red moscow

Chapter 3031

Belkin's words left Sokov momentarily stunned.

Sokov, familiar with history, knew very well that Belkin's rumor was true: the 20th Army and the 1st Shock Army, dispatched by the Supreme Command, were currently deployed at the junction of the army's right flank and the 30th Army. However, these two armies would not immediately join the battle; their mission was to participate in the major counter-offensive launched on December 7th outside Moscow.

"Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander!" Sokov was curious about how Belkin had learned about the friendly forces' movements: "Who told you?"

“Just now, when I was in the Fourth Battalion, a convoy of supplies arrived,” Belkin replied. “The captain in charge of the convoy told me this.”

If the transport captain informed Belkin of this, then it makes sense, since the transport team delivers supplies to different units and it's reasonable for them to know about such troop movements.

Hearing only a few words, Karsokov immediately leaned over and asked Belkin with some excitement, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, since the Supreme Command has assembled two new armies on the right flank of our army group, does this mean that our army will soon launch a counterattack in this area?"

But Belkin shook his head after hearing this and said, "I don't think it's a simple counterattack, but rather a larger-scale military operation. Because the captain told me that the troops in those two army groups are just stockpiling weapons and ammunition, and there's no sign of them immediately engaging in combat. Comrade Brigade Commander, what do you think about this?"

Sokov naturally wouldn't tell Belkin and Karsokov that the Soviet army would launch a full-scale counter-offensive against the German forces near Moscow on December 7th. After all, such news was only known to army group commanders; even division commanders below them were unaware of it. Sokov, being just a lowly brigade commander, was even less likely to know. Therefore, he could only feign ignorance, saying, "I think the deputy brigade commander is right; the Supreme Command really is planning a large-scale military operation outside Moscow."

The joy on Karsokov's face quickly vanished, and he asked Sokov with concern, "Comrade Brigade Commander, is it possible for our army to achieve the desired results in a major military operation launched outside Moscow?"

Sokov understood the unspoken message from his chief of staff: the hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops in the Vyazma region had also attempted to launch a counterattack against the German forces, but instead were encircled, resulting in the capture of hundreds of thousands.

He organized his thoughts and said to the two men, “Chief of Staff, Deputy Brigade Commander, it’s not September or October now. The tragedies of Kiev and Vyazma will not be repeated. Besides, the Germans are exhausted after such a long battle. The troops we are about to send into battle are a fresh force. As long as we put them into battle, we will have a chance to turn the tide against our army.”

After listening to Sokov's words, Belkin nodded slowly and said thoughtfully, "That's right, what the brigade commander said makes a lot of sense. Judging from the situation of fighting the German army in the past month, the enemy's offensive is far less than before. If our army were to commit fresh troops at this time, it would definitely cause huge losses to the German army."

After exchanging a few words, Sokov suddenly asked, "By the way, how's the fighting outside?"

Karsokov immediately went to a staff officer and asked in a low voice, "Any latest battle reports?"

"Yes, Chief of Staff." The staff officer nodded and said, "The First and Second Battalions have successfully captured the church. They are just waiting for the Eighth Guards Division to send men to take over the position before they launch an attack on the city hall."

Learning that his troops had broken through the defensive system that had been giving the 8th Guards Division a major headache, Sokov felt much more at ease. Despite the city hall's fortifications, with the loss of nearby strongholds, the German troops holding it inside were now isolated. With a strong offensive, it wouldn't take long to capture the city hall.

"Comrade Brigade Commander!" Upon learning that the troops were preparing to attack the city hall, Belkin suggested to Sokov, "Why don't we go up to the roof and take a look at the situation on the battlefield, and see when our troops can capture the city hall?"

Sokov readily agreed to Belkin's proposal.

The next moment, the two arrived at the bookstore's rooftop, found a suitable spot, and raised their binoculars to look at the distant municipal building.

The 8th Guards Division, which took over the position, arrived quickly. With the arrival of friendly forces, the officers and soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Battalions confidently launched an attack on the municipal building.

