Red Moscow

After listening to Sokov’s report, Chuikov’s first words were: “The air force, I want it too. However, the strength of the German air force far surpasses ours, and the city’s air supremacy is currently in their hands. , our air force is temporarily unable to compete with them. Therefore, the air defense problem of the factory area, you can only find a way to solve it yourself."

Hearing what Cuikov said, Sokov's heart suddenly turned cold. Before he could speak, Cuikov had already guessed what was on his mind: "Lieutenant Colonel Sukov, I know, you must be very disappointed at the moment, right?"

It's not just disappointment, it's despair! Sokov thought to himself, not to mention the large-scale bombing by the German army, even if only two or three bombers came, it would not be enough for the only four anti-aircraft guns to deal with it. But what you think in your heart is one thing, but what Chuikov said in his mouth was another: "Comrade Commander, since the superior cannot provide us with air assistance, we can only find another way to solve it."

"That's right, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. The Army Group Headquarters is also in a difficult situation at the moment. They are constantly asking for help from everywhere, which makes us exhausted." Chuikov was very satisfied with Sokov's answer, and he lost no time in giving the answer. He put on a high hat, "I think with your wisdom, you can definitely solve this problem."

After finishing the phone call, Sokov spread his hands to the people sitting across from him, and said helplessly, "Commander Chuikov said that we are temporarily unable to provide air support for us. We can only rely on our own strength to come." against enemy air strikes."

"But, how do we solve it?" Zinchenko said with a bitter face: "Although we can burn old tires and create thick smoke to interfere with the sight of German pilots, the smoke cannot never dissipate. When the gunpowder smoke dissipates, We will still be bombed here by the Germans."

"Then what should we do?" Cousteau knew the situation better than the deputy factory manager, and he continued: "Now that there are only four anti-aircraft guns left in the women's anti-aircraft artillery battalion, how can they deal with the enemy's planes? It seems that Our factory building can’t be kept.”

"I'm going to talk to Lieutenant Ulanova," Zinchenko stood up and said to Sokov: "Tell them clearly the importance of defending the assembly workshop, so that they have the courage to fight German aircraft in order to defend the factory." Fight bravely."

Sokov saw that after Zinchenko said this, neither Balshak nor Cousteau objected, as if such a statement was taken for granted, so he stopped Zinchenko who was about to go outside: "Comrade deputy factory director , please wait a moment."

Zinchenko stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Sokov, and asked in surprise, "Do you have anything to add, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov?"

"Comrade deputy factory director," Sokov stopped Zinchenko because he was dissatisfied with his statement. If the enemy can be defeated only by political propaganda, what do we need so many troops to do? Send hundreds of troops It is enough for political workers to stand in front of the two positions and shout slogans. He curled his lips and said, "The girls in the women's anti-aircraft artillery battalion all understand their responsibilities, but when the number of anti-aircraft artillery is limited, it is an unwise choice for them to go head-to-head with German aircraft."

Sokov's words made Zinchenko's face turn livid, and he said displeasedly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, since you think this is an unwise choice, what better way do you have to deal with the Germans?" Is it an airplane?"

Balshak saw that the relationship between the two was full of gunpowder, so he quickly came out to smooth things over: "Lieutenant Colonel Sukov, do you have any good ideas? You might as well tell us and let us all listen."

Unexpectedly, after hearing what he said, Sokov shook his head and said, "I have nothing to do."

As soon as these words came out, Balshak was dumbfounded. He saw Sokov stopped Zinchenko and raised objections. He thought that the other party had already thought about everything in his heart, but now he said lightly that there was no way , isn't this just kidding me? Thinking of this, Balshak's face also became very ugly, and he turned his head to look at Zinchenko: "Comrade deputy factory director, I think it's better to call Ulanova over, so you don't have to run for a while." Let's go."

Zinchenko did not object to Balshak's proposal. He only glanced at Cousteau, who stood up tactfully, ran to the door and called a worker, and ordered him to take Ulanova find.

When Cousteau re-entered, he found that the atmosphere in the room was very depressing, so he laughed dryly and said without words: "Deputy factory director, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, if we have more anti-aircraft guns, then don't worry about it." The enemy plane is gone."

Hearing what Cousteau said, Zinchenko snorted coldly, and said angrily: "If the number of anti-aircraft guns can be more, let's say there are one hundred anti-aircraft guns, no matter how many planes the enemy comes, we can't kill them." can beat it down..."

