red moscow

Chapter 2973

The battle to counterattack Volokolamsk began at seven o'clock the next morning.

As the army group's artillery bombarded the enemy positions, Sokov and his deputy brigade commander, Belkin, stood in their observation post, raising their binoculars to look at the German positions engulfed in flames and smoke. They wondered whether the first wave of cavalry would be able to charge into the enemy's positions once the bombardment ended.

After watching for a few minutes, Belkin put down his binoculars, turned to Sokov, and asked, "Comrade Brigade Commander, do you really think the cavalry charge will succeed?"

Upon hearing Belkin's question, Sokov casually replied, "Of course, their attack will certainly be successful."

Seeing that Sokov answered so readily, Belkin couldn't help but be curious: "Comrade Brigade Commander, are you so sure?"

“I agree with the Commander’s statement.” Sokov pointed to the German positions ahead and continued, “Our starting position is three kilometers away from the enemy’s. If we attack with infantry after the artillery preparation is over, it will take about half an hour to reach the enemy’s position. But if we use cavalry to charge, we can shorten the time to just a few minutes. Moreover, after the artillery bombardment, the snow near the German positions has melted, so the cavalry will not have to worry about the snow being too deep and affecting the speed of their horses when they charge.”

“That’s right, that’s exactly it.” Belkin agreed with Sokov’s statement: “The snow is too deep in many areas, which does have a great impact on the cavalry’s charging speed. But now our army is bombarding the enemy’s positions with heavy artillery fire. The high temperature generated by the exploding shells is enough to melt the snow within a few hundred meters in front of the positions, making it easier for the cavalry to charge.”

"Our mission this time is to capture two small towns north of Volokolamsk." With the offensive about to begin, Belkin was extremely anxious: "Do you think we can accomplish the mission assigned to us?"

Sokov finally put down his binoculars, turned to Belkin, and asked, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, didn't we study the map repeatedly last night and confirm that our brigade was fully confident in completing the task assigned to us by the higher command? How come you've become so unconfident in less than ten hours?"

Hearing Sokov say this, Belkin chuckled twice and embarrassedly defended himself, saying, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I don't know why, but the closer it gets to the start of the battle, the more uneasy I feel, worried that today's attack will go wrong."

Sokov tried hard to recall some details about the Volokolamsk counterattack, but unfortunately, he could not recall any useful information other than the famous slogan shouted by Klochkov, the first political instructor of the 316th Infantry Division, when he and two soldiers were defending the Duboshekovo pass; and a few words about the counterattack in Rokossovsky's memoirs.

However, in order not to discourage Belkin, he said insincerely, "Don't worry, Deputy Brigade Commander, we will definitely be able to successfully complete the task assigned to us by our superiors."

The shelling of the German troops lasted for forty minutes before it stopped.

As a red signal flare soared into the sky, the sound of thousands of horses galloping could soon be heard.

Sokov and Belkin quickly turned to look in the direction of the sound. With the help of the morning light, they could see a dark mass of cavalry charging toward their location.

Upon seeing such a large cavalry force, Belkin said with some surprise, "Wasn't it said that only the 3rd Cavalry Corps would participate in the first offensive? But judging from the number of these cavalrymen, it seems that the cavalry divisions that just came from Central Asia have also been committed to the battle."

Sokov was unfamiliar with the organization of the cavalry corps, and he was still shocked to see such a large cavalry force charging towards him. He even wondered if he would panic if he held his ground in the trenches where the cavalry was about to attack and saw thousands of horses charging towards him.

Soon, the cavalry swept past Sokov's observation post and continued their charge toward the German positions ahead.

Sokov quickly raised his binoculars and looked towards the German positions. He didn't know whether the Germans had taken cover in the nearby trenches or retreated to the second line of defense when the shelling began. If it was the latter, it would take some time for the enemy to arrive from the second line, and the cavalry might be able to use that time difference to charge into the enemy's positions in one go.

