After Sokov waited for Huasilevsky to finish speaking, he was silent for a moment, and then asked respectfully: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I wonder when my troops should be departing?"
"Let's go in two days."
Sokov knew that the road directly to Stalingrad from here had been cut off by the German army and could only choose other routes to go around, so he continued, "Where is our marching route?"
"Since the road from here to Stalingrad has been cut off by the enemy, you need to first arrive at Yeretz, where there are cars prepared by superiors to take you to the train station in Moscow." Huaseylevsky introduced to Sokov: "At the train station, you take the train to Kazan, and then transfer from there to the transport ship of the Volga region fleet, and go down the Volga River to Stalingrad."
Huasilevsky pointed to the map and introduced the route to Sokov. Seeing that he wanted to make such a big circle, Sokov frowned slightly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the journey is not close."
"Yes," Huasilevsky agreed with Sokov's statement: "In such a big circle, you have to walk about a thousand kilometers more road. I am worried that when you arrive at Stalingrad, many soldiers will be exhausted. Fortunately, you are resting in the past, not fighting, and have enough time to recover."
When Sokov heard that his troops were resting and not fighting, he was amused and laughed. He knew very well that not to mention Huasilevsky, even Stalin himself felt that the Germans approached Stalingrad because they deliberately emitted smoke bombs to divert the attention of the Soviet army so that they could successfully achieve the goal of capturing the Caucasian oil.
Sokov knew very well that even if he told Huasilevsky at this moment that the German army was about to launch a key attack on Stalingrad, the other party would not believe it, but would question his source of information. It was precisely for this reason that Sokov did not say more nonsense, but asked dryly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you allow me to return to the army and arrange the transfer task?"
"Allow." Huasilevsky nodded and said to Sokov: "Let the soldiers prepare what they need on the road. Your journey will take at least half a month to one month."
As soon as Sokov returned to his command center, he summoned all the commanders at the company level and above in the brigade and told them the news that the troops were about to be mobilized.
The commanders attending the meeting showed a surprised expression on their faces after seeing the marching routes pointed out by Sokov on the map. They did not expect that in order to arrive in Stalingrad, the troops would have to travel thousands of roads more. Therefore, when they heard Sokov ask according to the usual practice, "Who has any questions?" they raised their hands one after another and said that they wanted to speak.
Sokov's eyes swept across the people and pointed his hand at Grissa: "Lt. Grissa, you speak first."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Grissa stood up and asked with confusion: "If we want to send troops to strengthen Stalingrad's defense, we can dispatch nearby troops; even if there are no suitable troops nearby, we can transfer troops from Moscow. Why do we have to march for more than 1,000 or nearly 2,000 kilometers to Stalingrad?"
"Comrades," Sokov said bitterly about Grissa's question: "Comrade General Staff said that letting us brigades to Stalingrad for garrison is the meaning of the Supreme Command. The transfer of us to Stalingrad is to rest for a while, and when the new counterattack begins, our brigade will accept more difficult tasks."
Hearing that the transfer of troops to Stalingrad was the order from the Supreme Command, the room suddenly became quiet and no one questioned this kind of mobilization that was exhausting the people and money. On the contrary, after a while of silence, the other commanders began to ask Sokov again what kind of transportation the superiors would provide to the troops during the march.
After discussing the issues that should be considered, Sokov suddenly remembered something and said specifically: "Comrades, since our brigade was expanded on the basis of Istria Battalion, the army's system seemed a bit chaotic, I want to adjust it here. The original number of the three companies of the first battalion remained unchanged; the number of the three companies of the second battalion was changed to the fourth company to the sixth company; the three companies of the third battalion were changed to the seventh company to the ninth company; the three companies of the fourth battalion were changed to the tenth company to the twelfth company..."
After announcing the order to change the number, Sokov asked again: "Is there any question?"
"No!" the commanders replied neatly.
"Since there is no problem, everyone will go back to their respective troops." Sokov was afraid that someone would not pay attention to this transfer, so he emphasized: "Our marching time is about half a month to a month. Everyone should prepare everything they need on the road. Do you understand?"
"I understand!" After answering neatly, the commanders turned around and walked out of the brigade command center.
After all the commanders who were in the meeting left, Belkin asked tentatively: "Comrade Brigade Commander, since our march is so far away, should we keep the wounded here? After these battles, there were more than 500 wounded people in the brigade, including nearly 100 seriously injured."
"All the seriously injured people stayed." Sokov said without hesitation as soon as Belkin finished speaking: "As for the minor wounded people, we will take them with us depending on their injuries and can follow the troops; if we cannot follow the troops, stay with the seriously injured people. When the transportation line with Moscow is opened in the future, we will send them to the military hospital in the city."
"So do we leave a few more health workers," Belkin continued, "let them take care of our wounded."
When Sokov heard Belkin mention leaving several health workers to take care of the wounded, he immediately guessed the other party's intention. When he thought of the bloody battle that was about to begin, Sokov felt a stir in his heart. He was unwilling to let Asia take risks with him. When he was considering what reason to keep her, Belkin said what he said just now. Sokov nodded quickly and said with the flow: "Then let the female health workers in the health team stay and let them be responsible for taking care of our wounded."
Berkin picked up the phone on the table and said to Sokov: "Since the comrade commander does not object, I will call the military officer of the health team leader Pavlov and ask him to keep all the female health workers, so I will not go to Stalingrad with us."
