Captain Andre received a call from Cidorin, and after a long time of silence, he spoke: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I have an opinion on your arrangement."
When Cidolin heard the other party say this, he asked back with some amusement and laughter: "Comrade Captain, what do you have to do with it?"
"That's right, Comrade Chief of Staff." Andre replied: "The other troops in the division participated in the counterattack against the German army. But the orders we received from our battalion were to stick to the existing defensive areas, and the soldiers were in great mood."
Sokov heard Andre's voice aside, and reached out to take the microphone from Cidolin's hand: "Comrade Captain, I don't think the soldiers are emotional, but you are emotional."
"Hello, comrade in command!" Andrey didn't expect Sokov to suddenly appear, and was shocked.
"Tell me," Sokov asked bluntly: "If you have any dissatisfaction with me, just tell me."
"Comrade Commander, no matter what, there are more than a thousand people in my camp." Andre said a little dissatisfied: "If we are asked to launch a counterattack, I dare not say anything else, and I can definitely take the Central Station from the hands of the Germans..."
"What after you take it over?" Sokov interrupted the words behind him before he could finish his words: "What kind of troops do you plan to use to guard the station?"
"I can concentrate all the troops from other places at the station." Andre said confidently: "In this way, even if one or two battalions of German troops attack, I can still defend the station."
"Concentrate all the troops at the station, and the defenses in other places will become empty. If the Germans discover the loopholes in your defense and do not attack the station, but attack the weak areas of your defense." Sokov pointed out to him without hesitation: "Once the rest of the areas are lost, the troops that are stuck in the station will become an isolated army. If the supply supply is cut off by the Germans, how many days do you think you can support the station?"
Andrey had never considered what to do if the defenses in other areas were concentrated in the station, so he was speechless by Sokov's series of questions. After a while, he asked awkwardly: "Comrade Commander, then tell me, what should we do if we battalion?"
"I let you stick to the existing defensive zone, not to let you defend negatively," Sokov said in a slowed tone: "You can still attack appropriately and consume the enemy's vitality."
"Then what should we do?"
Sokov considered that in the past few months, the commanders and fighters of the Third Battalion used favorable terrain to deal with the enemy in the old city south of the city. However, the tactics at that time were all mainly defense. At this moment, they suddenly turned to offense. The commanders and fighters would definitely not be able to adapt, and someone had to give them guidance.
After thinking about it, I felt that the most suitable person was myself, so I said to the microphone: "Comrade Captain, I will take the time to go to your camp and guide you on how to fight street battles."
When Andrei learned that Sokov was coming to him, he was overjoyed. He knew that Sokov knew a lot of tactics and that he would teach his tactics at that time and would definitely be useful in the next street battle. He kept saying, "This is really great. Comrade Commander, it is a great honor for you to come here. On behalf of the commanders and soldiers of the battalion, I welcome your arrival."
"Comrade of the Division," said Sokov and Andrei's conversation. Sidolin, who was sitting beside him, could hear it clearly. As soon as Sokov put down the phone, he couldn't wait to ask: "Are you really planning to go to the old city south of the city?"
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff, I plan to go to the Third Battalion." Sokov was worried that Cydolin would object, so he took the initiative to explain to him: "Now, whether it is the three regiment positions on the front of Mamayev's Gate or the right-wing shrinking regiment defense line, they have basically stabilized. There will be nothing in a short period of time. I can go to the Third Battalion to see it."
"Comrade Commander." Ivanov was worried that Sokov would encounter danger when he went to the old city rashly, so he reminded him: "The defense lines of the enemy and us are uneven. If you want to go, you may encounter danger. In my opinion, you should write down the methods of street fighting. I will send someone else to send it over, so don't go there in person."
"Comrade Deputy Division Commander, thank you for your kindness." Sokov thanked Ivanov for his concern and continued: "Actually, Captain Andre said nothing wrong. Other troops are launching counterattacks against the German army. Only the commanders and soldiers of the Third Battalion remain unmoved, and it would be strange if the soldiers were not in a mood. This time I went there, first, to teach them the skills of street fighting now, and second, to meet the soldiers and resolve their doubts."
Since Sokov had already said this to this point, Ivanov knew that it would be useless to persuade him, so he reminded Sokov: "Then when you go, let Samoilov bring more people to ensure your safety."
After nightfall, Sokov took Samoilov and the guard platoon and quietly left Mamayev hill and hurried to the old city area in the south of the city where the Third Battalion was stationed.
Although this road has been walked several times, Sokov and the others almost got lost this time. Some buildings that could be seen when they passed by last time had become ruins under the German artillery bombardment and bombing. If it weren't for the accident that the combat team of the Third Battalion, Sokov and the others would not know how long they would have to wander around the ruins. Even so, by the time they arrived at the Third Battalion command post, nearly three hours had passed since the departure time.
When Andrei saw Sokov appearing in his command post, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said with ease: "Thank God, comrade, you are finally here. The division headquarters has called several times, asking if you have arrived safely."
When Sokov learned that Sidolin and the others called to ask about their whereabouts, he felt that it was necessary to call them back, so he ordered the correspondents in the battalion to answer the phone number of the division headquarters. After hearing Sidolin's voice, he smiled and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, I am Sokov, and I have safely arrived at the command post of the Third Battalion."
Sidolin knew that Sokov had arrived at the command post of the Third Battalion safely, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, he was still very curious about why Sokov had been delayed so long on the road: "Comrade Commander, why have you been walking on the road for so long?"
