Red Moscow

The area controlled by Sokov's Division was no more than 20 kilometers away from the 23rd Infantry Division that rushed over to meet up. However, due to the tenacious resistance of the German army, it took the 23rd Division, which was in charge of the offensive, three full days to barely reach the area only three kilometers away from the 122nd Regiment's defense area.

That night, Sokov received a call from an unknown person. The other party said loudly in the microphone: "Hi, is this the headquarters of the 41st Guards Division? I am Colonel Sivakov, the commander of the 23rd Infantry Division. Please look for you." His division commander, Colonel Sokov, spoke."

When the other party reported his family name and said that he was the commander of the 23rd Infantry Division, Sokov's breathing became short of breath: "Hello, Colonel Sivakov. I am Sokov."

"You are Colonel Sokov." Sivakov said with a chuckle, "That would be great."

"Comrade Colonel," Sokov asked tentatively, "I want to ask, how long will it take for your troops to come over and join us?"

"Don't worry, Colonel Sokov." Sivakov continued: "I just called a meeting with the heads of the regiments to study tomorrow's offensive operations. We will launch an attack on the enemy's defensive positions at eight o'clock in the morning. ..."

Hearing this, Sokov couldn't help interjecting and asked, "Do you need the assistance of our troops?"

"No, no, no." Sivakov shook his head and said, "I went to the frontier today to see that the enemy's fortifications are all facing your side. If you let you attack, I'm afraid you will suffer huge losses. In my opinion, it's up to us." Attack, you stay on the ground and wait for the reunion."

"How can this work, Comrade Colonel?" Sokov immediately rejected Sivakov's proposal: "How can we stay on the ground and watch friendly troops fight against the enemy, while we do nothing? Let me see it this way, half an hour after your attack started, we also launched an attack on the enemy's position. I think the enemy will not be able to last long under the situation of being flanked by us. Meet up in time."

"Okay, Colonel Sokov." Sivakov thought for a long time, and finally replied: "Just do as you said, my troops will attack first, and after half an hour, your troops will attack again from the enemy's attack." Attack from the rear, attack from both sides."

After Sokov put down the phone and announced to Sidolin and Ivanov that he would join forces with the 23rd Infantry Division tomorrow, Ivanov said enviously: "Comrade Commander, you are so lucky. Infantry The position where the 23rd Division rushed over happened to be the defense zone of the 122nd Regiment. Otherwise, we will change, you go to the 124th Regiment, and I will lead the 122nd Regiment to join forces with the friendly forces."

"Comrade Deputy Division Commander," Sokov asked with a smile, "If the friendly troops appear in the defense zone of the 124th Regiment, would you agree to me switching places with you?"

"No." Ivanov replied simply.

"That's right." Sokov said jokingly: "Since the friendly forces appear in the defense zone of the 124th regiment, you are not willing to exchange positions with me; then how can I meet with the troops in the defense zone of the 122nd regiment tomorrow?" What do you exchange?"

In order not to let Ivanov and Anisimov feel too disappointed, Sokov paused for a while and added: "Although this meeting with friendly forces is in the defense zone of the 122nd Regiment. But where are you?" The defense areas of the 124th and 125th regiments are not far apart, so you can bring a battalion each and join us together."

"What, we can each take a battalion and rush to the 122nd Regiment's defense area to join forces with our friendly forces?" Sokov's words caught Anisimov's eyes, and he asked specifically to confirm that Sokov was not joking. :"is this real?"

"Of course it is true." Sokov nodded, and said with certainty: "Joining forces with friendly forces is not just a matter of the 122nd regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Papchenko, but it is related to the honor of our entire Guards Division. Therefore, it is of great significance for each regiment to send troops to participate in the meeting."

"Comrade Commander," Sidolin waited for Sokov to finish his mission, and asked a key question: "I would like to ask, when will we be able to join forces with our friendly forces tomorrow?"

As soon as Sidolin's question came out, the room fell silent. Yes, although the two troops are only three kilometers apart, if they encounter stubborn resistance from the German army, they may not be able to join forces until dark. If this really happened, it would be too embarrassing.

