Red Moscow

As soon as Sokov followed the major to the war room, he was stopped by a staff officer who came out of it. Seeing Sokov following the major, the staff officer guessed that he must be the person the commander and the military commissioner wanted to see, but he still said apologetically, "Is it Lieutenant Colonel Sokov? Unfortunately, the commander and the military commissar The military commissioner has something important to do now, so I can't see you for the time being, please go to the next room and wait for a while."

The major waited for the staff officer to finish speaking, and immediately said to Sokov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, please come with me, I will take you to the next room."

When he came to the next room, Sokov found that the benches in the room were full of people. He wondered who they were, and was about to ask the major for advice, but the other party approached his ear and said, "Chinese Comrade school, these are people who are waiting to be received by the commander and the military commissioner. Please sit here and wait for a while, and I will come to you when the commander and the others finish their work."

After waiting for the major to leave, Sokov saw a seat on a bench near the door, so he walked over and sat down to rest. As soon as he sat down firmly, a lieutenant colonel sitting next to him stretched out his hand and said friendlyly, "Hi, let's get to know each other. I am Lieutenant Colonel Rusuf, Chief of Staff of the 76th Infantry Division."

"Hello!" Seeing that the other party was so active, Sokov naturally didn't want to be rude, so he stretched out his hand, held the other party's hand, shook it twice, and said to himself: "I am the 73rd Infantry Brigade. Lieutenant Colonel Sokov."

After the two men loosened their hands, Rusuf asked casually, "Comrade Sokov, where is your army stationed?" Now the 76th Infantry Division is stationed a few kilometers away from the headquarters of the Front Army. Sufu took it for granted that Sokov's troops should be nearby.

Rusuf's question really caught Sokov. His army is now divided into two, and almost all the old subordinates are sticking to Mamayev Post; while the newly added sailors are still in the Red Army. October Town. For a moment, Sokov really didn't know how to answer Rusuf's question.

Seeing Sokov not speaking for a long time, Rusuf thought he was worried about leaking military secrets, so he smiled and said to him: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, here are all our own people, and what we are talking about is not some military secrets, you Feel free to say it.”

Hearing what Rusuf said, Sokov felt that it made sense, so he nodded and said: "My original troops are still stationed at Mamayev Hill; while the newly added troops are currently stationed at the Red Army. October Town."

As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Rusuf jumped up from his seat and exclaimed in surprise, "What, you commanded the heroic troops guarding Mamayev Post?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel Rusuf." Sokov nodded, and said in a modest tone: "Before the German army attacked Stalingrad, my troops were stationed at Mamayev Post. We did repel the German army." A lot of ferocious attacks, but when it comes to a hero unit, I don't think we're good enough."

"Look at what you said," as soon as Sokov finished speaking, a major stood up and came over to shake Sokov's hand, and said in an adoring tone: "If your army is not a heroic army, then which army It is also worthy of the title of hero unit."

"That's right, that's right." As soon as the major finished speaking, the other commanders in the room said in one voice, "I heard that the Germans used planes, tanks, artillery, and more than 100,000 troops to capture Mamayev's hills." The strength of two divisions, but they still failed to capture Mamayev Kurgan."

"The current battle situation in the city can maintain the stalemate situation in front of us, all thanks to the troops guarding Mamayev Post. If the enemy is allowed to occupy Mamayev Post, then our defenders in the city will be defeated by the enemy." Completely separate!"

After everyone praised Sokov, a commander suddenly asked: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, shouldn't you command troops in the city? Why are you here?"

The commander's words aroused everyone's curiosity, and everyone focused on Sokov, wanting to hear how he explained it. Considering what he experienced, Sokov shouldn't be considered an important military secret, so it shouldn't be a problem to explain it to these mid-level commanders. So he said that he was ordered to go north to meet the friendly army, and after waiting for the friendly army to arrive, the back road was cut off by the enemy, and he was forced to break through to the north.

"It turns out that the German position north of Orlovka was broken through by your troops." Rusuf said with emotion: "Before you came here, I was still discussing with you, which army is so brave that it can do it?" Breaking through the enemy's fortified defenses with such ease."

Sokov thought that just half a day after he left the Don Front Army, everyone here knew that the position north of Orlovka had been occupied by our army. He was about to ask, but he heard a commander say: "When I came to see the commander, it happened that someone reported to him that the enemy had noticed that the position was lost and was organizing troops to counterattack. Comrade commander was in a hurry to deal with it." The business over there sent me here."

