red moscow

Chapter 3049

As former defenders of Taiyangshan City, the infantry brigade commanders and soldiers were naturally familiar with the city they had defended. In less than an hour, they not only captured the municipal building but also other buildings of strategic value.

Caught off guard, the German troops put up a desperate resistance, but this disorganized effort quickly crumbled. They abandoned the city and fled, and the infantry brigade commanders only ceased fighting after driving all the enemy out. The city streets, now quieter with the sounds of gunfire, were littered with German corpses; at least half of the city's defenders remained.

After capturing the entire city, Belkin immediately contacted Sokov outside the city via radio: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I have finally lived up to your expectations and taken the city."

"Fantastic, Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, you've done a fantastic job!" Upon learning that the city had been captured, Sokov, while excited, worried that Belkin might become complacent due to the easy victory, thus giving the enemy an opportunity to take advantage. He quickly reminded him, "However, the enemy will certainly not be resigned to their defeat and may launch a counterattack at any time. You must strengthen your vigilance to prevent the city from being lost again."

"Don't worry, Comrade Brigade Commander," Belkin said. "I have already set up defenses at the city entrance. Even if the enemy launches a counterattack, they will not be able to break through our defenses in a short time."

"Now that the city has been captured, I will immediately contact General Vlasov and Colonel Zhuravlev and have them send troops into the city to strengthen its defenses."

After ending his call with Belkin, Sokov instructed Karsokov: "Chief of Staff, immediately send a telegram to General Vlasov, telling him that we have successfully captured Sun Mountain City, and instruct him to immediately send nearby troops into the city to strengthen its defenses and prevent the city from falling into enemy hands again."

Karsokov nodded, then asked, "Comrade Brigade Commander, should we inform the Commander of this good news?"

“Yes, yes, we should report the good news of recapturing Sun Mountain to the Commander as soon as possible,” Sokov said. “Chief of Staff, you should first send a telegram to the Commander to report the victory, and then send a telegram to General Vlasov requesting reinforcements. I will follow the original procedure and call Colonel Zhuravlev to have his 35th Brigade enter the city as soon as possible.”

After Sokov connected to the front-line command, the staff officer who answered the phone said somewhat impatiently, "This is the front-line command. Who is this?"

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the infantry brigade." Sokov promptly identified himself: "Please let Colonel Zhuravlev take the call; I have something important to report."

"The colonel is resting," the staff officer said. "If you need anything, please call back after dawn."

Fearing the other party would hang up immediately, Sokov quickly spoke, "Comrade Staff Officer, I'll repeat myself, I have something important to report to Colonel Zhuravlev immediately. If this delays important matters, can you take responsibility?"

Perhaps Sokov's tone was too stern, because the staff officer hesitated for a moment before deciding to cooperate: "Lieutenant Colonel, please wait a moment while I have the Colonel take the call."

Not long after, Zhuravlev's weak voice came through the receiver: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, you're calling me in the middle of the night, you'd better have something important to say."

"Comrade Colonel, I am calling you at this time because I have just received a report that the troops I sent into the city have successfully captured Taiyangshan City."

"What? Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, what did you say? Your troops have already captured Sun Mountain City?" Zhuravlev asked, his face full of shock. "You're not lying to me, are you?"

“How could I joke about something like this?” Sokov said seriously. “My troops have indeed occupied the entire city. The reason I called you is to ask you to send troops into the city to strengthen its defenses, so that the city will not fall again due to a German counterattack.”

"I understand. I will send troops into the city immediately."

After ending his call with Zhuravlev, Sokov saw Karsokov walking over after sending his telegram, so he asked him, "Well, have you sent all the telegrams?"

"Yes, the telegram has been sent." Karsokov raised his hand to check the time. "I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while to receive a reply."

Sokov nodded, then lowered his head in thought. If he continued to stay in Kamenka village, and the enemy launched a counterattack on Sun Mountain, he would only be able to command his troops based on telegrams sent from the city. He had no idea whether he could hold the city.

Thinking of this, he looked up at Karsokov and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, I've made up my mind. You stay here and wait for the reply. I'll take the Third Battalion into the city to meet up with the deputy brigade commander and the others to strengthen the city's defenses and prevent the city from being lost due to a German counterattack."

