Sokov's idea is very simple. Even if Christopher's physical condition is not suitable for performing missions, it is urgent to rebuild a reconnaissance company. No matter what, it is more reliable for professionals to go to the enemy's back to conduct reconnaissance.
Just as Christopher was about to leave, Ivanov, who was not speaking next to him, called him, then turned his head and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I don't think there is any need to rebuild the reconnaissance company."
"Why?" Sokov asked curiously.
"There is a ready-made reconnaissance company in the division." Ivanov explained to Sokov: "Although there are only more than 30 people left and the platoon-level commanders are sacrificed, it is still a complete system. The soldiers are old scouts with rich experience. As long as they send new commanders to them, they will soon be able to play a role."
"Is there a ready-made reconnaissance company in the division?" Sokov turned his head and looked at Cydollin and asked in wonder: "Chief of Staff, hasn't Lieutenant Christopher's reconnaissance company been completely lost? When has the reconnaissance company been rebuilt? Why don't I know about this?"
Hearing Sokov's question, Sidolin shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and replied with a wry smile: "Comrade Commander, I really can't answer your question, and I don't know where the reconnaissance company mentioned by the deputy commander came out."
Seeing Sokov and Sidolin both looked confused, Ivanov quickly coughed heavily, and then explained to the two: "Terminal Commander, Chief of Staff, the lost reconnaissance company you mentioned belongs to the 73rd Infantry Brigade; and the reconnaissance company I mentioned belongs to the direct unit of the 41st Guards Division."
After Ivanov's explanation, Sokov and Sidolin realized that they had commanded the 41st Guard Division for so long, but they didn't know that there was a reconnaissance company in the division's direct troops. However, since there was a ready-made reconnaissance company, there was indeed no need to reorganize. Anyway, Ivanov just said that the company-level commander in the company had all died and was in a state of no leader. After Christopher passed, he could naturally become the company commander.
Thinking of this, Sokov said to Ivanov with a smile: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, since it is your old army, can you see if you can take Christopher with him and meet the soldiers in the company?"
"No problem, I will take the lieutenant here." Ivanov agreed to Sokov's request readily, walked to Christopher's side, waved his head at him, and said, "Let's go, comrade Lieutenant, I will take you to meet your new subordinate."
After solving the problem of the reconnaissance company, Sokov suddenly felt much more relaxed. He pointed to the map and said to Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, after Guchakov's squad returned from the enemy's back, he sent the reconnaissance company to go deep into the enemy's back for reconnaissance. The area where they were active should be mainly to the west of the factory area to figure out the deployment of the German troops in these areas."
Regarding Sokov's order, Cidolin showed a surprised expression on his face. He asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, why should we send a reconnaissance company to these areas for reconnaissance?" He pointed at the front of Mamayev's gang and the south of the city, and expressed his own opinion. "I think even if we want to send a reconnaissance company to perform missions, we should still operate in these areas. After all, this is the area of ​​our division's defense zone."
"Chief of Staff, look farther and don't always stare at the one in front of you." Sokov knew very well that during the November counterattack, the old city in the south of the city was the activity area of ​​the 64th Army. Sending someone to conduct reconnaissance there was equivalent to helping others make wedding dresses. He gently patted the map with his palms and continued: "Don't look at the enemy's heavy troops gathering in the west of the factory area, but it won't take long before our division could penetrate into that area and fight fiercely with the Germans."
When Sidolin heard Sokov say this, he suddenly thought of a possibility and asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, have you heard any rumor from your superiors?"
"No, Chief of Staff, I have not heard of any news." Sokov certainly would not tell Cydolin that the combat areas of the 62nd and 64th armies were learned from history books, so he could only say vaguely: "I analyzed it based on the situation of the enemy and me."
Although Sidolin felt that Sokov's explanation was too far-fetched, he was still willing to believe it. After all, Sokov's previous judgments were almost correct, and this time it must be no exception. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade Commander, then tell me, when will our army launch a large counterattack?"
"Chief of Staff, I believe you know that at least two infantry divisions have been assembled on the east coast." Sokov said this and paused for a moment. After the other party nodded and said that he knew, he continued: "The reason why the superiors did not send them into the city immediately was probably to keep them as the main force of counterattack. To defeat the enemy attacking the city, infantry alone is far from enough. It also requires artillery, tank soldiers and air force. It will definitely take a certain amount of time to assemble these troops and hoard combat materials, that is, the counterattack against the enemy will not be launched in at least one month."
"Comrade Commander, I think you should be very clear about the situation in the factory area. The troops who were standing in the Barrier Factory and the Derrensky Factory, facing the enemy's powerful offensive, could only continuously narrow the defense zone and try their best to delay the enemy's speed of advancing to the Volga River." Cidolin said with a bitter face: "I'm worried that they will not be able to hold on for a month."
"The friendly forces that stick to the factory area are indeed fighting very hard." Sokov stared at the map on the table and said thoughtfully: "But in order to defend this city named after the Supreme Commander himself, they will continue to fight tenaciously. It is not easy for the Germans to destroy them."
Sokov said this, not aimlessly. Although the German army, which had superior military strength and firepower, might have defeated the defenders in the next battle like real history, they could never occupy the city. He led the troops to firmly occupy the Mamayev hill, which had completely disrupted the German army's offensive deployment. Now, he sent a small team led by Guchakov to go deep into the enemy's back, which would even turn the enemy's rear, and then force the enemy to attack the factory area with all his strength, thus gaining a precious respite for the friendly forces that were standing there.
