Red Moscow

  Chapter 618 Parting ways

  Sokov did not expect that Rokossovsky would ask him such a difficult question just after meeting him. After a long silence, he replied cautiously: "Comrade General, please forgive me. Although the terrain on the south side of the position is flat and not conducive to defense, it is not a big problem if you just block the enemy. If you want to attack from here, I will I don’t think there’s much chance of success.”

After Rokossovsky finished listening, he turned his head and glanced at Malinin, and seeing that the other party smiled and said nothing, he turned his head to look at Sokov again and asked, "Misha, tell me about your analysis and judgment. Let's see why it doesn't work."

"Our offensive troops can only enter the position from the north side of the hillside. It is very difficult to transport tanks and artillery up the steep hillside after crossing a river," Sokov said. : "Without the support of tanks and artillery, if you simply use infantry to attack, if you want to break through the enemy's defense line, you will inevitably pay a huge price..."

   "If we hoard a large number of troops here and launch an assault on the enemy's defense line by surprise." After listening to Sokov's analysis, Ma Linin asked tentatively: "Then the possibility of success is greater?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov looked at Malinin and said, "I don't deny that concentrating superior forces in a certain area and carrying out assaults on the enemy's defense lines will definitely achieve huge results. But I don't think it is possible here, it is too The narrow offensive front cannot deploy too many troops. If our commanders and fighters attack in a crowded formation, once they are intercepted by enemy artillery fire, it will cause extremely heavy casualties."

  Everyone thought that they could attack the enemy's defense from the position Sokov and the others occupied, but after Sokov's analysis, they found that this position was just a piece of tasteless food, and it would be a pity to throw it away. "Comrade Commander," Malinin sighed softly, and asked Rokossovsky: "What should we do? Just hold on to that position, or use it as a starting point for an attack?"

"Anyway, this is the shortest road to Orlovka." Rokossovsky also agreed with Sokov's analysis in his heart, but as the commander of the Don River Front Army, out of overall consideration Thinking about it, even if he knew that it would be difficult to achieve the desired results if he launched an attack from this direction, he still had to try, so he said decisively: "We must try to launch an attack from here to see if we can advance to Orlov Card. As long as we can reach that transportation hub, then our rendezvous with the defenders in the city will become possible."

  Sokov knew very well in his heart that Rokossovsky had a different identity from himself, and considered issues from different perspectives. In my own opinion, launching an active attack on the enemy from that position will hardly achieve any results other than the loss of troops. And Rokossovsky did it knowingly, after all, at that time the only hope of breaking the encirclement of the German army. Therefore, instead of continuing to entangle on this issue, he switched off the microphone in time: "Comrade Commander, I would like to ask, what should we do next?"

"The wounded you carry can be placed in our field hospital." Rokossovsky offered to arrange the wounded in the field hospital. Supplement to your own combat troops nearby. However, he could not make his own opinion on the arrangement of Sokov and the others. He could only say cautiously: "I will send someone to send a telegram to General Yeremenko and Comrade Khrushchev immediately to inform them of your situation." , let them arrange your stay or stay."

The director of the communications corps, Maximenko, was standing not far away. Hearing what Rokossovsky said, he hurriedly said: "Comrade commander, I will arrange for a radio operator to send a report to the headquarters of the Stalingrad Front Army. Report the news of Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's arrival here to General Yeremenko and Comrade Khrushchev."

While Maximenko was sending the report, Rokossovsky looked at Sokov and said jokingly: "Misha, I remember when I first saw you, you were still guarding the town of Khimki. Commander of the garrison platoon, I have sent you an invitation to come to my unit, I can let you be the company commander, but you refused."

   Rokossovsky's words reminded Sokov of the past, and he murmured in his heart: If he had agreed to Rokossovsky's solicitation, would his current position and military rank be higher?

While he was thinking wildly, he heard Rokossovsky continue to say: "Well, it's not too late to come to my army, I can make you a division commander, and I can also apply to your superiors for promotion to major general. "

  The position of division commander is not very attractive to Sokov. Although he is only a brigade commander now, he has commanded several divisions and regiment-level combat units. But the proposal to be promoted to major general made Sokov's heart skip a beat. Even though his rank was only two ranks away from major general, for many people, it was an insurmountable hurdle for life.

Seeing that Sokov was silent, Rokossovsky realized that he was already a little tempted by his proposal, so he said while the iron was hot: "Anyway, you may stay here for a few days, you might as well think about it carefully, and then give it a try. Give me an answer."

  As Sokov’s friend, Yakov, who had been silent all this time, finally couldn’t help but interjected: “Misha, you might as well think about the proposal that General Rokossovsky gave you.”

  Sokov knew very well that if he returned to the city, his military rank and position would not change. On the contrary, he might sacrifice at any time. And if you agree to Rokossovsky's invitation, you can quickly become a division commander and even be promoted to major general.

Many staff officers and communications officers in the headquarters looked at Sokov with envy. Everyone knew in their hearts that as long as Sokov nodded, within a few days, there would be a soldier with great military exploits in the Don Front Army. Young general, his future will be limitless.

However, after waiting for a long time, everyone saw Sokov shaking his head slowly, and said with a determined expression: "Comrade Commander, thank you for your kindness. I am the brigade commander of the 73rd Brigade of the 62nd Army Infantry. My The troops are still fighting tenaciously with the enemy on Mamayev Hill, and I cannot abandon them at this time, so I cannot accept your invitation, I need to return to the city and fight with my soldiers."

  Although Rokossovsky had long guessed that Sokov would reject him again, when he actually heard Sokov express his attitude, he still felt a deep sense of loss. He sighed and said regretfully, "Misha, it seems that we have no chance to fight side by side."

