The reason why Peter was willing to hand over the batch of products that had not been transported away to Sokov and others for use was actually a selfish thought. He was worried that if the enemy approached the factory building, the tank unit would be able to rescue him. Therefore, before hanging up the phone, he said to Zinchenko: "Comrade Deputy Director, I still have a condition."
"Comrade Director," said Zinchenko: "If you have any conditions, please give it as long as you want."
"Comrade Deputy Director, you also know that the walls on the north side of the factory collapse many places, and the enemy may break into the factory through these gaps." Peter said: "I hope that when we encounter danger, the tank troops commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Sokov can come to rescue us."
When Zinchenko heard Peter say this, he quickly covered the microphone with his hands and asked Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the factory director said that when something dangerous occurs in the factory area, your tank troops can rush over to support it!"
"No problem." Sokov heard that this was the condition, so he replied without hesitation: "Our mission was to protect the factory. With the tanks, the area we defended became larger."
After receiving Sokov's reply, Zinchenko let go of his hand covering the microphone and reported to Peter: "Comrade Director, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov has agreed to your request."
"This is so great." Peter just said this, and suddenly realized that saying this would make his subordinates feel a little panicked. He quickly coughed and continued, "Comrade Deputy Director, you know where to collect ammunition and fuel. I will say hello to the warehouse later, and you can just go and collect it."
When Vitkov entered Zinchenko and the others, he remained silent. Seeing that the matter had been negotiated, he took the initiative to propose to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I remember that there was a tank company in the brigade, but since we did not have tanks, these tank soldiers were all used as infantrymen. I will return to Mamayev's hill now and try to let these comrades come to you to report before dawn tomorrow."
"Then I'll trouble you, Comrade Colonel." Sokov saw that Vetkov volunteered, he held the other party's hand and said gratefully: "Be more careful on the way back."
After Vitkov, Zinchenko and others left one after another, Yakov asked curiously: "Misha, with these more than 40 tanks, it is possible to form a tank brigade. In this way, the German attack on this place is smaller. You can only fight back and beat them to pieces."
"There are tanks, but unfortunately there are not so many tank players." Sokov said regretfully: "We used to have only one tank company, and there were not many tank players, and in the recent battle, a part of them have been sacrificed. I think it would be good if the people who came here tomorrow could form a tank platoon."
Unexpectedly, when Yakov heard Sokov say this, he laughed: "Misha, what's wrong with you? Are you afraid that there are no ones who drive the tank?" Seeing that Sokov intends to retort, he quickly stopped him: "There are indeed not so many tanks in your brigade, but General Cuikov has them! As far as I know, there are many tank brigades in his troop system. After such a long time, the tanks of the Tank Brigade have almost lost, but there are still many tank players. We can ask him to send some of them to serve as tank players of the troops to drive these new tanks again."
Yakov's words reminded Sokov, yes, he did not have many tank players under his command, but Cuikov had them. Those tank brigades and even tank troops lost almost no tanks during combat, but the tank players were there. If Cuikov could incorporate those people into his own troops, wouldn't it be better to let them be infantry?
Thinking of this, Sokov quickly called the Group Army Command. After the phone was heard, he contacted the officer who was on the phone and said, "Hello, I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, the commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, please help me speak to the commander or chief of staff."
"I'm sorry, comrade Lieutenant Colonel. Comrade Commander is talking to Moscow," said the officer who answered the phone politely: "I'll let the Chief of Staff come and answer the phone."
Soon, Krelov's voice came out of the receiver: "I am Krelov, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, are you doing anything?"
"That's right, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov knew that Krelov's time was precious, so he didn't go around in circles, but said straight to the point: "At present, I have a batch of tanks in my hand, but I lack tank players. I wonder if the Army Command can support me some?"
"Tank? What tank?" Krelov was shocked when he heard Sokov mention the tank: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, where did the tank you mentioned emerge from?"
"That's right, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov quickly explained to Krelov: "In the Red October Tractor Factory, there were more than 40 tanks that had been offline. They were originally planned to be sent across the river, but because the ships transported too many personnel and supplies during this period, they were not transported out for the time being. Therefore, after obtaining the permission of Director Peter, I planned to use these tanks. Now there are tanks, and there are no tankers to drive and operate the tanks, so I can only ask you and the commander for help."
After learning about the origin of the tank, Krelov looked through his notepad and then said to Sokov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Batrakov's 42nd Independent Tanks, the tanks were completely lost in the early battles. At present, the brigade commander and political commissar led the brigade command to receive new troops on the other side of the Volga River. They left more than 70 tank players to serve as guards at the Army Command Headquarters. Since you need tank players now, I will send them here immediately."
When Sokov learned that Krelov was going to send him more than 70 tank players, he couldn't help but feel ecstatic. When these people arrived, there were almost twenty more tanks to be put into the battle. He thanked Krelov repeatedly: "Thank you, Comrade Chief of Staff, I thank you on behalf of the commanders and fighters of the entire brigade!"
Trekov, who had just joined the phone with Moscow, saw Krelov calling with a happy face, and couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, who are you talking to?"
"It's Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." Krelov looked up at Cuikov and said, "He said he had gotten more than forty tanks, but unfortunately there were not enough tank players, so I planned to send all the tank soldiers of Lieutenant Colonel Batrakov."
After hearing this, Cui Kefu said rumorfully: "Lieutenant Colonel Batrakov has only more than 70 tanks, which means he can only operate twenty tanks. No, the number of people is too small, so we have to find a way to help them replenish some tank players."
After Cuikov reminded him, Krelov suddenly lit up: "By the way, Comrade Commander, why did I forget him? Colonel Bere's 84th Tank Brigade suffered heavy losses in the counterattack battle in early September. Now there are less than ten tanks left. Do you see if you can draw personnel from his brigade to strengthen Sokov?"
