Red Moscow

  Chapter 780 Going around in a big circle

Since it was already dawn, the selected team could only stay in the tunnel for another day, and set off from Mamayev Hill after dark, heading towards the old city along the road full of bomb craters and bricks and stones. go.

Before the troops set off, Sokov personally called Captain Andrey and told him that three German armored vehicles were going to pass through his defense zone. The vehicles were full of comrades disguised as enemies. He asked him to identify them carefully to avoid accidental injury. .

  Although Andrei notified his subordinate troops as soon as he received Sokov's order, saying that there were friendly troops disguised as enemies who would pass through the defense zone in three German armored vehicles and asked everyone to let them go. Don't stop them. However, some combat teams scattered in the ruins did not receive this order.

When the armored vehicle of the squad entered the Ninth Company’s defense area, Guchakov, who was sitting in the lead vehicle, also said to Samoilov, who was sitting in the last vehicle through the car radio: “Comrade Second Lieutenant, I am in front of you.” They must have received the order to let us pass, don't worry..."

   Before Guchakov finished speaking, a gunshot was heard not far away, and then the sound of bullets hitting the car body was heard. "Enemy attack," Tavlin, who was sitting next to Guchakov and wearing the uniform of a German second lieutenant, immediately reacted, and quickly shouted at the soldiers sitting in the car: "Low down quickly, so as not to be hit by bullets." bingo."

   A soldier of the Ninth Company hiding in the ruins saw that the shot he fired did not cause casualties to the people in the car, so he quickly picked up a grenade, pulled the string and threw it out. The grenade exploded a dozen meters away from the vehicle, and the flying shrapnel jingled on the vehicle body and the soldier's helmet.

  After the soldiers sitting in the armored vehicle were suddenly attacked, they immediately set up their guns and prepared to fight back, but they were stopped by Guchakov. He shouted loudly: "Don't fight back, don't fight back, it's your own people. Everyone lower your body to avoid being hit by stray bullets." After shouting two times in a row, he shouted at the driver: "Speed ​​up, Hurry over there."

   After rushing out of the defense zone of the third battalion, Guchakov quickly counted the number of people and found that two soldiers in the car were injured. Fortunately, the injuries were not serious and would not affect the next battle. Seeing that there were unnecessary casualties before the battle started, Guchakov really wanted to cry: Didn't the division commander say that he had already greeted the battalion commander, so why did he still open fire on us? What annoyed him the most was that the place where the convoy was attacked actually belonged to his Ninth Company's defense zone. .

"Comrade Lieutenant," just as Guchakov was thinking wildly, Samoilov's angry voice suddenly came from the car radio: "Didn't you say that was your company's position? Why did those people hiding in the ruins Soldiers, even your company commander? If you really cause huge casualties to the squad, I'll see how you complete the mission."

"Comrade Second Lieutenant, please listen to my explanation." Since the convoy was attacked in the defense zone of his company, Guchakov said with some guilt: "It may be the soldiers hiding in the ruins who did not receive the battalion commander's order. See Suddenly, several armored vehicles full of soldiers appeared and shot instinctively. By the way, are there any casualties in your vehicles?"

   "No, there were no casualties in my car." Samoilov said impatiently: "We won't meet our own cold shots again, right?"

   "We have completely left the defensive zone of the third battalion." Guchakov said with a smile on his face: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, I assure you that similar incidents will never happen again."

  Being attacked by his own people for no reason, the soldiers in the car were all simmering with anger, but because Guchakov was his superior, they dared not speak out. Seeing that the atmosphere in the car was a bit tense, Taflin hurried out to smooth things over: "Comrade Lieutenant, there may have been a little misunderstanding just now. Those soldiers hiding in the ruins mistook us for Germans. Fortunately, their marksmanship is not good, otherwise There will definitely be some casualties for us.”

Hearing Tavlin say this, Guchakov showed an embarrassed expression on his face: "Comrade Sergeant, to tell you the truth, there are many workers and residents in our company, and the time for them to hold guns is still very short. Marksmanship, of course, is not very good. If you are fighting against the enemy, this is their shortcoming; but for today's misunderstanding, it is a good thing."

  After resolving the embarrassment in the car, Taflin continued to ask: "Comrade Lieutenant, I would like to ask, what target do you plan to attack first?"

"When selecting the candidates for the squad, I heard from Major Tenev, the commander of the guard battalion, that some time ago, Lieutenant Grisa led a squad that infiltrated near the town of Gorodisheh and destroyed the enemy's open-air munitions with rockets. Depots, which disrupted the enemy's attack plan on the Barricade Factory and Dzerzhinsky Factory. I think we can also adopt the same tactics this time, attacking the enemy's ammunition depots first. If the enemy has no ammunition, how can they have the ability? Continue to attack friendly forces."

"I don't think so." Tavlin waited for Guchakov to finish, and then retorted: "The enemy was bombed last time, and I think their defenses will be tighter now. I'm afraid it will take us a while to carry out Only by reconnaissance can we find the location of the enemy's arsenal."

"Don't worry, Comrade Sergeant." Guchakov said confidently: "The division commander didn't set a deadline for us to fight, that is to say, we can stay as long as we want in the enemy's rear. We have enough time. , to find the enemy's ammunition depots, barracks and headquarters."

"Comrade Lieutenant," a soldier sitting next to Tavlin asked curiously after listening to the chat between the two: "I want to ask, we can obviously move from Mamayev to the northwest directly, but what about Why do you have to make such a big circle from the south?"

   Hearing the question raised by the soldier, Guchakov scowled, and was about to reprimand him, but was stopped by Tavlin. Tavlin smiled and said to the soldier: "Comrade soldier, we all know that after leaving Mamayev Post, head directly to the northwest to reach the enemy's rear in the shortest possible time. I'm right. ?"

   "Yes." The soldier nodded vigorously: "You are quite right."

"Since we know that this route is the shortest, couldn't the Germans have thought of it?" Taflin explained to him with a smile: "In order to prevent our army from sending troops deep into their rear, they must have arranged a tight guardrail in this direction." Defense. If we go directly in that direction, we may plunge into the enemy's trap. Let alone attacking the enemy, whether we can keep ourselves is a problem. And if we make a big circle, it is completely beyond the enemy's control. Unexpectedly, even if we appeared behind them, it would be difficult for them to notice immediately."

   "So that's what happened." Hearing Tavlin's explanation, the soldier suddenly realized: "It seems that it is absolutely necessary for us to make such a big circle."

  (end of this chapter)