After cleaning the battlefield, Sokov led the guard platoon towards the trench where the fourth battalion was holding.
Unexpectedly, when everyone was still two or three hundred meters away from the trench, the trench was still quiet, and not a single person could be seen. Seeing this situation, Sokov felt an ominous premonition in his heart. He quickly stopped and asked the soldiers of the guard platoon to hide on the spot.
After giving the order, Sokov took the lead and jumped into a crater. He looked in the direction of the trench and wondered what happened. He made such a big noise in the direction of the wall. Why did the soldiers of the fourth battalion not react at all? No.
While he was observing the situation on the other side, he suddenly felt someone jumping into the crater. When he turned around, he found that it was Guchakov. He asked curiously: "Guchakov, I haven't sent anyone to notify you yet, why did you come here?"
Guchakov did not answer the question raised by Sokov, but said anxiously: "Comrade Brigadier, there is a situation that I think needs to be reported to you immediately."
"What's going on?" Sokov asked casually.
"Comrade Brigade Commander, after the enemy who carried out the sneak attack withdrew," Guchakov reported: "The sound of gunfire and explosions on our army's position has not stopped. I guess it was a fight between our own people."
Guchakov's words made Sokov think deeply: If those who stayed in the trenches last night were only the commanders and fighters of the fourth battalion, they have experience in dealing with German night attacks. However, there are many workers who have just entered the battlefield who are defending with them. When encountering a sneak attack by the German army, the workers will muster the courage to fight the enemy after the chaos. However, the target they attack is most likely not the enemy, but their comrades. After this melee, the casualties of the troops will definitely be huge.
"Comrade Brigade Commander," seeing Sokov's delay in speaking, Guchakov asked tentatively: "What should we do next?"
Although there has been no movement on the position, Sokov knew in his heart that his group could not stay here forever, otherwise if the enemy launched a bombardment, the soldiers of the guard company would probably suffer heavy losses. But at this moment, the surviving soldiers on the position must be in a state of chaos. If they see a group of people approaching the position, they may shoot without warning. In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, people must be sent to the position to make contact.
He looked in the crater and saw that apart from himself and Guchakov, there was only one unfamiliar soldier. Sokov would never hand over such an important task to an ordinary soldier, so he said to Guchakov: "Guchakov, go over and get in touch with the troops on the position and say that we are going over. , tell them not to shoot."
"Yes!" Guchakov agreed, stood up, handed the rifle in his hand to Sokov, then climbed out of the crater on hands and feet, and walked cautiously towards the position not far away.
Seeing Guchakov walking alone towards the position not far away, Samoylov climbed in from another bomb crater and asked Sokov curiously: "Comrade Brigade Commander, what is Corporal Guchakov doing?" Already?"
Sokov pointed forward with his hand and said: "Guchakov just reported to me that the gunfire on our position continued for a long time after the sneak attack enemy retreated. I guess it must be his own and his own. I started fighting. Although it was already dawn, they saw a troop appearing from a distance. Even if they wore the same uniforms as myself, they might shoot. So I sent Guchakov to contact them. To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Sokov suddenly saw Guchakov crawling out of the trench, standing up straight and waving his hands in this direction. Seeing this situation, Sokov knew that he must have explained the situation to the defenders, and even if he took people there, there would be no misunderstanding. Sokov stood up and said to Samoilov: "Let's go, Comrade Second Lieutenant, we will go there now."
When Sokov brought his men to the trench, he smelled the choking smoke mixed with a lingering strong smell of blood, which made him frown. He was anxious to find the person in charge on the position and find out what happened, so he asked Guchakov: "Where is the commander?"
A sergeant heard Sokov's question and quickly stepped forward and replied: "Report to comrade brigade commander that the battalion commander is injured and is receiving treatment in the basement."
"Where are the other commanders?" When Sokov learned that Briski was injured, his heart skipped a beat and he quickly asked, "Where are they?"
The sergeant looked left and right, and then replied with some difficulty: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I think I should be the highest-ranking officer on the position. The other commanders all died in the battle last night."
"Nonsense, simply nonsense." Sokov pointed at Samoylov: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, I will go to the command post first to find out what is going on. You and your people will stay on the position and assist in the attack." defense."
"Understood, Comrade Brigadier." Samoylov quickly replied.
