Red Moscow

Back to two hours ago, Schmid immediately returned to his office after receiving Paulus' order and called the division commanders. His first call was to Major General Lazer, commander of the 29th Motorized Rifle Division.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Schmid gave the order to switch to the defense, Leizer became angry. He asked angrily: "Your Excellency Chief of Staff, half of my division has officers and soldiers, and the large granary in the south of Stalingrad and Russia People fight for it, and maybe in half a day, or even a few hours, we will be able to completely occupy this area, but you let me deploy troops to wipe out the guerrillas in the rear. Shouldn't these damn Russians be handed over to the SS Will the army deal with it?"

Hearing that Leiser was so disgusted with Paulus's order, Schmid said helplessly: "General Leiser, I don't want to hide the real situation from you. Several small Russian troops have penetrated into our army. The defense zone caused a lot of casualties to our army. It is the order of your commander to dispatch troops to eliminate the Russians behind our army, so you are ordered to suspend the attack and deploy troops to eliminate the Russians behind."

"Your Excellency Chief of Staff," Leizer couldn't help asking curiously when he heard Schmid say this: "Can I ask, what kind of troops do the Russians who sneaked into the rear of our army have, and they can actually make your Excellency Commander stop?" The decision to attack?"

Schmid replied with a wry smile: "According to reliable information, there are about fifty or sixty Russians who sneaked into the rear of our army."

"What, there are only fifty or sixty people?!" After hearing clearly what Schmid said, Laiser immediately jumped up from his seat, with an expression of disbelief on his face: "Your Excellency, there are only a few dozen Russians. , and it’s worth our fuss, isn’t this a bit too much of a fuss?”

"General Laiser, don't underestimate these dozens of Germans. They caused huge losses to our army last night." Schmid saw that Laiser was a little careless about the order to mobilize troops to clear the rear. , quickly introduced to him the losses suffered by the troops last night, as well as the removal of a regiment headquarters of the 295th Infantry Division, and finally said: "They can achieve such results because they have He invented a new type of rocket, which can attack from a long distance and cause huge casualties to our army, and then move quickly so that our troops can't find him. In order to avoid similar situations from happening again, each division must deploy troops , search behind their respective defenses and find these nasty Russians from their hidden counterparts."

After learning that a regiment headquarters was quietly taken away by the Soviet army at night, Laize couldn't help taking a breath: "Your Excellency Chief of Staff, you just said that they sneaked into the rear of our army. What area?"

"According to the information we have obtained, they sneaked into the rear of our army from the defense zones of the 71st, 76th and 295th Infantry Divisions." Schmid patiently explained to Laiser: "We don't know that other than these three Which divisions did they infiltrate outside the defense area of ​​the division? In order to avoid unnecessary losses to the troops, the commander decided that all troops should temporarily suspend the attack on Stalingrad, turn to the defense on the spot, and mobilize enough to search for the Russians in the rear."

After listening to Schmid's explanation, Leizer finally realized the seriousness of the problem, and quickly replied: "Understood, Your Excellency Chief of Staff, I will immediately order the troops to stop the offensive and deploy enough manpower to attack the Russians in the rear. people to clean up."

"Remember, Mr. General." Schmid told Laiser: "Even if there is no Russian squad infiltrating your defense zone, you can still take this opportunity to wipe out the guerrillas operating behind you."

…………

Two hours later, after Schmid came out of Paulus' office, he picked up the phone again, and it was still Laiser's number that he called first.

Hearing Schmid's voice, Leizer reported to him with some pride: "Your Excellency Chief of Staff, according to your order, I have transferred two battalions from the front, and now they are 15 miles away from the original combat site. It's twenty kilometers away."

"General Laiser." Hearing that Laiser's troops had begun to move to the rear, Schmid immediately became anxious: "Immediately order them to stop and return to the original defense area as soon as possible, and prepare to attack the Russians again?"

"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, what did you say?" Schmid's words surprised Laiser: "Didn't you order us to dispatch troops to the rear to wipe out the guerrillas?"

"Yes, General Leizer," Schmid replied with a bitter face, "I did issue such an order two hours ago, but now the situation has changed, you must immediately transfer these troops back to the front line, Renew the offensive against the Russians."

"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, what are you kidding?" Laize was unhappy when he heard what Schmid said. He thought to himself that he had managed to mobilize two battalions from the front to go to the rear to wipe out the small Soviet army. The detachment and the guerrillas, who knew that halfway through, Schmid ordered himself to transfer people back, and immediately became angry: "Do you know how much effort it took me to withdraw the troops from the front? Now that the troops are halfway there, you ordered me to let them return to their original combat positions, isn't that teasing us?"

Schmid knew that such a change of order would definitely arouse the resentment of the division commanders below, but it was an order issued by Hitler himself to let the troops attack again, and no one could disobey it. Seeing that Laize got angry at this moment, he could only bite the bullet and explain: "General Laize, ordering the divisions to mobilize troops to clean up the rear is a decision made by the Commander based on the current situation. But let the troops go on the offensive again. , but it was an order just issued by the head of state."

Leizer originally wanted to reprimand Schmid a few more words, but when he heard that the re-attack on Stalingrad was an order issued by the Führer himself, he swallowed the words and could only say helplessly: "Okay, Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, I will immediately have the troops informed so that they can return to the front line."

Considering that even if the troops return to the front, it will take a certain amount of time to deploy, so he said euphemistically: "But after the troops return to the front, it may take time to adjust the deployment before they can attack the area occupied by the Russians again. , I hope you can understand."

"I understand, I understand." Schmid didn't know what kind of troubles would be caused if the troops returned to the front and launched an offensive again, so he understood: "As long as you can face your front before dark If the Russians attack, it is considered as obeying the order of the Fuehrer."

