Red Moscow

  Chapter 507 Factory Defense Battle (3)

When Cousteau saw that Sokov arranged for someone to meet Balshak, he seemed a little uneasy. He and Balshak were colleagues in the same factory. Now that he fled back in such a panic, as a colleague, he couldn’t Be indifferent. He hesitated for a moment, and then said to Sokov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, if you have no objection, I would like to go with your soldiers to meet Major Balshak."

   Sokov naturally would not refuse Cousteau's request, and he immediately nodded in agreement. But before Cousteau left, he stopped the other party again and said politely: "Comrade workshop director, can you arrange for someone to connect a telephone line for me? This way I can better command the troops."

   "No problem, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Cousteau stood on the track for a long time and found that there was no phone. It was really inconvenient to give orders to the troops below. Commanding with semaphore, although the order can be conveyed, not everyone understands the semaphore. If the soldiers who understand the semaphore are not present, then others will not know what order is issued from above. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to install a telephone line. Cousteau nodded and said, "I'll have someone give you a direct telephone line immediately."

   After Cousteau got off the track, he immediately ordered his subordinates to seize the time to lead Sokov to a direct telephone line. Fortunately, these communication devices are ready-made, and within ten minutes after Cousteau's order was issued, the telephone line was connected. Sokov tried the phone and found that the effect was not bad, so he said to Briski next to him: "Comrade Captain, I'm fine if I'm here, you'd better go down and command the troops."

   "Comrade Brigadier," upon hearing Sokov's order, Briski said unexpectedly, "Your wounds haven't healed yet, so I'd better stay here to observe the enemy's situation, and you can command from below."

"My injury is not a problem. I still have to command the antiaircraft artillery battalion on the roof. If I can't understand the enemy's situation in time, how can I command those female soldiers?" Sokov waved his hand at the other party and said, "Okay, you don't have to That being said, let’s go downstairs quickly.”

  Bliski understood Sokov's uncompromising character, and knew that once the other party decided on something, it would be difficult for him to change his mind, so he didn't persuade him much. Instead, he raised his hand and saluted, and left with the signalman.

   Borshak led more than 20 soldiers, braved the enemy's artillery fire, withdrew from the position, and moved towards the location of the assembly workshop. Due to the drag of the wounded, the speed of their retreat was affected, and two soldiers fell under the enemy's artillery fire. If the responding soldiers hadn't arrived in time to run back with the wounded, perhaps more soldiers would have died.

  Borshak didn't know that Sokov led his troops into the assembly workshop. Because he was busy retreating, he didn't ask the officers who came to meet him about the origin of the troops, so he instinctively thought that these people were all sent by Cousteau. Therefore, when he came to the assembly workshop and saw Cousteau who was waiting impatiently, he immediately gave him a big hug and said with mixed feelings: "Thank you, thank you, Comrade Cousteau! Not only did you call to persuade me to retreat, but you also sent someone to meet me, and I will always remember your friendship with me."

   Hearing Balshak say this, Cousteau showed an embarrassed expression on his face. After the two separated, Cousteau pointed at Sokov who was standing on the driving track, and said with some embarrassment: "Major Balshak, in fact, it was Soko who told you to retreat and sent someone to meet you." Order from Lieutenant Colonel Husband.”

"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov?!" Balshak said this strange surname, looked up at Sokov standing above the factory building, and asked Cousteau curiously: "Where is this commander from?" Where did it come from?"

"What came from where?" Hearing what Balshak said, Cousteau said with some displeasure: "This is the brigade commander who stood firm on Mamayev Post, and he was ordered to lead the troops to the Come here to support us."

"Oh, so it is like this." When Balshak first entered the workshop, he saw many soldiers coming in and out, all wearing new or old military uniforms. New strike battalion. Thinking that it has been a long time since my destroyer battalion was formed, but except for officers at all levels wearing military uniforms, most of the soldiers still wear casual clothes. I can't help feeling dissatisfied with the factory director Peter, thinking that he is too partial. After listening to Cousteau's explanation, he realized that he had made a mistake. He looked at Cousteau and said, "Comrade Cousteau, accompany me up to meet this commander, and I want to thank him personally."

