Regarding the problem that Bere was worried about, Sokov said confidently: "Colonel Bere, don't worry. We can open a row of platforms to park tanks on the north slope, and then build two channels for tank attacks. What do you think?"
Who knew that after hearing this, Bo Lei shook his head and frowned and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, there are no large-scale construction machinery, just relying on our thousand-man team, it will take at least three or five days to complete the platform you mentioned."
"What, it takes three or five days?" Sokov really didn't expect that it would take three or five days to build a platform on the north slope to park a tank. If it really takes so long to repair it, the daylily will be cold, and the Germans would not give themselves so long to reinforce the fortifications. He asked anxiously: "Colonel Biao Lei, if we do our best to build it, how long will it take to complete the construction of the platform."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, it's not that I'm pouring your cold water. To complete such a project, large machinery such as excavators and bulldozers are bound to be indispensable." Bie Lei still insists on his own point of view: "Even if there are no these construction machinery, there is a batch of explosives. We can try blasting first, and then clean up the accumulation of the explosive point, which can also speed up the construction speed."
Sokov's troops had just broken through here. Not to mention large construction machinery, even the explosives were used up. None of the two plans mentioned by Bere could be adopted. Sokov suddenly became listless like a deflated ball. He looked at Berere and asked, "Col. Bilere, what good way do you have to reduce the losses of our tanks during enemy shelling?"
"There is one way," Bele said thoughtfully: "Anyway, we only have a dozen tanks. Put them in scattered points. Even if the Germans bombard our positions, they will not be completely lost."
"It seems that this is the only way." Sokov said discouragedly: "Since you cannot build a platform for tanks to hide on the north slope, then build more anti-aircraft holes. When the enemy's shelling begins, you can let the soldiers enter the hole to avoid shelling."
Gurdiev was quite happy to complete Sokov's arrangement. No matter what, it would be beneficial to the subsequent battle to make his troops less casualties under the enemy's artillery fire. He immediately called Sverin and said to him: "Comrade Political Commissar, I am responsible for the construction of frontal fortifications. You will take a regiment to follow Lieutenant Colonel Sokov to the north slope to dig anti-aircraft artillery holes."
When Sveling and his soldiers digging anti-aircraft holes on the north slope, Sokov stood in the trenches, raised his telescope, and silently looked at the first battalion and guard battalion that had successfully crossed the river. Beret walked to his side and asked in a low voice: "Comrade Brigade Commander, our troops are limited. Do you see if the first battalion or guard battalion will come back to assist in defense?"
Sokov had Yakov and his two battalions to escort the wounded and relocated, but he was actually selfish. No matter what, the first battalion of Wanya was his team. In this battle, he lost four-fifths of his troops, which made his heart bleeding. Therefore, he asked Wanya to take the troops away in the name of assisting the relocating of the wounded so that he could keep more seeds for himself. At this moment, he heard the suggestion made by Berele, and he waved his hand and said, "No need, Colonel Berele, the remaining troops of these two battalions are not much. If one of the battalions is drawn back to assist in the defense, who will escort the wounded?"
Bi Lei could not refute the reason why Sokov was so proud. He saw the soldiers busy on the north and south sides of the hillside, sighed softly, and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I am worried that if this battle continues, there will be no more people left in the 308th Infantry Division."
Sokov looked around and saw that except for himself and Bere, Guchakov and his trusted radio operator were standing not far away, and the rest of the soldiers were standing far away and could not hear him speak at all. Seeing this, he said to Berere with confidence and boldness: "Col. Berere, no matter whether we stay here to fight the German army, Colonel Gurdiev's troops will be withdrawn from the back to make up for replenishment. If the first battalion of Wanya stays to assist in defense, once the troops fight, the battalion will be revoked by its superiors."
After listening to Sokov's explanation, Bere finally understood why the other party asked Yakov to take two battalions to transfer the wounded. It turned out that it was to preserve the seeds of his own troops. However, this approach was understandable. With the situation in Stalingrad, even if the superiors sent new troops into the city, Sokov's infantry brigade would not receive priority supplies. Therefore, he adopted a default attitude towards Sokov's way of preserving his strength.
After Sokov explained the truth to Bere, he couldn't help but sweat in his palm. He was very afraid that Berere would argue with him for this matter, and he might not be able to step down by then. Fortunately, his luck was not good, and the situation he was most worried about did not happen. Berere just nodded and said, "The first battalion has suffered a lot in the past two days of battle. Let them retain more troops, which is very helpful for the next battle."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Guchakov, who was standing next to him without saying a word, suddenly shouted at Sokov: "Look, it seems that someone has come from the other side of the river."
After Sokov stopped talking to Bere, he raised his telescope and looked across the river. He saw a jeep coming from a distance, passing by the transferred troops, and stopped by the river. After the car stopped, an officer and two soldiers carrying submachine guns got out of the car. They boarded a wooden boat parked on the shore and came toward the south bank of the river.
"He's a captain." Guchakov has good eyesight. Even without a telescope, he could see clearly the rank sign on the other party's head. He leaned close to Sokov's ear and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, could he be a liaison officer sent by a friendly army?"
"It's possible." Sokov nodded, suddenly remembering the guard platoon leader Samoilov who had gone and never looked back. He couldn't help but say to himself: "Hey, Samoilov has been there for a long time, why haven't he come back yet?"
After the three commanders and soldiers landed on the shore, they walked up the hillside. But after walking not far, they were stopped by the soldiers of the 308th Division to investigate. I don’t know what he said, the soldiers who blocked the road immediately gave way to him and pointed at the hillside, as if they were indicating the road for him.
