Red Moscow.

Chapter 2758

After some rest, the troops set off again.

Sergeant Zub came to Sokov's side and said worriedly: "Comrade Captain, these people we take in have no fighting power at all except for wasting our food. If we encounter new scattered people, Small troops, should we stop taking them in?”

How could Sokov not know that Zub was telling the truth, but at the moment he seemed like a burden. After arriving at the new defense zone, they would be reorganized and they would become a force that should not be underestimated. "Sergeant Zub, you can't say that. The soldiers we have taken in have lost their organizational structure. When we arrive at the destination and reorganize them, they will soon be able to form new combat capabilities."

"Comrade Captain is right." Qurxin, who was walking next to him, echoed: "Sergeant Zub, don't think they are a burden. When we return to our army's defense area, there will definitely be many troops rushing to get them. If we don't control such soldiers now, where will we recruit soldiers with combat experience? Do you want the entire army to be new recruits?"

After listening to what the two said, Zub realized that he had oversimplified the problem, and quickly apologized to Sokov: "I'm sorry, Comrade Captain, I oversimplified the matter."

"It's okay." Sokov said magnanimously: "This is human nature, after all, what happened in the early morning scared everyone."

After a pause, Sokov said to Chursin and Zub: "Both of you are people I trust. If we fight with the enemy again before we find the friendly defense line, even if we are dispersed, we will still have to fight." Find a way to stay by my side, understand?"

Although Qursin and Zub didn't understand what Sokov meant by this, they still nodded: "Understood!"

After his last time travel, Sokov realized a serious problem: without his own team, he would face many difficulties in carrying out work in a new environment. When he served as commander in the later stages of the war, the main reason why he was able to command the troops as well as his fingers was because he had a group of classmates from the Frunze Military Academy helping him. Before becoming a senior commander this time, he needed subordinates like Constantine, Chursin and Zub to help him.

In the evening, the soldiers who were exploring the road in front came back and reported to Sokov: "Comrade Captain, we found a road ahead. Opposite the road is an open space, and there is a forest more than two hundred meters away."

Sokov waited for the soldier to finish speaking and quickly asked: "Have you found any traces of the enemy?"

"No." The soldier shook his head and said, "We observed carefully and found no trace of the enemy."

"That's good, that's good." Sokov felt much relieved when he learned that no trace of the enemy was found. If you want to continue moving forward, you must cross that road, but there is an open space of several hundred meters on the opposite side of the road. If an enemy appears on the road while passing through the open space, a battle will inevitably occur. Once you are entangled by the enemy, it is not that easy to escape.

Sokov found Vlasov and reported to him: "Comrade Commander, the soldiers who explored the road in front came back and said that there is a road ahead, and there is an open land of several hundred meters on the opposite side of the road, and then there is the forest. Could you please Are we allowed to pass this road?"

Hearing what Sokov said, Vlasov did not make an immediate decision, but waved his hand and said: "Take me to see."

Sokov took Vlasov, Colonel Der, and five or six soldiers including Chursin and Zub to the edge of the forest near the side of the road. Looking at the seven-eight-meter-wide dirt road in front of him, Sokov said nothing. It didn't take long to cross the road, but it would take at least two or three minutes to enter the forest on the opposite side. One or two people are better, the target is small, even if Germans appear on the nearby road, it will not have much impact. But if hundreds of people were passing by at the same time, once they were noticed by the Germans, fighting would be inevitable.

After Vlasov checked the surrounding terrain, he turned and asked Colonel Del: "Chief of Staff, what do you think?"

Colonel Del said without hesitation: "While there are no enemies now, order the troops to quickly pass through this road and go to the forest on the opposite side."

But Vlasov did not immediately agree to his proposal, but instead expressed his concerns: "It is a few hundred meters from here to the forest on the opposite side, and even running will take two or three minutes. If there are enemies when passing by, If we appear on the road, our whereabouts will be exposed, and it will be very dangerous. Besides, we don't know what the situation is in the forest on the other side. If there are Germans ambushing there, we rush through like this. , just fell into their trap.”

