Red Moscow

With the passage of time, the smoke and fog that originally permeated the position were blown away by the wind blowing from the Volga River, making the distant scenery clearer.

Sokov raised his binoculars and looked into the distance. Not only could he clearly see the positions occupied by the two infantry regiments, but he could also see clearly the German positions in the distance. The tank that was destroyed in front of the enemy's position was still burning, billowing black smoke billowing into the sky.

"I don't know if the tank soldiers have escaped safely after the tank was destroyed?" Sokov asked himself in his heart, but soon he felt that his thinking was an extravagant wish. The tank was surrounded by corpses. Through the binoculars, he could clearly see that besides infantrymen in khaki short fur coats, there were also tank soldiers in black jumpsuits.

"Colonel Sokov," Golikov's voice came from beside him: "What are you thinking?"

"I'm wondering whether the attack we launched this time will be successful." Sokov said sullenly, "If the attack fails again, it will have a fatal impact on the morale of our army."

"You're right." Golikov fully understood Sokov's mood at this time, and said with a serious expression: "It is necessary to let the political workers do propaganda and agitation work for the soldiers to re-energize morale. At this point, he looked around and asked, "Where is Comrade Anisimov, the division political commissar?"

When Sokov heard what Golikov said, he also looked around and found that Anisimov had left at some time, so he quickly asked, "Has anyone seen Comrade Commissar?"

There was silence in the temporary headquarters. Everyone looked at each other and asked the people around them with their eyes. But the people who were questioned all shook their heads with wry smiles, and then spread their hands, indicating that they didn't see where the political commissar was.

"Where did he go?" Sokov asked to himself, "Could it be that he was captured by the enemy who came nearby?" The troops at Mamayev Post are launching a counterattack. Even when they are in a defensive state, no enemy can touch Mamayev Post, let alone near the temporary headquarters. You know, the guard battalion commanded by Tenev , is not vegetarian.

"Comrade division commander," Sidolin and Ivanov were also anxious when they saw that the division political commissar was gone. Ivanov took the initiative to propose to Sokov: "I will go outside and ask the comrades in the guard battalion to see if anyone of them has seen the political commissar."

Just when Sokov nodded and was about to agree to Ivanov's request, he suddenly heard the melody of "Holy War" coming from outside. He thought he was hallucinating, but when he listened carefully, he found that it was not an auditory hallucination, but a real melody sound coming from outside.

"Comrade Commander," Sokov walked to the lookout, and when he looked out, he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him, and asked himself in an excited tone: "Did you hear the broadcast outside?"

"Comrade Commissar," Sokov turned around, facing Anisimov who walked in, and said with some displeasure, "Where have you been just now, do you know that everyone is very worried about your health?" safety?!"

"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, it's my fault." Anisimov, who was criticized, replied with a smile: "I saw you talking with Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army, so I left quietly for fear of disturbing you. "

"Where did you go?" Golikov asked a little bluntly: "Do you know that because you left without saying goodbye, everyone is worried about you."

"Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army," Anisimov hurriedly faced Golikov, straightened his body and reported, "I think the defeat of the 124th and 125th Guards Regiments may affect the morale of the commanders and fighters. So I took it upon myself to order my comrades to lead a few radio lines to their positions. I think music has a morale-boosting effect, and at this moment the most famous "Holy War" is being played to them."

Listening to the melody of the song coming from outside the temporary headquarters, Golikov felt that Anisimov's statement was more reliable. He nodded and said to Anisimov: "Well done, Comrade Anisimov, letting the soldiers hear such inspiring songs when they are attacking can really boost morale. But I still want to remind you that we are on the battlefield, and where you are going, you still need to say hello in advance, lest everyone worry about you."

"Understood, Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army." Seeing that Golikov no longer pursued himself, Anisimov quickly and loudly replied: "I will not make similar mistakes again."