"Chief of Staff, call Captain Andre, the third battalion commander, to find out what is happening in the south of the city." Sokov ordered Cydolin: "See if they need our assistance."
The phone was quickly connected. After Andre heard the voice of Cydolin, he immediately admitted his mistake to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you know everything? It's all my fault. I am willing to take responsibility for all the consequences caused by this."
"Comrade Captain, I don't understand what you mean." Cidolin was confused by Andre's words, and he asked in confusion: "What are you talking about?"
Sokov guessed that something must have happened in the Third Battalion, otherwise Captain Andre would not have admitted his mistake to Cidolin so actively, so he took the microphone from Cidolin's hand and asked, "Comrade Captain, what happened?"
"That's right, comrade of the division commander." When Andrei heard that the person who spoke to him had changed to the division commander, he couldn't help but complain in his heart. He hurriedly explained: "Didn't you notify me yesterday that the commander of the company, the ninth company, would go through our defense zone and go deep into the rear of the enemy?"
"Yes, I did not inform you." Sokov asked back, "Is something wrong?"
Andre said with some guilt: "Yesterday, when the armored convoy passed through the Ninth Company's defense zone, he was discovered by soldiers hiding in the ruins. He thought the enemy had appeared, so he fired and threw grenades at the convoy."
"What did you say, Comrade Captain? The armored convoy led by Guchakov was attacked by our own people when he passed through the Ninth Company Defense Zone?" Sokov was startled and asked quickly: "What's going on? Didn't I ask you to inform me to avoid misunderstandings? Why did such a thing happen?"
"I'm sorry, comrade of the division commander, it's all my fault." Andre said: "After I received your call, I immediately sent someone to communicate. However, some soldiers distributed in the ruins did not receive any notification in time. If it weren't for the gun-firing warrior who came back to report, I wouldn't know about this."
Sokov didn't care about blaming Andre, but asked with concern: "Comrade Captain, is anyone injured in the warrior in the convoy?"
"I asked Lieutenant Guchakov, and he said that two people were injured, but they were not seriously injured, but they were only scratched by shrapnel from grenades." Andrei reported to Sokov: "Fortunately, the soldiers who shot were workers who had just been incorporated into the army. Their shooting skills were not very accurate, otherwise the casualties of the squad would definitely be small."
"Thank God, fortunately the soldier's shooting skills were inaccurate," Sokov felt much more at ease when he learned that only two soldiers were slightly injured. He said with gratitude: "Otherwise, I don't know how much casualties would be caused to the squad."
"How is the situation in the south of the city?" Although Sokov knew that the war in south of the city was not fierce, he finally called Andre and couldn't help asking: "Is the battle fierce?"
"Fortunately, we have only had a small-scale exchange of fire with the enemy recently." When Sokov asked about the war in the south of the city, Andre proudly said: "More than 400 enemies were killed in three days."
"More than 400 enemies were killed in three days?" Sokov was still surprised by the results of the third battalion: "Comrade Captain, why did you say that there is no major war, how could you eliminate so many enemies?" According to Sokov's idea, without major war, it is impossible to eliminate the enemy on a large scale, so Andre's results surprised him.
"Comrade Commander, in fact, most of the results of the battle were obtained by the Vasily Building." Andrei heard Sokov's question and quickly explained to him: "Sergeant Vasily left enough manpower to stick to the building, and he led several sniper teams to go deep into the area where the enemy is concentrated to fire cold guns. He can achieve the results of destroying fifty or sixty enemies every time."
Sokov originally thought that letting Vasily lead his troops to defend the famous building would affect his sniping performance. Unexpectedly, after only a few days of meeting, Vasily led his subordinates to achieve such outstanding results.
"Vasily is amazing." Sokov nodded and said, "I didn't expect that he could achieve such a great victory in such a short time. Tell him, I will go to the Vasily building to find him at the right time."
"Comrade Commander," learned that Sokov was coming to the old city area south of the city again, Andre quickly spoke out and stopped it: "This place is too dangerous, I think you should not come."
"What, Comrade Captain." Sokov knew that Andrei said this out of kindness, so he joked: "The soldiers are not afraid of danger. Can I, as a division commander, still be afraid of death?"
Since Sokov had already said this, Andrei knew that it would be meaningless to object, so he could only say helplessly: "Okay, comrade, when you plan to come, please inform me in advance, so I can arrange someone to pick you up, so as not to have another attack on the squad."
"If possible, I'll think it's tonight." Sokov thought for a moment and replied, "A lot of me have not gone to the old town anymore. I want to see with my own eyes how it is going."
"I understand, comrade of the division commander." When he learned that Sokov would come to inspect at night, Andre quickly said, "I will take someone to pick you up in person."
"No need, Comrade Captain." Sokov refused Andrei's kindness: "If you come to greet him, the goal will be too big. If there are German snipers hidden nearby, we will be the result of his victory."
Seeing that Sokov rejected his request for his acceptance, Andrei felt a little disappointed, and he said, "Okay, Comrade Commander, since you said that, I will wait for your arrival in the command post."
"Comrade Commander." Sidorin and Sokov asked tentatively as he put down his microphone: "Are you really planning to go to the old town tonight?"
"That's right." Sokov said to him in order to dispel Cydolin's idea of ​​persuading himself: "The commanders and soldiers of the Third Battalion have always been in the old city. Apart from a small amount of food and medicine supplements, they have not received any decent supplies, which is equivalent to being in a state of fighting alone. I went to the Third Battalion myself just to let the soldiers understand that the division has not forgotten them. They have always been part of our 41st Guard Division to achieve the goal of boosting morale and gathering the morale of the army."
Chapter completed!