Red Moscow

  Chapter 73 Ambush

  Sokov was frightened by the content of the telegram and broke into a cold sweat. If Agelina hadn't been careful and discovered the German telegram, the troops might have been caught off guard by the German reinforcements. Now seeing that he has become the focus of everyone, he knows that they are waiting for him to make up his mind.

Sokov coughed lightly, cleared his throat and said, "Comrades, fortunately, Adelina found this telegram that determined the life and death of our army in the seized telegram. Here, on behalf of the entire battalion, Commander, thank her." Sokov raised his hand to salute Adelina with a solemn military salute, and said solemnly, "Adelina, thank you!"

Seeing Sokov saluting herself in front of everyone, Adelina blushed instantly, she waved her hands quickly, and said repeatedly: "Comrade battalion commander, you are too polite, this is just a matter of effort That's all."

   After expressing his thanks to Adelina, Sokov began to assign tasks: "Saviyev!"

  Hearing Sokov calling his name, Savyev hurriedly stepped forward and replied loudly: "Here!"

   "You guys stay here and are responsible for guarding the warehouse."

  Although Savyev was dissatisfied with the task arranged by Sokov, he did not refute in public. He just responded "Yes!" and retreated to his position.

  After Savyev retreated, Sokov continued to roll the roll: "Vanya, Vasily!"

Vanya and Vasily, seeing that Sokov had arranged for Savyev's third company to stay in the warehouse, guessed that their two companies must be carrying out combat missions. After hearing their names, they immediately agreed with one voice. Said: "Here!"

  Sokov looked at the two of them and said, "The first company and the machine gun company will follow me to the German reinforcements."

  After hearing Sokov's simple order, Vanya asked, "Comrade Battalion Commander, I don't know about this battle. What do you plan to do?"

"Time is running out, you go and gather the team first." Sukov didn't know how the terrain in the east was, so he couldn't make a specific combat deployment for the time being, but urged the two: "Let's go and see the terrain first, and then decide How to deal with the Germans."

Just as Vanya and Vasily were about to leave the house, he stopped them and asked, "Are there any soldiers in your company who have been tankers?" There are two brand-new Panzer IV tanks. If these two tanks can be used in the face of the German army, the chances of winning will be even greater.

  Vanya and Vasily looked at each other, then shook their heads and said, "I'm sorry, Comrade Battalion Commander, none of our company has ever been a tank soldier."

   When Sokov was secretly disappointed, he suddenly heard Stepan say: "Comrade Battalion Commander, may I ask, what do you want the tanker to do?"

   "There are two tanks in the warehouse," Sokov said with some lack of interest: "If I can find a tanker, I can order the soldiers to drive the tank to clean up the Germans."

  After listening, Stepan turned his head and said to Savyev: "Comrade company commander, aren't there a few tankers among the newly recruited fighters in our company?"

   "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," Saveyev nodded again and again after Stepan finished speaking, "There are indeed several soldiers who used to be tankers. Comrade battalion commander, do you need me to call them over?"

   "Since there are tankers," Sokov said pleasantly, "then quickly call them over."

When Savyev and Stepan trotted out of the headquarters all the way, Sokov saw Vanya and Vasily standing still at the door, so he urged them: "You still stand here and do what you want. What, why don't you hurry up and assemble your team? In less than an hour, the enemy's reinforcements will arrive."

   After the two left, Adelina walked up to Sokov and asked softly, "Comrade Battalion Commander, you are going to fight again. Will there be any danger?"

   "Adelina," Sokov said to Adelina by her name, "I ask you one thing, okay?"

   "If you have anything to say, please tell me."

   "Adelina, my friends call me Misha." Sokov said to Adelina with a smile on his face, "Can you call me that in the future?"

   "Okay, Misha." Agelina asked in a low voice: "Is this what you asked me for?"

  Seeing Adelina's pink face, Sokov deliberately teased her: "Do you think there will be other things?"

  Adelina didn't speak, but lightly punched Sokov on the back a few times, then turned her head and went to the communications monitor Maxim to help.

  Saviyev's movements were very quick. In just a few minutes, he returned with the soldiers in the company who had been tankers. He reported to Sokov: "Comrade Battalion Commander, all the former tank fighters in our company are here."

Sokov looked at the number of people and found that there were only seven of them. He couldn't help but frowned, because he knew very well that there were five members of the German Panzer IV tank, and even if he added himself, there were only eight people who could use tanks to fight. There are only four people assigned to each tank. However, he was still patient, and asked the seven tankers one by one, and learned that they were: one driver, two gunners, two loaders, two commanders, and no signalman.

  After understanding the division of labor of the tankers, he began to arrange jobs for them. He asked the commander to take a driver, a gunner, and a loader into one of the tanks; and he took the remaining three people into another tank.

  The tank soldiers in the same vehicle couldn’t help being very surprised when they saw that Sokov could drive the tank proficiently. The commander also asked curiously: “Comrade battalion commander, do you know how to drive a tank?”

   "Yes," Sokov nodded, and said without blushing, "I learned it when I was driving a tractor on a collective farm."

  Two tanks opened the way ahead, and brought a company and the commanders and fighters of the machine gun company to the edge of a forest five kilometers east of the warehouse. Sokov ordered the tank to stop, leaned out from the turret, and raised the binoculars to look forward. A simple road passes through the forest. The forest is about seventy or eighty meters away from the road. The forest is dense, which is convenient for concealing troops; and there is no shelter in front, and the shooting range is wide, which is convenient for firepower.

Seeing that this was an ideal place to set up an ambush, Sokov called Vanya and Vasily over and said to them, "Lieutenant Vanya's company is hiding in the forest on the north side; Vasily The lieutenant's machine gun company is hidden in the forest on the south side; and I parked here with two tanks. After the enemy's truck comes into range, I will shoot and destroy the leading vehicle; and after you hear the sound of the gun , and acted immediately to blow up the last vehicle. As long as the two ends are blocked, no matter which direction the Germans flee, they will be under the firepower of our army."

  After giving the order, he looked down at Vanya and Vasily and asked, "Have you heard the mission clearly?"

   "Listen clearly!" The two company commanders replied in a loud voice.

   "Since the mission is clear," Sokov waved at the two: "You all go back to your respective troops."

   After the two company commanders raised their hands to salute, they turned and returned to their troops, leading the soldiers towards the ambush site.

  (end of this chapter)