red moscow

Chapter 2948

“Vika, you make a good point.” Sokov nodded in agreement with Victoria’s statement. “In my previous life, I led an infantry brigade to Mamayev Kurgan ahead of time and used the local construction troops to build strong underground fortifications on the hill. But after the battle broke out, we still suffered considerable casualties in the face of the German army’s fierce attack. If I were to lead troops to participate in the defense of Stalingrad again this time, I’m afraid the chances of survival would be greatly reduced.”

“Misha, it’s not enough for you to just recognize this clearly,” Victoria reminded Sokov. “You need to find a way to survive this battle, which is known as the turning point of the war, so that we can have a chance to return to our own future world.”

Sokov laughed: "Vika, the major counter-offensive under Moscow hasn't even started yet, and we're already discussing the Battle of Stalingrad, which won't break out until the second half of next year. Isn't that a bit too premature?"

Sokov's reminder immediately struck Victoria as realizing that the major counter-offensive was still a month away, and discussing the Battle of Stalingrad now would be tantamount to missing the point. She coughed lightly, cleared her throat, and then tentatively asked, "Misha, if you had the opportunity to become a front commander, could you end this war sooner?"

“No, definitely not.” Sokov shook his head immediately upon hearing Victoria’s question. “Even if I became a front commander, let alone reach Zhukov’s position, it would probably be impossible to end the war early.”

After hearing this, Victoria asked, puzzled, "Why?"

“As time travelers, we are also bound by certain rules and cannot rewrite the true history, otherwise we would be directly wiped out by the Great God of Censorship.” Seeing Victoria’s puzzled expression, Sokov hurriedly added, “As for my rescue of Lukin and Yakov, although it also changed history, it has little impact and will not be affected by the rules.”

Confused, Victoria didn't ask any further questions. She grabbed Sokov's arm, rolled up her sleeve to check the time on her watch, and said, "Misha, it'll be lunchtime soon. Can you take me back to my room?"

Sokov stood up and pushed Victoria's wheelchair toward the hospital building.

During the journey, Sokov slowly spoke up, "Vika, it's indeed a bit too early for us to be thinking about next year. You know, although I participated in the Battle of Stalingrad in my previous life, I may not be sent to that region to fight in this life."

Victoria looked up at Sokov pushing the cart and asked with some surprise, "So where do you think you'll be sent?"

Do you know about Model's famous match?

Someone unfamiliar with history would be completely baffled by Sokov's question. But Victoria, who knew the history of the Great Patriotic War, looked surprised: "Misha, do you mean you might be sent to the Rzhev region to fight?"

“This possibility cannot be ruled out,” Sokov continued. “The campaign lasted for a year. In the four offensive campaigns launched in succession, although the Soviet army had the advantage in numbers, it ended in failure in the end, with more than 600,000 killed and more than 1 million wounded, making Model famous in one battle.”

"Wouldn't things get even worse if you went to Rzhev?"

Sokov gently patted Victoria's shoulder, comforting her, "Vika, no matter which front I go to in the future, there will definitely be dangers on the battlefield. But I will do everything I can to ensure my safety, so you don't need to worry."

After pushing Victoria to the vicinity of the nurses' station, the nurse who was looking after Victoria immediately stopped chatting with the other nurses, came over and took Victoria's wheelchair from Sokov's hands, and politely greeted Sokov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I'm going to take Comrade Victoria back to her ward for a meal. If you want to visit her, you can come again tomorrow."

Sokov, recalling Victoria's earlier words, carefully examined the nurse before him. She was tall, fair-skinned, and quite attractive. He nodded to her, smiling, and said, "Alright, I'll visit Vika again tomorrow."

……

Soon, October Day arrived.

Sokov found Lukin at the military hospital and together they rode in a car sent by the garrison command to Red Square.

We had only gone halfway when snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Looking at the swirling snowflakes, Lukin smiled and said, "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I've been in Moscow for so many days and haven't seen any snow. I never expected to be here today for the military parade in Red Square, and to be greeted by snow! This is truly a blessing for Russia!"