Unexpectedly, Balshak followed Cousteau onto the carriageway, and after expressing his thanks to Sokov, Sokov could only nod at him and said, "Comrade Major, the Germans are attacking. If you move again Slow down, I'm afraid we won't be able to withdraw."

"What, the enemy has started to attack?" Hearing Sokov say this, Balshak couldn't help being taken aback. He hurried to the window, raised his binoculars and looked into the distance. Through the smoky position, he saw There are five or six German tanks in the distance, heading towards their original positions, and behind these tanks are row after row of skirmishers. He began to silently calculate in his heart how many infantrymen were following the tank.

Sokov put down the binoculars, turned his head to look at Borshak, and saw that he was muttering something in a low voice, so he smiled lightly, and then said: "Comrade major, there is no need to count, the German army has dispatched at least one battalion of infantry. Saying that there are only twenty or so of you left, even if the entire battalion is fully organized, it is impossible to stop them."

  If someone else said these words to Balshak, he might be furious, but when he heard Sokov say that, he nodded silently, agreeing with Sokov's statement.

When the German tank was more than 100 meters away from the gunpowdering position, it slowed down, and the infantry behind it immediately accelerated, changing from a fast walk to a trot, and quickly passed the tank that opened the way and rushed into the The position of the destroyer battalion. Regarding the wounded who had not yet died on the battlefield, and those soldiers who were stunned, the Germans showed no mercy at all. They either shot or stabbed to death with bayonets, and had no intention of capturing prisoners at all.

   Seeing his troops being massacred by the Germans, Balshak had tears in his eyes and gritted his teeth. When Sokov heard Balshak's breathing became short and heavy, he knew that what the Germans had done had successfully angered him, so he raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder, comforting him and said, "Major Comrade, this is a life-and-death war, either we destroy the enemy, or the enemy kills us. Since they are so cruel to our soldiers, we don't have to be soft on them, blood debts must be paid with blood."

"That's right, that's right." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Cousteau echoed loudly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel is right, we will treat the Germans with an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and let them pay with blood. "

  The gunpowder smoke that covered the sky and the sun on the battlefield made the sky seem to be overcast. Sokov looked up at the sky, and felt that even under the current situation, even if the German army dispatched the air force, it might be difficult for the German pilots to see the targets on the ground clearly in the air, so he picked up the phone that was put aside and asked the operator to connect. The roof of the women's anti-aircraft artillery battalion.

As soon as he heard Ulanova's voice, Sokov immediately said: "Lieutenant Ulanova, it seems that the Germans will not be able to dispatch planes today. You can use all the artillery fire to destroy the enemy. Tanks and infantry."

   "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Ulanova replied loudly, "We are ready to fight and are ready to fire at any incoming enemy."

   "Don't worry, Lieutenant Ulanova." Sokov saw that the German army was still standing on the edge of the factory wall, nearly one kilometer away from the factory building. Fire at such a distance, although it can destroy the German tanks, it is easy to waste ammunition, so Sokov ordered: "No one is allowed to fire without my order. Wait until the enemy is close. Do you understand?"

"clear!"

Cousteau knew about Sokov's plan to use anti-aircraft guns to attack tanks, and when he heard the conversation between him and Ulanova, the expression on his face was normal, but Borshak didn't know about it. He waited for Sokov to After putting down the phone, he asked curiously: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I would like to ask, why do you use anti-aircraft guns to attack tanks?"

   "Comrade Major," Sokov didn't expect Balshak to ask such a question suddenly. At that time, he really wanted to ask: Didn't your superior tell you that you can use anti-aircraft guns to hit tanks? However, out of politeness, these words came to his lips, and he swallowed them back. Instead, he said euphemistically: "We don't have anti-tank guns, so we can only use anti-aircraft guns instead of anti-tank guns to destroy the enemy's tanks."

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I would like to ask you a question." Balshak waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and said unceremoniously: "Have you ever thought that if we use anti-aircraft guns to attack tanks, it will affect our security?" air defense."

