Chapter 1064 The Quiet Suburb (Part 1)

"Naturally let them withdraw into the city," Sokov replied without hesitation: "After such a long battle, General Popov's troops not only suffered a large number of wounded, but also the commanders and fighters became exhausted. It is obviously inappropriate for them to stay in the suburbs."

"But, Comrade Colonel. I don't know if you have ever thought about it, if all the troops retreat into the city," Rukhle felt that Sokov was still too young and inexperienced to make such a wrong decision, so he persuaded: "Once the enemy turns around on both wings, the defenders in the city will fall into their encirclement."

"Don't worry, Colonel Rukhle, even if we retreat all the troops into the city, the enemy will not be able to encircle the city. You know, to the south of us is the defense zone of the 21st Army; to the north, there is a Guards. If the Germans want to turn around on both sides, they must be prepared to be surrounded." Sokov said confidently: "Besides, I just let General Popov's troops retreat into the city, while my Troops will still be fighting the enemy outside the city."

   "Comrade Commander," Vitkov interrupted, "Colonel Rukhle must have been tired after fighting for almost a week. I think he should be allowed to rest."

"The chief of staff is right. Colonel Rukhle must be very tired after repeated battles, so let's go to rest quickly." After finishing speaking, Sokov shouted outside: "Lieutenant Samoilov! "

   "Here!" Following Sokov's shout, Samoilov strode in from the outside, and he came to Sokov with big strides, waiting quietly for him to give himself an order.

"This is Colonel Rukhle from the friendly army." Sokov said to Samoilov: "He just jumped out of the enemy's encirclement with his troops, and he is exhausted. Take him to a nearby Rest in the inn."

   "Yes!" After Samoilov agreed loudly, he said politely to Rukhle: "Comrade Colonel, please! I will take you to rest!"

  Seeing that Sokov and the others issued an order to expel him, Rukhle stood up tactfully, said goodbye to the two, and followed Samoilov out of the headquarters.

  After Rukhle left the headquarters, Witkov asked impatiently: "Comrade Commander, how many people in General Popov's troops do you think can successfully break through?"

"It's hard to say, thousands of people, or even hundreds of people are possible." Sokov said with a wry smile: "It all depends on the speed at which they join forces with Colonel Bely. But what I am worried about now is that once Bobo General Husband has withdrawn to Luhansk, I am afraid that the main force of the German army will swarm in, and there may be a fierce battle at that time."

  While he was talking, there was a sudden rush of footsteps outside. Sokov heard the sound of a group of people running, and couldn't help frowning: "Who is outside?"

  As soon as he finished speaking, seven or eight soldiers with live ammunition rushed in from outside. They didn't even look at Sokov, and stood on both sides of the door. Looking at the soldiers who came in, all with Popov submachine guns on their chests, Sokov immediately realized that they were definitely not members of the guard battalion, so he asked loudly, "Whose subordinates are you, and who allowed you to come in."

   "They are my subordinates." A loud voice came from the door, and then a general with short stature and broad shoulders strode in from outside.

   After seeing the person coming, Sokov immediately jumped up from his seat, raised his hand to his forehead, and said loudly: "Hello, Comrade General!"

   It was none other than General Zhukov who hadn’t heard from him for a long time. He walked up to Sokov and the others, shook hands with them one by one, and said, "I heard that your troops are fighting the enemy in the west of the city, trying to rescue the Rapid Popov group that broke through."

"Yes, Comrade General." Sokov quickly replied: "The German army assembled several elite divisions and launched a full-scale attack on General Popov's troops. If we don't rescue him, his troops will be destroyed." to a devastating blow."

"Annihilation of an entire army is annihilation of an entire army. What is the difference between annihilation of an army and annihilation of an entire army?" Zhukov looked at Sukov and said with a sneer: "I am afraid that telling the truth will make me angry. It's time to pick words with me."

Zhukov sat down at the table, turned on the faucet of the samovar, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked Sokov slowly: "Colonel Sokov, tell me, once General Popov's troops successfully break through, what will the German army do next?" How to do it?"

   "There are two possibilities." Although Sokov knew that in the original history, after the German army severely damaged the Popov Rapid Group and the Sixth Army, they turned around and went north to attack Golikov's Voronezh Front Army. But now that he rescues Popov's troops, will he poke a hornet's nest and divert the enemy's attention to his own position? Therefore, he carefully analyzed to Zhukov: "One is to turn around and go north to attack General Golikov's Voronezh Front Army; the other is to go east to capture Lugansk under our control."

   "Then which do you think the German army is more likely to choose between these two possibilities?"

"Both are possible." Sokov couldn't make the right choice at all, so he could only say ambiguously: "Whether it is General Golikov's troops or my troops, we must be prepared to fight fierce battles. In this way, no matter which direction the enemy attacks, we can give them a head-on blow."

"Well said." Regarding Sokov's attitude, Zhukov affirmed: "No matter which direction the troops are in, as long as there is a possibility of being attacked by the German army, they must be vigilant and be prepared to meet the enemy. We I plan to live here for a while, please arrange a place for me."

"Ah, Comrade General, do you want to stay here?" Sokov was shocked when he learned that Zhukov planned to live in Lugansk, and broke out in a cold sweat: "No, absolutely not. A war may break out here at any time. You stay here." It's really not safe here."

"Don't you know that during the defense of Moscow, I used to run around the front with the driver many times, without even a guard by my side." Regarding Sokov's worries, Zhukov felt that he was a little nervous, so he confidently said Said: "Compared with the environment at that time, your place can be regarded as the rear."

  Sokov knew Zhukov's character very well, knowing that once he decided something, even nine cows would not be able to pull it back, so he asked Witkov to arrange accommodation for Zhukov and his subordinates.

   "Misha." In private, Zhukov did not call Sokov by his surname or military rank, but asked by his nickname, "Do you still have any difficulties?"

"Comrade general, there are difficulties. For example, we don't have any strong permanent fortifications outside the city. It is obviously unrealistic to stick to the outside of the city. I am afraid that the battle will reach a certain stage, and we will retreat." Enter the city and fight the enemy on the streets." Since Zhukov asked himself to raise difficulties, Sokov naturally would not be polite, so he said all the things that are causing him headaches: "Also, we do not have air supremacy. If the enemy attacks the city , with the cooperation of the Air Force, our defensive battle will become more difficult."

  (end of this chapter)