Chapter 939 Unexpected visitor

  Sidorin called the Army Group Headquarters and reported the intelligence he had detected to Krylov.

After listening to Krylov, he asked back: "Lieutenant Colonel Sidolin, what do you think the enemy's purpose is for doing this?" He was afraid that the other party would not understand, and added, "I want to ask, Sokov How did you judge that the enemy was going to flee?"

  Sidorin couldn't answer this question. After all, Sokov didn't say anything just now, so he could only look at Sokov for help, hoping that he could explain to Krylov himself.

  Sokov understood what Sidolin meant, walked over to take the microphone, and said in his ear: "Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff, I am Sokov."

   "Colonel Sokov." Krylov on the other end of the phone asked in an official tone: "Come and tell me, how did you judge that Paulus was going to escape?"

"Report to Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov said respectfully: "According to the report of the scouts, the German armored division will rush to the southwest to assemble. And Hoth's armored force is in that direction, away from the besieged enemy, It’s only tens of kilometers away. If the enemies inside and outside the encirclement attack each other, I think our encirclement will be broken, and the encircled enemies will be able to successfully break through.”

"Nonsense." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Krylov said angrily: "Colonel Sokov, what nonsense are you talking about? On what basis do you believe that the enemy is gathering in the southwest direction to break through the defense line? Jump out of our encirclement?"

Hearing that Krylov got angry, Sokov was not in a hurry, but said slowly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the scouts we sent to the enemy's rear captured an order from the enemy, which is to let the armored divisions assemble in the southwest direction, Prepare for combat missions. I think that by combat missions the Germans mean breakout operations."

   "Chief of Staff, give me the microphone." Chuikov heard the conversation between Krylov and Sokov, and reached out to Krylov, "Let me talk to Colonel Sokov."

   "Colonel Sokov, I'm Chuikov." After taking the microphone, Chuikov asked, "I have two questions for you. First: Are you sure that the enemy is gathering in the southwest to break through?"

   "Yes, Comrade Commander." Sokov nodded and replied in an affirmative tone: "I think the possibility of the enemy breaking through is very high."

"If the Germans want to break out from the southwest, they can carry out the breakout operation at the end of November." Cuikov said calmly: "You must know that our army's encirclement had just been formed at that time, and it was very easy for the enemy to break through the encirclement. How could it be possible to launch a breakout operation after a month?"

"Also." Without waiting for Sokov to answer, Chuikov continued to ask: "Now the enemy mobilizes only armored troops, so what about their infantry? Could it be that Paulus is willing to leave so many infantry behind, and only let them go?" Did a few armored divisions break through?"

"Comrade Commander, I think the German army chose to assemble in the southwest direction because they intend to break through." Sokov analyzed to Chuikov: "The armored division has strong mobility. Join forces. At that time, turn around and attack the rear of our encirclement, and we will be able to tear a larger gap, allowing those infantry who are still encircled by our army to successfully jump out of the encirclement.”

After listening to Sokov's analysis, Chuikov was silent for a long time, and finally said: "Colonel Sokov, I admit that what you said is entirely possible. But what can we do now? The entire 62nd Army The troops suffered heavy casualties during the months-long battle to defend the city. Apart from being able to carry out small-scale local counterattacks, they were completely unable to take the initiative to attack the enemy. In other words, even if we knew that the enemy wanted to break out from the southwest, we would not You can just watch."

"Comrade Commander, how can you just watch?" Hearing what Chuikov said, Sokov couldn't help being anxious: "Even if our army's capabilities are unable to severely injure or delay the enemy's actions, at least we should report this matter to the Superior report..."

"Report to the superior?!" Chuikov sneered and said, "Where is our superior? Since it was announced that all the troops of the Stalingrad Front Army would be handed over to General Rokossovsky's Don River Front Army. The contact with the headquarters was completely cut off, and the commander of the New Front Army was temporarily out of touch. In a word, we can neither get in touch with our superiors nor communicate with our friendly forces, so the only thing we can do is Watch as the enemy flees from our perimeter."

