Among all the defense areas of the 41st Guards Division, the one that worries Sokov the most is the archives building guarded by the Belkin Regiment. Don’t forget that this unit is his direct descendant, with strong combat effectiveness and rich combat experience.
However, due to the lack of tanks, artillery and other heavy weapons, if you want to completely block the German attack, you will definitely pay a heavy price.
As for Sokov's worries, Sidorin, who was the chief of staff of the division, also felt the same. Seeing Sokov's frown, he said to him: "Comrade division commander, I know what you are worried about. Although you have to keep the files,
The building will require huge sacrifices, but compared with friendly forces, our casualties are still within an acceptable range..."
"That's true." Sokov felt that what Sidorin said was very reasonable. Those friendly forces who entered the city to participate in the battle would only have a few hundred people left in a division within a week, basically losing their combat effectiveness. And his own troop structure
, so far, it is relatively complete, "It may be that we have adopted new tactics that are different from friendly forces in order to reduce the casualties of the troops in the battle."
"The reason why Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko's 122nd Regiment prevented the enemy from entering the ruined Workers' New Village was because they cleverly combined defensive positions with sewers." Sidorin said with some regret: "
Although we reported this tactic to the Army Group Headquarters and asked them to promote it within the Army Group, the results were not ideal. Those commanders who were accustomed to positional warfare disdained the use of our tactics, resulting in heavy casualties among the troops.
"
"I don't care and can't control what tactics others use." Sokov said resolutely: "But my troops must follow my tactics to fight the enemy. Only in this way can we support the big counterattack.
That day.”
Ivanov, who has rarely spoken recently, couldn't help but arouse curiosity when he heard Sokov say this: "Comrade division commander, when do you think our army can launch a full-scale counterattack?"
Naturally, Sokov would not tell the other party that the major counterattack would be launched on November 19. Instead, he deliberately remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and said: "I'm sorry, Comrade Deputy Division Commander, I don't think I can answer your question accurately.
Question. But based on the speed of our army's build-up, I judge that a major counterattack against the enemy is entirely possible at the end of November or early December. However, even if the counterattack is launched, I am afraid that the defenders in the city will not be able to launch a large-scale counterattack against the German army.
."
Sokov's words greatly exceeded the expectations of Sidorin and Ivanov. After hesitating for a moment, Sidorin retorted: "Comrade division commander, I don't agree with your opinion. If our army really wants to implement
If there is a major counterattack, then the base camp will definitely send enough troops to strengthen the 62nd Army, so that we can cooperate with the friendly forces coming from outside and destroy the enemies attacking Stalingrad."
"Chief of Staff, have you forgotten that some time ago, the base camp planned to send three divisions into the city to form a combat group to contain the enemies attacking in the new area in the north of the city?" Sokov said in order to break Sidorin's unrealistic ideas.
, specifically reminded him: "But with the enemy's intensive bombing of the city in early October, the base camp changed its mind. They found that too many troops were placed in the city and could only become the target of enemy artillery and bombing, so they only needed
Just keep a certain number of troops in the city so that the enemy cannot rush to the Volga River."
"Comrade Division Commander," Ivanov waited for Sokov to finish and then raised his concerns: "I want to ask you, if the enemy is besieged by troops on the outside of the encirclement from the north, west and south, what will they do?
We won't jump over the wall and rush to the bank of the Volga River desperately. If we don't have enough troops, can we stop their attack?"
"The problem you are worried about is entirely possible." Sokov made a few gestures on the map with his hand and said: "Currently the enemy is concentrating its superior forces, under the cover of tanks and artillery, to attack the barricade factory and Dzerzhinsky
The Dzerzhinsky Factory launched an attack and tried to seize the two factories before moving forward to the Volga River to cut off the connection between the defenders in the city and the outside world. Regardless of the fact that the superiors had just sent reinforcements to the Dzerzhinsky Factory, whether it could hold on
I think the factory is still an unknown quantity."
Hearing what Sokov said, the muscles on Ivanov's face twitched violently. He said calmly: "Comrade division commander, do you have so little confidence in friendly forces?"
