Seidlitz returned to his army command and immediately ordered his chief of staff: "Chief of Staff, inform the commander of the 295th Infantry Division, Dr. Kofes, commander of the 100th Hunter Division, Major General Sanne, to come to me."
After receiving the call, the two German division commanders guessed that Seidlitz must have important tasks to deploy, so they did not dare to neglect them. They immediately rushed to the military command as quickly as possible.
Seeing that his two troops had come down, Seidlitz nodded to the two, and then said, "Gentlemen, the reason why I called you here at this time is that there are important tasks to be handed over to you to complete."
Kofes and Sanne looked at each other, and then said in unison: "Please give orders, Commander."
"The Commander has just called me to his command and ordered our army to take down the Red October Tractor Factory tomorrow." Seidlitz said to the two of them, "So, I plan to hand over this difficult task to you two divisions."
"Mr. Commander, please forgive my presumption. I think it is impossible to take down the Russian Red October factory tomorrow." The first speaker was Major General Sanne, who said with a serious expression: "The Russian Guards 39th Division is responsible for defending the Red October factory. In the daytime battle, every time we take a position, the Russians will carry out counterattacks and engage in tug-of-war with us. When the battle lasts until dark, we only occupy several broken buildings on the edge of the residential area."
"General Sanne!" After Saidlitz finished speaking, he immediately asked in a stern tone: "The small troops you sent today have successfully rushed into the factory from the north. Why didn't you send troops to reinforce in time? As a result, they were driven out of the factory by the Russians."
"Mr. Commander, please listen to my explanation." When Sanne heard Seidlitz mention this, a cold sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead. He explained in a panic: "I learned that the detour troops had successfully entered the factory, I immediately sent a battalion to reinforce. Unexpectedly, when they passed through the residential area, they were stubbornly blocked by the Russians and could not continue to move forward for a long time, so that the troops entering the factory were driven out by the Russians because they were isolated and helpless."
"General Sanne, I order you now to be transferred by your troops to the north of the Red October factory before dawn." Seidlitz said in an orderly tone: "As soon as our shelling is over, we will immediately attack the factory."
After listening to Seidlitz's order, Sanne hesitated and said, "Sir, if our division moves north, will the Russians' defensive power move northward?"
"Don't worry, I will never let this happen." After saying this, Seidlitz turned his head and said to Kofes: "Dr. Kofes, your division immediately stops searching the rear, transfers the main force to the west of the Red October factory, and cooperates with the 100th Hunter Division to launch an attack."
When Kofes heard this order, he was stunned, and then carefully reminded Seidlitz: "Master, our division is clearing out the Russians who infiltrated the rear of our army, and I am afraid that they will not be able to participate in tomorrow's attack."
"The latest task of your division is to assist the 100th Hunter Division in seizing the Russians' Red October factory. As for clearing out the Russians who infiltrated the rear of our army, let them go to hell." After Saidlitz said these words, he muttered in a low voice: "It's really hell. In order to deal with a few dozen Russians, three divisions were mobilized to clean up. Is it really necessary?"
"Mr. Commander," since it was an order issued by his immediate superior, Kofes had no scruples about transferring the troops to the Red October factory overnight. However, considering that the Soviet Guard Division was the Soviet Guard Division who was sticking to the factory, he said cautiously: "Although we have two divisions, they are both infantry divisions. It may not be easy to break through the defense line of the Russian Guard Division."
"Dr. Kofes, you don't have to worry about this." Seidlitz waved his hand at Kofes and said disapprovingly: "The commander has transferred General Lunsky's 24th Armored Division to the north to cooperate with our tomorrow's attack."
Kofes and Sanne were relieved to learn that they could get the cooperation of the armored division in tomorrow's attack. For them, as long as they had a sufficient number of tanks, the Soviet fortifications in the residential areas would be vulnerable. However, when the tanks could be put into the battlefield, the two of them were unsure. Sanne asked tentatively: "Mr. Commander, can I ask, when will General Lensky's armored division enter the battlefield?"
"The commander ordered the 24th Armored Division to set off from its current garrison at 10 am tomorrow." As Seidlitz spoke, he glanced at the map in front of him and continued: "It is only more than twenty kilometers away, and you should be able to arrive before noon. In this way, you can get the cooperation of the Armored Division in the afternoon attack. I hope you can take down the Red October Factory before dark."
As soon as Seidlitz finished speaking, he said with confidence: "Mr. Commander, don't worry, we are the only division that attacked the Red October factory today, and they all beat the Russians a little unsustainable. Tomorrow, an armored division and an infantry division will be added, which will definitely beat the Russians to pieces. There should be no problem in capturing the entire factory."
But Kofes is obviously not as optimistic as Sanne. He reminded Seidlitz: "Commander, the Russians now have a new rocket that can be launched in any area. If the armored division is attacked by this new rocket on the way north, I am worried that they will suffer huge losses. Once the armored division loses the cover, if we want to seize the Red October factory, we may..."
"Dr. Kofes," before Kofes finished speaking, Seidlitz interrupted his later words: "General Lensky is an experienced officer, and he will consider these issues. It's getting late, so you'd better go back and assemble the troops early, so as not to get out of tomorrow's attack."
Seeing that Seidlitz didn't care about the questions he raised, Kofes could not continue talking any more. He could only sigh softly, raise his hand to salute the other party, and turn around and walk out of Seidlitz's command.
…………
When Sokov came down from the roof, it was already dawn. While the Germans had not yet attacked, he called Brisky and Cousto together and began to study how to set up defenses in the assembly workshop.