When Schmid called the other division commanders, he also received unanimous complaints from everyone, but when he said that the re-attack on Stalingrad was an order issued by the head of state himself, all the division commanders were silent and could only helplessly He quickly recalled the troops who were going to the rear to wipe out the Soviet army, and returned to the front to prepare for the attack.

…………

At dawn, the Soviet commanders found that the German army did not launch an attack as usual, and even some areas were still withdrawing troops. They thought it was a conspiracy by the German army, and they reported to their superiors while raising their vigilance. But not long after, they got a notification from the Army Group Command that the rear of the German army had been attacked. They might temporarily stop their attack on the city and deploy troops to the rear so that everyone could continue to closely monitor the enemy's movements.

After learning the truth that the German army stopped attacking and began to withdraw troops on a small scale, the vast majority of commanders and fighters felt relieved. Except for a few fighters who were monitoring the enemy on the opposite side, the rest of the fighters were resting in bunkers or fortifications.

Sidolin also received the same notice, and he asked Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Brigadier, since the attention of the German army has been attracted by our squad, can we order the soldiers to rest. After months of fighting, the soldiers are very tired."

"Yes, Comrade Brigadier." For Sidolin's statement, Vitkov also agreed: "The soldiers are already exhausted after such a long battle. Now it is hard to catch up with the Germans and stop the attack. Let them have a good rest." After he finished speaking, without waiting for Sokov to respond, he turned to Sidolin and said, "Chief of Staff, when arranging the soldiers to rest, we must leave enough Observation post, monitor the movement of the enemy on the opposite side."

"Wait a minute, Comrade Chief of Staff." Seeing Sidolin pick up the phone, Sokov was about to call several battalion commanders, and quickly stopped him: "I think the Germans stopped attacking for a while, maybe something It's time to attack again. I know the soldiers are tired, but if they are allowed to rest now, they will easily fall asleep and cannot wake up. What should we do if the Germans suddenly attack?"

"But, Comrade Brigadier." Although Sidolin felt that Sokov's statement had some truth in his heart, but thinking of those exhausted soldiers, he still said unwillingly: "We don't know when the Germans The attack will be launched again, maybe for a few hours, or maybe for a few days. Isn't it a pity to let the soldiers give up this hard-won rest opportunity?"

Sokov stared at Sidolin intently, his mind running at high speed, thinking about how to solve this problem. After a while, he said: "Okay, Comrade Chief of Staff, call the battalion commanders and say that the Germans may not attack us in a short time, and let them arrange half of the soldiers to rest. After dark, arrange for the other half of the soldiers to rest."

Regarding Sokov's arrangement, Sidolin thought it was very reasonable. He arranged for half of the soldiers to rest. Even if the enemy suddenly attacked, there would be enough manpower to block the enemy's attack. So he nodded and said: "Understood, Comrade Brigadier Commander, I will immediately convey your order to the battalion commanders."

After the order was issued, half of the defenders of Mamayev Post stayed in the tunnel to sleep, while the rest were still repairing the fortifications on the high ground, preparing for a possible German attack.

In the evening, the phone on the table rang suddenly, waking up Sokov who was dozing off at the table. He was about to reach for the microphone, but Sidolin picked it up first, and whispered to his ear: "I am Lieutenant Colonel Sidolin, where are you?...What, the enemy launched an attack again?... How many troops are there?...Understood, I will report to the brigade commander."

Sokov heard that the Germans were attacking again, and before Sidolin put down the microphone, he couldn't wait to ask: "Chief of Staff, have the Germans launched an attack on Mamayev Post again?"

After hearing Sokov's question, Sidolin was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said: "Comrade Brigadier, the call is from the third battalion commander, Captain Andrei, who said that the German army has launched a new attack on the urban area. After the offensive, the area they occupied was bombarded by heavy German artillery fire. Because the artillery fire came so suddenly, many soldiers who were resting had no time to move, and were buried in the ruins of the bombed buildings.”

Knowing that many soldiers in the third battalion were buried in the collapsed ruins under the enemy's shelling, the corners of Sokov's mouth twitched violently. He was very sad for these sacrificed soldiers. But can't do anything. After sniffing hard, he said to Sidolin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, call the observation post on the top of the hill and ask if there is any movement from the German army opposite us?"

Sidolin nodded, picked up the phone and contacted the observation post on the top of the hill. After asking a few words, he held the microphone and said to Sokov: "Comrade Brigadier, I just asked the observation post, and he said that the German army on the opposite side is still the same, and the transferred troops have not returned to the front. Signs of attack."

"Chief of Staff," Sokov told Sidolin quickly when he heard this, "Ask the observation post, except for the German artillery bombardment in the direction of the city, what is the situation in the factory area on the right wing of Mamayev Post?"

"Brigade Commander." Sidolin waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and immediately asked into the microphone: "How is the factory area on our right wing? Has it been shelled by the German army?"

After listening to the report from the observation post, Sidolin put down the microphone and said to Sokov: "Comrade Brigadier, I have already learned that, except for the calm here on Mamayev Hill, the friendly defense areas on the left and right flanks have all been hit by German artillery fire. attack."

"Comrade Brigadier, tell me, what's going on?" Sidolin asked curiously, "Why did the Germans only bombard the positions on the left and right flanks of Mamayev Hill, while our front didn't move at all?" ?”

Regarding this strange imagination, Sokov frowned and thought for a long time, and finally said quietly: "I guess the reason why the frontal German army did not attack us is because they used all their main forces to deal with ours." The squad has gone. Once they've wiped out the squad, they'll turn around and start a new attack on us."