red moscow

Chapter 3027

The attack on Klyukovo lasted for a day and a night, but the Soviet army made little progress.

Although the 7th Guards Division briefly occupied the city hall in the city center, and soldiers of the 20th Guards Regiment even planted a red flag on the top of the building, the German troops that launched a counterattack soon re-entered the city hall, and all the Soviet officers and soldiers who were holding out inside were killed.

Meanwhile, the 19th and 23rd Guards Regiments of the 8th Guards Division launched as many as twelve attacks on the enemy west of the city, but all ended in failure. Faced with the enemy's fierce counterattack, the officers and soldiers of the two regiments put up a tenacious resistance, but still could not stop the enemy's offensive. Fortunately, Levyagin promptly dispatched the 30th Guards Regiment to provide support, and most of the surviving officers and soldiers of the two regiments were able to successfully retreat to a safe area.

Seeing that the fighting in the city was making no progress, Rokossovsky became extremely anxious and personally called the two division commanders to inquire about the progress of the battle.

After receiving Rokossovsky's call, Levyagin said somewhat emotionally, "Comrade Commander, my troops have suffered heavy losses in the battle and are barely holding on against the enemy's fierce counterattack. Please send reinforcements immediately!"

Standing next to Rokossovsky, Malinin heard Levyagin's anxious voice coming through the receiver and couldn't help but suggest to Rokossovsky, "Comrade Commander, since the 8th Guards Division is in such a difficult situation, what do you think? Should we send the regiment of the 354th Infantry Division into the battle to reinforce the 8th Guards Division?"

Upon hearing Malinin's suggestion, Rokossovsky turned and stared at him for a long time before slowly nodding. "It seems that this is the only way now." He then spoke into the microphone, "General Levyagin, you must hold your current positions. I will send reinforcements as soon as possible."

Before Rokossovsky could hang up, Malinin had already walked to another telephone, picked up the receiver, and connected to the regiment of the 354th Division. He began to assign tasks to the regimental commander, ordering them to immediately proceed to the 8th Guards Division's defense zone and take command under Levyagin.

When Malinin finished assigning the tasks and put down the microphone, he saw Rokossovsky sitting at the table in a daze, seemingly thinking about how to break the deadlock.

"Comrade Commander!" Malinin asked Rokossovsky cautiously, "Comrade Commander, since the attacks by the 7th and 8th Guards Divisions are not going well, should we transfer Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's infantry brigade to them?"

Rokossovsky looked up at Malinin, his mind beginning to ponder the advice his chief of staff had given him.

After a long pause, he slowly shook his head and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, there's no rush. With the strength of the 7th and 8th Guards Divisions, we can still let them give it a try." Perhaps worried that Malining wouldn't understand his meaning, he emphasized, "Think about it, the officers and soldiers of those two divisions have made huge sacrifices in today's battle. Maybe if we continue fighting, they can drive the enemy out of the city. If we send an infantry brigade to take over their attack at this time, I'm afraid many officers and soldiers will be resentful."

After carefully considering Rokossovsky's words, Malinin found them quite reasonable. He nodded and tentatively asked, "Comrade Commander, in that case, we can temporarily postpone the entry of the infantry brigade into Klyukovo, but we should also set a deadline. If the two Guards Divisions cannot recapture Klyukovo within the stipulated time, then we should move the infantry brigade in."

“I think it’s acceptable.” This time, Rokossovsky did not object. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Let two Guards Divisions fight for another day tomorrow. If they still cannot complete the mission, let the infantry brigade enter the city in the evening.”

Seeing that Rokossovsky had finally agreed to use the infantry brigade, Malinin couldn't help but smile. He quickly said, "I'll call Lieutenant Colonel Sokov immediately and tell him to get ready. Even if he's very patient, I'm sure his commanders will be eager for battle and give him a headache."

A few minutes later, Sokov, who was having tea with Belkin and Karsokov in the brigade headquarters, received a phone call from Malinin.

"Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff!" Sokov asked tentatively, "Are you calling at this time to prepare for our brigade to enter the city and participate in the battle?"