Sokov came to the command post and found that in addition to Briski, Bely, Yakov, Vanya and Cousteau were all there. Even Colonel Koida and Political Commissar Mashkov of the mixed regiment were there. exist. Sokov nodded to everyone, saying hello, and then asked directly: "Can any of you tell me what happened last night? I really didn't expect that I only left for one night, and this place was occupied by you. It’s made a mess.”
Everyone bowed their heads in the face of Sokov's duties. After a while, Bely blushed and said to Sokov: "I'm sorry, Comrade Brigadier, it's all my responsibility..."
"Comrade Colonel, how can I blame you?" Before Bely could finish speaking, Cousteau intervened and said sadly: "The reason why the army suffered so many casualties is entirely our responsibility. Comrade workers I have little combat experience, especially I don’t know how to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy at night. As a result, I didn’t hit many enemies, and all my bullets hit my own people.…”
Sokov patiently listened to the speeches of several people and confirmed that his guess was completely correct. He sat down and asked Yakov for a cigarette and started smoking silently. After finishing his cigarette, he raised his head and said to everyone: "Comrades, the main responsibility for this matter lies with me..."
"Ah!" As soon as Sokov started to speak, Vanya and Cousteau couldn't help but exclaimed, wondering how Sokov would take the responsibility on themselves. But before they could speak, Sokov raised his hand to stop them, and said to himself: "The reason why I said the responsibility lies with me is because I ignored that the workers had little combat experience, but let them fight with the Fourth Battalion. The soldiers stayed in their positions together.
During the day, everyone can see clearly where the enemy is and they know which direction to fire their bullets. But at night, the worker comrades who have little combat experience do not know how to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, and do not know where to shoot. I guess that during the battle, the worker comrades also performed very bravely, hoping to repel the enemy as soon as possible, but in the end they did bad things with good intentions and regarded their comrades as enemies.
On the battlefield, what determines victory or defeat is not who has more people, nor which side is more brave, but the overall coordination, especially the tacit understanding between the troops, which is the key to victory..."
As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Brisky appeared at the door. When he saw Sokov's appearance, he had an expression of surprise on his face, but his expression quickly dimmed. He said dejectedly: "I'm sorry, Comrade Brigadier, I've let you down."
Seeing Briski's bandaged left hand hanging on his chest, Sokov quickly stepped forward to grab his shoulder and asked with concern: "Comrade Captain, is your injury okay?"
Briskey raised his bloodless face, looked at Sokov and grinned, trying to say in a calm tone: "It's nothing serious, I just got shot. It will be fine after a while."
After helping the other party sit down, Sokov continued to ask: "What are the casualties of the troops?"
"Fifty-three people died in the whole battalion and eighty-one were wounded." After Briskey finished describing the casualties in the battalion, he couldn't help but glance at Cousteau secretly and said in a low voice: "The casualties among the worker comrades are also almost."
"Comrade Captain, this incident of friendly fire is completely a misunderstanding. It was caused by the comrades workers who lacked combat experience and did not know how to identify ourselves and the enemy at night. I hope you will not blame them for this." Sokov was worried about Bliss. Because of this incident, the Foundation felt grudged against the comrades of the Red October Factory, and specifically emphasized to him: "You must record this blood debt on the invaders of Faxi Temple and demand repayment of the blood debt from them."
"Captain Briski," Cousteau stood up and walked to Briski after listening to Sokov's speech. He stretched out his hand to him and said friendly: "Please accept my apology! I hope we can return to each other in the future." We can continue to fight side by side to jointly fight against the invaders of Faxi Temple."
When the two men's hands were tightly clasped together, Sokov then issued an order: "Captain Vanya, from now on, your troops will take over the defense area of the 4th Battalion, and you and the workers will continue to hold their positions. Remember. , after dark, let the comrades workers go back to the basement to rest, and your troops will be responsible for the night guard duty. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Comrade Brigadier." Vanya stood up and replied loudly: "I promise you that I will never let something like this happen again."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," seeing that Sokov only asked the 1st Battalion to take over the defense area of the 4th Battalion, but did not assign any tasks to his own regiment, Colonel Koida became a little bit impatient and asked quickly: "I I would like to ask, what is the mission of our group?”
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov looked at Koida and said politely: "The mission of your regiment is to rest. When necessary, I will assign tasks to you."
