red moscow

Chapter 3017

Rokossovsky was taken aback for a moment, then said, "No wonder when Zhukov called me, he said each rifle was only equipped with 200 rounds of ammunition, and that we should use them sparingly because if we ran out, we wouldn't be able to replenish them in a short time. I was quite puzzled at the time. What was Zhukov thinking? Even if we ran out of bullets, couldn't we just replenish them on the spot? There are plenty of rifle bullets. Now that you've said it, I finally understand. It turns out that the bullets used in the new rifles are not compatible with the rifle bullets we use now."

“Yes, Comrade Commander,” Sokov nodded and said, “The new rifles use the 7.62x39mm intermediate-power rifle cartridge. Why use an intermediate cartridge? It’s because the rifle cartridges we use now are the powerful 7.62x54Rmm full-power rifle cartridges. Although they have a long range and great power, the recoil is difficult to control when firing in full automatic mode, and the amount of ammunition carried by the soldiers is also limited. The submachine guns use 9x19mm pistol cartridges, which have fierce firepower at close range, but their effective range is limited.”

The 7.62x39mm ammunition falls precisely in between. It boasts a longer effective range and greater penetration than pistol rounds, while its recoil is significantly less than that of full-power rifle rounds, making it more suitable for continuous automatic fire. This allows soldiers to inflict effective damage at relatively long distances while maintaining sustained firepower in intense close-quarters combat.

Standing beside him, Malinin looked puzzled upon hearing Sokov's words: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, according to you, this new rifle will have a very impressive performance on the battlefield?"

Sokov turned to face Malinin and nodded, saying, "You're right, Comrade Chief of Staff. If our army were to be equipped with this new rifle on a large scale, it would help improve the combat effectiveness of the troops."

Rokossovsky had never seen the new rifle in person, so he naturally didn't know its power or whether it was as formidable as Sokov had described. He coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and continued, "Misha, the officers and soldiers all need time to adapt to using new weapons. Once the new rifles are distributed to every soldier, they must be made familiar with their use as quickly as possible. Understand?"

“I understand, Comrade Commander.” Sokov made a promise to Rokossovsky: “Give me three days, and I will make sure that all the officers and soldiers equipped with the new rifles are proficient in using this weapon.”

“I don’t have that much time for you,” Rokossovsky said, looking at Sokov. “The offensive on Krasnopol is not going well right now, and your brigade will be deployed sooner or later. I can only give you a day and a half at most to familiarize your officers and soldiers with the use of the new weapons. So, are you confident you can do it?”

It was no easy task to get thousands of people to master the use of a completely unfamiliar new weapon and become proficient in it within a day and a half. But since it was Rokossovsky who gave the order, Sokov could only reserve his opinion, no matter what it was.

"Okay, Commander, I will try my best to make sure that all the officers and soldiers are familiar with the use of this new rifle within a day and a half."

As soon as Sokov returned to the brigade headquarters, Belkin and Karsokov surrounded him, eagerly asking, "Comrade Brigade Commander, what did the Commander call you over for? Did he assign us a new combat mission?"

"Comrade Commander called me over today not to assign any combat missions," Sokov said. "But the Armaments Department has produced a new batch of rifles, which they intend to give to our brigade for trial use to test the performance of these weapons on the battlefield."

“What’s going on? These newly produced weapons are being rashly handed over to our brigade. What if they don’t perform well on the battlefield? Wouldn’t that be sending our commanders and soldiers to their deaths?” Belkin grumbled, but as soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to realize something. He shuddered, then stared wide-eyed at Sokov, asking incredulously, “Comrade Brigade Commander, are you telling me that this batch of new weapons is the new rifle developed by that Comrade Khabarov?”

“That’s right, it’s the new rifle developed by Khabarov.” Sokov nodded and said with certainty, “If all the members of our brigade were equipped with this assault rifle, it would be of great help to improving our overall combat effectiveness.”

"I wonder how many new rifles the higher-ups have allocated to us?" Belkin asked.

