While the commanders and fighters of several small teams were queuing up to collect rockets, a sentry at the entrance of the tunnel trotted over and stood up in front of Sokov and reported: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the Chief of Staff has just called, please go back to the command center immediately."
Sokov stared at the warrior who was receiving the rockets, and asked without raising his head: "Do you know what?"
"I don't know." The Sentinel replied very simply.
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Sidolin knew about Sokov's rockets to the team here. Since he called Sokov to urge Sokov to go back, there must be something important. When Vitkov thought of this, he hurriedly said to Sokov: "I guess Lieutenant Colonel Cidolin has something important to you. You should go back to the command center first, and leave the matter here to me."
Sokov was anxious to know what Sidolin had to do with him. At this moment, seeing Vitkov recommending himself, he nodded at him and said politely: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, I'll trouble you about the matter here."
When she learned that Sokov was going back to the command center, Selyosha, who was working as a guard on the side, hurried over and prepared to help Sokov back to the tunnel. But Sokov waved his hand at him and said, "Selyosha, no, I can do it myself. You and your people will stay here to protect the safety of the deputy brigade commander." After that, she covered her abdomen with her hands and walked towards the tunnel with a little staggering pace.
As soon as he walked into the command center, Sokov saw Sidolin answering the phone. He immediately thought of the other party asking him to come back, which must have something to do with the call he was answering, so he asked in a low voice: "Comrade Chief of Staff, who are you calling?"
When Sidolin saw Sokov enter the door, he quickly covered the microphone with his hands and replied in the same voice: "It was the commander's call. He wanted to know something from you." After that, he let go of his hand and raised his voice to ask the microphone, "Comrade Commander, the brigade commander is back. Do you want to talk to him?"
When Sokov saw Sidolin handing the microphone to him, he immediately stepped forward and took the microphone: "Hello, Comrade Commander, I am Sokov. Do you have any instructions?"
Cuikov's voice came from the receiver: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I heard from Comrade Sidolin that Colonel Witkov has escorted the rockets back. You are also planning to let those small teams that go to the rear of the enemy carry some rockets. Is this a matter?"
"Yes, comrade Commander." Sokov knew that even if Sidolin did not report this, Cuikov would sooner or later understand the situation through specific information channels, so he admitted openly: "I asked each squad to carry rockets behind enemy lines in order to better attack the enemy."
After he finished speaking, Cuikov asked slowly: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, have you ever thought that leaving all these rockets in Mamayev's hill might play a greater role?"
Regarding Cuikov's proposal, Sokov was silent for a moment. After reorganizing the words in his mind, he continued: "Comrade Commander, this is what I think about it. If you go deep into the squad behind enemy lines, if you carry rockets, you can attack the enemy's barracks, warehouses, transportation convoys and command centers at a distance. Because they are far away from the enemy, they can transfer immediately after completing the mission without worrying about being entangled by the enemy, thus increasing the survival rate of the squad behind enemy lines."
Although the same thing was said, Cuikov had heard the report of Sidolin not long ago, but somehow he insisted on hearing Sokov say it in person and then he felt at ease. After Sokov finished speaking, he spoke, "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I'll ask you a question, I hope you can answer it truthfully."
Sokov was not sure what questions Cuikov was going to ask, but he guessed that it must be related to the squad sent behind enemy lines, so he said calmly: "Come Commander, please."
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," asked Cuikov, "What impact do you think these squads will have on the enemy's subsequent attack deployment?"
"Comrade Commander, based on the information I have, the enemy suffered huge losses in the early attack. Now they are regaining their troops and technical equipment to launch another fierce attack on Stalingrad." Sokov replied confidently: "The small teams deep behind the enemy can use rockets to attack the enemy's transportation lines, destroy roads, railways and bridges, and completely disrupt the original deployment of the German army, thereby gaining rest time for the defenders in the city."
