Sokov was not a bloodthirsty person. The reason why he did not keep prisoners was to let the militia soldiers in the factory avenge their comrades and achieve the goal of boosting morale; the second was that these German wounded soldiers who were hit by anti-aircraft artillery were almost all wounded with missing arms and legs, and even if they were treated, the chance of rescue was not high. Instead of letting these German wounded soldiers die in pain after being captured because of lack of medical treatment or medicine, it would be better to give them a pleasure, which is a merit.
When the militiamen cleaned the battlefield and returned to the workshop with their captured guns and ammunition, Sokov said to the cheerful Cousto: "Comrade in the workshop, except for leaving a few observation posts, the rest of the people will go to the basement."
When Kusto heard Sokov say this, he couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Why is this, comrade Lieutenant Colonel?"
Sokov smiled faintly and replied: "Our anti-aircraft artillery destroyed five German tanks and eliminated hundreds of soldiers. Do you think the Germans will give up after suffering such a big loss? If I was not wrong, they would soon fire here. If the workers and militia were not allowed to hide, they would probably cause huge casualties."
After hearing Sokov's words, Cousto did not immediately express his opinion, but looked around and looked around, then asked, "Where is Ballshaq, where has he gone?"
"The major is resting in the basement." Sokov knew what Cousto was worried about, so he comforted him and said, "The enemy will soon launch a shelling attack on it. You take people to the basement. I think Major Baulshak should not say anything."
Seeing that Sokov had guessed his thoughts, Kusto smiled embarrassedly, and arranged five soldiers to observe in the factory, and he called other workers and militias to walk towards the entrance of the basement.
Seeing that the workers and militia in the factory had almost withdrawn, Brisky asked Sokov for advice: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the workers and militia had almost withdrawn. Are we also withdrawing into the basement?"
"Comrade Captain," Sokov asked instead of answering the question immediately, but instead asked: "Have the observation posts been arranged?"
"Yes, comrade comrade comrade, all arranged!" Brisky reported to Sokov: "In addition to the observation post, I also fired a machine gun at the permanent fire points in the northeast and northwest directions of the factory. In this way, even if the Germans took advantage of the shelling, they could withstand it for a while."
"Very good, comrade Captain, you did a good job." After listening to Brisky's report, Sokov praised him without hesitation, and then told him, "You can take people to the basement first."
"What about you, comrade brigade commander?" Brisky saw that Sokov was still standing there and did not move, and quickly asked with concern: "When will you go to the basement?"
Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch, and replied, "I just called the women's anti-aircraft artillery battalion on the roof and ordered Lieutenant Ulanova to take her subordinates down. It would be not too late to go to the roof after the German bombardment was over. Now they should be coming down soon."
As they were talking, a sound of female soldiers joking came from the distance in the direction of the stairs leading to the roof. Sokov and Brisky looked in the direction where the sound came, and the female soldiers from the anti-aircraft artillery battalion were walking down the stairs. "Comrade Captain, execute the order and take people to the basement first." Sokov finished speaking, and walked towards the female soldiers.
He met the female soldiers' team and looked into the crowd, but did not notice Ulanova. He couldn't help but ask curiously: "Girls, why didn't you see your battalion commander Lieutenant Ulanova?"
"Ltd Colonel Comrade," the female soldiers saw that it was Sokov's questioning and immediately stood at attention. Oksara took a step forward and reported to Sokov: "Lieutenant Ulanova is still on the roof."
"What, still on the roof?" Sokov couldn't help but frown: "Didn't I order everyone to retreat to the basement? Why didn't Ulanova execute my order?"
"Lt. Colonel, don't be angry." Oksara quickly explained: "Ulanova was worried that we were all going to the basement and that the technical equipment on the roof was not under the care of her, so she insisted on staying."
"Nothing is nothing, nothing." Sokov said angrily: "Your anti-aircraft guns are all deployed on the roof. Who would run to the roof bored to do damage? Will the Germans send us the spy in the middle?"
Seeing that Oksala seemed to say something, Sokov waved his hand at her and said, "Okay, Comrade Oksala, you don't need to say anything. Go to the basement with your comrades. I'll go to the roof to find Lieutenant Ulanova."
Sokov went upstairs along the roof. When he was about to walk out of the stairwell, he suddenly heard a silence from outside: "Who, stop, don't get close to our military equipment."
"It's me, Lieutenant Ulanova." Sokov heard that the person who called was Ulanova, and quickly replied: "I am Sokov, I have something to say to you."
Sokov walked out of the stairwell, Ulanova, who was standing outside with a gun, quickly lowered her gun and saluted Sokov: "Hello, lieutenant colonel."
"Comrade Ulanova, why have you forgotten again? I told you not to salute your commander on the battlefield." Sokov saw Ulanova raise his hand seriously and saluted him, and said with some amusement: "Do you really want me to be the target of the Germans?"
When Ulanova heard Sokov say this, she couldn't help but stick out her tongue playfully and said embarrassedly: "I'm sorry, comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I really forgot. Don't worry, similar situations will not happen again next time."
"Fortunately we are on the roof. The German sniper wanted to kill me, and he couldn't see the target." Of course, Sokov would not criticize Ulanova for such a small matter, but instead joked: "If I saluted me on the flat ground, I guess you were helping me collect the body at this moment."
Sokov's words made Ulanova laugh, and she asked with a smile: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, have you ordered everyone to go to the basement to hide? Why did you run to the roof?"
"Lieutenant Ulanova, you still know that it was my order." Sokov said to Ulanova with a stern face: "Why don't you execute my order and keep on the roof."
