"What should we do, Comrade General." After Sokov waited for the major to finish speaking, he asked Chuikov for instructions: "What should we do next? Continue south to look for troops?"
"Yes, we must continue to go south to look for them." Chuikov looked at Sokov and said seriously: "They have just arrived here from Siberia. They are unfamiliar with the place. Once they are surrounded by the Germans, they will not be able to escape."
I don’t know which direction to break through. As their commander, I cannot sit back and watch them be wiped out by the Germans."
Although Sokov knew that if he continued to go south, he might encounter the German vanguard at any time. If possible, he could not wait to turn around and return to the Aksay River defense line now. But at this moment, hearing Chuikov say this, he felt a rush of blood.
He coughed lightly and said seriously: "Comrade General, I am willing to go south with you to find the scattered troops and bring them safely back to our defense line."
"Let's go, Comrade Chief of Staff." After Chuikov shook hands with the major and said goodbye, he turned to Sokov and said: "On the battlefield, every minute is precious. We must find them before the German army encircles them."
Although the driver was not familiar with the terrain in this area, he would definitely not get lost if he drove south along the railway line. After driving four or five kilometers, he came to Kotelny, which was attacked by German air raids and tanks.
Kovo Station. All the buildings in the station are burning. Rows of carriages still burning with flames are parked on the twisted railway tracks. The remains of dead soldiers in various postures are scattered everywhere inside and outside the station.
Outside the station, there was a destroyed German Panzer III tank. Surrounding the tank were the bodies of at least forty or fifty Soviet soldiers. From this, it can be seen that the Soviet soldiers sacrificed a lot in order to destroy this damn German tank.
What a high price it paid.
"Our soldiers performed very bravely. They sacrificed their young lives to defend our great motherland." Chuikov took off his military cap, bowed respectfully to the remains of the soldiers, and then led the way.
He put on his hat and said in an inaudible voice: "The fact that our descendants are living a happy life will remember everything you did today."
The jeep continued to drive forward along the railway track for an unknown period of time. Klimov, who was sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly pointed ahead and said with some excitement: "Comrade Commander, look at the smoke ahead, we must be there."
troops."
After Chuikov looked ahead for a while, he frowned and said, "Hell, why didn't they pay attention to air defense? There was smoke everywhere. German planes can be seen dozens of kilometers away."
When the jeep arrived near Chirekov Station, Sokov finally understood what the smoke he had just seen was about. Surrounding the station and on both sides of the railway tracks, you could see groups of soldiers surrounding them everywhere.
They formed a circle, threw their weapons and luggage aside, and were preparing lunch as if no one was around. The scene seemed particularly chaotic.
"Nonsense, absolutely nonsense." Chuikov got out of the car, looked at the soldiers dining near the station, and said angrily: "Don't they know that if they do this, they will attract the German planes? Klimo
husband!"
Klimov, who was standing at the front of the car, heard Chuikov calling him and quickly agreed, then asked: "Comrade Commander, what are your instructions?"
"Go find a commander!" Chuikov said to Klimov: "I need to know the situation of the troops here."
Not long after, Klimov brought over an elderly major. When the major saw Chuikov standing next to the jeep, he hurriedly raised his hand and saluted him: "Hello, comrade general, what are your instructions?"
Chuikov asked bluntly: "Comrade Major, where are your division commander, political commissar and division headquarters? Also, where are the other troops of your division?"
"I don't know where the division commander and the others are, Comrade General." After the major answered Chuikov's question simply, he pointed to the west and said: "There is a town two kilometers away to the west. Some of the people who got there first
The troops are stationed there, and if you go there, you may be able to find the regimental commander."
Knowing that there were troops stationed in a nearby town, Chuikov was eager to find the 208th Division headquarters and rushed over. However, before leaving, he specifically told the major: "Comrade Major, I just observed,
Your troops are crowded inside and outside the station, without paying attention to air defense or setting up alerts. Once you are attacked by German air strikes or ground troops, you will be defeated in the shortest possible time."
A nervous look appeared on the major's face: "Comrade General, what should we do?"
"Immediately withdraw the troops from the vicinity of the station, because this is the key bombing area of the German Air Force." Chuikov pointed to the direction he came from and said to the major: "Go three kilometers northeast, there is a forest, you can hide the troops
There, wait for further orders from superiors."
