red moscow

Chapter 2902

The train continued to move forward. Sokov picked up the phone on the table and contacted Zhu Kewen at the front of the train.

"Comrade Lieutenant, this is Sokov." Hearing Zhukov's voice coming from the receiver, Sokov immediately said: "We are passing through the German-occupied area. We must remain highly vigilant. If you find anything wrong, contact me immediately by phone. Do you understand?"

Zhu Kewen's face flushed. He thought that he had not reported the situation immediately after the train was stopped by the enemy at the station. If Sokov had not noticed something was wrong and rushed over, he might have been questioned by the captain and exposed. Hearing Sokov's instructions, he quickly replied, "I understand, Comrade Brigade Commander. If anything happens, I will report it to you in time."

When Sokov hung up the phone, Haranchuk asked curiously: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, are you still worried that the train we are on will be stopped by the Germans?"

Sokov looked at Haranchuk and said seriously, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, as long as we have not left the area controlled by the Germans, we may be intercepted by the Germans at any time, so we must never let our guard down."

"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov is right." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Politic continued: "We must not let our guard down until we successfully enter our defense zone."

Hearing what Sokov and Politik said, Haranchuk couldn't help but get nervous: "If our train is really stopped by the Germans, what should we do? Should we go to war with the enemy?"

"Of course." Sokov said lightly after hearing this: "Don't forget, the officers and soldiers are holding weapons, not fire sticks. Since the enemy is taking the initiative to provoke us, we can't be polite to them. Just fight. Moreover, the later the battle starts, the better it is for us, which means we are closer to our own defense zone. Even if we are surrounded by the enemy, it will be easy to break out and join the friendly forces."

After another two and a half hours of travel, the train began to slow down.

Feeling the car slow down, Haranchuk looked out the window nervously: "Why is the car slowing down? Did we encounter enemies ahead again?"

Sokov raised his hand to check the time, then shook his head and said, "It's probably not that we encountered an enemy blocking the road, but that we are almost reaching our destination."

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone on the table rang.

Sokov quickly grabbed the microphone and said, "I am Sokov!"

"Comrade Brigade Commander." Zhu Kewen's voice came from the receiver: "We are about to reach our destination. I have ordered the train to slow down. Please prepare to get off."

After hanging up the phone, Sokov said to Politik and Haranchuk: "Lieutenant Zhukov reported that the train was about to arrive at the destination, so he ordered the train to slow down so that we can prepare to get off."

Halanchuk waved his fist excitedly and said excitedly: "Thank God, we are finally reaching our destination."

"Lieutenant Colonel Haranchuk, don't get too excited too soon." Politik reminded him, "The front is just the train terminal, not our destination. The nearest defense position of the friendly forces is three kilometers away from the station. Even if there are no enemies nearby, it will probably take us an hour to reach the friendly forces' defense zone."

"Comrade Colonel, I have informed my deputy, and he will arrange a convoy to pick us up at the station." Sokov said, "Even if there are a large number of wounded, with the help of trucks, we can return to our brigade's defense zone in the shortest time."

A few minutes later, the train stopped.

As soon as the car stopped, Haranchuk was about to open the door and get out, but was stopped by Sokov: "Wait a minute, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, let me call Lieutenant Zhu Kewen to see if the convoy that will pick us up has arrived?"

Sokov quickly finished the call and said to Haranchuk, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the convoy that is supposed to pick us up has not arrived yet. What you need to do now is to disarm all the German soldiers guarding the three carriages to avoid any problems during our transfer."

"Leave this to me." When Sokov asked him to disarm the German soldiers escorting the vehicle, Haranchuk agreed readily: "I promise that none of them will escape."

After Haranchuk got off the car, Politik said with emotion: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, you know, when you just proposed this risky plan, I didn't agree with it. But considering that you are a representative sent by your superiors, even if you have any ideas in your mind, you can't put them forward. I really didn't expect that we really returned to the vicinity of our army's defense zone."

