In the following days, the news that the German army was approaching Stalingrad panicked the residents of the city. Not only the indigenous people began to pack their bags and prepare to evacuate. Even those civilians who had just fled to Stalingrad from other places packed their few belongings and just waited for the evacuation of the city to begin before embarking on the long journey again.
But surprisingly, the evacuation order was not issued for a long time. On the contrary, people heard announcements from the Soviet Intelligence Agency on the daily radio: a torrent of troops, cars, tanks and artillery carriages were rushing towards the Volga River day and night, towards the Volga River. Rushed across the Don River grassland to stop the German troops rushing towards Stalingrad.
The Soviet Intelligence Agency's briefing reassured the residents who were in a state of panic. Some people are even thinking that the next development will definitely be the same as the battle to defend Moscow. Even if the Germans rush outside Stalingrad, they will definitely be defeated by the Soviet army that has been waiting here for a long time. There is no need for them to leave their hometown.
The mood of the residents in the city has stabilized, but for insiders, the current situation is getting more and more serious. As a military engineer of the City Defense Committee, Ozor naturally knows more inside information than ordinary residents. The more he learned, the more he agreed with Sokov's judgment: Sooner or later he would have to fight a fierce battle with the enemy in Stalingrad.
Although his responsibility was only to build defensive positions for the 73rd Infantry Brigade on Mamayev Ridge, he still had the opportunity to see the fortification maps outside Stalingrad. He put forward a series of opinions on the location and construction of fortifications. Unexpectedly, not only were they not adopted, but he was also scolded by his superiors. Ozor, who was shocked, drove to Sokov's headquarters alone to vent his frustration to him.
Seeing Ozor, who had not been seen for several days, suddenly appear in his headquarters, Sokov's first reaction was, could there be something wrong with the project? For him, the quality of the project was a matter of life and death. If the fortification was not strong and collapsed after being hit by a few German shells, wouldn't the commanders and soldiers inside be buried alive?
It was precisely because of this consideration that he asked Ozor nervously: "Comrade Major, you suddenly came here today. Is there something wrong with the engineering?"
"Project? What's wrong with the project?" Unexpectedly, Ozor was stunned when Sokov asked, but he quickly understood what the other party meant, and shook his head and said: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, don't worry. Well, the projects I'm responsible for have never had any quality problems. I'm here today because I want to talk to you about something else."
Hearing that Ozor had something to discuss with him, Sokov quickly asked him to sit down and poured a cup of hot tea in front of him. Then he sat down opposite him and said with a smile: "Comrade Major, you If you have anything to say, you can say it now.”
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, before the construction of the Mamayev Hill fortifications started, you mentioned many times that sooner or later our army would fight street battles with the Germans in the city." Ozor held the tea cup, but did not immediately Drink, but asked tentatively: "Is everything you said true?"
"That's right, Comrade Major." In response to Ozor's question, Sokov nodded and replied affirmatively: "I said so. But I didn't say it casually, but carefully analyzed the dynamics between the enemy and ourselves. Only then did we come to this conclusion.”
"Now it seems that your analysis is correct." Ozor picked up the tea cup, but the tea burned his mouth. After taking a sip, he continued: "Our position outside the city cannot stop the enemy at all. of."
"What?!" Hearing what Ozor said, Sokov's face was calm, but it shocked Belkin who was sitting next to him: "Comrade Major, what did you just say? You said we were in the city Those fortifications built outside can't stop the Germans at all? These words cannot be said casually."
"I'm not talking nonsense. I suspect that those who select sites and build fortifications are a group of out-and-out amateurs." Ozor said with a look of sadness and anger: "Most of our fortifications are set up on bare grasslands. , without taking advantage of the surrounding rivers, valleys and other favorable terrain. Such fortifications are extremely detrimental to defense, but will help the Germans take advantage of their air and tanks."
Sokov believed everything that Ozor said. He remembered that he had seen the Soviet Marshal complaining about Stalingrad's field fortifications in Chuikov's memoirs. The fortifications were not built in rivers and valleys, but on open grasslands. The German reconnaissance planes could clearly discover the location of the ground fortifications, and then the German bomber groups could drop countless bombs like training bombs. The bombs were accurately dropped into these Soviet fortifications.
Seeing that Belkin wanted to question what Ozor said, Sokov stopped him in time and said: "Comrade political commissar, what Major Ozor said is true. The defenses in the Stalingrad area are... It only started in May. At that time, our army had just launched a counterattack against the German army in Kharkov. Everyone was optimistic that the enemy's main force in this area would soon be crushed by our army and the enemy would be driven away by us. The day to cross the border is just around the corner.
Tell me, under such circumstances, will the Stalingrad City Defense Committee do its best when receiving orders from superiors to build fortifications? They only need to build a group of fortifications outside the city to cope with the buildings of the National Defense Committee. As for where to build them and whether they can play a real defensive role, they are not within the scope of their consideration. "
Belkin couldn't help but raise his throat when he heard what Sokov said. He quickly asked: "Comrade Brigade Commander, if the defenses outside the city are really useless, then just relying on the Mamayev we are holding Can the post be able to stop the enemies who are trying to occupy the city?"
"It can't be stopped." Sokov replied simply: "Not only can we not stop the enemy, but even if the friendly troops are entering the city one after another, they can't stop the enemy. The only thing we can do is try not to let The enemy crossed the Mamayev Hill and rushed to the docks on the Volga River. If they captured it, the city's defenders would be completely destroyed because they were isolated and helpless. Once all the defenders were killed, the city would still be destroyed. Can you hold it?"
Having said this, Sokov once again turned his attention to Ozor: "Comrade Major, I believe you already know the current situation in Stalingrad. Whether we can hold Mamayev Heights depends entirely on our fortifications. Can it be completed before the German troops rush into the city?"
Ozor put down the tea cup in his hand, looked at Sokov, and said seriously: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, please rest assured, I promise you that starting from tomorrow, I will urge the workers to speed up the progress, no matter what No matter what, the fortifications on Mamayev Hill will be completed before the Germans storm Stalingrad."
