red moscow

Chapter 2837

Sokov showed a surprised look on his face: "Why, our friendly forces on both sides are fighting the enemy, but here we are all calm, don't you think something is wrong?"

Karsokov, who was secretly feeling lucky that his defense zone had not been attacked by the German army, was stunned when he heard what Sokov said.

After a long while, he finally said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, why do you think the Germans did this?"

"Based on my understanding of the Germans," Sokov slapped his palm on the map and said, "They most likely want to repel the friendly forces on both wings and then encircle us and cut off our contact with the outside world. They just need to besiege us for a while, and when they run out of ammunition and food, they will launch a war of annihilation against us."

Belkin and Karsokov thought about Sokov's words and found them very reasonable. Now there was no movement in the infantry brigade's defense zone, but the battles on the left and right wings were in full swing. After the friendly forces were repelled, the position of the infantry brigade would become a salient, and it would be easy to fall into the encirclement of the German army. If this happened, even if they wanted to break through, it would probably not be an easy task.

Belkin had experienced the feeling of being trapped behind enemy lines and was worried about repeating the same mistake. He asked nervously, "What should we do?"

Sokov sneered and said, "We can't let the Germans attack whenever they want, while our army can only conduct passive defense. I plan to take the initiative to attack, disrupt the German army's combat deployment, and take the initiative on the battlefield into our hands."

Belkin and Karsokov naturally understood what Sokov said, but they did not know how to seize the initiative on the battlefield from the Germans. As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Karsokov could not wait to ask: "Comrade Brigade Commander, what are you going to do?"

"There is a German infantry division in front of us." Sokov picked up the pencil on the table, drew a circle on the map, and continued: "The reason why they dare not launch an attack on us recklessly is largely because there are troops of our army behind them that have not yet broken out. They are worried that once they launch a full-scale attack on our brigade's position, the besieged officers and soldiers will attack from behind them..."

"Comrade Brigade Commander, although there may be a large number of our troops behind the enemy." Karsokov waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and then said carefully: "But these troops have been besieged for too long, not only are the officers and soldiers exhausted, but the ammunition and food are probably also exhausted. Do you think such troops still have the strength to fight the Germans head-on? I don't know what you think, anyway, I think they will not have much combat effectiveness and cannot cooperate with us in the battle."

"Yes, comrade brigade commander, I think what the chief of staff said makes sense." As soon as Karsokov finished speaking, Belkin echoed: "I led the troops out of the enemy's encirclement. If you hadn't happened to be here to receive the troops, when we successfully returned to our defense zone, I'm afraid there would be casualties due to hunger, injuries and other reasons. At that time, let alone fighting, it would be good enough if the troops did not collapse."

"Deputy Brigade Commander, Chief of Staff, I admit that what you said makes sense." But Sokov was not discouraged at all after hearing this. On the contrary, he smiled and said, "Through your personal experience, I naturally know that those troops who have just broken through or are about to break through are facing the dilemma of running out of ammunition and food because they have been trapped for a long time and cannot get supplies. But the Germans don't know this. They only know that there are thousands of our troops behind them. They must be worried that if they launch an attack on our brigade, these troops behind them will launch a surprise attack on them and disrupt their offensive steps."

Hearing Sokov's remarks, Belkin and Karsokov looked at each other, thinking that what the brigade commander said seemed to make some sense.

"What are you going to do?" asked Belkin.

Sokov looked outside the tent and said slowly, "It will be dark in a few hours. I plan to send a troop to sneak into the German camp and harass them so that they won't be able to sleep tonight. In this way, their original battle plan will be disrupted by us."

"What? Send a troop deep into the enemy's camp?" Belkin was frightened by Sokov's bold idea. "The Germans have always attacked us by surprise. Now it's our turn to launch a night attack on the Germans. Is this appropriate?"