After carefully considering Krelov's proposal, Cui Koff spoke and said, "In fact, the best way is to place these more than 40 tanks to Colonel Bere, after all, he is a professional tank soldier commander..."
When Cui Kov said this, Sokov on the other end of the phone went crazy and called the Group Army Command. He originally wanted some tank soldiers, but judging from the current situation, not only did the other party not give the tank, but also had to go over from him, even the people and the tanks. This is really a matter of stealing chickens and losing a lot of rice.
Just when Sokov was extremely anxious, he suddenly heard Cuikov say, "Chief of Staff, I think this is the case. Askov how many tankers there are, and the insufficient personnel will be drawn from Colonel Bere."
Krelov nodded and asked to the microphone: "Lt. Col. Sokov, the commander asked you, how many tankers are there now?"
Sokov calculated for a moment in his heart and replied, "There are about twenty people. In addition, you give more than seventy people, there are about 25 tanks that can be activated."
After hearing the data Sokov said, Krelov couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I want to ask, where are you going to get the fuel and ammunition needed for these tanks?"
"There is it in the factory." Sokov knew that these things could not be hidden from Cuikov and the others, so he answered truthfully: "Comrade Zinchenko, deputy director, has brought people to collect ammunition and fuel. Only when the tank soldiers arrive, our tank troops can be formed."
Krelov continued to ask, "What number are you going to give them this army?"
"Just call it Tank Battalion."
"The size of your tank battalion is quite large." Krelov said with a smile when he heard Sokov say this: "The number of tanks is almost as high as a tank brigade."
After Krelov put down the phone, he said thoughtfully: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I have an idea. Since Colonel Bere's tank brigade has been dead in name only, why not let him go to the Red October Tractor Factory and use his existing troops and tanks to form a new tank battalion."
"Comrade Commander, Bere is a colonel, and Sokov is just a lieutenant colonel." Krelov said with some amusement and cry: "You can barely make sense to let a colonel accept the command of the lieutenant colonel. But I don't think this is appropriate if you let him, a brigade commander, to be the battalion commander."
Instead of using his power to forcibly pass this appointment, Cuikov said to Krelov in a controversial tone: "Or, let's call Colonel Bere and ask him what he means?"
Krelov knew very well that if he had a tank unit at this time, it would be very helpful to the subsequent battle, so he immediately called Colonel Bere and asked him to come to the Army Command.
In the last counterattack, Bellei suffered heavy losses, not only did he say that the tank he was riding in was destroyed by German artillery fire, but he was injured. Hearing that Krelov had something urgent to ask for him, he rushed over without saying a word.
When Cui Kefu saw that Bei Lei was walking in, a bandage was exposed under the big-brimmed hat, he asked with concern: "Comrade Colonel, how are your injuries?"
"There is nothing serious except for the occasional dizziness." Belei knew that Cui Kefu and the others would not call him here for no reason, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, do you ask me here, is there anything important?"
"That's right, comrade Colonel." Cui Kefu asked Bere to sit down and said to him: "We just got a batch of tanks, but there were not enough tank players. I want to ask you if you can draw some tank players from your brigade?"
"What, I got a batch of tanks?!" Bi Lei stood up excitedly when he heard this. Because of his excessive movement, he felt dizzy. Fortunately, he held the edge of the table in time and did not fall to the ground.
"Are you okay? Don't thunder Colonel." Cui Kefu quickly helped him sit down again and asked with concern: "Or, you hand over the work in the brigade to the deputy brigade commander, and you might as well go to the other side of the Volga River to recuperate."
"Comrade Commander, my injury is not important." Bi Lei waved his hand at Cui Kefu, and did not talk about his injuries anymore. Instead, he specifically asked about the city of the tank: "You just said that our army has brought a batch of tanks. What's going on?"
"Ltd Colonel Sokov, the commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade, do you know him?" Cuikov was afraid that Bere would not know Sokov, so he specifically reminded him: "It is the unit that is standing by Mamayev's mount."
"Know, of course." Be Lei nodded and replied, "I met him once at the meeting to deploy the counterattack in early September." Speaking of this, Be Lei asked tentatively, "Is it his troops who got the tank?"
"Yes, comrade Colonel." Cuikov nodded and said, "There are more than forty vehicles, but because there are not enough tankers, he called me for help."
"Comrade Commander, I have a request." When he learned that there were more than 40 tanks, Bere could no longer sit still. He stood up and said, "Please add these tanks to our brigade."
"Why?" Cuikov asked briefly.
"The 73rd Infantry Brigade was deployed in Mamayev Hill, where the terrain was not suitable for tanks." Berle said with great confidence: "Which brigade is in the factory area, the terrain here is very utilizing the deployment and use of tank troops."
"Comrade Colonel, you're wrong." Krelov couldn't help but interrupt and said, "This batch of tanks is not used in Mamayev's hill, but in the factory."
"Commander, Chief of Staff, what's going on?" Bilei felt a little confused when he heard this: "Aren't they sticking to Mamayev's ridge? Why do they use tanks in the factory? Also, where did their tanks get them? What kind of tanks are they?"
Faced with a series of questions raised by Be Lei, Cuikov smiled and said, "Comrade Colonel, you have a lot of questions. I will answer you one by one now. That's right, the main force of the 73rd Infantry Brigade is to stick to Mamayev, but the brigade commander Lieutenant Colonel Sokov is now leading a battalion to stick to the assembly workshop of the Red October Tractor Factory. These tanks are the factory's recent products. Because they cannot be transported to the opposite side of the river, they were requisitioned by Sokov and others."
Chapter completed!