Just as Sokov was worried about how to reject Bragoravov, an opportunity to get out came. Before leaving Nizhny Novgorod, Bragoravov suddenly sent a accompanying lieutenant to look for Sokov at the guesthouse.
When the lieutenant saw Sokov open the door, he immediately reported his identity to him: "Hello, Comrade Major! I am the entourage of General Bragorov. Comrade General asked me to ask you to go to the train station immediately and I would like to notify you of important matters."
"What, I need to notify me of important things?" Sokov couldn't help but feel a sudden slap in his heart when he heard the lieutenant say this, thinking that it was not to inform him to officially join the Weapons and Equipment Department, right? Thinking of this, he asked cautiously: "Comrade Lieutenant, do you know anything?"
"I don't know." The lieutenant replied very simply: "Comrade Major, please do it immediately. Comrade General is one hour away and he will take the train back to Moscow."
Sokov followed the lieutenant to the train station in Nizhny Novgorod with a nervous mood and met Bragorov on the platform. Seeing Sokov following his troops down to the platform, Bragorov just waved his head and said simply: "Follow me to get in the car!"
After coming to Bragoravv's carriage, Sokov, who was helpless, asked nervously: "Comrade General, is there anything important to call me here?"
"You go back to Moscow with us." Bragoravov said briefly: "I have arranged your carriage for you, right next door to me. You and the lieutenant I sent to find you to live in a private room."
"Comrade General," Sokov asked in confusion when he heard Bragorov say this, "But I did not agree to join the Weapons and Equipment Department, why did I return to Moscow?"
"Your work in Nizhny Novgorod has been completed," Bragoravov said to Sokov: "Your superiors order you to rush back to Moscow immediately."
Bragoravv's words confused Sokov: "Who is my superior?"
"It is Major General Malining, Chief of Staff of the 16th Army," Bragoravov continued to look at Sokov: "It is said that something happened to your army and you need to go back and deal with it immediately."
Sokov, who had been away from the front line for nearly a month, finally heard a name he was familiar with. However, he knew very well that if it weren't for something unexpected, Malining would not have personally ordered him to return to the front line. In order to find out what happened, he hurriedly asked: "Comrade General, do you know what happened?"
"I'm sorry, Major Sokov, I can only tell you with regret that I don't know." Bragorav said, shrugging, "I received a call from Comrade Ustinov not long ago, and he told me the orders of Chief of Staff Malining. As for what happened, I really knew nothing."
Seeing that Bragoravv didn't know what happened, Sokov couldn't help feeling disappointed. But when he thought of his hurry, he had not had time to explain to Yakov, and he couldn't help but say in embarrassment: "Comrade General, I will follow you back to Moscow, but I haven't had time to say to Captain Yakov. Look, will you send someone to inform him..."
"Major Sokov, you don't have to worry about this kind of thing." Bragoravov said to Sokov: "When we return to Moscow, someone will inform him."
Sokov originally thought that after arriving in Moscow, Bragorov would ask him to follow him back to the Weapons and Equipment Department first and give a simple report to Ustinov on his work in Nizhny Novgorod.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he got off the train, an officer standing on the platform walked to Sokov. After raising his hand to salute him, he asked politely: "Are you Major Sokov?"
"Yes, I am Sokov." Sokov raised his hand and returned the salute, looked at the officer he didn't know in front of him and asked, "Comrade Lieutenant, who are you?"
"I am Lieutenant Lieutenant of the 16th Army Command," the officer replied respectfully: "It is the order of Chief of Staff Major General Malining to pick you up back to the front line. The car is waiting outside the station. Please!" After he finished speaking, he turned sideways and made a gesture of inviting.
On the way back to the 16th Army Command, Sokov was eager to know what happened to his troops, so he asked Scarlet Ath: "Comrade Lieutenant, I want to ask, what's wrong with my troops."
Hearing Sokov's question, the muscles on the lieutenant's face twitched violently for a few times, and then replied politely: "Comrade Major, please forgive me! I have not been authorized to disclose any information to you. As for what went wrong with the troops, Chief of Staff Malining will tell you after you arrive at the headquarters."
From the lieutenant, Sokov heard that the person in charge of the 16th Army was Malining, which aroused his curiosity. When he escorted Rokosovsky back to Moscow by himself, the army's troops were commanded by deputy commander Zaharov, but now it has become Malining.
When Sokov asked the lieutenant this question, the lieutenant still smiled and refused to answer. Seeing that he could not ask the information he wanted from the lieutenant, Sokov no longer tried his best to lie back, leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes to rest.
After more than three hours of bumpy ride, he finally arrived at the location of the 16th Army Command. As soon as Sokov entered the command, he was seen by Malining. He stood up, walked to Sokov, smiled and stretched out his hand, and asked, "Major Sokov, you are here!"
Sokov raised his hand and saluted, then reached out and held Malining's outstretched hand and replied respectfully: "Comrade Chief of Staff, Major Sokov, the commander of the Istrian Battalion, is here by order. I obey your order, please give instructions!"
After letting go of Sokov's hand, Malining pointed to the empty seat next to him and said in an official tone: "Please sit down, Major Sokov."
After Sokov sat down, Malining also sat opposite him, and then said with a serious expression: "Major Sokov, the Front Command has informed us of your situation in Moscow. The Weapons and Equipment Department even sent people to us to learn about your situation. It is said that they intend to transfer you to their place to work, but I have refused them all."
Sokov did not interrupt Malining, but listened quietly. He knew that the other party would soon talk about the reason for recalling himself to the front line: "...The reason I was in a hurry to recall you from another place was because of a small accident. The Istrian camp suffered huge losses in the battle not long ago."
