After Sokov taught street fighting experience to the company-level commander of the Third Battalion, he hurried back to Mamayev before dawn. As soon as he walked into the command center, he couldn't wait to ask Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, is there any news in the Army Command?"
Sidolin knew what Sokov was asking, and nodded vigorously and replied, "I called the commander. He said that at around 10 o'clock in the evening, the division command headquarters that was blown up was dug up and all the trapped people were rescued. Except for the fact that everyone was a little listless, they were not injured."
Although Sokov had long been safe for Grov and Jorujev, he heard Cidolin confirm in his own words and his heart was put back in his stomach.
"How is the situation in the city?" Seeing Sokov coming back so soon, Cidolin was worried about something, so he asked nervously: "Nothing happened, right?"
"The enemy and our defense lines in the city are intertwined and intertwined, and the enemy's planes, tanks and cannons are not used." Sokov took a trip to the city and had a general understanding of the situation there. When he heard Cidolin ask, he said nonsense: "The enemy knows that they cannot capture the city in a short time, so he can only concentrate the main force in the direction of the factory area, hoping to achieve greater results."
"Do you think the superiors will draw troops from us to strengthen the defense of the factory?" Sidorin obviously heard something Ivanov said, so he asked tentatively: "Will our defensive power be weakened by then?"
"If the situation of a friendly army is critical, we can't stand by death, right?" Although Sokov was unwilling to ask the superiors to transfer their troops, in front of outsiders, he could only pretend to be a fat man and pretend to be nothing. "Helping a friendly army defend the position is equivalent to defending our flanks. Doing so is a very cost-effective deal for us."
Sokov walked to the table and leaned over to look at the map on it. He saw some newly added arrows and defense icons, and asked curiously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, is there any new content added to this map?"
"Yes, comrade of the division commander." Cidolin nodded and replied: "I have adjusted the existing defense zone and the direction of the German offensive based on the latest information provided by the headquarters."
In order to give Sokov a more detailed understanding, Sidolin explained to him: "Comrade Commander, from the Red October Factory, the Silicate Factory, the Barrier Factory to the Derzhinsky Tractor Factory, we have six divisions of troops defending..."
While listening to Cidolin's explanation, Sokov carefully checked the enemy and me situation on the map. After a while, his brows frowned. He pointed at a line between the Red October factory and the Barrier Factory and asked Cidolin: "Chief of Staff, where is this?"
"It is a ditch that extends westward from the Volga River, full of ash slag." After answering this question, Cidolin asked back: "Comrade Commander, is there anything wrong with it?"
"Chief of Staff, do you know which unit is defending?" Sokov asked without comment.
"I don't know." Cidolin shook his head and replied, "After all, it's not our defense zone."
"Immediately find out which unit is defending this ditch." Sokov picked up the red and blue pencil and knocked it twice at that position, and said with a serious expression: "Once the enemy bypasses the silicate factory, you can follow the ditch between the Red October factory and the barricade factory and go all the way to the bank of the Volga River. At that time, the few divisions we stick to at the factory will have the possibility of being surrounded by the enemy."
Sidolin stared at the map for a while and said in an uncertain tone: "Comrade Commander, there is the defense zone of the 308th Division and the 95th Division. I guess it may be one of the two divisions."
"I don't want to hear any estimates," Sokov said impatiently. "I want to know exactly the number of troops that hold there, and the name of the commander."
Ivanov, who had never spoken, saw that Sokov's face became more and more serious and realized the seriousness of the problem, and asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, do you think the enemy will send troops to rush directly to the Volga River through this ditch?"
"Comrade Deputy Division Commander," Sokov gently tapped the position of the ditch with a pencil and said to Ivanov: "The enemy will not only send scouts to conduct reconnaissance on our defense zones; but also dispatch reconnaissance planes. If there is no unit in this ditch, the enemy will probably know it soon. They will use our army's attention to the opportunity attracted by the battle in the factory area, secretly send troops into the ditch, and then rush directly to the Volga River."
When Sokov introduced the situation to Ivanov, Sidolin also realized the seriousness of the problem. He quickly picked up the phone and called Cuikov, preparing to report to the other party about the problem that Sokov discovered.
Cui Kefu worked all night in the command center, and when it was almost dawn, he lay on the table and took a nap. Who knew that just as he closed his eyes, the phone ringing on the table rang. Before the phone ringing for the second time, he grabbed the microphone and put it in his ear, saying, "I am Cui Kefu, where are you?"
"Comrade Commander, I am Cidorin!" Cidorin asked carefully: "I didn't disturb your rest."
Cui Kev knew that there was nothing important about Cidolin, so he would never call himself at such a time, so he asked straightforwardly: "Is something wrong?"
"It's like this, Comrade Commander." Cidolin quickly replied: "When the division commander looked at the map, he found that there was a ditch between the Red October factory and the barricade factory that stretched westward from the Volga River, full of ash. The location of this ditch seemed to be without our troops' defense..."
"Lieutenant Colonel Sidolin," said Cuikov, who was awakened to sleep. After listening to Cidolin's report, he said dissatisfiedly: "Your responsibility is to stick to Mamayev's post. The defenses in other areas have nothing to do with you, so don't meddle in other matters."
Krelov, who came in from outside, happened to see Cui Kefu hanging up the phone angrily, and asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, who called?"
"It's Lieutenant Colonel Sidolin," said Choikov dissatisfied: "He said that between the Red October factory and the Barrier Factory, there was a ditch full of ashes, and there seemed to be no defense of the troops..."
