Red Moscow

  Chapter 205 Return

   Just when Sokov was worrying about how to reject Bragonlavov, an opportunity came for him to get away. Before leaving Nizhny Novgorod, Bragonlavov suddenly sent an accompanying lieutenant to look for Sokov in the guest house.

Seeing that Sokov opened the door, the lieutenant immediately identified himself to him: "Hello, Comrade Major! I am General Bragonlavov's entourage. Comrade General asked me to ask you to go to the train station immediately. There are important Something to inform you."

   "What, there is something important to inform me?" Sokov couldn't help but thumped in his heart when he heard the lieutenant say this, thinking to himself that he was notified to officially join the Weapons and Equipment Department, right? Thinking of this, he asked cautiously: "Comrade Lieutenant, do you know anything?"

   "I don't know." The lieutenant replied simply: "Comrade major, please do it immediately. Comrade General has one hour left before returning to Moscow by train."

   Sokov followed the lieutenant to the Nizhny Novgorod train station with a feeling of uneasiness, and saw Bragonlavov on the platform. Seeing Sokov following his subordinates to the platform, Bragonlavov just shook his head and said simply: "Get on the train with me!"

  After arriving at Bragonlavov's compartment, Sokov, who was a little at a loss, asked nervously: "Comrade General, may I ask you to call me here, is there anything important?"

"You will return to Moscow with us." Blagonlavov said briefly, "I have already arranged your compartment for you, it is next door to mine. You and the lieutenant I sent to find you will share the same room." box."

   "Comrade General," Sokov heard Bragonlavov say this, and asked a little confused: "But I didn't agree to join the Armament Department. Why did I go back to Moscow?"

   "Your work in Nizhny Novgorod has been completed." Bragonlavov said to Sokov: "Your superior ordered you to return to Moscow immediately."

  Bragonlavov's words made Sokov confused: "Who is my superior?"

   "It's Major General Malinin, chief of staff of the 16th Army," Blagonlavov looked at Sokov and continued, "It is said that something happened to your troops and you need to go back and deal with it immediately."

   Sokov, who had been away from the front for nearly a month, finally heard a name he was familiar with. But he knew very well in his heart that if there hadn't been some accident, Ma Lining would not have personally ordered him to return to the front line. In order to find out what happened, he hurriedly asked: "Comrade General, do you know what happened?"

"I'm sorry, Major Sokov, I can only regret to tell you that I don't know." Bragonlavov shrugged and said, "I received a call from Comrade Ustinov not long ago, It was he who relayed to me the orders of Chief of Staff Malinin, and I really have no idea what happened."

   Seeing that Bragonlavov didn't know what happened, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. But thinking that I came in a hurry and hadn't had time to explain to Yakov, I couldn't help but said in embarrassment: "Comrade General, I will follow you back to Moscow, and I haven't had time to talk to Captain Yakov. You see, whether to send someone to inform He said..."

   "Major Sokov, you don't have to worry about this kind of thing." Bragonlavov said to Sokov: "When we return to Moscow, someone will notify him."

   Sokov originally thought that after arriving in Moscow, Bragonlavov would let him follow him back to the Armament Department first, and give Ustinov a brief report on his work in Nizhny Novgorod.

   Unexpectedly, as soon as he got off the train, an officer standing on the platform walked up to Sokov. After raising his hand to salute him, he asked politely, "Excuse me, are you Major Sokov?"

   "Yes, I'm Sokov." Sokov raised his hand to return the salute, then looked at the unknown officer in front of him and asked, "Comrade Second Lieutenant, who are you?"

"I am Second Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant of the 16th Army Headquarters," the officer replied respectfully, "I am taking you back to the front line under the order of the chief of staff, Major General Ma Linin. The car is waiting outside the station. Please!" After he finished speaking, he turned sideways and made a gesture of please.

   On the way back to the headquarters of the 16th Army, Sokov was eager to know what happened to his troops, so he asked Lieyang Ater: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, I want to ask what happened to my troops."

