Sokov originally planned to go to the ferry to collect the goods when the ship transporting the rockets began to unload. But now he heard that the deputy commander Golikov was coming, so he changed his mind and said to Zinoviev: "Comrade Major, please take me to the ferry."
Zinoviev raised his hand and looked at his watch, saying in surprise: "Comrade Colonel, you are sure to go to the ferry now. You must know that it will take an hour to reach the shore."
"Comrade Major," Sokov stood up and said to Zinoviev: "The deputy commander of the front army will soon arrive at the ferry. I think you may not be in charge of the guards and plan to send troops to help you."
In fact, even if Sokov did not mention this matter, Zinoviev also planned to borrow some people to maintain order at the ferry. At this moment, he heard the other party mention it on his own initiative and nodded and said, "That's great, Comrade Colonel. To be honest, I don't have more than 20 people in my hands, but most of them are logisticians without weapons. There are less than twenty real combat personnel. It is indeed difficult to maintain order at the ferry with such a few people."
"Seryosha, come in." Sokov shouted outside and said to Zinoviev: "I will ask Lieutenant Sereyosha to transfer a platoon to you and help you maintain order at the ferry."
Standing outside the door, Selyosha heard Sokov's shout and immediately walked in quickly: "Comrade Commander, what instructions do you have?"
Sokov pointed at Zinoviev with his hand and said, "The Major wants to send someone to maintain order at the ferry. There is a little insufficient manpower. You pull out the three rows of Samoilov to help him."
Zinoviev thought that Sokov would draw at least half of his staff to help him maintain order. When he heard that he only gave him one platoon, he couldn't help but show a disappointed expression on his face. "Major," Sokov saw Zinoviev's expression and explained to him: "The guard company that followed me to the dock is a reinforcement company, with each platoon reaching fifty people. It should be more than enough to use a platoon to help you maintain order at the ferry."
After listening to Sokov's explanation, Zinoviev realized that he had misunderstood the other party. As the deputy commander of the front army, Golikov would definitely bring some guards with him. The people in his hands and the platoon sent to him by Sokov should be enough to maintain order at the ferry.
More than ten minutes later, Sokov arrived at the ferry and stood by the river waiting for the ship transporting Golikov and the rockets to dock. Zinoviev took his men and set up two cordons nearby, blocking all the irrelevant people outside.
Seryosha was very curious about how Sokov suddenly appeared by the river, and asked in a low voice: "Misa, in such a cold day, you are not staying in the major's shelter, why are you going outside to do? Also, if you asked me to draw one out as a warning, is there any big man going to come to the city?"
"Yes," Sokov nodded and said lightly: "General Golikov will come to the city to inspect in a ship carrying rockets."
"General Golikov?!" Hearing Sokov's name, Selyosha showed a surprised expression on his face: "Misha, are you talking about the Deputy Chief of Staff and Minister of Intelligence? Hell, he is not staying in Moscow, why are he going to Stalingrad City to do?"
"Seryosha, your news is outdated. He has long been the Minister of Intelligence Headquarters." Sokov turned his head and looked at Seryosha, and said with a wry smile: "In August this year, he served as the commander of the First Guards Army, responsible for attacking the enemies that besieged Stalingrad from the north; now he is the deputy commander of our Stalingrad Front."
Seryosha said oh, then said with emotion: "General Golikov is so low-key. The war has been outbreaking for so long, and I have hardly heard about him, so I mistakenly thought that he was still in the pre-war position."
Selyosha's words reminded Sokov that his subordinates had been in the tunnel for a long time and lived almost isolated from the world, so they knew nothing about the situation outside. It seemed that they had to find a way to change this situation, install some horns in the tunnel, and promptly inform the soldiers of the battle situation in the city so that they could have a clear mind.
"Comrade Colonel," Just as Sokov was thinking about it, Zinoviev had already walked back to him. Seeing him staring at the endless river in a daze, he couldn't help but ask: "What are you thinking?"
"I was wondering, what was General Golikov's purpose for entering the city this time?" Sokov simply answered Zinoviev's question and asked back: "Have the cordons been arranged?"
"Yes, it's all arranged." Zinoviev was halfway through his words, and suddenly pointed his hand at the river surface and said in surprise: "Comrade Colonel, look quickly, the ship for transporting supplies has come. I really didn't expect that they were much earlier than the notification time."
After a ferry was docked at the ferry, the sailors on the boat placed two springboards on the hull and on the shore. Then a team of sailors with live ammunition disembarked and quickly laid a cordon next to the springboard. After all, an army officer wearing a large-brimmed hat and a military coat walked out of the cockpit accompanied by two sailor officers. He stood by the boat and looked at the ferry, then took a step off the boat from the springboard.
Seeing the officer disembarking, Zinoviev hurriedly went up to him, straightened his body and reported to the other party: "Report to the Deputy Commander, Major Zinoviev of the Logistics Department of the 62nd Army, reported to you, I am ordered to come to greet you."
"Major," Golikov, who had just walked off the boat, looked around and asked, "Why are there so many residents stranded on the shore?"
"Report to the Deputy Commander, Comrade Zinov," replied with a wry smile: "There are two reasons why so many residents are stranded on the shore. One is that there are not enough ships to evacuate these residents; the other is that according to the orders of the superiors, no one can board the ship without the pass issued by the district-level Soviets."
"Nothing, this is nothing." After hearing this, Golikov frowned and said, "Thousands of residents are crowded on the shore near the ferry, which can easily become targets of German aircraft. A bomb can kill and injure more than 20 people. Major, I now officially notify you that as long as the ship returning to the east coast has only empty spaces, the wounded, sick, elderly, women and children among the residents can be given priority. As long as the population in the city decreases, our logistics supply pressure can be reduced. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Deputy Commander Comrade." Zinoviev felt very reluctant to see the residents stranded on the shore every day because they could not cross the river and left the city. However, because the superior's order could not be violated, he could only choose to ignore it. At this moment, he could not help but be overjoyed when he heard the order issued by Golikov: "I think those residents who can cross the river to the east bank will always remember your kindness to them."
