In the following days, the news that the German army was approaching Stalingrad panicked the residents in the city. Not only the indigenous people began to pack their bags and prepare to evacuate. Even the civilians who had just fled to Stalingrad from other places,
I also packed my few belongings and just waited for the evacuation of the city to begin before embarking on the long journey again.
But what is surprising is that the evacuation order was not issued for a long time. On the contrary, people heard the bulletin issued by the Soviet Intelligence Agency on the daily radio: a group of troops, cars, tanks and artillery vehicles gathered together
The torrent formed was running towards the Volga River and the Don River grassland day and night to stop the German troops rushing towards Stalingrad.
The briefing from the Soviet Intelligence Agency reassured the residents who were in a state of panic. Some people even thought that the next development of the situation would definitely be the same as that of the Moscow Defense War. Even if the Germans rushed outside Stalingrad, they would still be safe.
They will definitely be defeated by the Soviet troops who have been waiting here for a long time, and there is no need for them to leave their hometown.
The mood of the residents in the city has stabilized, but for insiders, the current situation is getting more and more serious. As a military engineer of the city defense committee, Ozor naturally knows more inside information than ordinary residents. As he learns
The more things he found, the more he agreed with Sokov's judgment: Sooner or later he would have to fight a fierce battle with the enemy in Stalingrad.
Although his responsibility was only to build a defensive position for the 73rd Infantry Brigade on Mamayev Ridge, he still had the opportunity to see the map of the fortifications outside Stalingrad. He made suggestions for the location and construction of the fortifications.
He made a series of opinions, but who knew that not only were they not adopted, but he was also scolded by his superiors. Shocked, Ozor drove to Sokov's headquarters alone to vent his frustration to him.
Seeing Ozor, who had not been seen for several days, suddenly appear in his headquarters, Sokov's first reaction was, could there be something wrong with the project? For him, the quality of the project is life-threatening.
It's a big deal. If the fortifications were not strong and collapsed after being hit by a few German shells, wouldn't the commanders and fighters inside be buried alive?
It was precisely because of this consideration that he asked Ozor nervously: "Comrade Major, you suddenly came here today. Is there something wrong with the engineering?"
"Project? What's wrong with the project?" Unexpectedly, Ozor was stunned when Sokov asked, but he quickly understood what the other party meant, and shook his head and said: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, don't worry.
Well, the projects I'm responsible for have never had any quality problems. I'm here today because I want to talk to you about something else."
Hearing that Ozor had something to discuss with him, Sokov quickly asked him to sit down and poured a cup of hot tea in front of him. Then he sat down opposite him and said with a smile: "Comrade Major, you
If you have anything to say, you can say it now."
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, before the construction of the Mamayev Hill fortifications started, you mentioned many times that sooner or later our army would fight street battles with the Germans in the city." Ozor held the tea cup, but did not immediately
Drink, but asked tentatively: "Is everything you said true?"
"Yes, Comrade Major." In response to Ozor's question, Sokov nodded and replied affirmatively: "I said so. But I didn't say it casually, but carefully analyzed the dynamics between the enemy and ourselves.
Only then did we come to this conclusion.”
"Now it seems that your analysis is correct." Ozor picked up the tea cup, but the tea burned his mouth. After taking a sip, he continued: "Our position outside the city cannot stop the enemy at all.
of."
"What?!" Hearing what Ozor said, Sokov's face was calm, but Belkin who was sitting next to him was startled: "Comrade Major, what did you just say? You said we were in the city
Those fortifications built outside can't stop the Germans at all? These words cannot be said casually."
"I'm not talking nonsense. I suspect that those who select sites and build fortifications are a group of out-and-out amateurs." Ozor said with a look of sadness and indignation: "Most of our fortifications are set up on bare grasslands.
, and did not take advantage of the surrounding rivers, valleys and other favorable terrain. Such fortifications were extremely detrimental to defense, and instead helped the Germans leverage their air and tank advantages."
Sokov believed everything Ozor said. He remembered that in Chuikov's memoirs, he saw the Soviet Marshal complaining about Stalingrad's field fortifications. The fortifications were not built on rivers and valleys.
Instead, they were built on open grasslands. The German reconnaissance planes could clearly detect the location of the ground fortifications. Then the German bombers could accurately drop countless bombs into the Soviet army as if they were training bombs.
in these fortifications.
Seeing that Belkin wanted to question what Ozol said, Sokov stopped him in time and said: "Comrade political commissar, what Major Ozol said is true. The defenses in the Stalingrad area are...
It only started in May. At that time, our army had just launched a counterattack against the German army in Kharkov. Everyone was optimistic that the enemy's main force in this area would soon be crushed by our army and the enemy would be driven away by us.
The day to leave the border is just around the corner.
Tell me, under such circumstances, when the Stalingrad City Defense Committee receives orders from superiors to build fortifications, will they do their best? They only need to build a number of fortifications outside the city to cope with the construction of the National Defense Committee. As for repairs,
Where it can play a real defensive role is not within their scope of consideration."
Belkin couldn't help but raise his throat when he heard what Sokov said. He quickly asked: "Comrade Brigadier, if the defenses outside the city are really useless, then just relying on the Mamayev we are holding
Can the post be used to stop the enemies who want to occupy the city?"
"It can't be stopped." Sokov replied simply: "Not only can we not stop the enemy, but even if the friendly troops are entering the city one after another, they can't stop the enemy. The only thing we can do is try not to let them
The enemy crossed the Mamayev Hill and rushed to the docks by the Volga River. If they occupied it, the city's defenders would be completely destroyed because they were isolated and helpless. Once all the defenders were sacrificed, the city would still be destroyed.
Can you hold it?"
Having said this, Sokov once again turned his attention to Ozor: "Comrade Major, I believe you already know the current situation in Stalingrad. Whether we can hold Mamayev Heights depends entirely on our fortifications.
Can it be completed before the German troops rush into the city?"
Ozor put down the tea cup in his hand, looked at Sokov, and said seriously: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, please rest assured, I promise you that starting from tomorrow, I will urge the workers to speed up the progress, no matter what
No matter what, we will complete the fortification construction work on Mamayev Hill before the Germans rush into Stalingrad."
