Cidolin called the Army Command and reported the reconnaissance information to Krelov.
After hearing this, Krelov asked back, "Lieutenant Colonel Sidorin, what do you think the enemy's purpose is doing this?" He was afraid that the other party would not understand, and added, "I want to ask, how did Sokov determine that the enemy was going to escape?"
Sidolin couldn't answer this question. After all, Sokov didn't say anything just now, so he could only look at Sokov for help, hoping that he could explain to Krelov himself.
Sokov understood what Cidolin meant, walked over to take the microphone, and put it in his ear and said, "Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff, I am Sokov."
"Col. Sokov." Krelov, on the other end of the phone, asked in an official voice: "Tell me, how did you judge that Paulus was going to run away?"
"Report to Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov said respectfully: "According to the scouts' report, the German armored division will rush to the southwest to assemble. Hot's armored troops are in that direction, only a few dozen kilometers away from the enemies we are besieged. If the enemies inside and outside the encirclement carry out opposite attacks, I think our encirclement will be broken, and the surrounding enemies will be able to successfully break through."
"Nonsense." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Krelov said furiously: "Col. Sokov, what are you talking about? What do you rely on to determine that the enemy gathers in the southwest to break through the defense line and jump out of our encirclement?"
When Sokov heard Krelov get angry, he was not in a hurry, but said slowly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, our scouts sent behind the enemy have seized an order from the enemy, which is to let the armored division gather in the southwest and prepare for combat missions. I think the combat missions referred to by the Germans should refer to breakthrough operations."
"Chief of staff, give me the microphone." Trikov heard the conversation between Krelov and Sokov, and reached out to Krelov, "Let me talk to Colonel Sokov."
"Col. Sokov, I am Cuikov." After taking the microphone, Cuikov asked, "I have two questions to ask you. First: Are you sure the enemy's assembly in the southwest direction to break through?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sokov nodded and replied in a positive tone: "I think the enemy is likely to break through."
"If the Germans want to break through from the southwest, they can carry out a breakthrough operation at the end of November." Cui Kefu said calmly: "You know, the encirclement of our army had just been formed at that time, and it was very easy for the enemy to break through the siege. How could it be that a month later, it would be possible for the breakout operation?"
"And." Before Sokov could answer, Cuikov continued to ask: "Now the enemy is only mobilizing armored troops, so what about their infantry? Is Paulus willing to throw so many infantry away and let only a few armored divisions break through?"
"Comrade Commander, I think the German army chose to gather in the southwest because they had the intention to break through." Sokov analyzed to Cuikov: "The armored division has strong mobility. Once the breakthrough is successful, they can meet with Hot outside the encirclement. Then turn around and attack the rear of our encirclement, and tear a bigger gap, so that the infantry still surrounded by our army will successfully jump out of the encirclement."
After listening to Sokov's analysis, Cuikov remained silent for a long time and finally said, "Col. Sokov, I admit that what you said is entirely possible. But what can we do now? The entire 62nd Army troops suffered heavy casualties in the city defense battle for several months. Apart from being able to carry out small-scale counterattacks in local areas, they have no ability to actively attack the enemy. In other words, even if we know that the enemy wants to break through from the southwest, we can only watch it."
"Comrade Commander, how can you just watch it?" Sokov couldn't help but be anxious when he heard Cuikov say this: "Even if we can't severely damage or delay the enemy's actions with the ability of our army, at least we should report this matter to our superiors..."
"Report to the superiors?!" Cuikov sneered, "Where are our superiors? Since the announcement of handing over all the troops of the Stalingrad Front to General Rokosovsky's Don Front, our contact with the former Front Command has been completely interrupted, and we cannot contact the new Front Command for the time being. In short, we are unable to contact our superiors now, nor can we contact friendly forces, so the only thing we can do is watch the enemy escape from our defense zone."
Sokov really couldn't find a reason to refute Cuikov's statement that was similar to a fantasy. After all, the actual situation of the Soviet army was like this. The troops of each group of troops were not breathable to each other and fought each other in battle. When the commander of the front army was commanded, the situation was relatively better and he could cooperate. However, once the command of the superior was lost, it would return to the original chaotic situation.
"What should we do?" Sokov was anxious. He knew that the enemy was about to launch a breakthrough operation, but he could not warn his friendly forces. This made him very troubled. Since Cuikov could not contact Yelemenko or Rokosovsky, Sokov naturally could not contact him. He asked anxiously: "Do you watch the enemy break through the friendly forces' defense line and jump out of the encirclement to meet with Hot?"
"Col. Sokov, I understand your mood, and I am also anxious." Cuikov reorganized the words in his mind and continued: "At present, we can only send people to the left bank of the Volga River, find the original Front Command, tell them the enemy's movements, and let them make a decision."
Although Sokov knew the progress of the Stalingrad defense war, in many cases, as an ordinary division commander, he was unable to change the unfavorable situation and could only watch the situation go in a direction of losing control: "Well, comrade Commander, now we can only send people to find the original Front Command as you said, so that they can contact General Rokosovsky, strengthen the defense in the southwest of the encirclement, and prevent the enemy's breakthrough."
After the conversation with Cuikov, Sokov sat at the table, staring at the map in front of him and wondering whether he should launch an attack at this time? If an attack was launched at this time, it would be possible to hold the German armored division so that they could not rush to the southwest in a short time. However, in doing so, it would inevitably cost a huge price to seize the position from the defenders who had been strengthened by the armored forces.
What should I do? Should I attack, or continue to maintain the status quo, wait until the enemy's armored division leaves, and then launch an attack to seize the lost position from the enemy's hands?
Seeing Sokov staring at the map and silently, Cidolin guessed what he meant, and asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, are you considering whether you should attack the enemy at this moment?"
