Red Moscow

"There are less than fifty people left in the whole battalion?" Zakharov couldn't help being secretly surprised when he heard the number that Sokov said, and he continued to ask: "How long did this battle with heavy casualties last?" time?"

"Less than twenty minutes." Sokov said: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, based on this, I can conclude that the attack on Height 239 will definitely not be a small German army."

"That's right, I think so too." After agreeing with Sokov, Zakharov asked, "How do you plan to drive the enemy away from the high ground?"

"I have ordered the 126th regiment to concentrate all its forces and launch a counterattack against the Germans. At the same time, I also ordered General Kurishenko, the commander of the 41st Guards Division, to let the artillery regiment of the division fire and build a line 200 meters in front of the high ground. Firewall, so that subsequent German troops could not enter the high ground."

"You did the right thing." Zakharov asked puzzledly, "Then what is your purpose of calling me?"

"The front of Heights 239 is as wide as 800 meters. It is difficult to build an insurmountable wall of fire in front of the position just close to the artillery of the 41st Division Artillery Regiment of the Guards. artillery cover."

"Comrade Sokov, this matter is of great importance. I need to report to Commander Konev immediately." Zakharov said solemnly: "You can call again in ten minutes."

"Okay." Sokov agreed, "I'll call you in ten minutes."

"Comrade Commander," Smirnov said to Sokov as soon as he put down the phone, "Colonel Sidolin reported that the chief of staff of the 126th Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Kryzhiuf, personally led a battalion With the third battalion, attack the Germans on the high ground."

When Sokov heard this, he said in his heart that Kryzhov can be dealt with! He can really go up if something happens! If there is an opportunity in the future, you can give him a regiment leader. He coughed lightly, and then asked, "Have you figured out the enemy's number?"

"Not yet." Smirnov shook his head and said, "So far, we haven't captured any prisoners, so we don't know which part of the enemy group is attacking the highland."

"Are the artillerymen ready for shelling?" Sokov asked. As soon as he spoke, he saw Tsarev standing in front of him with an embarrassed look on his face, and quickly added: "I am asking the 41st Guards The division's division belongs to the artillery regiment."

"Yes, they are ready for shelling." Smirnov replied: "The shelling can be carried out in front of the 239 Heights at any time."

"Very good." Sokov nodded, and then said to Tsarev: "Comrade Artillery Commander, order the artillery that can bombard the front of the 239 Heights to immediately implement blocking fire on the Heights to prevent more Germans from attacking." Enter our army's position."

After Sokov finished giving Tsarev instructions, he said to Smirnov again: "Comrade Chief of Staff, call Colonel Stirlitz, commander of the 116th Infantry Division, and order him to transfer two regiments to reinforce 239 Heights."

Hearing Sokov's order, Smirnov said with some surprise: "Comrade commander, didn't you order the 41st Guards Division to transfer the main force to the direction of Height 239 two days ago? Why did you order other How about reinforcements from the troops?"

"The reason is very simple, my Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov said to Smirnov: "If the German army's attack on the high ground at this moment is a part of their breakout operation, then our German Third Panzer Army in the southwest will There will be changes. If we transfer the main force of the 41st Guards Division to the position of Height 239, then the original defensive position will be empty of troops. "

"So that's the case." After Smirnov figured out the situation, he took the initiative to ask Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Commander, except for the 116th Infantry Division, do the rest of the troops need to adjust their deployment?"

"Order the 130th and 214th Infantry Divisions to enter the first-level combat readiness." Sokov said: "If the German 3rd Panzer Army in the encirclement really moves, then they need to reinforce the 41st Guards Division."

Ten minutes passed in a blink of an eye. Sokov was about to order the director of the communications corps to connect to the front army headquarters, but he first received a call from Sidolin: "Comrade commander, I figured it out. The German army occupying Height 239 now , the 105th Grenadier Regiment, 72nd Infantry Division, commanded by Colonel Robert Swift."

Although Sokov knew that Sidolin must have had accurate information before reporting to him, but thinking that he was going to report to Konev soon, he asked worriedly: "Is the information reliable?"

"It's completely reliable." Sidolin replied: "We not only found the bodies of the officers and soldiers of the 105th Grenadier Regiment, but also captured two prisoners. This information was obtained after our interrogation."

