Sokov was eager to lead his troops to Orlovka and join Bely's troops, so he naturally agreed with Guryev's proposal. He asked Vanya to leave a platoon on each line of defense to wait for the troops of the 39th Guards Division to take over the defense, and then he hurried to Orlovka with the remaining troops.
He never dreamed that the result of doing so would be that his troops would be surrounded by the German army, so that in the end he had to pay an extremely heavy price to escape from the German encirclement. At this moment, what he was thinking about was rushing over to join Bely as soon as possible.
When I arrived at Orlovka and saw Bely, the commanders and soldiers who had arrived here earlier were carrying out extensive construction work to strengthen the defenses here. After Bely and Sokov said hello, he said with a sad face: "Comrade Brigadier, although we arrived at Orlovka successfully, this is really not an area suitable for defense."
In order to give Sokov a more vivid understanding, he took Sokov to a hill, pointed around with his hand, and said: "Except for a few commanding heights, the rest here is open. Grassland. We have no permanent fortifications that can be used. The existing field fortifications are being built around these commanding heights. If the Germans use armored assault, we will not be able to stop them at all."
"Where's the air defense?" Sokov felt that it was unlikely that the German army would dispatch armored troops to attack Orlovka in a short period of time. After all, a fierce battle was going on in the north of the city, and a large number of German troops were contained by the Soviet army. They wanted to It is obviously impossible to mobilize enough force to attack Orlovka. The biggest possibility is to dispatch the air force to carry out air strikes on the defensive areas occupied by them. Therefore, he reminded Bely: "I think the enemy may send out the air force to carry out indiscriminate bombing of our place to destroy the fortifications and kill the soldiers."
Sokov's words made Bely break into a cold sweat. After occupying this area, he had carefully inspected it. There were only simple field fortifications. In addition to a handful of civil firepower points, there were also very few bunkers for the defenders. Pitiful. After being reminded by Sokov, he immediately realized the seriousness of the problem and quickly replied: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I will arrange for the soldiers to build air-raid shelters right now."
"Wait a minute, Colonel Bely." Seeing Bely turning to leave, Sokov quickly stopped him: "Leave this matter to Vanya and Tenev, so you don't have to do it yourself. .”
"Guchakov," Sokov called Guchakov, who was standing not far behind him, and ordered him: "Go and inform Captain Vanya and Major Tenev so that they don't forget to dig air-raid shelters. To reduce the losses of troops when bombed by the enemy."
Bely looked at Guchakov's back and said to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I have always wanted to ask you why Lieutenant Guchakov does not go to command the troops, but acts like an ordinary soldier at any time. Following you?"
Although Guchakov was dismissed from his position as company commander and his military rank was reduced to corporal, he still wore the rank of lieutenant, so Bely asked again. Sokov grinned silently and replied: "He made a small mistake, so he was removed from the position of company commander, demoted to corporal, and stayed with me as a guard."
"Made a mistake?" Hearing what Sokov said, Bely couldn't help but asked curiously: "Comrade Brigadier, can you tell me what mistake he made?"
Seeing that Bely wanted to know the story of Guchakov, Sokov told the reasons for Guchakov's dismissal in detail, and finally said: "Because he has been captured before, so in dealing with him We have to be cautious. Logically speaking, he should be sent to a military court, but since it is the time to employ people, I decided to keep him with me to see the consequences."
After figuring out the reason for Guchakov's dismissal, Bely couldn't help but sigh. After a while, he asked Sokov again: "Comrade Brigade Commander, have your superiors said how long we need to hold on here?"
Sokov also wanted to know the answer to this question. Chuikov simply ordered him to lead his troops to occupy this place and hold on until the arrival of friendly forces. However, even Chuikov himself did not know when the friendly forces would arrive. Since Bely asked at this moment, he could only say with a wry smile: "Colonel Bely, I don't know when the friendly forces outside the encirclement will arrive. What we can do now is to strengthen the defenses and wait here for the arrival of friendly forces. .”
"Our troops are too small." Bely said with a grimace: "With these hundreds of men and a dozen tanks, it is very difficult to defend this place."
After listening to Bely's words, Sokov quickly turned around and said to the radio operator who was squatting in a bomb crater: "Radio operator, send a report to the Army Group Headquarters, saying that our troops are insufficient and asking them to send us a reserve team."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Bely heard that Sokov was planning to ask for help from the headquarters, and quickly stopped him and said cautiously: "I think even if we send a telegram to ask for help, I'm afraid we won't get the support of a single soldier. After all, the headquarters has sent us all the troops it can." After saying that, he pointed towards the location of the busy guard camp at the foot of the hill.
Looking at the busy soldiers of the guard camp at the foot of the hill, Sokov also fell silent. He knew that this unit was originally responsible for protecting the safety of the headquarters, but in order to strengthen his assault force, Chuikov did not hesitate to hand over the unit to him. . However, after being silent for a long time, he felt that he should try his luck, so he said to the operator who was waiting for the order: "Continue to send the message!"
When the radio operator began to send a message to the headquarters, Sokov explained to Bely: "Comrade Colonel, I know that there are no reserves at the army headquarters. But the Orlovka we are holding on to is whether our army can The key to breaking the German blockade is to obtain a supporting force, which will be very helpful for us to hold on to this place."
After saying these words, Sokov raised his telescope and looked around to observe the nearby terrain. After watching for a while, he suddenly found a small village in the northwest. He quickly put down the telescope and said to Bely: "Comrade Colonel, look, there is a small village in the northwest, about five or six kilometers away from us."
After hearing what Sokov said, Bely quickly raised his telescope and looked into the distance. After observing carefully for a while, he put down his telescope and said to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I immediately asked Captain Shereda to send two tanks over to check to see if there are any enemies in the village."
