"There is no clue," Cui Kev said helplessly: "Long before the headquarters was transferred, we lost contact with the command of the 13th Guard Division. I sent several correspondents to the command of Rodimtev, but unfortunately they had nowhere to go. I probably died on the way."
"Comrade Commander, even if he cannot contact General Rodimtev's division headquarters." Sokov continued to ask: "Then, the 34th and 39th Regiments of the Guards can always contact him, right?" Sokov asked this mainly because he was considering that even if Rodimtev's division headquarters was removed by the German army and lost unified command, his two regiments should continue to fight.
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, you may not know that because the 13th Guards Division crossed the river in a hurry, they brought very few communication equipment. Except for the division headquarters and Yelin regiment each had one radio station, the combat missions of the other two regiments were conveyed by telephone or communication soldiers." Cui Kov replied: "It is precisely because they don't have a radio station that I can't contact them either."
Sokov thought that the reason why Rodimtev wanted to provide a radio station for Yelin's delegation was probably because the regiment was deployed in the factory area, which was too far from the division headquarters. If there was a radio station, it would be easier for both parties to keep in touch. Even if the superiors planned to let the regiment break away from the division's establishment, Rodimtev could get the news as soon as possible.
"So, you have no clues at all." Sokov guessed from Cuikov's tone that there was no clue at all, and said with some disheartened disappointment: "So, can we find the commanders and fighters of the 13th Guards Division, we can only try our luck."
"Yes, we can only try our luck if we can find the 13th Guard Division." Cuikov continued: "The reason I gave this task to you is because if the surviving Guard soldiers were going to evacuate, they would definitely pass by your Mamayev hill. As long as you can find a few such soldiers, it will be very helpful for us to find Rodimtev and the others."
"I understand, comrade Commander, I will do my best." Although Sokov knew that what Cui Kov gave him was almost an unfinished task, since it was a task assigned by his superiors, even if he knew it could not be completed, he could only say with a stern tongue: "Try to find out the whereabouts of the 13th Guard Division in the shortest time."
"The ones ordered to find the whereabouts of the 13th Guard Division are not only your brigade, but also the 92nd Infantry Brigade of Tanasolov." Cuikov said on the phone: "I hope you can cooperate with each other, so that it will be very helpful for finding the whereabouts of the 13th Guard Division as soon as possible."
"Comrades," Sokov put down the phone and said to Sidolin and Belkin who were sitting in front of him: "The superiors have just given us a difficult task to find the missing 13th Guard Division as soon as possible."
When Sokov was talking to Trikov, Sidolin and Belkin heard a little. At this moment, the two had almost digested the amazing news that the 13th Guard Division was missing. Therefore, when Sokov said this, there was no expression of surprise on his face. Belkin asked as usual: "Comrade Brigade Commander, do you have any clues to the headquarters?"
Sokov replied bitterly, "There is no clue."
"That's not easy to deal with." Cidolin spread his hands and said helplessly: "There is no clue, so how can we find it? It's not even difficult to find a needle in a haystack."
Just as the three of them were in a dilemma, they suddenly heard a timid voice from the door: "Can I bring it in?"
"So it's Asia," Belkin looked at the person standing at the door and showed a surprise expression on his face: "Are you here to find the brigade commander? Don't stand at the door, come in quickly."
"Are you in a meeting?" Asia walked two steps into the room, stopped again, and asked tentatively: "I won't affect your work, will I?"
"Look at what you said, Asia, how could you affect our work?" Cidolin also smiled and said, "It's all your own people, don't be too restrictive, come here quickly."
"Asia," Sokov called Asia to sit down, and brought her a cup of hot tea, and then asked, "You come to me, is there anything wrong?"
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Belkin said before Asia could answer, "You talk to Asia first, and I will find a place outside to smoke a cigarette."
Sokov knew that he was saying it was fake to smoke, mainly to make room for himself and Asia. He waved his hand and said, "Comrade Political Commissar, I will only say a few words to Asia, and it will not take too long. You don't have to leave." Then he turned to Asia and asked, "Asia, what's wrong with you?"
"Misha, this is the case." Asia replied with her cup in her arms, "Military Pavlov just informed me that she was going to let me escort a group of seriously injured people to the other side."
"Yes, I know this." Sokov nodded and said with certainty: "Pavlov said that if the seriously injured people were left in the tunnel, it would be detrimental to their injuries and even large-scale deaths might occur. Therefore, I begged Commander Cui Kov to ask him to help us arrange ships and send all the seriously injured people to the East Coast for treatment."
"Misha, don't look at me staying in the tunnel all day long," but Asia's face showed a resentful expression after hearing Sokov's understatement: "But I have contacted many wounded people, so a lot of information is naturally very well-informed."
Asia's words confused Sokov, and he asked in confusion: "Asia, what news did you hear?"
"Do you think I don't know what the transportation situation is on the Volga River now? To transport hundreds of seriously injured people in the tunnel, at least two or three ferries will be needed." Asia continued: "You are so anxious to send the wounded away, are you worried that Mamayev's post can no longer be held?"
"Asia, who did you hear that we are going to give up Mamayev's hill?" Sokov immediately asked with a stern face after hearing Asia's words: "Don't you know, I once said that if there is only one person in our brigade who lives, we will never hand over this place to the enemy?"
Perhaps it was the first time Sokov spoke to Asia in such a stern tone that Asia's eyes turned red. Berkin couldn't stand it and hurried out to smooth things over: "Comrade Brigade Commander, don't get angry first, I see if there may be any misunderstandings in this."