Regarding Chuikov's statement similar to the Arabian Nights, Sokov really couldn't find a reason to refute it. After all, the actual situation of the Soviet army was like this. war. When the commander of the front army is in command, the situation is relatively better, and there is still some cooperation; but once the command of the superior is lost, the original chaotic situation will be restored.

   "Then what should we do?" Sokov was in a hurry. He knew that the enemy was about to launch a breakout operation, but he couldn't warn the friendly army. This made him very headache. Since Chuikov couldn't contact Yeremenko or Rokossovsky, Sokov naturally couldn't contact him. He asked anxiously: "Could it be that the enemy broke through the defense line of the friendly army and jumped out of the encirclement to join Hott?" ?"

"Colonel Sokov, I understand your feelings, and I am also anxious." Cuikov rearranged the vocabulary in his mind, and then said: "At present, all we can do is send people to the left bank of the Volga River to find The original Front Army Command told them the enemy's movements and let them make a decision."

Although Sokov understands the process of the Stalingrad Defense War, in many cases, as an ordinary division commander, he is unable to change the unfavorable situation, and can only watch the situation go out of control: "Okay, Comrade Commander, now we can only follow the method you said, send people to find the original front army headquarters, let them get in touch with General Rokossovsky, strengthen the defense in the southwest of the encirclement, and prevent The enemy's breakout operation."

  After finishing the conversation with Chuikov, Sokov sat at the table, staring at the map in front of him, thinking, should he launch an attack at this time? If an attack is launched at this time, the German armored divisions can be held back, preventing them from rushing to the southwest in a short time. But in doing so, it would be costly to seize ground from the defenders, who had been reinforced with armor.

what can we do about it? To attack, or to continue to maintain the status quo and launch an attack after the enemy's armored divisions have left to take the lost positions from the enemy's hands?

   Seeing Sokov staring at the map in silence, Sidolin guessed what he meant, and asked tentatively: "Comrade commander, are you considering whether you should attack the enemy at this moment?"

   "That's right." After giving an affirmative answer, Sokov told Sidolin and Ivanov his thoughts, and finally he asked, "Tell me, what should we do now?"

  Whether it is Sidolin or Ivanov, they all hope that their troops can hold back the enemy so that they cannot rush to the southwest quickly, so as to buy time for the friendly troops standing there. However, as commanders, they are very aware of the disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves. Facing the enemy's two armored divisions, the 41st Guards Division's wealth is barely used for defense, let alone actively attacking the enemy. It is precisely because of this consideration that both Sidolin and Ivanov remained silent and did not express their views easily.

Seeing that his two deputies did not express their opinions easily, Sokov guessed their thoughts, and said proactively: "If you don't speak, then I will assume that you agree to wait for the enemy's armored division to transfer. Then launch an attack on the frontal enemy."

"Comrade Commander," Anisimov, the division's political commissar who had just walked in, reported to Sokov, "I just came back from the top of the mountain and saw a group of people coming across the river, heading towards our Mamaye. coming in the direction of Fugang."

  Ivanov said disapprovingly: "Comrade political commissar, is it the comrade who delivered the supplies? You don't have to report this kind of trivial matter to the division commander. He has more important things to deal with."

   "No, if it was just an ordinary soldier, I would not report to the division commander in person." Anisimov explained: "There were more than a dozen people who came, and there seemed to be some big shots among them."

"Is there a big man?" Sokov heard Anisimov say this, and immediately thought that after the headquarters gave the task of annihilating Paulus to Rokossovsky, he once walked across the frozen river to the city. I have come to see Chuikov. Could it be that Rokossovsky is the big man mentioned by Anisimov? Thinking of this, Sokov stood up abruptly, and said to Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, you are in charge of everything here. Deputy division commander and political commissar, come out with me to meet you."