According to Sokov's observation, around the assembly workshop, there are reinforced concrete barriers used to block the tank triangle. Behind the obstacle are two dense layers of barbed wire mesh. The fire point Cousto said that long-lasting firepower points are built in the middle of these wire mesh. The upper end of the building with the firepower point emerging from the ground is only one meter high, and the target is not large. Unless it is directly hit by a heavy shell, it is difficult to destroy.
Sokov ordered Brisky: "Comrade Captain, there are two permanent fire points around the workshop and factory. You will set up the machine gun position there later so that the enemy infantry cannot access the factory."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Brisky and Sokov said, intentionally reminding him: "We do not have anti-tank weapons. What should we do if the German tanks rushed over?"
"You don't have to worry about this." Sokov pointed his hand at the top and said, "As long as the German tanks dare to come, the girls on the roof will use 37mm anti-aircraft guns to smash them all into scrap iron."
Speaking of this, Sokov remembered another important thing, so he turned his head to Cousto and said, "Comrade Workshop Director, I want to ask, what method is it used if you want to issue orders to the anti-aircraft artillery battalion on the roof?"
Kusto didn't know why Sokov suddenly asked about this, and quickly replied: "If there is anything, I will arrange for someone to go to the roof to inform Ulanova."
Hearing Cousto say this, Sokov stared at him with amazement: "Comrade Director of the workshop, what do you say? Every time you send someone to the roof to convey orders?"
"Yes." Cousto nodded and asked in a daze: "Is there any problem?"
Sokov pointed at the fire staircase on the wall of the factory and said with a laugh and cry: "Comrade Workshop Director, have you ever thought that it will take at least two or three minutes to climb from this fire staircase to a roof that is more than twenty meters high. In other words, it will take at least five or six minutes to send someone up to convey the orders when the commander comes back..."
"More than five or six minutes," Cousto realized something was wrong when he heard this: "In addition, the time to convey orders on the rooftops is always used for ten minutes."
"On the battlefield, every minute is precious. If the messenger cannot convey the order to Ulanova in time, there may be a situation of delaying the opportunity to fight." Sokov suggested to Cousto: "Comrade in the workshop, I hope you can install a telephone line for the anti-aircraft artillery battalion on the roof. With this direct phone number, it will be much more convenient for you to contact the roof."
"You make sense, lieutenant colonel." Kusto immediately agreed with Sokov's proposal: "I will contact the factory department immediately and ask them to send someone to install a dedicated telephone line."
Seeing that Cousto agreed to install a dedicated telephone line for the anti-tank battalion on the roof, Sokov nodded slightly and then said to Brisky: "Comrade Captain, once the German army finds that the anti-tank guns on the roof pose too much threat to them, they will definitely bombard or bomb the factory. If the roof of the factory collapses, not many officers and soldiers of the anti-tank battalion will survive. At that time, our strength in anti-tank combat will be weakened. Now you send someone back to Mamayev and bring a batch of new rockets over, and maybe it will be of great use in the future."
"Yes, comrade comrade commander." Brisky stood up quickly and replied loudly, "I will send someone back to Mamayev's hill and transport the rockets here."
"New Rockets?!" Cousto couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, what are you talking about? Why haven't I ever heard of it?"
The new rocket was just launched and was still a weapon that needs to be kept confidential. Therefore, apart from the commanders and fighters of the 73rd Brigade of the Infantry, not many people knew about this weapon. Even Cuikov and Krelov were only known for their names and had never seen the real thing. Weapons that even the leader of the group army had never seen before. It was normal for Cousto, a small workshop director, to not understand.
Considering that once the new rocket is transported here, if you want to use it, you will definitely not be able to hide it from Cousto, Sokov said generously: "Comrade in the workshop director is a rocket similar to the Katyusha rocket launcher, but after improvement, it can be launched anywhere. When our soldiers transport the things, you will know."
After listening to Sokov's brief introduction, Kusto was still confused. He thought that the size of this new rocket should be about the same length as the rocket used by the Katyusha rocket launcher, so he took the initiative to propose: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, do you need me to provide you with trucks for transportation?"
"Do you have trucks here?" When Sokov learned that there were trucks here, he couldn't help but feel ecstatic. He thought that he could only rely on the soldiers to carry these rockets back. Since there were trucks, it could not only save manpower, but also transport more rockets. He quickly asked, "How many?"
"There are always dozens of vehicles," Kusto explained to Sokov. "Since we are in the assembly workshop, the turrets, barrels, and other components of the tank, we are transported from other workshops through trucks."
Sokov looked into the factory, but did not see the truck's shadow. He asked curiously: "Comrade Workshop Director, where are you parked at? Why didn't I see it?"
Cousto grinned and replied, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you don't know. Since the outbreak of the war, we have started to build underground parking lots here, and the trucks are parked in the parking lot. I wonder how many cars do you need?"
"One car is enough." After Sokov said this, he ordered Brisky: "Comrade Captain, immediately send someone to the underground parking lot with the workshop director, drive a truck back to Mamayev's hill, and transport a batch of rockets as soon as possible."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," asked Brisky, "I wonder how many do I need to transport?"
"Fifty." Sokov replied without hesitation: "Although our superiors only ordered us to hold on here for one or two days, no one knows when reinforcements on the east coast will arrive. Prepare to light more rockets, which will help us defend."
"I understand, comrade comrade commander," said Brisky. "I immediately sent capable men and drove back to Mamayev hill."
"On the way back, let the driver and the soldiers escort the car provide vigilance," Although the road from the Red October factory to Mamayev Hill is still under the control of the Soviet army, out of caution, Sokov stared at Brisky: "We must not only avoid German shelling and bombing, but also prevent small groups of enemies on the road."
Regarding the spirit shown by Sokov, Brisky said in great cooperation: "Don't worry, comrade brigade commander, I will remind the soldiers who carry out the mission to bring the rockets back here safely."