"But, Comrade General." After hearing Chuikov's order, the major said helplessly: "I am just a battalion commander, and the only troops I can mobilize are my battalion."
Chuikov had long observed that there was at least one regiment of troops inside and outside the station, but there was not even a regiment-level commander. Seeing that it was unrealistic to transfer all the troops in the station, Chuikov could only
Taking a step back, he pointed towards the grassland in the southwest and said again: "Comrade Major, there are two highlands over a hundred meters above sea level. You should immediately send strong troops to occupy them and occupy them."
Build fortifications on top. This way, even if the German army appears from the south, you can rely on these two highlands to resist."
"Understood, Comrade General." The major followed the direction Chuikov pointed and saw clearly the two hills in the distance, then nodded and said, "I will lead the troops to occupy the high ground as soon as possible and build fortifications."
After the driver started the car, Klimov turned and asked Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, where are we going next?"
"Go to the town to the west." Chuikov said to Klimov: "See if you can find a higher-level commander there."
The two-kilometer road is only a few minutes' drive away. Sokov saw that this town close to the front line was full of houses that had been bombed by planes, and black craters could be seen everywhere on the streets. In the ruins on both sides of the road,
The expressionless soldiers were collecting firewood to prepare for life and cooking.
After the jeep stopped, Klimov opened the door and shouted to the two soldiers passing by the car: "Hey, comrade soldiers, where is your commander?"
The soldier glanced at the rank on Klimov's collar, and then replied: "Comrade Lieutenant, I'm not sure. I just came from the station."
After the disappointed Klimov dismissed the two soldiers, he closed the car door and turned around and asked Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, what should we do now?"
"Find a place to settle down first." Chuikov ordered: "We must find a way to get in touch with the army headquarters and inform them of the defense situation on the left wing."
Klimov searched the town for a while and saw a relatively complete bungalow, so he suggested to Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, let's set up the headquarters here."
After obtaining Chuikov's consent, Klimov got out of the car and walked into the building. Not long after, he walked out of it, followed by four lieutenants. He reported to Chuikov: "Commander
Comrade Commander, this is a company command post, I have already made an agreement with the commander, and they will make room for us right now."
Chuikov stepped forward and shook hands with the four officers one by one, and asked tentatively: "Do you know where the division headquarters is?"
"I don't know, Comrade General." Several officers shook their heads and replied: "Since we joined the military ranks, we have lost contact with our superiors. It is not easy to gather our troops.
."
After some conversation, Chuikov figured out that these four officers were not from the same company, but each commanded a company. He thought for a while and said to the four of them: "You can continue to stay here. If
If anything happens, it will also be convenient for me to command the troops."
Entering this building, Chuikov discovered that this should be some kind of office in the town. The space inside was not small. Even if it could accommodate forty or fifty people working at the same time, it would be more than enough.
After finding a corner to place the radio, Chuikov ordered Klimov: "Comrade Adjutant, contact the Army Headquarters immediately and inform them that we are establishing a defense line on the left wing."
"Comrade Commander," Klimov said with some embarrassment when he heard this order: "There may be something wrong with the radio station of the Army Headquarters. We have been unable to contact you for two days. If we can't contact you again, we will
what to do?"
"If we can't be contacted again, we will contact the front army headquarters and report the situation of the 208th Division to our superiors." Chuikov said decisively: "At the same time, please tell the officer on duty to the deputy commander, General Shumilov, that we
A new line of defense is being established on the left wing of the army group."
When the radio was calling the front army headquarters, the roar of an explosion suddenly came from outside. Sokov listened for a moment and then reported to Chuikov: "Comrade General, the explosion came from the direction of the station, it should be
German planes were bombing the station."
"Hell, how come the German plane arrived so quickly?" Chuikov said angrily: "I don't know if the soldiers in the station have been evacuated, otherwise they will suffer heavy losses in the air raid."
Just when Chuikov was about to go outside to check the bombing situation, a captain stopped Chuikov: "Comrade General, there is a staircase at the back that goes up to the roof, where you can conduct observations."
Sokov followed Chuikov and climbed to the roof along the escalator. He raised his telescope and looked into the distance. He saw bombs falling from the sky, falling one after another in the station. There were explosions and flames everywhere. The station
The buildings began to burn, and the flames licked from one building to another. Frightened and desperate soldiers ran around like headless flies, and some curled up on the ground holding their heads and howling desperately.