Sokov did not expect that Vlasov would think so complicatedly about a simple road problem. He quickly said: "Comrade Commander, can I tell you what I think?"

"Of course." Vlasov nodded and said reasonably: "Captain Sokov, I know you have many ideas and you will definitely be able to come up with good solutions. Can you tell us how to pass this highway? ?”

"We can pass in groups." Sokov replied: "We pass the road in groups of ten. After the first group of people enters the forest on the opposite side, the second group of people will set off again. At the same time, we are on both sides of the road. Each has a machine gun, so that once enemies are discovered, they can suppress them with fire."

"This is a good idea," Vlasov said approvingly after hearing this: "Then follow the method you said. By the way, first send a group of people to the forest opposite to check if there are any Germans in it."

"No problem, Comrade Commander." Sokov agreed very readily: "I will send someone there right away."

Soon, the first group of soldiers exploring the path was assembled, and Sokov asked Chulsin to be the leader. When they set off, Sokov also specifically warned: "Chursin, after you lead people into the forest on the opposite side, you must search carefully to see if there are any German ambush. After confirming that there is no enemy ambush, send people back to I report.”

"Understood, Comrade Captain." Chursin repeated Sokov's order: "As soon as it is confirmed that there are no enemies in the forest opposite, I will immediately send someone back to report." After a moment of pause, he added, "If If I find an enemy ambushing me, I will fire a warning shot immediately.”

Sokov held Chulsin's hand and said with concern: "Be safe, I wish you good luck!"

When Chursin's team left the forest, crossed the road, and quickly rushed towards the opposite forest, Sokov called Konstantin in front of him: "Second Lieutenant Konstantin, I give you a mission. Don't we have two rifles?" A light machine gun? You and your men will set up the machine guns on both sides of the road. Once you see an enemy threatening the passing troops, shoot immediately."

"Yes, Comrade Captain." Constantine replied quickly and loudly: "I will go and set up security immediately."

Then Sokov called Sergeant Zub in front of him and told him: "Sergeant Zub, you lead the second group. When Qursin sends someone back to report that the forest on the opposite side is safe, you will lead the second group." The second group quickly crossed the road and entered the forest on the other side."

"clear."

Colonel Del, who was standing not far away, saw Sokov giving orders to everyone. He couldn't help asking Vlasov in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, you and I both know that according to the records, Captain Sokov He has only been in the army for more than a month, but look at the way he gives orders. He seems to be a commander with many years of command experience. "In fact, Vlasov also had doubts about Sokov's origins. When he first met Sokov, Sokov said that he had just joined the army for a day or two, but he had never been in the army. Judging from the other party's speech and behavior, he doesn't look like an ordinary person at all. Who among ordinary people would dare to break into a German armored column single-handedly and capture 12 of the enemy's tanks in one go? Even a veteran with combat experience, with dozens or twenty tanks behind him, would probably not dare to do this.

Hearing what Colonel Del said, Vlasov said with emotion: "Maybe Sokov is a military genius, otherwise I would not be able to explain what I saw."

"Then what position do you think he can reach in the future?"

"I can't say exactly where he will be in the future." Vlasov said thoughtfully: "As long as he can survive on the battlefield, in three to five years, he may have the opportunity to become the commander of the group army. ”

"Ah, he can become the commander of the group army in three to five years?" Colonel Del said with some surprise: "This is too fast. I thought it would be good if he could become a division commander."

Fortunately, Sokov did not hear the content of the conversation between the two, otherwise he would have refuted the other party in his heart: It will take another three to five years before he has the opportunity to become the commander of the group army. Who are you looking down on? You know, the last time he traveled through time, it only took a little more than a year for him to assume the position of commander of the group army, and he defeated the German army on the battlefield with fear.

After the first group led by Chulsin successfully entered the forest through the open area, Sokov's nerves became highly tense and he stared at the forest opposite, fearing that there would be gunshots coming from inside. If there are really gunshots, it means that the Germans have been found in the forest opposite, which means that the road is blocked and the route must be changed to escape the German encirclement.

