Chapter 1623 Shelling in the middle of the night (Part 2)

   This is a very bold plan. If the Guards Division voluntarily abandons the town, but the main force of the German army does not enter the town as the Soviets expected, the whole plan may fail. Once the plan fails, Sivalenko, as the supreme commander of the defenders, may be sent to a military court.

   This is a gamble. If you win, you can be famous, but if you lose, Sivalenko's future will be ruined. Sokov took this issue into consideration when he dispatched the liaison officer, because the level of the liaison officer sent should not be too low, otherwise it would be difficult to convince Sivalenko.

Knowing that Sokov wanted to send someone to contact Sivalenko and asked him to lead his troops out of the town before dark, Belgin immediately asked Ying: "Misha, I think you should entrust this task to I'll finish it."

   "Do you want to go?" Although Sokov felt that Belkin's level was sufficient, but considering that the German artillery shells had landed in the town and exploded, sending Belkin into the town at this time might be life-threatening. Based on such considerations, Sokov seemed very hesitant.

"Misha, don't worry." Belkin guessed the reason for Sokov's hesitation, and said with a smile: "You don't have to worry about my safety, you know, the environment I was in during the Battle of Stalingrad It’s much worse than here. Since I survived at that time, and now I just go to the town to get in touch with the friendly army, why are you worried?”

   "Colonel Belkin, you are the deputy commander of the 84th Division. I have no right to let you take risks." Sokov said seriously: "I think it's better to find someone else."

"Misha." Hearing that Sokov rejected him, Belgin became a little anxious: "You know, it is an extremely risky thing to have the guards withdraw from the town that is still fighting at this time." .As the commander of the division, General Sivalenko will definitely weigh the importance repeatedly. If the person sent to contact is too low-level, he will not pay attention at all. After all, it involves his future."

After Belkin finished speaking, political commissar Manoxin chimed in and said: "Comrade Commander, I think what Colonel Belkin said makes sense. If the person sent to contact is too low-level, I am afraid that General Sivalenko will not be able to do so at all." I won't talk to him. Now you also know that the German shells fell in the town. The person we sent to contact would have taken a risk. If he didn't gain the trust of General Sivalenko, wouldn't he go for nothing? ?”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Rusuf, who is the lowest rank, couldn't help but interjected at this moment: "Before you arrived, I sent someone to contact General Sivalenko and asked his troops to support us if they couldn't hold on." He retreated into the defense zone of our regiment in time. Unfortunately, our proposal was rejected by him.

  I guess the reason for the refusal was because the liaison officer I sent was too low-level, just a lieutenant, and it was normal for him to refuse to buy it. "

Seeing that everyone wanted Belgin to be the liaison officer, Sokov just smiled lightly and did not express his opinion immediately. Instead, he turned his head and asked Keida who was sitting beside him: "Colonel Keida, what do you think of this matter?" ?”

"Comrade Commander, this is an internal matter of the 84th Division. It's not good for me as an outsider to intervene." After clearing his own responsibilities, Keida couldn't help but say: "But I think if you want to persuade The Guards were withdrawn from the town, and Colonel Belkin was undoubtedly the best candidate."

Koyda's attitude made Sokov finally make up his mind: "Well, since everyone's opinions are so unified, then respect everyone's choice and send Colonel Berkin to the town of Ratsve to persuade General Sivalenko .”

In this way, Belkin came to Sivalenko's headquarters and persuaded him to lead his troops to withdraw from the town of Ratesve and retreat into the defense zone of the 254th regiment, so that the artillery under Sokov could bombard the German troops stationed in the town at night force.

"Chief of staff," Sivalenko, who was persuaded by Belkin, shouted at his chief of staff, and when the latter came to him, he ordered: "To the heads of the 47th and 50th regiments Call and order them to withdraw from the town of Ratswe by alternating cover after repelling this German attack."

  The chief of staff of the division vaguely heard the conversation between Sivalenko and Belkin, and knew that the other party planned to launch a heavy shelling of the German troops stationed in the town at night, using artillery fire to eliminate these damned Germans. So as soon as Sivalenko finished speaking, he replied loudly: "Understood, comrade commander, I will immediately call the two division commanders and ask them to prepare for retreat."

