Sokov's headquarters in Luhansk has much better conditions than Mamaev Gang. But sitting in the house, you can enjoy the sunshine and breathe fresh air, and you can also listen to sounds from Moscow through the cabinet radio in the corner.
When Sokov and Bely came back from their positions and walked into the headquarters, Sidorin happened to be listening to the radio. Don't look at the situation outside, which has become extremely unfavorable to the Soviet army, but the radio station is still reporting the news of the victory some time ago. The announcer told all the listeners in a joyful tone that within a week, the great Soviet Red Army had continuously broken through the carefully constructed defense lines of the German army and successfully advanced into the Donetsk Basin. After several days of fierce fighting, the troops of General Vatutin's Southwest Front successfully liberated the military town of Zaporozhye, located at the corner of the Dnieper River. German Marshal Manstein was frightened and fled in panic.
"Turn it off, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov couldn't help but frowned as he listened to the report from the radio: "If the soldiers hear too much of this outdated news, it will make them have a negative impression of the current situation. If we misjudge and think that the enemy has become vulnerable, we will suffer heavy losses."
After hearing Sokov's instructions, Sidorin did not dare to neglect and hurriedly went over and turned off the radio. Just listen to Sokov say again: "The Southwestern Front captured Zaporizhia and drove Manstein away from the city. This alone was enough to make General Vatutin famous and become a hero that attracts the attention of thousands of people." .”
Although Bely knew that the increasingly severe situation was related to Vatutin's decision-making errors, he could not think of any countermeasures, so he curiously asked Sokov: "Misha, if you were in Vatutin's position, what would you do if you were in Vatutin's position? what will you do?"
"If I were in General Vatutin's position," Sokov smiled bitterly and said casually: "I would definitely slow down the attack speed. Every time I capture a city, I will strengthen the defense there and use it as a strong support. Even if the attack is frustrated and the Germans counterattack, they can still rely on these cities with complete defense systems to carry out constant resistance to weaken the enemy's effective strength."
"Since the destruction of the Paulus Group, the entire country has been filled with an optimistic atmosphere, feeling that the Germans have become vulnerable." Bely, who has been with Sokov for a long time, was not included in the broadcast Influenced by those reports, he clearly expressed his attitude: "Wishful thinking is that as long as we keep attacking, we will soon be able to drive the enemy across the Dnieper River. By the end of the year at the latest, we will be able to end this damned war." Even at the worst possible war, we can drive the enemy from our land."
The phone ringing suddenly on the table interrupted the three people's chat. Everyone looked at the phone, and they all thought in their hearts: Could it be that the Germans are attacking us?
Sidorin grabbed the microphone, put it to his ear, and asked loudly: "I am Lieutenant Colonel Sidorin, Chief of Staff, where are you?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I am Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko!" Sokov, who was sitting not far away, heard Papuchenko's somewhat panicked voice coming from the receiver: "I just received a report that the Germans The leading troops have already rushed to the vicinity of our regiment's defense area."
Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko's report surprised Sokov and others.
Sokov hurriedly walked over, took the microphone from Sidorin's hand, frowned and asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I am Sokov. Tell me, what size of enemy is it?"
"I...I'm not sure, Comrade Division Commander." Papuchenko reported in a panic: "One of my subordinates called me to report that he had found traces of the enemy..."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Sokov interrupted anxiously: "Tell me, who reported it to you?"
"It was the commander of the third company of the first battalion who called to report." Papuchenko said: "When he sent his soldiers to cut down trees in the forest ahead, he found a German tank, maybe an armored vehicle. He felt that the situation was very important, so he Reported to me immediately..."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, let me ask you again: What size is the enemy? How many infantry do they have, and how many tanks or armored vehicles do they have? Please report to me in detail."
"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I'm not sure." Papuchenko said at a loss: "I felt that the situation was not good and I should report to you in time, so I made this call immediately."
Sidorin, who was standing next to him, said to Bely: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, the enemy suddenly appeared near the defense area of the 122nd Regiment. Could it be that they sensed our intention to camouflage our position and sent people specifically to conduct reconnaissance?"
"I don't think so. If it's a reconnaissance force, how could it be so arrogantly driving a tank or an armored vehicle over?" Bely shook his head and said, "I think it may be the enemy's vanguard, and their main force is still behind."
Sokov ignored what Bely and Sidorin were saying, and instead ordered Papuchenko on the other end of the phone: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I will give you two orders now: 1. Immediately order the troops to enter the position and do Be ready for battle; second, send out a capable reconnaissance team to find out the origins and scale of the enemies appearing near your positions." After explaining the task, he asked habitually, "Do you understand? ?”