From the conversations of the people, Sokov roughly understood the current situation. The 98th Division, which took over his defense, had been detected by the enemy and was under fierce attack. But what puzzled him was that it was the Don River Front Army that was fighting fiercely with the enemy now, so what did he have to do with the Stalingrad Front Army?

Rusuf raised his hand and patted Sokov on the shoulder twice, and said, "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, you may not know that the division commander sent me here to accept the task."

"Accept the mission, what mission?" Sokov asked curiously.

"Don't you understand?" Rusuf explained to Sokov with a bewildered expression, "According to the information I have received, the superior is planning to send our division into the city to report to Orlov Carry forward and join the friendly forces there."

If it was before, Sokov was not optimistic about the meeting in the Orlovka area at all, but now that the friendly forces have laid a wedge in the north, the meeting of the two armies is possible. Thinking of this, Sokov asked curiously: "Lieutenant Colonel Rusuf, when will your division enter the city?"

"I don't know." Rusuf shook his head and said, "The enemy is attacking the friendly positions north of Orlovka. Once the enemy consolidates the defense in that area, even if our division enters the city, it will be useless. Therefore, I think the superiors will delay the time for our division to enter the city."

Sokov was talking to Rusuf when the major leading him came in from the outside and said politely to him: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, Commander and Military Commissioner please go over!"

Knowing that the commander and the military commissioner were going to summon Sokov, everyone cast envious glances at him. Rusuf also pulled the major's clothes and asked, "Comrade major, I wonder when the commander and military commissar will see me."

"Both the commander and the military commissioner are busy." The major replied impatiently, "They will naturally meet you when they are free. You just wait here patiently."

As soon as he entered the war room, a major general came over and asked with a smile, "Is that Lieutenant Colonel Sokov?"

"Yes, Comrade General." Sokov quickly stood at attention, straightened his body and replied, "I am Sokov!"

"Hello!" The general extended his hand to Sokov and introduced himself: "I am Major General Varennikov, Chief of Staff of the Front Army. Nice to meet you."

"Me too!" After a polite sentence, Sokov asked bluntly, "Please tell me to come here, do you have any important instructions?"

Varennikov pointed to the room next to it with black curtains, and said, "The commander and the military commissar are in the room, and they are waiting for you. Go and see them quickly."

Sokov followed the direction of Varennikov's finger, came to the curtain, and shouted loudly: "Report!"

"Come in!" Khrushchev's familiar voice came from the room.

After opening the curtain and walking in, Sokov found that the room he was in was very small, and there was only a small simple wooden table in the room. On either side of the table sat a person, the one on the left was wearing a military uniform with four gold stars on a diamond collar patch; the one on the right was a bald man in gray civilian clothes. Sokov recognized at a glance that the two men were General Yeremenko, the commander of the Stalingrad Front, and Khrushchev, the military commissar.

After raising his hand and saluting, he reported in accordance with the regulations: "Report to the commander, Comrade Military Commissar, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade, came to report. I obey your orders, please instruct!"

"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," Khrushchev formally called Sokov by his surname and military rank on this occasion. He stood up and walked in front of Sokov, holding his hand and saying, " Welcome back, our hero!"

"Hero?!" Hearing Khrushchev call himself that, Sokov couldn't help but bewildered. He hurriedly said modestly, "Comrade Military Commissar, I can't afford that title!"

"There is nothing to be ashamed of. Your feats and achievements are fully worthy of this title." Yelymenko stood up, supported his body with a cane and took a few steps towards Sokov, and put his hand He handed over a brocade box in his pocket, and said with a smile, "Take it, this is the medal awarded to you by your superior!"

"Medal?!" Sukov took the brocade box from Yelymenko's hand in some surprise, opened it, and there was a shiny Red Banner medal lying inside. Although Sokov already had two medals, this was the first time he had received the Order of the Red Banner. He quickly thanked Yeremenko and Khrushchev for bestowing such an honor.

Unexpectedly, Khrushchev waved his hands after hearing this, and said: "We originally applied to our superiors to award you the title of 'Hero of the Soviet Union' and the Gold Star Medal, but unfortunately the superiors failed, so they only gave us the Order of the Red Banner. Put it away, it's your honor."

Sokov quickly closed the brocade box, and at the same time straightened his body and said loudly: "Serve the Soviet motherland!"