Regarding Sivalenko's arrangement, Belkin did not express any opinions. As a commander with rich command experience, he knew very well that once the German attack was repelled, there would be no one or two hours to prepare. They will not attack again. In this way, the commanders and fighters of the 15th Guards Division can calmly withdraw from the town, retreat into the defense area of ​​the Rusuf Regiment, and regroup there.

  Sivalenko knew what Sokov was planning to do, and readily agreed to retreat, but the following regiment leaders did not understand why Sivalenko made such a decision. Especially the head of the 50th Guards Regiment, he personally called Sivalenko and asked angrily: "Comrade Commander, I would like to ask, our regiment fought well and has already repelled the The Germans attacked twice, why retreat at this time?"

"Comrade Colonel," the troops hadn't started to retreat yet, and Sivalenko didn't plan to tell the following deployments the truth for the time being. Faced with someone falling behind and being captured during the retreat, he would reveal the reasons for the troops' retreat, so he just said vaguely: "We gave up the town to better destroy the enemy."

"I don't understand." The head of the regiment said reluctantly: "If the commanders and fighters are really given the order to retreat, I think everyone will be emotional. After all, we have so many comrades in arms who died here. We How can you drop their bones, abandon the town and run away?"

Hearing what his subordinates said, Sivalenko's expression darkened. In less than a day, he had a regiment of commanders and fighters lying forever on the land on the right bank of the Dnieper River. If he really wanted to abandon them His bones were withdrawn, and he was still very unwilling.

"Comrade Colonel," Sivalenko suppressed the smile on his face and said with a straight face in order to avoid the other party's entanglement, "Don't you know that orders from superiors are for execution, not for discussion? Don't say anything, immediately convey my order to the commanders at all levels, and as soon as the German attack is repelled, immediately withdraw from the position and retreat outside the town."

   "Comrade Commander," the regiment leader hesitated for a moment, and finally expressed his thoughts: "Can we wait for our regiment to repel the German attack before giving orders to the commanders and fighters to retreat?"

"why?"

"If the news of the retreat is passed on before repelling the German attack, I am worried that many commanders and fighters will not want to continue fighting, which will lead to the failure of the battle." After explaining his reasons, the regiment leader said again: "Comrade Commander , I beg you again, wait until our regiment has repelled the German attack, and then convey this order to the commanders and fighters, okay?"

Sivalenko thought about it carefully, and the commander of the 50th regiment made sense. The commanders and fighters who were fighting fiercely with the enemy suddenly heard that the troops were about to retreat. I am afraid that many people would panic and just wanted to withdraw early. Fight the enemy down.

  He didn't care to put down the microphone in his hand, so he said to the chief of staff of the division who was on the phone: "Chief of staff, have you notified the commander of the 47th regiment?"

  The chief of staff of the division quickly covered the microphone with his hand, and reported to Sivalenko: "Comrade commander, I am conveying your order to the commander of the 47th regiment."

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sivalenko realized that he had not thought carefully when conveying the order, and quickly ordered the Chief of Staff: "Tell the commander of the 47th regiment that after the battle is over, he will issue an order to retreat to the commanders and fighters, so as not to affect the ongoing battle."

"Understood." The chief of staff of the division agreed, let go of the hand covering the microphone, and said to the head of the 47th regiment at the other end of the microphone: "Comrade colonel, the division commander just ordered that in order to avoid affecting the ongoing battle, you can Wait until the enemy has been repulsed before giving the troops the order to retreat."

Hearing the chief of staff's phone call, Sivalenko said into the microphone again: "Comrade Colonel, your proposal is correct, then according to what you said, wait until the enemy's attack is repelled, and then notify the commanders and fighters to withdraw. fighting."

After arranging everything, Sivalenko put down the microphone in his hand, looked at Belkin who was sitting at the table drinking tea, and said with anxiety: "Colonel Belkin, the situation here is not very good. , There are a lot of shells falling near the church, for your safety, you should go back first."

   "It's okay, General Sivalenko." Belkin said with a smile: "You haven't left yet, how can I go first?"

"But you are the liaison officer sent by the 84th Division. How can I let you have an accident?" Although Sivalenko didn't know about the friendship between Belkin and Sokov, he must have become a colonel. An important person, if something happens in his defense zone, he can't explain it to Sokov: "How about I draw a guard squad to protect you from the town of Radeve?"

