red moscow

Chapter 3084

By evening, the infantry brigade had advanced nearly thirty kilometers to the front line. At this time, the 4th Battalion, which was serving as the vanguard of the entire brigade, reported a victory—they had successfully engaged the retreating headquarters of the German 267th Infantry Division, keeping the enemy's command center firmly tied down at the front of the battle line.

The news quickly reached the brigade headquarters, which was set up in a temporary command post. Chief of Staff Karsokov could not hide his excitement and reported loudly to the two brigade commanders: "Comrades, according to the tactical intelligence we have, German regimental command units are usually deployed ten to twenty kilometers deep from the front line, while divisional headquarters are even further back. The fact that Major Vasya's 4th Battalion is able to directly engage the enemy divisional headquarters fully proves that the speed and intensity of our advance today have exceeded the expectations of conventional operations!"

Although Brigade Commander Sokov did not immediately express his opinion, his heart was filled with turmoil. He thought to himself, "If the 1st Battalion, which was the vanguard this morning, had not dawdled and had instead ordered the troops to advance at full speed, perhaps the encirclement of the German 267th Division headquarters would have been completed by now, and they might even have launched an annihilation operation."

Belkin, oblivious to Sokov's deep thought, remained immersed in his excitement and continued the Chief of Staff's words: "Comrade Chief of Staff is right! It is precisely because of our rapid advance that we have been able to catch up with the German division headquarters. If we can successfully annihilate this command center, it will undoubtedly be a significant tactical victory, which will be of great importance to our morale and the strategic deployment of our superiors."

After a brief pause, Belkin finally noticed that Sokov looked focused, as if he were thinking about something, and asked with concern, "Comrade Brigade Commander, what are you thinking about?"

Sokov raised his head, his tone steady but tinged with regret: "I was thinking that if it weren't for that delay this morning, we would probably have already completed the encirclement—not just held the enemy at bay. If we could have formed the encirclement before dark, we could have launched a general offensive under cover of darkness, completely annihilated this German division headquarters, and won a great victory that would satisfy our superiors."

Upon hearing this, Karsokov added, "Even so, the enemy's division headquarters is already tightly entangled by our troops, and it will be no easy task for them to retreat unscathed."

Sokov paced back and forth in the command post twice with his hands behind his back, then stopped and decisively gave the order to the chief of staff: "Comrade Karsokov, immediately contact Battalion Commander Captain Yefim and order him to lead his troops under the cover of night to quickly outflank the German division headquarters and resolutely cut off their retreat route. We must completely block the enemy's retreat."

"Shall we act now?" Karsokov asked again, his voice tinged with caution and seriousness.

Sokov nodded firmly: "Yes, act immediately. I judge that the German division commander is very likely to break out under the cover of night. We must take the initiative and not let the tiger return to the mountain, otherwise there will be endless troubles."

Since receiving a harsh reprimand from Sokov that morning, Yefim had been in a very low mood. He repeatedly reflected on his mistakes, believing that it was his fault that affected the entire brigade's operations. Deeply remorseful, he even prepared himself for dismissal, his heart filled with trepidation and unease.

Just then, he received a phone call from Karsokov. Yefim immediately became extremely nervous, and asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Comrade Chief of Staff, does the brigade commander have any new instructions?"

A steady voice came from the other end of the phone: "Yes, Captain. The brigade commander has ordered your battalion to immediately use the cover of night to quickly outflank the German division headquarters and cut off their retreat completely, ensuring they cannot escape."

Upon learning that Sokov had entrusted him with such an important mission, Yefim's spirits lifted. He cautiously asked, "Comrade Chief of Staff, when exactly will our battalion depart?"

Karsokov reminded him sternly, “Comrade Captain, now that it’s dark, the sooner you move, the better. The brigade commander judges that the German division commander is very likely to use the cover of night to quietly retreat. You must act swiftly and decisively to cut off the enemy’s retreat; there can be no delay whatsoever.” Yefim knew this was a precious opportunity given to him by Karsokov. If he could successfully complete the mission, he would not only avoid being dismissed but might even be commended; however, if he let the enemy escape, he feared he would never be able to serve as a battalion commander again. Therefore, he answered firmly without hesitation, “Comrade Chief of Staff, please rest assured, and the brigade commander, I guarantee I will resolutely complete the mission!”

"Very good, I look forward to your good news." After saying this, Karsokov decisively hung up the phone, leaving only a short busy tone on the receiver.

Yefim put down the phone, pondered for a moment with a solemn expression, then strode out of the tent and loudly summoned three communications soldiers. Looking at them, he ordered in a serious tone, "You all split up immediately and notify the three company commanders to come to the battalion command post for a meeting. I have a very important combat mission to assign them immediately; this matter concerns the honor of the entire battalion, so be sure to convey it as quickly as possible!"

Upon receiving the urgent notification from the communications soldier, the three company commanders dared not delay in the slightest. They immediately put down their work and rushed to the battalion command post as quickly as possible. They exchanged glances, and could see the doubt and tension in each other's eyes, wondering why the battalion commander had suddenly summoned them.

"Company Commander, comrades," Yefim stood up, seeing that his men were all present, and went straight to the point: "This morning, our battalion received a severe reprimand from the brigade commander. He pointed out that our advance was too slow, causing the troops to be unable to catch up with the enemy. What's even more unacceptable is that the brigade headquarters has decided to replace us with the 2nd Battalion, making it the vanguard of the entire brigade. This is undoubtedly a huge disgrace for our 1st Battalion!"

Upon hearing Yefim's words, the three company commanders all lowered their heads in shame. Since the Second Battalion replaced the First Battalion as the vanguard, the entire brigade's advance speed had significantly increased. This fact made everyone clearly realize that their previous inability to catch up with the enemy in time was indeed due to their own slow actions.

"Company commanders, I've called you all here today not to criticize you," Yefim's tone softened slightly, "but to entrust you with a crucial task. This task is not only related to whether our battalion can regain its honor, but also to the success or failure of the entire campaign."

Upon hearing that an important mission had been assigned, the three company commanders immediately raised their heads, their fighting spirit rekindled. They were eager to know what important task Yefim would assign them, and each of them held their breath, awaiting the battalion commander's next instructions.

Yefim glanced at the three company commanders and said solemnly, “The brigade commander has issued a new operational order to our battalion. We must take advantage of the cover of night to quietly outflank the German division headquarters and completely cut off their retreat. This mission is of utmost importance; it will create extremely favorable conditions for our army to annihilate this German force.”

"Comrade Battalion Commander." No sooner had Yefim finished speaking than the company commander stepped forward without hesitation, his voice firm and powerful: "Please let our company carry out this mission. We guarantee we will complete it resolutely!"

Following closely behind, the Second Company Commander was equally determined, stepping forward to express his resolve: "No, Battalion Commander, this task should be assigned to my Second Company. We are already fully prepared!"

Almost at the same time, the company commander of the third company also stepped forward, his tone sincere and urgent: "Please let our third company carry out this mission, we will never let you down!"

Seeing the company commanders arguing back and forth, Yefim raised his hand and interrupted them with a calm and decisive tone: "Alright, there's no need to argue anymore." He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over each commander, and continued: "Company 1 will be the first echelon to move first, Company 2 will follow closely behind as the second echelon to provide support, and the battalion headquarters and Company 3 will jointly serve as the rearguard, responsible for ensuring the safety of the overall operation. Now, please return to your respective units immediately, quickly assemble your soldiers, and prepare to depart as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)