"Where is the ditch?" Unexpectedly, Krelov became nervous when he heard this. He quickly took a look at the map on the table and quickly searched for the ditch mentioned by Cui Kev. After seeing the location clearly, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: "Comrade Commander, once the enemy bypasses our army's defensive position in the silicate factory, he can smoothly enter this ditch. If there is no defense in this ditch, the enemy can quickly rush to the bank of the Volga River, and the situation will be unimaginable."
"Which division's defense area is this ditch?" Cui Kefu asked briefly.
"It should belong to the junction of the 308th Division and the 95th Division." Krelov knew the defense areas of each division. As soon as Cui Kefu asked his question, he gave the correct answer: "Due to insufficient troops, there is a gap of about one kilometer between the two divisions."
"So," after listening to Krelov's answer, Cuikov realized the seriousness of the problem: "Whether it is Gurdiev or Gorishne, are there no troops to fill the gap in the two divisions' junction?"
"I think yes, Comrade Commander." Krelov nodded and gave Cui Kev a positive answer: "You know, the two divisions suffered considerable losses in the counterattack first; yesterday, under the fierce attack of the German army, they fought tenaciously for a day, and the casualties must be small. I think it is a very difficult thing to get them to draw troops to fill the gap."
"Then what force do you think we should use to fill the junction of the two divisions?" Cuikov looked at Krelov and asked tentatively: "Do you want to use Sokov's troops again?"
In fact, when he talked about sending troops to fill the gap, Krelov thought of Sokov. But he was worried that Cui Kov would object and didn't know how to speak, but when he heard Cui Kov ask first, he said with a reply: "I think this difficult task can really be completed by Sokov's troops."
"Chief of Staff, call Colonel Sokov." Cuikov thought that he had just scolded Cidolin and if he had called the other party for help so quickly, he was a little embarrassed, so he ordered Krelov: "Let him send at least one battalion troops to the ditch between the two factories to set up defenses. The enemy must not rush through there to the banks of the Volga River."
Krelov immediately conveyed the order of Cuikov to Sokov by phone, and also emphasized: "Col. Sokov, since the enemy may attack our defense zone at any time, the troops you sent should be in place as soon as possible."
Sokov put down the phone, looked at the people in the command center and said with a smile: "It seems that the commander really looks down on us. As long as it is a difficult task, it will be handed over to us to complete without hesitation."
After saying this, Sokov suppressed the smile on his face and looked at everyone and asked, "Tell me, which army should we send to support me?"
"I think there will be Lieutenant Colonel Papchinko's 122nd Regiment to carry out this mission." Ivanov hesitated for a long time and finally said, "After all, their regiment has no combat missions now."
"No," Sokov shook his head and said, "The 122nd Regiment suffered serious losses in the battle the day before yesterday. We need to give them time to recover. I think it's better to send troops to carry out this mission."
"Comrade Commander," Sidolin asked at Sokov, "what unit did you decide should you send?"
"How about the Marine Battalion in Shamrich?" Sokov said without hesitation: "There are hundreds of people in this battalion, and they are all sailors with rich combat experience. I think it is perfect for them to be responsible for the defense of the ditch."
"So, who will directly command this army?" Ivanov asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, if you can trust me, let me command this defensive battle!"
To be honest, Sokov was really worried about Ivanov. No matter what, the other party has been in the army for more than ten years and his tactical style has been established. If he was asked to command the troops, it might have become a war of attrition. Thinking of this, Sokov shook his head and said, "I think I'd better command this troops myself."
"No." Hearing Sokov planned to take action himself, Cidolin and Ivanov said in unison: "You are the commander of the first division, how can you take risks at will? Or leave this task to other commanders to complete it."
"You don't have to fight with me." Sokov waved his hand and interrupted the two of them, saying stubbornly: "The superior asked us to go to the ditch to set up defenses, just to prevent the enemy from passing through the ditch, and did not ask to fight positions with the enemy. Therefore, I plan to lead the troops to personally and deploy the ditch defense according to the actual situation."
Although Cidolin had an objection to Sokov's approach to the forefront at any time, he felt that he could not convince the other party, so he became tactful and did not argue, but asked: "Comrade Commander, in addition to the Marine Battalion, which other troops do you plan to take over?"
"Take another guard company." Thinking of the faction now that there is a fourth-company guard battalion, Sokov simply took a company and followed him to the ditch. Since he was about to leave the division headquarters, the division's work could only continue to be responsible for Sidolin and Ivanov: "Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander, it's still the same rule. When I was not in the division headquarters, everything in the division will be resolved by you two to negotiate."
"Don't worry, comrade of the division commander." Sidolin expressed his opinion to Sokov: "When you are not in the division headquarters, my deputy division commander and I will definitely defend the Mamayev hills and will never allow the enemy to occupy the hills."
After all the things that should be explained were explained, Sokov didn't care about rest, so he walked out of the command center with great strides, found Selyosha, and asked him to take the guard company, which was originally in the infantry brigade, to go to the factory area to carry out the mission.
After receiving the notice, Shamrich, as soon as he completed the assembly of the troops, he personally sent him to welcome Sokov and said to him respectfully: "Report to the division commander, the Marine Battalion has been assembled and can set off at any time. I will wait for your order, please instruct!"
Sokov hopes that the troops can reach the designated position before the enemy planes are dispatched, so that they can not only reduce unnecessary casualties, but also catch the enemy off guard in the ditch without the enemy's awareness. As soon as he heard that the troops had assembled, Sokov nodded and said, "Very good. We must immediately rush to the combat area before the enemy's artillery bombardment and bombing have begun, so as to avoid many unnecessary casualties." At this point, he waved his hand suddenly and "Set off!"
Chapter completed!