"A large number of enemy planes?!" After listening to Sidorin's report, Sokov instinctively asked: "Approximately how many planes are there?"
"Several hundred, comrade division commander. en`com" Sidorin shouted a bit gaffefully: "Observations say there are at least five to six hundred enemy planes flying towards us."
"What, there are five or six hundred enemy planes?" After hearing the number clearly, Sokov was immediately frightened. He quickly pointed at Sidorin and said excitedly: "Chief of Staff, give orders to each regiment immediately. , let everyone withdraw into the tunnel." After shouting this sentence, he added, "Let all observation posts withdraw into the tunnel."
"Let the observation posts withdraw into the tunnels?" After hearing Sokov's order, Sidorin hesitated for a moment, and then reminded the other party: "Comrade division commander, if all the observation posts are withdrawn into the tunnels, who will monitor them?" What are the enemy’s movements?”
"My Comrade Chief of Staff," seeing that Sidorin did not immediately carry out the order, but was entangled with himself on some details here, Sokov stamped his feet anxiously: "Immediately issue an air raid warning and ask everyone to withdraw into the tunnel. Otherwise it will be too late.”
After speaking, Sokov held a telephone in front of him. After shaking the handle a few times, he picked up the phone and put it close to his ear. He said into the phone: "I am Sokov, pick up the phone immediately." Lieutenant Colonel Puchenko’s regimental command post.”
As soon as the phone call came through, he couldn't wait to say: "Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko? I am Sokov. I am ordering you to immediately withdraw all the soldiers into the sewers. The enemy may soon attack our defense area." Bombing to prepare the soldiers to avoid air attacks. ...Yes, leave no one behind, all evacuate into the sewers."
After some intense work, Sidorin reported to Sokov: "Comrade division commander, except for the third battalion of the downsized regiment that is standing in the old city, the rest of the troops have all withdrawn into the tunnels."
"Very good, very good." After Sokov said "very good" twice in a row, he seemed to have been drained of all his strength. He fell down on the chair and said to Sidorin in a trembling voice: "Staff Commander, the Germans have dispatched so many planes, I believe that their bombing will not end in a while. You have to tell the soldiers that no one is allowed to leave the tunnel before receiving the order, otherwise I will never let you go. "
"Comrade Commander," Ivanov asked with some confusion when he saw Sokov was so panicked: "It's not like we haven't been bombed by enemy planes before, so why should we be so nervous?"
Before Sokov could answer, the phone on the table rang. Sidorin quickly picked up the phone: "I am Sidorin, where are you?...Hello, Comrade Commander, what are your instructions?...Oh, the enemy is going to launch a large-scale air attack? Our observation post has discovered There are a large number of enemy planes in the sky...Yes, the division commander has issued an air raid warning and asked all troops to withdraw into the tunnel..."
After Sidorin put down the phone, he said to Sokov: "Comrade division commander, the commander said on the phone that the enemy has dispatched a large number of aircraft and is preparing to carry out intensive bombing on us. Let us prepare for air defense as soon as possible."
Sokov nodded and said to Ivanov sitting aside: "Deputy division commander, did you hear that? Since the commander personally called us to remind us of air defense, it proves that the scale of the German bombing that is about to begin will definitely not be Small."
A few minutes later, dozens of enemy planes flew over Mamayev Heights and began to dive and drop bombs. As the bombs fell, the entire Mamayev Hills immediately turned into an erupting crater. The rising black smoke enveloped the hills tightly. Explosions in the billowing black smoke were heard one after another, one after another. A wave. Looking from a distance, the hills were full of explosions and fires.
The soldiers near the tunnel exit felt like they were riding a small boat bumping on the turbulent sea. Strong shock waves shook the tunnel. Many people's teeth broke their tongues and lips, and several soldiers were even injured. fainted from the shock. The commander who was staying nearby saw that the situation was not good and quickly ordered the soldiers to stay away from the entrance of the tunnel and sent the stunned soldiers to the health team.
The situation at Sokov's division headquarters was much better than outside, but as bombs exploded, dust continued to fall from above. After a while, a thick layer of soil fell on the table and everyone's bodies.
Seeing the enemy's bombing being so fierce, Ivanov, who had not cared about it at first, seemed a little panicked. He asked Sokov loudly: "Comrade division commander, will the enemy's bombs collapse our tunnels?"
"There may be some sections of the tunnels that will collapse under such a fierce bombing by the enemy." Seeing Ivanov's helpless look, Sokov quickly comforted him and said, "But you are still safe at the division headquarters. As long as the enemy It is not an easy task to destroy our headquarters without using ground-penetrating bombs."
"Comrade division commander, I want to ask." Anisimov, the political commissar who had been in a transparent state for a long time, suddenly asked: "The division headquarters will not be destroyed by the bombing, but what about the health team, are they okay? You know, we can do it several times There are hundreds of wounded people there, and if it collapses, many of the wounded may not be able to be saved."