As Sokov had predicted, the situation unfolded exactly as he had foreseen; the cavalry quickly broke through the German lines. Soon after, a red flag was raised on the position, indicating that the cavalry had captured it.

"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic!" Belkin exclaimed happily, waving his fists repeatedly. "Our cavalry brothers are truly amazing! They charged into the enemy's position so easily, catching them completely off guard."

Seeing that the start was promising, Sokov nodded slightly. Now it was time for his troops to launch an attack.

A few minutes later, three more red signal flares rose into the sky, signaling the infantry to launch an attack.

Sokov turned and walked to the telephone, picked up the receiver, and said into it, "Comrade Chief of Staff, give orders to the First and Second Battalions to launch an attack immediately!"

After giving the order, Belkin walked up to Sokov and asked somewhat uneasily, "Comrade Brigade Commander, although our cavalry attack went smoothly, they only cleared the outer perimeter. The town we are going to attack has strong defenses. Can we really take the town smoothly?"

Seeing that Belkin still looked anxious and uncertain, Sokov patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, don't worry. With the combat effectiveness of our troops, taking the two small towns outside the city shouldn't be a big problem."

The combined assault force of the 1st and 2nd Battalions reached a point a few hundred meters from the town when they were intercepted by German fire. Mortar shells and machine gun bullets formed an impenetrable fire net outside the town, and the officers and soldiers who accidentally strayed into this area suffered heavy casualties.

Upon learning of this situation, Sokov immediately told Captain Yefim, "Comrade Captain, have the troops halt temporarily. Once the artillery battery has cleared the enemy's fire, your two battalions can continue their advance."

“Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander.” Yefim replied loudly, “I will order the soldiers to temporarily halt the attack and continue advancing after the enemy’s firing points have been cleared.”

After ending his call with Yefim, Sokov contacted Karsokov again and instructed him: "The first and second battalions are stalled in their attack. Immediately send the artillery battery over and use direct fire to destroy the enemy's strongpoints, thus opening a path for our soldiers to advance."

The artillery battery was already on standby. Upon receiving the order from Karsokov, it rushed to the outskirts of the town as quickly as possible. The four cannons lined up and used direct fire to eliminate the exposed firing points one by one.

With the firing positions in the town cleared, the first and second battalions launched another attack on the town.

They entered the town and engaged in street fighting with the remaining enemy forces. Due to the Soviet army's numerical superiority and flexible tactics, they wiped out all the enemy in the town in just over half an hour.

When news of the capture of the town by the 1st and 2nd Battalions reached the brigade headquarters, Captain Nazorov, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, and Major Vasya, the commander of the 4th Battalion, who were waiting there, could no longer sit still.

Upon seeing Sokov and Belkin enter, Nazorov immediately went to greet them and said anxiously, "Comrades, the first and second battalions have captured the first town. When will we launch our attack on the second town?"

"Captain Nazorov," Sokov said calmly, "Don't rush. We need to report the results to the army group headquarters first, and also find out about the progress of our friendly forces. If they haven't achieved their objectives, and we advance further rashly, we'll become isolated and vulnerable. If the Germans manage to outflank us, we'll be surrounded."

Hearing Sokov's words, Nazorov fell silent, only glancing at Karsokov beside him, hoping he could quickly report the results to the army group headquarters to confirm whether the offensive could continue.

Seeing his expression, Karsokov couldn't help but laugh: "Captain Nazorov, don't worry, I'll report the results right away. Since the operation meeting last night decided that your battalion and the fourth battalion would attack the second town, there will be no change. It's just a matter of when the attack will take place."

The infantry brigade's results were reported to the army group headquarters. After reading them, Malinin came to Rokossovsky and reported to him: "The infantry brigade has successfully captured one of the two towns in the north."

“Well done,” Rokossovsky said approvingly, then casually asked, “What are they doing now?”

"Still waiting."

"What, still waiting?" Rokossovsky asked, frowning. "Why are they stopping instead of continuing their attack? Doesn't Misha worry that they'll miss their chance?"

