When Sokov walked out of the factory, he saw a team trotting towards his position in the distance. Sokov's sharp eyes immediately saw that Belkin and Wanya were at the front of the team. Seeing the political commissar who had not seen for many days, Sokov's heart was filled with joy. Just as he wanted to speed up his pace to meet him, unexpected things happened.
A German bomber broke away from the entanglement of Soviet fighter jets and dived towards the moving troops, dropped bombs and strafing. The moving team was suddenly shrouded in smoke.
Seeing his troops being bombed and fired by enemy planes, Sokov's heart felt as if someone had been snatched, and it hurt so much. He looked at the place where the smoke filled the smoke and blurted out, "Political Commissar! First Battalion Commander!" He shouted while running forward.
Brisky, who was following behind, saw another German bomber diving in the direction he was in, and quickly shouted: "Comrade Brigade Commander, dangerous, lie down quickly!" He rushed to Sokov at the fastest speed, hugged the other party's shoulder, and used all his strength to crush him to the ground. As soon as the two of them lay down, the battle dropped by the enemy plane fell seven or eight meters away and exploded, and the dust raised spread all over the two of them.
Brisky looked up at the sky and saw that the enemy plane had been lifted up again and flew to other places. He stood up and pulled Sokov up as well, saying in a reproachful tone: "Comrade Brigade Commander, have you not seen enemy planes in the sky? How could he take such a risk?"
When Sokov was overwhelmed by Brisky, his arms and legs were covered with varying degrees, but he was worried about the safety of Belkin and Wanya, and he didn't care about his injuries, so he urged Brisky: "Go and see the political commissar and the first battalion commander to see how they are?"
"Don't worry, Comrade Brigade Commander, the political commissar and the first battalion commander are fine!" The smoke from the distance dissipated, allowing Brisky to see the people there. After looking for a while, he said in surprise: "Look, they are coming to us."
Looking in the direction of Brisky's finger, Sokov certainly saw the familiar Belkin and Wanya, who were stumbled out of the smoke. Sokov was eager to know whether the two were injured, so he completely ignored the possibility of the enemy planes in the air and walked towards Belkin and the others in three steps.
“旅长同志!”“政委同志!”
Sokov and Belkin held hands in four hands. Thinking that everyone had just turned around on the verge of death, they couldn't help but feel deeply moved when they met: "Comrade Political Commissar, are you not injured?"
"No." Belkin shook his head and said, "The bombs dropped by the enemy are still far away from me." He turned his head and looked at the troops coming one after another, adding with a serious expression, "But we still had some casualties."
"The First Battalion Commander," Sokov let go of Belkin's hand, then shook Vanya and asked with concern: "You are not injured, how many people were injured in the battalion?"
"The specific data has not been counted yet." Wanya said with a serious expression: "I estimate that at least thirty casualties will be killed or killed."
"Brigit Commander, Political Commissar." Seeing Sokov standing in the open area and talking to Belkin and the others, Brisky hurried over and urged: "This place is too dangerous, let's go back to the basement."
"Yes, comrade political commissar." After Brisky reminded him, Sokov immediately realized that this was not the place to speak. If another enemy plane came, dropped two bombs or swept a shuttle, the 73rd Infantry Brigade would lose half of its important commander: "Let's go to the basement."
In order to prevent the possible attack by the German army, Vanya immediately let a company of soldiers enter the trenches and assist the Fourth Battalion and the militia in defense. The remaining soldiers and all the wounded followed Sokov and the others into the basement.
Asia, who was treating the wounded, suddenly saw more than a dozen wounded people coming, and seeing that the situation was very familiar, she couldn't help but show a surprised expression on her face. After staring at the wounded for a while, she recognized one of the sergeants with head injuries as a battalion, quickly grabbed the other party, and asked curiously: "Comrade Sergeant, aren't you from the first battalion?"
"Yes, Comrade Asia." The Sergeant also recognized Asia: "I am from the First Battalion, why are you here?"
