Obtaining a lot of materials for making Siberian dumplings from Lobov was a happy thing, but Sokov frowned again as soon as he put down the phone. Anisimov saw this and asked in confusion: "Comrade division commander, the logistics minister agreed to provide us with pork and beef. This is a good thing. Why are you unhappy?"
"Comrade Political Commissar," Sokov said with a serious expression, facing Anisimov: "You are usually responsible for the logistics work in the division. I would like to ask how long our material reserves can last. How long?"
Before Anisimov could answer, the phone on the table rang without warning. Sokov thought it might be Lobov who wanted to tell him something, so he casually grabbed the microphone, put it to his ear and said, "I am Sokov."
There was silence in the receiver for a moment, and then the voice of Lieutenant Colonel Starcia, commander of the 124th Regiment, came: "Hello, comrade division commander, I didn't expect you to be at the division headquarters."
"Yes, I'm at the division headquarters." Sokov knew very well that if Starcha didn't have anything important to do, he wouldn't have called the division headquarters rashly, so he asked directly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, what happened?" matter?"
"Report to Comrade Division Commander!" Starcha quickly replied: "Trace of the Germans was found to the east of Mamayev Hill."
"What, the enemy was discovered east of Mamayev Hill?" When Sidorin heard the news, he instinctively looked down at the map, trying to confirm the location of the enemy and whether it would cut off the connection between Mamayev Hill and the ferry. contact.
But Sokov asked calmly: "What kind of troops do they have and what is their equipment like?"
"I don't know the specific situation yet." Starcia replied hesitantly: "The observation post on the hill reported to me that a group of enemies was found in our rear. The number is not large, probably There are only a dozen people, maybe paratroopers dropped by the enemy, or maybe a small unit sneaking around our defense line. I feel the need to report to the division headquarters..."
Knowing that there were only a dozen enemies appearing behind Mamayev Ridge, Sokov felt even more relieved. He interrupted what Lieutenant Colonel Starcha was saying: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, since there are only a dozen Germans, , then just send people to eliminate them. Don't forget, you still have more than a thousand people in your hands. If you can't deal with more than a dozen enemies, then this regiment leader should stop doing it. I'll give you half an hour. When the time comes, report the results to me then."
After putting down the microphone, Sokov said to Sidorin and Anisimov: "A dozen enemies appeared behind us. They may be paratroopers dropped by the enemy from the air, or they may be enemies who came over from a certain defense line. , it’s no big deal.” After saying this, he continued to ask Anisimov, “Comrade Political Commissar, you haven’t answered my question yet, how long can our division’s existing armed reserves last?”
Anisimov took out a notebook from his bag, flipped through a few pages, and read to Sokov: "The current inventory of bread and flour can last for thirty days, meat products for fifteen days, butter and cheese for twenty God, chocolate and sugar can last for seven days..." After reading the contents of the notebook, he added with a serious expression, "We can have so many supplies mainly because we seized them from the enemy's warehouse before the enemy besieged the city. A lot of supplies.”
"Comrade division commander," Sidorin waited for Anisimov to finish and then asked Sokov tentatively: "Do we need to lower the ration standards for the troops?"
"There is no need, let's maintain the current standards." Sokov thought to himself, there are still about twenty days before the big counterattack, so many supplies are completely enough, so he said lightly: "The ice floe blocks Before cross-strait transportation begins, I think our superiors can replenish us with some supplies so that we can maintain our operations for a longer period of time."
Sokov and Sidorin were discussing the supplies needed by the troops, while Anisimov was thinking about the enemy appearing behind Mamayev Hill. As soon as the two of them finished speaking, he carefully asked Sokov: "Comrade division commander, do you really not need to send someone to help Lieutenant Colonel Starcha?"
"Comrade Political Commissar, what's wrong with you?" Seeing that Anisimov was still thinking about that small group of enemies, Sokov couldn't help but said in surprise: "Even if this group of enemies is the elite of the German army, there are only a dozen of them after all. , there are more than a thousand people in the Starcha Regiment, even if they step on them, they will crush these enemies to death. Don’t worry."
"Comrade Division Commander, in order to solve the urgently needed supplies for the troops, can we find a way from the enemy?" Sidorin said thoughtfully: "Lieutenant Guchakov is operating behind enemy lines with a small force. If we can get them By seizing one or two enemy warehouses and transporting supplies back, we won't have to worry about possible shortages."
"Chief of Staff, if the method you mentioned before the enemy rushes into the city, it is possible to implement it." Regarding Sidorin's plan, Sokov shook his head and rejected it: "But now, except for the east side, , the entire city was surrounded by the enemy. In order for a convoy full of supplies to pass through the enemy's defense line smoothly, unless all the enemies were blind or deaf, otherwise the convoy would be blocked halfway. The enemy is destroyed.”
"We can maintain food and medicine for almost a month." Sidorin continued: "But what about ammunition? The German weapons and equipment used by the downsized regiment can be replenished on the battlefield. But the other three Guards regiments It's all Soviet-style equipment. If our superiors don't replenish it for us, we will run out of ammunition soon. By then, we can't let the soldiers of the Guards fight with the enemy on bayonets like the Marine Corps battalion did. .”
"I will find a way to solve the ammunition problem." Sokov considered that there is now an underwater pontoon bridge, and the number of supplies transported to the city from the other side has been greatly reinforced. If he wants to solve the difficulty of ammunition shortage, there should be no No matter how big the problem was, he said comprehensively: "I don't think we will let our soldiers fight with the enemy with bayonets after they have used up all their bullets."
The three of them chatted for a while, and then the deputy division commander Ivanov hurried in from outside. As soon as he entered the door, he couldn't wait to ask: "On the way here, I heard some soldiers saying that enemies were found outside. What's going on?"
"That's it, Comrade Deputy Division Commander." After hearing Ivanov's question, Sidorin quickly explained to him: "Almost half an hour ago, Lieutenant Colonel Starcha called us and said that in Enemies were discovered east of Mamayev Hill. After the division commander received the news, he immediately ordered him to send people to eliminate this enemy." After speaking, Sidorin raised his hand to look at his watch and said to himself, "The time set by the division commander is almost up. I wonder if the battle outside has been resolved?"
"What, there is an enemy to the east of Mamayev Hill?" Sidorin's words startled Ivanov, and he quickly asked: "Lieutenant Colonel Starcha's troops can destroy this force." Is it the enemy? Do we need to mobilize troops from other places? If the enemy really establishes a foothold to the east of us, the connection between us and the ferry will be cut off. "
Seeing Ivanov so panicked, Sidorin couldn't help laughing, and then explained to him: "Comrade deputy division commander, don't worry, the situation is not as serious as you think. There are only a dozen enemies and there are no heavy weapons. Lieutenant Colonel Starcia is fully capable of destroying them."
Knowing that there were only a dozen enemies, Ivanov couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief: "It turns out there were only a dozen enemies. I believe that my men will be able to completely and cleanly eliminate this group of enemies."
As soon as Ivanov finished speaking, the phone on the table rang. Sidorin quickly picked up the phone and identified himself, and soon heard Starcha reporting excitedly on the other end of the phone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, all the enemies who have penetrated deep into the rear of our regiment's defense area have been captured." Eliminated, not a single one escaped.”
