Red Moscow

"What's going on here?" Knowing that the German 24th Armored Division was hit by artillery fire while moving north, Guriyev was certainly happy, but he really wanted to find out what was going on: "Comrade Chief of Staff, where did the artillery fire come from, causing such losses to the enemy."

Zalijuk shook his head and said with a wry smile: "The telegram from the headquarters is somewhat vague. We have no way of knowing where the German army was shelled and how serious the damage was."

Guriyev felt that he needed to figure out the matter as soon as possible, and immediately asked the communications soldier to connect to the group army headquarters. When he heard Krylov's voice coming from the receiver, Guriyev didn't care about the greetings, so he asked straight to the point: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I would like to ask about the process of the German 24th Armored Division moving north. They were attacked by artillery fire from our army, what happened? How about their casualties?"

"So it's General Guriyev," Krylov said with a smile after hearing Guriyev's voice, "I guessed that you would definitely call to inquire about this matter, and I guessed right. "

Guriyev was not in the mood to play guessing games with Krylov at the moment. He asked anxiously, "Comrade Chief of Staff, can you tell me what's going on? This matter is very important to me."

"Comrade General, the situation is as follows. A few days ago, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, who was in charge of defending the Mamayev Post, sent a small force to fight guerrillas in the enemy's rear. The main task was to destroy roads, bridges, attack Enemy transport lines, depots and headquarters." Krylov replied: "This time the 24th Panzer Division was attacked, and it was this small unit that did it."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, if you say that the guerrillas are destroying roads and bridges in the enemy's rear, and attacking the enemy's transportation lines, warehouses, and even the headquarters, I will believe it. But," Guriev said dubiously about Krylov's statement Q: "But attacking an established armored force and taking a lot of damage, I don't think that's going to be possible."

Guriyev’s statement is not aimless. In previous offensive and defensive battles, to deal with a German armored division, the Soviet army had to dispatch at least four or five divisions to achieve a tie. Now it is only a small force. In Guriyev's view, it is simply a fantasy that such a great result can be achieved.

"Although we haven't received further battle reports," Krylov said calmly in the face of Guriyev's doubts, "but based on the results they achieved some time ago, I believe all of this is true."

The 73rd Infantry Brigade achieved results in the enemy's rear. For reasons of confidentiality, it did not carry out large-scale propaganda within the group army. It only vaguely mentioned that the Infantry Brigade had achieved good results in the battle to defend Stalingrad. Therefore, it is completely logical for Guriyev to have such doubts.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Guriyev heard Krylov say this, and immediately realized that the German 24th Armored Division seemed to have no threat to his defense zone in a short period of time, and the stone hanging in his heart finally fell to the ground: "Thank you, thank you for informing us of such good news."

…………

After Guriyev left the assembly workshop, Sokov called Briski, Borshak, and Cousteau together to discuss with them the deficiencies in the defensive deployment.

After Sokov briefly described the defense situation of the assembly workshop, he said casually: "In order to strengthen the defense of the factory building and turn it into a fortress that the Germans cannot conquer, it is necessary to further improve our defense. You guys Let’s talk about what’s wrong with our defense!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Balshak rushed to say: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, let me express my opinion. You see, the German bombardment broke the barbed wire in front of the factory building. As a result, the German infantry It can easily pass through the barbed wire and rush into our factory."

Sokov wrote down what Balshak said in his notebook, then raised his head and continued to ask, "Anyone else want to add?"

"Let me say a few words." Bolshak's words reminded Briski, and he went on to say: "I think we should lay minefields in front of the positions, so that the German infantry cannot rush over quickly. .”

"Comrade Captain, you are right, but I was negligent on this point." After admitting his negligence, Sokov asked Cousteau, "Comrade workshop director, do you know where you can get mines?"

"There are two hundred mines in the basement." Cousteau asked Sokov curiously: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, where do you plan to bury the minefield?"

Sokov did not immediately answer his question, but asked instead: "Comrade workshop director, where do you think we should bury the mines?"

Cousteau frowned and thought about it, and said: "If we want to plant mines around the factory building, the number of mines in our hands is far from enough. In this way, we can only lay mines in the direction where the enemy may attack, But buried here, once hit by heavy German artillery fire, these mines will be detonated..."

Hearing Cousteau's concerns, Sokov smiled lightly, and then said: "Comrade workshop director, don't worry, we can bury the mines at the distance from the fence to the factory building, and spread them as far as possible. It will be more difficult for German engineers to remove landmines."

"Comrade Brigadier is right," Briski has not been following Sokov for a day or two. Hearing this, he immediately understood what Sokov wanted to express, and quickly echoed: "We spread the landmines so that The enemy has the possibility of stepping on landmines at any time since they crossed the fence. Even if they find a large number of landmines in this area, it is not an easy task to remove them, because our landmines are buried everywhere. And when their sappers are clearing mines, our sharpshooters can kill them. Without sappers, I see how the Germans will attack.”

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, scattered landmines can indeed cause losses and threats to the enemy, but this is also very detrimental to us." Balshak said with great concern: "If we launch a counterattack, these mines may also be destroyed." Injured our commanders."

"Major Balshak," Sokov waited for the other party to finish speaking, and then asked in an unhurried manner: "Do you think we can launch a counterattack against the enemy with our current strength?"

"I don't think so." Balshak hesitated for a long time before replying: "My destroyer battalion has just been rebuilt, and it may take some time before it can form combat effectiveness. And you only have 300 soldiers under your command for defense. It may be barely enough; but if it is used for offense, pardon me, the number is really small."

