The infantry brigade moved towards Yelets, taking the same road as the reinforcements had taken. It was originally thought that this road was full of swamps and could not be passed by tanks and artillery. Therefore, before leaving Kursk, Sokov ordered the tank company and artillery company to leave all their equipment and only carry light weapons to march with the group.
Unexpectedly, after seeing that road, Sokov realized that he had made a mistake. He only thought of the numerous swamps and forests on the next march route, but forgot that friendly troops had passed through here not long ago. In order to allow tanks and artillery to pass smoothly through swamps and forest areas, the tank army specially laid dozens of kilometers of Shuchai Road.
After Belkin walked for a while on Shuchai Road, he said to Sokov with a regretful look on his face: "Comrade Brigade Commander, look at how strong the tank army built this Shuchai Road. Let alone the infantry, even the Tanks and artillery can also pass through swampy areas smoothly."
Sokov did not expect that Rotmistrov would build the road so solidly, but it was too late to regret it now. Porochenko and Alitai could not be allowed to return to Kursk to find Rotmistrov. Do you want the cannons and tanks left there?
"Comrade Political Commissar," Sokov did not want to get entangled in this matter and quickly changed the subject of Belkin: "Our march distance is almost more than two thousand kilometers. Carrying tanks and artillery will greatly slow down our march. Marching speed. Didn’t you say that we went to Stalingrad just to rest and recuperate? Since we are resting and recuperating, what does it matter whether the troops have tanks and artillery?"
"But, Comrade Brigade Commander, even if we don't have to fight anymore, the training of tank companies and artillery companies cannot stop." Belkin said: "Without tanks and artillery, how can you let them train."
"The training of the tank company and the artillery company will be put aside for the time being." Sokov said expressionlessly: "Our current priority is to strengthen the training of new recruits. Only by improving the technical and tactical level of the commanders and fighters can we reduce the number of new recruits. Casualties on the battlefield.”
Belkin couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he heard what Sokov said, and then asked: "Comrade Brigade Commander, did you hear any inside information from Comrade Chief of General Staff?"
"How could there be any inside information, my Comrade Political Commissar." Sokov said with a bit of laughter and tears: "Even if Comrade Chief of General Staff is in control of our army's next battle plan, how could he tell a little person of this level like me. "
The straight-line distance from Kursk to Yelets is 120 kilometers. Sokov led the infantry brigade on the road for two and a half days and finally reached Yelets. However, the city is very different from the last time Sokov came here. It has become a real frontline city. There are many bombed-out buildings on both sides of the street, and dark craters can be seen everywhere. , trucks loaded with supplies and soldiers sped by from time to time.
As soon as Sokov's team of several thousand people entered the city, they attracted a lot of attention. A patrol that happened to be passing by here stopped. The second lieutenant leading the team came over, took a look at the ranks of Sokov and Belgin, raised his hand to salute the two, and asked politely: "Comrade commanders, , which part of the country do you belong to, and what are you doing in Yelets?”
"Comrade Second Lieutenant, we are coming from Kursk." It was Belkin who answered, and he asked with a smile: "According to the order, we will take the truck prepared for us here and go to Moscow."
"A truck prepared for you?" After the second lieutenant repeated Belkin's words, he shook his head with a wry smile and said to Belkin: "Comrade deputy battalion political commissar, there was indeed a group of trucks parked in the north of the city two days ago, but yesterday They have all been driven away, and it is said that they are transporting military supplies that are urgently needed on the front line."
"Comrade Second Lieutenant, who is the commander in charge of the city?" Knowing that the convoy waiting for him had left, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He immediately asked loudly: "Where is the garrison headquarters?"
"The garrison commander is General Kazakov," the second lieutenant pointed forward to Sokov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you go forward along this road. When you reach the intersection, turn right and walk about two hundred meters. You can see a square. The garrison headquarters is in the building on the east side of the square, where you can find General Kazakov." After saying that, the second lieutenant raised his hand to salute Sokov and Belkin, and took His subordinates left.
