red moscow

Chapter 3083

"Hello, Captain Lomonsov!" Sokov greeted him warmly, shaking his hand firmly several times with obvious excitement and relief. "You know, just now, I was discussing the battlefield situation with the deputy brigade commander and the others. I mentioned that if our troops encountered those heavily fortified German lines during our advance, and our infantry lacked sufficient artillery cover, we would inevitably face extremely serious difficulties, and could even suffer incalculable casualties." He paused briefly, his eyes gleaming with emotion, and continued, "I really didn't expect that your artillery battalion would arrive so soon after I finished speaking! This is truly a godsend!"

Upon hearing Sokov's words, Captain Lomonsov grinned. He straightened his back and replied loudly, "Comrade Brigade Commander, please rest assured, our artillery battalion has long been fully prepared for battle. No matter where on the battlefield our fire support is needed, we can arrive quickly and immediately engage in combat without the slightest delay."

Sokov nodded in satisfaction, then gave clear and specific instructions: "Your battalion's next task is to closely coordinate with the infantry and advance in unison. If the infantry encounters strong German fortifications and fierce resistance during the attack, you must immediately provide them with timely and effective artillery support to ensure they can successfully break through the enemy's lines."

"Comrade Brigade Commander," Lomonsov said, leaning slightly forward after carefully listening to the instructions, "would you allow me to lead the troops onward now so that we can rendezvous with the forward infantry as soon as possible?"

“Permission granted, of course!” Sokov nodded in agreement without hesitation, and added, “Remember, to ensure no opportunity is missed, if the infantry requests artillery support during their advance, your artillery battalion is not required to wait for further orders and can be deployed to the battle immediately based on the battlefield situation!”

After seeing Lomonsov off, Sokov turned to Belkin and Karpov and said firmly, "Since our troops are advancing steadily, we as commanders cannot remain here indefinitely. We must advance with the troops to better grasp the dynamics of the battlefield."

“I completely agree,” Belkin nodded immediately in agreement, adding, “Only by keeping pace with the advance of the troops can we grasp the latest situation on the battlefield in a timely and accurate manner. It will be perfectly timely to quickly establish the brigade command after we find a suitable location.”

After a rapid march of more than ten minutes, Sokov and his men arrived at the area where the Second Battalion had recently finished fighting. The air still faintly smelled of gunpowder, and the ground was littered with spent shell casings and signs of battle.

Upon seeing Sokov and the accompanying brigade commander, Alexa, the battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion, immediately stepped forward and reported in a loud voice: "Reporting to the brigade commander, deputy brigade commander, and chief of staff, our battalion has just finished fighting a battle in which we killed 75 enemy soldiers, captured 16, and seized a batch of enemy supplies, including rifles, machine guns, submachine guns, and their ammunition."

Upon hearing this, Sokov nodded approvingly and said in a steady tone, "Well done." He then asked with concern, "What are the casualties like in your battalion?"

Alexa immediately replied, "Reporting to the brigade commander, we have 12 comrades killed and 35 wounded, all of whom have been arranged for evacuation and treatment." Hearing this number, Sokov's face lit up with surprise. He patted Alexa on the shoulder, his tone clearly full of praise: "Second Battalion Commander, you fought a truly brilliant battle. As the attacking side, your casualties are even fewer than the Germans who were on the defensive. This is truly a remarkable achievement!"

Upon hearing this, Alexa's lips curled up slightly, revealing a silent yet proud smile. He then explained further to Sokov, "Comrade Brigade Commander, the main reason we were able to achieve victory in a short time at a relatively low cost, besides the bravery of our soldiers, is that the enemy lacked strong fortifications."

"Oh? The Germans didn't have any strong defensive positions?" Sokov showed great interest and urged, "Tell me the details of the battle at that time."

Alex continued his report: "The enemy's position consisted of only an unfinished earthen fortification with a heavy machine gun mounted inside. Most of our battalion's casualties were caused by this machine gun. Later, the 3rd Company Commander, Captain Olga, personally led a soldier to covertly approach the fortification to within fifty meters and accurately destroyed it with a rocket launcher, clearing the most critical obstacle for the entire battalion's attack."

“Comrade Brigade Commander!” Karsokov stood aside and said with certainty, “Judging from the current situation, our soldiers are performing very bravely and tenaciously on the battlefield. It seems that the decision to replenish the Second Battalion with a large number of soldiers not long ago was correct. These newly added forces have not diluted the overall combat effectiveness of the battalion, but have instead enhanced their combat capabilities.”

"Comrade Chief of Staff!" Alexa quickly added, "If our battalion were reinforced with new recruits lacking combat experience, it might indeed have some impact on the overall combat effectiveness of the unit. But this time, the reinforcements are officers and soldiers just rescued from German prisoner-of-war camps. Because they experienced inhuman torture and cruel treatment in the camps, everyone is filled with deep hatred for the German invaders. This intense hatred has transformed into a powerful fighting will, which will greatly inspire and enhance their combat effectiveness on the battlefield."

"So, they performed quite well on the battlefield?" Karsokov asked approvingly.

“Yes, absolutely right, Comrade Chief of Staff.” Alexa nodded solemnly, giving Karsokov an affirmative answer: “As soon as the battle began, these newly rescued commanders and soldiers were at the forefront. Even in the face of the enemy’s dense fire and fierce bullets, not one of them showed the slightest fear, nor did a single one retreat a step, demonstrating amazing courage and firm determination.”

“Captain Alexei,” Sokov said after a moment of silence, “To defeat the enemy on the battlefield, simply charging forward is far from enough.” He tapped his forehead slightly. “More importantly, we must be adept at using our wisdom to strive for the greatest results with the least cost.”

(End of this chapter)