Belkin and Karsokov, who were sitting next to him, couldn't help but light up when they heard what Sokov said. After waiting for so long, it was finally the turn of the infantry brigade to make its appearance.

But Malinin's words made Sokov feel somewhat disappointed: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I understand your feelings. I have also suggested to the Commander many times that your brigade be put into battle to deal with the enemy in the city as soon as possible. But the Commander has refused. He feels that the time is not right for you to participate in the war and that we need to wait."

"When can we join the battle?" Sokov asked.

"Comrade Commander said that two more Guards Divisions will fight for another day tomorrow. If they still cannot drive the enemy out of the city, your brigade will be put into battle at dusk."

"That's wonderful." Although Malinin didn't say for sure that the infantry brigade would be ready for combat tomorrow, Sokov said gratefully, "Our officers and soldiers have been waiting impatiently and are ready to go into battle at any time. Comrade Chief of Staff, on behalf of all the officers and soldiers of the infantry brigade, I express my gratitude to you!"

After hanging up the phone, Sokov glanced at his watch and then instructed Karsokov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, call the battalion commanders of the four battalions immediately and have them come to the command post for an emergency meeting."

In less than fifteen minutes, the battalion commanders who had received the notification arrived at the command post.

As soon as Nazorov entered, he eagerly asked Sokov, "Comrade Brigade Commander, is headquarters ordering us to immediately engage in battle?"

Sokov did not answer his question immediately. Instead, he glanced at the people who had entered and, seeing that all the battalion commanders had arrived, invited them to sit down: "Comrades, please sit down so I can give you an introduction."

The battalion commanders found seats and sat down. Sokov began, "I received a call from Colonel Malinin, the army group's chief of staff. He said that, according to orders from higher command, the two Guards divisions currently fighting in the city will continue their offensive in the city tomorrow..."

Before he could finish speaking, Nazorov muttered under his breath, "Damn it, we won't be able to fight until tomorrow."

Sokov glared at Nazorov and continued, "As the commander has instructed, the two Guards divisions will continue fighting for another day tomorrow. If they still cannot drive the enemy out of the city, our brigade will enter the city at dusk."

Upon hearing this, the battalion commanders at the meeting immediately became excited. Ignoring Sokov's presence, they began discussing amongst themselves, debating which direction their troops should attack from, how to break through the enemy's defenses, and how to drive the enemy out of the city. Sokov, seeing his subordinates' heated discussion, did not rush to interrupt them, but allowed them to speak freely.

After the room had finally quieted down again, Sokov continued, "Comrades, although our brigade performed outstandingly in the battle to liberate Krasnaya Polyana, it does not mean that we can achieve the same brilliant results in the battle to liberate Klyukovo."

The battalion commanders, who had been excited, immediately fell silent upon hearing Sokov's words, all focusing their attention on him, eager to hear what he would say next.

"The 7th and 8th Guards Divisions—the fact that they earned the honorary title of Guards Division demonstrates their formidable combat strength and significant battlefield achievements," Sokov said. "But even these two highly decorated units couldn't capture the medium-sized city of Klyukovo from the Germans in a single day. What does that tell us?"

Upon hearing Sokov's question, Yefim quickly replied, "There are many reasons why the two Guards Divisions were unable to drive the enemy out of the city. I think that in addition to the enemy's strong fighting capabilities, their fortifications must also be very solid."

Sokov smiled and nodded at Yefim, saying, "Captain Yefim is right. There are many reasons why the enemy has not been able to be driven away for so long. In addition to their strong fighting capabilities, their fortifications must also be very strong, which is why the commanders and soldiers of the Guards Division have been unable to drive them away for so long."

“Comrade Brigade Commander!” Vasya said, “If we are to engage the enemy in street fighting in the city, the artillery battalion will definitely play a significant role.” He looked around and raised his question, “Why is there no artillery battalion commander present at tonight’s meeting?”

"Whether we can join the war is still uncertain," Belkin said. "The reason we've called this meeting today is simply to discuss how to effectively break through the enemy's defenses and drive them out of Klyukovo."

“Comrade Brigade Commander, I have an idea, may I share it?” Vasya interjected as soon as Belkin finished speaking.