The speaker was not interested in the listener, and Zinchenko's complaint made Sokov's mind flash, and he felt that he had found a solution to the air defense problem, so he quickly asked: "Comrade deputy factory director, what did you just say? "

"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," Cousteau said without waiting for Zinchenko's answer, "The deputy factory director said that no matter how many planes the enemy comes, we will beat him down."

"Not this sentence," Sokov waved his hand at Cousteau, and continued to ask, "I want the previous sentence."

"He said if there were a hundred flak guns..."

"That's right, that's the sentence." Sokov slapped the table hard, startled everyone, and said excitedly: "If we have a hundred anti-aircraft guns, no matter how many planes the enemy comes, we can't stop them." Don't worry about it."

After hearing what Sokov said, Zinchenko said a little dumbfounded: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, let alone a hundred anti-aircraft guns, we don't even have ten anti-aircraft guns, and it is impossible for the superiors to have extra anti-aircraft guns." Add it to us, after all, each unit needs anti-aircraft guns of various calibers to defend against air. Now we only have four anti-aircraft guns, how can we deal with enemy planes?"

"Without anti-aircraft guns, we can use infantry air defense to deal with German aircraft." Sokov raised the assault rifle leaning against the table: "Using a rifle can also shoot down enemy aircraft."

"Fight a plane with a rifle?" Hearing what Sokov said, the other three all widened their eyes in surprise, and looked at Sokov as if they were looking at an idiot. Balshak shook his head and said, "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, your idea is too wild. How can you shoot down an enemy plane with a rifle?"

Sokov told several people in detail about the rifle he saw in a booklet of later generations. Finally, he said confidently: "I've done the math, as long as there are one hundred to one hundred and fifty fighters, they can quickly fire five rounds of bullets in their rifles while the enemy plane is diving, and they can form a dense firepower." net and successfully shot down the enemy plane."

"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," Zinchenko thought that what Sokov said about shooting a plane with a rifle was a bit of a fantasy, but out of politeness, he did not refute, but asked a question: "Have you ever thought about it?" , more than a hundred of our soldiers are lying on the ground on their backs, and a German bomb falls, how many of us will be killed or injured?"

"Comrade deputy factory director, you can rest assured that our soldiers are lying in large and small bomb craters." Sokov explained to Zinchenko: "Even if the enemy plane drops bombs, the damage caused to us will be very large. limited."

"I have another question, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Hearing this, Balshak couldn't help interjecting and asked: "Since our soldiers are all lying in the crater, except for their comrades in the same crater, they can't Seeing other people. How would they know when to shoot in that situation? If so many fighters can't fire at the same time, it's hard to form what you call a dense firepower network."

"This problem is also easy to solve." Sokov is not afraid that they will ask questions, but he is afraid that they will not ask questions. If they don't ask questions, it means that they don't agree with their proposal at all: "When Lieutenant Ulanova directs the anti-aircraft gun to fire, he can use the whistle to notify the soldiers hiding in the crater."

Several people asked several questions one after another, and Sokov answered them one by one. Zinchenko found no flaws in Sokov's answer, so he nodded, and then asked a new question: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's method is worth a try. But which troops should we use to complete this task?"

As soon as Zinchenko finished speaking, Balshak and Cousteau turned their eyes to Sokov, and both of them were thinking in their hearts: Such a task should be completed by the regular army. Although the 10th company and one company of the destroyer battalion are standing firm, there are still two companies serving as reserves. Although the organizational system is incomplete, in any case, the combat effectiveness is much stronger than that of the destroyer battalion and the militia in the workshop .

Sokov saw what the two were thinking, shook his head and said, "No, I don't intend to let the soldiers of the 11th and 12th companies complete the task of shooting down planes with rifles. They have more important tasks."

Hearing what Sokov said, Balshak understood that this task must finally fall on his own head. Instead of asking the other party to roll his name, he might as well take the initiative, so he said helplessly: "Okay, since The regular army has more important tasks, so let us leave this task to our destroyer battalion to complete."

Everyone has already researched the air defense plan, and Ulanova was late. Seeing her wearing a blood-stained white apron, Zinchenko frowned and asked, "Comrade Lieutenant, why are you dressed like this?"

Ulanova spread her hands and said helplessly, "Comrade Deputy Director, our anti-aircraft guns are temporarily unavailable, so we can only temporarily act as health workers to help Comrade Asiya take care of the wounded."

"Take it off, take off your apron immediately." Zinchenko said impatiently: "You are anti-aircraft artillerymen, not health workers, immediately gather your people, I have important air defense tasks to assign to you .”