"That's right." Sokov gave a positive answer and told his thoughts to Sidolin and Ivanov. Finally, he asked: "Tell me, what should we do now?"
Whether it was Sidolin or Ivanov, they hoped that their troops could hold the enemy down so that they could not quickly rush to the southwest, thereby gaining time for friendly forces standing there. However, as a commander, they were very aware of the huge gap in the strength of the enemy and us. Facing the enemy's two armored divisions, the 41st Guard Division's assets were very difficult to defend, let alone actively launching an attack on the enemy. It was precisely for this reason that Sidolin and Ivanov were silent and did not express their opinions easily.
Seeing that his two deputy officers did not express their opinions easily, Sokov guessed their thoughts and took the initiative to say, "If you don't speak, then I will act as if you agree to wait for the enemy's armored division to move before launching an attack on the frontal enemy."
"Comrade Commander," Anisimov, the political commissar of the division who had just walked in from outside, reported to Sokov: "I just came back from the top of the mountain and saw a group of people coming across the river, heading towards our Mamayev hill."
Ivanov said disapprovingly: "Comrade Political Commissar is a comrade who transports supplies? You don't have to report such a small matter to the division commander, he has more important things to deal with."
"No, if I were just ordinary soldiers, I wouldn't have come to report to the division commander in person." Anisimov explained: "There were more than a dozen people coming, and there seemed to be big figures."
"Is there a big man?" Sokov heard Anisimov say this, and immediately thought that after the base camp handed over the task of annihilation of Paulus to Rokosovsky, he once walked past the frozen river surface and visited Cuikov in the city. Could it be that the big man Anisimov mentioned, that is, Rokosovsky? Thinking of this, Sokov suddenly stood up and said to Cydolin: "Chief of Staff, all this is left to you. Deputy Division Commander and Political Commissar, go out with me to greet him."
The three of them arrived at the top of the hills under the protection of more than a dozen soldiers. At this moment, a group of people from the Anisimov Institute had now walked across the center of the river and were about to climb to the right bank. Sokov raised his telescope and looked at them, and soon found familiar faces in the crowd, including Khrushchev and Yelyemko.
Seeing the two people coming towards Mamayev's hill, Sokov's heartbeat could not help but accelerate. He rushed into the observation room beside him, grabbed the phone hanging on the wall, answered the division headquarters, and directly ordered Cydolin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please tell Commander Cuikov immediately, and say that the former commander of the Front Army General Yelemenko and Military Commissioner Comrade Khrushchev are coming towards our Mamayev's hill."
"What, Commander Yelemenko and Comrade Khrushchev are coming towards our Mamayev hill?" After hearing this news, Cidolin was shocked and he quickly replied: "I will report this matter to Commander Chokov immediately."
"Comrade Commander," Ivanov also recognized Yelemenko and Khrushchev from the telescope, and walked in and asked Sokov for advice: "It is Yelemenko Commander and Military Commissioner Comrade Khrushchev who is here. Do we need to rush over and greet him?"
"No, no," Sokov shook his head and said, "The battle here is not over yet. As division leaders, we cannot leave our posts for a long time. I think, let Lieutenant Samoilov bring people to greet you. Let's go, we all go back to the command center."
"Okay," since Sokov had said that, Ivanov was not able to refute, so he could nod and agreed to his proposal. On the way back to the command, he went to the guard battalion and found Lieutenant Samoilov, and asked him to lead a guard platoon to greet Yelemenko and Khrushchev.
As soon as Sokov returned to the command center, Cuikov's phone call came. Cuikov was inspecting the counterattack at the barricade factory, but when he received a call from Krelov, he knew that Yelemenko and Khrushchev were rushing to Mamayev hill, he called Sokov to confirm: "Col. Sokov, I heard that Commander Yelemenko and Comrade Khrushchev were on the way to Mamayev hill. Is there anything wrong with this?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sokov quickly replied respectfully: "I just saw it very clearly on the top of the mountain. It was Commander Yelemenko and Military Commissioner Comrade Khrushchev."
After confirming that the information you received was true, Cuikov continued to ask: "Col. Sokov, the battle there is not over yet. They may be in danger. What protection measures have you taken?"
"I took Lieutenant Samoilov to bring the guard platoon to greet them." Sokov knew what Trekov was worried about, so he assured him, "Don't worry, Comrade Commander, I promise you that their safety can be guaranteed."
"You did it right." After Chekov praised Sokov, he continued to say: "I will go to your place immediately, meet with the two front leaders, and tell them about your report. I hope that through them, I can pass on this important information to General Rokosovsky."
After waiting for more than half an hour, Yelemenko and Khrushchev walked into the division command center under the protection of Samoilov. Seeing the two of them coming in, Sokov quickly shouted loudly: "Everyone is in attentive!"
With Sokov's shout, both the staff officer and the correspondent soldier stopped their work, stood up and faced Yelyemko and Khrushchev, and saluted the two of them.
Sokov quickly walked to the two of them, raised his hand and saluted, and reported loudly: "Comrade Commander, Military Commissioner, Colonel Sokov, commander of the 41st Division of the Guards, reported to you, welcome to our division command to inspect the work."
"Col. Sokov," said Khrushchev in front of everyone, instead of calling Sokov a nickname, but said seriously: "All our troops were handed over to the Don Front. Now our mission in Stalingrad has come to an end. Before leaving here, I accompanied the commander to visit you city defenders. It is precisely because of your existence that the enemy has never occupied Mamayev's hill."
"Good, Colonel Sokov." As soon as Khrushchev finished speaking, Yelemenko continued: "You and your subordinates are good. I will award you a meritorious service to every officer who is in charge of Mamayev's post. You are our heroes, and I believe that our descendants can remember the great achievements you have made today."