Red Moscow

Shortly after the 16th Army occupied Volokramsk, the troops of the 30th Army going south also reached the outskirts of Karmanovo and completed the siege of the city. Sokov, who was active in this area, also received an order from his superiors to lead the Istria battalion to cooperate with friendly forces to capture the city.

Just as Sokov was gathering troops, Belkin, the political deputy battalion commander, hurried over and said to him, "Comrade battalion commander, you have just received the latest order from your superiors. Please take a look." A telegram from here was delivered.

Sokov picked up the phone, leaned in and took a look, and couldn't help being stunned. Therefore, instead of instructing them how to cooperate with friendly forces to capture Karmanovo, he was ordered to immediately lead his troops south and reach Kaluga within three days.

Seeing this telegram, Sokov asked Belgin in amazement: "Comrade deputy battalion commander, what is going on? Why did the superior suddenly order us to go south to Kaluga?" He asked, It was because he didn't understand why his superiors issued such an inexplicable order to send his troops to a city 400 kilometers away within three days.

"I don't know," Belkin said, shaking his head. "When I first saw this telegram, I thought the operator had made a mistake in translating the telegram. I asked him to translate it again, and after confirming that the telegram sent by the superior was correct, I just came here to report to you."

After confirming that the superior's order to lead his troops to Kaluga was correct, Sokov began to issue orders: "Deputy Battalion Commander, I will leave the guard platoon to you. You are responsible for contacting the friendly troops and informing them of our imminent transfer." They, at the same time, handed over the prisoner-of-war camp and logistics warehouse, as well as the prisoners held in these two locations, to friendly forces. Savyev!"

The third company commander, Savyev, heard Sokov calling for his order, quickly and loudly agreed, left the queue, trotted to Sokov and stood at attention, waiting for his order.

"You immediately take the third company to prepare the sleds." Sokov looked at Savyev and said, "Remember, we have to drive for at least three days. In addition to weapons and ammunition, we must carry enough food. Got it ?"

"Understood!" Savyev agreed loudly, then turned and ran away.

An hour later, more than a hundred sleds, led by horses, left the logistics warehouse, entered the vast forest, and headed towards Kaluga in the south. Assia, who was sitting on the same sled with Sokov, turned her head and glanced at the sled team behind her, and asked with some puzzlement: "Misha, didn't we let us cooperate with our friendly forces to attack Karmanovo? What happened in a blink of an eye? Let us go to Kaluga again, what the hell is going on here?"

Sokov shook his head while nibbling on the hard black bread and said, "I don't know either. The telegram didn't say anything, it just ordered me to go to Kaluga as soon as possible."

"Why exactly?" Assia rested her chin in both hands, thinking hard: "Seeing that the battle to attack Karmanovo started again, but they pulled us down silently, what on earth is this? What's the reason?" After she finished speaking, she didn't get a response from Sokov, and when she turned her head, she found that he was reclining on the sled with half a piece of unfinished bread in his mouth, soundly asleep.

After three days of trekking, the Istria battalion finally arrived near Kaluga. As soon as they reached the suburbs, they were stopped by a patrol team. The second lieutenant who led the team rushed to Sokov who was sitting on the sled and asked, "Comrade lieutenant, which part are you from?"

Sokov was about to correct the second lieutenant, saying that he was not a lieutenant but a captain, but when he lowered his head, he saw that the rank of lieutenant was inlaid on the collar badge of the military coat he was wearing, so he laughed twice and replied: "Comrade second lieutenant, We are from the Istria Battalion of the 16th Army, and we were ordered to report to the headquarters in Kaluga."

"You are the Istria Battalion?" Hearing the number, the second lieutenant showed a surprised expression on his face: "Colonel Malinin has greeted us, and if you find your arrival, report to him immediately. You stay here for a while." Wait for a while, I will report to my superiors, and after I get permission, I can let you enter the city."

There happened to be a checkpoint nearby, and there was a phone to get in touch with the headquarters, so the second lieutenant took the initiative to run to make a call. Not long after, the second lieutenant ran back and said to Sokov: "Comrade lieutenant, I have already contacted the army headquarters. Colonel Malinin ordered your battalion commander, Captain Sokov, to see him. By the way, your battalion Where did you grow up, why haven't you seen him appear all this time?"

