red moscow

Chapter 3110

When Sokov traversed the smoke-filled battlefield and reached Yefim, he found him sitting on a fallen tree trunk, his face pale. A young medic was crouching beside him, carefully tending to a wound in his waist. Sokov was alarmed and rushed forward, his voice filled with urgency and concern: "Yefim, you're wounded? Is it serious?"

Yefim looked up at Sokov, a bitter smile on his face, and shook his head, saying, "Comrade Brigade Commander, it's alright. Just now, during bayonet fighting, a German soldier hit me in the waist with the butt of his rifle. It hurts a little, but it's nothing serious." Although his voice was calm, the fine sweat on his forehead revealed a hint of pain.

Upon learning that Yefim had been struck in the waist by the butt of a rifle, Sokov frowned. He turned to the medic and asked in a serious tone, "Medic, have you checked thoroughly? Are there any broken bones?" He was worried that if the ribs were broken, it would not only affect Yefim's ability to command the operation, but could even endanger his life.

The medic quickly stood up, straightened his back, and respectfully replied, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I have examined the wound carefully. The area where the enemy's rifle butt struck the wound only has large bruises; the skin is not broken, and the bone is fine. It is probably a morbid injury, and it should heal after a few days of rest."

Sokov breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, the tension on his face easing slightly. As long as no bones were broken, Yefim could continue commanding the battle, which brought him some comfort. He looked at Yefim with a determined gaze and said, "Captain Yefim, according to the scouts, there's a village occupied by the Germans two kilometers ahead. The Germans have set up fortifications there, and we need to take it as soon as possible. What do you think? Should you continue leading the First Battalion in the attack, or should you give the opportunity to Captain Nazorov's Third Battalion? After all, you've just been wounded and need to rest."

Hearing Sokov's words, Yefim abruptly stood up from the tree trunk. Though his movements were somewhat stiff, his tone was incredibly firm: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I only suffered a minor injury, which will not affect my command at all. The soldiers of the First Battalion are waiting for me to lead them in the charge! Let the First Battalion handle the task of attacking the village." His eyes gleamed with fighting determination, as if the pain did not exist.

Sokov did not immediately give a definite answer. Instead, he hesitated for a moment and tentatively asked, "What is the casualty situation in your battalion? Tell me about that first, and then I will make a decision." His voice was low, revealing his concern for the condition of the troops.

Upon hearing Sokov's question, Yefim remained silent for a moment, his expression turning grave. He then said in a heavy tone, "Comrade Brigade Commander, according to incomplete statistics, my battalion suffered over a hundred casualties and more than two hundred wounded in the recent battle." Perhaps fearing that Sokov might refuse to allow his troops to carry out the next mission, he suddenly raised his voice, a hint of fervor in it, "But the entire battalion still has nearly five hundred men remaining, and their morale is high; they are fully capable of carrying out any combat mission! Please, you must entrust this mission to our battalion."

Sokov turned to the radio operator behind him and asked, "Radio operator, have you made contact with the Third Battalion?"

The radio operator immediately replied, "We've made contact, Brigade Commander. The Third Battalion will arrive here in ten minutes."

Upon hearing the radio operator's words, Yefim's heart leaped into his throat. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms. If the Third Battalion really did arrive in ten minutes, Sokov would likely entrust them with the entire task of taking this German-held village—the Third Battalion was fully equipped and in high spirits, while his own battalion had just fought a fierce battle, suffering over 30% casualties, and the soldiers were somewhat exhausted.

Just as he took a deep breath, preparing to step forward and volunteer to Sokov, Sokov suddenly turned around and looked at him. "Captain Yefim, your battalion has just finished fighting and needs to rest for a while. After the Third Battalion arrives, you can launch an attack on the village occupied by the enemy."

Yefim was stunned; he hadn't expected the brigade commander to make such an arrangement. He instinctively stepped forward, his tone somewhat urgent: "Comrade Brigade Commander, our battalion can launch an attack right now! The soldiers are in high spirits, and we still have plenty of ammunition. Why wait for the Third Battalion?" Sokov looked at Yefim, his voice low but clear: "The reason is simple. We don't know how many enemies are in the village, or what weapons they're equipped with. If we rush into an attack and suffer a setback, the Germans will seize the opportunity to counterattack—what will we use to stop them?" He paused briefly, then continued, "With the Third Battalion here as a reserve, even if the enemy launches a frenzied counterattack, we can reliably drive them back."

"Oh, I see." After listening to Sokov's explanation, Yefim finally understood what was going on. He took a deep breath, looked around at the positions blackened by artillery fire, and tentatively asked, "Before the Third Battalion arrives, is there anything we need to do? After all, time waits for no one, and the enemy may counterattack at any time."

Sokov nodded, his gaze sweeping over the dilapidated fortifications. Scattered among the ruins were fragments of broken weapons and severed limbs. He said in a deep voice, "You have a lot to do, and I'm afraid it won't be completed before the Third Battalion arrives." He pointed to a collapsed bunker and continued, "Tell the commanders and soldiers to hurry up and repair the fortifications, especially to reinforce the forward defensive points. We will use this as the starting point for our attack, and we cannot afford to be careless."

Yefim immediately straightened up and replied with a serious expression, "Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander." He turned and waved to the messenger behind him, his voice urgent but firm: "I will immediately order someone to call the three company commanders over and have them hurry up and repair the fortifications. We will split up and prioritize repairing the firing points and communication trenches to prepare for the enemy's counterattack."

“Hmm, you’ve thought this through very well.” Sokov nodded and said, “Then let’s stop dawdling and get started.”

While Yefim was assigning tasks to the company commanders, Sokov told the radio operator, "Send a telegram to the chief of staff, saying that the 1st Battalion has successfully cleared out the enemy ambushing our troops and is preparing to launch an attack on the German-occupied village. Have him contact the artillery battalion to provide artillery support to the attacking forces if necessary."

"Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander." The radio operator replied and began sending a telegram to the brigade headquarters, transmitting the message dictated by Sokov.

Karsokov received the telegram from Sokov, and after reading it, he picked up the phone on the table: "Captain Lomonsov, this is the Chief of Staff. I just received a telegram from the brigade commander. We are preparing to launch an attack on the village occupied by the Germans. We hope that your artillery will be ready for battle in advance and provide artillery support to the attacking forces if necessary."

"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." After Karsokov finished speaking, Lomonsov immediately replied, "Our artillery battalion has long been prepared for battle. As long as the observers at the front can provide us with accurate firing parameters, we can provide artillery support to our infantry brothers at any time."

“That’s wonderful,” Karsokov said. “After the battle, I will personally recommend you for credit.”

(End of this chapter)