Seeing that Balshak was so stubborn, Sokov said unceremoniously: "If the German tanks rushed into the factory building, what's the point of our air defense on the roof?" Yes, even if we don’t use these anti-aircraft guns to hit the enemy’s tanks, the German army will still send planes to destroy the anti-aircraft defenses on the roof. Anyway, our anti-aircraft guns on the roof will be destroyed by German aircraft in a short time. We might as well let it play its best role function."

  Borshak was not convinced by these words of Sokov, but considering that the other party had a higher rank than himself and was in charge of commanding all the troops here, it would be very unwise for him to contradict him. Thinking of this, Balshak closed his mouth and acquiesced to Sokov's decision.

  Holding the microphone in his hand, Sokov quietly stared at the approaching tank and the infantry behind him, thinking about when he could fire. When the German tanks were still four to five hundred meters away from the factory building, Sokov yelled into the microphone: "Fire, fire at the enemy tanks immediately!"

  As the order was issued, the six anti-aircraft guns on the roof opened fire at the same time. Although the 37mm anti-aircraft gun is not as powerful as the 85mm anti-aircraft gun, its rate of fire is amazing, and it can fire at least sixty or seventy rounds per minute. Sokov soon saw that around those tanks, puffs of mud rose into the sky. After a while, one tank was hit, and the ammunition in the car caused a martyrdom explosion. The shrapnel also knocked down the soldiers who followed behind.

   There is also an anti-aircraft gun. I don’t know if the gunner’s skills are too poor, or it’s intentional. She didn’t attack the German tanks, but bombarded the German infantry behind the tanks. The 37mm high-explosive armor-piercing projectile hit the person's body and instantly split the person in two. Seeing seven or eight German soldiers, their upper bodies were beaten off in an instant, and Sokov couldn't help trembling all over, thinking that this was probably the legendary "dead body without a whole body".

  Under the intensive firepower of the anti-aircraft guns, the German tanks turned into burning torches one after another, standing on the scorched land and burning blazingly. Due to the strong firepower of the 37mm anti-aircraft guns, some German soldiers used the corpses of their companions to block themselves in front of them, trying to resist the attack of such high-explosive armor-piercing shells. However, everything they did was in vain. As long as they were hit, they were not beaten. The two paragraphs are missing arms and legs.

For the Germans, this battle was almost impossible to fight. The tanks covering their attack were all killed by Soviet artillery fire. Because the distance was too far, the opponent's anti-aircraft guns could hit them, and the rifles in their hands, The submachine gun couldn't hit the opponent. Some soldiers couldn't bear this **** scene, yelled, turned around and ran back. The officer tried to prevent the soldiers from fleeing, and waved his pistol to block them, but he was pushed to the ground by the soldiers who were eager to escape. Before he could stand up, countless feet stepped on his body, stomping on him He almost vomited blood.

   Seeing that all the soldiers under him had fled, the officer knew that it was pointless to continue the attack. He got up from the ground with hands and feet, and fled backwards with the crowd.

Seeing that Sokov repelled the German attack so easily, Balshak couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise. He never dreamed that the battle could be fought like this, and the enemy could not fight back at all. He said that there were no casualties on our side, but some high-explosive armor-piercing projectiles that were originally intended to be used to fight aircraft were consumed.

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Cousteau pointed to the wounded soldiers on the battlefield who were still rolling and howling on the ground, and asked Sokov for instructions: "Although the Germans retreated, they still left a lot of soldiers on the battlefield." How should we deal with the wounded?"

   Sokov glanced at Balshak first, and then said to Cousteau meaningfully: "Comrade workshop director, I think you saw how the Germans dealt with the wounded of the destroyer battalion just now?"

   "Yes, I saw it." Cousteau gritted his teeth and said, "They killed all the wounded left in the position."

   "Now that you have seen how the Germans treated our wounded," Sokov said solemnly, "then, now it's our turn to treat their wounded in the same way."

Although the old men are all single-minded in doing things, it does not mean that they are all fools. When Cousteau heard Sokov say this, he immediately understood his off-screen voice, and quickly nodded and said, "Don't worry, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I know what to do." After speaking, he turned and left, and went downstairs to gather his subordinates to take care of the wounded German soldiers.

  (end of this chapter)