Red Moscow

  Chapter 340 Bombing the Bridge (Part 2)

   Whether the German 14th Armored Division can be prevented from crossing the river depends on whether the pontoon bridge can be blown up smoothly. So Sokov made a special trip to the station of the engineering company and urged them to find a small boat that could carry explosives as quickly as possible.

After more than half an hour, when six engineers carried a rubber boat to Sokov, the engineering company commander said to Sokov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, we have found a rubber boat, we can use it To deliver the explosives to blow up the bridge."

Sokov glanced at the rubber boat in front of him, and felt that if he put hundreds of kilograms of explosives on it, it would not tip over if another person sat on it. Sending explosives to blow up the pontoon bridge."

   Seeing that Sokov was very satisfied with the rubber boat, the engineer company commander turned around and told his subordinates: "Do it."

  Hearing the company commander's order, the engineers immediately walked to a nearby low hole and moved the explosives from the inside out. As Sokov watched the engineers move box after box of explosives out of the cave, he was still thinking to himself: How much explosives did this Major Ozor give to the engineering company to turn the explosives on the Aksee River into the ground? After the two bridges were blown up, there are still so many left?

   After a while, when the engineers and soldiers moved the explosives to the rubber boat, Sokov quickly called out: "Stop, stop for me."

  Under the surprised eyes of everyone, the engineering company commander walked up to Sokov and asked cautiously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what's the matter?"

"Comrade company commander," Sokov pointed to the rubber boat on the ground, then pointed to the explosives held by the engineers, and asked curiously: "You won't tell me that you plan to put all the explosives on the ground now." Is it a rubber boat?"

   "Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." The engineer company commander nodded and replied affirmatively: "Isn't this rubber boat going to blow up the enemy's pontoon bridge? So I asked the soldiers to put all the explosives in first."

"Comrade company commander," Sokov interrupted him: "I want to remind you to clarify one thing." He pointed to the distant Aksay River with his hand, and said, "The position where the rubber boat is launched, It's at least 800 meters away from here. How many soldiers do you plan to let carry the rubber boats full of explosives up to 800 meters?"

If Sokov didn't say it, the engineer company commander really planned to let his soldiers carry this rubber boat loaded with more than 200 kilograms of explosives, walk up to 800 meters, and then throw it into Aksai river. Hearing what Sokov said at this moment, he also realized how ridiculous his thoughts were, so he waved at the soldiers and said, "Put down all the explosives, and go to rest first."

After Sokov and other soldiers left, they looked at the engineering company commander and asked: "Comrade company commander, after the rubber boat is launched, a soldier should be arranged to stay on board. One is to control the direction of the rubber boat. Time to ignite the fuse of the explosive."

"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." The engineering company commander nodded and said, "The task of detonating the explosives will be completed by Corporal Sokalov. He has served in the army for more than twenty years. I believe he can do a good job." accomplish this task.”

   "Where is Corporal Sokalov?" Thinking that Sokalov was about to perform a difficult and dangerous task, Sokov said to the engineer company commander: "I want to see him."

   After a while, a short soldier in his forties with a mustache came to Sokov. Since this was a battlefield, he was worried that there might be German snipers nearby, so instead of saluting Sokov, he straightened his body and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, Corporal Sokalov is ordered to get up, please give instructions!"

"Hello, Corporal Sokalov." Sokov stepped forward to hold the opponent's hand, and said solemnly: "Tonight you will perform a very difficult task. If you can successfully blow up the Aksay River The Germans will not be able to build new pontoons in this area for a long time. But if the task is not completed and the enemy successfully erects the pontoons and the tanks successfully rush to the shore, our defenses will be destroyed. breakthrough."

  Corporal Sokalov waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and immediately replied: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, please rest assured that if I cannot complete the task you gave me, I will definitely not come back alive to see you."

"The task must be completed, and the person must come back alive." Sokov put his hands on Sokarov's shoulders and said to him: "Comrade Sokalov, you are not young, but you are still a A corporal. If you can successfully complete the mission and come back, you will be promoted to a sergeant, and I will personally take care of this matter."