Looking at Anisimov, Golikov suddenly remembered something. He turned his head and asked Sokov, "Colonel Sokov, you are stationed in the barricade factory is the downsizing regiment commanded by Commander Belkin. ?”

"Yes, Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army." Sokov didn't know why Golikov asked such a question, but he nodded truthfully and replied: "The troops of Commander Belkin are currently carrying out the execution against the enemy in the barricade factory." Fight back."

"I remember that General Chuikov reported to the headquarters of the Front Army that the political commissar of the regiment, Dmitry, died of poisoning because of taking too much sulfonamide. Is there such a thing?"

"Yes." Sokov couldn't help laughing wryly in his heart when he heard this question, it's true that good things don't go out and evil things go thousands of miles, and even Golikov knew about it: "It was an accident, and no one wants it to happen. "

"Is there a political commissar in the downsizing regiment now?" Golikov asked tentatively, "Need me to call Commander Yeremenko and ask him to send a political worker to serve as the political commissar?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army." The downsizing regiment is Sokov's direct troops, and he was unwilling to hand it over to others for command, so he said euphemistically: "Comrade Dmitry, the political commissar of the regiment, and Commander Belkin has cooperated very well, and there is no need for the superior to appoint a political commissar."

"Dmitry, the political commissar of the regiment, didn't he die because of taking drugs by mistake some time ago?" Golikov listened to Sukov's words, his face showed a confused expression: "Where did another German come out?" Commissar Mitri?"

"It's like this, Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army." Sokov felt that it was necessary to explain this matter to Golikov, otherwise it would be very troublesome to send another political commissar: "This German Commissar Mitri was originally a regiment political commissar of Lyudnikov's division. He was admitted to a field hospital due to injuries some time ago. When he returned from his injury not long ago, he found that there were only more than 100 people left in his regiment. The commander has become a company commander, and he can only serve as an instructor when he goes back. When Captain Belkin went to the 138th Division Division Headquarters, he happened to hear about this, and he took the initiative to propose to Colonel Lyudnikov that the German Comrade Mitri went to the drawdown regiment to serve as acting political commissar."

"Interesting, both political commissars are called Dmitry, which is very interesting." Golikov asked curiously: "What is the relationship between the two, relatives? Or do they have the same name by coincidence?"

"It just happened to have the same name." Sokov explained with a smile: "After this comrade Dmitry returned to the regiment with Belkin, he learned that his predecessor was also named Dmitri. What a coincidence. , I have the same name as the previous political commissar."

Although Golikov stayed in Mamayev Post for a long time, he was really not familiar with the regimental commander of the downsizing regiment. All he cared about was the fighting situation of the downsizing regiment in the barricade factory. He paused for a moment, and said to Sokov: "The counterattack of the drawdown regiment in the barricade factory is going very well, and the original defense zone has been expanded by half. When you have time, call Belkin and ask them Do you have the confidence to drive the enemy out in these two days?"

Hearing Golikov's order, Sokov's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. With the strength of the downsizing regiment, it was already their limit to double the defense area. If they were really given an order to drive the enemy out of the barricade within two days, it would be impossible.

It was time to attack, and this time Sokov ordered the staff to signal the troops.

As a red signal flare was lifted into the air, thousands of commanders and fighters staying on the first line of defense jumped out of the trench amidst loud military songs, holding weapons and shouting slogans, followed the tanks, and trotted towards the enemy. The enemy's position rushed.

"Chief of Staff." Seeing that the troops had already launched an offensive, Sokov quickly asked Sidolin, "Have the Guchakov Company and the Seriosha Company entered the battlefield yet?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sidolin nodded and replied in an affirmative tone, "They have all arrived at the designated location."

Golikov felt a little disapproving of Sokov drawing two companies from other places to participate in the attack on the second line of defense of the German army. What he thought in his heart was that with the cooperation of tanks, thousands of people would not be able to seize the enemy's position. What effect could two companies have at best with hundreds of people?

