red moscow

Chapter 3098

Rokossovsky did not linger in Sokov's command post. After a brief conversation, he got up to leave. But as he reached the entrance, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked back at Sokov. He said in a slightly serious tone, "Misha, there's something important I almost forgot to tell you."

Sokov knew Rokossovsky's style well and knew that what he was bringing up at this moment was no ordinary matter. He immediately looked at him intently, his eyes showing eagerness and anticipation, waiting for him to continue.

"According to the latest notification from higher authorities, a delegation will be visiting our army group headquarters tomorrow." Rokossovsky's tone was calm, yet somewhat formal. "The members of this delegation come from diverse backgrounds, including model workers from factories in the rear, enterprise representatives, and many comrades from the arts and culture front..."

Upon hearing that the delegation included artists, Sokov's eyebrows involuntarily rose, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He wondered to himself, Rokossovsky and Serova's acquaintance, according to the original timeline, should have occurred during Rokossovsky's recovery in Moscow. Could this event have happened earlier because of the delegation's arrival?
"Misha!" Rokossovsky hadn't finished speaking when he noticed Sokov's dazed expression, as if his mind had already wandered off. He reached out and gently waved his hand in front of Sokov's eyes, his tone carrying a clear hint of displeasure. "I'm talking to you, why do you look so distracted? What are you thinking about?"

Sokov quickly recovered and hurriedly covered up his thoughts, saying, "Comrade Commander, I was just thinking that my troops will continue to advance westward tomorrow to pursue the retreating enemy, and I'm afraid I won't have the time or manpower to receive the delegation."

“I mentioned the comfort delegation to you not so that you would be tasked with receiving them. Your most important mission right now is to seize the opportunity and completely annihilate the fleeing enemy.” Rokossovsky’s tone softened as he continued to explain, “The reason I specifically mentioned the comfort delegation is because it involves another crucial matter.”

“Please speak!” Sokov responded immediately.

“Several comrades from the Armaments Department are in the delegation,” Rokossovsky said in a low voice, “including Comrade Bakharov, who is in charge of the development of the new rifle and anti-tank rocket launcher. He plans to visit your unit in person tomorrow, and I hope you can make the necessary arrangements to receive him.”

Upon hearing Bakharov's name, Sokov's eyes lit up with excitement. He had been racking his brains trying to figure out how to contact Bakharov—communication was difficult in those days, phone calls were often hard to get through, and asking someone to pass on a message could easily lead to leaks. Now that Bakharov had come to him on his own initiative, it was like a timely rain, solving his immediate problem.

"Excellent! This is truly excellent!" Before Sokov could finish speaking, Belkin couldn't contain his excitement and exclaimed, "Comrade Bakharov personally oversaw the design and deployment of the new rifles and rocket launchers to our brigade, which has greatly enhanced the overall combat capability of our troops. Especially when facing enemy armored forces, in the past, destroying an enemy tank often required paying an extremely heavy price—at least a dozen or even more than twenty brave soldiers would sacrifice themselves in close-range demolition. But now, since being equipped with these highly efficient anti-tank rocket launchers, our soldiers can accurately and effectively destroy enemy tank and armored units from a relatively safe distance. This has not only significantly improved combat efficiency but also greatly reduced the casualty rate of our troops in anti-tank operations, providing our soldiers with unprecedented survival guarantees."

Rokossovsky nodded, his expression serious yet approving, and added, "Comrade Bakharov's main purpose in coming to the front lines is to thoroughly examine the effectiveness and feedback of these new weapons on the actual battlefield. Judging from the current combat results, your brigade's overall combat capability has indeed achieved a qualitative leap since being equipped with these two weapons, showing significant progress in both infantry firepower suppression and anti-armor warfare. When you receive him tomorrow, be sure to truthfully report on the performance of the new weapons in actual combat. At the same time, try to gain his support and, if possible, ask him to allocate more of the new weapons and supporting ammunition to us to further enhance the equipment level of our army."

"Please rest assured, Commander," Sokov nodded solemnly in response, "as long as Comrade Bakharov has sufficient decision-making power in the allocation of this type of equipment, given our friendship, I am confident that we can secure more new weapons for our infantry brigade." As he said this, Sokov couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, thinking to himself: In his previous life, it was Yakov who constantly supplied his troops with new equipment, enabling his troops to gain the upper hand and achieve numerous feats in key battles. Now, although the recipient of the weapons has changed, the thirst for equipment and the strategic dependence on it have never changed.

Rokossovsky was very satisfied with Sokov's reply. He nodded slightly, his eyes revealing approval and expectation, and then shook hands with Sokov and his command team members one by one, encouraging them to continue to do a good job in combat and reception. After giving his instructions, he turned and strode away from the brigade command post, his figure gradually disappearing into the night outside.

After seeing Rokossovsky off, Belkin, unable to contain his excitement, said to Sokov, “Comrade Brigade Commander, this is fantastic news! I was just worrying about this a couple of days ago. The new rifles and rocket launchers are indeed incredibly powerful and very easy to use, but unfortunately, the current numbers are far too limited. Just imagine how wonderful it would be if we could equip our troops on a large scale! In the upcoming operations, we will surely gain a greater advantage and inflict even heavier blows on the enemy.”

Sokov nodded slightly, then turned to Chief of Staff Karsokov and solemnly instructed, "Comrade Chief of Staff, as soon as Comrade Bakharov arrives tomorrow, no matter where I am, you must do everything in your power to contact me. This is of paramount importance; it directly relates to whether our infantry brigade can acquire more new weapons in the future. Do you understand?"

“I understand completely, Comrade Brigade Commander.” As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Karsokov straightened up, nodded vigorously, and replied in a firm and affirmative tone, “Please rest assured, as soon as Comrade Bakharov arrives tomorrow, I guarantee that I will send someone to try to contact you immediately to ensure that this matter goes smoothly.”

(End of this chapter)