"The number of casualties in the health team increased dramatically during this period," Asia explained with red eyes: "Many people said that if we continue to fight like this, our brigade will be able to fight all of them sooner or later, so it will be a matter of time before we give up Mamayev."
When Sokov saw his wife, he suspected that he could not defend Mamayev's post, let alone other commanders and fighters. He felt that to stabilize the morale of the army, he must first convince his wife: "Asia, I don't plan to hide this matter from you. The reason why the Army Command agreed to transfer so many wounded people for us was because they had assigned us a difficult task. The transfer of wounded people was just an exchange of conditions."
"What mission is there to be danger?" Asia blurted out his question as soon as Sokov finished speaking.
"There is no danger." Sokov hesitated for a moment about the disappearance of the 13th Guards Division, but finally decided to tell her, "The Army Command and the 13th Guards Division have lost contact, and the task assigned to us by the superiors is to find them."
"The 13th Guard Division?!" Asia murmured after repeating this number: "This number sounds very familiar, and seems to have heard of it somewhere."
Before Sokov or Belkin could tell her more detailed information, she suddenly exclaimed: "I remember, yesterday I heard a wounded man mention the 13th Guard Division."
"What? Have you heard from the wounded mentioned the 13th Guard Division?" Sokov knew that the wounded in the tunnel health team, in addition to the commanders and soldiers of our brigade, sometimes accepted some wounded people from other troops. Perhaps the wounded people lying in the ward of the health team now belonged to the 13th Guard Division. He quickly grabbed Asia's arm and asked nervously: "Have he said which unit he came from?"
"That man is a sergeant," Asia said in a slow tone: "After being injured two days ago, he was sent to our health team. He seems to be from the 34th Guards Regiment, and he should belong to the 13th Guards Division."
"Yes, that's right, the 34th Guards Regiment is affiliated with the 13th Guards Division." Sokov saw that the other party was indeed a wounded member of the 13th Guards Division, and quickly asked again: "What else did he say? For example, how did he get injured?"
"He said he was from the regiment guard company," Asia recalled the information of the wounded, and spoke fluently: "The regiment command post was bombarded by German troops, the building collapsed, and everyone in the command post was buried. He was lucky, but he injured the splashed bricks and rubble, rescued by the passing sniper team, and sent to us."
The speaker was unintentional and the listener was intentional. When Sokov heard this, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and suddenly thought of where Rodimtev might be. He hugged Asia, kissed her fiercely on the forehead, and said excitedly: "Asia, thank you. Let me know where the person I am looking for is."
Asia didn't expect Sokov to kiss her in public, and suddenly blushed. She murmured: "I didn't seem to say anything."
"What you said doesn't matter. The key is that I already know where General Rodimtev and others are." Sokov held Asia's hand and said to her: "Asia, you also have to escort the wounded to the other side of the Volga River. Go back early to prepare. When crossing the river, be sure to pay attention to safety. I hope you can reach your destination safely."
After seeing Asia off, Sokov said to Belkin and Cidolin: "Political Commissar, Chief of Staff, I think I know where General Rodimtev is?"
"Where is it?" the two asked in confusion.
Sokov pointed to the location of the Expert Building on the map and explained to the two: "As far as I know, General Rodimtev's command is located in the three-story building next to the Expert Building. If I was not wrong, the general and his command members should still be in this building at this moment."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, I don't understand." Cidolin asked in confusion: "If General Rodimtev's command was still in this three-story building, why didn't he contact the command?"
"If the building is still intact, the connection between the general and the Army Command will definitely not be interrupted." Speaking of this, Sokov looked up at the two of them: "What if the building had been collapsed by enemy shells? The general and his command members were trapped in the basement. Do you think they can still keep in touch with the outside world?"
"Even if the building is blown down, General Rodimtev and others are trapped in the basement." Berkin said somewhat dissatisfied: "But they can still keep in touch with the outside world through the radio."
Sidolin is much more experienced than Belkin. After hearing this, he already understood what was going on. He quickly explained to Belkin: "Comrade Political Commissar, the radio station can be set up in the basement, but the antenna must be set up outdoors. If the buildings are destroyed by artillery fire, it means that the antenna is also destroyed by artillery fire. If the radio station does not have an antenna, it is equivalent to a pile of scrap iron."
After finding out why Rodimtev had a radio station but could not contact the headquarters, Belk continued to ask: "Even if the division of the 13th Guards Division was buried in the ruins, what about their troops? You can't all be buried in the ruins, right?"
"Comrade Political Commissar, you just heard Asia say that the command post of the 34th Guards' 34th Guards' 34th Guards' command post was razed to the ground by German artillery fire." At this point, Sokov deliberately paused for a moment to observe Belkin's reaction. Seeing the other party nodding to show his affirmation, he continued, "Since the command post of the 34th Regiment's command post was destroyed by the enemy's artillery fire, the 42nd Guards' 42nd Regiment' may also suffer the same fate. The troops that have lost their unified command will inevitably fall into chaos. Maybe they are now scattered in various areas of the city and cannot contact their superiors for the time being, so the Army Command mistakenly believes that this force has disappeared from the city of Stalingrad."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, what should we do now?" Sidolin looked at Sokov and asked, "Do you need to report this to Commander Chokov immediately?"
"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." Seeing that Sidolin was anxious to report the matter to the Army Command, Sokov quickly stopped him, "What we are talking about is just our own analysis. Whether General Rodimtev's command is still in its original position is still an unknown. Therefore, we cannot report this matter casually until it is confirmed."
Chapter completed!