As Soviet soldiers charged forward, machine gun fire erupted from many windows of the municipal building, and dense bullets blocked the soldiers' path.

The artillery, which had just been pushed forward, immediately opened fire on these firing points that were frantically unleashing ammunition, destroying them one by one. Some firing points were out of reach of the artillery due to the angle, so the soldiers carrying rocket launchers used the rubble and ruins as cover to quickly approach the city building, find suitable positions, and destroy the surviving firing points with rockets.

Through his binoculars, Sokov saw a soldier carrying a rocket launcher nimbly weaving through the ruins. He quickly reached behind a broken wall, raised the launcher, and prepared to fire at another rocket launcher in the building. Unfortunately, he was spotted by the enemy inside, and a burst of bullets struck him. His head and body jerked back, and he collapsed against the broken wall.

Sokov witnessed the soldier being shot, and his heart skipped a beat. He also felt a pang of regret. If the soldier had pulled the trigger before he died, the rocket might have destroyed a firing point and reduced the casualties of many more soldiers.

But just then, the soldier lying on the broken wall raised his head again. He raised the rocket launcher slung over his shoulder, aimed at the building's firing position, and pulled the trigger. The rocket, trailing white smoke, flew out of the launcher and headed towards the building's firing position. With a "boom," the firing position was destroyed, and the soldier fell backward into the ruins.

"Comrade Brigade Commander!" Not only Sokov, but even Belkin saw the soldier's performance. Pointing to where the soldier was lying, he said to Sokov with great emotion, "You saw that? Even though he was wounded by a bullet, that soldier used all his strength to pull the trigger of the rocket launcher and destroyed the enemy's firing point."

“I saw it, Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander.” After saying this, Sokov called over a staff officer next to him, handed him his binoculars, pointed out the location where the soldier had died, and instructed him: “Comrade Staff Officer, after the battle is over, you must find out the name of that soldier. We must posthumously award such heroes the honors they deserve.”

After the staff officer clearly saw where the soldier had died, he nodded and said, "Okay, Comrade Brigade Commander, I will find out the details of that soldier's background and will definitely not let the hero's sacrifice be in vain."

Under the cover of artillery and rocket launchers, the soldiers of the First and Second Battalions successfully stormed the municipal building. A few minutes later, a red flag was raised on the top of the building, signifying that the city had been captured and the good news could be reported to higher command.

Sokov greeted Belkin and then turned and went down from the roof.

Upon returning to command post, Sokov immediately instructed the communications officer to connect him to the army group headquarters.

Hearing voices coming from inside, Sokov got straight to the point: "I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the infantry brigade. I have important matters to report to the commander or chief of staff."

Soon, Malinin's voice came through the receiver: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, what important thing do you have to say?"

"Reporting to the Chief of Staff." Although planting the red flag on the city's high ground was merely a formality of occupation, it was still exciting news: "My infantry have successfully stormed the municipal building and raised the red flag on the roof."

Just as Sokov had predicted, Malinin was thrilled to hear the news. He exclaimed, “Fantastic! Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, your men are truly amazing! I never imagined that you would successfully capture the city hall in just half a day and even raise our flag on the roof. It’s truly remarkable!”

As soon as Malinin finished speaking, Rokossovsky's voice came through the receiver: "Misha, I am very satisfied with your performance. I thought you would not be able to take over the city hall until at least evening, but I did not expect that you would raise the red flag on the roof of the city hall so quickly."

After praising Sokov, Rokossovsky then asked, "Are there any difficulties you're facing that you need my help to resolve?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sokov thought that victory on the battlefield wasn't achieved through individual combat, but through teamwork. The fighting in the city had progressed to this point, and apart from the 8th Guards Division constantly sending men to take over their occupied areas, the 7th Guards Division hadn't made any moves, let alone the regiment of the 354th Division. He cautiously said, "If our friendly forces in the city could also mobilize now, it would disperse the enemy's forces and make our progress much smoother."

“No problem.” Rokossovsky readily agreed to Sokov’s request: “In addition to the 7th and 8th Guards Divisions in the city, and a regiment of the 354th Division, I plan to send another cavalry unit into the city to cooperate with your operations.”