Seeing this scene, Chuikov was so angry that he cursed loudly: "...I told them to air defense earlier, but they didn't listen. Have you tasted the consequences now? These damn commanders, because of their stupidity, have killed so many people."
What an innocent warrior..."
Sokov accidentally glanced at the plane hovering in the sky and was shocked. He quickly shouted: "Comrade General, look, the plane that is bombing the station is not the German's, but our own!"
"What, our own plane?" Chuikov raised his telescope and looked at the plane in the sky, and also shouted: "Yes, it is our plane. What is going on? Why did our plane blow up our own people?"
Coming?"
"Comrade General," Sokov felt that the top priority was to inform the Front Army Headquarters and ask them to tell the Air Force that the wrong target was bombed. He quickly reminded Chuikov: "We should immediately report this matter to the Front Army Headquarters and ask them to immediately order the Air Force
,Stop this wrongful bombing.”
"That's right, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, you are right to remind us." Chuikov nodded, turned around and ran down the stairs: "I want to inform the headquarters immediately that our air force is bombing our own people."
Chuikov rushed into the command post and asked Klimov, who was standing next to the walkie-talkie: "Klimov, have you contacted the front army headquarters?"
Chuikov rushed to the radio and shouted to the radio operator: "Send a report to the front army headquarters, saying that at Chirekov station, our military planes are bombing our military columns and troops! Ask them to stop this mistake immediately
Action..."
While the radio operator was sending the report, the roar of an airplane suddenly came from the sky. Hearing this sound, Sokov secretly screamed something bad and quickly pulled Chuikov and ran outside. At the same time, he shouted loudly: "Air raid siren, hurry up.
hidden."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a violent explosion not far away. Everyone in the room felt the ground beneath their feet tremble slightly. The first person to react was Klimov. He saw Sokov
Just as he was grabbing Chuikov and running outside the house, he also rushed over, grabbed Chuikov's other arm, and dragged him desperately towards the outside.
It wasn't just Sokov and the others who ran out, several company commanders also staggered out. Although they kept tripping over bricks, stones and debris on the ground, they kept running as soon as they got up. For those who were stunned.
Yes, they didn't pay any attention to the soldiers who were still standing on the street in a daze. Although the bombs dropped from the sky were bombs dropped by their own people, they could still kill people. If they didn't run out quickly, were they still waiting to be bombed?
At most, when you pass those soldiers, shout at them, "Run!"
The commanders and fighters who escaped from the town were hiding in nearby ravines to avoid air attacks. Looking at the planes that were constantly swooping down to drop bombs and strafing in the sky, Sokov felt like he wanted to cry without tears. There were so many commanders and fighters from Siberia.
They came all the way to Stalingrad and were killed by their own plane without even seeing the Germans. If they knew the truth, I don't know how aggrieved they would be.
After an unknown amount of time, the Soviet planes that completed the bombing turned around and returned to the airport. The commanders and fighters hiding in the ravine got out one after another and looked at the retreating planes silently.
"Klimov," Chuikov looked around, and then asked his adjutant: "Where is the operator? Has he escaped?"
"I don't know, Comrade Commander." Klimov replied in a panic: "When the bombing started, I just dragged you outside and didn't notice the radio operator at all."
"Go back and find him quickly." Chuikov ordered the other party: "Without him and the radio station, our contact with our superiors would be completely interrupted."
Just as Klimov was about to return to the burning town to search for the missing operator, he suddenly heard someone shouting loudly: "Germans, the Germans are coming!"
Sokov turned around and saw that the person shouting was a guard next to Chuikov. He quickly looked in the direction of his finger and saw hundreds of German soldiers with weapons coming towards the town.
Among their ranks were two armored vehicles.
"What the hell, what the hell, where did they come from?" Seeing the sudden appearance of the German soldiers, Sokov couldn't help cursing in his heart: "Our air force just finished bombing the town, and the Germans launched
In order to attack, the 'air-ground coordination' between them was really good."
"Comrades, company commanders," Chuikov clearly saw the German troops appearing in the distance, and shouted to several panicked company commanders: "Gather your companies immediately, we will stop them outside the town." Then Chuikov said.
He called another guard and ordered, "Rush to the station immediately, find the major just now, and ask him to bring his troops to support us."
