Red Moscow

  Chapter 709 Night Attack (Part 2)

   Lieutenant Colonel Papchenko walked out of the duty room, ready to return to the army to assign tasks to the soldiers. At the door, he almost bumped into a lieutenant in a tank uniform.

  Seeing that he almost bumped into a lieutenant colonel, the lieutenant of the tank soldier stopped quickly, ready to apologize to him. Unexpectedly, as soon as he raised his head, he recognized the lieutenant colonel standing in front of him. It was Lieutenant Colonel Papchenko, the commander of the 122nd Guards Regiment. Comrade, is Colonel Sokov in there?"

   Before Papchenko could answer, Sokov, who was sitting in the room, heard a voice outside the door. He stopped talking with Peter and Zinchenko, tilted his head and looked out the door, and asked curiously, "Who is outside the door?"

"It's me, Comrade Colonel." Hearing Sokov's question in the room, the tank lieutenant nodded apologetically at Papchenko, passed him into the door, and raised his hand to Sokov who was sitting in the room. After paying a solemn military salute, he said, "Comrade Colonel, Tank Lieutenant Agafon is reporting to you. I am waiting for your orders. Please instruct!"

"It turned out to be Lieutenant Agafon." Although Sokov knew that the tank unit led by Agafon had withdrawn to the factory area after suffering losses, but he came here because there were too many things to do, and he actually forgot him. , if Agafon hadn't appeared, he didn't know when he would think of this humble tank unit. He got up and walked up to Agafon, held his hand, and said with a smile: "In today's battle, the tank unit you commanded performed really well. I will call Colonel Bely, Please credit me."

Hearing what Sokov said, Agafon seemed a little embarrassed: "Comrade Colonel, you are too proud. We can achieve such results because our T-34 tanks are better than the Germans' No. 3 and No. 4 tanks." Tanks are more advanced."

   "Comrade Lieutenant," Sokov asked tentatively, "How many people are there under your command?"

Agafon knew the reason for Sokov's question, and quickly explained to him: "Although we were destroyed three tanks, only two died and three were injured. As long as we are replenished with new tanks, our tanks The detachment can guarantee at least five tanks, which can be in combat state."

Sokov pulled Agafon to Peter, and said, "Comrade factory manager, the tank unit commanded by Lieutenant Agafon performed very well in today's battle, causing the enemy to lose a lot of troops." Tanks. But after the battle, they paid a big price, and now there are only three tanks left. Can you add some more to them?"

"Colonel Sokov," Peter said in embarrassment to Sokov's request, "I handed over all the tanks produced today to you. For this matter, Commander Chuikov complained to me for a long time, saying that the These tanks were sent to the barricade factories or to the Dzerzhinsky workers to play a greater role."

Hearing that Peter prevaricated himself so much, Sokov felt that it would be impossible to get a new tank from him if there was nothing that could impress him, so he turned his head to look at Agafon and said: " Comrade Lieutenant, report to Comrade Factory Manager the results of your tank detachment's achievements in the Workers' New Village."

Seeing that Sokov asked himself to report the results to the factory director Peter, Agafon said proudly: "Comrade factory director, in today's battle, we destroyed a total of 17 German tanks and assault guns, and we only lost Got three."

Peter was originally absent-minded, but after listening to Agafon's report, he couldn't help being shocked, his pupils constricted violently, and he asked back in surprise: "Comrade Lieutenant, what did you just say, you destroyed 17 tanks and Assault guns. Did I hear you right?"

   "Director Peter, you heard me right." Agafon said in a positive tone, "The tank unit I led wiped out a total of 17 German tanks and assault guns in the Workers' New Village."

"My God!" Peter said in surprise after confirming the news: "This is simply unbelievable. You know, even if a tank battalion is fighting against the German armored forces, it will take one person to destroy such a tank." What a great result. And the tank unit you led had only six tanks, yet it killed so many tanks of the enemy."