“A thousand new rifles!” Sokov said. “Each rifle is equipped with 200 rounds of ammunition. The higher-ups told us to conserve our ammunition, because if we run out, we won’t be able to resupply on the spot.”

After hearing this, Belkin asked in confusion, "Don't the troops have so many rifles? When the bullets for the new rifles run out, other rifle bullets can be used instead."

But Sokov shook his head and said, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, things are not as simple as you think. This new rifle uses a new type of rifle cartridge, which is not compatible with the rifle cartridges we use now."

"Ah, it's not compatible with the rifle bullets we use now?" Belkin said with some regret. "In that case, we have to use these bullets sparingly in battle, otherwise the gun will become a fire poker once the bullets are used up."

"Comrade Commander has given us a day and a half to familiarize ourselves with the use of this new rifle," Sokov continued. "After the allotted time is up, our brigade may have to participate in the attack on Krasnopolana. It is essential to tell the soldiers that only by mastering the use of this new rifle can they have a higher chance of survival on the battlefield."

"A day and a half is a bit too short," Karsokov said hesitantly.

“I would like to ask the commander to give me three days. In my opinion, even the most slow-witted soldier can master the use of this new rifle within three days.” Sokov shrugged, spread his hands, and said rather helplessly, “But the commander refused my request, saying that he could only give us a day and a half at most to familiarize ourselves with and master the use of the new rifle.”

"In that case, once the new weapons arrive, we must seize the time to train the soldiers and strive to enable them to master the use of the weapons as soon as possible."

At 3 p.m., the convoy transporting the weapons arrived.

Accompanying the convoy were some staff members from the weapons and equipment department, who were responsible for teaching the soldiers how to use the new rifle.

When Belkin saw the new assault rifle, he examined it for a long time, then looked up at Sokov and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I don't think this new rifle is anything special. It's probably only slightly better than the Mosin-Nagant we're using now."

Sokov smiled faintly, then said to Belkin, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, if you want to see how powerful this weapon is, you can have the comrades from the Weapons and Equipment Department demonstrate it for you."

Upon hearing Sokov's words, Belkin immediately pulled up a staff member from the weapons and equipment department and went outside to test the weapons.

A dozen minutes later, a beaming Belkin walked in carrying an assault rifle. He excitedly told Sokov, "Comrade Brigade Commander, you're right. This new rifle is fantastic! It can fire in bursts like a submachine gun, and it can also hit distant targets with the precision of a rifle. If our entire brigade is equipped with this new rifle, it will definitely improve our overall combat effectiveness." Several battalion commanders, upon learning that the brigade had been issued a batch of new rifles, all came to Sokov, hoping to equip their battalions with them.

Faced with the arguing battalion commanders, Karsokov whispered to Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the higher command has only issued us one thousand rifles. It's obviously unrealistic to equip the entire brigade; only two battalions can be equipped. Which two battalions do you think should receive this equipment?"

“I think we should let Captain Yefim’s 1st Battalion and Major Vasya’s 4th Battalion receive this equipment,” Sokov said. “These two battalions are the strongest in the entire brigade. Equipping them with this new type of rifle might even take their combat effectiveness to the next level.”

Now that the brigade commander had spoken, the argument among the battalion commanders stopped.

Captain Yefim and Major Vasya were overjoyed to learn that their troops would be equipped with the new rifles. The other two battalion commanders, however, were disappointed that their units had missed out on the new equipment.

“Comrade Brigade Commander,” Captain Alexa, the Second Battalion Commander, began to play the victim in front of Sokov, “When the troops withdrew from Sun Mountain City, it was my unit that followed you to cover the rear. Now the entire battalion has suffered heavy losses, and its combat effectiveness has also dropped significantly. If we could also be equipped with this new type of rifle, I think the time it would take to recover our combat effectiveness would be greatly shortened.”

Sokov looked at Alexa and said calmly, "Captain Alexa, the number of new weapons sent to us by the higher-ups this time is limited. I'm prioritizing equipping the strongest battalions, the First and Fourth Battalions. But don't worry, once more new rifles arrive, I will definitely distribute them to your battalions."

