Red Moscow

  Chapter 169 Leading by Example (2)

   Just as Sokov was busy dismantling the second company and the first row of the machine gun company into the 291st Infantry Regiment. Belkin called Oleg, who was about to join the battle with Sokov, aside, and said to him earnestly: "Comrade sergeant, when you attack later, you and the soldiers in the guard squad must ensure the safety of the battalion commander." .Understand?"

After Oleg glanced at Sokov who was not far away, he assured Belkin with a serious expression: "Comrade deputy battalion commander, please rest assured that the soldiers in the guard squad are all ready to block the bullets for the battalion commander." Be prepared, even if we all die in the battle, the battalion commander will never be harmed in the slightest."

  Belkin held Oleg's hand tightly, shook it vigorously twice, and said, "Sergeant Oleg, I wish you good luck!"

After the offensive order was issued, although the artillery of the group army was still firing towards the town of Marklaki, the commanders and fighters of the 291st Infantry Regiment still formed a loose offensive formation, striding forward without hesitation towards the distant city. Go to town.

   Sokov was walking on the far right of the third row, carrying a submachine gun, Oleg was on his left, and a dozen soldiers from the guard squad were walking behind and behind him. Halfway forward in the attacking queue, Sokov realized that something was wrong. The soldiers in the front row of the guard squad squeezed to the right during the march, blocking in front of him. And Oleg, who was on the side, kept turning his head to look at him, as if he was ready to jump over to block a bullet for him at any time.

"Scatter, all scatter!" From the reactions of Oleg and the soldiers, Sokov guessed that the other party was ready to block bullets for him at any time. Although he was moved in his heart, he still shouted loudly: " Don't crowd together, if the German shells come over, we'll all be screwed."

  Oleg heard Sokov yelling, and quickly waved at the soldiers who were standing in front intentionally or unintentionally, and they immediately resumed their original loose formation.

  When the attacking force was 150 meters away from the town, the artillery of the group army stopped shelling. The soldiers immediately changed from a brisk walk to a trot, and rushed to the German positions that were still smoking.

   The German observation post, which was stunned by the artillery fire, saw that the Soviet artillery had stopped, and hurriedly struggled to climb out of the hiding place, wanting to see if the Soviet army had launched an attack. When he leaned half of his body from behind a pile of bricks and rubble and looked out, he was stunned by the scene in front of him: hundreds of Soviet commanders were trotting towards his position .

   Just when he was about to open his mouth to shout, two gleaming bayonets pierced into his chest, blocking what he wanted to shout. The Soviet commanders and fighters who killed the observation post, like a tide overflowing a dam, crossed the ruins on the edge of the town, and rushed towards the town that was still shrouded in gunpowder smoke.

"Comrade commander, have you seen it?" Chernyshov in the observation post in the distance saw that the troops led by Sokov had successfully rushed into the town, and he couldn't help cheering excitedly: "Soko Major Husband has stormed into town with troops, and he's really good, really good!"

   Rokossovsky saw that the troops led by Sokov rushed into the town almost unscathed. Although he knew that there would be a fierce battle ahead, he couldn't help but want to laugh out loud. However, in front of so many commanders and fighters in the observation station, he still tried his best to restrain his emotions, and said in a flat tone: "It's not like you don't know the level of Major Sokov. He can lead the troops into the town smoothly. It's perfectly normal, nothing to be surprised about."

  Although Terebinski handed over the command of the troops to Sokov, his heart was still not at ease. So after lying in the health team for a short time, he insisted on running to the observation center regardless of the dissuasion of the military doctor. When he saw that the troops led by Sokov rushed into the town smoothly without being stopped by the German army at all, he couldn't help being stunned.

Seeing his reaction, Chernyshov said with a smile: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you may not look at Major Sokov as young, but he is very good at fighting, otherwise I would not transfer the command of the division to you." give him."

Terebinsky looked at the town billowing with gunpowder in the distance, and said with a wry smile: "During the last attack, our regiment suffered one-third of the casualties, and even the head and deputy regiment commander sacrificed before we could barely get close to the town; When leading the charge, no one was lost, and they entered the town so easily. It seems that Major Sokov is right, our tactics are outdated."

  ...

  After the troops entered the town, without waiting for Sokov's order, they took the initiative to divide into several teams. Under the guidance of Griza's soldiers, they rushed to different directions of the town along the street. The machine gun commanders and fighters participating in the battle also quickly seized the favorable terrain, set up the machine guns, and were ready to shoot the enemies that appeared at any time.

  Sokov personally led more than a hundred people and rushed along the street towards the church that was faintly visible in the distance. Based on his experience, the German army generally set up its headquarters in relatively strong churches.

  They were running forward, when suddenly a group of soldiers in field gray uniforms rushed out from the dilapidated buildings on both sides of the street ahead, and they were running towards the entrance of the town with their guns in hand.

"It's the Germans, hide quickly." Seeing a group of German soldiers appearing in front of him, Sokov hurriedly yelled, then dodged to the side of the road, squatted behind a pile of rubble, and shot at the rushing German soldiers .

   These German troops who were about to enter the Zhenkou position suddenly saw so many Soviet troops appearing in front of them, and subconsciously shot at the crowd. With a burst of gunfire, the Soviet soldiers in the front row who hadn't reacted immediately fell to the ground. But the soldiers behind quickly came back to their senses, and shot towards the opposite side with the weapons in their hands.

  Because of the sudden incident, most of the soldiers did not have time to hide, but stood on the street and shot at each other. Amidst the crackling shots, people on both sides continued to fall in a pool of blood.

Hearing Sokov's shout, Oleg, who was mostly behind the roadside rubble at the first time, shot at the German army in the distance, and shouted at his comrades who were still standing in the middle of the road: "Hidden, hurry up!" hidden!"

Following his shout, the surviving Soviet soldiers flashed to both sides of the street, imitating Sokov and Oleg, hiding behind bricks and rubble, and shooting at the German soldiers who were still standing on the street .

Five minutes later, there were no more German soldiers standing on the street in front. Sokov stood up straight and shouted to the soldiers hiding behind: "Comrades, keep walking with me. In the middle of walking, you must rely on the Follow the buildings on both sides."

  In this round of shooting, more than 20 German soldiers blocking the way were knocked down, and the Soviet army also suffered nearly 40 casualties. The soldiers who continued to rush forward with Sokov saw that there were still a few wounded struggling when they passed by the pile of German corpses, so they stopped immediately, shot them in the head or stabbed them with a bayonet, and then Continue to rush forward.

  (end of this chapter)