Chapter 1002 Set off in batches

   After dawn, Sokov asked Samoilov to take him to see Ivanov's appearance, and then ordered him to be buried in a cemetery outside the city.

   The task of burying Ivanov was given to Samoilov by Sokov. He also specifically told Samoilov: "After burying the deputy commander, remember to make a mark. This way, when the war is over, his family can find his grave smoothly."

   "Understood, Comrade Commander." After Samoilov finished his answer, he was silent for a moment, and then said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I have a request."

   "What request?" Sokov didn't know what Samoilov meant when he said this to himself at the moment, so he asked curiously, "Let's listen."

"Comrade commander, although you didn't blame me for anything, I am very responsible for the sacrifice of the deputy division commander." Samoilov said with a serious expression: "I request that I be sent to the combat unit. Blood, wash away my shame."

"Okay, Lieutenant Samoilov, you think too much." Sokov felt that the most suitable job for Samoilov was to be in charge of his own security work, instead of fighting the enemy face to face at the front , so he rejected the other party's request without hesitation: "Naturally, no one wants to see the sacrifice of Comrade Deputy Commander. But since it has already happened, you don't have to carry any mental burden. By my side, do a good job of security. Do you understand?"

  After Samoilov left, Sokov told Sergesha: "Sergesha, let the soldiers get ready. I'm going to the west of the city to survey the terrain."

"What, you are going to the west of the city to survey the terrain?" Seryozha said nervously: "Misha, don't you know that there are many enemy stragglers outside? They are desperate now, so they hide in the dark and attack us Cold shot. For them, killing one person saves capital, and killing two people makes money. In this case, you can't take risks."

"Seryozha, I am the commander of the Guards Division. It is necessary to find out the surrounding environment so that we can know where to deploy the troops." Sokov knew that Seryozha was worried about his own safety, so he asked him He explained: "If my speculation is correct, in a week or so there will be brutal battles nearby. If we don't take precautions in advance, our division may be wiped out."

"What, there is a possibility that our division will be wiped out by the enemy?" Hearing Sokov's words, Seryozha couldn't help being stunned: "Misha, now the enemy is being suppressed and beaten by our army. , do they still have a chance to stand up?"

   "Sergesha, as long as the battle is not over for a day, the outcome of the battle is still unknown." Sokov said to Sergesha: "As commanders, we must not take it lightly."

  Under the cover of the guard company, Sokov spent most of the day inspecting the terrain in the west and north of the city, and felt that the location chosen by Ivanov was very correct. There are many hills in the west, which are suitable for building field fortifications to prevent German attacks.

  As soon as he got back to the Workers' Palace of Culture, he called the communications corps and ordered the Mamayev post to be connected. When he heard Sidolin's familiar voice coming from the receiver, he asked into the receiver, "Comrade Chief of Staff, when can the troops leave?"

"Reporting to Comrade Commander," Sidolin replied, "The superior has sent us 122 trucks, and the 122nd Guards Regiment is loading the trucks, and we should be able to leave before dark. We can arrive tomorrow afternoon at the earliest." Luhansk."

"That's good, that's good." Sokov said to Sidolin when he learned that the troops could leave before dark, "I didn't know until I arrived in Lugansk that there are actually fifteen warehouses in the city. There is plenty of munitions and supplies we need. But the defense of the depots is so weak that if the Germans sabotage it, it will all be over."

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Sidolin comforted Sokov: "After the troops of the 122nd Guards Regiment arrive, the situation will improve. In any case, a reinforced regiment of more than 4,000 people is enough to maintain Good order in the city."

  Infantry can take trucks in batches and rush to Luhansk, but Colonel Bely's tank brigade can't drive in along the road, right? You must know that tanks usually need to be maintained after driving tens of kilometers. If Bely really took their tank troops along the road tracks, it is estimated that 90% of the tanks will break down on the way before reaching their destination. , then the tank brigade will lose its combat effectiveness in a short period of time.

