red moscow

Chapter 3087

After the Fourth Battalion launched a fierce attack on the enemy, the entire battlefield was quickly engulfed in intense firefights, and the battle soon entered a white-hot phase. Gunfire, artillery fire, and explosions intertwined, echoing endlessly in the night sky.

Hearing the increasingly intense gunfire outside, Belkin grew increasingly anxious. He abruptly stood up from his seat and began pacing back and forth in the command post, his gaze repeatedly drifting to the night sky outside, faintly illuminated by firelight. His brow was furrowed, and his fingers unconsciously clenched into fists.

“Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander!” Karsokov, who had been watching Belkin’s actions, finally couldn’t help but speak up, his tone tinged with a helpless smile. “Could you please sit down first? You keep walking back and forth in front of me, making me dizzy.”

Upon hearing this, Belkin sat heavily back on the wooden stool, a bitter smile appearing on his face. He shook his head and said in a low voice, "The gunfire outside is so intense; the situation must be extremely tense. But we're trapped here, completely unable to keep track of the real-time progress at the front. It's incredibly frustrating!"

“Don’t worry too much, Deputy Brigade Commander,” Sokov reassured him in a calm tone. “It’s late at night, and visibility on the battlefield is extremely low. Not to mention our command post, even Major Vasya, who is in frontline command, probably has a hard time figuring out the whole situation right away. Let’s wait patiently, and maybe we’ll get some news soon.”

Just as Sokov finished speaking, the radio operator, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, suddenly looked up and reported loudly: "An unknown call has been received! Repeat, an unknown call has been received!"

"An unfamiliar call?!" Karsokov's expression immediately sharpened. He strode to the radio operator and gave a rapid, clear order: "Connect immediately! Confirm the caller's identity!"

"Brigade headquarters, brigade headquarters, this is the 1st Battalion." A voice came through the headset, intermittent but clear enough. "Repeat, this is the 1st Battalion, calling brigade headquarters!"

"It's the First Battalion!" Karsokov exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. He immediately ordered the radio operator, "Quickly, establish a connection and listen to their report!"

The communication quickly stabilized, and Karsokov responded into the microphone, "This is the brigade headquarters, please speak!"

According to battlefield communication regulations, code words should be used in situations where enemy and friendly forces are intertwined to prevent enemy eavesdropping. However, Sokov consistently disagreed with this. In his view, the situation on the battlefield changes rapidly, and using code words is not only inefficient but also prone to misunderstandings—hasn't there been historical instances where a "marching pot" mentioned in a telegram was mistaken for an important prisoner?
Belkin, standing nearby, looked worried. He lowered his voice and reminded Sokov, "Comrade Brigade Commander, isn't it too risky to communicate in plain language? What if the enemy intercepts us..."

Sokov turned around and said seriously, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, what we need most right now is to seize the time, understand? Clear language communication allows us to grasp the battlefield situation as quickly as possible, which is crucial for us to assess the situation and adjust our combat deployment."

Upon hearing Sokov's response, Belkin said no more. In fact, he himself was eager to find out what kind of battle the First Battalion was experiencing and what its current situation was.

Captain Yefim's slightly hoarse voice quickly came through the earpiece: "Comrade Chief of Staff, this is Captain Yefim, the battalion commander! After a fierce battle, my battalion has successfully completed the flanking maneuver and completely cut off the retreat route of the German 267th Infantry Division!"

"Captain, you fought brilliantly!" Upon hearing the news, Karsokov slammed his fist on the wooden table, making the pencils on it jump. "Successfully cutting off the German retreat means that this German division headquarters is now trapped. We have a real chance to annihilate the entire division, and even capture their commander alive!" Brigade Commander Sokov was also unable to hide his excitement, but he was more concerned with the details of the battle. He snatched the microphone from Karsokov's hand and asked sternly, "Captain, after such a fierce battle after encountering the enemy, why didn't you report the situation to the brigade headquarters in time?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the receiver, followed by Yefim's slightly embarrassed voice: "Comrade Brigade Commander, our radio was destroyed by enemy bullets shortly after the start of the battle, making it impossible to contact the brigade headquarters. The radio we are using now is a spoil of war that we just captured from the Germans."

"What is the casualty situation in your battalion?" Sokov asked, his voice filled with concern.

“During our maneuver, we were unfortunately discovered by a German patrol, and a fierce firefight immediately ensued.” Yefim’s voice grew heavy. “To ensure the mission’s success, I left the Third Company behind to hold off the enemy while I led the main force to continue towards the designated location. Only after we successfully cut off the enemy’s retreat were the remnants of the Third Company able to join us. Of the more than two hundred soldiers in the company, less than fifty remain…”

Upon learning of the heavy casualties suffered by the company tasked with providing cover, Sokov's heart clenched. However, he suppressed his grief and spoke as calmly as possible: "Don't worry, Captain. After dawn, I will replenish your ranks from the reserves. You have successfully cut off the German retreat; that's a great achievement! If you can capture the commander of the 267th Infantry Division alive, your entire battalion will likely receive an even higher medal."

Sokov's words immediately invigorated Yefim: "Comrade Brigade Commander, is everything you said true?"

“Of course it’s true!” Sokov replied confidently.

Just then, a radio operator hurried over and handed Sokov the telegram he had just received: "Comrade Brigade Commander, this is an urgent telegram just sent from the Army Group Headquarters."

Sokov quickly handed the transmitter to the radio operator and began to read the telegram carefully. Belkin and Karsokov also came over and asked with concern, "What instructions does headquarters have this time?"

"What other instructions could there be?" Sokov smiled and handed the telegram to Karsokov: "It still requires us to report all developments at the front to headquarters in a timely manner."

“Comrade Brigade Commander,” Karsokov continued, “we now not only have news of a battalion, but we have also successfully cut off the German division headquarters’ retreat route. This is a major victory. Should we report it to headquarters immediately?”

"Yes, of course, we must report it immediately!" Sokov said decisively. Cutting off the German retreat and besieging the headquarters of the German 267th Division—such a victory, if not reported as soon as possible, would be like wearing fine clothes in the dark. "Chief of Staff, you immediately draft a detailed battle report, detailing the 1st Battalion's successful cutting off of the German retreat and encirclement of the German division headquarters, and report it to the higher command."

"Don't worry, Comrade Brigade Commander!" Karsokov replied excitedly, "I'll go draft the telegram right away!"

(End of this chapter)