodded at him, pointed to the side, and said, "Major Sokov, find a place to sit down, we will have a meeting soon."

Sokov found a seat in the corner and sat down, turned his head and asked a lieutenant colonel next to him in a low voice: "Comrade lieutenant colonel, the division commander called us here, what's the matter?"

The lieutenant colonel turned his head to look at Sokov, did not speak, just shook his head, then shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands, indicating that he did not know what was going on.

After waiting for a while, Sokov saw a lieutenant colonel, with his left arm in a cast hanging on his chest, walk into the command post with the help of a health worker. He came in front of Rokossovsky, broke free from the health worker who was supporting him, raised his injured right hand to his forehead, and said with some difficulty: "Comrade Commander, Terebin, the political deputy commander of the 291st Infantry Regiment Sky reports to you..."

Rokossovsky looked at the political deputy head and asked coldly: "Where is your head?"

"Sacrificed." After hearing Rokossovsky's question, Terepinsky lowered his head and replied in a heavy tone: "In the battle not long ago, Comrade Commander was blown into pieces by enemy shells. In two halves."

Everyone, including Sokov, was shocked by what Terepinsky said. Especially Sokov, he only knew that the regiment of the 97th Infantry Division had sacrificed six or seven hundred people during the attack, but he did not expect that even the regiment leader was killed.

After listening to Terepinsky's answer, Rokossovsky was silent for a moment, and asked again: "Are there any other regimental commanders besides you?"

"No." Terepinsky shook his head and replied, "I am the only regimental commander left. The deputy commander rushed to the front of the team, and was unfortunately killed by a German machine gun."

Rokossovsky sighed softly, and said to him: "Comrade Terebinsky, I think your regiment should withdraw to rest first, and let other troops take over from you to attack."

"Comrade Commander," Terebinsky heard Rokossovsky say that he planned to send troops to take over the attack of the 291st regiment, and couldn't help being anxious: "Although our regiment suffered one-third of the casualties during the attack, Commanders and fighters, but the main force of the regiment is still there, and we can continue to take on the main offensive mission. Please don’t let other troops replace us, otherwise, how can we be worthy of those commanders and fighters who died on the battlefield.”

"Comrade political deputy commander," interrupted Chernyshov, who was sitting on the sidelines, "although you are not under my command, the price your regiment paid in the battle that just ended is too high. If you don't let the commanders and fighters Withdrawing to rest, I am afraid it will also have a bad impact on morale."

"Comrade General." Terebinsky looked at Chernyshov and said loudly: "Our regiment also made great sacrifices in the battle to defend Smolensk, and there are only less than 10000 soldiers left in the regiment. Three hundred people. Even in this situation, not only our soldiers did not retreat, but even the women who helped us dig trenches bravely stayed on the ground. Although those women had never received any military training, they I still bravely threw grenades at the German tanks rushing up. When the grenades were thrown away, I threw stones until I died at the end, and no one took a step back..."

Sokov, who was sitting in the corner, admired Terebinsky in his heart when he heard that Terepinsky insisted on not allowing other troops to take over their attack. But when he heard that women who had no military training were allowed to throw grenades and stones at German tanks, he looked at Terebinski with anger: Facing German tanks, even well-trained All the soldiers may not be able to stop it, but you actually let women who have not received any military training to blow up tanks. Aren't you disregarding human life by doing this?

Thinking of this, Sokov stood up abruptly from his seat, and interrupted Terepinsky, who was speaking impassionedly: "Comrade Commander, can I talk about my thoughts?"