   "What about the tank brigade?" Sokov asked into the microphone: "We can't let them drive in along the road tracks?"

"The meaning of the Front Army Command is to let the tanks of the tank brigade take the train to Luhansk." Sidolin said awkwardly on the phone: "But, comrade commander, you should know that the defense of Stalingrad has just ended. A lot of work has not been fully on the right track. The personnel sent by the railway department from other places are rushing to repair the railway destroyed by the Germans. It will take about a week before the limited traffic function can be restored. At that time, we will be able to let the tanks brigade tanks, and headed for Luhansk on a flatbed."

  One week, after hearing the data that Sidolin said, Sokov couldn't help shaking his head and smiling wryly. According to his thinking, in a week at most, the Soviet army will begin to retreat steadily under the counterattack of the German army. If you don't have tank troops in your hands at that time, it will be very difficult to hold back the ferocious German offensive. Even if he barely blocked the enemy's attack, I'm afraid the casualties of the troops would not be a small number.

  Hearing that there was no movement from Sokov's side, Sidolin thought that Sokov had hung up the phone, and quickly called out twice: "Mr. Commander, Comrade Mr. Commander, are you still there?"

"Of course I'm still here, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sidolin's voice woke up Sokov from his contemplation, and he hastily continued: "Chief of Staff, I have an idea that can make the tank brigade reach Luzhou faster. Gansk."

   "What idea?" Sidolin knew that Sokov had always been resourceful, and when he heard him say this, he immediately became excited: "Tell me quickly, what do you think?"

"If you want to wait for the comrades in the railway department to restore the railway line to Mamayev, I am afraid that one or two weeks is not enough." Sokov said to Sidolin: "Now that the war is critical, it is not right to wait blindly." Realistic. So please tell Colonel Bely that the tanks can be driven to the station closest to Mamayev Kurgan, and from there they can be boarded and driven to Lugansk."

   "Comrade Commander," Sidolin expressed doubts about Sokov's statement: "Is it possible to do this?"

"I think it is completely feasible." Sokov continued: "The tank brigade starts from Mamayev Gang, at most a dozen or twenty kilometers, and can rush to those railway stations that are still in operation. Our tanks can completely Board the train at these stations and drive as fast as possible to Lugansk."

"Comrade commander, I have a question." Sidolin asked cautiously: "The current situation is very favorable to our army, but you said that the enemy may launch a counterattack against our army at any time. Will such a situation really happen? ?”

"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." In order to dispel the underestimation of the enemy in Sidolin's mind, Sokov said with a serious expression: "It is not possible, but certain. According to my analysis, the Germans will, in the shortest possible time, Launch an attack on Luhansk. If our defense forces lack technical equipment such as tanks and artillery, we will not be able to stop the enemy's fierce attack."

  The victory of the Battle of Stalingrad, the surrender of Paulus and hundreds of thousands of soldiers under him, all made the defenders of the city feel underestimated. What Sidolin didn't know was that because of Sokov's sudden birth, not only were there more German soldiers captured than in real history, but the time of the Paulus Group's demise was also advanced by about a week.

   All of this, only Sokov from later generations knows it well. He was even thinking that his appearance made Rodimtsev and his 13th Guards Division, which had been brilliant, become unknown. The number of prisoners captured by Paulus has increased by tens of thousands, and even the time for the destruction of the Sixth Army has been advanced. In this way, as long as you work hard, you may be able to turn the tide when the Southwest Front Army suffered a disastrous counterattack.

"Comrade Chief of Staff, not only the tank brigade must find a way to quickly consider Luhansk, but even the infantry must find a way to speed up the march." Sokov told Sidolin: "If you simply rely on car transportation, at least It will take half a month to deploy all the infantry in Luhansk."

Sidolin knew that what Sokov said was true. After the trucks carrying the commanders and fighters arrived in Luhansk to lay down their troops, it would take a day to return to Mamayev Hill and let the second batch of combat troops get on board. Going back and forth again and again wastes time.

