Red Moscow.

  Chapter 662 Shrinking troops

  Although in Sokov's impression, the old man was procrastinating, but Anisimov's actions were quite quick to promote the matter of the heroic company commander. In less than an hour, he walked into the headquarters with printed leaflets.

  Handing the leaflets to Sokov and Ivanov, he said, "Teachers, this is the sample draft just printed by the comrades of the Political Department. Look at what needs to be improved!"

  Sokov took over the leaflet sample, which still smelled of ink, and quickly browsed the content on it. Seeing that the sample draft introduced in detail the battle of the heroic company commander, as well as the results of the battle, etc., he nodded with satisfaction, and then turned to Sidolin who was standing by the intercom and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, Yershako Is there a new telegram from Lieutenant Colonel Husband?"

   "Received." Sidolin quickly replied, "I'll take it for you when the operator finishes translating the telegram."

  Ivanov looked at Sokov after reading the contents of the sample draft and asked, "Mr. Comrade, I think the writing is very good and touching. What do you think?"

   "I think it's not bad." Although Sokov and Anisimov have not known each other for a long time, he absolutely believes that there is no problem in writing a touching promotional material with the other party's level. At this moment, I saw the sample draft that was just printed, and the content on it was really exciting. He nodded slightly, and said: "After the chief of staff receives Lieutenant Colonel Ershakov's telegram and fills in the company commander's name, the political commissar can arrange for people to distribute these leaflets to the soldiers. "

"Mr. Commander, I've figured it all out." As Sokov was talking, Sidolin walked over from the telegraph with a telegram and said, "The commander of the anti-tank company is called Mikhail Pani. Kach, the rank of lieutenant, used to belong to the 57th Army. Yesterday, when the main force of the division crossed the river, he was temporarily incorporated into our division."

"That's right. Although our division was transferred to the rear for repairs, due to time constraints, we were reassigned to the city just after half of the repair work." Ivanov was afraid that Sokov would not understand the specific details. In order to understand the situation, he explained to him: "Many troops were replenished during our march. Due to the fact that there were too many supplementary soldiers and troops, not to mention ordinary soldiers, even officers and regimental commanders may not be able to Say their names."

"Comrade Commissar," Ivanov's words reminded Sokov. He thought that in the battle to defend Stalingrad, many soldiers died shortly after entering the city. In the end, they didn't even leave their names. He didn't want similar things to happen in his troops, so he said to Anisimov: "Let the political workers at all levels hurry up to make a roster of commanders and fighters. They must find out the names of every commander and fighter in the division. Even if they They died in battle, and I don't want them to become unknown soldiers, so that when the war is over, their relatives who are still alive come here to look for them, and their relatives will be disappointed because we don't know their names."

Regarding the order arranged by Sokov, Anisimov nodded vigorously, and said firmly: "Don't worry, comrade commander, I will arrange political workers at all levels in the division to make detailed flower arrangements later." Register to ensure that everyone in the division can leave their names. In this way, even if they die, we will have a way to get in touch with their relatives and return the relics to their families."

After assigning tasks to Anisimov, Sokov said to Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, send a telegram to the Starcha and Yersakov regiments, ordering them to withdraw after dark. Mamayev Hill."

   "Ask them to abandon their positions?" Sidolin asked in surprise when he heard this order: "Comrade commander, what do you plan to do if the superiors want to hold them accountable?"

"Our troops don't have planes, tanks and artillery. If we want to fight the enemy in positions that are not conducive to defense, we can only waste precious troops in vain." Sukov knew very well that in the following days, the It is the most difficult day for the Stalingrad defenders. As long as you have enough troops in your hands, you can ensure that Mamayev Post will not be lost. Regarding Sidolin's concerns, he said confidently: "I will personally report this to the commander in a while, and I guess he will agree."

   Sokov wanted to withdraw his troops back to Mamayev Post. Except for Sidolin's objections, Ivanov and Anisimov couldn't wish for it. In any case, the two are the first commanders of this army, and any casualties of any commander or fighter will make them feel distressed. Now Sokov's approach can save the lives of more commanders and fighters. They know that their superiors will definitely have opinions if they do this, but they still support Sokov.

   Seeing that Ivanov and Anisimov expressed their support for him, Sokov didn't hesitate, and immediately picked up the phone on the table and ordered the communications corps to connect to the group army headquarters. After hearing Krylov's voice from the receiver, he said straight to the point: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I am Sokov. I want to withdraw the troops deployed on the left and right wings to the horses after dark." Mayevgang, I don’t know if it’s okay?”

   "Return the troops to Mamayev Post?" Krylov, who was still arranging the factory defense task just now, was taken aback when he heard Sokov say this, and then asked noncommittally, "Why are you withdrawing?"

"I plan to shrink my troops and defend Mamayev Post with all my strength." Sokov remembered that as soon as the Soviet counterattack failed in early October, the German army assembled a large number of troops and launched an attack on the Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory and the Barricade Factory. The fierce attack beat the Soviet troops standing there miserable. If the Mamayev Post is not lost, it may still play a diversionary role, preventing the enemy from attacking the above two factories with all their strength. "Only by defending Mamayev Post, the enemy will not be able to split the defense lines to the south and north of our city, and will not be able to cut off our connection with the other side..."

  After listening to Sokov's series of reasons, Krylov, who originally wanted to force him to stick to the left and right wings, fell silent. Chuikov, who was talking to Khrushchev, saw Krylov holding the microphone in a daze, so he came over and asked with concern: "Chief of Staff, what's on your mind?"

"Comrade Commander," seeing that it was Chuikov who was talking to him, Krylov quickly covered the receiver with his hand, repeated what Sokov said to him, and finally asked: "Tell me, can I agree with Sokov?" Cove's request?"

"Let him withdraw the troops outside." Fortunately, Chuikov realized that with the failure of the counterattack, it would be unwise to continue to place the troops in areas that are not conducive to defense to resist the enemy's attack, so he Reasonably said: "Anyway, our counterattack is over, and the Yershakov Regiment, which was responsible for the cover task, has also completed their task. According to Sukov's proposal, all the troops of the 41st Guards Division outside Withdrawal to strengthen the defense of Mamayev Kurgan."

Krylov let go of his hand covering the microphone and said, "Colonel Sokov, I have already told the commander your request, and he agreed to your request. After dark, you can arrange the arrangements in batches." The troops on the left and right flanks were withdrawn and used for the defense of Mamayev Kurgan."

After explaining these few words, Krylov said with a lot of meaning: "Colonel Sokov, I think it is necessary to remind you. You have thousands of people in your hands. If you can't hold Mamayev Post, wait for them." Yours will be a court-martial. Understand?"

"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov thought to himself that if he had thousands of people and well-established tunnel fortifications, if he couldn't defend Mamayev Post like this, he might as well commit suicide: "If I lose Mamayev, you don't need me to be court-martialed, I'll stand on the hill of Mamayev and shoot myself in the temple."

  (end of this chapter)