The 35th Guards Division had lost all its heavy weapons during the battle, and even suffered two-thirds of its troops' casualties. If they continued to hold on to the area without complete fortifications, what awaited them would be the end of the entire army.
After repeated weighing, Glazkov gave the troops an order to retreat.
After receiving Glazkov's order to retreat, each regiment immediately withdrew from their positions and moved towards Mamayev Heights while the enemy was repulsed. However, neither Glazkov nor the grassroots commanders ignored this.
There were German reconnaissance planes operating in the sky. As a result, shortly after withdrawing from the position, German artillery fired at the retreating troops.
Scattered artillery shells fell in the middle of the retreating troops and exploded. The air waves of the explosion blew away the commanders and soldiers near the explosion point, or threw the broken limbs and gun parts into the air. The commanders and soldiers who had been demoralized by the retreat were suddenly
Dazzled by the sudden artillery bombardment, the team fell into chaos. The soldiers instinctively fled in all directions to avoid the German artillery fire.
Glazkov, who followed the troops withdrew, saw that the troops were in chaos under the enemy's artillery fire. He couldn't help stamping his feet anxiously. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Everyone, don't mess up, don't mess up..." However, his
The sound was covered up by the sound of artillery and the shouts of the soldiers, and no one heard it at all.
When the observation post at Mamayev Ridge discovered that the 35th Guards Division had withdrawn from their positions, they immediately called Sokov and reported: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I saw the troops of the 35th Guards Division withdrawing from their positions.
Already."
The first thing Sokov did after he put down the phone was to ask Sidorin directly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, has the Army Headquarters notified us when the troops of the 35th Guards Division will retreat to Mamayev Heights?
"
"No." Sidorin said with a blank look on his face: "Logically speaking, if they want to retreat, they will definitely report to the army headquarters first, and then General Chuikov will call us and ask us to send troops to respond. But I
I haven’t received a call from the headquarters yet.”
"But the observation post just reported to me that the troops of the 35th Guards Division have begun to move." Sokov said with a serious expression: "I want to call the headquarters and ask."
Sokov was lucky. He quickly got through the phone call from the headquarters. The person who answered the phone was Chief of Staff Krylov. As soon as the other party heard Sokov mentioned attacking the 35th Division, he said impatiently:
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I will call you when the 35th Guards Division moves. I am very busy here and there is nothing important, so don't call me."
Sokov noticed that the other party was about to hang up the phone and quickly stopped him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please wait a moment. I'm calling you to tell you that the 35th Guards Division has begun to move!"
"What, the 35th Guards Division has begun to move?" Krylov asked in surprise: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, who told you this information?"
"It's my observation post." Sokov quickly replied: "He reported to me that the troops of the 35th Guards Division have withdrawn from their positions and are moving in the direction of Mamayev Heights."
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I will verify the situation you mentioned immediately." After saying that, Krylov hung up the phone before Sokov could speak again.
Sokov held the microphone that transmitted the blind tone, and said to Sidorin and Belkin with some laughter and tears: "So far, the headquarters does not know that the 35th Guards Division has given up its position and is heading towards our Mamayev Hills.
Moved."
Sidorin waited for Sokov to finish speaking and immediately asked: "Comrade Brigadier, what should we do now?"
"We have to do two things now." Sokov said with two fingers: "First, verify whether the observation post's report is true; second, immediately order Golia's 192nd Battalion to prepare. If the Guards'
The 35th Division has really started to move, so let them go out to respond."
Sidorin nodded, picked up the phone and called the observation post on the top of the hill to verify with them: "Hello, observation post? I am Chief of Staff Sidorin, please confirm the troops of the 35th Guards Division.
Are you retreating to Mamayev Kurgan?"
While Sidorin was talking to the observation post, Sokov stood aside and listened to the voice on the phone: "Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff, I can confirm that the troops of the 35th Guards Division have evacuated their positions and are currently
Moved in the direction of Mamayev Heights. However, they are now under shelling from the Germans, and the troops have completely lost their organization and fallen into chaos."
