red moscow

Chapter 3120

In the days that followed, although the German resistance along the way grew stronger, the infantry brigade soldiers continued their relentless westward advance, driving the enemy away from Moscow step by step.

That morning, Sokov was sitting at a simple wooden table, intently reading the latest battle report. Suddenly, Belkin lifted the tent flap, strode over to him, and whispered, "Comrade Brigade Commander, tomorrow is New Year's Day. Shouldn't we give the soldiers some dumplings today?"

New Year, dumplings? Upon hearing these two words, Sokov's expression faltered for a moment, his thoughts drifting back to his distant homeland. He seemed to see again the lively scenes of families making dumplings during the New Year back home, the steaming dumplings symbolizing reunion and hope. But quickly, he shook his head, pulling himself back to reality, realizing that dumplings weren't unique to Russia; Russia also had its own dumpling tradition. Their dumplings, called "пельмени," are more like wontons in shape, and come with a wide variety of fillings, including chicken, lamb, beef, and even mashed potatoes and mushrooms. Served with sour cream, they have a unique flavor.

Sokov slowly put down the battle report in his hand, looked up at Belkin with a thoughtful look in his eyes, and asked, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, what are your thoughts?"

“There were only some small-scale battles today, and the front lines are relatively calm,” Belkin explained. “We can organize the troops who are not on combat missions to make dumplings during their rest time. Then, after dark, everyone can gather together to eat dumplings and celebrate the New Year, which is a small comfort to the soldiers.”

Chief of Staff Karsokov, who had just finished a phone call, heard Belkin's suggestion and curiously came over, tentatively asking, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, how many dumplings should we prepare for each soldier?"

Belkin had clearly considered this issue beforehand, and he answered without hesitation: "How about two pounds of dumplings for each soldier? That way, everyone can have their fill and feel the New Year's atmosphere."

After this period of fighting, the infantry brigade had suffered considerable losses, but its total strength still exceeded 3,700 men. Hearing Belkin's words, Sokov quickly calculated in his mind: two jin of dumplings per person, 3,700 men would require 7,400 jin of dumplings. This number made him frown; considering the current supply lines and reserves, this was undoubtedly a huge challenge.

Thinking of this, Sokov gazed at the swirling snowflakes outside the tent and began to calculate. He cautiously asked, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, if each person makes two jin of dumplings, the entire brigade will need at least 7,400 jin of dumplings. Do we have that much flour and ingredients? That's a considerable sum, especially given the shortage of supplies at the front."

"Don't worry, Comrade Brigade Commander," Belkin said confidently, a slight smile on his face. "I've already prepared the ingredients for the dumplings. A batch of supplies was transported from the rear, and I specifically reserved enough flour and filling. I'm just waiting for your order, and I can arrange for people to make dumplings. The soldiers have worked hard all year, and they deserve to have a hot meal of dumplings at the start of the new year."

Since Belkin had already prepared the ingredients, Sokov nodded and went along with it, saying, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, then let's arrange for people to start making dumplings. Put the dumplings in the snow to freeze first, and then cook them all together tonight. Be careful to allocate manpower properly so as not to affect the combat mission at the front."

Just as Belkin turned to leave the tent, Karsokov added from behind, his voice tinged with excitement: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, the logistics department still has a ton of chocolate stored there. I think we can distribute it to the soldiers tonight as a little extra surprise for the New Year." Sokov was taken aback, then asked Karsokov curiously, "Comrade Chief of Staff, how come there's so much chocolate? This isn't an ordinary supply."

“Our soldiers found these in a warehouse after we captured a town some time ago,” Karsokov quickly explained, recalling the scene. “These chocolates were all made in our country. They must have been captured by the Germans before, but they had been sitting unused in the warehouse. After we liberated the town, these chocolates fell into our hands. I wanted to report them sooner, but I was busy with the fighting, so I temporarily stored them in the logistics warehouse.”

"Oh, I see." After Sokov understood what was going on, he said to Belkin, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, distribute the chocolates to the soldiers. It will also ease some of the pressure on the logistics team."

After Belkin left, only Karsokov and Sokov remained in the command post. The candlelight flickered on the table, illuminating Karsokov's worried face. He said with some concern, "Comrade Brigade Commander, it was Christmas Eve a few days ago, but our allies still attacked the enemy camp at night. This makes me very uneasy. Will the enemy launch a surprise attack on us tonight while we celebrate the New Year?"

Karsokov's words reminded Sokov of December 24th. That evening, standing alone before the map, considering that Christmas Eve was an important holiday for Germans and that many German soldiers were probably homesick, he ordered his troops, out of a sense of pity, not to attack German-held areas that night, allowing them to enjoy the holiday in peace. He hoped that this action would reduce unnecessary bloodshed and perhaps bring a brief period of peace.

However, the fact that his own troops did not take action did not mean that friendly forces on both flanks would not launch a night attack. Sure enough, late that night, the friendly forces unexpectedly launched an offensive, and fierce fighting was inevitable. The sound of artillery fire echoed throughout the front line, causing considerable casualties. Upon learning the news, Sokov felt conflicted, understanding the actions of his allies while also feeling a pang of guilt for his own decision.

Tonight is the last day of 1941. The Soviet troops will certainly cease all military operations and busy themselves preparing for the New Year. While the soldiers enjoy limited food and drink, their defenses may become weak. But it's not impossible that the Germans, who suffered losses in the previous days, might seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. Sokov took a deep breath, realizing that he must strengthen vigilance to prevent the New Year's joy from turning into the beginning of tragedy.

Thinking of this, Sokov instructed Karsokov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, before dark, deploy guard troops facing the German forces to closely monitor the enemy's movements."

“Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander.” Karsokov nodded in response. “I will arrange the guard troops to prevent any possible enemy attacks.”

(End of this chapter)