"In the past, there were several houses that were used as reference objects, which had been turned into ruins by enemy artillery fire and bombing." Sokov said with a wry smile: "Without these reference objects, and if you march at night, it would be strange if you don't get lost. Fortunately, you encountered two combat teams from the Third Battalion who were active, otherwise we would still be wandering around the ruins now. How about it, there is nothing wrong with the division, right?"
"No, comrade instructor. Everything is normal." Cidolin replied, "I am a little worried about your safety because I can't contact you anyway."
After finishing the call with Cydolin, Sokov said to Andre: "Comrade Captain, gather the company commanders of each company. I want to hold a short meeting for you."
The command posts of several company commanders were far away from all the battalions. Although the company commanders of each company set off immediately after receiving the call, they still waited for half an hour before they all arrived.
When Andre called them, he only said that he would hold a brief meeting and assign them the next tasks, but did not say that Sokov was also in the battalion headquarters. When the company commanders arrived at the battalion headquarters, they couldn't help but feel excited when they saw Sokov sitting there drinking tea. After they stepped forward to salute Sokov, they asked in a lingering manner: "Comrade Commander, are you here in person today? Are you planning to let us participate in the attack?"
"Comrades," Sokov smiled and greeted everyone, and continued, "Your statement is right or wrong, and you are not right." Looking at the confused expressions on the faces of the company commanders, he continued, "Since everyone is here, let's have a meeting."
"Comrades," Sokov said, looking at the company commanders sitting upright, "Watching the other troops in the division launching a counterattack against the German army, they have achieved good results. But you are not moving here, you must feel very uncomfortable, right?"
"It's all right, comrade of the division commander." Sokov finished his words, and the first person to attack was Lieutenant Yegor, the eighth company commander. He said unhappily: "In the past few months since the Germans attacked the city, we, like other troops in the division, have been engaged in arduous and outstanding struggles with the enemy. We finally waited until we were about to win and launched a counterattack against the enemy, but nothing happened to us. Not only the soldiers were in emotions, but I felt very uncomfortable."
"Lieutenant Yegor," Sokov asked with a smile after he finished speaking, "Have you ever thought about why I wouldn't let you take the initiative to fight back against the German army?"
When Andrei heard Sokov's question, he was about to speak, but Sokov raised his hand to stop him: "Comrade Captain, don't talk, I want to hear Lieutenant Yegor's thoughts."
Yegor frowned and thought for a while, and asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, should there be too many new recruits in our battalion, so we didn't let us participate in the counterattack?" Without waiting for Sokov to answer, he continued, "Yes, we have a lot of new recruits, and two-thirds of the soldiers in our company are new recruits. However, their enthusiasm for fighting is very high, and they will never waver when facing the enemy."
"Yes, it's a problem for most new recruits," Sokov said: "But more importantly, your troops and equipment are far inferior to those of the enemy. This is why I don't let you fight back."
In order to let the company commanders understand what was going on, Sokov continued: "Your battalion commander once told me that as long as I allow him, he can lead you to seize the Central Railway Station occupied by the enemy.
I have no doubt about whether you can seize the railway station. But have you ever thought that to defend the station, you must draw enough troops to defend. In this way, your defense in other areas will become weak, and the Germans may defeat you one by one. Once the defenders in the station are trapped in the German encirclement and become an isolated army, what should you do?"
The question raised by Sokov just now was not even thought of, let alone these commanders with lower levels. After Yegor was silent for a while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Comrade Commander, don't worry, even if our troops are surrounded by the enemy, we will fight tenaciously until the last person."
"I have no doubt about your courage and heroism." Sokov continued: "But if the defenders here lose all the losses in the battle, I have to draw troops from other directions to replenish them, which will make our already stretched forces even weaker."
Yegor was just feeling a little emotional because his superiors did not arrange a counterattack task for him, but he didn't expect that the matter would be so serious. He couldn't help but open his mouth wide in surprise, not knowing what to say.
"I came here today, and I did assign combat missions to you to launch a counterattack against the German army." When Sokov said this, he saw the faces of several company commanders showing joy, and he quickly said with a stern face: "However, this kind of counterattack is still a bit different from the counterattack you understand."
"Comrade Commander," Captain Guchakov, who had been an audience, couldn't help but ask, "I wonder what the difference is?"
"The attack I have made you launch is not based on how many buildings you occupy or how many streets you control." Sokov said calmly: "I ask you to consume as much of your enemy's vitality as possible in the counterattack battle."
"Does the German army's living power in the attack?" When Sokov said this, several company commanders, including Guchakov, widened their eyes in surprise. Everyone knew that in battle, the casualties of one side of the defense are usually smaller than those of the attacking side. The division commander let himself consume the living power of the German army in the attack, and perhaps his casualties will be greater. It is really hard to say who will destroy whom then.
Seeing the surprised expression of his subordinates, Andrei couldn't help laughing. When he heard Sokov say this, he was confused and felt that using attack to consume the enemy's vitality was simply a fantasy. But after listening to what Sokov said, he unexpectedly discovered that if he really fought according to this tactic, he might be able to really achieve the goal of consuming the enemy's vitality.
Andrei smiled and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, you should tell them your thoughts. You didn't see them anxious and sweating down."
"Who is so anxious that she sweats down?!" Yegor, who was covered in cold sweat on his head when he heard the battalion commander say this, retorted: "It's the battalion's stove that is burning too strong."
"There is no furnace burning in my command post." Andrey said with a wry smile: "The coal used for heating has been burned long ago."
Chapter completed!