The search team walked in the forest for a day, but found nothing. Seeing that it was getting late, Sokov ordered the troops to stop and camp on the spot, and then continue to search after dawn the next day.
The soldiers built a half-man-high circular snow wall around the camp. The purpose of this was to block the biting cold wind, and even if an enemy came to attack at night, there was a defensive fortification that could be relied on to combat.
As soon as the radio station of the team was turned on, they received a call from the Unknown Highlands. Sokov took the headphones and the sender from the radio operator and started a call with Belkin who was left in the battalion command post: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, I am Sokov. Is there any recent situation there?"
"Comrade Battalion Commander," Belkin's anxious voice came from his headphones: "When I sent someone to the city to get the radio station, the division command notified us that the missing position of the plane was about twenty kilometers southeast of our station. I was afraid that you would go in the wrong direction, so I ordered the radio operator to keep calling you."
"Thank you, comrade of the deputy battalion commander." Berkin's words made Sokov secretly relieved. He said to his heart: Fortunately, there was a Matrosov in the first echelon. Otherwise, according to the route he set, the team would go on detours during the day. He quickly said to the sending machine: "Our search route today is in the southeast direction. If we are lucky, we should be able to find the missing plane tomorrow."
Before finishing the call, Sokov asked again: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, how is the situation in Sushinic City?"
"What else can it be?" Belkin replied with a wry smile: "According to Corporal Maxim's report, the enemy is bombarding the city so much that our officers and soldiers have to dig trenches and build covers so that the troops will suffer less losses."
Sokov asked Geria and Oleg to find them and said to them: "Comrades, I just spoke to the deputy battalion commander. According to the latest information, the plane we are looking for may be only a few kilometers away from us. Therefore, tomorrow will be a very critical day..."
As soon as he said this, he was suddenly interrupted by the radio operator beside him: "Comrade Battalion Commander, someone is sending us a message."
Hearing the radio operator say this, Sokov thought to himself: I just talked to Belkin, why did he start sending newspapers again? Did something urgent happen? He quickly ordered the radio operator: "Comrade radio operator, please collect the newspaper immediately!"
Because Sokov was eager to know the contents of the telegram, he did not continue to explain the tasks to Geria and Oleg, but stood aside and quietly watched the radio operator receive the newspaper. After he took the telegram from the radio operator and saw the contents clearly, he was shocked and saw that it said: "My reconnaissance team discovered an emergency landing plane. When rescuing the personnel on the plane, he had a fire with the German army. Now the team members have lost more than half of the losses, so please support." The signature is: Grissa.
Geria, who was standing next to him, tilted her head and saw clearly the contents of the telegram, and said excitedly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, Grissa's reconnaissance team actually found the missing plane. This is great."
After hearing this, Sokov nodded, put the telegram into his pocket, and instructed the operator: "Call back to Grissa immediately and ask him to report their location."
Geria took advantage of the radio operator's report and volunteered to Sokov: "Comrade Battalion Commander, since the pilot is now in the whereabouts, please let me lead the team to pick them up."
"Don't worry, Sergeant Geria." Sokov waved his hand to Geria and said, "We don't know where Gressa is and whether there are German troops around them, so we can't act rashly. Let's wait until his call comes back."
Grissa's call came soon, and the message said that the reconnaissance team encountered the German army after rescuing the crew on the plane. After a fierce battle, there were only two crew members left in the group, and they are now surrounded by about two platoons of German troops.
According to the telegram, Sokov quickly found their location on the map, less than five kilometers away from his camp. Logically speaking, after knowing where Grissa and his friends were, Sokov should immediately lead people to rescue him. But considering that the number of German soldiers was several times higher than that of him and was dark, if he rushed over, he would likely break into the German encirclement. Not only would he not be able to save Grissa and his friends, but he would instead trap himself in.
Geria and Grissa had a good personal relationship. Seeing that Sokov had not made any decision after reading the telegram, he urged: "Comrade Battalion Commander, since we know where Grissa and the others are, we should rescue them as soon as possible, otherwise they may be destroyed."
"Comrade Sergeant," Sokov looked at Geria and said in a stern tone: "You have never considered us just by considering that they are in danger of destruction of the entire army. What should we do if we break through and fall into the trap of the enemy?" Seeing that Geria was speechless by himself, Sokov continued, "You go back and rest first. We will rush over to support them tomorrow morning."
Seeing that Sokov had already spoken to this level, Geria knew that there was no intention to argue any more, so he raised his hand and saluted him and left with Oleg.
After Geria and Oleg left, Sokov ordered the radio operator: "Send a message to Grissa again, saying that reinforcements are already on the road, so that they must persevere until noon tomorrow."
At five o'clock the next morning, Sokov led his troops to advance to the surrounding area of ​​Grissa and the others. After the troops walked about three or four kilometers, Oleg, who was leading the way in front, sent Matrosov to report, saying that German sentries were found in the forest ahead and asked what to do.
After hearing Matrosov's report, Sokov quickly gave an order to the second echelon: "Stop moving forward and stand by!" Then he followed Matrosov to the front with a machine gunner.
Oleg and another soldier lay behind a snow-covered bush, vigilantly monitoring the enemy in the distance. Seeing Sokov and his friends coming up from behind, they quickly moved their bodies to the side and whispered: "Comrade Battalion Commander, there is a German sentinel two hundred meters ahead."
Sokov quickly raised his telescope and looked forward through the gaps in the bushes. Sure enough, he saw a German soldier wearing a military coat, a steel helmet, and a rifle walking back and forth in front. He put down the telescope and asked Oleg in a low voice: "The enemy hasn't noticed you, right?"
"No." Oleg said in a positive tone: "I have observed carefully that the Germans' steel helmet was wrapped in a cold blanket, which would have a certain impact on his hearing. I think he must have not noticed us."
Sokov paused for a moment and then asked, "Oleg, can you be sure that our missing plane is in that direction?"
"This is hard to say." Oleg said in a hint: "I just observed it carefully with a telescope and did not find a plane in the forest."
Chapter completed!