As Chuikov's chief of staff, he has a lot to do.
The first thing to do is to let Captain Andre's third battalion serve as a guard on the south bank of the Aksay River and cover the two infantry divisions on the north bank to build fortifications.
Secondly, Sokov found a group of engineers and ordered them to place explosives on the road and railway bridges over the Aksay River, and just wait for the Germans to rush over and blow up the bridges immediately.
When Andrei was about to take people across the bridge to the other side, Sokov stopped him. Based on Andrei's understanding of Sokov, he guessed that he must have thought of some strange idea, and quickly asked: "Comrade Brigadier, what are your instructions?"
"Captain Andrei," Sokov looked around and saw that they were all commanders and fighters of the third battalion. He said to Andrei confidently and boldly: "The battle to defend Stalingrad will last for a long time. Because For various reasons, we may not be able to replenish our troops. Therefore, before the battle to defend Mamayev Heights begins, we must rely on our own capabilities to replenish our troops."
"Replenishing soldiers?" Andrei was stunned for a moment when he heard what Sokov said, and then asked: "Comrade Brigadier, what you want is for us to recruit a group of new soldiers from nearby villages and small towns."
Hearing Andrei say this, Sokov was so angry that he kicked him and said angrily: "What are we recruiting for recruits who have no fighting ability? Let them stay in our tunnel fortifications, and we don't need more than a few." When I was young, I was frightened to the point of mental breakdown, which also affected the morale of the troops.”
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Andrei, who had been kicked by Sokov for no apparent reason, asked aggrievedly: "Then where should we replenish enough troops?"
Sokov raised his hand and slapped Andre on the helmet, and said angrily: "You idiot, you are serving as a guard on the south bank of the Aksay River. There will definitely be many small troops who have retreated from the front line. If you ask carefully, as long as they are not from the 138th and 157th Infantry Division, they will all be organized into the third battalion. Do you understand?"
Hearing what Sokov said, Andre suddenly understood. He quickly said with a smile on his face: "Understood, Comrade Brigade Commander. Don't worry, as long as my third battalion is on the south bank, I will accommodate you at least a thousand people a day." …”
"Go away! The total number of soldiers in the other two infantry divisions is less than 5,000. You can actually accommodate a thousand people a day. Are you planning to turn the third battalion into a third division?" Before Andre finished boasting. Bullshit, Sokov raised his hand again as if to slap him. Andre jumped to the side to avoid Sokov's slap: "Hurry up and take your men to the other side to guard."
When Sokov returned to Chuikov, he found him talking to a sailor officer in black uniform. When Chuikov saw Sokov coming, he quickly waved to him and said, "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, let me introduce you. This is Colonel Smirnov, commander of the 154th Marine Brigade."
"Comrade Colonel, this is my chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. He is also the commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade. It was on my own initiative that I left him here to help."
Seeing that the other party's military rank was higher than his own, Sokov raised his hand and saluted first: "Hello, comrade colonel!"
"Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff." Smirnov quickly raised his hand in return.
"Now that you all know each other, I will continue to introduce the situation." Chuikov waited for Sokov and Smirnov to finish their greetings before continuing: "Hoth's Fourth Armored Group has broken through the defenses of the 51st Group Army. , and occupied Lemontnaya on August 1 and approached Kotelnikovo. So far, the left wing of the 64th Army and the entire Stalingrad Front has been gradually surrounded by the enemy from the south.
Our purpose in forming the Southern Group was to cover the left flank of the Army Group and Front Army and slow down the German advance towards Stalingrad. "
After Smirnov waited for Chuikov to finish speaking, he immediately asked for instructions: "Comrade General, I wonder where you plan to deploy our brigade?"
Chuikov pointed to the map spread on the ground and said: "Now there are no organized troops in front of us, so I plan to combine Lyudnikov's 138th Infantry Division and Kuropatenko's 157th Infantry Division. Positioned on the north bank of the Aksay River, blocking Hoth's Fourth Armored Army.
The defensive position of your brigade is five kilometers behind these two divisions, serving as the second echelon. The headquarters of my southern cluster is located in the town of Verkhovna Kumskaya, one kilometer away from you. "
"Comrade General," he said with some concern after looking at the map in the town of Kumskaya: "Your command position is too far forward. If the German army shells our brigade's defense area, it is entirely possible that you will be accidentally injured. I It is recommended that you move your command post back."
"Move back?!" Chuikov looked at Smirnov and asked, "Comrade Colonel, where do you think I should move the headquarters?"
Smirnov had long seen the Soviet troops behind Chuikov's temporary headquarters. He pointed at the map and replied: "Comrade General, look, this is the 118th fortification area. In their There is also the 29th Infantry Division in the rear, and I think you should put the headquarters with them."
"Comrade Colonel, thank you for your kindness." Chuikov smiled and said to Smirnov: "I think commanders should stay with their soldiers, so as to stabilize the morale of the military and boost morale." Seeing Si Mirnov seemed to still want to persuade, so he raised his hand to stop him and said, "Okay, you don't have to say anything, just carry out the order."
Sokov and Chuikov took a car to the town of Upper Kumskaya, and the headquarters was located in a windmill outside the town. When Chuikov saw that the communications troops had set up the antenna, he ordered his accompanying adjutant: "Klimov, immediately establish contact with the army headquarters and tell General Shumilov that I am on the north bank of the Aksay River. Build a defensive line where we are prepared to stop the enemy who threatens the left flank of the Army Group and Front."
Unexpectedly, after more than ten minutes, Klimov had not yet contacted Shumilov at the army headquarters. Chuikov couldn't wait any longer and asked dissatisfiedly: "Comrade Adjutant, why haven't you contacted the Army Headquarters yet?"
Klimov stood up from the radio and said aggrievedly: "Comrade Commander, our radio operator has been calling, but for some reason, he has never been able to establish contact with the army headquarters."
"What the hell, what's going on?" Chuikov walked back and forth in the mill with his hands behind his back and said to himself: "Since yesterday, I can't get in touch with the army headquarters. What's going on? "After walking back and forth for a few times, he stopped and said to Klimov, "Then ask the radio operator to call the front army headquarters to see if we can get in touch."