"Comrade Major, who is the supreme commander here?" Golikov continued.
"If I am responsible for maintaining order at the ferry and ensuring the loading and unloading of goods, I am the highest commander here." After saying this, Zinoviev turned his head and looked at Sokov, who was standing not far behind him, and added: "But if we talk about military rank, it is Colonel Sokov from Mamayevgang."
"Col. Sokov from Mamayev's hill?" Golikov hurriedly asked, "Where is he?"
"Hello, Comrade, Deputy Commander of the Front Army." Hearing Golikov ask himself, Sokov hurriedly stepped forward a few steps, came to the other party, and said respectfully: "I am Sokov, I am waiting for your order, please instruct!"
"Major Zinoviev," Golikov turned his attention to Zinoviev, "Is there any quiet place here? I want to talk to Colonel Sokov alone."
"Some, some," Zinoviev replied quickly, nodding his head, "My command post is not far from here, where you can talk to Colonel Sokov."
"Col. Do you know where the command is?" After Sokov's confirmation, Golikov said to Zinoviev: "Major, Comrade Sokov and I go to the command post, so you can stay here to command the unloading of the ship. The materials of this ship are very important, and you must unload them all before dawn."
Sokov didn't know what Golikov had to do with him, so he took him to Zinoviev's command post. After greeting Golikov to sit down, he stood respectfully and waited for the other party to give instructions to him.
"Col. Sokov, what are you doing while standing?" Seeing that Sokov did not sit down, Golikov hurriedly greeted him: "There are no outsiders here, sit down first. I have something to talk to you."
After Sokov sat down, Golikov continued: "Comrade Colonel, I am here to talk to you on behalf of the commander and the military committee."
Seeing that Golikov was so serious, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little shocked in his heart, and he secretly said, "Is there anything dissatisfied with me and planned to replace me," and sent Golikov, the deputy commander, to talk to me?"
"Don't be nervous, Colonel Sokov." Seeing that Sokov had become inexplicably nervous after hearing his words, Golikov quickly smiled and comforted him, "Nothing big is a big deal, just chatting casually."
After Sokov's mood stabilized a little, Golikov continued to say: "Some time ago, my superiors asked you to find a way to transport 30,000 troops into the city within three days. Do you still remember this?"
"Remember." Sokov thought to himself that it was because of this problem from his superior that I assisted the engineer director Colonel Tupichev to create the underwater pontoon bridge. He asked with a lot of questions: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I want to ask, is this related to today's conversation?"
"If there is contact, of course there is contact." Golikov nodded and said in a positive tone: "I won't hide it from you now. If it weren't for the fierce bombing of the city by the German army a few days ago, the three divisions would form a combat cluster in the south of the city and near Mamayev's hill after entering the city."
As soon as he heard Golikov mention the combat cluster, the muscles on Sokov's face twitched violently. He thought that under the current situation, even if the so-called combat cluster was established, without air supremacy, and without enough tanks and cannons, it would not make much sense to simply fight for consumption with the Germans in the city. After hesitating for a moment, he asked: "Comrade Deputy Commander, do your superiors still want to form this combat cluster?"
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Golikov shook his head and said, "After solemn consideration, the base camp decided to put aside this proposal. The three divisions that arrived on the east coast, except for the 45th Infantry Division entering the city, the rest remained on the east coast on standby."
Sokov couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he confirmed that his superiors would not form any combat clusters. He knew very well that even if the enemy in the north of the city attacked the factory area by establishing combat clusters would have very little effect. On the contrary, in order to eliminate the threat from the flanks, the enemy would not only bombard the areas where the troops gathered, but also mobilize elite troops from other places to attack Mamayev's hill, which would make the situation in the city more confusing.
Sokov felt that he should say a few words. After organizing the words in his mind, he spoke: "Comrade Deputy Commander, this decision from his superiors is very correct. Now the city's air supremacy is in the hands of the enemy. If the three divisions are rashly placed in the south of the city to carry out a counterattack, the enemy's artillery and bombing are enough to crush their attack."
"Yes, Colonel Sokov." Golikov said with a smile: "Your idea coincides with your superiors. To defend the city, we only need to retain a certain amount of troops in the city to restrain the main force of the German army and gain valuable time for the assembly of our counterattack troops."
According to Golikov's thoughts, after he said this, Sokov would be eager to ask when he would fight back. But after waiting for a while, Sokov, who was sitting opposite him, remained silent. This time it was Golikov's turn to stay calm, "Comrade Colonel, I want to ask you, do you think we can defend the city?"
"Comrade Deputy Commander," Sokov replied without hesitation about Golikov's question: "Is it necessary to say that as long as there are our people in the city, we will never hand over this city named after the Supreme Commander himself to the Germans."
"Not bad, Colonel Sokov, you said it very well." Golikov was very satisfied with Sokov's answer. He smiled and nodded, saying, "I feel relieved when I see you are so confident."
Sokov guessed from Golikov's tone that the other party was going to talk to him, not to form a combat cluster or whether he had the confidence to defend Stalingrad, because he asked this question, which was suspected of being a sarcastic figure. So after he hesitating for a moment, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I think you must have something important to ask me. Can you tell me what it is?"
Hearing Sokov's question, Golikov couldn't help laughing dryly and said a little embarrassedly: "Col. Sokov, it seems that nothing can be hidden from you. To be honest, I came to the city today, and I was entrusted by the commander and the military committee to ask you something."
"Please tell me, Deputy Commander."
Chapter completed!