Bobricov was a commander with strong execution ability. With the order issued, he arranged for his subordinates to set up checkpoints in the designated area and build simple fortifications.
Sokov's temporary command post was set up in the forest a few hundred meters away from the checkpoint, so that he could understand the situation of the three checkpoints in a timely manner.
As soon as I set up the tent of the temporary command post, a soldier came to report: "Comrade Commander, several friendly comrades have come here and want to see you."
After hearing what the warrior said, Sokov thought it was a warrior who escaped from the encirclement, so he asked casually: "Are they a comrade who jumped out of the encirclement of the enemy?"
Unexpectedly, the soldier shook his head and said, "No, Comrade Commander. He is a friendly army from Volokoramsk. The people who came said they were from the 1073rd infantry regiment."
Sokov was stunned and thought to himself that what did Panfirov's troops come to do to him? In order to figure out what happened, he ordered the other party: "Go and invite comrades from friendly forces in."
Shortly after the soldiers left, they took two officers into the tent.
"Two comrades in command," the soldier pointed at Sokov and introduced to the people: "This is our regiment commander."
The two officers quickly raised their hands to salute Sokov: "Hello, Comrade Major!"
Sokov saw clearly the two officers standing in front of him, one was a captain and the other was a second lieutenant. After raising his hand to return the salute, he asked politely: "My subordinates told me that you are from the 1073rd Regiment and Pan Fei."
General Love's subordinate?"
"Yes, Comrade Major." The captain replied: "We are from the 1st Battalion of the 1073rd Infantry Regiment, and are the subordinates of General Panfirov. Do you know our division commander?"
"Yes, I've met you once." Sokov nodded: "Just two days ago, on your way from Mozaisk to Volokoramsk, I've seen your division commander, right?
, At that time, the political commissar Yegorov was also there."
"Comrade Major, what part of you are?"
Because he confirmed the other party's identity, Sokov did not hide it, but replied truthfully: "We are the independent infantry regiment directly under the 16th Army."
"Independent Infantry Regiment?" The captain frowned slightly after hearing this, turned his head to look at his subordinates, and continued to ask Sokov: "What are you doing here? You must know, this is the defense zone of our first battalion."
The captain's words surprised Sokov. He didn't expect that this was the defense area of the 1073rd Regiment, and he couldn't help but be stunned: "Is this the defense area of your battalion? As far as I know, the defense area of the 316th Infantry Division is in Volokola.
In the Musk area, it is dozens of kilometers away from the city. How could it be your defense zone?"
"Comrade Major, our division headquarters is in the city of Volokoramsk, but the troops belonging to it are respectively around the city, and our 1073rd Regiment is deployed in the southwest direction of the city." The captain explained to Sokov.
: "The defense zone of our battalion is at the forefront of the division and is naturally far away from the city."
"So that's how it is." Sokov said to the two officers after he figured out what was going on: "We are here to accommodate the troops who escaped from the German encirclement. After the shelter is completed, we will
Evacuate this place immediately.”
"So, are you trying to accommodate the broken troops?"
"Yes, it's true."
"How long are you going to stay here?" After saying this, the captain may realize that the tone of his speech could easily cause Sokov to misunderstand, so he quickly defended himself: "Comrade Major, don't get me wrong, I'm not going to rush
You go, but the Germans are likely to break into this area at any time. Know how long you will stay here so that we can provide you with the necessary support when you are attacked by the enemy."
Sokov is also a smart man, and he can't hear the captain's intention of expelling guests. However, when he thought of his purpose of coming here, he did not care about the other party's attitude, but smiled and said, "Comrade Captain, you have to wait for it in detail.
It’s hard to say how long it takes. Maybe three to five days, maybe one or two days, it all depends on how long we can accommodate enough troops.”
After saying this in one breath, Sokov saw that the captain seemed to want to add something, and quickly said, "Comrade Captain, if we exchange fire with the enemy and need support, I will send someone to contact you."