After saying that, Belei turned around and walked down the hill. Sokov turned and shouted at his back: "Comrade Colonel, take two more squadrons of infantry with you. If you find the enemy, destroy them resolutely."
"Understood." Bielei said without looking back: "If there are enemies in the village, I will never let them go."
Not long after Bely left the hill, the radio operator reported to Sokov with a face of surprise: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the headquarters called back. They have ordered Colonel Gurdiev's 308th Infantry Division to actively move westward. Movement, prepare to go out to Orlovka to join us."
"What, the 308th Infantry Division is coming to join us?" When Sokov heard what the radio operator said, he rushed over and asked impatiently: "How many troops do they still have, and how far away are they from us now? "
In response to the questions raised by Sokov, the telegraph operator shook his head and replied with some embarrassment: "Comrade Brigade Commander, these questions you asked were not mentioned in the telegram."
"Send a telegram to the headquarters again." Seeing that the operator didn't know anything, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He ordered the other party: "Ask for the contact code of the 308th Infantry Division, and we will contact them directly. "The reason why Sokov ordered the radio operator in this way was because if the two troops wanted to communicate through the radio station of the Army Headquarters, it would inevitably delay the fighter planes, so he decided to contact the friendly forces directly.
Not long after, the radio operator reported to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I have obtained the contact code of the 308th Infantry Division. Are you going to send them a message, or call them directly?"
"Let's call directly." Sokov considered that if he contacted the other party by telegram, he didn't know when he would receive a reply, so he simply used plain language to communicate. The Germans love eavesdropping, so let them eavesdrop. Anyway, the task after the two armies join forces is to hold on to Orlovka. Sooner or later, the Germans will be aware of the real situation. "Make a call immediately."
The operator shouted into the microphone for a long time and finally contacted the headquarters of the 308th Infantry Division. Sokov put on his earphones, squatted next to the operator, and said loudly into the microphone: "I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. Please speak to your division commander, Colonel Gurdiev."
A voice soon came from the earphone: "Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov! I am Colonel Gurdiev. Our division has been ordered to accept your command, please give instructions!"
When he learned that another division was under his command, Sokov couldn't help feeling ecstatic. He knew very well that the more troops he had, the greater the noise he would create in the Orlovka area. He quickly asked : "Comrade Colonel, let me ask you, how many troops do you still have, and how far are they from Orlovka?"
"Report to Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Although he was reporting to a commander with a lower military rank than himself, Colonel Gurdiev was very cooperative: "There are still more than 1,500 people left in our division. The current distance is There are still six kilometers to Orlovka. In front of us, there is a German defensive position. As long as we can break through the enemy's defense, we can rush over and join you as soon as possible."
Sokov heard that the other party was only six kilometers away from him, so he stood up and looked around. He heard the sound of gunfire from the north, east and south, and could not tell where the 308th Infantry Division was, so he asked through the microphone: "Colonel Gurdiev, in which direction are your troops?" ?”
"East, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." Gurdiev replied: "We are attacking the enemy's defensive positions to the east of you."
"I understand, Comrade Colonel." Sokov turned his gaze to the east and listened attentively. As expected, there was intensive gunfire from that direction. It seemed that Colonel Gurdiev's troops were fighting with the enemy. , he quickly said into the microphone: "I will send tanks to support you."
"What, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, do you have tanks there?" Colonel Gurdiev heard that Sokov planned to send tanks to support him, and couldn't help but be overjoyed: "If we can get the cooperation of tanks, I believe we can soon Break through the enemy's defenses."
"Let's call directly." Sokov considered that if he contacted the other party by telegram, he didn't know when he would receive a reply, so he simply used plain language to communicate. The Germans love eavesdropping, so let them eavesdrop. Anyway, the task after the two armies join forces is to hold on to Orlovka. Sooner or later, the Germans will be aware of the real situation. "Make a call immediately."
The operator shouted into the microphone for a long time and finally contacted the headquarters of the 308th Infantry Division. Sokov put on his earphones, squatted next to the operator, and said loudly into the microphone: "I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. Please speak to your division commander, Colonel Gurdiev."
A voice soon came from the earphone: "Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov! I am Colonel Gurdiev. Our division has been ordered to accept your command, please give instructions!"
When he learned that another division was under his command, Sokov couldn't help feeling ecstatic. He knew very well that the more troops he had, the greater the noise he would create in the Orlovka area. He quickly asked : "Comrade Colonel, let me ask you, how many troops do you still have, and how far are they from Orlovka?"
"Report to Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Although he was reporting to a commander with a lower military rank than himself, Colonel Gurdiev was very cooperative: "There are still more than 1,500 people left in our division. The current distance is There are still six kilometers to Orlovka. In front of us, there is a German defensive position. As long as we can break through the enemy's defense, we can rush over and join you as soon as possible."
Sokov heard that the other party was only six kilometers away from him, so he stood up and looked around. He heard the sound of gunfire from the north, east and south, and could not tell where the 308th Infantry Division was, so he asked through the microphone: "Colonel Gurdiev, in which direction are your troops?" ?”
"East, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." Gurdiev replied: "We are attacking the enemy's defensive positions to the east of you."
"I understand, Comrade Colonel." Sokov turned his gaze to the east and listened attentively. As expected, there was intensive gunfire from that direction. It seemed that Colonel Gurdiev's troops were fighting with the enemy. , he quickly said into the microphone: "I will send tanks to support you."
"What, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, do you have tanks there?" Colonel Gurdiev heard that Sokov planned to send tanks to support him, and couldn't help but be overjoyed: "If we can get the cooperation of tanks, I believe we can soon Break through the enemy's defenses."