"Don't worry, Comrade Political Commissar." Regarding Anisimov's worries, Sidorin explained to him: "When the tunnel was being built, the division commander specially ordered the engineers to build an extra layer below to accommodate the wounded. Am I right, comrade division commander?" His last words were addressed to Sokov.
"Ah, yes, that's it." When Sokov built the underground floor, he initially planned to use it to store ammunition, food and water, but later found that there were not many supplies that could be stored, so he simply put this The area was handed over to the health team. When he heard what Sidorin said at this moment, he quickly said: "I was just worried that the enemy's shelling and bombing would cause the tunnel to collapse and injure the wounded inside again, so I ordered people to go down below." Tunnels were built on the first floor for the use of health teams.”
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov didn't want to dwell on this issue anymore, so he turned to Sidorin and said, "Call Beigang and ask Lieutenant Colonel Yershakov how the situation is there. ?”
After Sidorin chatted with Yershakov for a while, he covered the microphone with his hand, turned around and reported to Sokov with a serious expression: "Comrade division commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yershakov reported that there were more than a dozen soldiers I was worried that the enemy would take the opportunity to attack me during the bombing, so I stayed at the entrance of the tunnel to be on guard, but was shocked to death by the shock wave of the explosion."
When he learned that a soldier had been killed by the shock wave of the explosion, the muscles on Sokov's face twitched violently several times. He pointed towards Sidorin with his hand and said: "Chief of Staff, tell Lieutenant Colonel Yershakov that the enemy cannot launch an attack until the bombing stops completely, and order him to evacuate everyone away from the entrance of the tunnel. Stay away to avoid unnecessary casualties.”
Seeing that Sidorin released his hand covering the microphone and conveyed Sokov's order to Yershakov, Ivanov reminded Sokov in a low voice: "Comrade division commander, no one is left to observe at the entrance of the tunnel. If the enemy really takes the opportunity to touch us, we will be blocked in the tunnel by the enemy."
"Don't worry, Comrade Deputy Division Commander." Sokov said to Ivanov: "Now the Romanian army is facing Mamaev Hill. They don't have the guts to attack our position before the bombing ends. Even if it happens What accident caused the enemy to touch the entrance of the tunnel, and it is not easy for them to seize the tunnel. We have many exits of the tunnel, and we can attack from other tunnel entrances to teach them a lesson."
Not only the Mamayev Heights where Sokov was located was violently bombed by enemy planes, but also the entire factory area in the north of the city. The Barricade Factory and the Dzerzhinsky Factory became key bombing targets of the German army. Countless buildings The object collapsed in the explosion, sending up dust all over the sky.
"Comrade Commander, the situation at the Barricade Factory and the Dzerzhinsky Factory is very bad." After receiving reports from the defenders of the two factories, Krylov reported to Chuikov with a grimace: "The defenders in the factory and worker casualties were high.”
"Chief of Staff, immediately tell them to evacuate to a safe place." Chuikov heard that the defenders suffered heavy casualties, and quickly gave an order to Krylov: "Wait until the enemy's bombing ends before reentering the defensive position."
"It's too late." Krylov shook his head in pain and said, "Because the enemy's bombing was too fierce, all actions of the defenders in the factory area were stopped, because as soon as they left the fortifications, they would be attacked by enemy planes. attack. Many wounded cannot be treated and can only be temporarily parked in bomb shelters and bunkers. After nightfall, they can be transferred to field hospitals or ambulances in the rear."
Chuikov raised his hand and looked at his watch, his eyebrows immediately twisted into a knot: "There are still two hours before dark, can the wounded survive for such a long time? Order the health workers to evacuate the wounded as soon as possible at all costs. .”
"No, Comrade Commander." Krylov heard Chuikov's order and quickly persuaded him: "In order to rescue the wounded, the 37th Guards Division sent 21 health workers, but they all died in the bombing. Since we have to issue such an order, not only will it not help the situation, but it will increase more unnecessary casualties. If all our health workers die, who will rescue the wounded on the battlefield in the next battle?"
"Okay, Comrade Chief of Staff." Chuikov sighed and said helplessly: "Then wait until after dark before sending health workers to treat the wounded. I hope they can persist until that time." He raised his hand and pressed hard on his forehead. He patted the ground twice and said regretfully, "If the enemy had not controlled the air superiority over Stalingrad and we lacked sufficient anti-aircraft weapons, I don't think we would have watched our wounded lying in bomb shelters waiting to die. .”
"Comrade Commander, don't worry, it will get better." Krylov comforted Chuikov and said: "When the pontoon bridge is erected, new reinforcements and various technical equipment will continue to enter the city. Then we will It’s time to take revenge.”
