Sokov hosted Maria for dinner and tea at the headquarters. He felt that Chuikov’s new headquarters was almost ready, so he said to Maria: “Comrade Maria, it’s almost time, let’s set off.” Go to headquarters.”
Maria nodded, but did not stand up immediately. Instead, she said to Sokov: "Comrade commander, can you find me a set of our own military uniforms? I can't wear a German uniform to meet myself." Your superior, right?"
After Maria reminded him, Sokov discovered that he was also wearing a German uniform. If he wore this uniform and went to see Chuikov, he might be beaten to death by the patrol as a German. He quickly ordered someone to bring a set of military uniforms to Maria, while he went to the small resting room next to him and changed into the original military uniforms.
The jeep came to Pushkin Street. Although there was no one to guide the way, the driver still drove the car to a building with barbed wire and sandbags. As soon as the car stopped, a lieutenant officer on duty came from the door. From a distance, he said loudly: "No parking is allowed here!"
Sokov quickly opened the door, bent down and got out of the car. After he stood up straight, he said to the officer: "I am Sokov, commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade. I have something important to see." Commander."
Even though Sokov came to the headquarters only a handful of times, this star-duty officer had followed Chuikov to work in the Southern Cluster. He naturally knew Sokov, the acting chief of staff at that time, and quickly saluted him: "You OK, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel."
After raising his hand to return the salute, Sokov turned around and told the guard who had just gotten out of the car: "Comrade soldier, unload the things from the car." After saying that, he raised his legs and was about to walk inside. Unexpectedly, after taking only two steps, another He was stopped by the officer on duty. He said with some displeasure: "Comrade officer, is there anything else you can do?"
The officer on duty licked his lips at Maria who was following Sokov, and said with some embarrassment: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, this is the army headquarters, and not everyone can enter. This female comrade, I think I will let you in." Let her stay outside and wait for you."
"Comrade Lieutenant," Maria, who was wearing an inappropriate uniform, stepped forward and said to the officer on duty: "I am Second Lieutenant Maria from the Reconnaissance Division. I have just returned from a mission behind enemy lines. I need to report to the Director of the Reconnaissance Division immediately."
Hearing what Maria said, the officer on duty did not stop her anymore, but turned to one side to make way for a passage. At the same time, he said to Sokov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you go along the path on the right side of the building." Go down the tunnel, walk forward ten meters along the passage, and then turn back, you can see many adjacent rooms, the commander's office is in the third room on the left."
"Understood, Comrade Lieutenant." Officer Sokov nodded and said with a smile: "Thank you!"
After entering the tunnel and walking a short distance forward, Maria saw an acquaintance from the reconnaissance office. She quickly stopped him, asked about the location of the reconnaissance office, and then said to Sokov: "Comrade commander, I want to go back." The Reconnaissance Department has gone to report on its work. Thank you for bringing me back from behind enemy lines." After that, he took the initiative to extend his hand to Sokov, "We will see you later."
Sokov held Maria's hand, and suddenly felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart. He didn't know if he and the other party would have a chance to see each other again after they separated this time. After all, the work that the other party was engaged in was very dangerous. Before letting go, he said sincerely: "You should pay more attention to safety. I hope we can all live to see the day of victory."
After separating from Maria, Sokov followed the guidance of the officer on duty and came to the room where Chuikov was. As soon as he entered the door, he heard Chuikov saying to Krylov and Gurov: "... Damn it, how can this ill-prepared counterattack help solve the current dilemma Stalingrad is facing? You must know that the organization of this counterattack was very hasty, and there was a lack of necessary supplies to support the counterattack. Therefore, I feel that even if Zhukov commands the troops to fight, it will not be able to achieve the effect envisioned by the Supreme Command."
"Comrade Commander," Gusev said before Chuikov could finish his words: "The German army has already captured the city of Stalingrad. If we do not take decisive counterattacks, the city may not be able to defend..."
"Comrade Military Commissar, I don't agree with your statement." Chuikov raised his voice and said: "Storming the city and seizing the city are two different things. Our troops are still stubbornly resisting the German army in the suburbs, effectively slowing down their advance. Retreat. To put it another way, even if the enemy attacks the city, they will not be able to capture it, and they will be trapped in street fighting and unable to extricate themselves."
From the conversation between the two, Sokov heard that they were discussing the counterattack that Zhukov was organizing in the north of the city. For Sokov, who is familiar with history, this counterattack has limited effect. Instead, it consumes the effective strength that has been accumulated with great difficulty, which is a bit outweighed by the gain.
Krylov saw Sokov standing at the door, and quickly raised his hand to stop Chuikov and Gusev who were about to start an argument: "Commander, Comrade Military Commissar, we will discuss this issue later. Sokov The school is here, and it looks like he has some information to report to us."
Seeing that Krylov had seen him, Sokov quickly took two steps forward, raised his hand and gave a ring salute to the three of them. After putting down his hand, he turned to the guard standing outside the door and said, "Bring the things in."
