There were still a few hours before dawn, so Sokov naturally would not sit here and do nothing. He ordered the accompanying radio operator: "Send a report to the 39th Division of the Guards, saying that we were ordered to reinforce them, and now we are lost halfway, please send a guide to pick him up."
Taking advantage of the time when the radio operator sent a message, Belkin said with emotion: "Misha, if General Guriyev really sent us a guide, maybe we could set off again without waiting until dawn."
"If we arrived at the Archives Building before dawn, we would have plenty of time to rebuild the fortifications." Sokov said thoughtfully: "After the enemy's bombing, it is estimated that there will be very few fortifications around the building. In such a defensive area, without solid fortifications, we may not be able to defend our positions even if we fill our lives in it."
"Misha, I want to ask you a question." Berkin was startled by Sokov's words. As soon as the other party finished speaking, he immediately looked around. Seeing that the warrior closest to him was also four or five meters away, he lowered his voice and asked, "Do you think we can guard the archives building?"
"Do you have no confidence, Comrade Political Commissar?" Sokov looked at Belkin and said, "You know, the troops we lead are elites of the entire division. If they can't defend, then who can defend there?"
"You are right, Misha." Sokov's words strengthened Belkin's confidence. "The predecessor of the shrinking regiment was the 73rd Infantry Brigade. This is an outstanding unit. We have never lost a battle. As long as we stick to the archives building, the enemy will not want to occupy it."
"Comrade Political Commissar," Sokov was happy to see Belkin regaining his confidence, but considering that when the other party and he partnered, he was mainly engaged in political work and was somewhat unfamiliar with military command, so he needed to help him, so he took the initiative to say: "When the troops go to the archives building to arrange defense, I will stay there for a while. If there are any problems with military command, just ask me."
"It's great if you stay for a while." Berkin was worried that Sokov would leave the archives building immediately after he had settled his troops. He was overjoyed when he heard him say this: "I have been not a military chief for a long time. Without your help, I really don't know how to command the troops to fight street battles with the enemy."
"Teacher!" The radio operator returned to Sokov and Belkin with a telegram and reported to him: "General Guriyev called back and he would send a guide immediately, and he would reach our place in half an hour at most."
Less than twenty minutes later, Captain Vanya, the chief of staff of the regiment, came over with a few people. He came to Sokov, straightened his body and reported: "Comrade Commander, the guide sent by the 39th Division of the Guards has arrived."
"Oh, the guide has arrived!" Sokov glanced at the people behind Vanya. Although the light was too dark and he couldn't see the faces of these people clearly, he took a few steps forward, stretched out his hand, and said enthusiastically: "Comrades from friendly forces, welcome you!"
"Hello, Colonel Sokov!" One person stepped forward and held Sokov's hand, shook it hard for a few times, and said excitedly: "I'm glad you are here to support us."
Sokov heard the man's voice very familiar, so he used the nearby firelight to approach him and looked at the other person's face carefully. After seeing it clearly, he was shocked: "Political Commissar Cherneshov, why is it you?" It turned out that the person who shook hands with him was actually the political commissar Cherneshov, the 39th Division of the Guards.
"The division commander is very happy to hear that you are leading the team to reinforce you in person, and he wants to greet you in person." Chernesov explained to Sokov with a smile: "But there are too many things in the division headquarters and he can't take off, so he entrusted me to welcome you on his behalf."
After Sokov introduced Berkin to Chernesov, he called the other party’s position and asked: “Comrade-level political commissar, I wonder how far is this place from your division headquarters?”
"It's not far, the straight line is only two kilometers." Chernesov replied: "But due to the enemy's bombing, the buildings along the way collapsed, and the entire terrain changed. If the troops here are not familiar with the marching at night, they will easily get lost. So I came here this time and specially brought you five guides."
"Comrade Commander," Sokov couldn't call Belkin the political commissar in front of Cherneshov, so he could only say in an official voice: "Since the guide has arrived, let your troops set off immediately."
On the way to the archives building, Sokov asked Cherneshov for the situation: "Comrade-Comrade-level political commissar, how is your situation there?"
"It's not great, Colonel Sokov." Chernesov shook his head and said, "As soon as we took over the defense of the 308th Division, the German army launched a fierce attack on us. Under the cover of the air force, they took forty minutes to capture all the positions on the west side of the building. Seeing that the situation was not good, the division commander quickly transferred the 120th Regiment from the direction of the stadium to counterattack the enemy, and then recaptured the lost positions before dark."
"Comrade-Comrade-Comrade-Comrade," Sokov realized through Cherneshov's story that the situation of the 39th Guard Division was worse than what he knew. He hurriedly asked, "How many people are left in your division now?"
"There are more than a thousand wounded people who can fight together," Chernesov said bitterly, "The only force in this small amount of troops has to defend two places at the same time, which is a bit unsatisfactory."
"Don't worry, comrade of the regiment level political commissar," Sokov pointed his hand at the front and back troops and said to Cherneshov: "The regiment I brought has more than 1,600 people, not only for defending the archives building, but if the situation in the stadium is tight in the next battle, we can also send people to support it."
Chernesov looked at the front and back troops, and then asked Sokov in a low voice: "Comrade Colonel, are there many new recruits in this army?"
"Why do you have to ask this, Comrade-Comrade-level Political Commissar?" Sokov asked curiously.
"How to say, the battle in the factory is much more tragic than in Mamayev's hill." Chernesov said hesitantly: "I am worried that the recruits will be frightened and panicked when they encounter this situation."
"Don't worry, comrade of the regiment-level political commissar." After understanding what happened, Sokov gave Cherneshov a reassurance: "This regiment has been adapted from my old army. Almost all commanders and fighters have rich combat experience. Even if they face the same number of enemies, they will not be at a disadvantage."