From Peter's words, Sokov sensed that Peter's heart was a little moved, and quickly said: "Comrade factory director, Lieutenant Agafon's tank unit has achieved such great results with only six tanks. If he commanded Not six vehicles, but sixteen or twenty-six vehicles. Think about it, how much success can be achieved? Maybe the German armored units that attack Workers’ New Village head-on will be completely incapacitated.”

After waiting for Sokov to finish speaking, Peter said with a wry smile: "Colonel Sokov, do you think I don't want to give Lieutenant Agafon a few more tanks? I really don't. All the stocks are handed over to Colonel Bely and others. The tank unit really can't replenish the tank unit with tanks anymore."

  Peter's words made Sokov's heart chill for a long time. He knew that what Peter said at such a time was probably not adulterated. Agafon's tank unit was too weak. Even if the performance of the tanks was far superior to that of the German tanks, they could not stand up to the enemy's large number of tanks. If they continued to fight, they would be wiped out by the enemy sooner or later.

Seeing Sokov's embarrassed face, Zinchenko, who was sitting next to him, coughed heavily, and then said: "Comrade factory manager, although we can't provide Colonel Sokov with new tanks, there are still many old ones. Tank?"

"Old tank?!" Sokov heard what Zinchenko said, as if grasping a life-saving straw, he quickly grabbed his arm and asked excitedly: "Comrade deputy director, what is the old tank you are talking about?" What's going on?"

"Old tanks refer to tanks that were destroyed or malfunctioned on the battlefield." Zinchenko explained to Sokov: "We sent maintenance workers to drag these tanks back with tractors, and after simple repairs, It was returned to the troops for use."

Zinchenko let Sokov see a ray of light, and he quickly said to Peter: "Comrade factory director, since you can't provide us with new tanks, then give us all the repaired tanks. I think Lieutenant Agafon's tank detachment has more tanks, and it will definitely beat the enemy into a mess."

   "However, our number of old tanks is also very limited." Peter said with some embarrassment: "Those tanks brought back from the battlefield will be replenished to the troops as soon as they are repaired. There are at most four or five left in the factory."

   "Are there any repaired German tanks?" Sokov felt that the number of four or five tanks was too small, and then asked: "If we don't have enough T-34s, we can use German tanks to destroy the enemy."

"We never repair the German tanks." Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Zinchenko explained to him: "There are too many impurities in the steel of their tanks. After being dragged back from the battlefield, they are usually damaged. It’s straight back into the oven.”

Regarding what Zinchenko said, Sokov was speechless for a while. He always thought that the German tanks were of high quality, but he did not expect that the leaders of the factory could not see the German tanks clearly, and thought that their steel had many impurities. There's no point in repairing it. Since the German tanks could not be counted on, he pinned his hopes on the only four or five tanks in Peter's hands: "Director Peter, since you still have four or five tanks in your hands, why not give them to me. I plan to Strengthen the strength of the tank unit, so that even if the Germans send out tanks to attack, we will have enough armored forces to fight a close tank battle with them."

  Peter thought about Sokov's request over and over for a long time, but he was still unable to make a decision. Seeing Peter's embarrassed expression, Zinchenko suggested to him: "Comrade factory director, since the old tanks that the Colonel needs to repair, why not give them to him. If the superiors ask, we will say that these tanks are still under repair. In the middle, we can't go into battle for the time being, maybe in a few days, we can get more tanks on the battlefield..."

"Comrade deputy factory director is right." Seeing that Zinchenko was helping him speak, Sokov naturally wouldn't stand by. He quickly echoed: "If it is a new tank, what is the daily output on the production line? The leader must be clear in his heart. But if it is a tank wreck brought back from the battlefield, when will it be repaired? It is not a matter of your words?"

"Okay!" Peter finally nodded and agreed to Sokov's request after weighing the strengths: "Colonel Sokov, since you said so, I will hand over the remaining five old tanks to you. The unit can achieve more brilliant results in the next battle."

   While Peter was on the phone, Agafon approached Sokov and asked in a low voice: "Comrade Colonel, I heard that we will launch a counterattack against the new workers' village after dark. Is this true?"