The Kazakov the second lieutenant was talking about was not Kazakov, the artillery commander of the Bryansk Front, but Kazakov, the former chief of staff of the front. After he left the Bryansk Front, he was temporarily appointed by his superiors as Ye The garrison commander of Lietz.
"It turns out to be General Kazakov." Before Kazakov left office, Sokov had dealt with him, so he said to Belkin in a relaxed tone: "Comrade Political Commissar, let's go see him. Maybe Through him, we can get the trucks we need.”
After arranging for the troops to rest in place, Sokov and Belkin took several guards and walked towards the building where the garrison headquarters was located. On the way, Belkin asked worriedly: "Comrade Brigade Commander, we have nearly five thousand people. Even if General Kazakov is the garrison commander, can he provide so many vehicles?"
The question Belkin asked was also what Sokov was worried about. He grinned and said: "Comrade Political Commissar, we can only try our luck. Otherwise, we will have to walk back to Moscow."
The two came to the square and found that the security here was obviously much tighter than other places. In addition to the barricades made of sandbags, there were also wooden railings with barbed wire stretched across the road. Seeing Sokov and Belkin striding towards the buildings on the east side of the square, someone immediately stopped them and asked dryly: "Two comrades, where are your passes?"
Sokov snorted softly, and then said angrily: "Comrade Lieutenant, we just came back from the front line, how can we have any passes?"
Hearing that the two of them did not have passes, the lieutenant who blocked the way did not embarrass them, but continued to ask: "What's the matter with you coming here?"
"I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade of the Bryansk Front." As soon as Sokov and other lieutenants finished asking, he replied expressionlessly: "I have something urgent to go to see the garrison commander Kazakov."
When the lieutenant heard that the two were going to see Kazakov, he quickly called a corporal, whispered a few instructions into his ear, and then said to Sokov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I asked the corporal to accompany you to the commander's office. Department. Please follow him."
The corporal who led the way was a talkative man. Seeing that he was already some distance away from the lieutenant, he curiously asked Sokov: "Comrade lieutenant colonel, are you from the Bryansk Front?" After receiving an affirmative answer, he continued Asked, "Did you withdraw from the direction of Voronezh?"
"No, we did not withdraw from the direction of Voronezh." After answering the corporal's question, Sokov asked curiously: "Why, comrade corporal, have you ever seen the troops of the Bryansk Front withdrawing from the direction of Voronezh?" ?”
"Yes, I have seen it." The corporal nodded and replied affirmatively: "I heard that one of your army groups fought very badly. Less than 400 people were withdrawn from one division..."
"What? What did you say?" Belkin heard the corporal say this, and immediately asked with wide eyes: "There are only less than 400 people left in this division. Is this true?"
"Of course it's true," the corporal said, worried that Belkin would say he was bragging, and quickly added: "Just the day before yesterday, hundreds of trucks originally parked in the north direction of the city were suddenly transferred away. When the convoy passed through the city yesterday , I accidentally discovered that there were corpses piled up in the carriage..."
In this way, several people unknowingly arrived outside the building where the garrison headquarters was located. Sokov stretched out his hand to the corporal and said politely: "Comrade corporal, thank you for sending us here. We will do the rest ourselves." The corporal shook hands with Sokov and raised his hand in salute. He bowed before turning around and leaving.
Sokov and Belkin came to the door of the building, and after informing the officers on duty at the door of their identities, the officers let them enter the building, but the guards they brought with them were all blocking them without exception. outside.
The two came to the second floor and walked along the corridor. After walking for a while, Sokov saw a desk in front of a room door, and a lieutenant colonel sitting behind the desk. The lieutenant colonel heard the footsteps, looked up at the two of them, and then continued to read the documents in front of him.
After arriving at attention in front of the lieutenant colonel, Sokov raised his voice and said to the lieutenant colonel sitting behind the desk: "Comrade lieutenant colonel, please inform the garrison commander, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade. School, political commissar Belkin wants to see him."
