After Lilia left, Sokov felt that the results achieved by the female flight squadron should be reported to his superiors to encourage his sluggish morale. He returned to the basement and ordered the radio operator to send a telegram to the Front Army and the Army Command at the same time, reporting the results of Laisha and the others.
After instructing the radio operator to send a telegram, Sokov threw the matter aside because there were more important things waiting for him to deal with. In addition to causing many buildings in the factory to collapse, the German bombing also blew up a lot of walls on the north and east, so that the factory director Peter had to send militias to these places for defense to prevent the enemy from rushing into the factory through these gaps.
After receiving Peter's call, Zinchenko discussed with Sokov: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, Director Peter just called and said that because many walls collapsed during German bombing, in order to prevent the enemy from rushing into the factory through these gaps, militias had to be sent to defend. However, there are serious shortages of personnel who can fight now, so he planned to withdraw the fighter battalion from us to strengthen the defense in those areas."
"Comrade Deputy Director," Sokov waited for Zinchenko to finish speaking, and said to him with a serious expression: "My troops are only more than 170 people left, and there are only more than 200 militias in the assembly workshop. If the reunification battalion is removed, do you think we can defend this place with our existing forces?"
Zinchenko shook his head and replied truthfully, "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, although your troops are very powerful, please be honest, if the enemy launches a strong attack from this direction, you will not be able to defend at all." He stopped here, organized a word in his mind, and continued, "But the walls of the factory collapsed in many places during the German bombing. If we do not send people to defend in those places, the enemy will be able to break into the factory with great swagger."
Sokov disagreed with Zinchenko's reason. He stood up and walked back and forth indoors with his hands behind his back, thinking to himself: Even if the wall was not blown up, can a wall about two meters high be blocked? Don't let Peter transfer the fighter battalion away. With the militia in his hands, it is almost impossible to block the enemy rushing into the factory; if they are transferred away, the defense in the assembly workshop will become weak.
After repeated consideration, Sokov decided to find a way to postpone the transfer of the fighter battalion, because the order he received was to assist in defense for a few days, and when the reinforcements arrived, he could withdraw to Mamayev. Thinking of this, he stopped and said to Zinchenko: "Comrade Deputy Director, anyway, the reinforcements sent by the superiors to you will arrive soon. Why not wait until the reinforcements arrive before transferring the fighter battalion?"
"Well..." Zinchenko said with some embarrassment about Sokov's proposal: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I cannot make decisions about this matter, I need to ask the factory director for instructions."
Sokov knew that Peter was a character in the Red October Tractor Factory. He didn't nod in some things. Even a deputy factory director like Zinchenko could not make any decision. So he nodded, and said to the telephone on the side, "Comrade Deputy Factory Director, then call him quickly and ask for instructions."
Zinchenko called Peter and repeated Sokov's meaning to him. Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Peter said firmly: "No, Comrade Zinchenko, the fighter battalion must return to the factory immediately. If those blasted gaps are not sent to defend as soon as possible, what if the Germans sneak in while the night is dark?"
"But, Comrade Director." Zinchenko was anxious when he heard Peter's order: "If the fighter battalion is transferred, the defense force of the assembly workshop will become extremely weak. If it is attacked by the German army, I am worried that I will not be able to defend it."
"Comrade Zinchenko, why don't you understand that even if the defense power of the assembly workshop was weakened, they were helped by the regular army after all." Peter said impatiently: "And almost all militia defending in other areas. Even if there are many people, they will be even more vulnerable in the face of the German attack."
After repeated negotiations with Peter, Zinchenko hung up the phone and said to Sokov with helpless expression: "Sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, according to Director Peter's wishes, the fighter battalion must be transferred before dark." After that, without waiting for Sokov to make a statement, he said to Ballshak, who was ashen-faced, "Major Ballshak, hurry up and prepare, and prepare to take the fighter battalion back to the factory building before dark."
Half an hour later, Sokov stood at the door of a factory full of ruins, looking at the fighter battalion away, feeling deeply disappointed. He felt that with his existing strength, it was simply a dream to block the German infantry supported by tanks. He was even thinking in his heart whether he should urge Cui Kov to ask him to get the reinforcements to come here quickly.
Brisky walked to Sokov and saw his disappointed look, and asked tentatively: "Comrade Brigade Commander, we have some new rockets here. Do you see if they can be used during the German attack?"
Sokov originally planned to use this batch of rockets at the most critical moment, but now that the fighter battalion has been transferred, it is equivalent to being drained from the bottom of the cauldron. If the rockets are not used, it may not be able to block the German attack. Therefore, he nodded and said, "Okay, Comrade Captain, if the German army uses tanks in tomorrow's attack, they will fire the rockets."
The two had just reached an agreement on the use of the rockets, and the radio operator hurriedly ran out of the basement. He waved a telegram in his hand and said excitedly to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, the telegram, the telegram, are the telegram sent to you by the Army Command."
When Sokov received the telegram from the Group Army Command, he thought to himself: Should he re-verify the results of the women's flight squadron? He took the telegram in front of him and browsed it quickly. After seeing the content above clearly, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise, thinking that he had read it wrong, and read it twice again before finally confirming that the content he saw was true.
Seeing Sokov suddenly smiling, Brisky guessed that something must have happened on the telegram and asked curiously: "Comrade Brigade Commander, what is written on the telegram to make you happy."
"Captain, take a look." Sokov stuffed the telegram into Brisky's hand and said to the radio operator: "Let's go back to the basement."
Brisky received the telegram and saw that it read: "From now on, the 437th Fighter Regiment will be commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Sokov...Signed by: Cui Kov." There is also a contact code with the 437th Flight Regiment behind it.
Brisky thought to himself, this is a great thing. With the assistance of the Air Force, even if the fighter battalion is transferred, he is fully confident of defending the important position of the assembly workshop. He hurriedly caught up with Sokov and said with a smile: "Comrade Brigade Commander, this is a great thing. With the cooperation of the Air Force, it is no problem to defend here."
After Sokov established contact with Khostnikov's regiment command post by phone, he first asked the other party what he could do to serve. Khostnikov quickly told the German army about shelling the airport every other day. At the end of the telegram, he also begged Sokov to help find out the hidden location of the German artillery.
Sokov naturally had no choice but to do so. If the German artillery was not eliminated first and allowed them to bombard the airport unscrupulously, how could the next air-ground coordination be carried out. Therefore, he immediately ordered the radio operator to send a report to Lieutenant Grissa, who was active behind enemy lines, and asked them to quickly find the German artillery positions that bombarded the airport.
…………
The next morning, the superiors added a Jacques-1 fighter jet from the 437th Flight Regiment, and landed on the runway under the guidance of the ground command tower. After the planes such as Alexei and others stopped, they immediately took the mechanics forward for inspection. After a careful inspection and confirming that the plane was in good condition, he called a ground crew member and ordered: "You should go to the dormitory of the women's flight squadron immediately and inform Sergeant Katya to come here to receive her new plane."