The sudden ringing of the phone broke the silence among the crowd. Sidolin picked up the microphone and said loudly: "I am Sidolin, where are you? ... Oh, it is Comrade Commander, hello! ... We are here to discuss the matter of joining forces ... Yes, I will let the division commander Answer the phone."

With that said, Sidolin handed the microphone to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, the commander's phone number."

"Hello, Comrade Commander." Sokov took the microphone.

"Colonel Sokov," Chuikov asked in an official tone on the other end of the phone, "the 23rd Infantry Division, which is coming from the west, is three kilometers away from you. According to their report to General Batov, they will leave tomorrow at the latest. I can meet with you."

"Comrade Commander, we have been waiting to join forces with our allies."

"I want to ask you," Chuikov asked on the other end of the phone, "How long do you think it will take for the two troops to join forces?"

"It's hard to say, Comrade Commander." Sokov replied cautiously: "It all depends on the strength of the German resistance. It may take a few hours, or it may take a day..."

"Don't give me such ambiguous words," Chuikov said dissatisfiedly: "The meeting between your division and the 23rd Infantry Division is of great significance, so I need an accurate time."

Although Chuikov only said half of what he said, Sokov has already guessed what he meant. As the commander of the group army, he definitely wants to go to the scene of the meeting and have a chat with the commander of the friendly army. These are of great significance things. After thinking about this, Sokov calculated silently in his heart again, and finally replied: "Comrade Commander, it is difficult for me to say the specific time. I can only tell you that I will try to shorten the time for the meeting. "

Chuikov heard a hint of the off-screen voice from Sokov's words: "Colonel Sokov, do you plan to attack from another direction when the friendly forces attack the German positions?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander, that's what I'm thinking about. Attacking the enemy from two sides is definitely more effective than attacking from one direction only." Sokov reported to Chuikov: "I have already discussed with Sivakov It is agreed that his troops will launch an attack on the enemy's position at eight o'clock, while my troops will launch an attack half an hour later, giving the enemy a double attack."

Seeing that he couldn't get any more useful information from Sokov, Chuikov couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and said: "Colonel Sokov, when you want to join forces with your allies, remember to call me, and I will rush to the scene of the meeting in person. Go see."

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Seeing that he had guessed what was on Cuikov's mind, Sokov quickly and loudly replied, "I will report to you in time before joining forces with our allies."

After putting down the phone, Sokov frowned and thought for a while, then told Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, please call Comrade Ulbricht and ask him to come here."

Although everyone is usually very polite to Ulbricht, but anyway, the opponent is a German, and two Soviet troops are joining forces. What do you want him to do? With this question in mind, Sidolin asked inexplicably, "Comrade Commander, what did you ask him to do?"

"Comrade Commander wants us to join forces with Sivakov's division as soon as possible." Seeing that Sidolin was puzzled, Sokov explained to him: "I would like to know that their propaganda on the German positions has some Didn't get any results?"

"What can their propaganda achieve?" Anisimov said with disdain: "They yell at the enemy's positions every day. It's not as effective as we put a basket of bread and two barrels of beetroot soup in the position."

"Comrade political commissar, you can't say that." Seeing that Anisimov looked down on Ulbricht, Sokov hurried out to smooth things over: "Our bread tactics were effective against the besieged German troops who lacked food and clothing in Stalingrad. But if you switch to another battlefield, this tactic is useless at all. If you want the enemy to take the initiative to put down their weapons and surrender, you still have to rely on comrades like Ulbricht who are against Faxi Temple."

"Okay, I'll call Comrade Ulbricht." Sidolin picked up the phone, "Tell him to come here immediately."

While Sidolin was on the phone, Sokov asked Ivanov, "Comrade Deputy Commander, I have something very important to ask you."

Seeing Sokov's serious face, Ivanov also quickly suppressed the smile on his face: "Comrade Commander, if you have anything to do, please tell me."

"I would like to ask, where is the military flag?" Sukov was afraid that the other party would not understand what he was talking about, so he deliberately added: "It is the military flag of the 41st Guards Division."

