The news of the failure of the 57th Army's offensive was spread to the division command of Mamayevgang. After reading the battle report, Golikov took off the fur on his head and threw it heavily on the table. He said angrily: "What did Tolbuhin do? He has clearly broken through the enemy's defense line, but was defeated by the German counterattack. If this affects the morale of our army and leads to the failure of this counterattack, I will personally send him to the military court."
Sokov picked up the battle report on the table and browsed it quickly, and found out the reason for the failure of the 57th Army's offense. He handed the message to Sidolin and Ivanov, and said to Golikov: "Comrade, Deputy Commander of the Front Army, I think the strength of the 57th Army is because the commander underestimated the enemy too much. After defeating the Romanian cavalry and successfully tearing open the enemy's defense line, they rashly advanced without consolidating the breakthrough in time. When they encountered a sudden attack from the German army, they did not take effective measures in time, which led to this failure."
"Col. Sokov," Golikov turned to look at Sokov, calmed his anger on his face and asked, "Do you think our counterattack today will succeed?"
"Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army, although there was a little problem with the attack of the 57th Army, I believe that the 51st Army, which was attacking on the right wing, will definitely achieve good results."
"I hope so." Golikov, who was originally confident in this counterattack, felt that the future prospects for the battle were not good because of the defeat of the 57th Army. He picked up the cigarette box on the table, took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth. Before slashing the match, he asked specifically: "Can you smoke here?"
"Yes." Sidolin nodded quickly and said, "The engineers in the division have specially installed a ventilation duct to ensure the air circulation in the command center, and you can smoke as you like."
Golikov lit a cigarette, took a sip, and said with regret: "I really didn't expect that before our troops could advance in depth, they were furiously counterattacked by the Germans. If the 51st Army on the right wing were also facing the German troops, the situation might not be much better."
Seeing that Golikov became anxious because of a defeat in an attack, Sokov quickly comforted him and said, "Comrade, Deputy Commander of the Front Army, I think General Wolsky's mechanized 4th Army will play a crucial role in the next battle. As long as they can break through the enemy's defense line, the next battle will be easy."
"Oh, Wolsky's mechanized 4th Army?" Sokov's words aroused Golikov's interest. He looked down at the map on the table. Although he had long known the position of the counterattack troops, he still looked very carefully. After a while, he looked up at Sokov: "Wolsky's troops are located at the junction of the 57th and 51st Army. If he can really break through the enemy's defense line smoothly, the enemy's defense line will become fragmented and our counterattack will become smoother."
Although Golikov no longer asked Sokov to organize troops to counterattack as soon as possible, Sokov felt that something should be prepared for the future, so he took the initiative to say: "Comrade, Deputy Commander of the Front Army, I think if our army's counterattack is effective, the troops in the city should also take some active actions to keep the enemy in the existing area..."
"Take positive actions to keep the enemy in the existing area." Golikov repeated Sokov's words and asked expressionlessly: "Why?"
"Once Paulus discovers that the purpose of this large-scale counterattack launched by our army is not simply to rescue the city, but to be prepared to encircle and annihilate them, he will consider withdrawing troops from the city." Sokov replied confidently: "It is easy for the enemy to retreat on the open ground and get rid of our army's pursuit. But it is another matter to get rid of our army's counterattack and pursuit in today's street battles. The positions of the enemy and our sides in the city are intertwined, and the fire support points of the two sides are intertwined in disorder. It is extremely difficult for them to get rid of our army."
After hearing Sokov's words, Golikov nodded thoughtfully and said, "Col. Sokov, you make sense. We must find a way to drag the enemy into the city so that they cannot escape."
After chatting with Golikov for a few more words, he felt that he should tell Belkin, who was fighting in the barricade factory, so he picked up the phone. After hearing Belkin's voice, he said to the microphone: "Comrade Political Commissar, how is your situation there? Is the enemy still attacking?"
