red moscow

Chapter 3097

After Bobrikov led Braun away from the command post, the atmosphere in the room became somewhat quiet. Belkin hesitated for a moment, then finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and took a step closer to Sokov, asking cautiously, "Comrade Brigade Commander, you and that German soldier Braun just spoke in German for so long, what did you talk about?"

Upon hearing this, Sokov turned to look at Belkin, thinking to himself, "If you knew the real content of our conversation, you'd probably think I was a mentally unstable madman." To avoid unnecessary speculation, he feigned calmness and replied casually, "Actually, it's nothing special. I just wanted to see if I could get some information about the enemy's defensive deployment from him."

Belkin recalled that Sokov hadn't immediately relayed any instructions or intelligence to Karsokov after his conversation with Braun, and guessed that the inquiry had probably yielded no substantial results. But he still held onto a sliver of hope and pressed on, "So, did you get any valuable information?"

“No.” Sokov shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness. “Although Braun was a soldier under the command of the German 267th Infantry Division, he was just an ordinary low-ranking soldier who had no access to any core military secrets and therefore could not provide any valuable intelligence.”

“That’s a real shame.” Belkin had originally wanted to ask Sokov why he was in such a hurry to find the watch’s owner, but seeing that he seemed somewhat distracted and unwilling to continue the conversation, he stopped him. He turned back to Sokov, picked up the phone records the other had just finished organizing, and carefully inquired about the specific situation of each battalion in today’s battle.

Just then, a commotion and footsteps came from outside the door. Sokov had just stood up and was about to go to the door to see what was happening when several people walked straight in.

Sokov, with his sharp eyes, immediately recognized Rokossovsky walking at the front, followed closely by his adjutant and a bodyguard carrying a submachine gun. Sokov quickly stepped forward, stood at attention, saluted, and asked with slight surprise, "Comrade Commander, what brings you to our brigade headquarters all of a sudden?"

Sokov's words startled Belkin and Karsokov, who were working. The two quickly put down their documents and rushed to Sokov's side, saluting Rokossovsky in unison.

Rokossovsky returned the salute with a broad smile and said in a loud voice, "Your brigade fought exceptionally well in today's battle and achieved quite good results. I came here specifically to congratulate you!"

Upon hearing this, Sokov grinned and then asked half-jokingly, "Comrade Commander, our brigade has made such great contributions, I wonder if the Supreme Command will award us the honorary title of 'Guards Brigade'?"

This half-joking remark immediately made Belkin and Karsokov, who were standing beside him, light up. The two of them stared intently at Rokossovsky, eager to know his answer.

“Misha, to be honest, given your brigade’s achievements, awarding you the title of Guards is entirely justified,” Rokossovsky said with a smile. “However, currently, the honorary title of brigade-level Guards is only awarded to tank brigades. If you want to obtain this honor, you’ll probably have to wait until your unit is expanded into a division.” Hearing Rokossovsky’s words, Sokov’s mood became somewhat heavy. He clearly realized that the various units under the army group had suffered extremely heavy losses in the previous phase of defensive operations. Several infantry divisions had seen their actual strength reduced to about 1200 to 1500 men, a size barely equivalent to an ordinary infantry regiment before the defensive battle began. With such a shortage of manpower, it would likely face considerable difficulties and obstacles in successfully expanding his infantry brigade into a complete infantry division.

Rokossovsky, seemingly oblivious to the dejection on Sokov's face, continued in an enthusiastic tone: "Your brigade performed exceptionally well in today's battle, not only successfully annihilating an entire German division headquarters but also capturing its commander and chief of staff. This is a major victory." He paused slightly, then added, "The Supreme Commander himself was very pleased to learn of this and specifically emphasized that you must be awarded the honors and rewards you deserve. I estimate that even if you ultimately do not receive the prestigious title of the Guards, you will at least earn the Order of the Red Banner."

Upon hearing Rokossovsky's words, Belkin, who was standing to the side, became excited and couldn't help but interject, "Comrade Commander, according to you, if our brigade can really win a Red Banner Medal, then can we add the glorious title of 'Red Banner' to our unit's official designation in the future?"

“That’s right, that’s exactly it.” Rokossovsky smiled and answered affirmatively, “Your brigade hasn’t been established for very long and has always lacked an official designation. I plan to wait a while longer, until the higher command replenishes our ranks on a large scale, and then I will officially expand your infantry brigade into an infantry division. At that time, I will submit an application to the Supreme Command to try to win you the prestigious title of Guards Division.”

"Comrade Commander, is this true?" Karsokov asked impatiently, his voice full of anticipation.

“Of course it’s true.” Rokossovsky nodded solemnly, his tone very certain: “As long as the Supreme Command can provide us with enough manpower, it is only natural that your infantry brigade be promoted to an infantry division.”

In stark contrast to the jubilation of Belkin and Karsokov, Sokov remained calm. He knew perfectly well that Rokossovsky would soon be wounded and forced to leave the front lines, sent to a military hospital in Moscow for treatment and recuperation. After that, his troops would be broken up and incorporated into the 5th Army. By then, it would be questionable whether his infantry brigade could even maintain its current structure, let alone be successfully expanded into an infantry division.

"Misha!" Rokossovsky noticed Sokov's thoughtful and preoccupied appearance and couldn't help but ask with concern, "You seem a little absent-minded. Is something on your mind?"

“Comrade Commander,” Sokov, naturally unable to directly tell Rokossovsky that he was worried about the possible fate of the 16th Army after his injury, could only conceal his concern by saying, “What I’m thinking is that the enemy has laid a large number of mines along our path, which is seriously hindering our advance. I wonder if headquarters could allocate a professional engineering unit for us? This would not only allow us to clear the mines along the way in a timely manner, but also enable the engineers to quickly repair any damaged roads or bridges we encounter.”

Rokossovsky thought for a moment when asked about Sokov's request, then nodded in agreement: "Misha, when I get back I'll discuss it with the chief engineer of the army group and see if he can spare an engineer company to assist you in your next operations."

(End of this chapter)