"Sewer, what sewer?!" Cuikov might be too tired and seemed a little absent-minded about what Sokov said: "What does it have to do with our mobilization of troops..."
Before Cui Kefu finished speaking, he suddenly shook his whole body and then he woke up. He asked into the microphone: "Col. Sokov, what did you say just now? Can we use the sewers in the city to mobilize the troops?"
"That's right." Sokov said in a positive tone: "If we cleverly combine the existing fortifications with the city's sewers, it will be very helpful for our defense."
"Tell me more."
"Comrade Commander, let me give you an example." Sokov saw that Cuikov asked him to continue, and he said his true thoughts without hesitation: "For example, a building occupied by our army was occupied by the enemy. If it were the past, the troops would inevitably organize a counterattack. Even if the building was recaptured, the casualties of the troops would be very heavy. But if we use the sewer, it would be another situation. We can send a team through the sewer to enter the building occupied by the enemy, launch an unexpected attack, and regain the lost buildings at the lowest cost."
Cui Kov was having a headache for the troops' counterattack and the casualties during defense. When he heard Sokov's words, his eyes suddenly lit up. He began to imagine the picture: the German army occupied a building. Just as they were setting up defenses in the direction of the Soviet position, a group of commanders and fighters came out from the exit of the sewer and beat them with grenades and bayonets to flee.
"Col. Sokov, your proposal is very helpful for our next battle." After thinking about the picture, Cui Kov smiled and said to the microphone: "On behalf of all the commanders and soldiers of the group army, I thank you."
"This is what I should do." After Sokov said this, he asked Cui Kov tentatively: "Comrade Commander, I would like to ask one more thing: Can the 138th Division take over our defense on time after dark?"
"I think there should be no problem," Cui Kefu replied in an uncertain tone: "No matter what, our troops in the barricade factory defense have two divisions, and hundreds of people are drawn to take over your defense. There should be no problem."
Although Cuikov did not give himself a positive answer, Sokov felt much more at ease. As long as all the troops combined the sewers and existing fortifications, they would be much more sure of blocking the enemy. At that time, Lyudnikov would be able to send people to take over his defense on time.
Seeing Sokov put down the phone, Selyosha hurriedly asked, "Comrade Commander, you asked us to come here, is there anything wrong?"
Sokov did not answer him immediately, but looked at Agranov and said, "Captain, I think your subordinates should have told you that he discovered that I came out from under a broken ruin, right?"
"Yes." Agranov did not deny it. After nodding, he frowned and asked, "Comrade Commander, I want to ask, when did you enter that building? Why didn't my people find it? You know, I have set up observation posts on the roofs of several nearby buildings, but none of them noticed when you entered."
"Because I didn't pass through the ground," Sokov said proudly: "No matter how many observation posts you set up, you can't find my whereabouts."
"Didn't it pass from the ground?" Hearing Sokov say this, Agranov and Selyosau couldn't help looking at each other, "Did they pass from the ground?"
Hearing Agranov's question, Sokov nodded and said with certainty: "Yes, I just passed from the ground!"
"Comrade Commander, please stop joking." Agranov thought Sokov was joking, so he smiled and said, "We are only here for a few hours, so where can we have time to dig any tunnel..."
"It's not a tunnel, but a sewer," Sokov corrected him. "We have always ignored the crisscrossing sewers under the city, so we didn't combine it with the existing fortifications. Let's go, I'll take you to see."
Sokov led the two of them to the entrance of the sewer downstairs, pointed his hand at the entrance of the cave, and said, "Every building has an entrance to the sewer, and we can use the sewer to mobilize our troops. Just imagine what kind of psychological pressure will be caused to the enemy when they find that there are troops rushing out in one of our buildings."
Agranov stared at the entrance of the sewer for a moment, and then raised his question: "Comrade Commander, the temperature in the sewer is unpleasant and not ventilated. If there are too many people entering, will it be suffocating?"
"If the air gets colder today, as the temperature drops, the silt in the sewer will be frozen, and there will be no choking temperatures." Regarding the problem Agranov is worried about, Sokov explained to him: "You should have heard me report to the commander just now, and I believe he will soon order the entire army troops to use the sewer reasonably to mobilize the troops or launch an attack on the enemy. As long as there are more entrances opened, the better the ventilation in the sewer will be. No matter how many people enter, there is no need to worry about the so-called suffocation accident."
"Comrade Commander," Sokov said, and Selyosha raised his own question: "If the enemy discovers our sewer, uses a flamethrower to spray fire inside, or throws grenades, explosives bags, or even sends people into the sewer, what should we do?"
Seryosha asked Sokov, but he didn't know how to answer for a moment. He could only say to the two with a stern face: "I called you here to go back and find the entrance to the sewer in each building, so that the soldiers can go down and get familiar with the terrain. One is for the next battle, and the other is to keep the soldiers hidden there when the enemy shells or bombards."
As the two were about to leave, Sokov thought that Guchakov was taking people to rescue residents buried in the basement, and reminded Agranov: "Captain, Guchakov is taking people to rescue residents trapped in the basement building I came out. You'd better send someone to help him."
"Yes!" Hearing Sokov's order, Agranov quickly agreed, "I'll arrange the manpower now."
After Agranov left, Sokov asked Selyosha for a cigarette, lit it and asked the other party: "It will be dark soon, and the troops coming to take the defense should arrive soon. Have you thought about how to deal with the anti-tank guns placed in the basement?"