"Comrade Colonel, send the prisoners to the Army Group Command immediately." Sokov felt that only by interrogating the prisoners himself could he get more useful information: "I want to interrogate them personally."

"Okay, I'll send someone to send the captive there immediately."

"Has the high ground been taken back?"

"At present, the battle is still going on." Sidolin said: "Although our commanders and fighters are very brave, due to the large number of enemies and the favorable terrain, our counterattack is not going smoothly. It will take a while to regain ground."

"Since this is the case, why don't you arrange for the artillery regiment of the division to fire!" Sokov said angrily: "If the connection between the highland German army and the follow-up troops is not cut off, more German troops will continue to enter the highland. At that time, let alone the 126th Regiment, even if you fill in the entire Guards Division, it will not be enough."

The phone call between Sokov and Sidolin lasted five minutes, so that the time agreed with Zakharov was delayed.

As soon as the phone was put down here, Zakharov called, and he said angrily: "Comrade Sokov, didn't I ask you to call me in ten minutes? Why didn't you call, really There is no sense of time at all."

"Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army." Hearing that Zakharov was angry, Sokov quickly explained to him: "Just now I was on the phone with the Chief of Staff of the 41st Guards Division to learn about the situation at Height 239. I didn't call you in time. , I'm so sorry."

Hearing that Sokov said that he didn't call himself in time because he knew about the situation at Height 239, Zakharov was half angry. He asked urgently, "How is the situation at Height 239? Which part is it?"

"Yes, I have figured it out. The German army that attacked Height 239 was the 105th Grenadier Regiment under the 72nd Infantry Division."

"It's impossible." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Zakharov on the other end of the phone yelled: "The 72nd Division of the German Army is still staying in Komarovka. The 5th Guards Airborne Division, how did the enemy bypass our defenses and appear on Height 239, did they fall from the sky?"

"There is nothing wrong, Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army." Sokov said: "Not only the corpses of officers and soldiers of the 72nd Infantry Division appeared on the battlefield, but two officers and soldiers were even captured by our army. Colonel Doring sent them to me, and I intended to interrogate them myself, and find out where the enemy came from."

"Comrade Sokov, once there is a new interrogation result, remember to report it to me in time."

"This is no problem." After Sokov agreed to Zakharov's proposal, he shifted the topic to more important matters: "I want to ask, can the artillery of the front army provide us with artillery support?"

"General Konev is in my artillery," Zakharov said, "If you have any requests, you can tell him directly."

Soon, Sokov heard Konev's familiar voice coming from the receiver: "Hello, Comrade Sokov, I'm Konev. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Comrade Front Army Commander," Sokov said cautiously, "Although I don't know how many enemies are attacking Height 239, according to my judgment, the scale must not be small. In order to prevent Height 239 from being occupied by the enemy, I beg You can get the artillery to provide us with the necessary artillery support."

"Comrade Sokov," Konev asked without comment after listening to Sokov's request, "Are you really sure that the German army attacking Height 239 is qualified to use the artillery of the Front Army to deal with them?"

"I'm very sure, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." Ever since Sidolin mentioned the number of the 105th Grenadier Regiment, Sokov remembered that in the history he had read, those who acted with this unit, and The 5th Walloon Brigade, belonging to the Viking Division, had a combined strength of almost 4,000. Now the only thing that can prevent them from entering Height 239 is powerful artillery fire: "If artillery interception is not implemented, I am worried that once more German troops enter Height 239, the situation will become unfavorable to our army."

What Sokov said later made Konev realize the seriousness of the problem. He pondered for a moment, and then said: "Okay, Comrade Sokov, I will immediately call General Fomin and ask him to block 239 with artillery fire. ahead of the heights, and prevent any further enemy from entering the positions they have just taken."

"Comrade Commander of the Front Army, thank you very much." Hearing that Konev agreed to allow the Artillery of the Front Army to support Highland 239 with artillery fire, Sokov was overjoyed. An insurmountable wall of fire was built in front, and the German army trying to enter the high ground was blown to pieces. "With the artillery support of the Front Army, I believe we will be able to firmly hold the 239 Heights."

After putting down the phone, a beaming Sokov asked Smirnov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, have the reinforcements from the 116th Infantry Division set off?"