Sokov smiled slightly upon hearing this. Having spent over a decade in Russia, he naturally understood that snow in winter was a good omen, similar to the Chinese proverb "A timely snow promises a bumper harvest." He nodded and echoed, "Comrade General, today's snowfall means that German planes will not appear over Moscow during the parade, and the parade will not be halted."

“That’s right, that’s right.” Lukin nodded vigorously and agreed, “I think we won’t be harassed by enemy aircraft during the entire parade.”

The two arrived at the Alexander Garden in their vehicle.

After the driver brought the car to a stop, he turned to Sokov and said, “Lieutenant Colonel, you will get off here and then proceed on foot toward Red Square. There will be someone checking your identification at the slope east of the History Museum. Please have your military ID and invitation ready beforehand.”

With the driver's help, Sokov lifted the wheelchair out of the trunk and then lifted Lukin into the wheelchair.

When Sokov pushed Lukin to the slope, there were indeed many NKVD soldiers checking the credentials of those entering.

The officer in charge of checking Sokov and Lukin was an NKVD lieutenant. After saluting, he said in a cold voice, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, Comrade General, please show me your military ID and invitations!"

Sokov quickly handed over his and Lukin's military ID cards and invitations.

The NKVD lieutenant took the military ID, carefully compared the photos on it with those of Lukin and Sokov, and then picked up the invitation. He checked a register based on the number on it, and after confirming it was correct, he put a checkmark next to each name.

After doing all this, the NKVD lieutenant returned the identification and invitation to Sokov.

Just as Sokov thanked him and was about to leave, the NKVD lieutenant glanced at Lukin, who was sitting in a wheelchair, frowned, and said, "Comrade General, according to regulations, wheelchairs are not allowed in the reviewing stand. Please proceed on foot."

“Lieutenant,” Sokov said, though he knew Lukin’s leg injury had improved significantly after treatment and he could barely walk. However, the distance to the reviewing stand was over two hundred meters, and it was all uphill; Lukin couldn’t possibly walk that far in his condition. He quickly consulted with the lieutenant: “Didn’t you see the general’s leg injury? Walking such a long distance will definitely aggravate it. Could you perhaps make an exception and let me push the wheelchair closer to the reviewing stand?” “No,” the NKVD lieutenant refused Sokov’s request without hesitation: “Wheelchairs aren’t allowed in there; that’s the rule. If he can’t walk up, then he shouldn’t participate in this parade.”

The words of the NKVD lieutenant made Lukin's expression more complex. He gripped the armrests of his wheelchair with both hands, stood up with difficulty, and said breathlessly, "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, don't make things difficult for this lieutenant, I'll walk up myself."

“Comrade General, this won’t do.” Sokov saw that Lukin was trying to be brave and quickly stopped him, saying, “If you walk such a long distance, your leg will be ruined.”

"Then what should I do?" Lukin said helplessly. "I can't just turn back now, can I?"

Sokov thought for a moment, then came up with a solution: "Comrade General, if you don't object, I can carry you to the reviewing stand. What do you think?"

“Not very good.” But Lukin refused Sokov’s offer: “It’s too far. If you were to carry me there, you probably wouldn’t be able to manage.”

“It’s alright.” Sokov turned his back to Lukin, half-squatted down, and then said to Lukin, “Comrade General, climb onto my back, and I’ll carry you to the reviewing stand.”

Seeing Sokov's resolute attitude, Lukin could no longer refuse, so he obediently lay on Sokov's back and let him carry him to the viewing platform.

By this time, quite a few people were already seated on the viewing platform. When they saw Sokov carrying Lukin over, they immediately stood up and went to help. Some even asked directly, "Where are your seats? If they're too far inside, I can move you to the outside."

With the help of others, Sokov placed Lukin, whom he had been carrying on his back, onto a seat on the outside. After sitting down, Sokov began to pant heavily; the journey had almost exhausted all his strength.

