Chapter 621 The Road to Return to the City (Part 1)
"Cross the river to the other side?" Vanya looked at the town vaguely visible on the other side of the river, frowned and thought for a moment, and then guessed how the next route would go. But for the sake of safety, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Brigade Commander, that is, after we land in the future, we must go down the river and arrive at the next ferry, where we board the boat again to cross the river to the ferry behind Mamayevgang?"
"Yes, Comrade Captain, the next route is indeed as you imagined." Seeing that Wanya guessed the troops' march route, Sokov nodded and explained to him: "Only by doing this can we minimize the losses of the troops."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, I don't know if you have considered it." Wanya said cautiously: "In this way, we will be delayed on the road for a long time. Whether we march along the river or cross the river at the next ferry, we will be bombarded and bombarded by the enemy. When we enter Mamayev Hill, we will lose at least one-third of our troops."
"What did you think about it?" Sokov not only did not blame him after hearing Vanya's words, but also asked rationally: "How should we go to minimize the casualties of the troops?"
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Vanya had just talked with the crew of the tugboat and had some understanding of the situation of this section of the river, so he suggested to Sokov: "I asked the crew of the tugboat that the river blocked by German artillery fire was only about five or six hundred meters. As long as the tugboat could drag the barge through this area quickly, we could return to Mamayev hill in the shortest time."
Sokov was very moved by Wanya's proposal and almost agreed casually. But then he thought, no, he was an amateur in shipping. As for whether he could march like this, he still needed to ask those who knew about it. So after he hesitating for a while, he said to Wanya: "Comrade Wanya, there are more than a thousand sailors who have returned to the city with us this time. They know more about the water than us. I'll ask them to talk about it after they come."
Not long after waiting, Shamrich and Deputy Political Battalion Commander Shapovarenko appeared in front of Sokov. He said apologetically: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the troops are too scattered, and it will take more time to gather them all."
"It's okay." Sokov raised his hand and looked at the watch. After only more than forty minutes after he came out of Bantaileev, he said magnanimously: "We still have time and can wait for them slowly."
After pausing for a moment, Sokov remembered Vanya's proposal and asked Shamrich: "Comrade Captain, I want to ask you a question. How do you think we will land near Mamayev Hill after we board the ship, and then go downstream directly?
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Shamrichlikh pointed his hand at the other side and asked in surprise: "According to the previous arrangement, shouldn't we take a boat to the other side first, and then go down the river to board the boat to cross the river?"
"Yes, the plan is indeed like this." Sokov explained to Shamrich, "But the march according to the original plan, the time was delayed on the road, so I planned to wait until the troops boarded the ship and go downstream directly and get off the ship near Mamayev Hill, which would greatly save time."
"As far as I know, the river section blocked by the German firepower is five or six hundred meters long." Shamrich said with a serious expression: "Maybe this distance is nothing on land. But on rivers, it takes a very long time to pass through this distance. The tugboat tow the barge has a speed of only four knots, which is converted into the speed on land, and the speed is 7.4 kilometers per hour. In other words, it takes at least five minutes to pass through this five or six hundred meters river section. Do you think the slow-moving barge can withstand the German bombardment for five minutes?"
Shamrich's words made Sokov understand that Vanya's thoughts were too presumptuous. The barge was large in size and had obvious targets. If he floated under the enemy's nose for five minutes, even the poor artillery could sink it. Thinking of this, Sokov decided to follow the original plan, first let the troops take a boat to the other side, then walk to the next ferry, and enter the city by boat.
Just when Sokov was about to open his mouth, the always silent Bo Lei asked unexpectedly: "Comrade Captain, even if the barge can only reach four knots, we are going downstream. If we count the flow rate and other factors, it will take us no more than five minutes to pass through this section."
As soon as Bere finished speaking, Shamrich shook his head like a rattle, saying, "Comrade Colonel, you are wrong. The Volga River is in the section close to Stalingrad. Because the river is curved, there are many sandbanks and shallows, the flow rate is extremely slow. Even if we go downstream, the speed will not increase much."
"What should we do?" Bere after Shamrich finished speaking, turned his head and looked at Sokov, asking him for advice: "Do you do it as planned, or risk taking a barge downstream?"
This is really a difficult choice? Seeing that Bo Lei threw the problem to him, Sokov couldn't help but complain. He wanted to return to Mamayev's hill soon, but no matter how he left, the casualties of the troops were too small, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
Seeing that Sokov could not make up his mind and was not willing to make things difficult for him anymore, Berei asked tentatively: "Mi Shao, why don't we act according to the original plan, go to the other side first, and then go down the river. Even if we are air strikes or artillery attacks from the enemy on the way, we can disperse the troops in time."
"Okay, don't thunder Colonel!" Sokov thought repeatedly and thought that he should act according to the original plan, first go to the other side, and then walk to the next ferry to cross the river by boat. Although this will take a long time and may be subject to air strikes and shelling from the enemy, it is better than sitting on a barge to become a target for German shelling. "We will adopt the original plan and take a boat to the other side first."
While speaking, the sailors from the Marine Battalion came to the river. Seeing their subordinates appear, Shamrikh hurriedly said to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, my troops are here, I will arrange for them to board the ship first."
"Go, Comrade Captain." Sokov waved his hand at the other party and said, "You can take the troops on the ship first, and the rest of the troops will wait until you get on the ship."
The sailors of the Marine Battalion lined up in an orderly manner and boarded the barge in an orderly manner. Yakuda, the deputy battalion commander standing on the barge, asked Shamrich, "Comrade Battalion Commander, do you need to let the soldiers go to the cabin? You must know that they are all standing on the deck and can easily become targets for enemy planes."