"Ltd Colonel Comrade," Ulanova saw Sokov's serious expression and quickly defended her: "The girls in the camp have all gone to the basement. I was worried that the military equipment left on the roof would be destroyed, so I stayed there."
"Don't worry, Comrade Ulanova, no one will go to the roof to destroy these military equipment. You should follow me to the basement." Sokov was worried that the German shelling would start at any time, so he urged: "If you don't leave, it will be too late."
"According to the regulations, we cannot discard military equipment at will." But Ulanova did not seem to have planned to follow Sokov downstairs. She said confidently: "As the highest commander of the anti-aircraft artillery battalion, if I leave, I will violate the doctrine."
"Enough, Lieutenant Ulanova." Sokov couldn't help but get angry when he saw Ulanova so stubborn: "The German army will soon launch shelling here. If the shells cause the roof to collapse, no one left on the roof will survive. I don't want to watch you die unexplainedly, so you must leave with me."
After saying this, Sokov saw that Ulanova was still standing still, so he walked to her side and said in a slow tone: "Lieutenant Ulanova, the anti-aircraft gun has been lost. We can ask our superiors to replenish us; but if you or any soldier in the women's anti-aircraft gun battalion dies, you will never survive again."
When she heard Sokov's words and thought about herself, Ulanova was quite moved, so she no longer had her own opinions, but nodded vigorously, followed Sokov with a gun, and left the roof behind her.
The basement of the workshop is very spacious, with rooms on both sides of the corridor next to each other, looking in through the open door. Some rooms are filled with a group of soldiers sitting inside smoking and chatting, while others are piled with various supplies. Kusto stood at the door of a room and saw Sokov and Ulanova coming over, and hurriedly greeted Sokov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you are here."
"Comrade Workshop Director, you are waiting for us here," Sokov saw Cousto looking very anxious and worried about something, so he quickly asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing is there." Cousto said with his head shaking, "Major Ballshack is in the house. He wants to talk to you about the next battle plan."
"Oh, Major Ballshak is here." Sokov pointed to the room and said to Cousto, "Let's go, comrade in the workshop, I happen to have something to look for him."
When he walked into the room, Sokov saw that there was a rectangular table in the room, with several long benches placed around the table. Ballshaq was originally sitting at the table in a daze, but when he saw Sokov and the others walked in, he quickly stood up to greet him and said with a little flattering voice: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you are here!"
"I'm here, Major Ballshak." Sokov responded politely and made a gesture of invitation with his hands: "I heard you have something to come to me, please sit down and talk slowly."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I want to reorganize the Killing Battalion." As soon as Ballshaq sat down, he said straight to the point: "I hope you can get your support!"
"Get my support?" Sokov replied unexpectedly when he heard Ballshaq say this: "To rebuild the fighter battalion, you should not look for me, but your factory director Comrade Peter, who will add enough troops to you."
"The army is easy to deal with. I can organize all the militias under Comrade Cousto into the team." Ballsak said with some embarrassment: "With soldiers, there is no commander. Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you should know that my first company commander and second company commander were killed in battle, and the third company commander was unfortunately injured on the way to retreat and could not continue to command the battle."
Although Ballshak didn't explain it, Sokov had already understood what he meant, so he asked first: "Comrade Major, do you want me to draw officers and combat backbones from the army to enrich your rebuilt fighter camp?"
Seeing that Sokov guessed his true thoughts, Ballshaq nodded vigorously and said affirmatively: "That's right, comrade Lieutenant Colonel, this is how I think about it. I wonder if you can promise me?"
According to Ballshak's idea, as long as he made such a request, Sokov would agree to it for face. Unexpectedly, after Sokov finished speaking, he shook his head and refused without hesitation: "Sorry, Major Ballshak, I cannot agree to your request."
"Why?" Hearing Sokov's reply, Ballshaq's face suddenly turned pale: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, we are friendly forces, why can't you agree to such a small request?"
"Major Ballshak, I would like to remind you that we are here for the time being to help with the defense. Once the reinforcements on the other side of the Volga River arrive, we will retreat to Mamayev." Sokov said tactfully: "After more than two months of fighting, the casualties of cadres and soldiers of our brigade were very heavy, so we cannot provide you with officers and combat backbones. I would like to forgive you for this."
After Sokov said this, he saw Ballshaq's expression of loss, and felt a little sad. He quickly comforted them and said, "Major, don't worry, reinforcements will arrive in at most two or three days. At that time, you will ask the commander of that unit to send officers and combat backbones to enrich the newly formed fighter battalion. I think they will not refuse your request."
Ballshak never dreamed that Sokov would refuse his request so simply. Fortunately, Sokov's next words made him feel a little better. He smiled bitterly and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, it seems that I can only wait until the reinforcements arrive, and I will make my request to the new army commander, hoping that I will not hit another wall at that time."
"Comrade Major," Sokov said to Ballshaq, "I suggest you call Director Peter immediately and report to him about the situation here so that he can understand the situation here."
"You are right to remind me, comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Cousto, who had been silent after entering the door, finally found a chance to speak. He quickly said to Ballshaq: "Comrade Ballshaq, I think you will follow Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's suggestion and first give the factory a breath."
"Wait a little longer," Ballshaq rushed to a headache when he thought of reporting to director Peter. Therefore, he could only say perfunctorily to Cousto's suggestion: "It's not too late to report this to the director after I reorganize the fighter battalion."
"Major Ballshak, I don't recommend you to do this." Sokov saw Ballshak's tentative deception of his superiors and subordinates, and said bluntly: "If you do not report the actual situation to Director Peter in time, then he will not be able to specify a defense plan based on the real situation on the battlefield. Do you understand?"
Chapter completed!