After seeing off the friendly comrades, Sokov quickly ordered people to call Bobrikov and asked directly: "Bobrykov, have you sent reconnaissance personnel to the nearby area besides checkpoints and fortifications?"
"No." Bobricov replied without thinking: "Comrade Commander, we do not have enough staff, so I did not send scouts."
Sokov knew very well that Bobricov was talking about the truth. There were 115 people in the company. Just setting up checkpoints and setting up defenses, hundreds of people were used. There was only a dozen people left by his side, and there was no extra.
The staff went to perform reconnaissance missions, otherwise they would not have waited for the comrades from the 107th Regiment to arrive nearby before they discovered them. Fortunately, the people who appeared nearby were their own people. If they were Germans, the consequences would be very serious.
"Captain," Sokov said to Bobricov: "You draw your men immediately and conduct reconnaissance nearby. If you encounter your own people who have been removed, you will indicate our location; if it is an enemy,
Come back and report in time so that we can prepare for combat in advance.”
"Okay, comrade commander." Bobricov replied: "I will send a reconnaissance officer immediately to conduct reconnaissance on the surrounding environment."
"Remember." Sokov specifically reminded him: "Once we find a large number of German troops approaching our area, we must be prepared for transfer. Our troops are limited, and if we fight head-on with the enemy, it will not last long.
”
But after hearing Sokov's words, Bobricov said hesitantly: "Comrade Commander, if we find that the German troops are coming and we will retreat immediately, then will they be able to drive straight in?
”
"Do you think that if we block the Germans, we can stop the Germans from entering in a straight way?" Sokov snorted coldly and said, "You know, we only have one company of troops now, and all of them are light weapons. Even if the Germans' large troops are not equipped, they are not equipped.
Tanks and armored vehicles can easily wipe us out with the advantage of numbers of people. Therefore, when facing enemies with superior forces and equipment, we can only choose to retreat. But don’t worry, we have 1073 of the 316th Infantry Division near us.
They have the ability to block the enemy."
"What, are our friendly troops nearby?" Bobricov asked in surprise: "Comrade Commander, who did you hear?"
Just now, Bobricov was busy setting up checkpoints and deploying defenses, so he naturally didn't know what was happening here at the command post. Sokov explained to him: "Just a while ago, two officers from the 1073rd Regiment came here.
Once, they said that the defense zone of their first battalion was nearby. So they saw a small army of unknown origins here, so they came here to check it out."
"Oh, so that's it." Bobricov nodded after hearing this, and then said: "The 316th Infantry Division has been in defense for a while. I believe they have built a lot of fortifications and should be more capable than us.
To block the German attack. Then I will arrange personnel now and go to the nearby to conduct reconnaissance."
After an hour, sporadic commanders and fighters were taken to the near command post. They broke through the German encirclement and were basically exhausted. Once they arrived, they each found a place to sit down.
rest.
While Sokov was thinking about how to organize these people, a lieutenant walked in from outside the tent. After seeing Sokov, he asked with a smile: "Comrade Major, I don't know if I can provide us with some food.
?”
"You're out of food?" Sokov asked back.
"Yes." The lieutenant said embarrassedly: "My subordinates and I haven't eaten for three or four days. Just now, at the checkpoint, I heard from the soldiers on duty that we can gather here and get food supplements.
.”
When Sokov led the team here, he considered this issue, so he specially pulled a truck of food to distribute it to the commanders and fighters who had just escaped from the encirclement. At this moment, he heard the lieutenant say this, Sokov hurried out of the tent.
He looked outside and shouted, "Comrade Commander is here!"
As Sokov shouted, five or six commanders wearing big-brimmed hats walked over slowly, stood in a row in the open space in front of the tent, and looked at Sok with cold eyes.
Koff, want to hear what he is going to say.
Sokov's eyes swept over several commanders. The highest rank here is a captain and the lowest rank is a second lieutenant.
"Comrade Captain," Sokov came to the captain and asked kindly: "What is your name, what part of it is, and what is your position?"
"My name is Ivan Popov." The captain replied respectfully: "I am the quarantine officer of the 38th Division of the Infantry Division of the 16th Army."
