Red Moscow

  Chapter 572 Four Lines of Defense (Part 1)

"I have already contacted General Guriyev," Chuikov said on the phone: "He will send the 117th Guards Regiment back to the defense area as soon as possible to replace your troops. After the completion of the transfer of defense, your troops will immediately move to the northwest Attack the enemy in the direction of the enemy, rush to Orlovka at all costs, and establish a stronghold there, and wait for the friendly forces outside the encirclement to come and join you."

When he heard the place name of Orlovka, Sokov couldn't help but tremble. He thought that he was also ordered to go north to Orlovka last time to meet the troops who broke through the siege. After holding on for a day, Only then did I learn that the reinforcements that broke through the German defense had been wiped out on the way. And before he left, he encountered the enemy and was wounded.

Once bitten by a snake for ten years and afraid of well ropes, Sokov felt an inexplicable fear of Orlovka in his heart. Hearing Chuikov's order at this moment, he couldn't help hesitating: If he really wants to lead his troops northward again, he must If you want to break through the defenses of the German army, when you arrive at the place, you probably won't have many people left around you. But if he didn't go, maybe Cuikov would dismiss him on the spot.

"How about it, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." Chuikov saw that Sokov did not speak, and he understood the other party's difficulties, but he had no choice. The original defenders in various factories also launched a counterattack towards the enemy. However, these 50,000 to 60,000 troops only advanced two to three kilometers after paying huge casualties. If the fight continues at this speed, it will take half a month at the fastest to join forces with troops outside the encirclement. Therefore, he can only pin his hopes on Sokov: "Is there any difficulty?"

"Comrade Commander, there must be difficulties." Sukov is trying to catch ducks on the shelves now, and there is no way out at all, so he can only bite the bullet: "But we will find a way to overcome it. When we hand over to the 117th Guards Regiment After the defense is established, immediately launch an attack in the northwest direction."

  After putting down the phone, Sokov let out a long sigh and asked Bely: "Comrade Colonel, the commander just gave us a new order."

   "What order?" Bely asked curiously.

Sokov took out a map from his satchel, spread it on the sandbag, pointed to Bely and said: "Comrade Commander ordered us to hand over the defense to them immediately after the 117th Guards Regiment returned to the defense area, and then Launch an attack in the northwest direction, rush to Orlovka, and establish a stronghold there to wait for the friendly forces outside the encirclement to come and join."

   "Playing the qin indiscriminately, it's just playing the qin indiscriminately." After seeing clearly the situation of the enemy and ourselves marked on the map, Bely said displeasedly: "Comrade Brigadier, this is clearly asking us to die."

He drew a dotted line with his fingernails from the Red October factory to Orlovka, finally poked it twice with his finger, and said with a serious expression: "Comrade Brigadier, you see, from us to Orlovka Lovka is 30 kilometers away, and there are four German lines of defense in the middle. Do you think we have the strength to break through the four lines of defense of the German army?"

"It's very difficult." Sokov said truthfully: "Even if we use all the troops of the tank battalion and the first battalion, and with the cooperation of the air force, after contacting and breaking through the four defenses of the German army, I guess we will not be left. Who is it?"

After hearing what Sokov said, Bely looked up to the sky and sighed deeply. He said helplessly: "Comrade Brigadier, although I know very well in my heart that the order given by Comrade Commander is to let us die. But an order is an order. Now that it has been issued, we can only execute it, not discuss it here."

Sokov had already guessed that Bely would have such an attitude, so he said to him: "Comrade Colonel, the first thing we have to do now is to transfer the first and third tank companies and replenish all the tanks at the same time." Fuel and ammunition."

  Biely nodded: "I immediately contacted Captain Sereda and asked him to transfer the first company and the third company. By the way, we still have ten tanks as fixed turrets. Shall we also transfer them here?"

Although the assembly workshop is also under the jurisdiction of Sokov, in the current situation, what he has to consider is how to break through the four German defense lines, rush to Orlovka to establish a defensive position, and wait for the arrival of friendly forces outside the encirclement , so the defense of the assembly workshop becomes less important. He nodded vigorously, and replied, "Let's call them all. Although the defense of the assembly workshop will become weaker if these tanks are transferred away, as long as we attack more aggressively, the enemy will not be able to mobilize their forces to attack the factory again."

   "Since you don't have any comments, I'll contact Captain Sereda immediately." Bely turned and walked towards the intercom, and said, "Let him bring all the tanks here."

  ...

  Forty minutes later, more than 20 tanks left in the assembly workshop rumbled over and parked in the parking lot outside the club.

   Seeing the arrival of the tank troops, Sokov and Bely immediately got off the roof and went outside to meet them. As soon as he walked out of the club, Sokov saw a familiar figure. He couldn't help frowning, walked up to that person quickly, and asked with a straight face, "Yakov, why are you here?"

  Yakov said with a smile on his face: "Misha, I heard that you guys are playing well here. I followed the tank soldiers here specially to see if there is anything I can do for you."

"Nonsense, it's nonsense." Sokov said sternly: "Major Yakov, your task is to help the factory improve the tanks, not to charge forward. It's too dangerous here, you should go back to the assembly workshop Bar."

Seeing that Sokov was going to drive him away, Yakov became a little anxious: "Misha, I know you have important combat missions, but you are not afraid of danger, so why should I be afraid? You still take me with you." let us go."

"Yakov, don't forget your own special identity." Sokov pulled Yakov aside, and said to him with a strong attitude: "If anything happens to you here, it will not only implicate me, I'm afraid Commander Chuikov is also involved."

"I understand what you mean." Yakov waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and said with a normal expression: "But Misha, I am also a soldier. When my comrades are fighting tenaciously with the enemy in front, I can hide Is there nothing to do in a safe place behind? As for my identity, please forget this. On the battlefield, I am a soldier like you who takes up arms and fights against the enemy in order to defend the great motherland."

  (end of this chapter)