"Dispose the anti-tank guns in the basement?" Selyosha asked with a puzzled look: "Why should we deal with it?"
"The shells of those anti-tank guns were almost exhausted, and there was no way to get them back to Mamayev without traction vehicles." Sokov took a puff of cigarettes and continued: "You can't leave these anti-tank guns to the Germans and let them deal with us."
"Will there be friendly troops coming to take over the defense soon? I think these anti-tank guns can be handed over to them."
Regarding Selyosha's proposal, Sokov immediately waved his hand and refused: "No, there are only one infantry battalion here to deal with. Do you think they can find artillery among them? Besides, whether they can defend here is still a question. Therefore, before we evacuate, all anti-tank guns must be blown up."
"Blow up?" Sheryosha couldn't help but tremble when he heard this, and then reminded Sokov: "Misa, don't you think about it carefully?"
"Nothing to think about," Sokov said in an unquestionable tone: "If you see Lieutenant Porochenko later, you will tell him my intentions, and immediately blow up all the anti-tank guns that have been exhausted, and not a single one will be left to the Germans."
"But we don't have the explosives to bomb the cannons," said Selyosha in embarrassment: "And to blow up the cannons, they must be moved out of the building, otherwise the explosion may cause the house to collapse."
"It doesn't have to be so troublesome," Sokov said lightly: "Lt. Porochenko put a grenade into the barrel of each anti-tank gun, and the artillery can be blown up. Even if the Germans occupy the place, they want to reuse these anti-tank guns, they must first repair it."
After dark, Ataman brought his troops to take over the defense of Liumeng Street.
Before the formal handover, Sokov saw the team that looked small and looked like a small number of people, frowned and asked, "Captain Ataman, how many people are there in your battalion?"
Ataman turned his head and glanced at the troops standing in the open space, and replied awkwardly: "Report to Comrade Colonel, there are 115 people in my battalion now."
"Why are there only so many people?"
"We have just retreated from the battlefield, and there are only so many people left." Ataman said with a painful expression: "Many comrades died in the battle, and the battalion commander and three company commanders were also killed."
When he heard that the battalion commander and three company commanders were killed, Sokov's muscles twitched violently twice, and then asked, "What kind of equipment are there?"
"There are two light machine guns, and more than a dozen submachine guns, and the rest are rifles."
"Captain Agranov," Sokov turned his head and shouted at Agranov who was standing not far away after hearing Ataman's words: "Come to me."
When Agranov heard Sokov calling himself, he quickly trotted to him and asked respectfully: "Comrade Commander, what instructions do you have?"
"Didn't you seized a lot of weapons and ammunition just now?" Sokov pointed at Ataman with his hand and ordered Agranov to say, "Leave Captain Ataman and others four seized MG34 general-purpose machine guns, fifty submachine guns and supporting ammunition."
Agranov didn't expect that Sokov was so generous. He wanted to give so many weapons and ammunition to his friendly troops, and he couldn't help but look embarrassed. Seeing that he was standing there without moving, Sokov glared at him and said in a stern tone: "Captain, what are you still standing here? Haven't you heard my order?"
"Yes!" Agranov could only agree helplessly, turn back to his subordinates, and explain to them about handing over weapons and ammunition to friendly forces.
"Thank you, comrade Colonel!" Seeing that Sokov had given him so many weapons at once, Ataman hurriedly held Sokov's hand with both hands and said gratefully: "With the weapons you provide, our soldiers can better attack the enemy."
When Agranov transferred weapons to Ataman's subordinates, Sokov told Ataman about the sewer again, and finally emphasized: "Captain Ataman, in addition to being used to mobilize troops, you can also be used as an air raid shelter when you are bombarded or bombed by the enemy. Even if the building is blown down, you don't have to be afraid. You can choose to escape from other exits."
"I understand, comrade Colonel." Ataman, after Sokov finished speaking, nodded quickly and said, "I will send the soldiers to familiarize themselves with the sewers here as soon as possible, so as to try to send them to their uses in the next battle."
After handing over the defense and weapons, Sokov led the Guard Company and the Second Company of the Marine Battalion to leave Liumeng Street and headed towards the direction of the ditch, where he planned to join Shamrich's troops and return to Mamayev Hill together.
On the way, Seriosha asked Sokov in confusion: "Misha, I don't understand why you are so generous to your friendly forces and give them so many weapons and ammunition at once?"
In fact, not only Seriosha had this question, but even Agranov, who was following him, was also confused. When he heard Seriosha's question, he turned his attention to Sokov, wanting to hear how he explained it.
Sokov did not answer this question directly, but asked, "Seryosha, do you remember the battle between the Marine Battalion and the enemy, right?"
"Remember!" When Seryosha heard this question, he first glanced at Agranov beside him, and then continued: "The commanders and soldiers of the Marine Battalion were very brave and used bayonets to eliminate much more enemies than theirs."
"If our army had not had enough ammunition and the safety of bayonets could be avoided, we would not have sacrificed so many good comrades." Sokov sighed and said, "The weapons I just asked Captain Agranov to give to friendly forces are quite terrifying. If we keep them in our hands, it will not take long before these weapons will become fire sticks because they have no ammunition. Do you understand?"
Chapter completed!