"38th Infantry Division?" Sokov immediately asked back when he heard this number: "Who is your division commander?"
"Col. Kirillov."
"Where is he now?"
Faced with Sokov's problem, Ivan Popov shook his head and replied: "Sorry, Comrade Major, our division was broken up when we broke through. I have no idea where the division commander and the division command are now.
”
"Captain Popov!" Sokov extended his hand to Ivan Popov: "I am Major Sokov, the leader of the Independent Infantry Regiment directly under the 16th Army. Welcome your arrival!"
"The Independent Infantry Regiment of the 16th Army?" After repeating the unit number, Ivan Popov asked carefully: "Comrade Major, can you tell me who is the current commander of the Army?"
After Rokosovsky commanded the 16th Army to participate in the battle to defend Smolensk, he received an order from the commander of the Western Front, General Konev, to hand over the troops to friendly forces and lead the command of the army himself.
After Rokosovsky left, the former 16th Army troops were assigned to the 19th and 20th Army, while Colonel Kirillov's 38th Infantry Division
He was assigned to the 19th Army.
"Who else can it be? Of course it is General Rokosovsky." Sokov knew that Ivan Popov was trapped in the German encirclement for this period and did not understand the situation outside, so he explained to him specifically.
He said: "The 16th Army is newly formed today, but the leader of the army is still the original team. Where you are now located is the defense zone of the army."
When Ivan Popov heard this, his face suddenly showed a surprise expression: "So, Rokosovsky has become our commander again."
Sokov nodded, recognized the other party's statement, and continued, "Captain Popov, from now on, I will appoint you as the quarconian officer of the Independent Infantry Regiment. Do you have any different opinions on my appointment?
”
"No." Ivan Popov finally escaped from the German encirclement and wanted to enter the new force as soon as possible. Therefore, he chose to accept Sokov's appointment without hesitation: "I firmly obey
Your order.”
"Okay, since you have no different opinions, then from now on, you will be my quartermaster." Sokov glanced around and found that there were at least two or three hundred commanders and fighters gathered nearby, so he asked Ivan
Popov said, "Then I will give you the first order first!"
When I heard Sokov say he wanted to give his first order, Ivan Popov immediately straightened his back and waited for Sokov to give the order.
"Captain Popov, the soldiers around him have just escaped from the enemy's encirclement. Many people are not only exhausted, but also hungry for several days." Sokov pointed at a short distance and stopped.
A truck with tarp said to Ivan Popov: "Your mission is to arrange manpower and distribute the food in the car to the soldiers here."
"No problem, comrade leader." Ivan Popov said with a grin: "This work is what I do best, and I will never let you down."
Sokov called several soldiers from the guard company and asked them to act as assistants to Ivan Popov and distribute food to those trapped and tired commanders and soldiers.
But before the official distribution of the food, Sokov reminded Ivan Popov, my people are still continuing to contain commanders and fighters who escaped from the enemy's encirclement. How many people can be accommodated?
Unknown numbers. Therefore, the distribution of materials must be properly arranged to prevent the new commanders and fighters from starving."
Hearing Sokov said this, Ivan Popov scratched the back of his head and said in embarrassment: "Comrade Commander, according to my experience, if there are only two or three hundred people, the food in the car should be enough to be distributed.
But if more people come, there will be no enough sharing. I wonder if you have any other way to get more food?"
Sokov thought for a while, called the lieutenant who went into the tent to find him for food and said to him, "Comrade Lieutenant, take a few people back to the headquarters' location, and find Chief of Staff Malining to receive another batch of food.
return."
"But, Comrade Commander." The lieutenant said with some embarrassment: "I don't know where the command is. And even if I find the command, will Chief Malining agree to provide me with food?"
"You don't have to worry about this." Sokov said to the lieutenant: "The drivers are sent by the command. After you and your people get on the bus, they will directly pull you to the command. As for the Chief of Staff, there is a situation where the Chief of Staff has been.
, I wrote him a note, and he should be able to provide us with the necessary food."