Sokov asked Asia and the others to stay because he didn't want them to go to Stalingrad to die. Who knew that Asia, who didn't know the inside story, did not accept Sokov's feelings. After learning the news, she immediately rushed to the brigade headquarters with several female health workers from the health team and asked Sokov for an explanation.
As soon as he saw Sokov, Asia asked with a stern face: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I want to ask, since the whole brigade is about to set off, why should we leave our female health workers in Kursk?"
As soon as Asia finished speaking, several female health workers standing behind her also echoed: "Yes, comrade comrade brigade commander, although we are women, we can carry the wounded from the battlefield like male health workers. Why do you keep us all in Kursk?"
"Comrades of the Female Soldiers," Belkin saw the female health workers attacking and hurried out to smooth things over: "Comrade Brigade Commander left you here for your sake. Think about it, we will march for nearly two thousand kilometers next time. He was worried that your body would not be able to bear it, so he decided to let you stay here and take care of our wounded."
"Yes, the political commissar is right. The road that the troops are going to go this time is too far, so you should stay here." Seeing Belkin helping him speak, Sokov quickly continued: "As health workers, your task is to take care of the wounded and enable them to return to the front line as soon as possible. There is no difference between them in Kursk or Stalingrad."
Sokov's words left the female health workers speechless. But after a while, Asia attacked again. She said with a gloomy face: "Comrade Brigade Commander, don't you think I have become a neutral person? The war has erased the gender of a person. At least I don't want others to regard me as a woman." Asia's words aroused the response of the female health workers.
Berkin turned his head and looked at Sokov, and said with a wry smile: "Comrade Brigade Commander, it's up to you to decide on this matter."
"Quiet, everyone is quiet!" Sokov raised his hand and pressed down hard. When the female health workers stopped talking, he continued: "Girls, as long as the war does not erase your lives, you will always be just a woman. This world is beautiful because of women. I have no right to let future mothers take risks with us..."
After Sokov finished speaking, the female soldiers calmed down again, and they secretly recalled what Sokov said in their hearts. Seeing Asia open her mouth, she seemed to want to say something, Sokov immediately understood in his heart that even if he convinced other female health workers, he could not convince the girl in front of him. Even if she could barely stay, she would be unable to sleep or eat for her safety. Instead of making her worried, it would be better to take her to Stalingrad with her. At worst, she would spend more time protecting her.
Thinking of this, Sokov pointed his hand at Asia: "Okay, Asia. Since you have been persisting, then as the representative of the female health workers, go to Stalingrad with the troops." When he learned that he could go to Stalingrad with the troops, Asia immediately cheered, and the female health workers around him showed a disappointed expression on their faces.
Sokov originally thought that after handling the requests of the female health workers, there would be no trouble to find him. But not long after, he found that he was thinking too much, and the troops were leaving Kursk, which gave him more trouble.
In the evening of that day, he received a call from the second battalion commander Vasily. Vasily said hurriedly on the phone: "Comrade Brigade Commander, it's not good, something happened to the Fourth Company."
When he heard the number of the Fourth Company, Sokov was stunned for a moment, but he quickly remembered that this was the original 1st Company of the Second Battalion, and asked quickly: "What's wrong with Grissa's company?"
"Desergeant!" Vasily gritted his teeth on the phone: "There were several shameful deserters in the Fourth Company."
"What, deserter?" Sokov frowned after hearing Vasily's words. He never dreamed that deserters would appear in his own troops. He thought, "Before the war is going to fight, deserters will appear. If we don't deal with it seriously, we will not see more deserters in such a tragic battle? He asked viciously: "Have you captured it?"
"Yes, comrade comrade commander, all of them have been captured." Vasily continued: "There are five people in total. I want to ask you about what to do with them."
"What else can be done? Of course, it is to shoot them all." Sokov roared at the microphone: "Immediately, immediately, shoot them all!"
Before Vasily on the other end of the phone finished speaking, Belkin, who had just walked into the door, asked in surprise: "Comrade Brigade Commander, what happened? Why did you get so angry?"
Sokov gasped and said to Belkin: "Captain Vasily reported to me that several deserters appeared in the Fourth Company. I asked them to shoot all of these deserters."
"Wait a minute, comrade comrade brigade commander, don't shoot them first." When Belkin heard Sokov's order to shoot the deserter, he quickly spoke to stop him: "It's better to go to the Fourth Company to take a look and ask me why those soldiers are deserters."
After Sokov finished speaking, he took two deep breaths, and then said to the microphone: "Captain Vasily, please take them first, and I and the political commissar will go there immediately."
When Sokov and Belkin arrived at the Fourth Company, it was not completely dark. Along the way, hundreds of soldiers from the Fourth Company lined up in a neat square formation. In front of the square formation, there were a group of people. In addition to the second battalion commander Captain Vasily, Lieutenant Grissa, and several platoon leaders, there were five soldiers tied up in large tie.
Sokov quickly walked to Vasily, stared at the deserters with a fierce look, and then asked Vasily in a rough voice: "Are they deserters?"
"Yes, comrade comrade commander." Vasily nodded quickly and replied, "They are the shameful deserters. Their behavior has defiled the glorious title of the Red Army. I suggest that they be shot immediately."
When Vasily offered to shoot the deserter, the fourth company commander Grissa remained silent. Seeing this, Sokov asked curiously: "Lieutenant Grissa, why don't you speak? Don't you want to shoot them?"
Chapter completed!