red moscow

Chapter 3081

With the hasty arrival of Karsokov and Vasha, an impromptu military meeting of the infantry brigade was convened during the tense march. At this time, the troops were in a critical stage of pursuing the enemy, and this sudden meeting took the commanders present somewhat by surprise.

"Comrade Brigade Commander!" Karkosov had just arrived at the command post and was not quite sure what kind of emergency had occurred. He noticed that Colonel Sokov's expression was unusually grave, so he cautiously asked, "Why is it necessary to suddenly convene an emergency military meeting at this time?" According to his original assessment, the troops' current advance was going very smoothly, and it seemed completely unnecessary to interrupt the march at such a critical moment to hold a meeting.

"Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, Comrade Chief of Staff, and Comrade Battalion Commanders!" Colonel Sokov looked around at each commander present with a serious expression and said in a deep voice, "I'm sure you're all wondering why I'm suddenly requesting this emergency military meeting when the pursuit is progressing smoothly."

Upon hearing Sokov's words, Captain Yefim's face involuntarily flushed red. He now fully understood the reason for the brigade commander's dissatisfaction—since the troops set out at dawn, the 1st Battalion had advanced steadily without encountering any enemy resistance or engaging in any substantial combat, yet its marching speed was far below Sokov's required standard. It seemed that the important task of the vanguard battalion would likely be transferred to other battalions.

Alex, however, was secretly delighted. He keenly sensed that Sokov would likely criticize the First Battalion for its slow performance in the pursuit, and the glorious and important task of leading the battalion would most likely fall to the Second Battalion, which he commanded.

“Indeed, Comrade Brigade Commander,” Karsokov said, raising the concerns of the commanders present. “Our brigade is making very good progress, and I personally think it is really unnecessary to suddenly stop the march and hold a meeting at this time.”

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov retorted coldly, "are you truly satisfied with the current pace of the troops' advance?"

“Of course I’m satisfied,” Karsokov said without hiding his true feelings. “At my brigade’s current marching speed, we can advance at least 10 to 15 kilometers into the enemy’s defensive depth in a day. I think that speed is quite good.”

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov said sternly, his tone becoming even more serious, "if our army were conducting a series of breakthroughs, needing to dismantle the enemy's strong defenses one by one, then the speed of advance you mentioned would indeed be commendable. But the reality is that the enemy is fleeing in disarray and has no time to organize effective resistance. As the side pursuing their victory, isn't our current marching speed too slow?"

Seeing that Karsokov seemed prepared to debate with Sokov, Belkin quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "I think the brigade commander makes a good point. The 1st Battalion's advance is indeed relatively slow, which has prevented our brigade from making any substantial contact with the fleeing enemy so far. Therefore, I strongly suggest that the 2nd Battalion immediately replace the 1st Battalion as the vanguard and continue the mission of pursuing the enemy. I wonder if you two have any different opinions on this?"

Sokov immediately stated: "I fully agree with the deputy brigade commander's proposal. Let the 2nd Battalion, commanded by Alexa, replace Captain Yefim's 1st Battalion as the vanguard of the entire brigade and continue the pursuit mission."

Seeing that the two brigade commanders, Sokov and Belkin, had reached a consensus, Karsokov, even if he had different opinions, could not express his opposition at this time, so he could only go along with it and say, "Alright, comrades brigade commanders, since you have reached a consensus, let the Second Battalion serve as the vanguard."

After the Second Battalion was designated as the vanguard, all officers and soldiers immediately set out at a rapid pace to continue their pursuit of the retreating enemy troops.

About an hour later, faint bursts of gunfire and the booming of artillery shells could be heard from ahead of the column. Upon hearing this, Sokov immediately judged that something was amiss ahead. He immediately ordered the radio operator, Morozova: "Quickly, Morozova, send a telegram to the 2nd Battalion immediately, asking them what the gunfire and artillery sounds coming from ahead are, and whether they have made contact with the enemy?"

After receiving the order, Morozova immediately sent an urgent telegram to the Second Battalion as instructed by Sokov, eager to find out what was happening at the front.

Shortly after, the Second Battalion sent a reply. The telegram concisely reported that the First Company, acting as the spearhead, had successfully caught up with a retreating enemy force, and a fierce firefight ensued, which was still ongoing. The Second and Third Companies, following closely behind, had also arrived at the battlefield and were gradually joining the battle, forming an encirclement. The telegram concluded by stating that it was expected that the enemy force would be completely annihilated soon.

Upon learning that the 2nd Battalion had engaged the enemy and was in a favorable position, Sokov finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to his deputy brigade commander, Belkin, and said with a pleased expression, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, it now seems that our timely decision to adjust the advance battalion was absolutely correct. The 2nd Battalion has indeed lived up to expectations, quickly engaging the enemy and launching an attack. At this rate, it shouldn't be long before we annihilate this entire enemy force!"

A smile appeared on Belkin's face as he nodded in agreement, saying, "Comrade Brigade Commander, your decision is absolutely correct. The Second Battalion's combat effectiveness is actually not weak at all; it's just that we haven't given them enough opportunities to demonstrate it in the past. By appointing them as the vanguard battalion this time, all the officers and soldiers of the battalion will surely unleash tremendous combat power in the battle to prove that they have not let you down."

Sokov nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the distance as if he could already see the dawn of victory. He said firmly, "That's right, we must press our advantage and give the enemy no chance to breathe. Pass on my order to have the follow-up troops speed up and quickly support the Second Battalion, striving to annihilate this fleeing enemy force in one fell swoop!"

Radio operator Morozova quickly transcribed Sokov's orders and then relayed them to each battalion via radio, instructing them to speed up their march and reach the area where the fighting was taking place as soon as possible to assist the 2nd Battalion in eliminating the enemy.

As reinforcements quickly arrived and entered the battlefield, the gunfire became increasingly intense, with explosions and bullets whistling together. The battle had clearly escalated to an unprecedentedly fierce and heated stage.

Sokov felt a strong urge to rush to the front lines immediately, to observe the actual situation on the battlefield firsthand, and to obtain firsthand intelligence so that he could make more accurate command decisions.

However, he had barely taken a step when Belkin decisively stopped him. Belkin said firmly, "Comrade Brigade Commander, the fighting at the front is extremely fierce. It would be safer for you to stay here and await the battle report." Perhaps sensing the unwavering stubbornness in Sokov's eyes, Belkin added with deliberate emphasis, "If you were to meet with misfortune like General Dovator, the entire infantry brigade would fall into chaos due to the loss of unified command, and might even become a disorganized mess. The consequences would be unimaginable."

Sokov knew perfectly well that even if he temporarily left his command post, Belkin and Karsokov—two experienced and capable deputies—were fully capable of coordinating the command of the troops and dealing with complex battlefield changes. He clearly understood that Belkin's statement stemmed from both deep concern for the safety of the supreme commander and a desire to maintain the stability of the entire brigade's command. To avoid causing his comrades unnecessary worry and to prevent any uncertainty arising from his personal actions at a critical moment, Sokov ultimately suppressed his eagerness, abandoned his plan to go to the front lines, and chose to trust his subordinates, remaining in a relatively safe position to continue commanding the operations.

(End of this chapter)