"Comrade Commander, I was wrong." Gusev, who had insisted that Sokov be dealt with seriously, now said with shame: "Although Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's behavior was disobedience on the battlefield, but from Judging from the actual effect, he not only saved the lives of hundreds of commanders and soldiers, but also effectively ensured that the enemy could not break through our defense lines."
After Chuikov waited for Gusev to finish speaking, he asked: "Comrade Military Commissar, didn't you say that if the commanders of other troops learn from him, it will result in us being unable to command the troops below?"
"The current knowledge of this matter is very small. We can completely control it and it will not have much impact." Gusev said sincerely: "Under the current circumstances, if a commander with great military exploits is dealt with casually, , may have a negative impact on our military morale and morale."
Seeing that Gusev was unwilling to hold Sokov accountable, Chuikov couldn't help but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded and said: "Then this matter will be settled everywhere, and no one is allowed to spread it, so as not to bring trouble to Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." It will have a bad impact.”
"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Not long ago, only Chuikov, Gusev and Krylov were studying how to deal with Sokov. Since neither Chuikov nor Gusev intends to hold Sokov accountable at this moment, Krylov naturally followed suit and said: "I will strictly keep the secret and not leak this matter."
Sokov, who was staying at the Mamayev Ridge headquarters, naturally had no way of knowing what was happening in the Army Group Headquarters. He was paying attention to the battle taking place in Beigan. While attacking Nangang, the German army dispatched a regiment of troops to launch successive attacks on the Beigan position held by the Briski Battalion.
For both the Soviet Union and Germany, Mamayev Kurgan is a battleground for military strategists. Since it is a battleground for military strategists, after the battle begins, both sides can only use their best efforts to fill the gap with ammunition and human lives. To achieve the purpose of capturing or guarding. In order to seize the Beigang position, the German officers and soldiers braved the dense rain of bullets from the defenders and rushed forward like a tide under the cover of mortars and machine guns. Then they fell in pieces like wheat being cut down in the rain of bullets. In front of the position.
Although the German casualties were considerable, the situation of the fourth battalion holding the position was not much better. The casualties of the troops rose sharply. In less than an hour, more than 300 commanders and fighters of the 10th Company, which was the first to enter the position, were all killed or injured, so that Briskey had to urgently send the 11th Company to the position.
"The enemy's offensive is very fierce." Belkin said with emotion: "They are attacking regardless of casualties. If our brigade had not had sufficient troops, I am afraid that the position would have been broken through long ago."
"There are various signs that the German army is preparing to seize our city." After making two important phone calls, Sidorin said to Sokov and Belkin: "I just called and asked acquaintances in the headquarters. , the enemy launched a fierce offensive on Mamayev Hill, the factory area in the north of the city, and the suburbs of Minin in the southwest of the city, trying to capture our city in one fell swoop."
"Where is the station?" Sokov asked as soon as Sidorin finished speaking: "If the enemy captures the train station, the army headquarters will be surrounded by the enemy."
"It's strange to say." Sidorin said hesitantly: "The German troops stationed north of the train station, although they are making frequent moves, have never launched an attack. It is really strange."
Sokov heard that the German troops north of the train station were mobilizing frequently but did not launch an attack. He was also surprised. He said to himself: "What the hell are the Germans doing? The fighting is in full swing elsewhere, but here at the station But they have been holding back for so long, there must be some conspiracy."
Sokov never dreamed that the reason why the German army delayed attacking the train station was inseparable from him. Because the commander of the 21st Grenadier Regiment, Colonel Lungek, and his battalion commander, Major Haydn, were sniped by Vasily, the troops were leaderless and could no longer carry out the task of attacking the station.
Paulus received a report from division commander Schild and learned that the commander of the 21st Grenadier Regiment was killed by a Soviet sniper and that the regiment also suffered heavy losses in the battle. He couldn't help but become angry. After discussing with the chief of staff, Major General Schmid, he felt that Schild could not continue to serve as the commander of the 24th Armored Division, so he reported it to the headquarters for approval. After the approval, he removed the position of commander Schild and replaced him with Army Lieutenant General Arnold von. ?Lenski went to replace him.
