Unexpectedly, Khrushchev did not answer his question immediately, but turned his head to look in the direction of the radio station and communication equipment, and asked casually: "Col. Sokov, who is your communications officer?"
"Comrade Military Commissioner, we are only brigade-level units. We do not have the position of director of the communications corps, only the communications company commander." After Sokov explained awkwardly to Khrushchev, he shouted at Maxim who was sitting in front of a report phone: "Lieutenant Maxim, please come here!"
Hearing Sokov's shout, Maxim quickly stood up, trotted to everyone and stopped, straightened his body and waited for Sokov to give him an order.
"Comrade Military Commissioner," Sokov pointed at Maxim and said to Khrushchev: "This is Lieutenant Maxim, the commander of the Brigade Communications Company. If you have any questions, you can directly command him."
"Comrade Lieutenant," Khrushchev nodded and said politely to Maxim: "I want to talk to General Yelemenko. Can I help me connect with the Front Command?"
The request made by Khrushchev showed a embarrassed expression on Maxim's face: "Sorry, comrade of the military committee, I'm afraid I cannot complete the task you assigned me. We do not have enough communication rights and cannot speak directly with the Front Command. However, we can send a telegram."
"Comrade Major," Khrushchev saw that Maxim could not connect to the front command, so he said to an officer standing at the door: "Help the second lieutenant to connect to the front command. I have important things to do, and I want to talk to the commander."
After the major and Maxim returned to the communication area, Khrushchev told Sokov: "This reserve team was sent from the base camp, with about 8,000 people, and half of them were commanders and fighters with combat experience."
When Sokov heard that half of the people were commanders with combat experience, he couldn't help but feel ecstatic. Now that the war is imminent, if all the recruits are all, let alone eight thousand, even if they are twice as many, Sokov would not be optimistic about them. A group of recruits who have not undergone systematic military training can play a very limited role in the battlefield.
He paused for a moment and asked tentatively, "When can we replenish us?"
"Before I got here, I discussed this matter with the commander." Khrushchev couldn't help but turn his head and look at the communication area. "I was anxious to talk to the commander, just to know what his final consideration was!"
"Comrade Military Commissioner," Khrushchev said as soon as he said this, the major standing beside Maxim said loudly to him: "The phone number with the Front Command has been connected."
Khrushchev nodded slightly, then grabbed the microphone on the table, put it in his ear and said, "I am Khrushchev! Comrade Commander, how are you thinking about that?" Seeing Khrushchev and Yelyemko talking on the phone, Sokov and others stood up consciously and walked away so as not to hear anything they shouldn't have heard.
After saying a few words to the other party, Khrushchev suddenly covered the microphone and said to Sokov: "Col. Sokov, Yelemenko will send Colonel Ivanov's Guards' 41st Division to cross the river to replace the defense of Mamayev."
"Super our defense?!" Sokov was shocked when he heard Khrushchev say this and asked quickly: "What should we do if we brigade do?"
"The 73rd Infantry Brigade will be incorporated into the division and reduced to a regiment of the division." Khrushchev continued: "Comrade Commander means that he intends to let you serve as deputy division commander. I wonder if you have any opinions?"
From brigade commander to deputy division commander, it seems that he has been promoted one level, but for Sokov, he is unwilling to accept such promotion. As soon as Khrushchev finished speaking, he shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I don't want to be deputy division commander."
"Why?" Khrushchev asked curiously.
"Comrade Military Commissioner, you should know that the reason why our brigade has achieved good results everywhere is entirely because it uses different tactics from other troops." Sokov explained: "If I were the deputy division commander, if I wanted to continue to use the existing tactics, I would definitely encounter many constraints, which would seriously affect the combat effectiveness of the troops."
After hearing Sokov's words, Khrushchev asked with interest: "What did you think about it?"
"Or, let me be the commander of the new regiment reduced by the infantry brigade, and let my old troops maintain their original combat effectiveness." Sokov replied without hesitation: "Or, let me be the commander of the 41st Guards Division, and let the combat effectiveness of the entire division reach a new level."
Khrushchev smiled, let go of his hand covering the microphone, and said to the microphone: "Comrade Commander, as you expected, Sokov is unwilling to take the position of deputy division commander. He said that after taking this position, he could no longer command the troops as he wanted. Look, can we use our backup plan?"
Sokov was far apart and could not hear what Yelemenko on the other end of the phone said. Khrushchev was very happy when he spoke, as if he had heard something happy.
After Khrushchev put down the phone, he stood up, called Sokov and others back to the table, and said, "Comrades, I will introduce to you the situation of the 41st Guard Division. The division was adapted from the 10th Airborne Army, with the 122nd, 124th and 125th Guard Regiments, the division commander Colonel Ivanov, and the political commissar was the battalion-level political commissar Anisimov. The members of the division were all airborne soldiers with rich combat experience. In August this year, they fought stubbornly against the enemy's attack on the east bank of the Don River, and were later assigned to the command of the First Guard Army...."
As Khrushchev kept talking, Sokov couldn't help but mutter: What is the backup plan for Khrushchev and Yelemenko? He didn't really want to serve as the leader of the reduction regiment, did he feel a little unbalanced when he thought of this. When he was a lieutenant colonel, he still had several colonels under his command; but now he has become a colonel, but he has to accept the command of another colonel, and he feels frustrated.
After Khrushchev introduced the situation of the 41st Division of the Guards, he saw Sokov's absent-minded look and couldn't help but smile lightly, and then said to him: "Col. Sokov, don't you want to know how the Front Command arranged your new position?"
Although Sokov was full of complaints, after hearing Khrushchev's problem, he still pretended to be nothing and said: "Comrade Military Commissioner, I obey the arrangements of my superiors. But if I want to be a regular position, not a deputy position, even if I only have me as a leader, I have no objection."
Sokov's words made Belkin and Cidolin's hearts sank. If the 41st Guard Division was really allowed to enter here, the brigade commander would be demoted. I wonder if it would affect the morale and morale at that time.
Hearing Sokov say these words seriously, Khrushchev's smile became even stronger. After Sokov finished speaking, he looked at Belkin and Cidolin and asked, "Two commanders, if the superiors really appointed Sokov as the leader, will you agree in your heart?"
"Don't agree!" As soon as Khrushchev finished speaking, Berkin's reply blurted out. But he immediately realized that he was reckless and quickly explained: "No matter what new position the superiors have arranged for the brigade commander, we will firmly obey the order!"
"Very good! Since you said you must obey the orders firmly," Khrushchev said, "Then I officially announce that from now on, Colonel Sokov will be the new commander of the 41st Guards Division."
Chapter completed!