After a while, the three commanders and soldiers climbed up the hillside, jumped into the trenches, and walked towards Sokov's position. Guchakov quickly blocked Sokov and asked vigilantly: "Stop, which part of you are?"
The leading officer quickly raised his right hand and signaled the two soldiers following him to stop. Then he said to Guchakov: "Comrade Lieutenant, I am Captain Askel, the deputy battalion commander of the 1st Battalion of the 995th Regiment of the 292nd Infantry Division. He was ordered to come to see Lieutenant Colonel Sokov."
Guchakov did not relax his vigilance because of the other party's words, but extended his hand to the other party and asked: "Comrade Captain, where is your military witness?"
Askel did not get angry at Guchakov's aggressiveness, but cooperated quite well to take out the military certificate from his pocket and handed it to Guchakov, and said politely: "Comrade Lieutenant, this is my military certificate."
When Guchakov interrogated Askel, Sokov thought to himself: Although he demoted Guchakov to a corporal, he still wore the rank of a lieutenant, so that no one who knew about it thought he was still a lieutenant. It seems that after returning to Mamayev's gang, he should still be asked to change the rank of a corporal to avoid others making any mistakes.
After checking the documents, Guchakov turned his head to Sokov behind him and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, there is no problem, he is his own person."
Sokov walked forward, took the military certificate from Guchakov, looked around, and handed it back to Askel, saying in a friendly tone: "Hello, Captain Askel. I wonder if you came to my position, are there anything wrong?"
"That's right, comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Askel did not salute Sokov on the battlefield in order to prevent the target from being exposed, but answered straightened his body and said, "I am here to contact you by the command of the division commander Colonel Korogotsky. The division commander asked me to tell you that our division is moving here, and we will reach the river in about three hours. He would like to ask you not to give up this position for the time being before we arrive."
"Captain Askel," Sokov said in a teasing tone at the commanders and fighters who were busy on the north and south sides of the hillside: "Didn't you see that our commanders and fighters are building fortifications?"
"See." Askel came up from the north side of the hillside. If Sokov had not been to the guidance of the hillside, he had not noticed that there were a large number of officers and soldiers excavating fortifications on the south side of the hillside. He couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, are you planning to establish defense here?"
"Yes, comrade Captain, as you can see, we build fortifications here." Sokov replied, "Although we have occupied this enemy's position, I don't know where the troops should move next, so I stopped here and sent people to find friendly forces, while improving and consolidating the fortifications here, and preparing for the enemy's attack."
After Sokov finished speaking, he suddenly said unexpectedly: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, thank you! On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the 292nd Infantry Division, I would like to thank you and your subordinates!"
"Why do you want to thank us?" Askel's words confused Sokov. He thought to himself, I didn't seem to have dealt with the 292nd Division, why do they thank me? With this question, he asked curiously: "Captain Askel, we never had any intersection before. Is there anything worthy of your thanks?"
"Ltd Colonel Comrade," Askel saw Sokov's confused look on his face, guessing that he must not understand the battles that had happened here before, so he said truthfully: "To be honest, a division of our army, which had launched an attack on this high ground a few days ago, but after a fierce battle, the infantry division, which was in charge of the attack, did not achieve any results, and only a dozen soldiers survived."
Askel's words surprised Sokov. He did not expect that his analysis was not far from the real situation. Before he could speak, Askel continued to say: "According to the orders of his superiors, if we continue to rescue the defenders in the city, then tomorrow our division will attack this highland. And you have successfully seized this highland, so that most of our division's commanders and soldiers will be freed from the fate of sacrifice. Shouldn't we thank you yet?"
Sokov laughed dryly and asked, "Comrade Captain, I want to ask, how many people are there in your division now?" The purpose of his question was very simple. If the number of people in the 292nd Division that was about to be taken to prevent was limited, then the superiors would be able to leave their troops to assist in defense.
Fortunately, Askel's words made Sokov's heart come back to his stomach: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, our division has more than 8,000 people, and is equipped with anti-tank gun companies and mortar companies, which is enough to block any size of the German army's attack."
Sokov knew in his heart that although the Soviet offensive level was worrying, it usually performed remarkable when it came to defensive warfare. If this position was handed over to the 292nd Division, they might really be able to block the German attack. Thinking that friendly forces would have three hours to arrive here, Sokov couldn't help but feel anxious. He was worried that once the friendly forces came to take over the defense, the German army would launch an attack, and then the troops on the positions would not be able to retreat if they wanted to.
However, he did not put this anxiety on his face, but instead pretended to be nothing and asked: "Captain, have you only sent one of your divisions to defend this place?"
"Sorry, comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Askov's question raised, Askel politely replied: "At my level, I cannot learn more about the situation. As for whether there are other troops to assist in defense, you can confirm it to him personally after meeting our division commander."
"There is another question," Sokov couldn't help asking, thinking of Samoilov who had not returned for a long time, "I sent a lieutenant and several soldiers to look for your troops northwards. But so far, they have not come back. I wonder if you have seen them?"
"No." Askel replied very simply: "I received a call from the team leader and brought people here to contact you. As for the people you mentioned, I don't know where they are."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Bere, who was standing aside, was worried that Sokov would not finish asking, and quickly interrupted him, saying, "It seems that Captain Askel doesn't know much, so don't make things difficult for him." As he said, he raised his hand to point at the busy commanders and fighters on both sides of the hillside, and asked, "Since we are going to hand over defense to friendly forces soon, do we still need to continue to build fortifications?"
Chapter completed!