"This is not a question of confidence," Sokov said, shaking his head: "The enemy has control of the air over the city, and there are tanks and large Japanese troops. If they want to defend the factory, they can only use human lives to fill it. I think
For a long time to come, there will be a brutal tug-of-war between the Barricade Factory and the Dzerzhinsky Factory, with tens of thousands of casualties on both sides."
"Comrade division commander, do you think your superiors will once again mobilize our troops to reinforce these two factories?" Sidorin waited for Sokov to finish and asked with some concern: "After all, our troops are the only ones in the city now.
Relatively complete.”
"This is inevitable," Sokov said with some helplessness: "In the coming days, in order to block the enemies rushing towards the Volga River, I think Commander Chuikov may transfer some troops in unimportant areas.
Go to those dangerous places to participate in the battle. Whether it is Papuchenko's 122nd Regiment or Belkin's reduced regiment, they may be mobilized at any time."
"Comrade Commander, I have an idea." After Ivanov stared at the map for a while, he raised his head and said to Sokov: "Now the enemy's attack on Mamayev Heights has become a little careless. Should we
Can only one regiment be left to hold on to the high ground, and then the detached troops be transferred to where the fighting is fiercest to support the friendly forces?"
"No, Comrade Deputy Division Commander, this is definitely not possible." Ivanov's plan was rejected by Sokov without hesitation: "Although we have complete defenses on Mamayev Heights, we only need to leave one
Two battalions can hold the high ground, but we cannot take it lightly. Don't see the enemy's attack momentum weakening now, but who knows that one day in the future, they will see that the attack to the north of the city is not going well, and they will turn their attention again
If we put it on Mamayev Heights, if we are in a situation of insufficient troops by then, the high ground may be lost."
In order to attract Sidorin and Ivanov's attention to this matter, he pointed at the map and emphasized to them: "As long as Mamayev Heights remains in the hands of our army, when the major counterattack begins,
The German army attacking Stalingrad will be immediately divided by our army into two unrelated areas, one is the factory area in the north of the city, and the other is the old city area in the south."
"Comrade Division Commander," Seeing that Sokov actually talked about the possibility that the German army would be divided and surrounded after the beginning of the major counterattack, Sidorin showed a surprised expression on his face: "Do you really think that after the beginning of the major counterattack, we can
Surround the Germans?"
"Yes, that's what I think." Sokov nodded and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you think our army can't do this?"
Both Sidorin and Ivanov were skeptical of Sokov's bold guess. If others had said this, they would have refuted it long ago. Now the city is in danger, and whether it can be defended is still a matter of doubt.
question, and you are talking about dividing and surrounding the enemy, which is simply a daydream. But since it was Sokov who said this, the two of them could only remain silent and smiled politely, indicating that they heard Sokov
This kind of statement.
The reaction of the two men was completely expected by Sokov. He thought to himself: If he were not from later generations and knew the final outcome of the Battle of Stalingrad, he would definitely be as concerned as they were about whether the 62nd Army could hold the city.
Be skeptical.
Just when the atmosphere in the room fell into embarrassment, the phone on the table rang. Sidorin grabbed the phone and put it to his ear and said: "I am Chief of Staff Sidorin, where are you?"
Chuikov's voice came from the receiver: "Hello, Comrade Sidorin. I am Chuikov!"
"It's Comrade Commander, hello!" Upon hearing the call from Chuikov, Sokov and Ivanov both pricked up their ears and listened quietly to the conversation between Sidorin and Chuikov: "Excuse me
Do you have any instructions?"
"You immediately mobilize a company of troops and rush to the ferry on the Volga River."
Sokov's heart skipped a beat, secretly thinking that Golya's troops had just returned to the army a few hours ago, and they were actually deploying men from his own troops to perform some tasks. He tried his best to control the dissatisfaction in his heart, and quietly
Listening carefully to Chuikov's upcoming orders.
Sidorin asked politely into the microphone: "Comrade Commander, what will be the next task after our troops arrive at the ferry?"