"There's nothing inappropriate about it." Sokov said carelessly, "The enemy has just arrived here and is unfamiliar with the area, yet they dare to launch a surprise attack on us. As commanders and fighters who are familiar with the terrain and environment, what's wrong with us launching a surprise attack on the enemy?"

After hearing what Sokov said, Belkin and Karsokov fell silent, and began to think quickly about whether Sokov's proposal was feasible.

Before the two of them could express their opinions, the phone on the table rang.

Karsokov picked up the phone and listened for a moment, then ordered, "Bring them here."

Seeing Karsokov put down the phone, Sokov quickly asked: "Chief of Staff, what happened?"

"Captain Nazorov, the commander of the third battalion, reports that they have captured two suspicious persons wearing our military uniforms." Karsokov looked at Sokov and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I remember you said that once we capture any suspicious persons, we must conduct a thorough investigation to avoid executing our own people as enemies."

"Yes, I did say that." Sokov recalled the last time he saw two comrades from the Intelligence Bureau. After being caught by a headstrong commander, they were shot as German spies. If he hadn't discovered this by chance, the two would have died at the hands of their own people, causing greater adverse consequences. "After the outbreak of the war, although many enemies disguised themselves as our officers and soldiers and tried to sneak into our defense zone, their behavior was hard to guard against. At the same time, we also sent a large number of intelligence personnel or scouts behind enemy lines. If they were caught and shot without explanation, the important intelligence they brought back might be lost, causing our army to suffer unnecessary losses."

"Report!" A voice came from the door.

"Come in!" Karsokov shouted outside.

Following the shout, a lieutenant came in from outside. After saluting Sokov and the others, he was about to report according to the regulations, but Sokov raised his hand to interrupt the routine words he was about to say, and asked directly: "Did you bring the people?"

"Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander, the person has been brought here and is now outside the tent."

Sokov thought that the tent was not big enough to hold the paratroopers. If seven or eight people came in at once, it would be difficult for them to even turn around. He walked out of the tent and checked the suspicious elements caught by the officers and soldiers of the Third Battalion.

When he saw the two suspicious men being guarded by several soldiers, Sokov thought he was dazzled. He rubbed his eyes hard and looked at the two men carefully, and found that they were indeed people he knew. He took two steps forward and asked carefully to one of the officers wearing a blue hat, "Are you Lieutenant Zhukov?"

The dejected officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs raised his head when he heard someone talking to him. When he saw Sokov standing in front of him, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise: "You, you are Sokov?" "Yes, I am Sokov." Sokov smiled and said to the officer: "Lieutenant Zhukov, I never thought that we would meet again one day."

Zhu Kewen nodded vigorously. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly remembered something and asked Sokov tentatively: "Comrade Sokov, why are you here?"

The lieutenant who had brought Zhukov here with his soldiers had been standing beside Sokov since he came out of the tent. After hearing Zhukov's question, he interrupted and said, "The major is the commander of our infantry brigade. This is his headquarters. If he doesn't stay here, where else should he stay?"

"What, brigade commander?" Zhukov was shocked when he heard the lieutenant say that. You know, when he was in the Yagotin area, Sokov was just a captain adjutant and had no authority at all. But after only not seeing him for a month, he actually became the brigade commander. It was simply unbelievable. Zhukov tentatively asked the lieutenant: "Is he really your brigade commander?"

"Yes, I am the supreme commander of this unit." After saying this, Sokov turned to the lieutenant next to him and said, "Comrade Lieutenant, since the people have been sent to the brigade headquarters, it means that your mission has been completed. Hurry back to the third battalion's position."

After hearing Sokov's order, the lieutenant did not compromise at all. He saluted Sokov and turned around and left with his subordinates.

Sokov stepped forward and shook hands with Zhukov, then turned to look at another person and found that this was also an acquaintance of his, Sergeant Zub, whom he had rescued from the prisoner-of-war camp. So he extended his hand to Sergeant Zub again: "Sergeant Zub, welcome!"