Everyone was shocked to learn that the troops of the 35th Guards Division were being shelled by the Germans. After Sidorin put down the phone, he looked at Sokov and asked: "Comrade Brigadier, we are also sending the 192nd Battalion as planned.
Are you going to respond?" He asked because he was worried that the troops he sent would suffer heavy losses in the German artillery fire.
The questions that Sidorin thought of were also taken into consideration by Sokov. He did not immediately answer whether to send troops, but asked Sidorin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, how many more armored vehicles have we captured?"
"Two." After Sidorin finished answering, he asked puzzledly: "Comrade Brigadier, what are you going to do?"
"The enemy is shelling the 35th Guards Division. I'm afraid it would be inappropriate to send troops to respond at this moment. Don't go to respond to friendly troops at that time and suffer heavy losses under the enemy's shelling." Sokov said thoughtfully: "Since our
I have two armored vehicles in hand, so I sent them out immediately to find a way to bring General Glazkov back..."
"Yes, yes, Comrade Brigadier, you are right." Before Sokov could finish his words, Sidorin jumped in and said, "General Glazkov is the commander of the Guards Division. We must first ensure that
What about his safety? I will send someone to drive an armored vehicle to pick them up."
Seeing Sidorin pick up the phone, Sokov quickly stopped him: "Chief of Staff, wait a minute. The paint on the two armored vehicles is still German. Let our soldiers remember to bring two red flags when they set off, so as not to
Causing unnecessary misunderstandings."
Sidorin was on the phone, arranging people to respond to Glazkov, when the high-frequency phone on the table rang again. Sokov guessed that it might be a call from the Army Headquarters, and quickly picked up the phone: "
I am Sokov."
"I am Chuikov." Chuikov's voice came from the receiver. He asked in a stern tone: "We have lost contact with the 35th Guards Division. It seems that they may have really retreated. The troops sent out to respond are ready.
?"
"Comrade Commander, the situation has changed a little." Sokov thought that the retreating troops were being shelled by the Germans. If he sent troops to respond, he would be letting his soldiers die, so he said bluntly
Chuikov: "The enemy is shelling the retreating 35th Guards Division. If I send troops to reinforce, I will be letting them die. I can't risk the lives of my own soldiers."
Hearing what Sokov said, Chuikov couldn't help but became furious: "If you don't want your soldiers to die, then are you prepared to watch the commanders and fighters of the 35th Guards Division being wiped out by the enemy?"
"Comrade Commander," faced Chuikov's accusation, Sokov replied in a moderate tone: "If the troops of the 35th Guards Division are pursued by the Germans while retreating, it is my duty to send troops to meet them.
But now the enemy is shelling, and the flesh and blood of the soldiers cannot stop the enemy's shells. However, I will not sit back and watch the friendly troops being wiped out by the enemy, and I will try my best to provide them with help."
"Tell me," Chuikov may have felt that what Sokov said made some sense, so his tone softened: "What are your plans?"
"I still have two captured German armored vehicles here," Sokov reported to Chuikov: "I plan to order the soldiers to drive these two armored vehicles to find General Glazkov and take him to Mamaev
Post.”
Chuikov was silent for a long time and then said: "Okay, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, just as you said, send two armored vehicles to find General Glazkov. Remember, we must bring him safely to Mamaye
Fu Gang."
Seeing Sokov put down the phone, Sidorin asked impatiently: "Comrade Brigade Commander, we have made arrangements for Second Lieutenant Samoilov of the guard company to lead five soldiers to carry out this important task."
"Call Lieutenant Samoilov here." Although Sokov believed that Samoilov had the ability to bring Glazkov back, for the sake of safety, he still ordered Sidorin: "I have something important.
I have to explain everything to him."
Samoilov was in a room not far away. After receiving the phone call, he quickly appeared at the brigade headquarters. Sokov walked up to him, raised his hand and patted him twice on the shoulder.
, and then said: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, are the tasks clear?"
