There were not many troops attacking the German positions, and each regiment sent only one company of troops. However, many of the German troops who were standing on these positions were drunk and lost their combat effectiveness and were defeated by the Soviet army.
Lieutenant Colonel Starcha received a report from his subordinates from the enemy's position. When he learned that the enemy had no power to fight back, he couldn't help but want to seize the enemy's position. He called Sokov in person, and after reporting the situation, he carefully stated: "Comrade Commander, since the enemy has been beaten so hard that we have no power to fight back, do you think we can take the opportunity to send more troops to grab this position from the enemy's hands?"
"No." As soon as Starcha finished speaking, Sokov refused his request without hesitation: "I know you have the ability to take down the enemy's position, but have you ever thought about what force do you use to defend it after occupying the enemy's position? Instead of dispersing the troops and being annihilated by the enemy, it is better to stay in the existing position honestly and consume as much of the enemy's vitality as possible. It is not too late to launch the final general attack when the time is right."
What Sokov did not expect was that less than half an hour after his call with Starcha, Cuikov called from the headquarters. He asked straight to the point: "Col. Sokov, I heard that you sent troops to attack the enemy's positions at night and achieved good results, right?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sokov replied excitedly: "The Germans may have thought that tonight was Christmas Eve and we would not take action against them, so they were very paralyzed. As soon as our sneak attack troops attacked, they caused huge casualties to themselves. Although the results of the battle have not been counted, I estimate that at least three or four hundred enemies have been eliminated."
If it were in the past, when Cuikov heard such a result, he would definitely praise Sokov greatly. But after listening to it today, he was unexpectedly silent. After a long time, he said, "From the results achieved, you have eliminated so many enemies, and you are fully capable of occupying the enemy's position. But why will your subordinates reject you after making this suggestion to you?"
Cuikov's words stunned Sokov. He thought to himself that when he was in the headquarters, he had clarified his strong relationship with Cuikov. Why did the old things be mentioned again at this moment? "Comrade Commander," Sokov said cautiously: "I have reported to you that we are indeed capable of seizing the enemy's positions. However, our division's troops are insufficient. Once we send troops to occupy these positions, it will cause the troops to be dispersed and the enemy can defeat us one by one. I have reported this to you when I was in the headquarters."
"Yes, you did report it." Cui Kefu said in a slowed tone: "I received an order from my superiors, saying that you do not consider regaining the occupied areas by the enemy when you have the advantage. This is an extremely dangerous idea. Let me sound a wake-up call for you and let me order you to occupy these positions."
"Sorry, comrade Commander." Sokov heard Cuikov's order to occupy the German positions and immediately retorted: "I think it's difficult for me to execute your order. After all, my division's troops are limited, and even if I barely occupy these positions, it will probably be difficult to block the enemy's attack in the following days."
In order to prevent Cui Kov from forcibly giving orders to himself, Sokov also specifically emphasized: "Comrade Commander, our division's current position has formed a protruding part. The left and right wings of the protruding part are very fragile. The Germans only need to launch a strong attack to surround the main force of our division. Once this happens, the consequences may be very serious."
"I understand, Colonel Sokov." Cuikov sighed softly and said helplessly: "The superior gave me such an order. But I understand your situation, don't worry, I will report this to my superior in detail, hoping that they can cancel such unrealistic orders."
Sidolin and Ivanov, who were standing next to him, asked anxiously as soon as Sokov put down the phone: "Comrade, what's going on? Why did our superiors know what's going on here without reporting yet?"
"Isn't this simple?" Sokov replied with a wry smile: "In our troops, people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be arranged to report this news to their superiors through special channels."
"People from the Ministry of Internal Affairs?" Cidolin thought for a while, then showed a shocked expression on his face: "Is it Lieutenant Samoilov? You know, he is the only one in the division who comes from the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
"This is impossible." Out of trust in Samoilov, Sokov denied Cidolin's speculation without hesitation: "Even if Lieutenant Samoilov was a member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs before, he would never have done such a thing as a private report. Because he didn't know that I was talking to Stalkha. If you had to doubt it, the people around Lieutenant Colonel Stalkha would be extremely suspicious."
"Comrade Commander, do you mean that there are people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the 124th Regiment's command center?" After Ivanov asked this question in surprise, he could not speak, and decisively denied it: "I think this is impossible. I know all the commanders in the regiment, and they are all old subordinates who have followed me for many years. How could there be people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"
Sokov didn't speak, but just thought in his heart that it seemed that the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had installed people in the division very early, but they were not noticed. But in order not to cause unnecessary panic, Sokov decided to pretend to be confused and not to investigate who was the staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Maybe he could make good use of the other party in the future.
Thinking of this, Sokov waved his hand and said, "Okay, as for whether there are people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the 124th Regiment, we will not discuss it for the time being. Chief of Staff, call the commanders of each regiment immediately and reiterate my order again. After completing the night attack mission and causing great casualties to the enemy, immediately withdraw the original position and no one is allowed to occupy the enemy's position without authorization."
Although Sokov repeatedly emphasized that he was unable to occupy a position that was within reach, Sidolin never thought it was obvious. However, when he just heard Sokov mention the concept of "protrusion", he was shocked and sweated. He carefully looked at the map and found that what Sokov said was very reasonable. The three guard regiments were located in a protrusion, and the defenses on the left and right wings were extremely weak. As long as the enemy launched an attack from both sides, the main force of the division would be in danger of being surrounded. Therefore, after hearing Sokov's order, Sidolin agreed to be extremely refreshed.