Zub held Sokov's hand tightly and said excitedly: "Comrade Major, I never expected to meet you here. Fortunately, we met you, otherwise we would be in danger of our lives."

Sokov knew very well that Zub was telling the truth. If he had not arrived in time, the two would have been mistaken for German spies and dragged out and shot.

"Comrade Lieutenant," Sokov looked at Zhukov and asked politely, "How did you get here?"

"Major Sokov," Zhukov said unhappily when he heard Sokov's question. "Of course he was captured by your men."

"Second Lieutenant Zhu Kewen, I know you have been wronged. I apologize to you on behalf of my subordinates." After Sokov apologized to Zhu Kewen on behalf of the Third Battalion, he continued to ask: "Tell me, how did you appear in the defense zone of the Third Battalion, and where did you come from?"

"We came from Rzhev."

Hearing the place name mentioned by Zhukov, Sokov's mouth twitched involuntarily, thinking that Rzhev was Zhukov's sad place. From January 1942 to March 1, the Soviet Western Front, Kalinin Front and the German Central Army Group repeatedly fought around Rzhev, Sychevka and Vyazma. This series of offensive and defensive battles was called the Rzhev-Sychevka Campaign.

The Molde troops defending Rzhev had only tens of thousands of men, while the Soviet troops under Zhukov's command had more than one million men. With such a huge disparity in strength, the Soviet army was eventually beaten to a pulp by the Germans, and suffered heavy losses.

"Rzhev, what are you doing there?" Sokov asked in confusion. You know, Rzhev is more than 150 kilometers west of Moscow, and when he lost contact with Zhukov and others, he was in the Yagotin area. The two places are to kilometers apart, so how could Zhukov appear there? It really puzzled him.

"Major Sokov, the situation is like this." Seeing that Sokov cared so much about him, Zhukov briefly and in detail told Sokov about his appearance in Rzhev. The general meaning was that after the great incident in Yagotin, he was incorporated into a unit and sent to the Rzhev area when he followed the defeated army to retreat northward.

"Since you are supposed to be in Rzhev, why are you suddenly here?"

"As you know, I know a little German. It happened that a unit needed an interpreter. When my superiors heard about it, they immediately arranged for me to go to that unit and serve as an interpreter."

As Zhukov began to tell his story, Sokov remained silent, trying to understand what was going on.

Zhu Kewen continued, "I took Sergeant Zub with me and he drove a jeep towards the headquarters. On the way, when we passed a store, we heard the sound of something being smashed inside, so we went in to check. We found that several criminals were robbing the store, so we stepped forward to stop them and sent two of the robbers to the nearby police station."

"Are you the only two?" Sokov looked at the two acquaintances in front of him and asked cautiously, "Do you know anything about other people?"

Zhu Kewen and Zub looked at each other and shook their heads slowly: "I'm sorry, I don't know where the others are."

"That's a pity." Sokov asked Zhukov this in order to find out the whereabouts of Romanov. You know, Romanov was almost the top leader in the future. If he died prematurely because of himself, it would bring very serious consequences. "After the troops were disbanded, did you see Romanov?"

"No." Zhu Kewen answered simply: "After the troops were dispersed, Sergeant Zub was the only familiar person around me."

"What happened after you sent the robber to the police station?"

"After we sent the robbers to jail, we continued on our way." Zhu Kewen continued, "But when we passed a small town, we encountered a dozen German soldiers in the town and had a fierce battle. Although we killed half of the German soldiers, one of our soldiers died in the battle. The jeep we were riding in was damaged, so we had to walk. Unexpectedly, we went in the wrong direction and unknowingly walked into the defense zone of the third battalion, and then we were arrested by your subordinates as suspicious elements."

Hearing Zhukovin's words, Belkin couldn't help but ask curiously: "Didn't you reveal your identity to the people who arrested you at that time?"

(End of this chapter)