After half an hour of long waiting, Sokov saw a soldier running out of the forest opposite. Through the telescope, he could clearly see the expression on the soldier's face. There was no panic or fear, only unconcealable joy.

From the expression on the soldier's face, Sokov suddenly felt at ease, indicating that there was no trace of the enemy in the forest opposite.

However, he did not immediately order Sergeant Zub's second group to set off. After all, he only observed the expressions on the soldiers' faces and did not understand the actual situation in the forest opposite, so he could not act hastily.

Seeing the relaxed expression on Sokov's face, Vlasov quickly took the telescope in his hand and looked at the soldiers running over. At the same time, he asked Sokov: "Captain Sokov, we didn't hear gunfire from the forest opposite. Does this mean there are no enemies inside?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sokov nodded and replied: "When Chursin led the team to leave, he made an agreement with me that if an enemy is found, he will fire a warning shot in time. If there is no enemy, he will send People come and report."

Upon hearing this, Colonel Del immediately urged: "Captain Sokov, since there are no enemies in the forest opposite, please order everyone to pass quickly. Otherwise, when the Germans come, it will not be so easy to pass."

Seeing that the soldier reporting the news was about to reach the highway, there was a roar of a motorcycle engine from the west of the highway, as if a motorcycle was approaching. Because the direction the sound came from happened to be at a bend in the forest, it was impossible to see clearly whether the approaching motorcycle belonged to the Soviet army or the German army.

The running soldier did not dare to run forward after hearing the sound of the motorcycle. Perhaps he was afraid that he would expose his target, so he just lay down on the ground.

Sokov saw that the soldier was only ten meters away from the road. As long as he worked hard, he could run over in ten seconds. But now he was lying on the ground. Although there were weeds as cover, if the German motorcycle passed by, the sharp-eyed German soldier sitting on it would still be spotted.

Thinking of this, Sokov yelled at the soldier: "What are you doing lying there? Why don't you run over here!"

Hearing Sokov's shout, the soldier quickly got up from the ground and rushed towards the location of Sokov and others with his gun in hand.

Since he had just lost some time when he lay down, he crossed the road and rushed into the forest when a sidecar appeared from the corner of the road. There were two German soldiers in the car, one was a motorcyclist wearing goggles, and the other was a machine gunner sitting in a sidecar.

He saw the soldier rushing into the forest, shouted, then raised the MG3 machine gun fixed on the sidecar and started shooting wildly.

"Lie down, lie down quickly!" Although most of the soldiers were lying down, Sokov was worried that some of them would be hit by German machine gun bullets if they were still standing, so he shouted loudly and told everyone to lie down on the spot. fall.

After everyone fell down, they did not fire back immediately. Therefore, the German motorcycles were traveling very fast, so even if they fired, it might not be easy to hit the target.

When the motorcycle was still more than thirty meters away from where Sokov and others were hiding, Constantine, who was hiding on the roadside with a machine gun, decisively ordered the machine gun to fire.

The Germans were caught off guard. First, the machine gunner was shot, his head fell back, and then he fell off the motorcycle. Then, the bullet hit the motorcyclist again, and the three-wheeled motorcycle ran out of control and rushed directly into the forest.

Sokov didn't know whether the motorcycle was a vanguard exploring the road or a messenger delivering messages. However, he no longer cared about so much at this moment, and decisively issued the order, "Everyone cross the road immediately and rush to the forest on the opposite side as quickly as possible."

As Sokov's order was given, the soldiers at the edge of the forest got up from the ground, crossed the road in a swarm, and ran through the open land toward the forest in the distance.

Sokov, with several soldiers, surrounded Vlasov, Colonel Der and Nikolsky in the middle, covering them through the open space.

After entering the forest, Chuersin immediately came up to him and asked with concern: "Comrade Captain, shall we move now?"

Sokov immediately ordered: "Count the number of people to see if everyone is here."

(End of chapter)