Red Moscow

After Chuikov received the call from Peter, he also felt very strange. Since he didn't know what Sokov wanted these explosives for, he didn't make a decision hastily, but said to Peter: "Director Peter, let me ask Lieutenant Colonel Sokov first to see what he wants these explosives for." , and give you an answer, okay?"

"Okay, Comrade General." Peter replied: "The explosives are ready-made. If you agree to allocate them to Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I will immediately arrange for manpower to be loaded."

After finishing the conversation with Peter, Chuikov turned to Krylov and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, Peter Factory Director called me and said that Sokov asked him for five loads of explosives. Do you know what's going on?"

"I'm not sure." Krylov shook his head and said in an uncertain tone, "Could it be that Sokov intends to use this batch of explosives to build fortifications?"

"Although the weather is getting colder every day, the ground is not frozen yet." Seeing that Krylov did not understand the situation, Chuikov frowned and said, "There is no need to use explosives to blow up the ground and build fortifications. "

"Comrade Commander," Krylov suggested to Chuikov, "instead of speculating here, we should send a telegram to Lieutenant Colonel Sokov to find out what's going on."

"Good way." Chuikov agreed with Krylov's proposal, and urged: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you should immediately send a telegram to Sokov to ask about the purpose of this batch of explosives. Factory Director Peter is still waiting. What about my answer?"

About five or six minutes later, Krylov returned to Chuikov with Sokov's telegram, and said with a serious expression: "Comrade Commander, I have figured it out. Lieutenant Colonel Sokov intends to use this batch of explosives. Come blow up the fortifications on those lines of defense."

"What, blowing up the fortifications?" Hearing what Krylov said, Chuikov suddenly stood up from his seat and asked in surprise, "Why did he blow up the fortifications?"

Krylov looked down at the telegram in his hand, handed it to Chuikov, and said with a sigh: "Comrade Commander, according to Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's analysis, even if his troops reach Orlovka, He couldn't hold out for long, so he planned to blow up all the fortifications along the way when he retreated, so that the Germans would not use it again."

Chuikov took the telegram, carefully browsed the content written on it, and found that it was basically consistent with what Krylov said. After reading the telegram, Chuikov casually threw it on the table, and said blankly, "Give him these explosives."

"Comrade Commander, why is that?" Hearing what Chuikov said, Krylov couldn't help asking in surprise: "Why did you give Sokov these explosives and let him blow up these useful fortifications."

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Chuikov said, looking at Krylov with a serious expression, "Actually, you and I both understand that this counterattack was launched too hastily, and I'm afraid it won't last long. Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's troops Even if they reach Orlovka, with their strength, it is estimated that they will not last long. Once they retreat, the defensive positions occupied by them will definitely fall into the hands of the Germans again. The purpose of dropping the fortifications is to prevent the Germans from using these fortifications to resist friendly forces rushing in from outside the encirclement."

"This matter is of great importance," Krylov reminded Chuikov cautiously: "Do you think it is necessary to report to the superior?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you should immediately draft a report to the Front Army Command." Chuikov did not refute what Krylov reminded him, but nodded and said, "I will call Factory Director Peter now and ask He arranged manpower as soon as possible to provide Sokov with this batch of explosives."

…………

When Bely returned to the temporary headquarters, he heard that the army headquarters had sent a telegram to find out the purpose of the explosives. He couldn't help asking worriedly, "Comrade brigade commander, won't this cause you any trouble?"

"Trouble?" Cuikov asked in confusion when he heard Bely's question, "What trouble?"

"According to Order No. 227, no one is allowed to take a step back before receiving an order." Bely said hesitantly: "But what we need to do next, whether it is to abandon the occupied positions, and use The explosives blew up all the fortifications on the position. Once the superiors pursue it, you may be sent to a military court."

During the war, going to court-martial and going to the execution ground were synonymous. Although Sokov knew in his heart that he did this to better preserve the vitality of the troops, but when he heard Bely mentioning Order No. 227, he still felt a tingle in his spine. Chill. However, after some weighing, Sokov still decided to stick to his plan. After all, in another month and a half, the Soviet army would launch a large-scale counterattack. If these ready-made fortifications are used by the German army, it will cause considerable casualties to the attacking troops.

Sokov raised his hand, looked up, and said to Bely: "Comrade Colonel, I am the commander of the infantry brigade. If the superiors want to investigate the responsibility in the future, I will bear all the responsibility."

"Comrade Brigadier, look at what you said." Unexpectedly, Bely pursed his mouth when he heard Sokov say this, and said dissatisfiedly: "I am also a member of the infantry brigade now. If the superior wants to hold the responsibility, I will Willing to share with you."

"Thank you, Colonel Bely." Seeing that Bely expressed his willingness to advance and retreat with him, Sokov held his hand tightly and thanked him. Then he said to him: "As soon as the explosives arrive, you will arrange for manpower to install them, and after we withdraw, you will blow up these fortifications immediately."

"By the way, Comrade Brigadier, I have one more thing to report to you." When Bely shook hands with Sokov, he suddenly remembered an important matter, and quickly said to him: "The first thing we broke through And the second line of defense is now defended by the 120th regiment of the Guards Division. When our soldiers went to plant explosives, they were stopped by them. You see, can you communicate with General Guriyev and ask their soldiers not to stop interfere with our work of planting explosives."

Sokov didn't expect that the work he arranged would be obstructed by friendly troops, so he nodded quickly and said, "Then I will contact General Guriyev immediately and inform him about this matter."

Bely pouted at a phone on the table, and said, "With that phone, you can talk to General Guriyev directly, so you don't need to send a telegram."