The first thing Lieutenant General Lensky did after taking office was to deploy an attack on the Central Railway Station. Since the commander of the 21st Grenadier Regiment was killed in the battle and the unit was disabled, Lenski ordered Colonel Heim's 26th Grenadier Regiment and the 21st Grenadier Regiment to continue their mission of capturing the central railway station. The grenadier regiment changed its defense and prepared to attack the station.
After receiving Lensky's order, Colonel Heim quickly assured on the phone: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, please rest assured that as long as our 26th Grenadier Regiment is dispatched, we will definitely be able to take the Central Railway Station from the hands of the Russians. Take it off."
In response to Heim's cliché, Lensky asked calmly: "How long will it take for your regiment to take the Central Station from the hands of the Russians?"
Although the German army was very efficient, it only took four hours from the time Lenski took office to the change of defense between the 21st and 26th Grenadier Regiments, but it was already past noon. After hearing Lenski's question, Heim was silent for a while, and finally replied with some hesitation: "Your Excellency, division commander, my troops are still changing defenses with friendly forces. It will take an hour at the earliest before we can launch an attack on the station. If everything If everything goes well, we should be able to capture the station before dark."
Lensky raised his hand to look at his watch and found that the hour hand was already pointing to two o'clock, which meant that there were still five hours left until dark at seven o'clock. He immediately shook his head and said: "No, Mr. Colonel, there are still five hours from now to dark. It actually takes you five hours to capture a small station. It's really too slow. You know, don't Our troops are currently storming Stalingrad, and your regiment cannot hold us back."
Heim raised his head and looked out of the window without a window frame. He saw the city of Stalingrad filled with flames and smoke, and the sound of gunshots and explosions. It showed that the troops of both sides were fighting fiercely in the city. Judging from various signs, if his troops cannot capture the train station quickly, they may become the last troops to enter the city. Thinking of this, he gritted his molars and spoke into the microphone: "Your Excellency, division commander, after our regiment completes the defense change, my troops will definitely capture the train station within an hour."
"Very good, Mr. Colonel." Lensky was very satisfied with Heim's statement: "Then I will wait for the news that your troops have captured the train station."
In order to quickly seize the central railway station controlled by the Soviet army, Heim ordered the 1st and 3rd companies that had already entered the position to launch an attack on the station. Although Heim assured Lenski that the Central Railway Station would be captured within an hour, due to insufficient preparations before the attack, the hastily organized attack by the German army was quickly overtaken by the 42nd Guards Regiment who was holding on to the station. Repelled.
After hearing the news that the attack had been frustrated, Heim was unwilling to fail and immediately transferred the 5th anti-aircraft artillery company. The anti-aircraft artillery company used its only two 88mm anti-aircraft guns to fire at the tanks used as forts in the station to cover the infantry. Charge towards the station.
The Soviet tanks parked in the station did not expect that the Germans would actually use the 88mm anti-tank gun as an anti-tank gun. In less than a quarter of an hour, the five tanks whose positions were exposed were all destroyed one by one by the German anti-aircraft guns. The Soviet army lost the support of tanks, and the firepower on the position was suddenly much weaker. The German infantry took the opportunity to break through the Soviet army's outer defense line and rushed towards the station building and platform.
Since the enemy to the north of the station had not yet launched an attack, Rodimtsev transferred the main force of the 42nd Guards Regiment to fight in other areas, leaving only one company of troops in the station. In the face of the fierce German offensive, the Soviet commanders and fighters who stood firm at the station put up tenacious resistance, but due to the huge disparity in strength between the two sides, they were unable to withstand the fierce German attack, and in the end they all died heroically.
After learning that the station had been lost, Rodimtsev was immediately shocked. He quickly called the commander of the 42nd Guards Regiment: "Comrade Colonel, the enemy has occupied the central railway station. I order you to lead your troops back immediately. We must We need to take the station back.”
