The team sent to escort Agelina returned two days later. There was also a thin middle-aged officer who returned with them. From the political officer rank he wore on his collar badge, Sokov, who was presiding over the meeting, could tell at a glance that the other person was a first-level political instructor. At that time, he was thinking I couldn't help but be secretly surprised: Could it be that the superiors planned to let this person serve as their political deputy battalion commander?
The middle-aged officer walked up to Sokov and asked politely: "Is this Captain Sokov?"
"Yes, I am Sokov." Sokov quickly stood up from his seat, looked at the other party and asked in surprise: "I wonder who you are?"
"I am the first-level political instructor Belkin, from the Political Department of the 16th Army." Belkin raised his hand and saluted Sokov, "I was ordered to serve as the political deputy battalion commander of the Istria Battalion. This is my Letter of introduction." After he put his hand down from his forehead, he took out an envelope from the bag he was carrying and handed it to Sokov.
After Sokov confirmed Belkin's identity through the letter of introduction, he couldn't help but feel a little bit in his heart, secretly wondering why his superiors sent him such a person? If the other party is a political cadre who doesn't understand military affairs but likes to intervene in everything, how can he command the troops to fight in the future?
Belkin noticed Sokov's worries on his face, and said with a smile: "Comrade Battalion Commander, before I came here, the commander and the military commissar had talked to me and asked me to cooperate fully. Your work in the Istria camp. You have the final say on all military matters..."
Sokov did not hear clearly what Belkin said next. He only knew that even with the political deputy battalion commander, in the Istria camp, he still had the final say on how to fight future battles. He turned to the company commanders standing aside and said: "Comrades, the superiors have sent us a political deputy battalion commander. Everyone applauds and welcomes him!"
After the applause stopped, Sokov asked someone to bring a chair to Belkin and let him sit next to him. After Belkin sat down, Sokov continued to assign tasks to the company-level commanders: "...In short, the tasks of each company are to use guerrilla tactics to harass the German traffic lines, blow up roads and bridges, and burn The enemy's logistics warehouse caused the enemy in Voloklamsk to gradually lose combat effectiveness because they could not get enough supplies..."
After handing over the task, Sokov paused for a moment and asked casually: "Do you have any other opinions?"
"No." The commanders present at the meeting replied in unison.
Seeing that no one had any objections to his deployment, Sokov waved to them and announced that the meeting was adjourned: "Since there is no problem, everyone will return to their respective units immediately. The meeting is adjourned!"
When the commanders filed out of the headquarters, Sokov asked Belkin with some embarrassment: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, I didn't know you saw the girl I escorted back at the headquarters?"
"I saw it." Belkin said simply: "I also talked to her on behalf of the organization and learned about her detailed experience during her underground work."
Upon learning that Belkin was involved in the review of Adelina, Sokov's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He tried his best to ask in a calm tone: "Comrade Belkin, do you know how your superiors will arrange for her?"
"After our review, we concluded that this is a comrade who is extremely loyal to the motherland." Belkin said in a serious tone: "Because she was temporarily recruited during the war, she lacks the common sense to engage in underground work. , so as soon as the review is completed, she will be sent back to Moscow. In the following days, she will stay in the relevant departments and learn everything necessary to engage in underground work."
Belkin's words filled Sokov's heart with a sense of loss. Once Agelina really continued to work underground, he would probably never see her again in this life.
"Comrade Captain," seeing Sokov looking distracted, Belkin asked, "Can I ask you a question?"
Sokov looked at the other party in surprise and said instinctively: "Excuse me, Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander."
"According to the information I have, the Istrian battalion now has thousands of people, which is about the same number as an infantry regiment." Belkin looked at Sokov and asked in confusion: "In addition, you have captured the German army. The logistics supply warehouse can completely arm the commanders and fighters. I want to ask, with such troops and equipment, why do you still let the troops carry out guerrilla warfare?"
"Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander," Sokov said with a smile after Belkin finished speaking: "The order given to me by my superiors is to carry out operations in the Kalmanovo area and hit the enemy hard. As long as I can To eliminate the enemy’s effective forces and support our army’s offensive operations in the direction of Voloklamsk, I think it is not important at all what tactics are used.”
"But, Comrade Sokov." Regarding Sokov's statement, Belkin said in a questioning tone: "I have doubts about the results that can be achieved with this tactic of yours."
Seeing that Belkin expressed doubts about his tactics, Sokov did not recognize him, but explained to him: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, although it is all guerrilla warfare, the guerrilla warfare we carry out is different from the kind you know. The guerrilla war carried out by the guerrillas is two completely different concepts. Since we are a regular army, well-equipped and capable of attacking difficult situations, when the numbers are equal, we can achieve several times or even more than ten times the results of the guerrillas. "
Although Sokov's explanation did not convince Belkin, the latter considered that before he came here to take office, Rokossovsky and Lobachev repeatedly told him to cooperate with Sokov Carry out good work. After weighing the powerful relationship in his mind, Belkin nodded and said: "Comrade Battalion Commander, since you are so confident, let's take action according to your deployment."
…………
The 16th Army that attacked Voloklamsk finally succeeded in liberating the city that once made the 8th Guards Division famous in history in early January 1942 after more than 20 days of fighting.
During this period, the Istrian battalion commanded by Sokov fought more than 40 large and small battles, attacked more than a dozen German transport convoys, blew up more than 200 trucks, and burned There were more than 30 temporary warehouses; during the battle, more than 1,300 German troops were killed and injured. So much so that the German commanders would shudder when they heard the name of "Istria Battalion" or the name of Captain Sokov.