Hearing Sokov's question, the second lieutenant's face twitched violently a few times, and then politely replied: "Comrade Major, please forgive me! I am not authorized to disclose any information to you. As for what happened to the troops Question, Chief of Staff Malinin will tell you when you get to the headquarters."

  From the second lieutenant's mouth, Sokov heard that the person in charge of the 16th Army was Malinin, which aroused his curiosity. When the waist escorted Rokossovsky back to Moscow, the troops of the group army were commanded by the deputy commander Zakharov, but now it has become Malinen.

  When Sokov asked the second lieutenant this question, the second lieutenant still smiled but did not answer. Seeing that he couldn't get the information he wanted from the second lieutenant, Sokov didn't waste his time talking, leaned back, and leaned against the seat with his eyes closed.

   After more than three hours of ups and downs, I finally arrived at the headquarters of the 16th Army Group. As soon as Sokov walked into the headquarters, he was seen by Malinin. He stood up, walked in front of Sokov, stretched out his hand with a smile, and asked, "Major Sokov, you are here!"

Sokov first raised his hand to salute, then reached out to hold Malinin's outstretched hand, and replied respectfully: "Comrade Chief of Staff, Major Sokov, the commander of the Istria Battalion, came here on orders, and I obey you." order, please instruct!"

  After letting go of Sokov's hand, Malinin pointed to the empty seat next to him and said in a business-like tone, "Please sit down, Major Sokov."

After Sokov sat down, Malinin also sat down opposite him, and then said with a serious expression: "Major Sokov, the Front Army Command has already informed us about your situation in Moscow, and the Weapons and Equipment Department even sent Someone came to us to learn about your situation, and it is said that they planned to transfer you to work with them, but I rejected them all."

Sokov did not interrupt Malinin, but listened quietly. He knew that the other party would soon talk about the reason for recalling him to the front line: "...the reason for calling you back from the field in a hurry is because there is a A little accident, the Istria Battalion suffered huge losses in the battle not long ago."

"What, the Istria Battalion suffered huge losses." Although Sokov knew that his return this time must have something to do with the Istria Battalion, when he heard Malinen say that the troops suffered serious losses, he still He suddenly jumped up from his seat, and asked nervously, "Comrade Chief of Staff, what is going on here, can you tell me about it?"

"That's right, Major Sokov." Malinin said with some embarrassment: "Last week, the German army in front of us suddenly began to retreat. According to all the combat regulations of our army, when the enemy retreats, he should immediately pursue it with all his strength. Therefore, the acting commander, General Zakharov, issued an order to pursue the troops.

  Due to time constraints, he rushed the troops into battle without considering coordination with artillery and aviation, and without conducting sufficient reconnaissance. Our two infantry divisions and the Istrian Battalion acted blindly on the battlefield without reconnaissance of the terrain in advance.

   During their pursuit, they were tenaciously counterattacked by the German army. If our army stops attacking at this time and turns to defense on the spot, the two sides will turn into a stalemate. But General Zakharov didn't realize this. He tried to use the heroic performance of our commanders and fighters to crush the German counterattack.

  Unfortunately, the enemy's retreat was a conspiracy. They encircled our two infantry divisions. Fortunately, the bravery and tenacity shown by the Istria Battalion enabled them to finally break out of the enemy's encirclement, but the troops suffered heavy casualties...

  The lesson of the failure of this military operation is painful. It allows us to understand that the enemy is cunning and their strength is still strong. If there is a slight negligence or underestimation of the enemy when organizing the battle, then the price may be paid a lot..."

After listening to Malinin's narration, Sokov vaguely felt that this failure had led to some changes in the leadership of the 16th Army, so he tentatively asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, who is in command of the Army Group now? "

"I am in command of the Army Group." Malinin said with a solemn expression: "General Zakharov suffered huge losses to the troops because of his reckless actions, so he was temporarily relieved of all duties and transferred back to Moscow. In Romania This force will be under my command until Commander Kosovsky returns to the force."