After the call was connected, Guriyev learned that Sokov was looking for him, so he preemptively asked: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I was about to call you, but I didn't expect you to call first."

"Comrade General," Sokov asked tentatively when he heard Guriyev say that he was going to call himself, "Please call me, do you have any instructions?"

"I just received the following report." Guriyev said on the phone: "They said that they caught several saboteurs who tried to plant explosives on the defense line controlled by our division. After interrogation, those people all said in unison. It's your subordinate."

"That's right, Comrade General." Knowing that several of his subordinates had been captured by Guriyev's men, Sokov quickly replied, "They are indeed my subordinates, and I also sent them to plant the explosives."

"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." After listening to Sokov, Guriyev asked in an unbelievable tone: "Are you really sending these people?"

"Yes," Sokov replied decisively, "I sent them."

Knowing that the person who planted the explosives was personally sent by Sokov, Guriyev asked with some displeasure: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, please explain to me why you want to plant explosives in these places? Do you want to Escort the Germans and take Stalingrad?"

"Of course not." Sokov was worried that Guriyev might have misunderstood, so he explained to him: "I guess we will soon abandon the existing lot and return to the original station. In order not to let the Germans To reuse these fortifications, they sent people to plant explosives everywhere, and detonated them when the enemy entered, destroying these fortifications."

"It turned out to be like this." After figuring out what was going on, Guriyev said to Sokov in an apologetic tone: "I apologize to you for my subordinate's recklessness."

Sokov considered that his manpower was too small, and he would definitely not be busy with laying explosives, so he planned to ask Guriyev to help him, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade General, I wonder if you can spare some manpower to help us in the What about planting explosives on the occupied positions?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," Guriyev did not immediately agree to Sokov's situation, but asked curiously: "According to the situation we have, it is entirely possible that you will arrive in Orlovka today. Why did you Suddenly remembered to blow up the fortifications? Also, you just said that the troops will return to the original station soon, what is going on? Do you know any inside information?"

"I don't know anything, Comrade General." Sokov replied with a wry smile, "I only know that with our current strength, even if we forcefully rush to Orlovka, there is no way to hold it. Get ready to retreat."

Guriyev asked calmly, "Have you reported this to Commander Chuikov?"

"Reported." Sokov replied very simply: "But I haven't received any reply yet."

At this moment, the operator got up and walked to Sokov, and handed a telegram to Sokov. After quickly browsing through the above content, Sokov showed a pleasant expression on his face, and he quickly said into the microphone: "I just received a telegram from Comrade Commander, who agreed with my plan and urged the factory to provide We send explosives."

Seeing that this matter has been approved by Chuikov, Guriyev did not insist on his opinion any more, but said into the microphone: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I will immediately call the commander below and ask him to take the wrongly caught two The comrades were released."

…………

After a lot of tossing, the truck carrying the explosives finally arrived at Sokov before dawn. The area where the interim headquarters is located. After learning that the explosives had been delivered, Sokov said to Bely: "Comrade Colonel, the attack is about to start, please go and receive these explosives and properly bury them in the designated location."

Before Bely left, Vanya came in from the outside and asked Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Brigadier, it's almost time. Is it a position that can be attacked with rockets?"

Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch. He felt that the time was almost up, so he nodded and said, "Comrade Captain, let your people enter the launch position immediately, our attack is about to begin."

In order to better observe the scene on the battlefield, Sokov walked out of the command post, came to the top of the hill not far away, raised his binoculars and looked ahead. I saw that the German position was pitch black, and there was no light to be seen, and it was unknown whether the Germans were sleeping in a concealed department, or hiding somewhere, closely monitoring their direction.

Following Vanya's order, the five rockets flew towards the enemy's position with long tails of flame. Sokov first saw the dazzling fire ball rising from the position, and then heard the earth-shattering explosion. Then five more rockets flew towards the enemy's position...

Fifteen rockets were fired in less than a minute, and the enemy's positions were burning everywhere. At this moment, Sokov saw countless figures jumping out of the grass, rushing towards the position illuminated by the fire.

The Germans thought that the Soviet attack must have been launched with the cooperation of tanks. They waited for most of the night, but they didn't hear the roar of the tank engine. They thought that the Soviet army would not launch an attack before dawn, so they hid in the fortifications and slept with peace of mind.

Therefore, when being attacked by Soviet rockets, the German soldiers in the bunkers who were directly hit died without pain in their sleep; while those German soldiers who were not killed by the bombing were still dazed and did not understand their status. It was under such circumstances that the commanders and fighters of the guard battalion rushed into the German trenches and rushed along the trenches to those fortifications or bunkers to destroy the enemies hidden in them.

Seeing the start of the battle, Bely, who had received the explosives, also ran over in a hurry and asked impatiently, "Comrade Brigadier, how is the situation? Has our troops attacked?"

Sokov put down his binoculars, turned his head and grinned at him, and said, "Comrade Colonel, our troops have rushed up, and some commanders and fighters have already entered the enemy's trenches."

"What, our troops rushed up so quickly?" Bely couldn't help but raised his hand and looked at his watch, and said with some surprise: "It took only five minutes from the beginning of the offensive to the present, and our troops rushed up so quickly." To be in the enemy's trenches was quite a feat."

"Comrade Colonel, this is normal." Sokov replied: "In the past, our offensives were launched from several kilometers away. At such a long offensive distance, the offensive troops will be intercepted by enemy artillery fire, aircraft The bombing, as well as the minefields and barbed wire blocking the front, naturally can’t be fast. But now, our offensive troops are lurking under the enemy’s nose, and it only takes half a minute to rush to the enemy’s front.”