Red Moscow.

  Chapter 79 The Germans want to run

   In the early morning of the 29th, one hour before the artillery preparations began, the commanders and fighters of the Istria Battalion entered the attack position early, braving the severe cold and waiting for the shelling to start.

Sokov stayed in his command post and said to the company commanders surrounding him: "Company commanders, Corporal Pavel got back the map of the distribution of German troops and the road map of the minefield drawn by Second Lieutenant Vasya. Do you all remember?"

   "Remember!" Several company commanders replied in unison.

   "Report!" The company commanders had just finished expressing their opinions when a voice calling for a report suddenly came from the door. Before Sukov could speak, people outside had already lifted the curtain and broke into the command post.

   Sokov frowned, and was about to criticize this daredevil, but unexpectedly found that the person who rushed in was Pavel, so he changed his tone and asked, "Comrade Corporal, what's the matter?"

   "Comrade Battalion Commander," Pavel said to Sokov in an excited voice, "According to our reconnaissance, the enemy is retreating."

"What, the enemy is retreating?" What Pavel said surprised Sokov. His first reaction was that Pavel had made a mistake. According to the usual practice, the Germans should fortify the city, so He tentatively asked Pavel: "Comrade Corporal, are you mistaken? How could the Germans retreat?"

  As soon as Sokov finished speaking, the company commanders also said: "Yes, how is this possible? Once the Germans retreat, doesn't that mean that the city is given to us for nothing? This must be a mistake."

Hearing that everyone was saying that he made a mistake, Pavel became a little anxious: "Comrade commander, I did not make a mistake. I saw with my own eyes that the enemy was gradually withdrawing from their positions and retreating towards the city, so I came here to report. .”

   Just when everyone questioned Pavel, Sokov was thinking in his heart: Pavel is a scout with rich experience, so he should not make such a low-level mistake. Thinking of this, he raised his hands and pressed them down, and said loudly: "Quiet, comrades, please keep quiet."

  After calm was restored in the command post, he asked Pavel: "Comrade Corporal, are you sure the enemies outside the city are retreating into the city?"

"Yes, Comrade Battalion Commander." Pavel nodded and said affirmatively: "I saw with my own eyes that the enemy withdrew from their positions and was retreating into the city in batches. I would like to use my life to assure you that what I said Everything is true."

"This important information needs to be reported to the division headquarters immediately." Sokov walked to the table, grabbed the handle of the phone and shook it a few times, picked up the microphone and stuck it to his ear, and said loudly: "Communication soldier, give I'll take over from the division."

"Wait a minute, Comrade Battalion Commander, don't call yet." Belkin, who never expresses his position easily at the meeting, suddenly grabbed Sokov and said to him earnestly: "The Army Command attaches great importance to today's offensive. , so General Rokossovsky, the commander of the artillery, General Kazakov, the commander of the artillery, and General Orel, the master of the armored forces, are now at the headquarters of the 11th Guards Division. If you put this unconfirmed information , Reporting to the division headquarters will definitely affect the judgment of the group army chief."

   "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander," Sokov asked, holding the microphone and looking at Belkin, "what do you say?"

   "I suggest sending someone to verify immediately," Belkin replied: "After figuring out what's going on, it's not too late to report to the division headquarters."

"No, Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, time is running out. In a few tens of minutes, our artillery will shell the enemy's position." Sokov glanced at Pavel who was standing next to him, and said, "Bavel Corporal Weir is an experienced scout, and I believe he is telling the truth. The next thing we have to do is to send people to conduct reconnaissance in the enemy's position, and at the same time report to the division headquarters what happened here. "

  As soon as Pavel was sent to perform a reconnaissance mission, the voice of General Chernyshov came from the receiver: "I am Chernyshov, where are you?"

"Hello, Comrade Commander. I'm Captain Sokov." At the end of the matter, Sokov decided to go all out, and he said loudly into the microphone: "I just received a report from the scouts that the German troops in front of us are attacking. Withdraw from the positions in an organized manner and return to the city one after another."

"What, the enemy is withdrawing their positions?" This shocking news not only shocked Chernyshov, but also Rokossovsky, Kazakov and others found it inconceivable. When Sky heard Chernyshov say this, he grabbed the microphone from his hand and asked loudly: "Captain Sokov, is everything you said true?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Hearing Rokossovsky's voice coming from the receiver, Sokov hurriedly said in an affirmative tone: "My scouts saw with their own eyes that the enemy withdrew from their positions and retreated to the city. He is a scout with rich experience in reconnaissance, and I have every confidence that his report is accurate."

   Rokossovsky waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and did not express any opinion, but asked without comment: "Have you taken any measures?"

"I have sent scouts to conduct reconnaissance on the German positions and in the city." Sokov hurriedly reported to Rokossovsky: "The whole battalion is ready to attack. Once we find that the enemy has really retreated, we will Will attack Susinich without artillery support."

   "I understand, Captain Sokov." Rokossovsky said unhurriedly: "If there is any change in the frontier, you must report to me in time."

   "Understood!" Sokov replied loudly.

  After putting down the phone, Rokossovsky said to Orel: "Comrade Orel, you immediately send a tank company to the offensive starting position of the Istria Battalion to cooperate with their possible actions."

   Before Pavel, who was sent out for reconnaissance, came back, some soldiers brought several residents of the city. Looking at these residents who had just escaped from the city, Sokov asked curiously: "Comrades, how did you get out of the city?"

"How else can I get out? Of course I escaped from the city." An old man with a white goatee said: "The Germans were packing up and preparing to leave the city, and there was a panic everywhere, so we took the opportunity to escape. "

"That's right," the old man just finished speaking, and a fat lady immediately added: "The two German soldiers who lived in my house took away all the food in the house and walked away in a big way. Now the city is really chaotic. Now, the Germans living in every household are gathering in the street with big bags and small bags, and it seems that they are going to flee."

  Sokov asked several residents about the situation in the city, and the answers he got were similar. He smiled at everyone and nodded, and then said: "Comrades, you have entered our army's defense zone. You are safe now. I will send you to the back to rest. When the battle is over, you can return to the It's home." After speaking, they asked the people to take these residents to other places to rest.

Back at the command post, Sokov said to everyone with a solemn expression: "comrades commanders, it seems that the Germans are about to slip away. We must not let these evil bandits, who are doing all kinds of evil, just leave our city like this. I am now ordering the 1st and 2nd companies to attack the enemy's positions immediately according to the original plan; the 3rd company and the machine gun company will move towards the city along the road and wipe out all the enemies you encounter !"

  (end of this chapter)