"Comrade Commander," Ivanov took advantage of the time when Sidolin called and gave the order and asked Sokov with a frown: "We have been in our current position for a month, but our superiors have never sent us new reinforcements. Are we just stalemate with the Germans like this?"
"Don't worry, my deputy commander." Seeing that Ivanov seemed anxious, Sokov comforted him and said, "According to my estimate, the situation will improve fundamentally in half a month at most."
Ivanov was half-believing and half-doubting about Sokov's statement: "Teacher Master, how do you know that the situation will improve fundamentally in half a month?"
"This is very simple." Sokov explained: "Analysis from the information I have, our main force on the periphery is step by step Mamayevgang. As long as we meet with friendly forces, we will have enough troops. At that time, it will not be too late for us to launch new attacks on the enemy."
After learning that it was possible to meet with friendly troops half a month later, Ivanov was overjoyed. He quickly asked, "Comrade Commander, are you saying true? Can we really meet with friendly troops coming from the west within half a month?"
"It should be no problem," Sokov said confidently.
"What are you talking about?" Sidolin, who had just finished the phone call, saw Ivanov's joyful look on his face, was curious about what Sokov said, which actually made Ivanov so excited, so he asked strangely: "Why do you meet with friendly troops within half a month?"
"That's the case," Sokov explained to Cidolin: "I analyze it based on the information I have. At most half a month, the troops coming from the west will be able to meet with us."
"A friendly army will come to meet with us in half a month?" Sidolin became excited when he heard Sokov say this: "Comrade Commander, then you can analyze, whose troops will be coming to meet with us? General Rokosovsky or General Vatuting? Or the troops of our Front?"
Sokov remembered that not long after, the Don Front and Stalingrad Front merged and formed a new Stalingrad Front, with Rokosovsky as the commander of the Front. However, he did not directly talk about this, but pretended to be thinking. After a long time, he spoke: "I think it should be General Rokosovsky's Don Front."
Sidolin stared at the map for a while, then nodded, agreeing with Sokov's statement: "That's right, comrade Commander. From the perspective of the enemy-to-me situation on the map, the troops that can come to join us may indeed be General Rokosovsky's Don Front."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov was concerned about the troops that were carrying out night attacks, so he did not discuss with the two who would come to meet up. "How is the situation of the night attack troops? When can they withdraw from the battle?"
Sidolin raised his hand and looked at his watch and replied, "I have just asked the commanders of each regiment. The night-attacked troops have begun to withdraw from the battle one after another. It will be possible that all of them will return to their original positions in about half an hour."
When Sokov learned that his order was passed down truthfully, he nodded with satisfaction and then said, "Very good! Our troops should obey orders. The superiors issued an order to advance, and even if there was a sea of ​​swords and fire in front of him, they should advance without hesitation. After receiving the order to retreat, no matter how much result you can achieve by continuing to fight, you must withdraw from the battle as soon as possible."
"Have the results of the battle been counted?" Ivanov asked.
"Not yet." Cidolin shook his head and said, "I'm afraid we will have to wait until all the troops are withdrawn before we can achieve accurate results."
"After all the troops are withdrawn, the results of the battle will be counted immediately." Sokov instructed Cydolin: "Then report the results of the battle to the Group Army Command in the shortest time."
After Sokov issued the order, he paused for a moment. Seeing that neither Sidolin nor Ivanov spoke, he continued to ask: "Is there anything else?"
"Comrade Commander," Sidolin's eyes fell on Sokov's epaulette and said, "The superiors have officially notified us that the reform of the military ranks of the troops has officially started. However, since there are no conditions for overall replacement, it is probably a situation where old and new military ranks coexist in a long time."
Knowing that the division had also received the order to adjust its military rank, Sokov asked: "How did you adjust the military ranks of political workers?"
"Report to the division commander," Sidolin replied respectfully: "Except for the division political commissar Anisimov and the reduction regiment commander Belkin, who had both ranks of lieutenant colonels, the rest of the regiment political commissar were all major. The political workers at the battalion level and company level were ranks of lieutenant officers. In addition, the political workers in the company still became instructors; and the first-level political instructors in the battalion were renamed as instructors..."
After hearing the division's rank adjustment patiently, Sokov nodded and said, "Since there is no condition to change a new rank at the moment, all the political workers will still wear their existing ranks. When they defeat Paulus's troops, their superiors will uniformly change the new ranks for us."
"Comrade Commander," Ivanov looked at his watch, then smiled and said to Sokov: "You rushed back from Moscow and had not had enough time to rest, so you must be very tired. Now there are still a few hours before dawn, so you can hurry up and take a break."
"Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander," Sokov originally wanted to go to bed, but after walking two steps towards the door, remembering an important thing, he stopped and said to the two: "We have turned the German Christmas Eve upside down, and Paulus will definitely be very annoyed. I think when the day dawns, they may retaliate and attack our positions. You must take precautions and never be caught off guard by the enemy."
"Don't worry, comrade instructor." Cidolin smiled and said, "It's not the first time we've dealt with Germans. We know what to do, so you can rest with confidence."
Sokov knew the abilities of Sidolin and Ivanov, and knew that after they heard their orders, they knew what to do, so they didn't have to worry too much. He nodded and walked out the door with confidence.
Chapter completed!