Malinin guessed the reason why Sokov had suspended the attack, and said cautiously, "Comrade Commander, I think the infantry brigade may have temporarily stopped the attack to find out the progress of the friendly forces. Lieutenant Colonel Sokov is probably worried that while he is advancing, the friendly forces on the left and right flanks are not making good progress, and then he may become isolated and even fall into the German encirclement."

"Chief of Staff, call Misha immediately and tell him that the offensive cannot be stopped." Rokossovsky said sternly, "If this counterattack fails because of delayed action and missed opportunities, he can expect to be court-martialed."

Malinin felt Rokossovsky's tone was too harsh, so he reminded him, "Comrade Commander, if the troops on the left and right flanks of the infantry brigade do not make good progress and continue to advance, they could easily be encircled by the German army..."

“As a commander, if you hesitate and look back during battle, you will never win a battle.” Rokossovsky said with a solemn expression, “Tell the commanders of the infantry brigade not to worry. Even if they are unfortunately surrounded by the German army, I will send people to rescue them.”

Ma Lining agreed, walked to the side, picked up the phone, and connected to the infantry brigade's command.

Upon hearing that the person who answered the phone was Sokov, Malinin didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, the Commander asked me to ask you: Why did you stop the offensive?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, I would like to understand the progress of our friendly forces on the left and right flanks before deciding whether to launch an attack on the other target," Sokov said cautiously. "If the advance on the left and right flanks is not going well, we will be isolated and may very well be encircled by the German army."

When Malinin saw that Sokov's words coincided with his own guess, he quickly relayed Rokossovsky's message: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, the commander asked me to tell you. You can just attack with confidence and don't worry about the friendly forces on the left and right flanks. Even if you are unfortunately surrounded by the German army, don't be afraid, we will send troops to rescue you."

Sokov knew very well that since Malinin had already put things this way, if he continued to hesitate, Rokossovsky would likely enforce battlefield discipline on him without hesitation. He quickly replied, "Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff, I will immediately order the troops to launch an attack on another target."

After hanging up the phone, Sokov said to the two eager battalion commanders beside him, "Comrades, you can launch an attack on the new target now. Major Vasya will still be in command of this battle. If anything unexpected happens on the battlefield, remember to contact me immediately. Understand?"

"Understood, Comrade Brigade Commander!" Major Vasya nodded in response.

"Alright, you two get back to your units immediately." Sokov waved to the two men. "Make sure to launch an attack on the second target within half an hour."

No sooner had the two battalion commanders left than Belkin eagerly asked Sokov, "Comrade Brigade Commander, how are the troops on the left and right flanks progressing? Are they keeping up with our pace of attack?"

Although Malinin didn't mention the situation of the friendly forces on the left and right flanks, Sokov could guess that progress was probably not going well. When Belkin asked about it, he explained to him, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, judging from the tone of the Chief of Staff, the friendly forces on the flanks are probably not making good progress."

Upon hearing this, Belkin panicked: "Comrade Brigade Commander, if that's really the case, it means that if we continue the attack, we might get surrounded by the enemy."

“There’s no need to worry about that.” Sokov quickly relayed what Malinin had said to him: “The chief of staff told me that the commander specifically instructed us to just keep attacking, and even if we were unfortunately surrounded by the German army, we didn’t need to worry, as he would send troops to rescue us.”

Sokov's last words brought a look of astonishment to Belkin's face: "Comrade Brigade Commander, is what you said really true? If we unfortunately fall into the German encirclement, they can really send people to rescue us?"

"of course it's true."

Berkin, who had been hesitant about the counterattack, suddenly became excited, as if he had been injected with adrenaline: "In that case, let's proceed according to the original plan and have the troops continue to advance towards Volokolamsk."

After a brief pause, Belkin volunteered to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, in order to better command the troops in combat, I request to go to the front lines. I hope you will approve my request."

Seeing Belkin's eagerness for battle, Sokov stared at him for a long time before slowly nodding: "I agree! When you go to the front to command the battle, be careful."

(End of this chapter)