  After figuring out the reasons and consequences of transferring himself back, Sokov asked again: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I would like to ask, how did you arrange for me, did you return to the battalion immediately to command the troops?"

"That's right, Major Sokov, that's exactly what I thought about it." Malinin said apologetically, "In order to cover the breakout of the two infantry divisions that were surrounded, your Istria battalion suffered huge losses. Now the battalion The morale of the army is slackened and morale is low, maybe only you can reunite the hearts of the people when you go back."

Although Malinin did not mention the specific casualties of the troops, he repeatedly mentioned the heavy losses of the Istria Battalion, and Sokov's heart sank. He knew that many familiar faces would disappear after returning to the army. It was either sacrificed or injured and sent to the rear hospital.

  He didn't care about others, but Asiya, who made him worried, was still in the army, and he didn't know if it was safe. Thinking of this, he immediately couldn't wait to ask: "Comrade Chief of Staff, when can I return to the army?"

"Major Sokov, you have been on trains and cars for more than ten hours. I really want to leave you at the headquarters to rest for the night." Ma Linin raised his hand and patted Sokov on the shoulder twice. He stepped down and said: "But since you want to return to the army immediately, I won't keep you. I will arrange a car for you immediately and send you back to the camp."

   A few minutes later, the jeep that sent Sokov back to the camp was ready, and the same car was the Lieutenant Lieutenant just now. The second lieutenant nodded at Sokov and smiled, and asked, "Comrade major, shall we go to the Istria camp now?"

  Sokov knew that his battalion was definitely not in the town of Marklaki, but somewhere else, so he asked the second lieutenant cautiously: "Comrade second lieutenant, do you know where my battalion is stationed?"

   "I know, Comrade Major." Lie Ri Ate nodded and said, "It's only a dozen kilometers away from the Army Group Command, and we can get there in half an hour!"

   Half an hour later, the jeep came to the edge of a forest. Seeing that there didn't seem to be any campsites in the forest, Sokov was about to ask the second lieutenant when a soldier in white camouflage and a Mauser rifle came out from behind a tree. He said vigilantly, "Stop!" , password!"

  The second lieutenant opened the car door and got out of the car first, and said to the soldier who asked for the password: "I mean comrade soldier, I am not from your battalion, how do I know the password?"

  The soldier with the gun pointed the gun at the second lieutenant, and continued to ask: "Which part are you from, and what are you doing here?"

   "Second Lieutenant Liege Art, the staff officer of our army headquarters," said the second lieutenant, turning his head to look at Sokov who was sitting in the back row, and said, "I was ordered to send a commander to you."

   "Commander, what commander?" The soldier asked briefly.

   "It's me!" Sokov looked at the soldiers outside through the car window. Although they looked familiar, he couldn't recognize their names. He quickly opened the car door and walked out, saying to the other side, "I'm back!"

Seeing Sokov walking out of the car, the soldier couldn't help showing a surprised expression on his face. He quickly lowered his gun, raised his hand to salute Sokov, and said respectfully: "Report to the battalion. Comrade Chief, Berezhkov, a company of three platoon soldiers, is on duty, please give instructions!"

   "Continue to be on duty!" Sokov raised his hand in return and asked, "Where is the battalion headquarters?"

  Berezhkov turned around and pointed towards the middle of the forest, and said a little excitedly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, you go straight ahead, walk about two hundred meters, and you will see a row of tents, where the battalion headquarters is located."

   "Major Sokov, you have already arrived at your destination, so I will not continue to send you off." Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant said to Sokov, "I will return to the headquarters to report."

   "Thank you, Comrade Second Lieutenant." Sokov shook hands with Liege Art, and said gratefully: "Thank you for sending me here, we will meet later. Good luck!"

   After the jeep left, Sokov shook his head at Berezhkov who was still standing beside him, and said to him, "Comrade soldier, take me to the battalion headquarters."

  (end of this chapter)