As the commander of the group army, Cui Kov could naturally learn through his own information channels that the Supreme Command was formulating a counterattack plan for the Stalingrad region. He knew very well that the troops and technical equipment needed to completely repel the enemies entrenched in the Stalingrad region were very amazing, and it would take a very long time to complete such a gathering. Therefore, what he was most worried about was whether he had the strength to defend the city before the base camp was ready for counterattack.
After hearing Sokov's statement, he was full of expectations for the results that the team could achieve in the enemy's rear. After a while, he remained silent, he said to the microphone: "Okay, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, since you are so confident in the team, I will wait for the good news you have to report to me."
After watching Sokov put down the phone, Sidolin asked with some concern: "Comrade Brigade Commander, do you really think that the operation of the small team behind enemy lines can completely disrupt the deployment of the German army?"
"Yes, comrade Chief of Staff, I have such confidence." Sokov smiled faintly at the questioning of Cydolin and then replied: "Although the number of troops we sent behind enemy lines is limited, the actions they have taken can delay the time for the German army to launch a general offensive on Stalingrad, giving us more time to prepare for defense."
…………
The four squads that sneaked into the enemy's rear first battle with the enemy were the squads commanded by Lieutenant Fischer, the first battalion. They were marching west along a simple road. A soldier who was exploring the road ahead ran back to report to him: "Comrade Lieutenant, I found a convoy on the road ahead, and was heading towards us."
"How far is it?" Fisher immediately asked a series of questions after hearing the report: "How long will it take to come?"
The soldier quickly replied: "We saw the headlights on the road. According to the speed of the convoy's movement, they will meet us at most ten minutes."
Fisher looked at the nearby terrain and immediately gave an order to the soldiers around him: "Immediately seize the commanding heights on the right side of the highway and establish a launching position." Then he ordered the soldier, "You go back and continue to observe. If there is any new situation, please reply and report to me immediately."
As the order was issued, the soldiers of the squad rushed to the small hill on the right side of the road, and helped the gunners to support the tripod and installed the launcher.
After all this, the soldiers standing on the hillside saw the convoy in the distance. The gunner counted the headlights in the distance, and then asked Fisher: "Comrade Lieutenant, the enemy has about thirty trucks, and several tanks and convoys are driving side by side. Look, how many rockets are we going to fire?"
Fisher thought for a while and then replied: "We brought three launchers, and we should be almost done when we had two volleys."
"Two volleys?" Hearing Fisher's arrangement, the artillery said with some embarrassment: "Comrade Lieutenant, it would be good to knock out half of the enemy's vehicles with two volleys. Look, will you add another round?"
"No," Fisher mercilessly refused the artillery request: "We have just entered the enemy's backbone and there are still many wars to fight in the future. We can't shoot all the rockets, so we will fire two volleys. No matter what the result of the battle, we will transfer immediately after the launch."
Seeing Fisher's attitude firm, the artillery knew that nothing he could say was useless, so he could only return to the artillery position, adjust the position of the launcher, and aim at the convoy coming from afar. After completing the aiming, he looked up at Fisher and asked for instructions: "Comrade Lieutenant, the rocket launch preparation has been completed. Can it be launched? Please instruct?!"
"Start!" Fisher issued the launch order without hesitation.
The artillery agreed loudly, then pressed the launch button, and three rockets flew out of the launch tube, dragging their long flame tails toward the convoy in the distance. Before the rockets could concentrate their targets, Fisher shouted to the soldiers standing next to him: "What are you still standing there? Why don't you help reload quickly?"
Just as the soldiers surrounded and loaded the rockets, the three rockets fired in advance had already landed in the middle of the German convoy, three dazzling fire groups rose, and then there was a shocking explosion. The artillery didn't care about their own results, and pressed the launch button again to complete the second volley.
Seeing that the road in the distance had turned into a sea of ​​fire, Fisher quickly ordered the soldiers: "Hurry up and put away the launcher, we can move immediately. When the enemy comes back to his senses, we can't leave."
Chapter completed!