"Understood, Comrade Division Commander." Papuchenko quickly replied: "I will execute your order immediately."
After Sokov put down the phone, Sidorin asked with some anxiety: "Comrade division commander, the enemy is approaching our position at this time. Is it possible that he is preparing to attack us?"
Bely also asked uneasily: "If the enemy launches an attack at this moment, wouldn't our plan of using fake tanks and artillery to disguise ourselves as fake positions be in vain?"
"In my opinion, maybe it's just a group of lost enemies. There won't be too many of them." Sokov felt that the Soviet Sixth Army and Popov's rapid grouping had not yet been annihilated by the Germans. It was impossible for the Germans to do this. At that time, they hurriedly launched an attack on Luhansk. Maybe it was just a wave of enemies that broke into the defense zone by mistake. He comforted the two and said: "No need to make a fuss. There are more than 4,000 people in the 122nd Regiment. Even if they are stepped on, they will be killed." Trampled to death."
Seeing Sokov being so confident, Sidorin and Bely, who were originally worried, felt much more at ease. Today's 41st Guards Division has a strong force of more than 15,000 people, and many of them have participated in the Battle of Stalingrad and have rich combat experience, let alone a small detachment of the German army. Even if we come as a group, we can definitely handle it.
I thought it would take at least four or five hours before further information could be obtained. Unexpectedly, less than half an hour later, Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko called again and reported excitedly to Sokov: "Comrade Division Commander, all the Germans who appeared near our regiment have been annihilated."
"What, all of them were annihilated?" Sokov couldn't help but be stunned, thinking that your actions were too fast. You were acting panicked just now, but it didn't take long for you to report to yourself that the enemy had been eliminated. "What the hell is going on?"
"Comrade Division Commander, the situation is like this." Papuchenko quickly reported: "More than a dozen German scouts riding motorcycles first broke into the vicinity of the third battalion's defense area. Before I could send out men to conduct reconnaissance, they came again. They arrived near the defense zone of the 1st Battalion. They were eliminated by Captain Guchakov’s 2nd Company.”
"I understand." Sokov said into the microphone: "Remember to place more observation posts outside your defense area so that sudden enemies can be detected in time."
Seeing Sokov put down the phone, Sidorin said proudly: "Comrade division commander, it seems that your old infantry brigade subordinates are the most reassuring. Before we assigned the task, they kept silent. Destroyed the enemy without making a sound."
Sidorin's words made Sokov aware of a problem in the army. Since the downsizing regiment was disbanded, all commanders and fighters were dispersed and organized into three Guards regiments. Except for Belkin who served as the political commissar of the 124th regiment and Vanya who served as the chief of staff of the 122nd regiment, the other capable commanders only held battalion and company-level positions. At their current level, it is difficult for them to have the opportunity to display their abilities in the highly hierarchical Soviet army.
"Comrade Commander, what are you thinking about?" Sidorin noticed that Sokov was worried and couldn't help but ask.
After Sokov told Sidorin and Bely about the problems that came to his mind, he asked: "Tell me how to change the current problems."
"Misha, you are right. The original commanders of the downsizing regiment now hold too low a position, which is not conducive to the development of their abilities." Bely thought for a while and suggested to Sokov: "Otherwise, Re-deploy them and form a new Guards regiment?"
"This is a way." Sidorin immediately agreed with Bely's proposal: "You know, a Guards division usually consists of three Guards infantry regiments, an artillery regiment and a number of directly affiliated units. We Today there are only three Guards infantry regiments, but no artillery regiments. It is better to transfer the commanders and fighters from the original downsized regiments in the name of forming artillery regiments and reorganize them into independent units."
"This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided casually." Sokov felt that if he formed a fourth infantry regiment in the Guards Division in the name of forming an artillery regiment, he was afraid that his superiors would not approve his proposal, so he could only be cautious. Said: "I'll think about it again and think of a way to get the best of both worlds."
After some repeated thinking, Sokov reported to Chuikov on the formation of a fourth infantry regiment, but was rejected by the other party. Chuikov said to him in a stern tone: "Colonel Sokov, have you ever thought that to form a fourth infantry regiment, a large number of combat backbones must be mobilized, thereby weakening the combat effectiveness of the other three regiments. On the battlefield, it depends on It's teamwork. If the original Guards regiment is defeated by the enemy, even if there is a new infantry regiment with strong combat effectiveness, what role will it play?"