   "General Sivalenko, it really doesn't matter." When Belkin entered the town by car, a shell landed on a place far from the jeep and exploded. Even if he followed Sivalenko's advice and was escorted out of the town by a guard squad, he would still encounter danger on the way. Maybe a shell would fall and the regiment would be wiped out.

Belkin said politely: "You haven't left here, how can I go first?" Seeing that Sivalenko seemed to want to say something, he quickly added, "Comrade General, you don't need to persuade. As long as you If I don't leave here, I won't leave."

  Seeing that Belkin's attitude was so firm, Sivalenko knew that no matter how much he tried to persuade him, it might not have any effect, so he could only acquiesce in allowing the other party to stay in his division headquarters. Anyway, the church is relatively strong, so as long as it is not hit continuously by the German heavy artillery, there should be no danger of collapsing.

   "Comrade commander, here is a telegram." An operator sitting in the corner suddenly called Sivalenko loudly: "It is from the 44th regiment."

"What, a telegram from the 44th regiment?" Hearing what the operator said, Sivalenko couldn't help being taken aback. According to his thinking, the 44th regiment, which was sticking to Jingji Town, lost contact with the loss of the town. Annihilated by the Germans. But at this moment, hearing that it was a telegram from the 44th Regiment, he hurriedly rushed to the operator's back and took the telegram in his hand.

   "Comrade Commander," the division chief of staff rushed over from the other side, and asked a little emotionally, "Is it really the telegram from the 44th Regiment?"

  Sivalenko quickly glanced at the signature at the bottom of the telegram, and it was indeed the name of the head of the 44th Regiment. He nodded and replied, "Yes, it is indeed a telegram from the 44th Regiment."

   "Where are they now?" The division chief of staff couldn't wait to ask: "Are they trapped in the town, or have they retreated to other places?"

After quickly scanning the contents of the telegram, Sivalenko raised his head and said to the division chief of staff: "After they broke out from the town, because the road to the south has been blocked by the enemy, they can only go up along the Dnieper River. Find a safe place to stop and rest."

"Up along the river?" The chief of staff of the division frowned tightly, and his eyebrows were twisted into a knot: "Comrade commander, going up along the Dnieper River, isn't that going deep into the hinterland of the German army? They will fall into the encirclement of the German army, and finally be wiped out by the enemy when they run out of ammunition and food."

"Yes, although they are safe for the time being. But as long as the Germans are free, they will definitely concentrate their forces to encircle them." Sivalenko glanced at the telegram in his hand, sighed softly and said: "Now they There are only more than 200 people left, and many of them are wounded. Once surrounded by the German army, I am afraid they will not last long."

"Ammunition is also a problem. After they broke through the encirclement, the ammunition on each soldier's body may not even have a base." The chief of staff of the division cautiously put forward his suggestion: "Or, we send a troop to meet them ?”

  Sivalenko said with a dry smile: "Comrade Chief of Staff, have you forgotten that the enemy is storming the town of Ratesve? Do you think we can still send troops to bring back the 44th regiment that is far away from us?"

   After listening to Sivalenko's words, the chief of staff of the division let go of his unrealistic thoughts. Now that the main force of the division is facing the German attack, it feels like it can't support it. How can it spare its troops to find the 44th regiment, which is far away from the main force. He said with a heavy heart: "Comrade commander, can we just watch the remaining commanders and fighters of the 44th regiment being annihilated by the German army, and can't do anything?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you are right, we can't do anything now." Sivalenko sighed and said, "Call them back and ask them to find a place to hide. After we repel the German attack , will send someone to meet them."

  Although Sivalenko said so, the chief of staff of the division knew in his heart that this telegram was probably the last telegram sent to the 44th Regiment. He walked up to the telegraph operator and said to him: "Comrade operator, I will dictate the contents of the telegram, and you send the telegram to the 44th Regiment."

  Belkin saw Sivalenko approaching, and asked with concern: "Comrade General, have the troops standing firm in Jingji Town successfully jumped out of the encirclement of the German army?"

"Yes, they did stand out from the encirclement." Sivalenko said with a wry smile: "But their way to the south was cut off by the German army, so they can only choose to go north. Now they are getting farther and farther away from us, and more Further penetrated into the hinterland of the German army, I am afraid that the fate they will face next is death."

  (end of this chapter)