"Misha, thank you so much just now." Seeing that Sokov was panting heavily, Lukin felt a little guilty and said apologetically, "Without your help, I would probably still be inching my way up the slope right now."

"Comrade General, you're too kind. It's all I should do."

The spectators sitting around were all talking in hushed tones.

Lukin looked around, then whispered to Sokov, "Misha, if the Supreme Command were to appoint me as the commander of an army group, would you be willing to come and help me? Don't worry, the position will definitely not be lower than your current one."

Sokov was unsure how things would unfold for Lukin, whom he had rescued, over the next few years. Therefore, he did not hastily agree to Lukin's proposal. Instead, he said tactfully, "Comrade General, I very much want to become your subordinate. But I cannot give you a definite answer at this moment. Please forgive me."

“I completely understand what you’re thinking right now,” Lukin said, nodding. “If the higher-ups transfer Rokossovsky to command another army group, I will most likely become the new commander of the 16th Army. After all, that was the position I held when the war broke out.”

Sokov's lips twitched upon hearing this, and he thought to himself, "Rokossovsky was seriously wounded during the Moscow counterattack and spent several months in a military hospital in Moscow. Shortly after recovering and returning to the 16th Army, he was appointed commander of the Bryansk Front. In reality, Lukin was captured due to his injuries, and after Rokossovsky was transferred, he naturally couldn't take over as commander of the 1st Army. The person who succeeded him was Lieutenant General Bagramyan."

“Comrade General,” Sokov said after some thought, feeling that he couldn’t refuse Lukin’s invitation too casually, “I estimate that I will probably remain in the 16th Army for the next year or two. If you become the commander of the 16th Army, then I will certainly become your subordinate.”

Lukin was very satisfied with Sokov's reply and nodded with a smile.

As time went on, the celebrations of October began.

As the bugle sounded, the people who had been chatting idly on the viewing platform stopped talking and stood up.

Stalin, accompanied by members of the Supreme Command, slowly ascended to the top of Lenin's Mausoleum.

After a brief silence, Stalin's familiar voice came from the loudspeakers placed around Red Square: "Soldiers, commanders, political officers, and partisans of the Red Army and Red Navy, the whole world is watching you, seeing you as the main force capable of annihilating the German invaders. The people of Europe, enslaved by fascism, are watching you, seeing you as their liberators. A great mission has fallen on your shoulders. Do not fail this mission. The war you are waging is a just war of liberation..."

When Stalin uttered his final words: "Forward to victory!"

Tens of thousands of troops standing in the square, and hundreds on the reviewing stand, all shouted in unison: "Hurrah! Hurrah!! Hurrah!!!"

Next, Marshal Budyonny, the parade commander-in-chief, riding a white horse, reviewed the troops lined up in the square, accompanied by Pavel Artemyev, the commander of the Moscow garrison.

After a week of inspection, Budyonny returned to Lenin's Mausoleum and, as required, reported to Stalin that the troops were ready for the parade.

The parade began amidst the resounding military music.

Leading the parade were cadets from the mortar school and the Lenin Military and Political Academy, followed by the 323rd Infantry Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, the Dzerzhinsky Infantry Division of the Internal Troops, and the Special Task Forces. Finally, the armored and artillery units passed Lenin's Mausoleum in an orderly fashion, receiving Stalin's inspection.

Sokov heard someone behind him say excitedly, "Fantastic, fantastic! Our troops are absolutely fantastic! I dare say that if we put them on the battlefield now, we could crush the German plot to occupy Moscow."

Hearing this, Sokov's lips twitched slightly. He knew very well that when these troops reached the Moscow River via Vasilyevsky Prospekt, they would immediately board the trucks parked there and be transported directly to the battlefield. These commanders and soldiers who went to the battlefield displayed great bravery in the ensuing battles, using their own flesh and blood to hold back the German army's frenzied attacks and buy precious time for the counter-offensive.

Sokov suddenly felt someone touch his arm. He turned around and saw it was Lukin. He quickly asked in a low voice, "Comrade General, is there anything I can help you with?"

(End of this chapter)