After cleaning the battlefield, Sokov led the guard platoon towards the trench where the fourth battalion was holding.
Unexpectedly, when everyone was still two or three hundred meters away from the trench, the trench was still quiet, and not a single person could be seen. Seeing this, Sokov felt an ominous premonition in his heart, and he quickly stopped.
Footsteps, allowing the soldiers of the guard platoon to hide on the spot.
After giving the order, Sokov took the lead and jumped into a bomb crater. He looked in the direction of the trench and wondered what happened. He made such a big noise in the direction of the wall. Why did the soldiers of the fourth battalion not react at all?
No.
While he was observing the situation on the other side, he suddenly felt someone jumping into the crater. When he turned around, he found that it was Guchakov. He asked curiously: "Guchakov, I haven't asked anyone to inform you yet. What's wrong with you?"
Just come here?"
Guchakov did not answer the question raised by Sokov, but said anxiously: "Comrade Brigadier, there is a situation that I think needs to be reported to you immediately."
"What's going on?" Sokov asked casually.
"Comrade Brigade Commander, after the enemy who carried out the sneak attack withdrew," Guchakov reported: "The sound of gunfire and explosions on our army's position has not stopped. I guess it was a fight between our own people."
Guchakov's words made Sokov think deeply: If those who stayed in the trenches last night were only the commanders and fighters of the fourth battalion, they have experience in dealing with German night attacks. But there are many others who defended with them.
When workers who have just entered the battlefield encounter a sneak attack by the German army, after the confusion, the workers will muster the courage to fight the enemy. However, the target they attack is likely not the enemy, but their comrades. After this melee,
, the casualties of the troops will definitely not be small.
"Comrade Brigadier," seeing Sokov not speaking, Guchakov tentatively asked, "What should we do next?"
Although there has been no movement on the position, Sokov knew in his heart that his group could not stay here forever, otherwise the enemy would launch a bombardment, and the soldiers of the guard company would probably suffer heavy losses. But at this moment, the surviving soldiers on the position must have
The wind is roaring and the trees are full of soldiers. If you see a group of people approaching the position, you may shoot without warning. In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, you must send people to the position to make contact.
He looked at the crater and saw that apart from himself and Guchakov, there was only one unfamiliar soldier. Sokov would never hand over such an important task to an ordinary soldier casually, so he was very interested in Guchakov.
The husband said: "Guchakov, go over and contact the troops on the position, tell them that we are going over, and ask them not to shoot."
"Yes!" Guchakov agreed, stood up, handed the rifle in his hand to Sokov, then climbed out of the crater on hands and feet, and walked cautiously towards the position not far away.
Seeing Guchakov walking alone towards the position not far away, Samoylov climbed in from another bomb crater and asked Sokov curiously: "Comrade Brigadier, what are Corporal Guchakov doing?
Already?"
Sokov pointed forward with his hand and said: "Guchakov just reported to me that after the sneak attack enemy retreated, the gunfire on our position continued for a long time. I guess it must be his own and his own.
I started fighting. Although it was already dawn, they saw a troop appearing from a distance. Even if they wore the same uniforms as myself, they might shoot. So I sent Guchakov to contact them.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Sokov suddenly saw Guchakov crawling out of the trench, standing up straight, waving his hands desperately towards this side. Seeing this, Sokov knew that he must have already attacked the defenders.
After explaining the situation, even if he took someone there, there would be no misunderstanding. Sokov stood up and said to Samoylov: "Let's go, Comrade Second Lieutenant, let's go now."
When Sokov led his men to the trench, he smelled the choking gunpowder smoke mixed with a lingering strong smell of blood, which made him frown. He was eager to find the person in charge of the position and learn about it.
What exactly happened, he asked Guchakov: "Where is the commander?"
A sergeant heard Sokov's question and quickly stepped forward and replied: "Report to comrade brigade commander that the battalion commander is injured and is receiving treatment in the basement."
"Where are the other commanders?" When Sokov learned that Briski was injured, his heart skipped a beat and he quickly asked, "Where are they?"
The sergeant looked left and right, and then replied with some difficulty: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I think I should be the highest-ranking military officer on the position. The other commanders all died in the battle last night."
"Nonsense, simply nonsense." Sokov pointed at Samoylov: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, I will go to the command post first to find out what is going on. You and your people will stay on the position and assist in the attack."
