"Can you show me the list?" Smirnov suddenly said: "I want to know about these incoming regimental commanders."
Although Ponedelin and Smirnov were old friends, he did not immediately hand the list to the other party. Instead, he cast a questioning look at Sokov. Seeing Sokov nodded slightly, he handed over the list in his hand.
Handed over the list: "This is the list of trainees sent to the 41st Guards Division."
Smirnov took the list and read it in a low voice: "The deputy commander of the 122nd regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Victor, and the chief of staff, Major Sukhalev; the deputy commander of the 124th regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Miresiev, the chief of staff.
Commander Major Okunev, Deputy Commander of the 126th Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Glushko, Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Kryzhiow.”
After Smirnov finished reading the list, Sokov explained to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, these students are among the top twenty in academic performance. I believe they will be qualified for their new positions."
Sokov took the list and looked at it, signed his name on the back, handed it back to Ponedelin and said: "General Ponedelin, please go back and inform the students on the list to be ready to go.
We will head to the 41st Guards Division early tomorrow morning."
After taking the list confirmed by Sokov's signature, Ponedelin left the headquarters and returned to the place where the trainees lived.
As soon as he entered the door, many students gathered around him.
Those whose names are on the list want to confirm whether they can officially take office this time; while the students whose names are not on the list are holding on to a sense of luck, thinking that if someone's appointment is vetoed by Sokov, then they can get more
A hope.
"The list we proposed has been approved by Comrade Commander." Ponejelin raised the list in his hand and said loudly: "Please those students who heard their names stay, and the rest of the students can leave."
The list of personnel was announced very quickly, and it was the same as the one originally reported, with no one reduced and no one added. Those who were not named on the list were extremely melancholy, while the students who were lucky enough to be appointed were overjoyed.
The most excited student among them was Lieutenant Colonel Kryzhiow. You know, when he was at the academy, he was the squad leader of the intermediate commander training class, and often opposed Sokov. Although Sokov later included him
He was incorporated into his own temporary headquarters, but he had always been very nervous. He was deeply afraid that his arrangement to serve in the 41st Guards Division would be vetoed by Sokov. Unexpectedly, the phenomenon did not happen, and he
You can still go to the 126th Regiment as the Chief of Staff according to the original plan.
Ponejelin summoned the trainees on the list, and after explaining some precautions to them, he finally said: "Comrade Commander said that early tomorrow morning, he will personally send you to take office in the 41st Guards Division.
,You guys go to bed early tonight,"
The students returned to their place of residence. As soon as Krezhiow returned to his room, he found his former follower Vadim staying here, and asked curiously: "Vadim, are you staying in my room to do this?"
What?"
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," now that Krezhiow has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Vadim's title to him has also changed: "I would like to ask, can you really go to the 41st Guards Division?"
"This is still false." Krezhiow replied: "Tomorrow I will go to the 41st Guards Division to report. Commander Sokov personally sent us there."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I think this is a conspiracy."
"The 41st Guards Division has three infantry regiments. The commanders of the other two regiments have the rank of colonel, while the commander of the 126th regiment you are going to is still a lieutenant colonel." Vadim analyzed: "Because
This shows that this regiment is the least valued."
"You can't say that." Krezhiow retorted: "The reason why the commander of the 126th Regiment only has the rank of lieutenant colonel is entirely because of personnel changes in the regiment. The commander has just been promoted and has a low military rank.
Strange." He pointed at Vadim's collar badge with his hand and said, "Look, haven't you just been promoted to major?"
"And." Vadim took out a map, spread it on the table, pointed to the situation map on it, and said to Krezhiowf: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, take a look, the 41st Guards Division's
How are the three regiments deployed? The 122nd and 124th regiments are deployed to the southwest of Hill 239. German troops are stationed a few kilometers in front of them. The 126th Regiment is responsible for guarding Hill 239.
The other two regiments were separated..."
"But the consultant comrade specifically said in today's analysis meeting that the enemy who is trying to break out from the north of the encirclement at this moment will definitely turn around and break out south after suffering a failure." Krezhiow said: "By that time
, Highland 239 defended by the 126th Guards Regiment will become the focus of the German attack, and there will definitely be a fierce battle by then."
