Just when Sokov was worrying about how to reject Bragonlavov, an opportunity came for him to escape. Before leaving Nizhny Novgorod, Bragonlavov suddenly sent an accompanying lieutenant to look for Sokov in the guest house.
When the lieutenant saw Sokov opening the door, he immediately introduced himself to him: "Hello, comrade major! I am the entourage of General Bragonlavov. Comrade General asked me to ask you to go to the train station immediately. There is something important. I have something to inform you.”
"What, you want to inform me of something important?" Sokov couldn't help but feel a thump in his heart when he heard the lieutenant say this. He thought to himself that he was notifying himself to officially join the weapons and equipment department, right? Thinking of this, he asked cautiously: "Comrade Lieutenant, do you know anything?"
"I don't know." The lieutenant replied simply: "Comrade Major, please take action immediately. Comrade General has one hour before he returns to Moscow by train."
With an uneasy mood, Sokov followed the lieutenant to the train station in Nizhny Novgorod and saw Bragonlavov on the platform. Seeing Sokov following his men to the platform, Bragonlavov just shook his head, and then simply said: "Get in the car with me!"
After arriving at Bragonlavov's carriage, Sokov, who was a little at a loss, asked nervously: "Comrade General, could you please call me here for anything important?"
"You return to Moscow with us." Bragonravov said briefly: "I have arranged your carriage for you, which is right next door to mine. You and the lieutenant I sent to find you live in the same compartment. Box.”
"Comrade General," Sokov heard what Bragon Lavov said, and asked a little confused: "But I didn't agree to join the Weapons and Equipment Department, why should I go back to Moscow?"
"Your work in Nizhny Novgorod has been completed." Bragonlavov said to Sokov: "Your superiors ordered you to return to Moscow immediately."
Bragonravov's words confused Sokov: "Who is my superior?"
"It's Major General Malinin, Chief of Staff of the 16th Group Army," Bragonlavov looked at Sokov and continued: "It is said that something happened to your unit and you need to go back and deal with it immediately."
Sokov, who had been away from the front line for nearly a month, finally heard a name he was familiar with. However, he knew very well in his heart that if no accident had occurred, Ma Lining would not have personally ordered him to return to the front line. In order to find out what happened, he hurriedly asked: "Comrade General, do you know what happened?"
"I'm sorry, Major Sokov. I can only regretfully tell you that I don't know." Bragonlavov shrugged and said, "I received a call from Comrade Ustinov not long ago. It was he who relayed to me the orders from Chief of Staff Malinin, but I really have no idea what happened.”
Seeing that Bragonlavov didn't know what happened, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. But thinking that he had arrived in a hurry and had not had time to explain to Yakov, he couldn't help but said in embarrassment: "Comrade General, I will follow you back to Moscow and I haven't had time to tell Captain Yakov. Do you think you can send someone to inform him?" He said..."
"Major Sokov, you don't have to worry about this kind of thing." Bragonlavov said to Sokov: "When we return to Moscow, someone will notify him."
Sokov originally thought that after arriving in Moscow, Bragonlavov would let him follow him back to the weapons and equipment department first, and give Ustinov a brief report on the work situation in Nizhny Novgorod.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he got off the train, an officer standing on the platform walked up to Sokov. After raising his hand to salute him, he asked politely: "Are you Major Sokov?"
"Yes, I am Sokov." After raising his hand in return, Sokov looked at the unknown officer in front of him and asked: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, who are you?"
"I am Second Lieutenant Lieutenant Liege, the staff officer of the 16th Group Army Headquarters," the officer replied respectfully, "I am here to take you back to the front line on the order of the chief of staff, Major General Malining. The car is waiting outside the station. You Please!" After he finished speaking, he turned sideways and made a gesture of please.
On the way back to the headquarters of the 16th Group Army, Sokov was eager to know what happened to his unit, so he asked Liezhiat: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, I want to ask what happened to my unit."
