The team carried two human-pulled sleds. The reason why Sokov ordered people to bring the sleds was not unnecessary. In his words: First, extra weapons and ammunition could be placed on the sleds; After finding the pilot and staff, if they are unfortunately injured, you can use the sled to pull them back.
Before setting off, Sokov announced in public: "I appoint Sergeant Zheliya as my deputy. If I die in the battle, he will take over my post; if he die, Oleg will take over." Command the troops, the next order is..." After he designated the candidates to take over the command of the troops, he waved his hand and announced loudly, "Let's go!"
Since no one saw the direction in which the missing plane flew, Sokov could only gamble his luck. He decisively chose the due south direction and asked the team to set off in that direction.
The troops were divided into three echelons. Walking at the front of the team was Oleg and two soldiers who had been forest guards. They were the first echelon and the vanguard of the small unit; walking at the back was Reli. The third echelon composed of Sergeant Ya and four other soldiers; the soldiers and two sleds led by Sokov were the second echelon. They walked in the middle of the small team. The three echelons are 150 meters apart and can support each other if anything happens.
As a leading soldier, Oleg observed the surrounding environment with vigilant eyes and carefully searched and moved forward. After walking about four or five kilometers in the forest, a soldier walked quickly to Oleg and said to him: "Oleg, I think we are going in the wrong direction."
"Why?" Oleg stopped, turned to look at the soldier, and asked curiously.
"Look at the snow on the treetops." The soldier pointed to the trees above his head and explained to him: "If the plane passes over this forest, the airflow generated will inevitably lift the trees above. The snow fell down. But now, the snow on the treetops is intact, so I think we must be going in the wrong direction."
Oleg looked at the snow on the treetops and felt that what the soldier said was very reasonable. He nodded and asked, "Then tell me, which way should we go?"
The soldier pointed toward the southeast and said, "Oleg, I think this is the right way to go."
Seeing the soldier choose a new search direction without thinking, it aroused Oleg's curiosity: "Why did you choose this direction?"
"Didn't you pay attention when the battalion commander explained the mission?" The soldier explained to Oleg: "He said that the destination of the plane was the friendly military station west of Sushinich, but unfortunately it lost its way. We are flying to the south of the city. There is a German military station directly south of us, and the pilot will try hard to avoid landing there. And to the southwest, there is a confrontation between our army and the German army. If the plane lands there, friendly forces will definitely send troops there. It will not be our turn to rescue. Therefore, we search southeast, and we may be able to find the missing aircraft."
After listening to the soldier's analysis, Oleg smiled and nodded, and said sincerely: "Okay, let's change the direction and search southeast."
Asiya, who was in the second echelon, did not sit on the sled. Instead, like Sokov, she trudged forward on the snow up to her knees. She was a little angry and asked Sokov out of breath: "Misha, we are going in this direction, right?"
Sokov shook his head and said with a wry smile: "I don't know where the plane disappeared. To find a plane in such a vast forest is simply an impossible task. So we can only do our best. , if I can’t find it within two days, I’ll give up the search.”
Asiya agreed with Sokov's statement: "In such cold weather, if the pilot was trapped in the forest, he would definitely freeze to death. If the time exceeded two days, there would indeed be no further search. necessary.”
Sokov took out the compass he carried with him from his pocket and wanted to confirm the direction, but unexpectedly discovered that the current direction of the troops' march was not due south as he had just chosen, but had shifted to the southeast. "What the hell, what's going on?" Finding that the troops had deviated from the direction, he quickly called a soldier and told him: "Go to the front to find Oleg and ask him what's going on and why we are advancing. The direction has shifted to the southeast." The soldier agreed, followed the footprints in the snow in front of him, and jumped to chase Oleg and the others.
Seeing that Asiya was panting, Sokov ordered the second echelon to temporarily stop advancing and rest on the spot for ten minutes. When some tired soldiers were looking for a place to sit down and rest, Sokov helped Asiya sit down on the sled and said to her in a complaining tone: "Asiya, I won't let you come. You want to come, but now your physical strength is too much, right?"
"I am the health worker in the camp," Asiya said unconvinced after hearing this: "You are going to perform a mission, how can you go without a health worker?"
Sokov knew that Asiya had a character that refused to admit defeat. For her safety, he forcibly ordered her to leave the battlefield several times, which had already aroused her dissatisfaction. Seeing an unhappy expression on her face at this moment, I could only smile and give her good words.
The soldiers sent to the front to inquire about the situation returned and told Sokov what had happened in the front. After listening to this, Sokov felt that what the soldier said was quite reasonable, and he quickly asked: "Do you know which soldier's order was called, and which company he originally belonged to?"
"I know." The soldier replied: "His name is Matlosov, and he is a soldier of the Third Company. Before joining the guerrillas, he used to be a ranger and is very familiar with everything in the forest."
Sokov silently remembered the name in his heart, raised his hand and looked at his watch. Ten minutes had passed, and he announced to the soldiers of the second echelon: "Comrades, let's keep going!"
After getting back on the road, Asya said to Sokov thoughtfully: "Misha, do you think we can find the missing plane based on the direction pointed by the ranger?"
"None of us knows where the plane went." In response to Asiya's question, Sokov replied with a wry smile: "Now we can only take a gamble to see if this new route can find the plane." ." Then he asked with concern, "Asia, I think it's difficult for you to walk. How about you sit on the sled and I pull you along?"
"No need." Asiya shook her head and said resolutely: "The sled is used to pull weapons, ammunition and wounded people. I'd better walk like the soldiers."