"Have you really decided that the enemies in the encirclement are capable of rushing to Hill 239?"
"Can't you?"
"No." Vadim said in an affirmative tone: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, do you know the strength comparison between us and the enemy?"
"I don't know." Krezhiow shook his head and said, "I have no way to know the latest battlefield situation."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I just met a staff officer from the headquarters. He happens to be a fellow countryman of mine. We used to drink and fish together..."
"Don't talk about useless things." Krezhiow understands Vadim's character and knows that this kid is sometimes a talker. If you don't stop him, he can talk non-stop for an hour or two before interrupting.
After hearing what he said next, he told the other person straight to the point: "Tell me the key points."
"Okay, let me get to the point." Vadim said: "According to reliable intelligence, there are ten divisions of the surrounded German army with a total of 60,000 people, and the number of our troops that surrounded them is conservatively estimated to be more than 10,000 people."
Millions. Think about it, if six people fight against a hundred people, do they have any chance of winning?"
"It's hard to say." Krezhiow had fought in many places before and had seen with his own eyes examples of the Soviet army being defeated by the German army even though it had superior strength and equipment. Therefore, he did not agree with Vadim's statement.
Agree: "Although there is a huge difference in numbers, the Germans will still choose to escape if they cannot defeat them. If they fight to the death, it will still be very difficult for us to stop them."
"This is just a possibility, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel. The possibility of it becoming a reality is very small." Vadim continued to analyze to Krezhiow: "Even if the enemy really chooses to break out to the south, the 41st Guards
How could the friendly forces between the division and the enemy let go of such easily obtained military exploits? They would definitely attack the enemy non-stop. I am afraid that the enemy would be completely wiped out by the friendly forces before they even got close to Hill 239.
"
Listening to Vadim's analysis, Krezhiow couldn't help but have some bad thoughts: "Could it be that General Sokov still remembers what happened in the academy, so he deliberately placed himself in a place where he has little chance to participate in the battle?"
place?"
Although he had an idea in his mind, he couldn't tell Vadim the truth, lest he talk too much and it would reach Sokov's ears, and he might really have no chance of success in the future.
Krezhiow tried his best to put a smile on his face and said to Vadim: "Vadim, you are talking nonsense. How could Comrade Commander do such a thing? You must be overthinking." He
He raised his hand to look at the time and gave the other party an ejection order, "It's getting late. I'm going to report to the new army tomorrow and need to rest early. You should go back early today to wash up and sleep."
When setting off the next day, Krezhiow sat in the same car with his future partner, Lieutenant Colonel Glushko, the deputy regiment commander. When he thought about the unit he was going to, he would not make any achievements in the following battles.
Chance, Krezhiow felt extremely frustrated.
Glushko, who was sitting next to him, saw his expression and asked curiously: "Kryzhiow, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Glushko." Krezhiow turned to look at Glushko and asked: "Do you think the troops we are going to have a chance to fight face to face with the enemy in the next battle?"
"Why not?" Glushko asked rhetorically: "Didn't you hear from your advisor, Lieutenant Colonel Ponedelin, that once the German troops trapped by our army fail to break through to the north, they will turn around and go south to choose the direction of the breakout again. And
The 239 Heights defended by the 126th Guards Regiment we are about to go to will be the key area of the German attack."
"But, is this really the case?" Krezhiow recounted what he heard from Vadim again, and finally said with some lack of confidence: "You also know, in the training class
At that time, I always targeted Comrade Commander, so even if he wanted to place me in an unimportant combat unit, it would be excusable."
"It's true that you don't have a good relationship with Comrade Commander." Glushko retorted, "But I have a good relationship with him. He can't just leave me idle without a reason, right?"
Krezhiow thought about it carefully, and it seemed that this was really the case. He had a bad relationship with Sokov, but Glushko's situation was different from his own. Sokov concluded that it was impossible to separate Glushko and himself.
The whole process became idle. Thinking of this, his mood became happy again: "Comrade Deputy Commander, so if we stick to Hill 239, there will still be a fight?"
