It was certainly a gratifying thing that the German attack was repelled, but Sokov couldn't be happy because he knew very well that the defeat was the vanguard of the German army. Not to mention just repelling them, even if they were wiped out, with the current strength of the German army, one division and two divisions would soon be able to transfer the troops of two divisions. With the cooperation of aircraft, tanks and cannons, they could crush his new infantry brigade with more than 6,000 people, but strong outside and at the same time, into powder.
Andrei noticed Sokov a little depressed and asked in confusion: "Comrade Brigade Commander, we have crushed the German attack. Why do you look a little unhappy?"
"The Germans will definitely not give up after suffering such a big loss. I am worried that they will make a comeback soon." Sokov said with a serious expression: "I am worried that it will be difficult for us to block the enemy's attack."
"Don't worry, comrade comrade commander." Perhaps because he had just repelled the German attack, Andre seemed full of confidence: "Since we can repel them once, we have the confidence to repel their second and third attacks."
Sokov glanced at Andre, whose confidence was beginning to expand, and said in his heart: You have repelled two German attacks today, but the casualties of the troops have reached nearly 700. If you continue like this, the third battalion will be cancelled in two days. However, in order not to suppress the opponent's enthusiasm, he still said tactfully: "In the battle that just ended, Alitai's tanks lost four tanks in a row, so we only have thirteen tanks left. If the German army dispatched armored divisions to attack, even with their assistance, it would be difficult for you to defend the position in the east of the city."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, besides the Tank Company, don't we have artillery companies?" Andrei looked at Sokov and said, "Our artillery company also played a significant role in the battle just now."
"We only have one artillery company," Sokov said with a stern face: "not only do they want to provide you with artillery support, but if other directions are attacked by the enemy, they also need to provide support for their comrades who are standing in those places. The enemy knows that we have artillery, and will definitely try every means to eliminate it, so I will not use artillery easily unless I have to."
"Comrade Battalion Commander, Comrade Battalion Commander!" The two of them were talking when they suddenly broke into an officer from outside. The officer originally wanted to report the situation to Andrei, but after coming in, he found that Sokov was also here. He couldn't help but hesitate and didn't know who to report to.
Fortunately, Andrei saw his embarrassment and said to him: "Lieutenant Guchakov, since the brigade commander is here, if you have anything to do, please report to him." After saying these words, he introduced to Sokov, "Comrade Brigade Commander, the lieutenant has just been rescued from the prisoner-of-war camp. I saw that he had rich command experience, so he made him the third company commander."
Andrei thought that he would be criticized by Sokov by privately appointing Guchakov as company commander. Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Sokov just nodded and said to Guchakov with a blank expression: "Comrade Lieutenant, tell me, what's wrong?"
"That's right," Guchakov replied in a panic: "We have captured more than 30 prisoners in a row, including seven or eight wounded. I would like to ask the battalion commander how to deal with it?"
"Comrade Lieutenant, we do not have the ability to contain prisoners for the time being, and the wounded will waste our precious medicines." Hearing that it was this, a hint of displeasure flashed across Andre's face: "Shoot them all right away."
"Yes!" Guchakov may have had enough of the Germans' cowardice in the prisoner-of-war camp. Hearing Andre's orders, he readily agreed: "I will go back immediately and ask the soldiers to shoot all these damn *** elements."
"Wait a minute, Comrade Lieutenant." Seeing Guchakov turn around and leave the command post, Sokov called him behind him. Then he said to Andre with a side face, "Captain Andre, we cannot shoot these German prisoners."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, how can we let them go?" Andrei immediately became anxious when he heard Sokov say this: "If they go back there, they will pick up their weapons and fight us..."
"Okay, comrade Captain, you don't have to say it." Sokov raised his hand to stop Andrei, "Even if we shoot these German prisoners, it will not have much impact on the strength of the enemy. On the contrary, the German commanders can use this to make a fuss, saying that as long as it falls into our hands, they will be shot, forcing the German soldiers to fight us desperately. If we put these German soldiers back, they will tell their companions that we want to shoot the prisoners is just a rumor. In this way, when the situation is not good for them in the future, the enemy may choose to surrender rather than fight us to the end."
After Sokov's explanation, Andrei and Guchakov suddenly realized it and nodded quickly and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, you have made sense. Let's release the German prisoners."
Many of the soldiers in the third company came from prisoners of war camps, and their hatred for the Germans was stronger than anyone else. Therefore, before Guchakov went to ask Andre, he specially selected more than a dozen soldiers rescued from prisoners of war camps, and a sergeant led the German prisoners of war. He considered that once Andre ordered all the prisoners to be executed, these soldiers would be executed, giving them a chance to avenge them.
The soldiers thought that these prisoners would be shot sooner or later, so they would not be polite to them. If they disliked them, they would punch and kick them up, which would make the prisoners who dare not fight back to their faces. Seeing Guchakov jogging all the way back, the sergeant who led the team hurriedly came forward and asked, "Comrade Commander, will they all be killed?"
Unexpectedly, Guchakov shook his head and said unexpectedly: "Let them all be removed!"
"What, let them all go?" Guchakov's words not only surprised the sergeant, but even the soldiers beside him thought they had heard it wrong, so they surrounded him and asked, "Comrade Commander, why did they let them go? Have you forgotten how they treated us in the prisoner-of-war camp?"