"Comrade Colonel, I understand that you don't agree with my plan." Sokov looked at him and said, "After all, this plan is too risky. During the whole process, even a small problem in a certain link may put the troops in an irreparable situation."

The two chatted for a while, and a soldier came up to report: "Comrade Division Commander, the Lieutenant Colonel ordered me to report the situation to you."

"What's the situation outside?" asked Politic.

The soldier replied, "The German soldiers guarding the train in those three carriages have all surrendered their weapons, and the rest of the troops are getting off the train in an orderly manner and lining up beside the train. Comrade Lieutenant Colonel was worried that you might be worried, so he ordered me to come and report to you."

After hearing this, Politic nodded, then turned to Sokov and said, "Then let's get off the car first. I believe the convoy you sent to pick us up will arrive soon."

Since Politik was going to get off the train, Sokov naturally couldn't stay on the train any longer. Before he and his men left the train, he specifically reminded Khabarov: "Khabarov, there may be some confusion outside. When you get off the train, you must follow me closely and don't get lost."

"Okay." Baharov nodded in response.

After getting off the car, Sokov and Politik walked towards the front of the car.

It was just as Sokov had said, there was chaos everywhere. The soldiers who had just got off the train lined up slowly amid the shouts of the commanders. The captured German soldiers were squatting on the side of the train, guarded by a dozen soldiers with bayonets.

Before Sokov could find Zhukov and Haranchuk, the roar of a car engine was heard in the distance.

Hearing this sound, Politic's face lit up immediately, and he said to Sokov excitedly: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, listen, it's the sound of a car engine. Your men should be coming to pick us up."

Although Sokov knew that the incoming vehicle was most likely to pick up this unit, for safety reasons, he still suggested to Politic: "Comrade Colonel, it is night time now, visibility is limited, and it is not clear whether the incoming vehicle is to pick up the unit, so we still need to be alert."

After Sokov's reminder, Politik nodded repeatedly: "Comrade Colonel, you are right, we must remain highly vigilant to prevent being caught off guard by the enemy." After that, he called a commander next to him and ordered him to lead his men to the direction where the sound came from to set up defenses to avoid being attacked by the enemy.

Ten minutes later, the commander sent someone to report that the incoming vehicle belonged to the infantry brigade.

After hearing this, Sokov finally put his heart at ease. He asked the soldier, "Who is the commander of the team?" The soldier thought for a moment and then replied, "The leader is a captain, and his name seems to be Alexa..."

"Okay, I get it. It's Captain Alexa who's here." Sokov turned to Politic and said, "Comrade Colonel, this Alexa is the second battalion commander under me. He should be the one leading the convoy that's here to pick you up."

Sokov pointed at the soldier and ordered, "Comrade soldier, go and call Captain Alexa over and tell him that I have something important to tell him."

The soldier agreed and turned away.

Not long after, a truck with a tarpaulin drove up to Sokov and others.

As soon as the car stopped, the passenger door opened.

Captain Alexa jumped off the car, ran quickly to Sokov, raised his hand and saluted, and reported: "Comrade Brigade Commander, Captain Alexa, the commander of the second battalion, has been ordered to come to meet you. I obey your orders, please give me your instructions!"

"Comrade Captain," Sokov looked at Alexa and asked, "How many vehicles did you bring?"

"There are 45 vehicles in total," Alexa replied. "Each vehicle is equipped with a co-pilot and two escorting soldiers in addition to the driver."

Sokov nodded slightly after hearing this. He was very satisfied with Alexa's arrangement. "Comrade Captain, drive the car to the train immediately. Take the time to transport all the troops staying here and the batch of arms we seized."

"What? You seized a batch of enemy weapons?" Alexa's eyes widened in surprise. "I wonder how many weapons and supplies you seized? We see that you have too many people. If you need to transport ammunition and supplies, I'm afraid you won't have enough vehicles."

"Let's load as much as we can!" Sokov said. "If there is no room, let the healthy soldiers march on foot, and use the trucks to transport our captured supplies and the wounded soldiers, so that we can return to our defense zone as quickly as possible."