“Speak, Major Vasya.” Of the four battalion commanders in the infantry brigade, Grisa valued Major Vasya the most. Not only because he had the highest rank, but also because his ability to command operations was far superior to the other battalion commanders: “Just say what you have to say.”

“When we defended Sun Mountain City, we left behind several secret passages as cover for the counterattack,” Vasya said. “When we withdrew from Sun Mountain City, you led the troops to cover the rear and also escaped through the secret passages. This shows that in urban warfare, the role that secret passages can play is far beyond our imagination.”

Before Vasya could finish speaking, Sokov understood his meaning: "Major Vasya, you mean we should open secret passages in areas where the enemy's defenses are strong, but while the main force attacks from the front, small units that infiltrate through these passages will launch harassment operations from behind the enemy?"

“That’s right, Comrade Brigade Commander, that’s exactly what I meant.”

"But how can we open a secret passage in enemy-controlled territory?" Captain Alexa, the second battalion commander, raised his question.

“Comrade Captain, that’s no problem at all,” Sokov said with a smile. “We can use the city’s sewers as secret passages for small units to infiltrate behind enemy lines. When the enemy discovers our troops behind them, they will surely panic, and the main force attacking from the front can then launch a fierce assault and break through the enemy’s defenses in one fell swoop.”

Sokov's words opened up new ideas for the battalion commanders: Yes, when the ground offensive encounters stubborn enemy defense, we can make full use of the city's sewers to sneak up behind enemy lines undetected and catch them off guard.

“Comrade Brigade Commander, it is true that we can penetrate deep into the enemy’s rear through the sewers,” Belkin reminded Sokov. “But in any case, our commanders and soldiers are not familiar with the situation in Klyukovo. What if they get lost if we rashly enter the sewers? Wouldn’t that cause us to miss our opportunity?”

Upon hearing this, Sokov chuckled and said, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, have you forgotten that among the more than two thousand people we have taken in, a considerable number are police officers and militiamen from the city? Others may not be familiar with the city, but surely you can find a few among them who are familiar with the sewer system?"

Sokov's words immediately drew a response from the battalion commanders: "That's right, many of the people we just took in are residents of Klyukovo. Who knows the city's terrain better than them? The operation to penetrate deep into enemy territory through the sewers will surely be a success."

So everyone shared their opinions, and Sokov called Romanov over and asked him to record what everyone was saying.

After seeing the battalion commanders off, Belkin stretched and said with great enthusiasm, "Comrade Brigade Commander, through this meeting, each battalion commander knows how their troops should conduct combat after entering the city. Don't be fooled by the fact that the two Guards Divisions can't handle the enemy; I'm confident that as long as we participate in the battle, we will definitely be able to drive the enemy out of the city."

“I have the same confidence.” After saying this, Sokov suddenly had a bold idea: “Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, I have a bold idea.”

"What's your idea?" Belkin and Sokov had been partners for so long, so he knew Belkin wouldn't speak carelessly. If he had an idea, he must have a way to defeat the enemy. He quickly asked, "What do you plan to do?"

“Although our brigade won’t be allowed to enter Klyukovo to participate in the battle until tomorrow evening at the earliest,” Sokov said to Belkin, “could we organize two small units to sneak into Klyukovo under the cover of night and hide in the sewers to wait for the right opportunity?”

After a moment's thought, Belkin nodded in agreement with Sokov's idea, even adding, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I think it's a good idea. A few days ago, a company from the Fourth Battalion secretly infiltrated the city and launched a surprise attack on the enemy, achieving good results. I think we should draw men from the Fourth Battalion to form a small unit that can infiltrate the city's sewers. It would be best if they were the ones who participated in that night's raid, since they are more familiar with the terrain than others."

Sokov walked to the door, called over a soldier, and instructed him, "Comrade soldier, go and call Major Vasya back. Tell him I have something important to discuss with him."

A few minutes later, Vasya followed the soldier, jogging up to Sokov, and asked, slightly out of breath, "Comrade Brigade Commander, did you call me back for some important combat mission?"

(End of this chapter)