Hearing his subordinates mentioning the prisoner-of-war camp, Guchakov, who suffered humiliation and torture, couldn't help but put his hand on the gun holster at his waist. He wanted to pull out his pistol immediately and kill all the German prisoners in front of him. Fortunately, his reason defeated the impulse, he moved his hand away from the gun holster, and then ordered his subordinates: "This is the order of the brigade commander, let all the prisoners be released immediately and execute the order!"
The Soviet army was a unit that strictly obeyed orders. Even though they knew that the orders of their superiors were wrong, they would execute them without hesitation. Although these soldiers were full of hatred towards the Germans, they heard that it was the order of the brigade commander, so they went forward and loosened the rope on the Germans' wrists, then spit at them, and said, "Get out, damn German guy, get back to your own people."
The German prisoners who thought they were dead were stunned when they saw that the Soviet soldiers not only did not kill them, but instead loosened the rope on their hands. Because they could not understand what the other party said because they could not understand what the other party said.
Fortunately, Guchakov learned a few words from his German army in the prisoner-of-war camp. He first took out a piece of black bread from his backpack and threw it to a German soldier kneeling in front of him. Then he took out a first aid kit and threw it to a German wounded lying on the ground. Finally, he bit his back teeth and said in stiff German: "You guys are lucky, don't shoot them, get out!"
The German prisoners understood the German language that Guchakov spoke incorrectly, but they still stayed there and did not dare to move. They were very afraid that Guchakov would deceive them. As long as they were together, the black muzzles around them would open fire at them. Seeing the Germans squatting on the ground and not moving, Guchakov stepped forward and kicked a prisoner to the ground, raised his voice and shouted: "Get out!"
The German prisoners then confirmed that Guchakov really wanted to let them go. After thanking him, he helped the wounded up and rolled and crawled towards the east.
Seeing the German prisoners leaving, the sergeant said with dissatisfaction: "Comrade Commander, I don't understand why the German prisoners were released. Don't you know that after they go back, they will pick up their weapons and attack us?"
"I understand!" Guchakov yelled at the sergeant: "Do I have suffered less sin in the prisoner camp than you? Don't I want to shoot all the German prisoners I caught?" Seeing that Guchakov got angry, the sergeant quickly closed his mouth obediently.
Seeing that the sergeant did not speak, Guchakov sighed and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander said that even if we shoot all these prisoners, it will have no effect on the Germans. On the contrary, the Germans can use this to make a fuss, saying that we will shoot all the captured prisoners, which will force their soldiers to fight to the death with me. But today we will put the prisoners back, and these rumors will be self-defeating. Do you understand?"
Although the soldiers still had a knot in their hearts, since the company commander said so, even if they wanted to object, it would be useless. They could only bite the bullet and answer: "I understand, comrade of the company commander!"
Rokosovsky, who was far away in Yeretz, became anxious after learning that the enemy began to attack Kursk. He asked Malining: "Chief of Staff, where has the 7th Tank Army been, and how long will it take for them to arrive at Kursk?"
Malinin quickly pointed to the map and said to Rokosovsky: "Comrade Commander, according to Major General Rotmistrov's report, his tank 7th Army is still seventy kilometers away from Kursk. If the road is in good condition, it only takes one day and night to reach Kursk. But..."
"But what?" Rokosovsky asked with some displeasure: "Can they not arrive in Kursk tomorrow?"
"I find it difficult." Malining replied dryly: "There are forests and swamps everywhere on their way, which limit their movements. Moreover, there are many tanks along the way that need professional repairs. In their current state, even if they arrive in Kursk, it may be difficult to participate in the battle immediately."
Seeing that Rotmistrov's tank army could no longer count on it, Rokosovsky could only settle for the second best: "Where has the reinforcements sent by the base camp reached at present?"
"Based on the information I have, they have arrived at Yeretz at noon today." Malinin reported to Rokosovsky: "Two infantry divisions can travel through forests and swamps to Kursk within two days; while tank brigades and artillery units will take at least twice as long."
"Chief of Staff, that is," Rokosovsky and Malinin finished speaking, staring at the map and said, "Will the 73rd Infantry Brigade of Sokov not get any reinforcements within two days?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Malining nodded and replied affirmatively: "That's exactly what's going on."
Rokosovsky stared at the phone in front of him for a while, shook the handle decisively, then picked up the receiver and put it in his ear, and said to the microphone: "I am Rokosovsky, immediately pick up Major General Krasovsky, the commander of the 2nd Air Force Army."
The phone was quickly connected. When Krasovsky's voice came from the receiver, Rokosovsky immediately said: "Comrade General, judging from the current situation, the German army will launch an attack on Kursk. I hope you can dispatch the air force to provide air support to the troops that are standing there!"
Krasovsky had no idea that Sokov's troops had occupied Kursk at all. Hearing Rokosovsky said this, he couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Comrade Commander, isn't there an enemy-occupied area? How could there be our troops?"
"Our troops went deep behind enemy lines two days ago and captured Kursk." Rokosovsky said briefly: "The enemy is unwilling to lose this city, and is gathering forces to try to retake the city. Our army's defense in the city is still very weak. In order to defend this city, your air force needs to provide support for them."
After figuring out what happened, Krasovsky immediately stated: "I understand, Comrade Commander. I will dispatch the air force tomorrow morning to provide air support to the troops standing in Kursk."
After Rokosovsky and Krasovsky agreed on air support, he put down the phone and called Malining in front of him, saying to him: "Chief of Staff, send a telegram to Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, saying that we will provide him with air support tomorrow, so that he can do everything possible to defend Kursk, and we must never let the city fall into the hands of the Germans again."
Chapter completed!