red moscow

Chapter 3119 Battle Summary
After dark, Sokov summoned all the battalion commanders to the brigade headquarters, located in a simple farmhouse in the village, for a battle debriefing meeting. The candlelight cast flickering shadows on the long table, illuminating the solemn yet slightly excited faces of each commander. The commanders, having achieved considerable success in the day's fighting, were in high spirits upon meeting, shaking hands and patting each other on the shoulder, enthusiastically discussing their respective attack routes, fire coordination, and timing of assaults, their words frequently revealing pride and satisfaction.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Sokov nodded slightly to Karsokov, who was sitting to the side, signaling the start of the meeting. Karsokov stood up, clapped his hands twice, and the noisy conversation gradually subsided, with all the commanders' eyes focused on him. "Comrades, please be quiet," he said in a steady voice, "we will now begin the meeting."

The room finally fell silent, save for the faint sound of sentry footsteps outside the window and the distant echoes of artillery fire. Karsokov's gaze swept around the room before he continued, "As everyone knows, the battalions performed admirably in today's fighting, successfully capturing their designated objectives and thwarting the enemy's counterattack. The brigade headquarters fully commends this achievement."

Upon hearing the chief of staff's praise, the battalion commanders smiled knowingly; some nodded slightly, others exchanged glances, and the atmosphere relaxed for a moment. Their eyes were fixed on Karsokov, awaiting his announcement of the commendation or the next offensive plan.

However, Karsokov abruptly changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming stern: "But while acknowledging our achievements, we must also be soberly aware that each battalion has exposed many fatal problems in today's battles." He paused briefly, letting his words echo in the quiet room, "The reason I've gathered everyone here tonight is to analyze these problems in depth and avoid paying unnecessary costs in future battles."

The smiles on the battalion commanders' faces faded. Some frowned, some pursed their lips, and some even subconsciously looked away. They were filled with confusion: their troops had clearly completed their combat mission smoothly, so why was the chief of staff fixated on such insignificant details?
Sokov sensed the resistance in the air. He raised his hand to stop Karsokov, who was about to continue, slowly stood up, and swept his gaze across the room like a knife, saying in a serious tone, "Comrades, battalion commanders, I can see that you are not convinced by the Chief of Staff's evaluation, are you?"

Although no one spoke out in protest, their tense lips and shifty eyes said it all. Sokov nodded, his voice even lower: "Since everyone thinks these are trivial matters, then let me speak—are the things that happened in today's battle 'insignificant trifles,' or are they fatal mistakes that could have ruined the entire victory?"

As soon as the brigade commander finished speaking, the entire command post fell silent. The battalion commanders, who had been somewhat relaxed, sat up straight, no longer daring to be negligent in the slightest, and all their attention was focused on what Sokov was about to say.

“First, I must criticize Major Vasya, the commander of the Fourth Battalion,” Sokov said gravely, turning his gaze to Major Vasya on his right. His voice echoed in the quiet command post, carrying an unquestionable authority. “After his troops stormed into the town, instead of immediately concentrating their forces to destroy the German command post, they allowed the combat units to disperse into different districts and fight independently, leaving the command post vulnerable and nearly destroyed in the German counterattack. This dispersal of forces violated the fundamental principle of concentrating superior forces to strike key targets, giving the enemy an opportunity.”

Hearing Sokov's words, Vasya's face flushed red. He lowered his head, his hands clenching unconsciously. He knew very well that if he were the only one in the battalion command post at the time, even if it were taken over by the enemy, it wouldn't be a big deal; the deputy battalion commander, who was directing operations in other areas, would take over his command. But Sokov was also in the command post, and if something happened to him, it would likely be a fatal blow to the morale of the entire brigade. At this moment, Vasya felt deeply guilty. He recalled the chaotic scene of the battle and realized he should have been more decisive in leading his troops straight to the German heartland.

After Vasya and Sokov finished speaking, he immediately stood up and admitted his mistake. His voice trembled slightly but was full of determination: "Comrade Brigade Commander, you are right! After I led the troops into the town, I should have concentrated my forces to take down the German command post first. Once the enemy was thrown into chaos, they would not be able to organize a counterattack, and naturally they would not be able to threaten the safety of my command post. Our army could then annihilate them more quickly. This was my mistake as a commander. I am willing to accept any punishment and guarantee that I will learn from this lesson in future battles and strictly enforce tactical discipline."