"Yes, Comrade Brigadier." After hearing what Sokov said, Samoilov quickly and clearly repeated the mission assigned by Sidorin to everyone: "Our mission is to find the Guards No. 2
General Glazkov, commander of the 35th Division, and brought him safely to Mamayev Heights."
"Comrade Second Lieutenant," Sokov was not sure whether he could rescue Glazkov, but he still said to Samoilov seriously: "I hope you can do everything possible to save Glazkov."
General Husband brought me here. When the time comes, I will ask my superiors to award you and your subordinates with honors."
Honor is more important to soldiers than life. After hearing Sokov's wish, Samoylov immediately replied in a loud voice: "Comrade Brigadier, don't worry, even if you sacrifice your life, I will
We will also bring General Glazkov safely back to Mamayev Heights."
…………
When two armored vehicles painted with white crosses appeared in front of the officers and men of the 35th Guards Division who were retreating hastily, everyone had different reactions. Some lay down on the spot and prepared for battle; some stood in a daze.
We don’t know what to do; some people are thinking in their hearts, we can’t fight against the French and German armored vehicles, do we need to surrender?
Just when everyone was panicking, a red flag suddenly stretched out from the compartment of the armored vehicle. The flag was tied to a rifle. Seeing the red flag fluttering in the wind, the soldiers immediately understood that the enemy was not coming.
It was one of our own. So many soldiers who were lying on the ground preparing to shoot got up again and continued to move forward along the road.
Samoilov stood up and asked the soldiers passing by him loudly: "Where is your division commander?" Seeing that no one paid attention to him, he thought that the other party did not hear him, so he raised his voice again and repeated his words.
Repeated it again.
This time someone finally answered. A young soldier looked up at Samoilov standing in the carriage and said: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, our division commander seems to be still in the area that was under shelling..."
Samoilov looked in the direction of the little soldier's finger and saw that the area a few hundred meters away had indeed been shelled by the Germans. From such a long distance, even without a telescope, Samoilov could see that there were lots of things on the ground.
The ground was covered with corpses of Guards Division soldiers, all of whom had fallen under enemy fire.
"Drive the car to the shelling area." Samoilov shouted at the top of his voice: "We are going there to meet General Glazkov."
"Comrade Second Lieutenant," the driver said to Samoilov, "The artillery fire in front of us is too fierce."
, if we drive past, we might become a target for the Germans."
"Didn't you hear the soldiers of the Guards Division say that their division commander is there?" Samoylov ordered in a tone that left no room for doubt: "Advance! Advance towards the enemy's artillery fire!"
After hearing this order, the driver had no choice but to restart the armored vehicle and speed towards the shelling area. At the same time, he secretly prayed in his heart that the shells would not hit his vehicle.
The distance of a few hundred meters is only two or three minutes for an armored vehicle. When Samoilov braved the enemy's artillery fire and searched for Glazkov's whereabouts, from time to time there were wounded people lying on the ground asking them.
He stretched out his hand for help and murmured: "Please, help me, help me..."
In normal times, Samoilov might have been merciful and let the soldiers in the car get out of the car to save people. But at this moment, their mission was to find General Samoilov, the commander of the Guards Division, so they responded to the wounded on the roadside asking for help.
, they can only be cruel and ignore it.
The armored vehicle passed through the artillery fire, and from time to time there were flying shrapnel that made the armor plate jingle. Even the helmet Samoylov was wearing was hit by a few shrapnel, but he didn't care and continued to stare at the artillery fire with his eyes wide open.
In the smoke, everyone searched for Glazkov's whereabouts.
At this time, a soldier rushed out of the crater with smoke still coming out from the side and shouted loudly to Samoylov in the car: "Help, comrade commander, please, please help us."
Commander, he is injured."
"Stop!" Samoylov vaguely heard the word "division commander" and quickly ordered the driver to stop. Then he leaned down and asked the soldier: "Comrade soldier, what were you shouting just now? I didn't hear it clearly. Can you repeat it again?
?”
This chapter has been completed!