Alexei was clearly dissatisfied with Sokov's empty promises. Just as he was about to pester Sokov to continue talking, he heard Belkin say to Yefim and Vasya, "Comrades, the new rifles you are equipped with must be mastered by the soldiers within a day and a half, and they must be able to use them proficiently."

Yefim and Vasya were stunned upon hearing this. What? To expect commanders and soldiers equipped with the new rifles to become familiar with and proficient in using this new weapon within a day and a half? That seemed a bit too much to ask.

Seeing the two men open their mouths as if to say something, Belkin raised his hand to interrupt them, saying sternly, "You don't need to complain in front of us. This time was set by Commander Rokossovsky. He plans for our brigade to participate in the attack on Krasnopolana in a day and a half. If the soldiers cannot use the new weapons proficiently, their chances of survival will be greatly reduced once they are on the battlefield. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Berkin had already made his point clear, so Yefim and Vasya understood immediately and replied, "Understood, Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander. We'll go back now to train the troops and strive to be proficient in using this new weapon within the stipulated time."

After seeing off the four battalion commanders, Karsokov looked at Sokov with concern and asked, "Comrade Brigade Commander, do you really think the soldiers of the First and Fourth Battalions can master this new weapon in a day and a half?"

"Comrade Ustinov from the Armaments Department has thought things through very well," Sokov said. "He sent people to deliver the weapons, and also a group of instructors to teach how to use the new weapons. I think that as long as someone isn't too stupid, they should have no problem mastering these weapons within a day and a half and using them proficiently on the battlefield."

"I hope so."

The next morning, Sokov called Major Vasya directly and asked bluntly, "Major Vasya, have your troops mastered how to use the new weapons?"

“Comrade Brigade Commander, the vast majority of soldiers have mastered it,” Vasya replied. “But they still need some time to practice before they can use it proficiently. To help the soldiers get familiar with the new weapon more quickly, I arranged for each of them to fire ten rounds so they could experience the difference between the new and old rifles.”

“You did the right thing, Major.” Sokov was very satisfied with Vasya’s arrangement: “How can the soldiers appreciate the advantages of the new rifles and become proficient in using them in a short time if they don’t fire a few shots themselves?”

"Comrade Brigade Commander, are all the things you said yesterday true?" Vasya asked tentatively.

"What did you say?" Sokov didn't understand which of his words the other person was asking about.

“You said the commander only gave us a day and a half of training time, and then we would participate in the attack on Red Polyana.” Vasya continued, “Is that all true?”

“That’s right, Major, I’m telling the truth.” Sokov said seriously, “If the enemy gains a foothold in Krasnopolana, they will deploy heavy artillery in the city and bombard Moscow. To avoid this, our army must do everything we can to drive the enemy out of the city. The troops that participated in the initial offensive did not achieve any significant results, so the commander is considering putting our brigade into the battle. Are you all ready for battle?”

"Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander, we have made all the necessary combat preparations and are ready to engage in combat at any time."

After calling Vasya, Sokov called Yefim to inquire about the troops' training progress.

"Reporting to the brigade commander," Yefim reported to Sokov on the other end of the phone. "After the soldiers have mastered how to use their firearms, I plan to organize a live-fire exercise for them this morning." Perhaps worried that Sokov would think he was wasting bullets, Yefim added, "I think if we only let the soldiers practice aiming but don't let them fire a few real shots, it will be difficult for them to become proficient in using the new weapons at the very beginning of their campaign."

“Captain Yefim, you’ve thought this through very well.” Sokov said with a smile after Yefim finished speaking, “However, you’re moving a bit too slowly. I just called Major Vasya, and he told me that he has had every soldier equipped with the new rifle fire ten rounds to familiarize themselves with the weapon’s characteristics.”

"What? The Fourth Battalion has already conducted live-fire exercises?" Yefim said in surprise and unwillingly, "I will immediately gather the troops and have them go to the firing range to conduct live-fire exercises now."

(End of this chapter)