The lieutenant colonel looked up at Sokov, frowned and said, "I have never heard of the 73rd Infantry Brigade. Which unit do you belong to?"
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, we are from the Bryansk Front." Belkin thought that the designation of the infantry brigade had just been obtained and it was inevitable that it would not be known to others, so he explained to the other party: "I was ordered to transfer here to Moscow."
"Bryansk Front?!" The lieutenant colonel repeated Belkin's words, looked at him and said: "Comrade deputy battalion political commissar, but we are affiliated with the Voronezh Front. If you have something to do, you should go to your superiors instead of Come to us." After saying that, he waved to Sokov and Belkin, indicating that they could leave.
After more than two days of long journey, Sokov finally arrived in Yelets. He didn't see the person he wanted to see, so he couldn't just leave. So he said coldly to the lieutenant colonel: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel , please go in and tell General Kazakov that Lieutenant Colonel Sokov wants to see him."
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," the lieutenant colonel looked at Sokov and said with dissatisfaction: "If you have anything to do, you can go to your superiors. Please don't interfere with my work here. If you don't leave, , I will ask the guards to drive you away." After saying that, he reached for the phone on the table, preparing to call the guards and drive Sokov and the others away.
Unexpectedly, the lieutenant colonel had just put the microphone to his ear, and before he had time to dial, he felt a cold, hard thing pressing against his forehead. He looked out of the corner of his eye and was immediately frightened: Sokov He actually put a pistol to his forehead. The Lieutenant Colonel was a little panicked: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, don't be impulsive. If you have anything to say, speak slowly..."
"Inform General Kazakov of our arrival immediately." Sokov put the muzzle of his gun against the other's forehead and said in a commanding tone: "I'll count to five. If you haven't called yet, I'll shoot." ”
Belkin on the side never dreamed that Sokov would draw his gun at the slightest disagreement, and hurriedly persuaded him: "Comrade Brigadier, if you have something to say, put down your gun first."
Sokov ignored Belkin and the Lieutenant Colonel, but started counting by himself: "One...two...three...four..."
The lieutenant colonel was frightened. Before Sokov could count to five, he gave in and said, "Lieutenant colonel Sokov, I will call you right now and inform the garrison commander..." As he said this, he pressed Pressed a button on the phone, waited for a moment, and said into the phone: "Comrade General, there are two commanders outside who want to see you! ... What are their names? ... One is Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, and the other One is his political commissar, they said they are from the 73rd Infantry Brigade, but I have never heard of this number...I understand, I will let them in immediately."
After the lieutenant colonel put down the microphone, he said to Sokov who pointed the gun at him: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, the general asks you and your political commissar to go in and see him." He watched the gun in Sokov's hand fall from his forehead. After moving away, he quickly walked to the door, pushed the closed door open, then stood aside and made a gesture of invitation: "Please, two comrade commanders."
After Sokov and Belkin entered the room, the lieutenant colonel hurriedly closed the door, sat down on his seat, raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and thought with lingering fear: "What if If I insist on not informing him, will Lieutenant Colonel Sokov actually fire?"
Fortunately, Sokov didn't know what was going on in the lieutenant colonel's mind. If he knew his true thoughts, he would definitely tell him: "Yes, comrade lieutenant colonel, if you haven't done anything for me when I count to five, We do the briefing and I actually shoot.”
At this moment, Sokov and Belkin stopped in front of Kazakov. After raising their hands in salute, they said in unison: "Comrade General, Lieutenant General Sokov, commander (political commissar) of the 73rd Infantry Brigade of the Bryansk Front. Colonel (Bergin) reports to you, I obey your orders, please give instructions!"
Kazakov, who was working at his desk, heard the two announcing themselves. He looked up at them, then stood up, walked out from behind the desk, shook hands with the two, and said at the same time: "Two comrades, commanders, Hello! A few days ago, I received a call from Comrade Chief of General Staff, saying that you are going to take a bus to Moscow here. I also specially arranged people to wait in the direction where you came. Unexpectedly, after waiting for several days, you just arrived today. .”