To Sokalov, what Sokov said earlier were just some clichés. Now that he heard that he would be promoted to sergeant after returning safely, he asked a little excitedly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, if I can Will I be promoted to Sergeant Sergeant if I successfully complete the mission and come back?”

   "Yes, Corporal Sokalov." Sokov nodded, and said affirmatively: "I use my personality to guarantee that you will not only be promoted to sergeant, but also get a bravery medal."

  For honor-loving Russian soldiers, being promoted to the military rank is certainly worthy of their joy; but getting another medal will make them feel supremely honored. Corporal Sokalov straightened his body and replied with a very solemn expression: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, please rest assured that no matter what difficulties I encounter, I will successfully complete this task."

  At about ten o'clock in the evening, Sokov, the engineer company commander, Sokalov, and twenty engineer soldiers came to the river. The crowd first carefully stacked the explosives on the rubber boat, and then pushed the boat into the river. Before Sokalov boarded the boat, Sokov held his hand, shook it vigorously twice, and said, "Corporal Sokalov, I wish you a triumphant return!"

   "Serve the Soviet motherland!" Sokalov turned around and boarded the rubber boat after saying this, and controlled the rubber boat to float downstream with paddles.

   Looking at the gradually blurred rubber boat in the Aksay River, Sokov asked the engineering company commander in a low voice: "Comrade company commander, according to the plan, how far should Corporal Sokalov disembark from the pontoon bridge?"

"According to our original plan," the engineer company commander replied: "Corporal Sokalov should light the fuse at a place a hundred meters away from the pontoon bridge and then abandon the ship. Unexpected things in the business, for example, the fuse is too short and the explosion occurs prematurely; or the rubber boat is swept away by the current, drifting downstream from the unclosed gap of the pontoon bridge, etc... "

  Seeing that the engineering company commander talked for a long time, Sokov didn't get to the point, so he quickly interrupted him: "Comrade company commander, let's talk about the point, where is he going to abandon the ship?"

   "Fifty meters, Comrade Chief of Staff." The engineer company commander quickly replied: "Sokalov thinks it is most appropriate to abandon the ship at a distance of 50 meters."

"Fifty meters?!" Sokov repeated the distance, and muttered in a low voice: "After he jumped into the river, he will be washed down by the river for a certain distance. When he climbs ashore, he is probably not far from the burst point." Thirty to forty meters. Wouldn't the shock wave generated by the explosion of two hundred kilograms of explosives pose a danger to his life?"

   "It's hard to say," the engineer company commander heard Sokov's whisper, and said quickly: "If he is lucky, he should be fine."

Looking at the pontoon bridge one or two kilometers away, Sokov sighed softly, and then said, "I hope that the Taji people will have their own destiny and come back alive safely." He turned and asked the engineer company commander, "Arranged Is there anyone who accepts?"

   "At the upstream and downstream of the pontoon, two soldiers were arranged." The engineering company commander said, "No matter where he landed, our people can pick him up."

Ten minutes later, a huge bright orange fireball suddenly rose in the distance, and the rising smoke formed a huge tumbling black mushroom in the air, and then there was an earth-shattering explosion. It was like being lifted up violently by a big hand, and within a split second, it was blown apart in a series of explosions. The huge shock wave made the river water around the pontoon bridge boil like a boiling pot. Countless fish and shrimps that were killed by the shock floated on the river surface and floated downstream along the river water.

"Successful!" Seeing such a big movement in the distance, Sokov knew that the operation of blasting the pontoon bridge was successful, and quickly ordered the engineer company commander: "Comrade company commander, you immediately send someone to look for Sokalov. , Take him to the 138th Division Division Headquarters to find me."

Sokov hurriedly returned to the headquarters of the 138th Division for two purposes. One was to use the phone there to report to Chuikov that the pontoon bridge had been blown up; , I can ask the 138th Division to send manpower to assist in the search.