"Yes," Belkin replied affirmatively, "the enemy launched a fierce attack on our position as if it was crazy. We had repelled the enemy's three charges in a row within two hours. Fortunately, you sent the Marine Battalion of Shamrich, otherwise our position would have been broken by the enemy."
"What's going on?" Sokov was shocked and asked quickly: "Which area was almost broken by the enemy?"
"The junction of the Third Company of the First Battalion and the Lyudnikov Division was broken through by the 162nd German Engineer Battalion. I sent a reserve team to reinforce. The two sides fought fiercely, but they could not drive the enemy out of our position." Berkin reported: "Fortunately, Captain Shamrich's marine battalion arrived and fought with the enemy. After a hard battle, he finally wiped out the enemy who broke into our position."
"Comrade Political Commissar, please tell the commanders and fighters that the large counterattack of our Stalingrad Front has begun, and the enemy is the last madness." Sokov said to the microphone: "As long as we can withstand the enemy's attack, the final victory must belong to us."
After Sokov finished speaking, he realized that what he said was clichés and empty words, and he did not give any advice on how to hold his position. When he was about to add a few more words, he heard Belkin say on the other end of the phone: "Misha, I will pass on the good news you told me to all the commanders and soldiers. I believe that they will be very motivated when they hear this news."
Since Berkin said this, Sokov could not refute the other party, saying that what he wanted to express was not the case, so he could only laugh dryly, and then said: "Comrade Political Commissar, I call you, there is an important thing to remind you."
"What's the matter?" Belkin said briefly: "Let's hear it."
"We intercepted a telegram from the German Army Group Command to Paulus, and asked Paulus to pull the troops out of the city and rush to the Don River Basin to intercept our army." Sokov said solemnly: "Since the enemy has entered the city, we must not let them leave easily. The task of your regiment is to take active actions after the enemy completely stops the attack, and to restrain the enemy in its existing position so that they cannot leave smoothly. How about it, are there any difficulties?"
"Don't worry, Misha." Belkin said with a long sigh, "We will definitely try our best to keep all the enemies in the barricade factory."
After calling Belkin, Sokov felt that the situation of the barricade factory was still relatively serious, so he called Cuikov and reported to him: "Comrade Commander, I just spoke to the commander Belkin. He told me that the enemy was launching a crazy attack on the barricade factory. I was worried that with their existing troops and equipment, there might be some difficulties in blocking the enemy. I don't know if you can..."
"Can I send troops to reinforce them, right?" Cuikov heard this and interrupted Sokov's words impatiently: "There are more than the barricade factory attacks. The enemy also invested a lot of troops in the Derrensky factory, and launched a fierce attack on the defense areas of the 37th Guards and the 45th Infantry Division. All the troops I can send are sent out. Whether I can defend them can only depend on themselves."
As Sokov was about to end the call, Cuikov suddenly asked in vain: "The deputy commander of the front army is here, right?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander."
"Protect his safety. Do you understand?"
"clear!"
As soon as Sokov put down the phone, he heard Golikov on the side say, "This Cuikov is still worried that I can't guarantee my safety, and I actually ask you to take care of it. It's so interesting."
"Comrade, Deputy Commander of the Front Army, Commander Cui Kov said this out of concern for you." Sokov observed Golikov's expression, and saw that there was no unhappy expression on his face, so he said cautiously: "After all, the city is the most dangerous place, and everyone can sacrifice at any time."
"I think the Mamayev's mount that your division holds is good." Golikov said as if nothing had happened: "The enemy may be afraid of being beaten by you, and he dare not attack you easily. I'm here, so there should be no problem with safety."
"No problem." Cidolin replied loudly: "Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army, as long as you stay in Mamayev Hill, I promise you that there will be no danger."
…………
The Stalingrad Front's counterattack on the south side of the city finally made new progress at noon. The mechanized 4th Army commanded by General Wolsky annihilated the Romanian army outside the Red Army City after fierce battles, and once again tore a breakthrough on the defense line.
After learning the news, Golikov had no surprise expression on his face, but instead asked nervously: "Col. Sokov, do you think General Wolsky's troops will not be attacked by the German army again?"