   "Mr. Comrade, do you have any good ideas?"

  "After the 122nd regiment set off in a car, it ordered the 124th regiment to march towards Luhansk on foot."

"What? Let the 124th Regiment march towards Luhansk on foot?" Sidolin couldn't help but be surprised when he heard Sokov's order. He quickly reminded Sokov: "Comrade commander, in the current bad weather, the troops You can only walk twenty or thirty kilometers a day, and it will take at least a month to reach your destination."

Seeing that Sidolin didn't understand his intentions, Sokov quickly explained to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I didn't ask the 124th regiment to go to Luhansk on foot. Instead, I asked them to stay somewhere and wait to return. car, so that in the shortest possible time, you can catch the return car and go to Luhansk.”

"This is a good idea." After Sukov explained, Sidolin also understood what was going on, and he nodded quickly and said, "Comrade commander, I think both the 124th and 125th regiments can do this. Transporting troop vehicles in this way can save time on the road, and at the same time, transport troops to their destinations in the shortest possible time.”

"Chief of Staff, since you have understood my intention, then execute the order." Sokov said into the microphone: "Let the regiments leave their garrisons in batches and march in the direction of Lugansk. Remember , let the soldiers do a good job of keeping warm, and minimize non-combat attrition due to the weather."

After finishing the conversation with Sidolin, Sokov saw that Seryozha had brought in the commander of the defending army, so he personally poured a cup of hot tea for him, put it in front of him and said with a smile: "Comrade Captain, Presumably my guard company commander, Captain Sergey Sha, has already told you the purpose of inviting you here?"

   "Yes, Comrade Colonel." The commander of the garrison army nodded and said, "On the way here, Captain Seryozha has already told me everything."

   "Then tell me, how do you plan to strengthen the security of the warehouse?"

Hearing the topic of Sokov deliberately defending the warehouse in advance, the defending company commander said a little unwillingly: "Comrade Colonel, where we are now is the rear of our army. And on the battlefield, our army is progressing very smoothly. It's a bit wasteful for the superior to leave us alone here to guard the warehouse. You know, the enemy is already scared by us, how dare they come out and fight against us?"

"You can't say that, Comrade Captain." Seeing that the guard company commander was not very vigilant, Sokov quickly reminded him: "According to the original plan, I should arrive here tomorrow or later. So you can see me now because the deputy division commander I sent to the front station was killed by an enemy sniper while surveying the terrain. If according to what you just said, this is the rear of our army, so you can rest easy. Then how did my deputy division commander sacrifice himself?"

  Hearing what Sokov said, the defending company commander immediately realized that his view was too optimistic, and he actually forgot about the tragedy that happened not long ago. He quickly admitted his mistake to Sokov: "Comrade Colonel, I was wrong. I underestimated the enemy, and I apologize to you."

"Comrade Captain, there is no need to apologize." Sokov waved his hand at the defending company commander, and said to him: "Let's discuss how to defend these warehouses in the city so that they will not be destroyed by the German army. "

"Comrade Colonel, you should know that we have only one company in the city." The commander of the defending army said in embarrassment: "With this force, it is not enough to guard fifteen warehouses. Fortunately, the Germans In abandoning the city, they have all retreated, otherwise we would not be able to hold these warehouses at all."

"You are short of manpower, I can support some of you." Sokov said to the guard company commander: "If the manpower is still insufficient, you can recruit militia from the residents and let them help defend the warehouse. If I guess correctly, A lot of the food in the warehouse is going to be distributed to the residents of the city, right?"

   "That's right, Comrade Colonel, you guessed right." The commander of the defending army nodded and said, "There are several warehouses of food that are used to distribute to residents."

Seeing that his guess was correct, Sokov urged the commander of the defending army: "Comrade Captain, I think it may not be long before there will be a battle here. You should organize the militia in the city as soon as possible, even if they can't defend the warehouse. It can also maintain order in the city."

  (end of this chapter)