  The three of them came to the top of the hill under the protection of a dozen soldiers. At this moment, Anisimov's group of people had passed through the center of the river and were about to board the right bank. Sokov raised his binoculars to look at them, and soon found familiar faces in the crowd, including Khrushchev and Yeremenko.

   Seeing the two men coming towards Mamayev Hill, Sokov's heart beat faster. He rushed into the observation post on the side, grabbed the phone hanging on the wall, connected to the division headquarters, and told Sidolin directly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please tell Commander Chuikov immediately, and say that the former commander of the Front Army Ye General Lyomenko and Comrade Khrushchev, the military commissar, are heading towards our Mamayev post."

"What, Commander Yeremenko and Comrade Khrushchev are coming towards our Mamayev post?" Hearing this news, Sidolin was shocked, and he quickly replied: "I will immediately Report this to Commander Chuikov."

"Comrade commander," Ivanov also recognized Yeremenko and Khrushchev in the crowd through the binoculars, and walked in to ask Sokov for instructions: "It is Commander Yeremenko and the military commander. Commissioner Comrade Khrushchev is here, do we need to rush over to meet him?"

"No, no, no," Sokov shook his head and said, "Our battle here is not over yet. As division leaders, we cannot leave our posts for a long time. In my opinion, let Lieutenant Samoilov take people there." Welcome. Let's go, we all go back to the headquarters."

   "Okay," now that Sokov had already said that, Ivanov couldn't refute, so he could only nod in agreement with his proposal. On the way back to the headquarters, he made a special trip to the guard battalion, found Lieutenant Samoilov, and asked him to lead a guard platoon to meet Yeremenko and Khrushchev.

   As soon as Sokov returned to the headquarters, Chuikov called. Chuikov was inspecting the counterattack at the barricade factory, but when he received a call from Krylov, knowing that Yeremenko and Khrushchev were rushing to Mamayev Post, he specifically called Sokov to confirm: "Colonel Sokov, I heard that Commander Yeremenko and Comrade Khrushchev are on their way to Mamayev Post. Is there such a thing?"

   "That's right, Comrade Commander." Sokov hurriedly replied respectfully, "I just saw it very clearly from the top of the mountain. It is Commander Yeremenko and Comrade Khrushchev, the Military Commissar."

   After confirming that the information he had received was true, Chuikov continued to ask: "Colonel Sokov, the battle there is not over yet, and they may be in danger. Have you taken any protective measures?"

"I asked Lieutenant Samoilov to take a platoon of guards to meet them." Knowing what Chuikov was worried about, Sokov assured him, "Don't worry, Comrade Commander, I assure you that their safety is guaranteed." Guaranteed."

"You did the right thing." Chuikov praised Sokov, and continued: "I will go to your place right away, meet with the two chiefs of the front army, and tell them the situation you reported. I hope to pass them, Pass this important information to General Rokossovsky."

   After waiting for more than half an hour, Yeremenko and Khrushchev walked into the division headquarters under the protection of Samoilov. Seeing the two people walking in, Sokov quickly shouted loudly: "All stand at attention!"

  Following Sokov's shout, both the staff officer and the communications soldier stopped their work, stood up, faced Yeremenko and Khrushchev, and saluted them.

Sokov walked quickly to the front of the two, raised his hand and saluted, and reported loudly: "Comrade Commander, Comrade Military Commissar, Colonel Sokov, Commander of the 41st Guards Division, reports to you, welcome to Our division headquarters came to inspect the work."

"Colonel Sokov," Khrushchev said solemnly, without calling Sokov by his nickname in front of everyone, "all our troops have been handed over to the Don Front Army, and now the two of us The mission in Stalingrad has come to an end. Before leaving here, I will accompany Comrade Commander to visit you defenders of the city. It is because of your presence that the enemy has not occupied Mamayev Kurgan .”

"Well done, Colonel Sokov." As soon as Khrushchev finished speaking, Yeremenko went on to say, "You and your subordinates are doing well. I want to award you honors and honor every You are our heroes, and I believe that our descendants will remember the great feats you have established today."

  (end of this chapter)