Just after noon, Sidolin received a call from the observation post on the slope. When he learned that the engineers on both sides of the strait had started building bridges on the ice, he smiled and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I really didn't expect that less than half a day after your plan was proposed, the engineers on both sides of the strait began building bridges."
"In order to restore transportation between the two sides of the straits as soon as possible, bridge building is imperative." Sokov considered that if the weather turned better, the German army would definitely dispatch reconnaissance planes to reconnaissance the Volga River. At that time, the enemy might discover the bridge building operation on the river, so he ordered Cydolin: "Chief of Staff, order the troops to establish air defense positions on the back slopes of the north and south straits. Once the enemy's reconnaissance planes are found, they will firmly attack them."
"Don't worry, comrade Commander." Anyway, there were only a few days before the counterattack. Cidolin felt that there was no need to hide his strength anymore, so he said readily: "I will order all the anti-aircraft machine guns placed in the warehouse to be brought out on the reverse slope. If the enemy's plane does not come, it will be fine. As long as it comes, he will be disciplined without returning."
Sidolin picked up the phone and put it down again. Seeing Sokov looking at him with a look of surprise, he quickly explained to him: "Comrade Commander, I think all the commanders in the division should be gathered up and tell them the good news of the upcoming counterattack. Do you think it's OK?"
Sokov thought that if the command had not been negligent, the commanders under his command would have known the entire counterattack plan at this moment. Since Cidolin mentioned it, he nodded and said with the flow: "In addition to Commander Belkin, you inform the other three commanders to arrive at the command center as soon as possible and inform them of important matters."
After the call was called, within five minutes, Lieutenant Colonel Starcha, the leader of the 124th Regiment, arrived first. After entering the door, he saluted Sokov, Ivanov and Sidolin. Before he could speak, Sokov pointed to the bench beside the table and said to him: "Sit down, Lieutenant Colonel Starcha!"
After sitting down beside Ivanov, Starcha leaned over and asked in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, what is the important thing to call us here in such a hurry?"
Ivanov looked at his old subordinate meaningfully and said with a plain expression: "Lieutenant Colonel Starcha, don't worry, after everyone comes, you will naturally know what's going on."
Soon, Lieutenant Colonel Yershakov, the leader of the 125th Regiment, also rushed over. Like Starcha, he had just finished saluting, and before he could speak, Sokov arranged for him to sit at the table. After Yershakov sat down, he looked at Starcha sitting opposite him and asked the other party silently with his mouth: "Do you know what's going on?"
Although Starcha came one step earlier, he knew nothing about the purpose of Sokov calling them to come. He could only shake his head, shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and signaled that he knew nothing.
"Don't worry." Sokov saw the small movement between the two commanders, turned his head and said to them: "When Lieutenant Colonel Papchinko arrives, I will announce the reason for calling you over."
Papchinko's troops were stationed in the workers' village of the Red October Factory. After receiving the notice from Sidolin, he immediately handed over the command to the regiment chief of staff, and hurried to Mamayev Hill with two guards. He rushed to Mamayev Hill quickly, and by the time he arrived at the command center, it had been almost an hour.
Seeing the belated Papchinko, Sokov said lightly: "Everyone is here, we are in a meeting now."
"Comrade Commander," when Sokov said that everyone had come, Starcha thought he had forgotten Belkin and quickly reminded him: "The leader of Belkin of the shrinking regiment has not arrived yet. Should we wait for them?"
"No need, the news that the meeting is about to be announced today, Commander Belkin has known a long time ago." Sokov said to the three commanders with a blank expression: "Comrades, I called you here today to tell you: the Supreme Command intends to launch a comprehensive counterattack against the enemies attacking Stalingrad..."
Speaking of this, Sokov paused for a moment to observe the reactions of the three regiment commanders. Perhaps there were too many failed counterattacks. When the three of them heard the news, they had no expression of joy on their faces, and they were not optimistic about this counterattack. Sokov coughed gently, cleared his throat, and continued: "The troops participating in the counterattack this time will exceed one million people..."
"What? More than one million people?" Even if a shell fell on the table and exploded, it was not as shocking as Sokov's words brought to the three regiment commanders. Papuqinko asked in a suspicious tone: "Comrade Commander, are you wrong? It's not one million people, but one hundred thousand people, right?"