"It's like this. I just received a call from the front army headquarters, saying that a batch of rockets provided by Moscow will be shipped from the other side before dawn." Chuikov said very fast: "We don't have enough now.
We have a lot of manpower to deliver ammunition to you, so you can only rely on you to send people to pick it up."
When he learned that Chuikov asked him to send troops to the ferry to receive rockets shipped from Moscow, Sokov couldn't help but be overjoyed. He quickly walked to the door and said to a soldier guarding the door: "Comrade soldier,
Go ahead and call Lieutenant Seryosha."
"Comrade division commander," after hearing Sokov's order, the soldier at the door said with some embarrassment: "Lieutenant Seryosha may still be sleeping now."
"Go and wake him up." As soon as Sokov waited for the soldier to finish speaking, he immediately ordered in an unquestionable tone: "Now there is a more important task than sleeping to be entrusted to him. Order him to report to me immediately."
When Sokov walked back to the table, Sidorin had already put down the phone. Before Sokov could ask, he took the initiative to report: "Comrade division commander, the commander said on the phone that the superior will transport it to us this time."
There are 500 rockets. I’m worried that if I only send one company to carry them, I’m afraid there won’t be enough manpower.”
Sokov had already known from Krylov that a large number of residents were now involved in transporting supplies at the ferry. Seeing that Sidorin was worried about the shortage of manpower to transport supplies, he smiled and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, in terms of manpower, you
Don’t worry, there are a lot of residents at the ferry now who will help us carry supplies.”
"The residents along the river are all eager to escape to the other side by boat." Sidorin asked with some worry because he didn't know the situation at the ferry: "Let them stay and risk their lives to carry supplies for the troops, and they won't complain.
Bar?"
"It is certainly inevitable for some people to complain." Sokov said lightly: "But when they can successfully cross the river, it is still unknown for these residents. Instead of staying on the shore doing nothing,
It is better to let them do some work within their ability, and every resident who participates in transporting materials can receive food supplies every day."
After hearing this, Sidorin said in surprise: "If the residents carrying supplies can get food supplies every day, I think it will definitely mobilize their enthusiasm. I wonder who came up with such a good idea?"
"Who else could it be?!" Sokov knew that there was no word "modest" in the Russian dictionary, so he said carelessly: "Of course it's me."
"Did you come up with it?" Sidorin couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise when he heard what Sokov said. But after a moment, his expression returned to normal and he said matter-of-factly: "Yes, this is good.
Only you, Master, can think of a way."
"Report!" Before Sokov could speak, a voice shouting a report came from beside him. He turned around and saw that it was Seryosha who had been ordered to arrive. He might have arrived in a hurry, but Seryosha was still standing at the door.
Wearing a belt.
"Come to me, Lieutenant Seryosha." Sokov waved to Seryosha and said, "I have an important task for you to complete."
Seryozha came to the table, straightened his body and said: "Comrade Commander, please give me the order."
"That's it, Comrade Lieutenant." Sokov said to Seryosha in an official tone: "The five hundred rockets assigned to us by our superiors will be unloaded at the ferry before dawn. You should rush to the ferry with your company immediately.
, prepare to receive this batch of rockets and transport them to Mamayev Heights in the shortest possible time. How about it, are you confident?"
"Have confidence!" After Seryozha answered, he said with some embarrassment: "Comrade division commander, my company currently only has 150 people. To transport such rockets back, I'm afraid we need to add more manpower."
"There are enough manpower at the ferry to help you unload cargo and transport rockets." Sokov was worried that Seryosha would not pay attention to it, and specifically emphasized to him: "This batch of rockets will determine whether we can hold Mamayev Heights."
The key is, so you must not make any mistakes. Do you understand?"
"Don't worry, comrade division commander." Seryosha replied confidently: "I will definitely transport these rockets back to Mamayev Heights safely. Do you allow me to go back to assemble the troops?"
"Permission." After agreeing to the other party's request, Sokov raised his hand to look at his watch and added: "Although we don't know when the ship transporting rockets will land, your company must set off in half an hour."
This chapter has been completed!