"No need." Shamrich waved his hand and said, "We only need to reach the other side. It won't take long to leave the sailors on the deck."
"Yes!" Yakuda agreed, then rushed to the sailors who were about to enter the cabin and shouted at them: "All stay on the deck. No one is allowed to enter the cabin without my orders. They are all stay on the deck..."
Hearing Yakov repeating the orders loudly over and over again, the sailors no longer walked towards the entrance of the cabin, but lined up in neat rows on the deck in companies.
After the sailors finished boarding the ship, Vanya asked Sokov for advice: "Comrade Brigade Commander, all the sailors have boarded the ship. Can we board the ship?"
"Come on the ship!" Sokov instinctively looked up into the air. Seeing that today was a good day without clouds and the weather that was most conducive to enemy aircraft attacks, he specifically reminded him: "Let the soldiers prepare for air defense."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Wanya naturally knew what Sokov meant by air defense, so he reminded him tactfully, "There are not many people left in our battalion. If we use the tactic of gathering fire and hitting the plane, it may not work."
"You are not large enough, aren't there any guard battalion and marine battalion?" Sokov said to Wanya: "Anyway, even if all the troops board the ship, it will take a certain amount of time to reach the other side. You can teach them how to use the tactics of gathering fire and shooting planes."
"Yes!" Vanya agreed, turned around and trotted away.
After all the commanders and fighters boarded the ship, a sailor on the barge informed the crew driving the tugboat to drive the ship through a signal flag. When the tugboat dragged the barge full of commanders and fighters and slowly sailed to the opposite shore, Sokov immediately realized in his heart that the decision to act according to the original plan was right, and the speed of the ship was probably not much faster than the speed of walking. If he really passed through the enemy's artillery blockade at this speed, it would be a death sentence.
As soon as the barge stopped on the east coast, Sokov saw someone shouting loudly at the shore: "Is Lieutenant Colonel Sokov on the ship? Is Lieutenant Colonel Sokov on the ship?"
"I am Sokov." Seeing that the person who was calling was a lieutenant wearing a black sailor uniform, Sokov quickly agreed and asked, "Is there anything wrong?"
The lieutenant quickly ordered the sailors on the shore to set up a springboard for the barge, and then trotted on the boat. He came to Sokov, raised his hand to salute, and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I am from the Volga Regional Fleet. I just received a telegram from the Front Command to let your troops land and rest in the Red October Town after landing."
"What, let the troops rest in Red October?" Sokov asked in surprise after hearing the lieutenant's words: "Then when can we set out?"
"This will be a specific notice."
Seeing that he couldn't ask what he wanted from the other party's mouth, Sokov said to Vanya, Tnev, Shamrich and others standing aside: "You arrange for the soldiers to get off the boat first. I'll go to the town to find the responsible commander later to see when the troops can set off."
When several subordinates agreed in unison, they returned to their respective troops and arranged for the officers and soldiers to get off the ship, Sokov asked the lieutenant of the navy: "Comrade Lieutenant, don't know who is responsible in the town?"
"It's our captain, lieutenant colonel." The lieutenant quickly replied: "Our ship was sunk by enemy planes two days ago. The superior ordered the rest of us to come here to be responsible for the security of the ferry."
Sokov glanced at Belei who was standing next to him and asked politely: "Can you take us to see your captain?"
"Yes, of course." Seeing that the soldiers on the barge had not yet begun to get off the ship, the lieutenant quickly greeted Sokov and Bere: "Two commanders, please come with me, I will take you two to meet our captain."
Under the leadership of the lieutenant, Sokov and Bere arrived at the station in the town. The lieutenant came to the door of a complete office in the station and shouted in it: "Report!"
"Come in!"
The lieutenant pushed open the door and stood at the door without entering, and reported: "Comrade Captain, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov is here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a surprise voice came from inside: "What, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov is here, please invite him in quickly, I'm about to find him."
Sokov and Beret walked to the door and saw a naval major sitting behind the desk in the room. The major stood up from his seat, walked around the desk, and came to the door to raise his hand to salute Sokov: "Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I am Major Sergey, the captain of the gunboat of the Volga Region Fleet."
"Hello, Comrade Major." Sokov raised his hand and bowed to him, and asked curiously: "I was outside the door just now and heard that you seemed to have something to look for me. What's the matter?"
Sergei did not answer Sokov's question immediately, so he found a commander with a higher rank standing next to him, and he was a little hesitant whether he should salute the other party.
Seeing that Sergei was not speaking for a long time, but his eyes were staring at Belei beside him. When he guessed the other party’s thoughts, Sokov urged: “Major Sergei, this is Colonel Belei, he came with me. Do you have any questions to me? Can you tell me?”
"Gay Major," Belay said in a timely manner: "I am a subordinate of Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. If you have any questions to find him, just say it straight. Our time is precious and we can't stay here for too long."
"That's right, lieutenant colonel." Sergei guided Sokov to his desk, pointed to the map on the desk, and said to Sokov: "I received a call from the Front Command not long ago, and asked you to rush over immediately. The Front Commander and Military Commissioner want to see you. The headquarters is located here, and you will be there after walking about five kilometers southeastward."
"Major Comrade," Sokov couldn't help but frown slightly and asked, "Do you know what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I don't know." Sergei replied very simply, "I just conveyed the orders from my superiors to you. As for what to do at the Front Command, I don't know."
When Sokov saw that Sergei did not mention the names of Bere or other commanders at all, he guessed that the two front leaders might only see him alone, so he turned to Berere and said, "Col. Berere, I will rush to the Front Command as soon as possible, and the troops will be left to you."