"But, Comrade Commander, I think you should be very clear about the current situation of the troops." Krelov waited for Trikov to finish speaking and said with a bitter face: "Where can we draw troops from from where to strengthen the defense of the barricade factory and the Derrensky factory?"
"As soon as Colonel Batrakov's infantry 42nd Brigade entered Stalingrad, he launched a tug-of-war with the German army in the Voroshilov area. Later, because of heavy casualties in the troops, they had to retreat. Now they should be in the family area of ​​the barricade factory." Cuikov looked at Krelov and asked, "How many troops are left in the brigade?"
"According to statistics from the previous two days, there are 630 people left in the brigade, including less than 200 infantry." Krelov opened his notepad and looked up at Cui Kev and continued: "But they have been fighting these two days, and the number of people left is probably smaller."
"Can you contact them?" Cui Kefu asked this, thinking in his heart that if he could not contact the 42nd Brigade by telegram or phone, he would have to send a correspondent to convey the order.
Fortunately, what he was worried about did not happen, Krelov replied: "We usually contact each other through telegrams. If you have any orders, I can ask the radio operator to send them a message."
"First send a telegram to Colonel Batrakov and ask him how many troops he has." Cui Kov was afraid that after issuing a combat order, the brigade would be exhausted in the battle, and then it would be a big mistake: "After understanding their existing strength, it would not be too late for me to assign tasks to them."
After Krelov understood Cuikov's intentions, he immediately walked to the radio operator and dictated the content of the telegram to him: "Send a report to Colonel Batrakov, the commander of the 42nd Infantry Brigade, to report the remaining troops as soon as possible. We have important combat tasks to arrange."
Five minutes after the telegram was sent, he received a call from Colonel Batrakov. After reading the contents of the telegram, Krelov walked back to Cuikov and said to him: "Comrade Commander, Colonel Batrakov said there were more than 500 people left, including about 100 infantrymen."
"Why are there only these little troops?" After hearing Krelov's report, Cui Koff couldn't help frowning: "Except for one hundred infantry, the rest are the logistics personnel of the agency, and they have no combat power at all..."
"Comrade Commander, I think if this force is allowed to fight alone, it may not be of use." Krelov, who was told by Cuikov, quickly added: "But if they were asked to command the fighter battalion, it might improve the combat effectiveness of the militia."
"Improve the combat effectiveness of militia?" Cui Kov was stunned at first about Krelov's statement, and then understood what the other party meant: "That's right, comrade Chief of Staff, you are right. If all the commanders of the brigade are enriched to the fight of the destroyer and let them command this militia to fight, it can indeed improve its combat effectiveness."
Seeing that Cuikov agreed to his proposal, Krelov struck while the iron was hot and asked: "Do you need to recruit Colonel Batrakov to the command center?"
"Yes." Cui Kefu nodded and said, "Let him come to the command center as soon as possible. I will personally assign combat missions to him."
After solving the defensive problems of the barricade factory, Trekov continued to ask Krelov: "Chief of Staff, are there our regular troops near the Derrensky factory?"
"As far as I know, there are two regular troops." Krelov replied: "One is a company of the 35th Guards Division. They were broken up and regrouped. The company commander was a second lieutenant; and the other was the 244th Infantry Division, the commander of the division, Colonel Afasiyev, and the political commissar was named Zarikov."
"244th Infantry Division?" Cui Kefu repeated this number and asked blankly: "In the system of our group army, there should be no such force, right?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander, you remember correctly." Krelov waited for Cuikov to finish speaking, and immediately nodded and said, "This infantry division does not belong to the organization of my army."
"Hey, it's not the establishment of my group army, why does it appear in the factory?" Cui Kefu asked this, thinking to himself: Could this division be from the three group army commanded by Zhukefu?
"The division belonged to the 57th Army and was originally ordered to withdraw to the east bank of the Volga River, but before crossing the river, they received an order from their superiors to continue to stay in the city and continue to fight. In this way, they broke away from the 57th Army and stayed in the factory."
"How many people are there in the division now?" Cui Kefu learned that there was such a team in his defense zone, and his heart beat faster and quickly asked, "Can you continue fighting?"
"There are currently 1,500 people left in the division, including a fully-built infantry battalion."
"Call Colonel Afasiyev, too." Cuikov raised his voice and said, "If it were not for their help, relying on some militia annihilation battalions alone would not be able to defend the Derzhinsky factory."
After Krelov sent a telegram to the two colonels, Cuikov continued to say to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I think it is necessary to remind you that as long as the Mamayev club is still under the hands of our army, the enemy will not completely separate our troops in the city and factory areas. In this way, they will have to fight on both fronts at the same time, so that our army will not be besieged by superior forces. Therefore, we cannot draw troops from Sokov, but on the contrary, we must find ways to replenish his troops so that he can have enough troops to firmly defend Mamayev club."
Hearing Cuikov say this, Krelov replied with a wry smile: "Comrade Commander, you just said that we don't have any reserve team at all, how can we replenish our troops?"
"In the city, our army has at least a dozen units of troops operating," said Cuikov. "But after a long battle, these troops have fewer troops left, so they cannot pose too much threat to the German army. But if all these troops were handed over to Sokov for command, I believe he will definitely be able to reintegrate these troops and make them a super combat-capable force."
"Okay," Krelov did not go against Cuikov in this matter, because he understood that if he really handed over all the straitors in the direction of the city to Sokov's troops, it might make the situation in that direction more beneficial to him. Therefore, he replied very readily: "I will send telegrams to the commanders of those troops, so that they can all obey Sokov's command."
But as soon as he said that Krelov realized that he was wrong, he asked Cuikov: "Comrade Commander, didn't you just hand over the command of the troops near Mamayev's hill to General Rodimtev, the commander of the 13th Guards Division last week? After only a few days, you handed over the command to Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. Will it cause chaos in the army?"