Sokov pointed to his nose and said to the second lieutenant, "Comrade second lieutenant, isn't he right in front of you?"

"You are Lieutenant Sokov? But why is your collar badge the rank of lieutenant..." The second lieutenant hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly realized that because the troops were fighting all the time, many promoted commanders always wore their original ranks. Quickly raised his hand to salute Sokov, and said respectfully: "Hi, Captain Sokov, please forgive me for not recognizing you just now?"

Sokov raised his hand to return the salute, and asked the second lieutenant with a smile: "Comrade second lieutenant, can my subordinates and I enter the city now?"

Unexpectedly, the second lieutenant shook his head and said: "I'm sorry, Comrade Captain, your troops are not allowed to enter the city for the time being. The chief of staff ordered you and your political deputy battalion commander to go to the headquarters to see him immediately, and he will give you a new arrangement. combat mission."

Although Sokov had already guessed that his superiors were in such a hurry to transfer his troops to Kaluga because they had important combat missions, but he did not expect that the troops who had just traveled a long distance could not even enter the city, so they had to go to carry out the mission again. New combat missions. However, orders from superiors are orders, and no one has the right to change them. Sokov could only order the troops to rest on the spot outside the city, and go to the headquarters in the city alone.

Although the sentinel standing guard at the entrance of the command department did not know Sokov, when he heard his name, he hurriedly urged: "So you are Captain Sokov! Comrade Chief of Staff has been waiting for you for a long time, go in quickly .”

After thanking the sentinel, Sokov strode into the command post. After passing through a group of busy telegraph soldiers, he saw Malinen standing in front of the table and looking at the map, and hurriedly stepped forward and said loudly: "The staff Comrade Commander, Istria Battalion Commander Captain Sokov has been ordered to come, please give instructions!"

Hearing Sokov's voice, Malinin raised his head, smiled and said to him: "Captain Sokov, you are here. Please sit down, I will assign you a new combat mission immediately."

After sitting down, Sokov looked around and found that Rokossovsky and Lobachev were not seen in the headquarters except for the busy staff officers and communications soldiers. He couldn't help asking Marinin curiously: " Comrade Chief of Staff, why aren't the commander and military commissar here?"

"They went back to the Front Command in Moscow, and they probably won't be back until tomorrow." After briefly explaining Rokossovsky's whereabouts, Malinin put a piece of paper in front of Sokov and said to him: "Lieutenant Sokov, the German army invested a large amount of troops in the direction of Zizdra a few days ago, occupied Susinich, a large railway hub, and cut off the transportation line of the left wing of the front army.

In order to prevent them from being encircled by the German army, the head of the front army ordered us to hand over the original troops to friendly forces, and rushed to Susinich to receive new troops. After completing all this, we immediately launched an attack on Susinich. Re-open the transport lines of the army. And your battalion, as the main battalion of the whole army, will take the lead in participating in this battle. "

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov waited for Malinin to finish speaking, and asked tentatively, "I want to ask how many troops are participating in the attack, and whether we can get artillery support when we attack?"

"After we came to Kaluga, we received the 322nd, 323rd, 324th and 328th infantry divisions and a tank brigade from General Golikov, the former commander of the 10th Army. The 11th Guards Division." Malinin said to Sokov: "The artillery regiment commanded by General Kazakov, the artillery director of the Army Group, has been deployed near Sukhinich. An hour of shelling."

After introducing the situation, Malinin asked Sokov again: "Comrade Captain, have all your troops left the city yet?"

"Yes, they are waiting outside the city." When Sokov was reporting to Malinin, he suddenly had an idea, thinking that if he said something nice to him, he might be able to let his troops go to the city to rest for a night, so he hurriedly said carefully: " Comrade Chief of Staff, you should know that my troops have just gone through a long journey, and the commanders and fighters are very tired, you see, can you let them go to the city to rest for a night, and then set off tomorrow?"

"No," Ma Lining shook his head after hearing this, "It's 90 kilometers away from Susinich, and the road is not easy. You need to start immediately so that you can reach the designated location as soon as possible."

"Understood, Comrade Chief of Staff." After Sokov got up and finished speaking, he raised his hand to his forehead and asked, "Are you allowed to leave?"

"I agree, you can go back to the army now." Ma Linin nodded and said in a friendly tone: "Misha, I wish you good luck!"