"The military flag has always been kept by the political commissar." Ivanov glanced at Anisimov who was standing next to him, and immediately thought of the reason why Sokov asked this question, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade commander, what are you doing?" Are you planning to use this flag when joining forces?"

"That's right." Sokov nodded, and replied affirmatively: "The reunion with the friendly army is a matter of historical significance. Naturally, we must use the flag of our division."

"Comrade Commissar." Ivanov waited for Sokov to finish speaking, then turned to Anisimov and said, "Go and fetch the military flag, it will be useful when we meet up tomorrow."

Before Anisimov took back the flag, Ulbricht walked into the division headquarters quickly. After he nodded to Sokov and the others, he asked curiously, "Comrade Colonel, what do you want from me?"

"It's like this, Comrade Ulbricht." Sokov didn't go around in circles, but asked bluntly: "Tomorrow we plan to attack the enemy on the opposite side in the defense zone of the 122nd Regiment. I brought you here because I want to Let me know, how is your propaganda work in that area going?"

"We were in the defense area of ​​the 122nd regiment, and we shouted to the German army on the opposite side for a week." Ulbricht replied: "Sixteen German soldiers came to surrender one after another. But they haven't been in the past two days. I guess the German officer found out. Soldiers defected, so security was heightened to the point that..."

Sokov felt disapproval of Ulbricht's statement. If the German officers really strengthened the supervision of the soldiers, why did the number of German officers and soldiers who came to eat every night keep increasing? It seems that their propaganda work was not done well enough to persuade the German army to voluntarily surrender.

Thinking that Ulbricht's propaganda was effective in disintegrating the morale and morale of the German army, the smile on Sokov's face became perfunctory. He said to Ulbricht: "Comrade Ulbricht, tomorrow we will join forces with the 23rd Infantry Division coming from the west. I wonder if you are interested in participating in our meeting ceremony?"

According to Sokov's thinking, Ulbricht would immediately agree without hesitation after hearing this. Unexpectedly, after he finished speaking, Ulbricht remained silent. After a while, he said in embarrassment: "Comrade Colonel, I still have a lot of things to do tomorrow. I see your meeting, so I will not participate."

After Ulbricht left, Ivanov said dissatisfiedly: "Damn it, he doesn't want to participate in such an important historical event as joining forces with friendly troops."

"Comrade Deputy Commander, you can't say that." Sokov understood Ulbricht's difficulties, and felt that he should come out and say a few words for him at this moment: "In any case, Comrade Ulbricht is a German. As a German People, to participate in our meeting ceremony, I must still have knots in my heart."

After listening to Sokov's explanation, Ivanov immediately realized that he had misunderstood Ulbricht. If he and the other party had changed places, they probably wouldn't have participated in such a meeting ceremony.

When Anisimov returned, he was followed by a sergeant holding a long object wrapped in canvas. Anisimov introduced to Sokov: "Comrade commander, let me introduce you formally. This sergeant is the squad leader of the flag guard squad. He has five soldiers under him. Their responsibility is to protect this military flag." .”

Sokov nodded at the other party and told him, "Comrade Sergeant, show me the military flag."

The sergeant put the long object in his hand on the table, and carefully opened the canvas wrapped outside, revealing the brightly colored military flag inside. Sokov saw clearly that the flag was set on a special flagpole, dark brown in color, with a metal hoop on the top and two golden ribbons. He raised his hand to stop the sergeant's next move: "Okay, comrade sergeant, wrap up the military flag."

The sergeant didn't understand why Sokov suddenly ordered him to wrap the military flag, but he faithfully carried out his order. The military flag was carefully wrapped in canvas.

After the sergeant had finished all this, Sokov said to the sergeant: "Comrade sergeant, our division will be in the defense zone of the 122nd Regiment tomorrow to join up with the friendly troops coming from the west. At that time, it will be up to you Hold up this glorious Guards flag yourself, and join me with the friendly army."

The sergeant, who was still a little lost in his heart, suddenly became energetic when he heard Sokov's order. He straightened his body and faced Sokov, and replied loudly: "Yes, Comrade Commander."