"I was ordered to come here to take care of the wounded." After answering the other party's question, Asia asked back: "Comrade Sergeant, why are you here?"
"We were ordered to come here to strengthen our defense." The sergeant replied: "We were bombed by enemy planes on the road, and dozens of casualties were killed and killed. All the wounded men who came in with me were from the first battalion."
"Who is leading the team you are here this time?" Asia felt much more at ease when she heard that the First Battalion was here to support her. She knew that the First Battalion had many combat backbones and was Sokov's most respected unit. As long as they were there, there should be no problem in defending the assembly workshop. While helping the sergeant bandage the wound, she asked tentatively: "Who is leading the team you are here this time? Is it Captain Vanya?"
The sergeant knew that Asia was the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, so he did not keep her secret in such matters, but answered truthfully: "Yes, not only Captain Vanya is here, but also Political Commissar Belkin is here!"
"What, the political commissar is here?" Asia was stunned for a moment when she heard this, but she quickly returned to normal. While continuing to help the sergeant bandage the wound, she asked: "There is no need to do any political propaganda here. What does the political commissar come here to do?"
Regarding Asia's question, the sergeant smiled bitterly and replied awkwardly: "Asia, I don't know this. As long as we can defeat the enemy, it will be the same for anyone to follow the command."
Just as Asia bandaged the wounds for the wounded, Sokov held a brief military meeting in his command post to discuss how to fight the next battle?
Sokov first introduced Belkin and Vanya to Colonel Bere, and then said: "Comrade Colonel, although we have the help of the air force, there are too many enemy planes. It is probably not easy to control the air supremacy of the battlefield. In this way, your tank battalion will probably not be able to be dispatched in a short period of time."
Hearing that his tank battalion might not be able to fight for a period of time in the next battle, Be Lei did not feel at all relaxed, but frowned: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I want to ask you, do you think you can defend the assembly workshop with your existing forces?"
"If the Germans didn't send out the tanks," Brisky rushed to say, "We should be able to keep here."
"Comrade Captain," Bere turned his head and looked at Brisky, and said with a sneer: "Do you think the Germans would not send out tanks to seize this place?"
"It is impossible for the enemy to not move tanks." Seeing that Brisky's face was flushed with shame, Sokov promptly rescued him: "We lack anti-tank weapons, so we can only rely on the soldiers holding explosive packs or anti-tank grenades, and risking their lives to rush up to blow up the enemy's tanks."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, I have a suggestion." Seeing that Sokov was also worried about the enemy's tanks, Bere took the initiative to say: "Although we no longer have to attack the enemy, we can place several tanks behind the position and use them as fixed turrets. You must know that our T-34 tanks can easily penetrate the armor of German tanks No. 3 and No. 4 at a distance of 500 meters."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, this is a good idea." As soon as Belkin and Bere finished speaking, they immediately interrupted and said: "If tanks are used as fixed turrets, then we will have anti-tank power. Even if the German army dispatches more tanks, we can still turn them into piles of scrap iron."
"Yes, we use tanks as fixed turrets, which is close to the problem of insufficient anti-tank weapons." Seeing that Belkin also supported his opinion, Beret struck while the iron was hot and said: "And the tanks are scattered in different places, even if enemy planes bombarded, they will not be easy to destroy them."
"Comrades of the two battalion commanders," Sokov did not immediately express his opinion, but looked at the other two battalion commanders and asked, "What do you two think? Like them, do you agree to use tanks as fixed turrets?"
Wanya and Brisky looked at each other, then nodded together, and agreed in unison.
Seeing that everyone's opinions were unified, Sokov said with the flow: "Since everyone agrees with Colonel Bere, then ten tanks will be dispatched near the defensive positions and used as fixed turrets."
After hearing Sokov's words, Bere immediately stood up and said impatiently: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I will arrange for a tank to act as a fixed turret."