"I don't think so." Cuikov said, staring at the map in front of him: "Rodimtev and his 42nd Guards are now on the right wing of Mamayev's hill and cannot command the troops in the city at all. Therefore, I think it might be more appropriate for Sokov to command the troops in the city."
Just as Trikov and Krelov were waiting for the two colonels, Lieutenant Colonel Sokolov, the director of the logistics department who stayed at the ferry, called. On the phone, he thought that Krelov reported: "Comrade Chief of Staff, a ferry just landed, and a batch of weapons and ammunition was brought down from the ship..."
"Lt. Col. Sokolov," Krelov interrupted him before he could finish his words: "You are responsible for the army's ordnance supply. Since there are new weapons and ammunition transported from across the river, you can just send someone to take over. Why call me to report it?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Lieutenant Colonel Sokolov replied with some embarrassment: "When I sent someone to take over the arms, I was stopped by the major led by the other side, saying that the arms were given to the 73rd Infantry Brigade."
"What, the arms given to the 73rd Infantry Brigade?" Krelov couldn't help but say angrily when he heard Lieutenant Colonel Sokolov said: "Where is the officer they led? Please give him the phone number, and I want to ask what's going on!"
Soon a strange voice came from the receiver: "Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff, I am the officer escorting arms. What instructions do you have?"
"Major, I'll ask you." Krelov said viciously to the microphone: "Whose order did you take to send the arms directly to the 73rd Infantry Brigade? Don't you know that they are under the command of our 62nd Army?"
"I know, General Krelov." The major who answered the phone obviously knew Krelov's identity, so he replied in a humble manner: "I am ordered by the base camp to send this batch of arms directly to the 73rd Infantry Brigade, and no one can stop him."
When Cuikov, who was standing beside Krelov, heard this, he immediately reached out and said with a serious expression: "Comrade Chief of Staff, give me the phone number. I want to know which superior is actually going to cross our army and send the arms directly to a unit below."
Krelov heard Cuikov say this and did not dare to neglect it. He quickly handed the microphone to him. Cuikov took the microphone and stuck it in his ear, and said in a stern tone: "I am Cuikov, the commander of the 62nd Army, Major, report your name."
"My name is Yakov Jugashvili, and I am from the Weapons and Equipment Department in Moscow." The voice of an officer came from the receiver: "It was on the order of the People's Comrade Ustinov, who directly sent the arms to Lieutenant Colonel Sokov of the 73rd Infantry Brigade."
"What, what did you say?" Cuikov was startled when he heard the other party's name and asked cautiously: "You said you are Yakov Jugashvili?"
"Yes, I am Yakov Jugashvili." Yakov on the other end of the phone said in a steady tone: "General Cuikov, since you already know my identity, can I continue to carry out my mission?"
"Of course, this is of course." After Cui Kov found out the other party's identity, his attitude became respectful: "Yakov, please hand over the phone to Comrade Sokolov beside him. I want to explain this to him personally."
When Sokolov's voice came from the receiver, Cui Kov immediately said to him: "Lieutenant Colonel, listen, the major beside you is following the orders of his superiors to send arms to the 73rd infantry brigade who is guarding Mamayev's post. You must not stop it, and at the same time, you must send people to help them transport the arms to Mamayev's post. Do you understand?"
"I understand, comrade Commander." Sokolov saw that Cuikov told him so much, but he didn't understand the identity of the major beside him, and quickly replied: "I will send someone to escort them to Mamayev's hill immediately."
After Sokolov put down the phone, he immediately helped Yakov find two trucks, piled them up on the dock and brought them into the truck, and sent a squad of troops to escort Yakov and the others to Mamayevgang.
The battalion stationed on the back slope of Nangang, saw two trucks coming towards their defense zone, and quickly sent someone to inquire. When they learned that they were sending arms to him, they guided them to the entrance at the foot of Shangang.
When the first battalion soldiers were helping to move the wooden box out of the truck, Yakov walked up to a lieutenant and asked at him: "Comrade Lieutenant, I want to meet your brigade commander. Can you send someone to me as a guide?"
When the lieutenant heard Yakov's question, he quickly replied: "Comrade Major, please wait for a moment. I will arrange someone to send you to see the brigade commander." After that, he called a soldier and asked him to take Yakov to the tunnel to see Sokov.
Yakov followed the warrior and walked into the tunnel of Mamayev. As soon as he entered the tunnel, he couldn't help but frown. He asked the soldiers leading the way while walking: "Comrade Warrior, can you stand the air in the tunnel so turbid?"
The soldier turned his head and looked at Yakov, and smiled as he walked, "Comrade Commander, at the beginning, everyone couldn't stand it. He couldn't stay inside for long, and then he thought of going outside to secretly breathe. But when the battle started and seeing the enemy's artillery fire and bombing so fierce, it was safest to stay here, so everyone felt that it didn't matter. Now if there was nothing, everyone wouldn't leave the tunnel easily."
After wandering around the tunnel for a long time, the soldier took Yakov to a room with sentries standing guard outside the door. He said to Yakov: "Comrade Commander, please wait here for a moment. I'll go and say hello to the sentry at the door."
After hearing the soldiers leading the way, the sentry walked to Yakov's side, first raised his hand to salute, and then said dryly: "Comrade Commander, please show your ID."
Yakov knew that this was a necessary procedure, and he didn't say anything. He took out his ID from his shirt pocket and handed it to the sentry in front of him. After opening the ID for a while, he said politely to Yakov: "Comrade Major, please wait here. I'll go in and report to the Chief of Staff." After that, he turned around and walked into the room with his ID.
Chapter completed!