Upon hearing Sokov's question, the muscles on the second lieutenant's face twitched violently for a few times, and then he politely replied: "Comrade Major, please forgive me! I have not been authorized to disclose any information to you. As for what happened to the army, Question, Chief of Staff Malinen will tell you when you arrive at the headquarters."
From the second lieutenant's mouth, Sokov heard that the person in charge of the 16th Army was Malinin, which aroused his curiosity. When the waist escorted Rokossovsky back to Moscow, the army's troops were commanded by deputy commander Zakharov, but now they were commanded by Malinin.
When Sokov asked this question to the second lieutenant, the second lieutenant still smiled and did not answer. Seeing that he couldn't get the information he wanted from the second lieutenant, Sokov stopped talking and leaned back, leaning on the seat with his eyes closed to relax.
After more than three hours of turbulence, we finally arrived at the headquarters of the 16th Army. As soon as Sokov entered the headquarters, he was spotted by Malinin. He stood up, walked to Sokov, smiled, stretched out his hand, and asked: "Major Sokov, you are here!"
Sokov first raised his hand to salute, then stretched out his hand to hold Malinin's outstretched hand, and replied respectfully: "Comrade Chief of Staff, Major Sokov, commander of the Istria Battalion, has been ordered to come. I obey you." Order, please give instructions!"
After letting go of Sokov's hand, Malinin pointed to the empty seat next to him and said in a businesslike tone: "Please sit down, Major Sokov."
After Sokov sat down, Malinin also sat down opposite him, and then said with a serious expression: "Major Sokov, the Front Army Headquarters has informed us of your situation in Moscow, and the Weapons and Equipment Department even sent People came to us to learn about your situation, and it was said that they planned to transfer you to work with them, but I rejected them all."
Sokov did not interrupt Malinin, but listened quietly. He knew that the other party would soon talk about the reason for calling him back to the front line: "...The reason why I am anxious to call you back from the field is because there is a Due to a small accident, the Istria Battalion suffered huge losses in the recent battle."
"What, the Istria Battalion suffered huge losses." Although Sokov had long known that his return must be related to the Istria Battalion, when he heard Malinin saying that the troops had suffered serious losses, he still He suddenly jumped up from his seat and asked nervously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what is going on? Can you tell me?"
"That's it, Major Sokov." Malinen said with some embarrassment: "Last week, the German troops in front of us suddenly began to retreat. According to all the combat regulations of our army, when the enemy retreats, they should immediately pursue it with all their strength. . Therefore, the acting commander, General Zakharov, issued a pursuit order to his troops.
Due to time constraints, he rushed his troops into battle without considering coordinated actions with artillery and aviation or conducting sufficient reconnaissance. Our two infantry divisions and the Istrian battalion launched blind actions on the battlefield without reconnoitring the terrain in advance.
During their pursuit, they encountered a tenacious German counterattack. If our army stops attacking at this time and switches to defense on the spot, the two sides will enter a stalemate stage. But General Zakharov did not realize this. He tried to use the heroic performance of our commanders and soldiers to crush the German counterattack.
Unfortunately, the enemy's retreat was a conspiracy. They surrounded our two infantry divisions. Fortunately, the Istrian battalion showed bravery and tenacity, and they finally broke out from the enemy's encirclement. However, the troops suffered heavy casualties...
The lesson from the failure of this military operation is painful. It taught us that the enemy is cunning and their strength is still strong. If you are slightly negligent or underestimate the enemy when organizing a battle, you may pay a heavy price..."
After listening to Malinin's story, Sokov vaguely felt that this failure had led to some changes in the leadership of the 16th Army, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I wonder who is commanding the Army troops now? "
"I am commanding the group army." Malinin said solemnly: "General Zakharov was temporarily relieved of all duties and transferred back to Moscow because of his rash actions, which caused huge losses to the army. This force will be under my command until Commander Kossovsky returns to his unit."