As soon as he walked into the headquarters of the 138th Division, Lyudnikov stepped forward and hugged Sokov, and said repeatedly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, it's great, it's really great, I didn't expect to blow up so easily. Destroyed the pontoon bridge of the German army. I have sent someone to check it. There are only about 40 to 50 meters of the pontoon bridge left. The rest of the broken parts either sank to the bottom of the river or were washed downstream by the river. In a word In other words, the German pontoon bridge is finished."

  Sokov nodded, picked up the phone on the table, and said to Lyudnikov: "Yes, the comrades from the engineering company did a good job. I will immediately report this news to General Chuikov."

After the phone call, Sokov said into the microphone: "Comrade General, I have good news for you. We have successfully blown up the pontoon bridge of the German army on the Aksai River, and they have just crossed the river in a short time. "

   "Great, this is really great!" Cuikov was also very happy when he heard the news, and he asked with a look on his face, "What are the names of the soldiers who blew up the pontoon bridge? I want to give credit to them~!"

"Comrade General, Corporal Sokalov of the engineering company that blew up the pontoon bridge," Sokov said into the microphone, "Before he set off, I told him that as long as he can successfully complete the task, I will personally promote He has the rank of sergeant sergeant, and at the same time, he will be awarded a bravery medal. Comrade general, I can decide the matter of promotion; but the award of the medal can only be done by you."

"No problem." Hearing what Sokov said, Chuikov replied very readily: "For such a hero, just a bravery medal is far from enough. We also need to report his deeds. To the commanders and fighters of the entire group army, call on everyone to learn from him. By the way, where is he now?"

"Comrade General, the situation is as follows. Corporal Sokalov, in a rubber boat loaded with 200 kilograms of explosives, ignited the fuse and abandoned the ship at a distance of 50 meters from the pontoon bridge." Sokov replied: " Now that the task of blowing up the bridge has been successfully completed, I have sent comrades from the engineering company to look for him."

"What, he just abandoned the boat at a distance of 50 meters from the pontoon?" Chuikov, who was so excited, became serious after hearing Sukov's report: "It's too dark tonight, there is no one in the sky. The moon, the visibility is very low, can you confirm that Corporal Sokarov lit the fuse at a distance of fifty meters?"

Sokov heard Chuikov's question and thought to himself: Ginger is still old and spicy. He only thought that Sokalov abandoned the ship 50 meters away from the pontoon bridge, but he forgot. Limited, Sokalov may not be able to light the fuse at an accurate location and then abandon the ship.

As soon as the phone was put down here, the engineer company commander ran over panting and reported to Sokov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, my subordinates have searched all over the upstream and downstream, but they have never found Sokalov. "

  Sokov asked anxiously: "Could it be that it was too dark for you to see clearly, so you didn't find it?"

"No." The engineer company commander shook his head and said, "The surviving pontoon bridge is still burning, illuminating the surrounding river surface very brightly. The soldiers I sent to respond have searched back and forth twice after the explosion. But the whereabouts of Sokarov have still not been found. Comrade Chief of Staff, what should we do?"

   Fortunately, another purpose of Sokov's visit to the headquarters of the 138th Division was to ask Lyudnikov to dispatch troops to help search for Sokalov's whereabouts when necessary. Originally this was just one of his backup plans, but now it seems that it is imperative to ask Lyudnikov to send troops.

Lyudnikov saw Sokov's eyes swept towards him, and before the other party could speak, he said first: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you don't need to say anything, I understand what you mean. I will send two platoons of soldiers immediately , Let them assist the engineering company in finding the whereabouts of Corporal Sokarov."

"Comrade company commander, have you heard everything?" Sokov said to the engineer company commander: "Colonel Lyudnikov is going to lend you two platoons, and you will take these soldiers to the pontoon bridge later. Downstream, search carefully for me. If you want to see people, if you want to see dead bodies, you must find the whereabouts of Corporal Sokarov, understand?"

   "Understood, Comrade Chief of Staff." The engineering company commander nodded and said, "Corporal Sokalov is my subordinate, and I will definitely try to find him."

  (end of this chapter)