If someone else said this, Cherneshov would have spitted on his face and was one-on-one. He was simply bragging. The six Soviet divisions who were stuck in the factory were facing two German infantry divisions and an armored division. He was still in a defensive state and was still beaten to pieces by the enemy and overwhelmed.
However, when Sokov said this, Cherneshov believed it. Because he knew that Sokov's command of the troops in the Red October Factory and Orlovka, not to mention one-on-one situation, even if the troops and equipment were at a disadvantage, they could often win.
Under the guidance of the guide, the troops passed through various ruins and craters, and took about half an hour to arrive near the Archives Building. Since it was not dawn at this moment, in order not to cause unnecessary misunderstandings, Captain Vanya, who was walking in the front, ordered the troops to stop advancing, and then sent the first battalion commander Captain Vasily to follow a guide to contact friendly forces.
On the sentry outside the archives building, he saw an army passing through the ruins and coming towards him. He thought it was the enemy who was coming. When he was about to issue a battle alarm, he found that the other party stopped. Then, he saw several people walking towards him, and then heard a familiar voice calling him. He immediately heard that it was one of the few soldiers who had just left.
When the officers and soldiers of the reduction regiment entered the outer positions of the archives building, although no one spoke, their footsteps still woke up some of the guard soldiers who were waiting to fight. When they rushed out of the hidden unit with weapons, they found that the troops that emerged from somewhere were excitedly running back to the hidden unit, woke up those comrades who were still sleeping, and said excitedly: "Reinforcements, our reinforcements are here!"
Those sleepy soldiers, hearing that reinforcements were coming, had disappeared, and asked, "Where are you, where?" and quickly rushed out of the cover to see the reinforcements that were tantamount to them.
The headquarters of the 39th Guard Division was set up in the basement of the building. When he learned that the troops led by Sokov had arrived, Guriyev personally welcomed them. After meeting in a spacious hall, but covered with bricks and rubble, Sokov first stepped forward and saluted, and said friendly: "Comrade General, Colonel Sokov, commander of the 41st Guard Division, is ordered to take over your defense."
"Hello, Colonel Sokov!" Guriyev raised his hand and returned a salute, then grabbed Sokov's hand and said excitedly: "The superior ordered us to stick to the archives building and the stadium. I was worried that the troops were insufficient. Now that you are here to take over the defense, I feel relieved."
After saying that, he turned around and rushed to the Chief of Staff Zalijuk, who was standing behind him, and said, "Chief of Staff, immediately hand over the defense to friendly comrades and hand over all our defense maps to them."
Zalijiuk, who was named, quickly agreed and then asked Sokov tentatively: "Comrade Colonel, I wonder who should I hand over the defense to?"
Sokov quickly pushed Belkin, who was standing beside him, and said to him: "Lt. Col. Zalijiuke, this is the leader of the reduction corps who are here to replace your defense, Comrade Behrkin, deputy battalion-level political commissar, you can hand over the defense to him."
When he learned that the political worker in front of him was the commander of the troops who came to replace the defense, Zalijiuk couldn't help but look shocked on his face. Fortunately, he knew that this was an extraordinary period and it was not surprising that a political worker was appointed as the military chief. He quickly made an invitation to Belkin and said politely: "Comrade Commander, please go to the division command center with me, and I will formally hand over the defense to you."
After Zalijiuk left with the leaders of the reduction regiment such as Belkin, Vanya, Dmitry, etc., Sokov took the initiative to propose to Guriyev: "Comrade General, if you have any difficulties in the future, just raise it. I will ask the leader Belkin to help you at that time."
Guriyev looked at the troops standing outside the building, and saw a large dark area, and asked curiously: "Col. Sokov, how many people have you brought?"
"More than 1,600 people... No, if the guard platoon escorted me, there should be 1,700 people." After Sokov said the specific troops, he asked Guriyev with a smile: "Comrade General, I wonder if so many people are enough?"
"Enough is enough." Guriev was shocked when he learned that Sokov brought 1,700 people, and then said a little embarrassedly: "Col. Sokov, I'm going to tell you that the entire division has not as much force as yours."
"Comrade General," Sokov was worried that Guriyev would ask the same question as Chernesov, so he took the initiative to say: "These troops are old foundations of the 73rd Infantry Brigade, and they are almost all veterans with rich combat experience. Although there is only one regiment, they can definitely play the role of a division."
"I agree with what you said, Colonel Sokov." Guriev learned that all the veterans came, and he felt confident: "With your troops sticking to the archives building, I can concentrate all my troops in the direction of the stadium and fight the German attack with all my might."
The two chatted for a while and saw Zalijiuk coming out of the basement. He came to Guriyev and said respectfully: "Comrade Commander, the defense has been officially transferred. We can transfer the division headquarters to a new place."
Guriev stretched out his hand to Sokov and said with a smile: "Col. Sokov, then we will see you again. I hope to hear more good news from you. Good luck!"
…………
After Guriyev and a group of commanders from his division headquarters left, Sokov took Samoilov into the basement and came to Guriyev's original command center.
Seeing the busy scene in the command center, he asked, "Captain Belkin, since you have all officially taken over the defense, why don't you send troops to replace the defensive positions of friendly troops?"
"I'm sorry, comrade of the division commander." Hearing Sokov's question, Chief of Staff Vanya hurriedly stepped forward and spoke: "It's my negligence. I'm discussing with the regiment commander about how to deploy defense."
"What's there to discuss?" Sokov said impatiently: "Just order your troops to enter the peripheral positions and buildings separately, and rely on existing fortifications to arrange defenses. If the fortifications have been destroyed during the enemy's bombing, we must hurry up and repair them. Otherwise, when the enemy launches an attack, we will suffer a great loss if we do not have reliable fortifications to support them."
Chapter completed!