Sokov only knew that the Soviet counterattack had been successful and surrounded Paulus's more than 300,000 troops in the Stalingrad region, but he was not very clear about the specific battle. Therefore, he didn't know how to answer Golikov's question, but just smiled bitterly.
Seeing Sokov just smiling bitterly, Golikov couldn't help but sigh softly. He even thought in his heart that it would be heard that Wolsky's mechanized 4th Army was defeated by the German army.
Fortunately, what he was worried about did not happen. The 29th German MoF Division, which defeated the 57th Army, was consolidating its position, was attacked by the Mechanized 4th Army from the flank. The German command had to draw a considerable portion of its troops to strengthen its flank defense.
The 29th MoF Division drew troops to defend the flanks, and their frontal defense immediately became weak. Major General Tolbuhin, commander of the 57th Army, immediately ordered Colonel Tanahishin, the commander of the 13th Army of Tank, to command the troops to attack again in the direction of the breakthrough, trying to tear open the German defense line again.
Colonel Tanahishin, who had lost the battle in the morning, was feeling ashamed. When he suddenly received an offensive order from Tolbuhin, he led the army and personally led the attack. Hundreds of tanks from the 13th Tank Army lined up two wedge formations and rushed towards the German direction.
The Germans never dreamed that the Soviet army would adopt a coordinated combat method of attacking on the area they controlled. The German tank No. 3 and No. 4 hid behind the trenches and opened fire on the Soviet tanks that were galloping, but just after two tanks were destroyed, the Soviet tanks had already rushed to the front of the position.
At such a short distance, the German tanks No. 3 and No. 4 were unable to compete with the Soviet T-34. For a time, more than a dozen German tanks were killed as if they were targeted by Soviet tanks.
Golikov could understand the situation on the battlefield in a timely manner through the intelligence system of the front army. When he learned that Colonel Tanashishen's 13th Tank Army was launching a fierce attack on the German positions, he couldn't help but ask Sokov with concern: "Col. Sokov, do you think the tank army can break through the German defense line?"
"I think it should be fine." Seeing that Wolsky's mechanized 4th Army played a huge role in the offense, Sokov was more confident in speaking: "I think the troops of the 51st Army can also successfully break through the enemy's defense and wedge into the depth of the enemy's defense line at the latest."
Sokov was able to understand the progress of the battle on the south side of the city in time, but stayed in the headquarters, Cuikov, but could not get any news. He was eager to know the progress of the counterattack on the south side of the city, so he called Sokov to learn about the situation: "Col. Sokov, I am Cuikov. I want to ask, how is the counterattack on the south side of the city going?"
"Report to the commander!" Sokov replied respectfully: "According to the latest battle report, the mechanized 4th Army commanded by General Wolsky has successfully broken through the enemy's defense line and is advancing towards the depth of the enemy's defense. The 57th Army, which was once defeated in the attack, also dispatched Colonel Tanashishen's 13th Tank Army, and was attacking the defense area of the 29th Mofan Division of the German Army, and now it has gained the upper hand."
Cui Kefu learned that Chengnan's counterattack was going well and a rare smile appeared on his face. He paused for a moment and then asked: "What about the 51st Army and the 64th Army in Chengnan? How are they progressing?"
"The officers and soldiers of the 51st Army are fighting fiercely with the enemy." Sokov did not see the battle report about the 51st Army, and could only say according to his own guess: "I believe that before dark they can break through the German defense line and meet with the mechanized 4th Army that is advancing deep into the enemy."
"Col. Sokov, thank you!" Cuikov's voice suddenly became a little excited and said, "Thank you for telling us such good news..."
"Comrade Commander," Sokov felt that it was necessary to remind Cui Kov that when the Germans saw that the situation was not good, they might escape from the city, and quickly said: "I think that if the enemy thinks the situation is not good, they may find a way to withdraw from the city. We should keep the troops in contact with the enemy at all times so that they can't escape even if they want to."