red moscow

Chapter 3078

The troops continued marching along the road. Two soldiers walked briskly past Sokov, their conversation clearly reaching his ears. One of the younger soldiers, his voice tinged with worry, said to the corporal beside him, "Sergeant, I've only been in the army for a few days, and I'm not yet proficient with this kind of gun. If we're really going to be in combat right away, I'm worried I won't be able to hit the target accurately, and will I become a burden to the whole squad?"

Sokov looked at the two soldiers upon hearing the sound and noticed that they were carrying the new assault rifles issued to the First Battalion. He immediately raised his voice and shouted, "Soldiers in front, please wait a moment."

Upon hearing Sokov's shout, the two soldiers immediately stopped and turned to look at the source of the voice. When they saw that it was Brigade Commander Sokov who had called them, they quickly stood at attention, straightened their backs, and said in unison respectfully, "Hello, Comrade Brigade Commander!"

Sokov walked up to the two men, looked them over carefully, and then his gaze fell on the soldier wearing the rank of corporal. He asked, "Corporal, are you this soldier's squad leader?"

“Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander.” Although the corporal didn’t understand why Sokov had suddenly called them over, he immediately nodded and answered truthfully, “I am his squad leader.”

Sokov then turned to the unusually nervous young soldier and asked in a calm tone, "What's your name? When did you enlist?"

The soldier was caught off guard when the brigade commander asked him a question directly. He took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as he replied, "Comrade Brigade Commander, my name is Bahadur. I just enlisted a few days ago and am still adjusting."

At this moment, Battalion Commander Yefim strode up to Sokov and explained in a low voice, "Comrade Brigade Commander, our battalion recently recruited a group of new soldiers in the village of Kamenka, and Bahadur is one of them. They are currently undergoing preliminary training."

Sokov nodded, his gaze returning to Bahadur, and said gently, "Bahadur, I just heard you say you were worried about not being able to hit the enemy on the battlefield, is that right?"

“Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander.” When asked about this directly by the brigade commander, Bahadu appeared even more nervous. He honestly admitted, “I did say that. Because I’m new to this weapon and not yet proficient in its use, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to accurately hit the target in actual combat.”

Sokov smiled faintly and said to Bahadu in an encouraging tone, "Bahadu, don't worry too much. The rifle you're using is a new type of assault rifle that our troops have just been equipped with. Its design allows you to fire without aiming; you can simply raise the gun and fire directly in the direction of the enemy. Remember, on the battlefield, whoever fires first gains the initiative. Even if the first shot misses, it doesn't matter. Even if your bullet doesn't hit the enemy, it will force them to dodge, thus creating an opportunity for you to fire a second shot. As long as you fire one more shot than the enemy, you have a better chance of survival. Do you understand what I mean?"

Bahadu hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "But after I enlisted, when the instructors organized us to practice shooting, they always made us lie on the ground, raise our guns, aim at the targets, and practice aiming techniques repeatedly."

Sokov raised his hand to interrupt him, patiently explaining, “Bahadur, think about it. What’s the difference between hitting the left eye and hitting the right eye after aiming for so long? What’s the difference between hitting the brow and hitting the forehead? I’m telling you, there’s no essential difference. As long as you hit the target, it’s a successful shot. In actual combat, situations change in an instant; there’s simply not much time for you to aim slowly.” Hearing the brigade commander’s explanation, Bahadur’s expression gradually brightened, and he replied loudly, “I understand, Comrade Brigade Commander!”

“Now that you understand, let’s continue on our way.” Sokov nodded with a smile.

The two soldiers saluted and turned to leave. Sokov watched their retreating figures, his mind racing with immediate concerns. He felt that if his troops continued to follow the 9th and 11th Guards Divisions, they would likely encounter few battles. To seize a fighting opportunity, he feared he would have to choose an alternative route.

Thinking of this, he turned to Yefim and asked, "First Battalion Commander, is there a fork in the road ahead?"

Yefim was taken aback by the sudden question. After a moment's thought, he replied, "According to the latest report from the scouts, there is a fork in the road about two kilometers ahead."

"Why are you asking this?" Yefim asked, his tone slightly puzzled, clearly confused by Sokov's intentions.

Sokov smiled slightly, his expression calm yet his tone firm as he explained, “First Battalion Commander, this is my reasoning. The 9th and 11th Guards Divisions set off earlier than us. If we continue along their route, always following behind, we'll likely find it difficult to find suitable opportunities to engage, and might not even get a decent battle.” He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping across the road ahead, and continued, “Therefore, I intend to choose a new route to pursue the enemy. This will not only avoid overlapping with friendly forces, but also give us a greater chance to directly engage the enemy, establishing our own rhythm and achieving our own results.”

After listening to Sokov's detailed explanation, Yefim's face gradually lit up with surprise. He suddenly understood, nodded vigorously, and said excitedly, "Comrade Brigade Commander, you're absolutely right! When we reached the fork in the road ahead, we decisively chose a new route to advance. Indeed, if we could find another way, we wouldn't have to worry about constantly following behind two Guards Divisions and ultimately not getting to fight any battles!"

Half an hour later, the First Battalion finally reached the fork in the road. The soldiers in front stopped and waited quietly for Sokov and Yefim to make their decision.

Yefim pointed to the two roads ahead and said to Sokov in a steady and clear voice, “Comrade Brigade Commander, please look at the road on the left—the snow has completely melted into mud, and the road surface is covered with a large number of footprints and tire tracks, clearly the route taken by the main force of the 9th and 11th Guards Divisions. The road on the right, although it also has a few scattered footprints, is limited in number and appears to have been left by small groups of troops or scouts. The snow on this road is relatively intact and shows no signs of being trampled on on a large scale. I think we can choose to take the road on the right to avoid the main force's route of advance, which would give us a better chance of catching up with the fleeing German main force.”

Sokov pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement with Yefim's suggestion, but added with a grave expression, "First Battalion Commander, your judgment is indeed correct. However, the road on the right is rarely used, which means that there may be unknown dangers lurking there. We must proceed with caution—you immediately arrange for several scout teams to set off first and carefully scout the situation ahead, paying particular attention to whether there are any landmines or other traps planted by the enemy."

(End of this chapter)