After figuring out the causes and consequences of his transfer, Sokov then asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I would like to ask, what arrangements did you make for me? Did you immediately return to the camp to command the troops?"
"Yes, Major Sokov, that's exactly what I thought about." Malinin said apologetically: "In order to cover the breakout of the two surrounded infantry divisions, your Istrian battalion suffered huge losses. Now the battalion The army here is distraught and has low morale, and perhaps only your return can unite the people's hearts again."
Although Malinin did not say the specific casualties of the troops, he repeatedly mentioned that the Istria Battalion suffered heavy losses. Sokov's heart sank. He knew that after returning to the army this time, many familiar faces would disappear. Either sacrificed or injured and sent to the hospital in the rear.
He didn't care about others, but Asiya, who worried him, was still in the army and he didn't know if he was safe. Thinking of this, he immediately asked impatiently: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I wonder when I can return to the army?"
"Major Sokov, you have been riding trains and buses for more than ten hours. I really want to leave you in the headquarters to rest for one night before leaving." Malinin raised his hand and patted Sokov twice on the shoulder. He stepped down and said: "But since you want to return to the army immediately, I won't keep you. I will immediately arrange a car for you and take you back to the return camp."
A few minutes later, the jeep that took Sokov back to the camp was ready, and the same second lieutenant Liege Ater was in the same car. The second lieutenant nodded and smiled at Sokov and asked: "Comrade major, shall we go to the Istria camp now?"
Sokov knew that his battalion was definitely not in the town of Maklaki now, but somewhere else, so he cautiously asked the second lieutenant: "Comrade second lieutenant, do you know where my battalion is stationed?"
"I know, Comrade Major." Lieri Ate nodded and said, "It's only a dozen kilometers away from the army headquarters. We can get there in half an hour!"
Half an hour later, the jeep arrived at the edge of a forest. Seeing that there seemed to be no camping ground in the forest, Sokov was about to ask the second lieutenant when a soldier wearing a white camouflage uniform and holding a Mauser rifle walked out from behind a tree. He said warily: "Stop. , password!”
The second lieutenant opened the door and got out of the car first, and said to the soldier who asked for the password: "Comrade soldier, I'm not from your camp. How do I know the password?"
The soldier holding the gun pointed the muzzle at the second lieutenant and continued to ask: "What section are you from and what are you doing here?"
"Second Lieutenant Liege At, the staff officer of our group army headquarters." When the second lieutenant spoke, he turned to look at Sokov who was sitting in the back row and said, "I was ordered to send a commander to you."
"Commander, what commander?" the soldier asked briefly.
"It's me!" Sokov looked at the soldiers outside through the car window. Although he looked familiar, he couldn't call him by name. He quickly opened the door and walked out, saying to the other person: "It's me who's back!"
Seeing Sokov come out of the car, the soldier couldn't help showing an expression of surprise on his face. He quickly lowered his gun, raised his hand and saluted Sokov, and said respectfully: "Report to the battalion Comrade Commander, Berezhkov, a soldier from the third platoon of the company, is on duty, please give instructions!"
"Continue on duty!" Sokov raised his hand in return and asked, "Where is the battalion headquarters?"
Berezhkov turned around and pointed towards the middle of the forest, and said with some excitement: "Comrade Battalion Commander, if you keep going forward, about two hundred meters away, you will see a row of tents, where the battalion headquarters is located."
"Major Sokov, you have arrived at your destination, I will not continue to see you off." Lieutenant Lieutenant Liege At said to Sokov: "I will return to the headquarters to resume my duties."
"Thank you, Comrade Second Lieutenant." Sokov shook hands with Liezhiat and said gratefully: "Thank you for sending me here. We will see you later. I wish you good luck!"
After the jeep left, Sokov shook his head at Berezhkov, who was still standing next to him, and said to him: "Comrade soldier, take me to the battalion headquarters."