"What, Istria Battalion suffered huge losses." Although Sokov had known for a long time that his return must have something to do with Istria Battalion, he heard Malining say that the troops suffered serious losses, and suddenly jumped out of his seat and asked nervously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what's going on? Can you tell me?"
"That's right, Major Sokov." Malining said with some embarrassment: "Last week, the German army in front suddenly began to retreat. According to all the combat regulations of our army, but when the enemy retreated, they should immediately pursue with all their strength. Therefore, the acting commander General Zaharov issued a chasing order to his subordinate troops.
Due to the tight time, he did not consider the coordinated actions with the artillery and aviation, nor did he conduct sufficient reconnaissance, and rushed to put the troops into battle. Our two infantry divisions and Istria Battalion carried out blind operations on the battlefield without pre-scoring the terrain.
During the pursuit, they were stubbornly counterattacked by the German army. If our army stopped attacking at this time and moved into defense on the spot, the two sides would enter a stalemate stage. However, General Zaharov did not realize this and tried to use the heroic performance of our commanders and fighters to smash the German counterattack.
Unfortunately, the enemy's retreat was a conspiracy. They surrounded our two infantry divisions. Fortunately, the bravery and tenacity of the Istrian battalion made them finally break out of the enemy's encirclement, but the troops suffered heavy casualties...
The lesson of the failure of this military operation is painful. It makes us understand that the enemy is cunning and their strength is still strong. If you neglect or underestimate the enemy when organizing the battle, you may pay a great price..."
After listening to Malining's story, Sokov vaguely felt that the failure had caused some changes in the leadership of the 16th Army, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't know who is commanding the army unit now?"
"I am commanding the army group." Malining said with a serious expression: "General Zakharov was temporarily removed from his post because of his rash work, so he was temporarily relieved of all his posts and transferred back to Moscow. Before Commander Rokosovsky returns to the army, this unit will be commanded by me."
After figuring out the causes and consequences of transferring himself back, Sokov continued to ask: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I want to ask, how did you arrange for me? Should you return to the battalion immediately to command the troops?"
"Yes, Major Sokov, that's what I thought about." Malining said apologetically: "In order to cover the two surrounded infantry divisions to break through, your Istria battalion suffered huge losses. Now the morale of the camp is disintegrating and the morale is low. Maybe only if you go back can you regain your hearts."
Although Malining did not mention the specific casualties of the troops, he repeatedly mentioned that the Istrian Battalion suffered heavy losses, and Sokov's heart sank. He knew that after returning to the troops this time, many familiar faces would disappear, either sacrificed or injured and were sent to the hospital in the rear.
He didn't care about others, but Asia, who made him worried, was still in the army, and he didn't know whether it was safe. Thinking of this, he immediately asked impatiently: "Comrade Chief of Staff, don't know when I can return to the army?"
"Major Sokov, you have been on the train and car for more than ten hours. I really want to leave you in the headquarters for a rest overnight before leaving." Malining raised his hand and patted Sokov's shoulder twice, saying, "But since you want to return to the army immediately, I will not keep you. I will arrange a car for you immediately and send it back to the camp."
A few minutes later, the jeep that sent Sokov back to the camp was ready. The person in the same car was the second Lieutenant Att who had just been the one who was the Scarlet Sun. The Lieutenant nodded and smiled at Sokov, and asked, "Comrade Major, are we going to Istria Camp now?"
Sokov knew that his battalion must not be in Marklaki town now, but when he arrived somewhere else, he asked the lieutenant carefully: "Comrade Lieutenant, do you know where my battalion is stationed?"
"I know, comrade Major." Scarlet Ria nodded and said, "It's only a dozen kilometers away from the Army Command, and we can arrive in half an hour!"
Half an hour later, the jeep came to the edge of a forest. Sokov saw that there seemed to be no camp in the forest. When he was about to inquire with the lieutenant, a soldier in a white camouflage and holding a Mauser rifle walked out from behind a tree, and he said vigilantly: "Stop, command!"
The second lieutenant opened the car door and got out of the car first, and said to the soldier who asked for the command: "I said Comrade Soldier, I am not from your camp, how can I know what command?"
The soldier holding a gun pointed the gun at the second lieutenant and continued to ask: "Which part of you are from, what are you doing here?"
"Lieutenant Lieutenant, the staff officer of our Army Command," said the lieutenant, turning his head to look at Sokov, who was sitting in the back row, and saying, "I was ordered to send a commander to you."
"Commander, what commander?" the soldier asked briefly.
"It's me!" Sokov looked at the warrior outside through the car window. Although he looked familiar, he couldn't call his name. He quickly pushed open the car door and walked out, saying to the other party: "It's me who's back!"
Seeing Sokov coming out of the car, the soldier couldn't help but look surprised on his face. He quickly lowered his gun, raised his hand to salute Sokov, and said respectfully: "Report to the battalion commander, three rows of soldiers in a row, Berezkov is on duty, please give instruct!"
"Continue on duty!" Sokov raised his hand and asked, "Where is the battalion headquarters?"
Berezhkov turned around and pointed to the middle of the forest, and said excitedly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, you have been moving forward. You can see a row of tents when you walk about two hundred meters. There is a battalion headquarters located there."
"Major Sokov, you have arrived at your destination, so I won't continue to send you there." Lieutenant Scarlett said to Sokov: "I will return to the headquarters to report."
"Thank you, Comrade Lieutenant." Sokov shook hands with Scarlet and said gratefully: "Thank you for sending me here, we will have a date later. Good luck!"
Chapter completed!