Red Moscow.

Chapter 2831 Call for artillery support

When Artem was about to leave the tent, Sokov suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to the other party: "Lieutenant Artem, please wait a moment."

Artem stopped and looked at Sokov with a surprised look, thinking that everything he should say was finished just now, what did you call me?

Only Sokov asked, "Lieutenant Artem, can you do it if I ordered you to shoot accurately at every location?"

Hearing Sokov's question, Artem's face was full of doubts: "Precise shooting? Sorry, comrade comrade, I don't quite understand what you mean."

After organizing the words in his mind, Sokov explained to the other party: "For example, the enemy broke through the position of the first battalion and rushed towards the battalion command post. In order to cover the retreat of the personnel in the battalion command post, I ordered you to carry out artillery fire blocking and shooting at the area dozens of meters ahead of the battalion command post. Can you do it?"

After listening to Sokov's explanation, Artem thought for a while, and then replied, "The theory is OK in the situation you mentioned. As long as someone is nearby and provides specific shooting parameters for our artillery, it should be possible."

"So that's the case, I understand." Sokov nodded after hearing this, and said to Artem with a smile: "Comrade Lieutenant, there is no business for you here, you can leave."

Artem and the two artillery battalion commanders walked out of the tent, thinking in their minds why the brigade commander suddenly asked this question.

Before he could come up with the result, Alten, the battalion commander of the First Battalion, asked, "Comrade Lieutenant, I wonder what the brigade commander meant just now?"

Artem replied cautiously, "I don't understand the specific situation. But since the brigade commander mentioned this matter, we must pay attention to it."

"How should we pay attention to this matter?" Liewan asked.

"Captain Alten, your artillery battalion prepares two artillery guns; Captain Lewan, your artillery battalion prepares one heavy artillery gun." Artem did not care that the two artillery battalion commanders were higher than him at all, but directly issued an order to them: "Arrang the best gunners and aimers for these guns, and be ready to fire at any time."

Although Artem had a relatively low rank, he was an artillery staff officer sent by the Army Command. After hearing the orders he issued, the two battalion commanders immediately replied loudly: "Yes, let's go back to the battalion and arrange this matter immediately!"

...

Fierce battles unfolded in the friendly defense zones on the left and right wings of the Infantry Brigade, but they were silent here. If it weren't for the crazy attacks from the German army two days ago, I'm afraid everyone would think that the Germans wouldn't know that there was Soviet troops here.

Fighter or Boom fighter jets flew over from time to time in the air to attack friendly positions. Sokov, standing at the door of the tent, looked up at the enemy plane flying over his head, and couldn't help but miss the Qileka River self-propelled anti-aircraft guns again. He thought that this self-propelled anti-aircraft gun born in the 1960s had the characteristics of good stability, high shooting accuracy and high firepower density. As long as more than a dozen vehicles were arranged in his own defense zone, this place would become a death zone for enemy planes.

"Comrade Brigade Commander," Belkin walked out of the tent and saw Sokov looking at the enemy planes in the air and said with emotion: "The enemy controls the air supremacy of the battlefield. The appearance of these enemy planes will inevitably cause great casualties to friendly forces."

"That's right." Sokov agreed with Belkin's statement: "It's a pity that we don't have anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns, otherwise we can stop shooting at them, so that they can't attack friendly positions without scrupulously."

"By the way, I'll come out to find you. It was the Army Command that sent a telegram."

"Is the headquarters telegram?" Sokov knew that the headquarters would not send him a telegram easily without any important matters, so he asked quickly, "What did the telegram say?"

"Say that an enemy plane that bombed Volokoramsk was hit by the air defense fire of the 316th Infantry Division and crashed at the junction of our friendly forces." Berkin replied: "The superior ordered us to immediately send people to find the wreckage of the plane. If possible, get the wreckage back."

Sokov's mouth twitched, thinking that the plane was so large that it would not be possible to get the wreckage back without the help of lifting machinery.