The guard nodded, struggled to bring in a bundle of wooden blocks, and placed it against the door. After doing all this, he stood up straight, saluted, turned around and walked out.
Chuikov walked to the pile of wooden pillars and asked Sokov curiously: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, what is this?"
"It's a fur wooden pier." Sokov grinned and said to Chuikov: "We got it behind enemy lines. I thought the weather was getting colder, so I brought a few pieces over for you."
Sokov's words gave Chuikov a wake-up call. He turned to ask Krylov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what Sokov said makes sense. The weather is getting colder, but our commanders and fighters are still wearing summer clothes. I don't know. When can I change into winter clothes?”
In response to Chuikov's question, Krylov hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Comrade Commander, I don't know too much. Why don't you call General Lobov over and ask. He is the logistics director of the group army. These things should be very clear. ”
While Krylov was on the phone, Chuikov continued: "I ordered you to go behind enemy lines to find the missing female scout. You have done a good job in this task and deserve praise. By the way, have you heard anything? Valuable information?"
Hearing Chuikov's question, Sokov immediately thought of the German command headquarters occupying the fur processing factory, and quickly replied: "Comrade Commander, we found a German division-level headquarters behind enemy lines. If we can send the air force to bomb, It will cause considerable losses to the enemy."
"The divisional headquarters of the German army?" Sokov's words really aroused Chuikov's interest, and he asked eagerly: "Where is it specifically?"
Sokov walked to the table, looked down at the map for a while, then pointed to a place and said to Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, it's at this location. It used to be a fur processing factory. After the Germans came, it was changed. It became a headquarters.”
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." Chuikov looked at the location Sokov knew for a while, then raised his head and asked, "How do you know this is the German divisional headquarters? Who told you?"
"Comrade Commander, we once passed by the gate of the German headquarters in a car." Sokov replied in a positive tone: "Although we passed the gate for a short time, some soldiers saw clearly the small car parked in the yard. Cars and three-wheeled motorcycles, and there are several antennas on the roof..."
"I think this information needs to be verified." Krylov, who had just finished the phone call, happened to hear the next few words of Sokov. He said cautiously: "It would be bad if we fell into the enemy's trap. .”
After speaking, Krylov picked up the phone and said into the receiver: "Pick me up to the reconnaissance department."
"Reconnaissance department? I'm Krylov." After a moment of silence, Krylov said into the microphone again: "I just received intelligence that the Germans are... what?! What did you say?... Again I repeat...it's nothing, we have nothing to say..."
After Krylov put down the phone, there was an expression of surprise on his face. He said to Chuikov: "The Reconnaissance Department said that the female scout Maria has returned and brought an important piece of information." At this point, he said I couldn't help but glance at Sokov, "The content of the intelligence is the same as what Lieutenant Colonel Sokov said. They discovered the German headquarters in the fur processing factory."
Sokov couldn't help but secretly laugh in his heart, thinking that Maria was sitting next to him at that time, and what a hell it was that the content she saw and the analysis she made were not the same as his. However, he felt that it would be very impolite to interrupt Krylov at this time, so he wisely chose to remain silent.
After Chuikov waited for Krylov to finish speaking, he did not speak, but remained silent, seeming to be thinking about what measures to take. After a while, he finally said: "Report this matter to the front army headquarters and ask them to dispatch planes to bomb the German headquarters."
As soon as Chuikov finished speaking, he heard someone at the door asking: "Can I come in?"
Everyone turned around and saw that it was Major General Lobov, the logistics director of the group army. Chuikov said quickly: "Please come in, General Lobov, we are waiting for you."
After Chuikov asked Lobov to sit down, he asked: "General Lobov, the weather is getting colder now. I would like to ask when the winter clothes needed by the troops can be distributed?"
"Comrade Commander," Lobov looked up at Chuikov and said: "Currently, there are about 50,000 cotton-padded clothes stored on the left bank of the Volga River. However, due to the recent transportation forces, they are busy transporting troops, weapons and ammunition, so it is temporarily unable to store them. Will be shipped over in winter.”
"Comrade Minister of Logistics," Chuikov waited for Lobov to finish, and immediately said with a straight face: "The climate in Russia has started from mid-September, and the temperature at night has dropped to zero. If the winter shipment is not shipped as soon as possible, a large number of people will inevitably be killed. Non-combat attrition. If all our officers and men are frostbitten, who will fight with the Germans when they rush into the city?"
Facing Chuikov's reproach, Lobov quickly stood up and said with a blushing face: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, it was my lack of thought. Starting from tomorrow, I will arrange a special ship to transport winter clothing for the troops. Try to get it in September." Distribute it to every soldier before mid-day."
"Sit down, General Lobov." Chuikov walked up to him, raised his hand and patted his shoulder twice, and said: "I understand your difficulty. The winter clothes must be shipped as soon as possible, but at the same time, it cannot affect to the transportation of troops and ammunition.”