"Since we don't have the strength to attack the enemy for the time being, no matter how the landmines are laid, it won't cause us any loss." Sokov said here, seeing Balshak open his mouth, as if he wanted to say something more , raised his hand to stop him, and went on to say: "When we are able to launch a counterattack, all the landmines planted by the Germans should have been trampled by the Germans. Even if there are a few left, it will have no effect on us." gone."

"Comrade Brigadier," Sokov had just finished speaking, when the radio operator sitting on the side suddenly called out: "The chief of staff has sent you a telegram."

"Bring it to me."

The operator got up and handed Sokov a telegram that had just been transcribed. Sokov unfolded the telegram and saw that it read: "It is urgent, please call back quickly."

After reading the contents of the telegram, Sokov suddenly had the image of a pager in his mind, and felt that the telegram was like Sidolin asking him to page back. He put down the telegram, turned around and asked Cousteau: "Comrade workshop director, do you have a phone here to contact Mamayev Gang?"

Cousteau pointed to the direct-dial telephone next to Sokov, and replied: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the telephone next to you is fine. You pick up the receiver, and when you hear someone talking inside, ask her to replace Mamayer for you." The brigade headquarters in Fugang will do."

Sokov was eager to know what Sidolin wanted for him, so he followed the steps Cousteau said and connected to the brigade headquarters on Mamayev Post. As soon as he heard Sidolin's voice, he couldn't wait to ask: "Chief of Staff, I'm Sokov, what happened?"

"Hello, Comrade Brigadier!" Sidolin's voice was full of uncontrollable joy: "I have some good news to tell you, but because I can't get through to your phone number, I have to send you a telegram .”

"Comrade Chief of Staff." Hearing Sidolin say this, Sokov felt a little bit dumbfounded: "I am carrying a telegraph. In addition to sending telegrams, I can also directly make wireless calls."

"I know, Comrade Brigadier." Sidolin said with a smile, "I was worried that the wireless phone would be tapped by the Germans, so I sent the telegram."

Sokov was not in the mood to go around in circles with Sidolin, and said impatiently: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I have a lot of things to do. If there is anything, please tell me directly, okay?"

"That's right, Comrade Brigadier." Sidolin heard the displeasure in Sokov's tone, and quickly said seriously: "Lieutenant Grisa, who is operating behind the enemy's rear, has sent us a telegram. , said that today they attacked a German armored unit going north, and destroyed nearly 20 tanks, more than 30 trucks, and more than 500 German soldiers. They confirmed that this was the 24th of the German army through the documents on the body of the German army. Armored Division."

"The 24th Armored Division?" Sokov couldn't help being surprised when he heard the number of the German army's unit, because this unit has been operating in the area on the left flank of Mamayev Hill, but now it appears in the area where the small unit is active for no reason. , It is indeed puzzling: "Comrade Chief of Staff, have you figured out what's going on?"

"I figured it out, Comrade Brigadier." Sidolin replied respectfully: "The Germans obviously want to transfer this unit to the factory area and let them assist the infantry in launching a new round of countermeasures against the factories occupied by our army." They may know that we have artillery observers on the hills of Mamayev Kurgan, who can guide the artillery on the left bank to launch artillery strikes on the enemy, so they did not choose to start from the railway in front of Mamayev Kurgan Along the line, they chose an area farther from the high ground. But they were unlucky, their route was just within the strike range of our enemy's rear squad. After Lieutenant Grisa discovered the enemy's marching group, he decisively ordered the soldiers The attack was carried out with a new type of rocket, which inflicted heavy damage on the enemy."

"Lieutenant Grisa is doing a good job." Sokov said happily: "They actively seized the fighter plane, inflicted heavy damage on the Germans, and relieved our defensive pressure in the direction of the factory area."

As soon as Sokov put down the phone, Briski couldn't wait to ask: "Comrade Brigadier, what happened?"

"Comrade Captain," Sokov said to Briski with a smile: "The chief of staff told me that the small army behind the enemy led by Lieutenant Grisa attacked the 24th Armored Division going north and caused them serious damage. Huge casualties. I think this armored division will be useless in a short time."

"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, what did you just say? A small unit of yours attacked the 24th Armored Division going north and caused them huge casualties?" Anyway, Bolshak is considered a soldier After listening to what Sokov said, he also asked dubiously: "I want to ask, if the enemy is really so vulnerable, why is our defensive battle so difficult?"

"This, this..." Balshak's words really stopped Sokov. After a long time, he began to say: "The small troops of our brigade operating behind the enemy all carry a new type of rocket. .This type of rocket can strike enemy targets several kilometers away. This new type of rocket was used to attack the German armored division on the march.”

"New rockets?!" Borshak raised his eyebrows when he heard what Sokov said, and then asked tentatively: "Not long ago, those wooden boxes you pulled by trucks contained these kinds of rockets." A new type of rocket?"

"That's right." Since we were all comrades in the same trench, Sokov felt that there was no need to conceal the matter, so he nodded and replied, "The boxes are indeed new rockets."

Knowing that there are also rockets that can cause huge casualties to the Germans here in the factory, both Borshak and Cousteau are relieved, because they understand that with this kind of weapon, it is necessary to It will no longer be difficult to smash the German offensive.

Cousteau couldn't help asking: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, when do you plan to use these rockets to destroy the attacking enemy?"

"Don't worry, Comrade Workshop Director." Sokov waved his hand at Cousteau and said, "This kind of rocket is suitable for hitting concentrated targets. When the German army launches a large-scale attack on the assembly workshop one day, we will ruthlessly attack the assembly workshop." Teach them a lesson."