Belkin saw Sokov's embarrassment and said with a wry smile: "Comrade Brigade Commander, you are worried that even if our people find the wreckage of the plane, they may not be able to get the wreckage back. I guess right?"

"Yes, comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade, I am indeed worried about this." Sokov said helplessly: "But the superior has issued an order. No matter how difficult the task is, we must complete it. Let's go back to the tent to discuss it."

When the two walked into the tent, Karsokov came up and asked Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, do you know the telegram from the headquarters?"

"Yes, I already know." Sokov nodded and asked back, "How do you think we should complete this task?"

"I think I can send more soldiers over and find a way to carry the wreckage back!"

"This is impossible, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov shook his head and rejected Karsokov's proposal: "Do you know how heavy a bomber is? Without the help of lifting machinery, we can't even transfer it to the transport vehicle, let alone carry it back with manpower."

"What should I do?" Karsokov looked puzzled.

Sokov did not speak, but picked up the telegram placed on the table and browsed it carefully.

After reading it, he came to Morozova and told her: "Comrade Radio, immediately send a telegram to the Army Command, telling them that we lack lifting machinery and matching transportation tools, and we may not be able to transport the wreckage of the plane back..."

A few minutes later, Malinin handed the telegram he received to Rokosovsky: "Comrade Commander, this is a telegram sent by Major Sokov."

Rokosovsky took the telegram and carefully looked at the content above. After reading it, he asked in confusion: "Chief of Staff, what does Misha mean? What plane wreck are you going to let them transport back?"

"Comrade Commander, I haven't had time to report this to you." Malining explained to Rokosovsky: "The Front Command called not long ago and said that a German bomber was hit by ground anti-aircraft artillery during the bombing process, and then crashed on the edge of the defense zone of the 316th Infantry Division. According to reliable information, the bomber used the latest engine. The military department hoped that we could find the wreckage of the aircraft, bring the engine back to Moscow, and handed it over to the military department for research."

When Rokosovsky was reading the telegram, his thoughts were the same as Sokov. He thought that the German bombers were so large that they could not transport the wreckage without special lifting machinery. But after hearing Malining's explanation, he raised his eyebrows and asked tentatively: "Comrade Chief of Staff, if I don't understand it wrong, is the Moscow military department going to get the engine of the German bomber?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Malining nodded, affirming Rokosovsky's statement: "I really hope that we can get the engines of the German bomber back."

After Malining finished speaking, Rokosovsky said with some displeasure: "Comrade Chief of Staff, since the superiors asked us to get the engine of the downed German bomber, you should make it clear in the telegram. If you can't explain it clearly like this, it will be difficult for Misha and the others to do." After a moment of pause, he instructed Malining: "Chief of Staff, you send a telegram to Misha immediately and tell him that what the superiors need is the engine of the bomber, so that he can find a way to get it back so that we can submit a mission to the superiors."

When Sokov and others received a call from the headquarters, they suddenly realized: "Oh, it turns out that they just wanted the engine wreckage of the plane, that's too simple."

Sokov walked out of the tent and said to a sentry standing outside, "Comrade Warrior, go and call Bobricov over and say I have something important to find him."

The sentry agreed loudly, then turned around and ran away.

Not long after, Sokov heard a burst of rapid footsteps. Then the curtain was lifted and Bobricov walked into the tent from outside.

"Comrade Brigade Commander, are you looking for me?!"

"Yes, Captain Bobricov." Sokov nodded: "I have a difficult task to hand over to you."

"What mission?" asked Bobricov.

"Our friendly forces shot down a German bomber not long ago." Sokov began to assign a mission to Bobricov: "You bring a platoon, take a truck to the crash site, and transport the engine on the plane back."

"The engine of the plane?" Bobricov asked carefully: "I wonder where that plane crashed?"

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"Here," Karsokov pointed to the map and said to Bobricov. "After you arrive at the place, as long as you see flames and smoke, there should be the location where the plane crashes."