"Needless to say, Comrade Chief of Staff." Glushko also called Krezhiowf his new position: "Comrade Commander accompanied us to the 41st Guards Division today to explain his commitment to this division.
We attach great importance to the defensive area. Maybe as Lieutenant Colonel Ponejelin said, Highland 239 will become the main offensive position of the German army."
Division Commander Kurishenko and members of the division lined up outside the division headquarters to welcome Sokov and his party.
When the jeep Sokov was riding in stopped, Kurishenko quickly stepped forward, opened the door for Sokov, and made a gesture of invitation.
Before getting off the bus, Sokov carefully observed the people standing in front of the division headquarters and found that only this one was carrying the general's epaulettes. It was obviously Kurishenko, the commander of the Guards Division. He stretched out his hand towards the other person.
, while asking politely: "If I admit my mistake correctly, you should be the division commander General Kurishenko."
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Kurishenko stretched out his hands to hold Sokov's hand, shook it vigorously twice, and said, "I am Kurishenko."
After the two briefly exchanged polite words, Kurishenko introduced his deputy to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, this is Colonel Afanasi, the division political commissar!"
"Hello, comrade political commissar of the division." When Sokov and Afanasy shook hands, he stared at each other's epaulettes out of the corner of his eyes and thought to himself: Fortunately, at the end of 1942 and the beginning of 43, the military rank changes were implemented and political workers were abolished.
His original military rank. Otherwise, what I call him now is not divisional political commissar, but regimental political commissar.
"This is Colonel Sidorin, chief of staff of the division."
As soon as Kurishenko finished speaking, he saw Sokov and Sidorin shaking hands first, and then hugging each other tightly. He looked at the scene in front of him in surprise, still wondering what was going on.
, why the commander and my chief of staff look so familiar.
After Sokov let go of Sidorin, he explained to the confused Kurishenko: "General Kurishenko, during the battle to defend Stalingrad, I was the commander of the 41st Guards Division, and Sidorin
The colonel was my chief of staff at the time. We have not seen each other for more than a year, and it is an unexpected thing to reunite here."
"So that's it." Since Sokov left the 41st Guards Division, several division commanders have been changed, and Kurishenko has only taken over as division commander for two or three months, and he has not had time to understand the situation of the previous division commanders.
Otherwise, he would not have known anything about the relationship between Sokov and Sidorin. He said with some embarrassment: "I didn't expect that Comrade Commander had partnered with Colonel Sidorin before."
After Sokov introduced the new trainees to Kurishenko, he followed him into the division headquarters. As soon as he sat down, Kurishenko personally brought the defense map and placed it in front of Sokov. Sokov
The husband only glanced at it, shook his head and said: "Wrong, General Kurishenko, wrong. What I want is the defense map of Highland 239, not the defense deployment in the open area."
"Comrade Commander." Hearing what Sokov said, Kurishenko replied with some embarrassment: "According to the orders from our superiors, the focus of our division's defense is the German troops in the southwest to prevent them from relieving the enemies in the encirclement.
Therefore, I deployed both regiments in open areas and built a complete defense system here."
"General Kurishenko, as a commander, we must know how to adjust our defense deployment in a timely manner according to changes in the battlefield situation." Sokov pointed to the defense map and said: "Look, to our south is
The 21st Guards Infantry Corps and the 5th Mechanized Corps. The presence of these two friendly forces will prevent the enemies in the southwest from launching an unbridled attack on your defense area, because in this way, their weak flanks will be exposed to our
in front of friendly forces.
On the contrary, the German Viking Division is located in Komarovka to the northwest of you. Although the two places are more than ten or twenty kilometers apart, if the German army changes the direction of the breakout from the north to the south, they will break through through a crazy offensive.
Our troops defended the loose encirclement and ran directly towards the Gniloydikich River to join the enemy stationed on the other side of the river."
"Comrade Commander," Sidorin still respectfully called Sokov "Commander" in front of everyone: "Your analysis is very correct. Once the enemy changes the direction of the breakout from the north to the south, our front line will
It is difficult for those friendly forces to stop them. After all, they do not have decent fortifications. It will not be long before their defense line is torn open by the enemy. "