A good drum doesn't need a heavy hammer. Seeing that Vasya had realized his shortcomings, Sokov didn't make things difficult for him. Instead, he raised his right hand and pressed down a few times, his tone slightly softening: "Major Vasya, please sit down. Recognizing the problem is the first step; the next step is to improve in actual combat."

Seeing that even their most trusted commander, Vasya, had received a stern rebuke from Sokov, the other battalion commanders immediately held their breath, their expressions becoming tense. They all straightened their backs, clasped their hands tightly on their knees, and their minds raced through every detail of the day's battle, desperately trying to recall any oversights in their units' offensive, defensive, or coordinated operations. They wished they could immediately find any possible mistakes to avoid being the next to be called out.

The air inside the command post was heavy, with only the occasional soft crackling of burning candles.

“Next, I want to criticize the Third Battalion.” Sokov paused for a moment, turning his gaze to Nazorov, his eyes sharp as knives. “While the First Battalion was capturing the village where we are now, a German armored company arrived. The Third Battalion was ordered to hold off the First Battalion, covering their flank and preventing the German breakthrough. Captain Nazorov set up the blocking position on this slope. The terrain advantage was obvious: a commanding position with a wide field of fire. As long as we held this position, we could use firepower and terrain to suppress the German armored column's advance, preventing them from rushing into the village and joining up with the defenders who were still putting up a stubborn resistance.”

Hearing Sokov call his name, Nazorov's heart sank, and a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his back. He instinctively clenched his fists, the most brutal scene of the day's battle flashing before his eyes—German tanks and armored vehicles firing up the slope, soldiers suffering casualties one after another, and his own anti-tank squad being completely wiped out. If it weren't for the few T-34s that happened to be operating nearby changing course to provide support, the 3rd Battalion would likely have suffered even greater losses. His throat went dry, he hesitated, and ultimately just lowered his head, awaiting Sokov's next criticism.

"Captain Nazarov!" Sokov stared at Nazarov and said sternly, "When enemy tanks and armored vehicles are firing at you from outside the range of your anti-tank weapons, what you should be doing is having your soldiers take cover to avoid being killed by German fire, and then eliminating them from higher ground after they get close, instead of sending our soldiers to their deaths under enemy fire. The soldiers who sacrificed their lives acted bravely, but their deaths were not worthwhile."

Nazorov slowly stood up, his face flushed, and said to Sokov, "Comrade Brigade Commander, it was my fault for mishandling the situation, which caused unnecessary casualties in the troops. Please punish me." His voice trembled slightly, clearly showing his guilt and nervousness.

Sokov's gaze remained fixed on Nazorov, his expression serious but without anger: "I'm telling you this only to make you understand the mistakes you made in today's battle, not to punish you. As a commander, you must learn from every mistake so that you can gain more valuable experience in future battles."

Upon learning that Sokov did not intend to punish him, Nazorov felt a sense of relief. He quickly straightened his back and solemnly declared, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I will remember your words. In future battles, I will always be vigilant to avoid similar mistakes from happening again, and I will never betray your trust."

Sokov nodded, gesturing for him to sit down, then turned his gaze to all the battalion commanders present and began, “Comrades, we will continue our westward advance tomorrow to pursue and annihilate the enemy. However, as the battle lines lengthen, our army inevitably faces problems of troop dispersion and overly long supply lines, while the retreating enemy is constantly consolidating its forces. Before long, the balance of power between the enemy and ourselves on the local battlefields will change.” He paused, then emphasized, “If we continue to advance in battalion units as we are now, it will be easy for the Germans to defeat us piecemeal.”

When Sokov finished speaking, Vasya suddenly stood up, his brow furrowed, and asked, "Comrade Brigade Commander, what should we do next? How can we avoid this risk?"

Sokov calmly replied, “Starting tomorrow, the entire brigade will be divided into two echelons. The first echelon will consist of the 1st and 2nd battalions and the artillery battalion; the second echelon will consist of the 3rd and 4th battalions and the brigade headquarters. The two echelons must maintain a distance of no more than three kilometers between them during the march, so that if either echelon is attacked, the other echelon can arrive to reinforce it in the shortest possible time. At the same time, each echelon must maintain close communication, reporting enemy activity and positions at all times to ensure the unity and flexibility of the operation.” He looked around at everyone and added, “Does anyone have any objections to my arrangement?”

The battalion commanders present exchanged glances, then shook their heads in unison, replying in unison, "No, Comrade Brigade Commander, we will resolutely obey your arrangements."

Sokov nodded slightly: "Since there are no objections, let's adjourn the meeting. Everyone, go back and get some rest to ensure you have enough energy for tomorrow's battle."

(End of this chapter)