When Sokov heard Rokossovsky say that he was going to send a cavalry force into the city to assist in the battle, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The fact that even cavalry had to be used in urban street fighting meant that Rokossovsky's forces were stretched thin.

“Comrade Commander,” Sokov continued, “if we can get the cooperation of our allies, I think there is still hope of recapturing Klyukovo before nightfall.”

Rokossovsky ordered Sokov's troops to recapture Klyukovo before nightfall, but he wasn't entirely confident that the infantry brigade could accomplish the task. Learning that the brigade was making good progress within the city, he suddenly felt more confident. He spoke into the microphone, "Misha, I'm waiting for your good news. Good luck!"

After hanging up the phone, Sokov turned to Karsokov and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, the Commander just said on the phone that he is prepared to mobilize the remaining troops in the city to cooperate with us in launching a final offensive against the enemy, and to try to drive the enemy out of the city before nightfall."

Half an hour later, Belkin, who had been observing the battlefield from the rooftop, came in from outside.

When he met Sokov, he said excitedly, "Comrade Brigade Commander, good news, good news! Now it's not just our infantry brigade attacking the enemy, but also the officers and soldiers of the 8th Guards Division. They are attacking the enemy on our flank."

“I really didn’t expect them to act so quickly.” After saying this, Karsokov explained to Belkin, “Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, when you were on the roof just now, the brigade commander and the commander spoke, and the other side agreed to mobilize all the troops in the city to cooperate with us in eliminating the enemy in the city. It seems that they are faithfully carrying out this order at the moment.”

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov suddenly said to Karsokov, "Contact Major Vasya, the commander of the 4th Battalion, immediately and have him lead his troops into battle."

"What? You're sending the Fourth Battalion into battle now?" Karsokov exclaimed in surprise. "But you said that we should only send the Fourth Battalion into battle when our troops are no longer able to attack. Isn't it a bit too early to send them into battle now?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, as commanders, we must know how to adjust our operational deployment in a timely manner according to changes in the battlefield situation." Sokov explained to Karsokov, "If there were no friendly forces involved, and we were relying solely on our brigade to drive out or eliminate the enemy in the city, then delaying the deployment of the Fourth Battalion would be entirely correct. But now the situation in the city has changed. The commander has not only ordered all the troops in the city to launch an attack on the enemy, but is also preparing to bring in a cavalry unit from outside the city to fight."

Upon learning that cavalry would be involved in the battle, Belkin hesitated and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, isn't this a bit of an exaggeration? Cavalry are for field battles. Sending them into urban street fighting is just sending them to their deaths. If I were the enemy, I would definitely order my troops to hide in the buildings on both sides of the street and snipe at any cavalry that appears. After all, cavalry on horseback are too big of a target; they're practically sitting ducks for the enemy."

“Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, I think the Commander has considered this issue,” Sokov said. “Once the cavalry enters the city, they will definitely dismount and be used as infantry. As long as they don’t blindly charge and fight recklessly, it won’t be easy to cause huge casualties.”

Originally, the German army faced only one infantry brigade, but with the addition of the 7th and 8th Guards Divisions, a regiment from the 354th Division, and cavalry units, the enemy's defenses became increasingly strained. Soviet troops were attacking everywhere, and countless mortar shells and artillery shells exploded in the streets and on German positions. Left with no other option, the German commanders had to break their forces into smaller units and distribute them throughout the city to resist.

Each time the Soviet troops captured a building, they would quickly eliminate the enemy inside. As the encirclement tightened, the enemy had less and less room to maneuver. It was obvious to anyone with a discerning eye that if the fighting continued, the remaining defenders in the city would be in danger of being completely annihilated.

Seeing the situation was dire, the German commander immediately ordered the remaining troops in the city to retreat. However, due to the dispersed nature of the troops, not all units received the order to retreat.

The troops that received orders retreated step by step out of the city using alternating cover. Meanwhile, the troops that had not received orders continued to fight the surging Soviet troops in the streets they occupied.

(End of this chapter)