"Nothing was wrong." Sokov looked at Papchinko and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the troops involved in the counterattack this time are not only our Stalingrad Front, but also the southwestern Front of General Vatutin and General Rokosovsky's Don Front. The total strength of the three fronts has far exceeded one million."
The three commanders who were absent-minded were now looking at Sokov with their eyes shining, waiting for him to continue to talk. Sokov didn't keep it a secret, and continued: "We have more than 15,000 artillery and mortars, and there are 1,500 tanks..."
Although Sidolin and Ivanov had known the content of the meeting, they still felt excited when they heard Sokov's mentioned troops and technical equipment.
After introducing the counterattack plan of the superior, Sokov finally said: "In order to ensure the success of the major counterattack, because before the counterattack begins, the superior will not temporarily replenish troops and technical equipment for the 62nd Army troops. Commander Cui Kov ordered all divisions, brigades and regiments to continue to stick to their existing positions and restrain the enemy, so that when the enemy in the Don River Basin is attacked, they cannot draw troops from the city to support them."
"What about our division?" As soon as Starcha waited for Sokov to finish his words, he immediately asked impatiently: "Our division still has enough troops and some rare technical equipment. Is it rare that the superiors have not arranged tasks for us?"
"Lt. Colonel Starcha, don't worry, your superiors must have arranged a separate combat mission for our division." Sokov said this, leaned over and picked up the red and blue pencil, drew a circle at the Mamayev hill, and said: "Our mission is to attack the Romanian army on the front of the high ground and restore as much of the lost positions as possible."
The three regiment commanders fought with the Romanian army, and they knew how strong the other party was. In addition to the initial bayonet fighting with the Marine Battalion that was defending Beigang, the 13th Romanian Division, which attacked Mamayevgang, performed quite remarkable. However, since they were beaten to the embarrassment by the commanders and fighters of the Guard Division, they became timid and did not dare to fight as hard as before. If the superiors really let their troops take the Romanian army as their main attack target, the results they can achieve will definitely be very brilliant.
Thinking of this, the three regiment commanders stood up and expressed their opinions to Sokov, hoping to hand over the task of the main attack to their own regiment. For whose regiment was the first to attack the Romanian army, the three men blushed.
Sokov did not immediately express his opinion about the argument between the three leaders, but stood quietly aside. After the three people's quarrel came to an end, Sokov said slowly: "I'm sorry, three leaders, comrades, you three regiments were all arranged in the second echelon by me. I plan to hand over the main attack task to the reduction regiment of the Berkin regiment."
When they heard Sokov say that he would hand over the main attack task to the reduction team, the three commanders obediently shut up. They knew very well that the reduction team was Sokov's direct line, and the regiment leader Belkin was Sokov's political commissar before. With such a relationship, how could they fight for it?
Just as Sokov was introducing the mission of the second echelon to the three regiment commanders, the phone ringing on the table rang. Cidolin quickly grabbed the phone and said to the microphone: "I am Cidolin!"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I am the reconnaissance company commander Christopher." Lieutenant Christopher's voice came from the phone: "I just received special information sent back by the scouts and need to report to you immediately."
"Tell me, comrade Lieutenant." Cidolin asked, "Have you found the defensive weakness of the Romanian army?"
"No, Comrade Chief of Staff." Christopher replied: "According to the scout report, the Romanian army in front of Mamayev's hill and the Workers' New Village is retreating on a large scale."
"What, the Romanian army is retreating?" Cidolin asked in surprise when he heard the news: "Comrade Lieutenant, have your scouts been wrong? How could the enemy retreat at this time?"
"It's true, Comrade Chief of Staff." Christopher was a little anxious when he saw that Cydolin didn't believe his words: "After the Romanian army withdrew from the position, German soldiers immediately entered the position they gave up and replaced the defense. It seemed that the enemy was changing defense."
"Comrade Commander, something unexpected happened." Sidolin didn't even have time to cover the microphone, so he rushed to Sokov: "The enemy in front of Mamayev's gang and the workers' new village are changing defenses. The original Romanian army was transferred and the German army replaced their defense."
"The enemy has changed defense." Hearing this unexpected news, Sokov's face turned pale. He pointed at Cydolin and told him: "Tell Lieutenant Christopher immediately and let them figure out the German number to be used as soon as possible so that we can redevelop the combat plan."
Chapter completed!