red moscow

Chapter 3085

Just as all the officers and soldiers of the 1st Battalion were assembling in a tense and orderly manner, preparing to carry out a nighttime infiltration mission, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov received a telegram hurriedly delivered by a communications soldier in the brigade headquarters. It was an urgent telegram personally sent by Army Group Commander Rokossovsky, inquiring about the current operational progress of the infantry brigade.

Sokov quickly glanced at the telegram, then looked up at Chief of Staff Karsokov, who was bent over organizing documents, and asked in a serious and steady tone, "Comrade Chief of Staff, has today's battle report been completed?" Before the other could respond, he added, "If it has, please send it to the Army Group Headquarters immediately. The Commander is eagerly awaiting our brigade's report on today's operations."

“Everything is ready, Comrade Brigade Commander,” Karsokov replied immediately. “I will report today’s results to headquarters right away.” As he spoke, he picked up the battle report on the table and turned to walk toward the communications squad.

However, just as Karsokov was about to step out of the command post, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something important. He turned back to Sokov and cautiously asked, "Comrade Brigade Commander, regarding our operation to send a battalion to outflank the enemy division headquarters... should we also report this to headquarters?"

Sokov paused for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. He knew that although he had ordered the 1st Battalion to cut off the retreat of the German 267th Division, marching through the snow-covered forest at night carried many uncertainties. Whether the troops could reach their designated positions on time and effectively intercept the enemy was still unknown. Reporting to superiors too early, in case of unforeseen circumstances, could only disappoint headquarters and even affect subsequent operational plans.

Therefore, he made a decisive decision: "There is no need to report for the time being. We cannot rule out the possibility that the First Battalion will be unable to complete the mission due to force majeure. If an accident occurs, we will have to spend energy explaining to our superiors, so it is better not to report for the time being."

“Understood, Comrade Brigade Commander.” Karsokov nodded in agreement. He felt that Sokov was right—caution was necessary in the face of unpredictable battlefield situations.

He walked briskly to the communications unit with the telegram in his hand to arrange for its transmission.

A few minutes later, a telegram reporting the day's results from the infantry brigade was sent to the army group headquarters.

After carefully reading the telegram, Chief of Staff Malinin immediately reported to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, the infantry brigade has achieved remarkable results in combat today after adjusting its marching route..." He listed in detail the German units defeated by the infantry brigade in the flank operations, the supplies captured, and the distance of the advancing front.

Rokossovsky listened attentively, nodding frequently, his eyes showing approval: "It seems Misha is indeed quick-witted. He understood that continuing to follow the routes of the 9th and 11th Guards Divisions would make it difficult to achieve a breakthrough. His decision to proactively choose a new direction of attack was decisive and correct." He continued with a touch of感慨 (gan3kai3, a Chinese expression of admiration or reflection), "If other commanders in the army group could also possess such on-the-spot decision-making ability, the results of our counter-offensive would undoubtedly be even more significant."

However, Malinin shook his head slightly and replied, "Comrade Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov was able to be promoted from recruit to lieutenant colonel in just a few months precisely because of his exceptional battlefield intuition and independent command ability. Other unit commanders often consult with headquarters on every little thing and wait for approval before taking action—this model, while in accordance with procedure, often leads to missed opportunities."

“Misha’s troops have already engaged the headquarters of the German 267th Infantry Division,” Rokossovsky said, his tone grave yet filled with anticipation. “If they can successfully take down this headquarters, or even capture the enemy division commander, it will be an extremely impressive victory.” “But annihilating the division headquarters or capturing the German general will be no easy task,” Malinin analyzed rationally. “Enemy commanders are often highly vigilant, and once they sense an unfavorable situation, they are likely to retreat quickly, even at the cost of abandoning their troops.”

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you are right." Rokossovsky was quite impressed by Malinin's statement: "The reason why the casualties of German mid- to high-ranking commanders on the battlefield are far lower than those of our army is because their command posts are often far from the front lines. Even if the situation is unfavorable to them, they can retreat before their own safety is threatened."

He slowly picked up the teacup on the table, which was set in a silver saucer, tilted it slightly, took a sip of the now-cold tea, and then set it down, continuing calmly, "The 20th Army on the right flank is advancing very quickly. They have successfully tied down a large number of enemy troops, which has greatly relieved the military pressure on our front. If our troops can maintain their current pace of advance, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to reach Volokolamsk in two days."

When Rokossovsky uttered the name "Volokoramsk," Malinin's expression instantly turned solemn. He paused for a moment, then replied in a low voice, "Comrade Commander, General Panfilov has been dead for a full month. If he knew from beyond the grave that we would soon be able to recapture Volokoramsk, where he and his troops fought and bled, he would surely be deeply gratified and happy."

“That’s right, that’s exactly right.” Rokossovsky said with deep emotion, “When Panfilov’s division entered Volokolamsk, it had a total strength of 15,000 men. By the time they finally withdrew from the city, there were less than 4,000 officers and soldiers left. More than 10,000 brave soldiers sacrificed their lives in the fierce battle to defend the city.”

At this point, Rokossovsky suddenly remembered something important and hurriedly instructed Malinin: "Chief of Staff, please send another telegram to the infantry brigade, inquiring in detail about their casualties in today's battle. I'm somewhat worried that their casualties are too high, and they may not be able to participate in the next phase of the offensive."

“Yes, Commander.” Ma Lining immediately nodded in response. “I will immediately have the radio operator send a message to the infantry brigade, ordering them to report the detailed casualty figures of the troops as soon as possible.”

After receiving the call from headquarters, Sokov immediately turned to Karsokov and asked, "Comrade Chief of Staff, what is the casualty situation of our brigade in today's battle?"

Before Karsokov could answer, Belkin, who had been dozing nearby, suddenly opened his eyes and spoke first: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I know the exact numbers. In today's battle, the entire brigade suffered 112 casualties and 391 wounded. But please rest assured, as the battalions took turns withdrawing to rest, we promptly drew troops from the reserves to replenish their losses."

After hearing this, Sokov gave Belkin an approving thumbs up: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, you did the right thing. Only by replenishing the lost troops of each battalion at any time can they fight without any worries, and have no fear that their troops will be wiped out in the continuous fierce battle."

At this point, he waved to Karsokov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, report our brigade's casualties to the higher command. Don't keep the Commander waiting."

(End of this chapter)