"Wait a minute, Comrade Colonel." Sokov quickly called Bereh and said to him: "I haven't finished my words yet."
After Belei sat down again, Sokov said to everyone: "Comrades Commanders, the position that the Fourth Battalion is now firmly in a trench more than 30 meters away from the factory, and there are no anti-aircraft holes. Once it is bombarded by the German army, the soldiers in the trench will suffer heavy casualties."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Vanya interrupted, "When the enemy started shelling, I felt that the troops could be temporarily hidden, and wait until the enemy's shelling was over before they could re-enter the position!"
"First Battalion Commander, you are speaking lightly." Brisky sneered when he heard Vanya say this: "In the past, when the factory was intact, we could still let the soldiers hide in the factory. Now, under the enemy's shelling and bombing, there is only an empty frame and piles of ruins left in the factory. Where did you let our soldiers hide?"
Brisky's words left Vanya speechless. He did not expect that there was no decent fortification in the assembly workshop. Therefore, he could only turn his attention to Sokov, hoping to get useful information from him.
Seeing that everyone's eyes were looking at him, Sokov was really amused and crying. He thought to himself: You are waiting for me to make any decisions. If I leave this brigade in the future, will you not fight?
Sokov held the edge of the table with both hands and stood up and said, "Comrades Commanders, in order to prevent the enemy's shelling, causing excessive casualties to the soldiers who hold our positions, I am going to let the soldiers retreat to the basement to hide when the shelling is bombarded."
"What, let the soldiers hide in the basement?" Brisky heard Sokov say this and shouted in surprise: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the exit of the basement is on the south side of the factory, and our defensive position is on the north side of the factory. If the enemy infantry secretly approach our position with the help of bullet craters and smoke when shelling, then after the shelling is over, our soldiers have not yet run over this nearly one hundred meters away, the enemy has already rushed into our position..."
"Captain Brisky, don't be excited." Belkin knew Sokov and knew that he had said this. He must have made a careful plan. Before Brisky finished speaking, he interrupted his words and said slowly: "Let me hear what the comrade commander said first."
Seeing Belkin helping him speak, Sokov smiled at him and continued, "I plan to dig out several exits to the north of the basement and connect with the positions we defended with traffic trenches. When the enemy is shelling, our soldiers can retreat into the basement and hide, leaving only a few observation posts to monitor the enemy on the position; after the enemy's shelling is over, our soldiers can re-enter the positions along the traffic trenches."
"The brigade commander's method is good." Seeing the problem he was worried about, Sokov solved it in a few words, and couldn't help but say excitedly: "In this way, we don't have to worry that the troops that hold their positions will pay a huge price when they are bombarded by the enemy."
"Also, we don't need to place too many troops on the position," Sokov continued: "I think it's quite appropriate to send one hundred people every time."
"One hundred people?" Brisky asked hesitantly when he heard the number Sokov said: "In the trench three or four hundred meters wide, there are only one hundred people? In other words, each person must be responsible for the position about four meters wide."
"Yes, comrade brigade commander," Belkin asked worriedly when he heard this: "There is a little fewer than a hundred people. If there are too many enemies to attack, our soldiers will not be able to defend them at all."
"Don't worry, I only place such a little force on the position, and when I take into account, the enemy will not take dense formations when attacking." Sokov said confidently: "With the weapons and equipment in the hands of our soldiers, the firepower net woven is enough to block the enemy's offensive."
Seeing Sokov so confident, Belkin could not bear to pour cold water from him. He nodded and echoed: "Okay, comrades in command, since we already know what to do next, then go back to our respective troops to prepare, and the enemy may launch a new attack soon."
Brisky got up and walked a few steps towards the door, stopped again, turned his head and asked Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, who do you plan to take charge of the matter of digging the exit in the north of the basement?"
"I plan to leave this to Kusto," Sokov said to Brisky, "No matter what, he is the workshop director here, familiar with the structure of the basement and knows where to dig the exit."
Chapter completed!