The 42nd Guards Regiment was currently engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy in the Tsaritsa River area. After receiving Rodimtsev's order to retake the station, the regiment leader couldn't help but be in a dilemma. At this moment, the army has been held back by the enemy. Once it withdraws from the battle, as long as the enemy comes up from behind, there is a risk of the entire army being destroyed. However, the superior's order to retake the station must be carried out. After repeated consideration, the regiment commander finally reluctantly pulled out two incomplete companies and asked them to return to the station in a hurry to eliminate the enemies occupying there.
Since most of the commanders and fighters in the 42nd Guards Regiment are new soldiers, even if the strength of both sides is roughly equal, it will not be easy for them to win, not to mention that they are still at an absolute disadvantage in terms of strength at this moment. In this case, not only did their counterattack make little progress, but it also gave the German troops occupying the station another victory.
Fortunately, the sacrifices of these commanders and fighters are not completely worthless. It was precisely because of their desperate counterattack that the German army was unable to quickly expand its results after occupying the station. Seeing nightfall, Heim saw that his troops had completed the task of capturing the station, so he ordered the troops to stop the attack and build a defense line inside the station to prevent possible Soviet counterattacks.
…………
After a day of deliberation, Chuikov decisively issued an order to retreat in order to prevent his headquarters from being killed by the Germans.
He said to Krylov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, there are enemies everywhere around us. It is no longer suitable to continue to serve as a headquarters here. We need to move immediately."
"Transfer?" Krylov was stunned when he heard what Chuikov said, and then asked: "Comrade Commander, where do you think we should transfer the headquarters to?"
Chuikov patted the ground on the table with his hand and said: "We have moved the headquarters to the factory area in the north. According to my estimation, after the German army captures the city, the next focus of their attack will be the factory area in the north of the city. We moved the headquarters there so we can command the troops more conveniently."
"Comrade Commander," Krylov said with some embarrassment: "Our road to the north has been cut off by the Germans. Unless troops help us open a passage, we will not be able to reach the factory area in the north of the city."
"In order to prevent the group army headquarters from being annihilated by the enemy, we can evacuate here in two ways." Chuikov called Gusev and Krylov in front of him, pointed to the map and said to them: "One way will be led by Comrade Military Commissar. Mainly staff members, carrying important documents and materials, set off from the mouth of the Tsarica River to Krasnos Loboda on the left bank of the Volga River, and then took a bus north from there to 62 on the other side of Zaitsev Island. ferry, then transfer to an armored boat and return to the right bank of the Volga River, and then quickly arrive at the new headquarters.
The other way, led by Comrade Chief of Staff and myself, passed through the streets blocked by the enemy..."
"No, I don't agree with your arrangement, Comrade Commander." Unexpectedly, before Chuikov finished speaking, Gusev interrupted him: "You are the commander of the group army and you have no right to risk your own life." Take risks. I think you should lead this force by water. Let me and the chief of staff walk through the streets and rush to the new headquarters."
"Comrade Commander," Krylov immediately agreed with the plan proposed by Gusev: "In order to ensure that our headquarters can continue to exist, I agree with Comrade Military Commissar that you will lead the staff and carry the All kinds of important documents and materials were sent to the new headquarters by water."
"The decision I made is the final one and cannot be changed." Chuikov was worried that there would be endless arguments over who took the waterway and who crossed the street, so he decisively exercised his authority as commander of the group army and ordered Gusev Set off immediately with the staff, while he and Krylov will lead the remaining people through the streets blocked by German infantry and tanks and rush to the new headquarters in the factory area as soon as possible.
Seeing that Chuikov had made up his mind, Krylov knew that there was no point in trying to persuade him, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, although the German infantry and tanks have blocked many streets, there are still us near these streets. There are quite a few troops fighting. Do you think we should get in touch with them and ask them to open a passage for us?"