   "It's true." Sokov knew the reason for the other party's question, so he explained to him: "But we are a surprise attack, not a storm attack, so the tank unit does not need to participate in tonight's night attack."

   "Comrade Colonel," Agafon couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when he saw that Sokov didn't plan to let him take part in the operation, "If our tank unit is not allowed to participate in tonight's night attack, I'm worried that the soldiers will get emotional."

"I think you are the one with emotions." Sokov mercilessly exposed the other party's lie: "It is only one or two kilometers away from the factory to the Workers' New Village, Comrade Lieutenant, think about it carefully, in the dead of night At that time, a few tanks suddenly launched, will the enemy in the worker's new village hear the movement? If our intention is discovered by the enemy early, they will have enough time to consolidate the defense and increase our army's offensive Casualties at the time."

After Sokov's explanation, Agafon found that the tank was activated at midnight. This movement was indeed a bit louder, and it was entirely possible to wake up the enemy from sleep. At that time, the sneak attack would become a strong attack, and the casualties of the troops might be geometric. number to rise. Thinking of this, he replied with some embarrassment: "I'm sorry, Comrade Colonel, I was too impatient and didn't consider the issue thoughtfully enough."

   "All right, all right," Sokov waved his hand at him, and then asked, "If Director Peter adds five more tanks to you, do you have enough tank soldiers?"

   After thinking silently for a while, Agafon shook his head slowly and said, "Not enough, Comrade Colonel. Five tanks require 20 tank soldiers, and now I only have 7 spare tank soldiers in hand, and I need to add 13 more."

"Colonel Sokov," Zinchenko heard that the number of tank soldiers under Sokov was seriously insufficient from the conversation between the two, so he offered to propose: "Do you think this will work? The five tanks we will add to you are all Bring your own driver, so the number of tank soldiers you need is only 8. I think it should not be a big problem to pick out a few tank soldiers from the Guards."

   "Comrade deputy factory director, what you said is very reasonable." Sokov felt that in the current situation, in order to use all the tanks, it is necessary to deploy a few tank soldiers from the Guards. "I will find a way to gather the required tank soldiers." Having said that, Sokov turned his head and said to Samoilov who was standing at the foot of the wall, "Comrade Second Lieutenant, go to Lieutenant Colonel Papchenko immediately and say It is my order to immediately ask in the regiment who has been a tank man, so that they can be added to the tank unit."

After Peter put down the phone, he looked up at Sokov and said, "Colonel Sokov, I have already called the maintenance workshop below, and they will bring all five repaired tanks over within an hour. What? So, do you have enough people in your hands?"

   "Comrade factory director," Sokov replied with a wry smile, "don't worry about the tank soldiers. I will find a way to solve it."

  ...

  At one o'clock in the morning, Papchenko came to Sokov and made his own suggestion to him: "Comrade commander, the time is almost up, please allow me to lead the troops into the sewer!"

   Sokov raised his hand to look at the time, and frowned slightly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, there is still an hour before the attack. Are you in a hurry to enter the sewer at this time?"

"Comrade commander, you don't know something." Papchenko explained to Sokov: "Since we blocked three roads in the sewer, the troops can only rely on the remaining two roads. In this way, our The speed of travel will be greatly reduced. Although the gate of the factory is only one or two kilometers away from the Workers’ New Village, I estimate that it will take at least 40 minutes for the troops to reach the bottom of the Workers’ New Village.”

  Peter was eager to recapture the workers' new village as soon as possible, so he naturally wanted to echo Papchenko: "Comrade Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Papchenko is right, letting the troops start early will make our attack less hasty."

  Sokov glanced at Peter and guessed what he was thinking, but he didn't expose him. He thought that this time it was just a sneak attack, and there was no artillery preparation in advance, and there was no need for tank cover. Even if the army's attack started earlier, it would not have any impact. He nodded slightly and said: "Okay, Lieutenant Colonel Papchenko, you can set off now, pay attention to safety, and don't let the enemy notice you. Otherwise, as long as they send someone to guard the exit of the sewer, our soldiers will not be able to get out of the sewer." Get out of the sewer."

  (end of this chapter)