Still far away, the German anti-tank guns opened fire on the galloping Soviet tanks. Since the Soviet tanks did not take the infantry this time, there is no need to worry about their own operations, which will cause the infantry to fall off the tank. The driving movements of the tank soldiers are naturally relatively large, causing all the shells fired by the German anti-tank guns to fall into the air. The ground exploded.

The German soldiers hiding in the traffic trenches originally wanted to repeat the same trick, using machine guns and anti-tank grenades to deal with the Soviet tanks and infantry, but at this moment only the tanks were attacking, while the infantry was far behind. During the shooting, bullets hit the armor plate of the tank from time to time, making a clanging sound, but it could not slow down the tank at all.

Seeing that machine guns could not deal with Soviet tanks, the anti-tank fighters jumped out of the traffic trench holding anti-tank grenades, rushed towards the moving Soviet tanks, and tried to blow up Soviet tanks with anti-tank grenades at close range. But they were too wishful thinking. The Soviet commanders and fighters who suffered a lot already had a countermeasure. When they saw the German soldiers jumping out of the traffic trenches, they either set up machine gun positions and fired with machine guns; or snipers carried out long-distance sniping . In just a few minutes, the bodies of forty or fifty German anti-tank fighters lay on both sides of the Soviet tanks.

When the tanks drove to a distance of 300 meters from the German positions, they stopped one after another and bombarded the exposed anti-tank firepower points with tank guns. Those anti-tank guns that had just raged were either blown to pieces under the shelling of Soviet tanks, or they were dragged to a safe place by the artillery to hide. Seeing that the shelling on the German positions in front had stopped, the Soviet infantry officers and fighters following behind quickened their pace and rushed towards the enemy's positions.

Facing the flood of Soviet commanders and fighters, the German positions were silent. Knowing that the Soviet army was still 120 meters away from the position, the machine guns on the position suddenly rang out. In the face of the enemy's torrential shooting, a group of commanders and fighters rushing to the front fell down, and those behind quickly lay down on the spot and fired back at the enemy's position.

And the Soviet tanks parked in the rear were not idle, they fired at the exposed firepower points. As long as the machine guns they found were fired, sometimes they just fired two or three bursts before being blasted into the sky by a few incoming tank shells.

After a few rounds of shooting, the German position became quiet. The soldiers who were so suppressed by the firepower that they couldn't lift their heads got up from the ground again, and rushed forward with shouts. Twenty or thirty meters away from the enemy's trench, the soldier rushing to the front fell down with a beautiful tactical move, and after throwing a grenade at the enemy's trench, he got up again, jumped into the trench that was still smoking, and fought with the enemy. The surviving enemies inside engage in melee and hand-to-hand combat.

"Colonel Sokov, did you see that?" Seeing the soldiers jumping into the trench, Golikov excitedly raised his hand and slapped Sokov on the back vigorously, and said excitedly: "Our The fighters went up, they went up. They're all good, all good."

Because of his excitement, Golikov used his hands so hard that Sokov felt his internal organs shifted. After coughing violently twice, Sokov put down his binoculars and turned to look at Golikov: "Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army, your hands are too strong. If you take pictures like this again, I'm worried that I won't see the soldiers occupying the area." The moment in the enemy's position."

After being reminded by Sokov, Golikov realized that because he was too excited, he slapped the other party until he vomited blood. He quickly withdrew his palm and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Colonel Sokov, I was too excited. , I didn’t pay attention for a while, please forgive my recklessness.”

Having said that, but at Sokov's level, how could he blame his superior? Sokov could only wave his hands and said with a wry smile, "It's all right, Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army, I'm all right. Let's continue reading."

Sokov discovered through the telescope that the two infantry regiments attacked the second line of defense of the German army under the cover of tanks this time, and it seemed to be very smooth. However, the Guchakov company and the Seriosha company, which I specially transferred for insurance, seemed to be of no use, and the enemy's defense line was broken through by my troops.