"Comrade Commander, see what you said." Sokov remembered that after the Battle of Stalingrad, the 62nd Army under the command of Chuikov was first reorganized into the 8th Guards Army, and then incorporated into Rokosov Rokossovsky's Central Front Army, he is not worried about not being able to become Rokossovsky's subordinates. So Sokov said with a smile: "Maybe one day the group army commanded by General Chuikov will be assigned to your command. At that time, won't I be your subordinate?"

"I hope so!" After Rokossovsky said this insincerely, seeing Maximenko approaching him, he hurriedly asked: "Comrade Director of Communications, did Yelymenko call back?" ?”

   "Yes, Comrade Commander." Maximenko nodded and said, "I think General Yeremenko is staying up late at the moment to command, so he can call us back so quickly."

   Rokossovsky took the telegram from Maximenko's hand without even having time to read it, so he couldn't wait to ask: "What did General Yeremenko's telegram say?"

Maximenko glanced at Sokov, who was standing beside Rokossovsky, and replied: "The telegram said that the remnants of the 308th Infantry Division should go north to Dubovka for repairs. The remnants of the 73rd Infantry Brigade and The remnants of the Guard Battalion are going to Vinrefka, where they will receive new troops."

   Rokossovsky threw the telegram aside and leaned over to look at the map on the table. After looking at it for a while, he raised his head and asked Ma Linin: "Chief of Staff, I remember you told me during the day that a group of new recruits came to Vinrivka, about 4,000 people?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Malinin guessed the intention of Rokossovsky's question, and after a quick glance at Sokov, he continued: "A group of soldiers did arrive at Vinrivka, but only three Two-thirds are recruits, and the rest are sailors drawn from the Northern Fleet."

"A third of them are sailors?" Hearing what Malinin said, Rokossovsky suddenly smiled, and he turned to look at Sokov: "Misha, did you hear? One-third of the supplementary troops are sailors."

   "Understood, Comrade Commander." Sokov heard that there were thousands of sailors among the soldiers added to him, and his heart beat faster. Regardless of the poor light weapons and equipment of the sailors, their combat effectiveness far surpassed that of the army. With this group of sailors, there is no problem at all to hold on to Mamayev Post until the end of the battle. He said a little excitedly: "I believe that with the cooperation of these sailors and soldiers, we will be able to firmly defend the Mamayev Post."

Rokossovsky looked around and found that apart from Sokov, Yakov and Bely, there were no other school-level officers here, so he asked curiously: "By the way, the commander of the 308th Infantry Division Gu Where are Colonel Ertiev and his commissar, Comrade Sverin?"

"Comrade Commander," Malinin quickly replied when Rokossovsky asked Gurdiyev, "The commanders and fighters of the 308th Division entered the city with Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. I sent someone to resettle them." In the vacant residential house in the south of the city. The division commander and political commissar are assisting the staff of the headquarters to arrange accommodation for the soldiers."

After Rokossovsky learned about Gurdiyev's whereabouts, he raised his hand and looked at his watch, and said to Sokov and Bely: "Misha, Colonel Bely, it's getting late, you go back to rest first." Go ahead. After dawn, I will send you to Vinrivka."

Sokov followed Yakov to the room where he lived, and asked Yakov curiously: "Yakov, you should have been sleeping when we entered the city. I want to ask, how did you know that I arrived at the commander's office?" department?"

"The news of your entry into the city was reported to General Rokossovsky by the officer on duty." Seeing Sokov's puzzled face, Yakov explained to him, "Then he sent someone to wake me up. Let me accompany him to the headquarters to meet you."

  After a short pause, Yakov asked again: "Misha, I'm curious, why didn't you agree to Rokossovsky's invitation and stay in the Don Front Army instead of returning to the dangerous city?"

"Yakov," although from the bottom of his heart, Sokov was unwilling to return to that dangerous city, but in front of Yakov, he had to bite the bullet and sing a few high-pitched words: "The Germans have rushed into the city." In the city, someone has to stand in their way. As a command, I should be with my fighters at this moment, fighting the Germans in the city."

"Misha, you are right." Yakov raised his hand and patted Sokov on the shoulder twice, and said enviously, "If Comrade Ustinov hadn't sent a telegram, ordering me to rush When I go back to Moscow, I also want to go back to Stalingrad with you and see with my own eyes how you have made great achievements."

  Knowing that Yakov was going back to Moscow, Sokov couldn't help heaving a sigh of relief, as if a big stone had been lifted from his heart. With this old man by his side, he put too much pressure on him. If he really had any accident on the battlefield, he couldn't afford it and walked away.

Sokov said: "Yakov, after you return to Moscow, please find a way to send us another batch of rockets. We don't have air supremacy, and the number of tanks and artillery is not as many as the enemy. If we want to hold the position, we have to It’s really inseparable from this new type of rocket.”

   "Don't worry," Yakov patted his chest and said, "As soon as I returned to Moscow, I urged the arsenal to work overtime for you to produce, and you must ensure that you have enough rockets to use."

   After expressing his gratitude to Yakov, Sokov asked, "When will you return to Moscow?"

   "I originally planned to leave at dawn, but General Rokossovsky said that he would fly back to Moscow at noon the day after tomorrow, and asked me to fly back with him."

  Sokov knew that with Rokossovsky's level, if he returned to Moscow by plane, the Air Force would definitely send at least one squadron of fighter jets to **** him, and his safety along the way was absolutely guaranteed. He nodded and said, "It's good to take a plane. You can reach your destination in at most two hours, which is much faster than taking a train."

"It's getting late." After the two chatted for a while, Yakov raised his hand and looked at his watch, and said to Sokov, "There are still more than three hours before dawn, Misha, you should take the time to rest for a while." .”

  (end of this chapter)