"Okay, I'll take someone out right away."

Seeing that Bobricov was about to leave the tent, Sokov stopped him again and reminded him: "Captain, bring the radio station and the radio operator, plus an artillery observer."

When Bobricov heard Sokov say this, he was stunned and asked back, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I brought the radio station and the radio operator to keep in touch with the brigade department. But why did I bring the artillery observer with me?"

Seeing Bobricov's discomfort, Sokov explained to him: "Captain, you may encounter the enemy when you perform your mission. If the enemy is small, you should be able to deal with it. But if they have too many people and carry heavy weapons, it will not be so easy for you to escape. I asked you to bring an artillery observer with you, so that at critical moments, he can call for artillery support through the radio station and cover your retreat."

"Call for artillery fire support?" Bobricov grinned after hearing this: "Comrade Brigade Commander, this is the first time I have heard of your new term."

"This is the first time I heard it. The number of times you hear it will increase in the future." Sokov waved his hand at Bobricov and said, "It's getting late. Go back quickly and summon people and prepare to set off."

After Bobricov left, Belkin also said curiously: "Comrade Brigade Commander, let alone Captain Bobricov, it is the first time I have heard of the word 'call fire support'."

"Comrade Brigade Commander," Karsokov remembered the scene when Sokov called Artem yesterday and specifically reminded the other party, and suddenly realized: "You called Lieutenant Artem yesterday and asked her about what precise strikes, which probably meant 'calling artillery support'?"

Hearing Karsokov say this, Sokov smiled and nodded, "That's right, that's what I mean. By the way, have the radio stations of the two artillery battalions sent over?"

"It's all sent." Karsokov looked at Belkin as he said this: "Fortunately, the deputy brigade commander found five or six radio stations in the arsenal, otherwise he would not be able to provide radio stations to the artillery battalion."

"It's a pity that the number of radio operators in our hands is limited." Sokov said with some regret: "If there are a few more words, I will also plan to install radio stations for all three infantry battalions. In this way, no matter where they are, they can contact us in time."

"Don't you have a telephone line?" Belkin asked in surprise: "Do you still have to worry about not being able to contact them?"

"It is unreliable to have a telephone line alone," Sokov said, looking at Belkin, "In combat, the telephone line may be blown up. Or the enemy has broken through the defense line, and the command has to give up. In both cases, without a radio station, we may completely lose contact with the frontier."

"The brigade commander is right. We are just that there are too few radio stations that are piled up there for decoration." Karsokov said: "Fortunately, we are still holding down commanders and fighters, hoping to find a suitable radio station among them."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, tell the commander responsible for hosting the defeated soldiers that when registering the information, you must ask the other party what kind of troops they were before." Sokov said: "In this way, we can accurately grasp the information of the commanders and fighters, and when forming a new force, we can select personnel in a targeted manner."

While Sokov was talking to his two deputy in the tent, Bobricov, who had left the tent, found Artem and said to him: "Lt. Artem, I am going to take people to carry out the mission soon. I hope you can send an artillery observer to accompany me."

Artem asked in confusion: "Captain, what do you want the artillery observers to do when you go on the mission?"

"The Brigade Commander said," Bobricov explained, "We may encounter the enemy during the mission. If the enemy has not many troops, we can handle them. But if the enemy has too many troops and carries heavy weapons, it may be difficult for us to get out. Therefore, an artillery observer needs to travel with us and call for artillery fire support through the radio if necessary!"

"Call for fire support?!" Artem repeated the word and said in surprise: "This word is quite fresh, and this is the first time I have heard it."

"Lt. Artem, it's the first time I've heard this word from the brigade commander." Bobricov asked curiously: "Do you know what's going on?"

Artem thought for a while, then said with surprise: "I understand. No wonder the brigade commander asked me yesterday whether our artillery can carry out targeted strikes. That's how it is."

(End of this chapter)