Sokov came to the command post and found that in addition to Briski, Bely, Yakov, Vanya and Cousteau were all there. Even Colonel Koida and Political Commissar Mashkov of the mixed regiment were there.
Zai. Sokov nodded to everyone, taking it as a greeting, and then asked directly: "Can any of you tell me what happened last night? I really didn't expect that I only left for one night, and this place...
You have made everything miserable."
Faced with Sokov's responsibilities, everyone lowered their heads. After a while, Bely said to Sokov with a red face: "I'm sorry, Comrade Brigadier, it's all my responsibility..."
"Comrade Colonel, how can I blame you?" Before Bely could finish speaking, Cousteau intervened and said sadly: "The reason why the army suffered so many casualties is entirely our responsibility. Comrade workers
I have little combat experience, especially I don’t know how to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy at night. As a result, I didn’t hit many enemies, and all my bullets hit my own people..."
Sokov patiently listened to the speeches of several people and confirmed that his guess was completely correct. He sat down and asked Yakov for a cigarette and started smoking silently. After finishing the cigarette, he raised his head and faced everyone
Said: "Comrades, the main responsibility for this matter lies with me..."
"Ah!" As soon as Sokov started speaking, Vanya and Cousteau couldn't help but exclaimed, wondering how Sokov could take the responsibility on themselves. But before they could speak, Sokov
He raised his hand to stop them and said to himself: "The reason why I said the responsibility lies with me is because I ignored that the workers had little combat experience, but let them stick to the position together with the soldiers of the fourth battalion.
During the day, everyone can clearly see where the enemy is, and they know which direction to shoot the bullets. But at night, the worker comrades who have little combat experience do not know how to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, and they do not know where to shoot.
I guess that during the battle, the comrades workers also performed very bravely, hoping to repel the enemy as soon as possible, but in the end they did bad things with good intentions and regarded their comrades as enemies.
On the battlefield, what determines victory or defeat is not who has more people, nor which side is more brave, but the overall coordination, especially the tacit understanding between the troops, which is the key to victory..."
As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Briski appeared at the door. When he saw Sokov's appearance, he showed an expression of surprise on his face, but his expression quickly dimmed. He said dejectedly: "I'm sorry, Brig.
Comrade Chang, I have let you down."
Seeing Briski's bandaged left hand hanging on his chest, Sokov quickly stepped forward to grab his shoulder and asked with concern: "Comrade Captain, is your injury okay?"
Briski raised his bloodless face, looked at Sokov and grinned, trying to say in a calm tone: "It's nothing serious, I just got shot. It will be fine after a while."
After helping the other party sit down, Sokov continued to ask: "What are the casualties of the troops?"
"Fifty-three people died in the entire battalion and eighty-one were injured." After Briskey finished describing the casualties in the battalion, he couldn't help but glance at Cousteau secretly and whispered: "The casualties among the worker comrades are also
almost."
"Comrade Captain, this incident of friendly fire is completely a misunderstanding. It was caused by the worker comrades' lack of combat experience and their inability to know how to identify ourselves and the enemy at night. I hope you will not blame them for this." Sokov was worried about Bliss.
Because of this incident, the Foundation felt grudge against the comrades of the Red October Factory, and specifically emphasized to him: "You must record this blood debt on the invaders of Faxi Temple and demand repayment of the blood debt from them."
"Captain Brischi," after listening to Sokov's speech, Cousteau stood up and walked to Brischi, stretched out his hand to him, and said friendly: "Please accept my apology! I hope we can return to each other in the future.
We can continue to fight side by side and jointly fight against the invaders of Faxi Temple."
When the two men's hands were tightly held together, Sokov then issued an order: "Captain Vanya, from now on, your troops will take over the defense area of the fourth battalion, and you and the workers will continue to hold their positions. Remember
, after dark, let the comrades workers go back to the basement to rest, and your troops will be responsible for the night guard duty. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Comrade Brigadier." Vanya stood up and replied loudly: "I promise you that I will never let something like this happen again."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," seeing that Sokov only asked the 1st Battalion to take over the defense area of the 4th Battalion, but did not assign any tasks to his own regiment, Colonel Koida became a little bit impatient and asked quickly: "I
I would like to ask, what is the mission of our group?"
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov looked at Koida and said politely: "The mission of your regiment is to rest. When necessary, I will assign tasks to you."