“No problem,” Karsokov replied readily. “After I receive the reply, I will head to Sunhill City to meet you as soon as possible.” Not long after Karsokov and his 3rd Battalion left the village of Kamenka, Rokossovsky called the brigade headquarters: “This is Rokossovsky. Where is Misha?”

When Karsokov, who answered the phone, heard Rokossovsky ask this question, he quickly replied, "Comrade Commander, the brigade commander has led the 3rd Battalion to Sun Mountain City. He is worried that the city's defenses are insufficient and that it may not be able to hold the city against the enemy's counterattack. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the defenses in a short period of time."

"Oh, I see." After Karsokov finished speaking, Rokossovsky instructed him, "Your brigade's mission was to assist our allies in capturing Sun Mountain. Now that the city has been recaptured, your brigade's mission is complete. After daybreak, hand the city over to our allies and you can withdraw from the city."

Karsokov was taken aback by this, and then cautiously asked, "Comrade Commander, after we withdraw from Sun Mountain City, where do you plan to send our brigade?"

Rokossovsky said, "When you meet Misha, have him take his troops to the Istra Reservoir area. We will then have a major battle with the enemy there."

“I remember your instructions, Comrade Commander,” Karsokov quickly replied. “When I see the brigade commander, I will convey your orders to him.”

Just as the call with Rokossovsky ended, the communications officer delivered Vlasov's reply.

The telegram's content was simple: "Is the claim of liberating Taiyangshan City true?"

After reading the telegram, Karsokov quickly approached Morozova and instructed her, "Comrade Morozova, immediately send a reply to the 20th Army Headquarters. The telegram reads as follows: After dark, our brigade, with two battalions, entered the city through secret passages and launched a surprise attack on the defenders. After a fierce battle, the defenders abandoned their positions and fled outside the city, and our brigade successfully occupied the city."

Shortly after the telegram was sent, Vlasov replied: "Has Colonel Zhuravlev been informed of this matter? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"While I was sending you this telegram, the brigade commander personally called Colonel Zhuravlev to inform him of our brigade's capture of the city," Karsokov explained. "The brigade commander is concerned that the number of defenders in the city is insufficient, and if the enemy, driven out of the city, launches a fierce counterattack, the city may be lost again. If you have any spare mobile forces at your disposal, could you send them into Sun Mountain City to strengthen the city's defenses?"

After receiving the telegram, Vlasov read it carefully several times and found the other side's words to be reasonable. His troops had easily captured the entire city, and the Germans certainly wouldn't give up easily; they would launch a fierce attack on the city, and if the city's defenders were too few, they probably wouldn't be able to hold off the enemy.

Thinking of this, Vlasov called over a communications officer and instructed him, "Send a telegram back to the infantry brigade, saying that I will send the 64th Infantry Brigade into Sun Mountain as soon as possible to strengthen the city's defenses."

While the communications staff officer was sending a telegram, Vlasov asked the communications soldier to help him connect to the 35th Brigade headquarters so he could personally get information from Zhuravlev.

"Hello, Commander." After figuring out the purpose of Vlasov's call, Zhuravlev immediately replied, "I just received a call from the infantry brigade not long ago, hoping that I could send the 35th Brigade into the city to strengthen the city's defenses. I was considering whether or not to send troops when you called."

“We must send troops,” Vlasov said. “The infantry brigade was originally there to assist us in the battle. Now that the city has been captured, they will definitely be transferred away in a short time, and our troops will take over the city’s defense. If we don’t put more troops in the city, once the Germans launch a fierce counterattack, the city will probably fall into German hands again.”

“However, if I transfer the 35th Brigade into the city, then we will not have enough troops to attack the settlements outside the city.”

"Comrade Colonel, your current task is to resolutely defend Taiyangshan City. The rest of the tasks can be completed by other units of the army group, so you don't need to worry about them."

“Alright, Comrade Commander, since you put it that way, I will bring the 35th Brigade into the city as soon as possible,” Zhuravlev replied. “But if we want to clear the enemy out of the settlements outside the city, you will probably need to send another force.”

“Then I’ll send the 64th Infantry Brigade there, and also a tank battalion,” Vlasov said. “With that kind of force, holding the city shouldn’t be a problem.”

"Don't worry, Commander, we will definitely be able to defend the city."

(End of this chapter)