Under the arrangement of Politik and Haranchuk, the officers and soldiers of the 315th Division selected enough personnel to start moving the ammunition and supplies that the Germans had loaded into the carriages to the trucks parked not far away. After moving the supplies, the soldiers were allowed to board the trucks one by one.

The trucks loaded with supplies and wounded soldiers quickly left the unknown station and headed towards the defense zone of the Second Battalion.

Although Alexa brought 45 trucks, they were not enough to carry all the officers and soldiers and supplies. Seeing the soldiers who were still staying by the railway, Sokov made a decision. He would walk back to the defense zone of the Second Battalion with the soldiers who did not get on the train. Anyway, the distance was not far, and it would take at most half an hour to reach the destination. As for Politik and Haranchuk, Sokov asked them to take the car back to the defense zone first and wait for him at the brigade headquarters.

Seeing that Sokov was walking back to the defense zone like the other soldiers, Zhu Kewen couldn't help but ask curiously, "Comrade Brigade Commander, why don't you take a car, but walk back to the defense zone of the Second Battalion like us?"

"Although the distance from this station to the defense zone of the Second Battalion is only three kilometers, no one can guarantee that we will not encounter the German army on this road." Sokov patiently explained to Zhu Kewen: "If the troops are suddenly attacked by the enemy in an unfamiliar area at night and there is no high-level commander to unify the command, they will be easily defeated by the enemy. I marched on foot with those soldiers who could not take the car to prevent the troops from being suddenly attacked by the enemy during the march. We can organize effective resistance."

"Oh, so that's how it is." Zhu Kewen nodded and continued, "Comrade Brigade Commander, you brought back a division this time. Do you think the superiors will allow our brigade to merge with this unit?"

Sokov's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. If Rokossovsky really intended to merge the 315th Division with his own infantry brigade, with his qualifications, he could only serve as the deputy division commander at best. If he could not be the brigade commander, but had to be a deputy division commander with nothing but a figurehead, Sokov was very reluctant.

After thinking for a long time, he said to Zhu Kewen in an official tone: "Comrade Lieutenant, whether the troops are merged or not is up to the superiors. No matter what decision they make, I, as a subordinate, can only execute it unconditionally."

Forty minutes later, the troops successfully entered the defense zone of the Second Battalion.

At this point, Sokov felt relieved and put the heart that had been hanging in his throat back into his stomach.

Seeing the second battalion commander Alexa waiting on the battlefield, Sokov asked directly: "Where are the two commanders of the friendly forces? Where did they go?"

"I have arranged for the personnel to be sent to the brigade headquarters."

"Well done." Sokov nodded and ordered him, "Please arrange a car for me immediately to take us back to the brigade headquarters."

Alexa agreed, called a soldier over, leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words to him, and then the soldier turned and left.

Soon, an empty truck drove over and stopped steadily in front of Sokov.

Sokov put his hand on Zhukov's shoulder and said to him, "Comrade Lieutenant, the car is here, let's get in."

The truck quickly took Sokov and others back to the brigade headquarters.

Sokov saw Belkin standing at the door of the tent from a distance, looking nervous, and quickly said to the driver, "Comrade driver, drive the car to the deputy brigade commander and stop."

The driver agreed and stopped the car steadily in front of Belkin, then said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, we have arrived. You can get off now."

After thanking the driver, Sokov opened the door and walked towards Belkin. The soldiers sitting in the carriage also lowered the rear baffle, jumped out of the carriage one after another, and lined up next to the car.

"Comrade Brigade Commander." Belkin saw Sokov and immediately walked up to him and hugged him. At the same time, he said excitedly, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I'm glad you came back safely. I was always worried about what might happen to you."

"What can happen to me?" Sokov said with a smile, "I'm not a child. I can protect myself. By the way, is there any news during the time I was away?"

"Comrade Brigade Commander," Belkin reminded him, "It's all the same. Nothing has happened. By the way, the two commanders of the 315th Division are in the tent. Let's go in quickly and don't keep them waiting anxiously."

(End of this chapter)