Red Moscow

"I just hope that the friendly forces outside the city can launch an attack earlier," Sidolin said with emotion: "Otherwise, if we continue to fight like this, our brigade will be wiped out in a short time."

Sidolin's words made Sokov's heart skip a beat, and he hurriedly asked, "Comrade Chief of Staff, have the troops suffered heavy casualties recently?"

Sidolin sighed, and said helplessly, "Yes, Comrade Brigadier Commander, after these few days of fighting, our brigade suffered more than 3,000 casualties, of which more than 1,200 people died."

There were more than 3,000 casualties. When he heard this figure, Sokov couldn't help but tremble. He managed to save up such a small amount of money, but in the end, more than half of the casualties were killed in a few days, and he was still relying on tunnel fortifications. The fortifications built are all on open ground, and it is estimated that the troops have been wiped out long ago. Thinking of this, Sokov finally understood why in real history, after Rodimtsev’s 13th Guards Division entered Stalingrad, all opportunities were wiped out in less than three days. This shows the cruelty of the battle One spot.

Seeing Sokov remained silent, Sidolin quickly explained to him: "Comrade Brigadier, although we have solid tunnel fortifications, in order to repel the German attack, every time the enemy's shelling stopped, our commanders and fighters It is necessary to enter the surface position from the tunnel and engage in fierce positional warfare with the enemy, so casualties are inevitable."

Sokov is also very depressed now, because there is still a difference between fighting on Mamayev Hill and Shangganling. Shangganling can allow the enemy to occupy the surface position, and then use the night to sneak attack the enemy and consume their vital strength. But if he had done that on Mamayev Post, Chuikov might have dismissed himself that very day. Once the enemy has occupied the surface position of Mamayev Kurgan, they will immediately rush to the crossing on the Volga River, cutting off the Soviet army from the opposite bank. Therefore, he can only use tactics that do not count casualties to prevent the enemy from occupying Mamayev Gang.

"Comrade Brigadier, I think we can reduce the casualties of the troops by strengthening the surface fortifications." Belkin interjected, "Every time our soldiers go out of the tunnel after the enemy's artillery preparations are over, we must hurry up to repair The fortifications were destroyed. Sometimes the enemy came up just halfway through the repairs, so that our soldiers had to fight the attacking enemies in the broken fortifications, which increased casualties."

"It's not that easy to reinforce the fortifications. I don't know where the city defense committee has moved. I can't contact Major Ozor now, and I don't know if he is dead or alive." Sokov sighed and said: " But even if he is found, there is nothing he can do, the Germans will not allow us to build fortifications ostentatiously, their artillery fire will destroy the fortifications under construction."

"Is there really no other way?" Belkin said regretfully, "If we maintain the status quo, we have to consider what we should do once the troops are exhausted."

Sokov knew very well in his heart that when the war in Stalingrad was tense, more than one person thought about his army, but it was all because they knew that they could be stationed here and it was personally arranged by the headquarters, so they had to I did not choose silence. Although others cannot transfer their own troops, it is probably impossible to replenish them.

I could only look at Sidolin and Belkin and ask, "Do you have any good ideas?" Since Sukov couldn't think of any good ideas, Sidolin and Belkin were naturally helpless. The question was undoubtedly asked by Yu Blind. Seeing that the two of them couldn't come up with any good solution, Sokov could only continue to think of a solution by himself. Holding a cup of hot tea, he drank slowly one sip after another, imagining various fortifications he knew, but none of them seemed suitable for this situation.

Just as Sokov was at a loss, he suddenly heard two staff officers not far away talking about something, so he turned his head slightly to one side and listened carefully. I only heard a staff officer whispering: "Why don't you build the fortifications on the ridgeline of the top of the hill, so that you can not only have a clear view of the enemy's dynamics, but also give full play to our army's firepower superiority condescendingly, and give the enemy a powerful attack?" Serious damage."

"Do you think the brigade commander has not considered the plan you have in mind?" Another staff officer retorted: "If this plan was feasible, he would have adopted it long ago."

One word awakened the dreamer, and the chat between the two opened up a new way of thinking for Sokov. He remembered that in a certain anti-Japanese drama, the Japanese pirates who were besieged by the Eighth Route Army built a ring in the center of the mountaintop platform. The fortifications made it impossible for the attacking troops to see where the enemy was, making all kinds of direct firepower useless. As long as the soldiers rush up the steep slope, they will be knocked down by the enemy's bullets as soon as they stand up.

"Yes, Chief of Staff and Comrade Political Commissar, I have thought about how to build new fortifications." Regardless of the astonished expressions of the two, Sokov picked up a pen and paper and began to draw a schematic diagram for them: "Look, in our Nangang There is a wide hilltop platform on the top of the mountain, and the observation posts set up by artillery observers here are rarely concentrated by enemy artillery fire, so we can completely build a new defensive position here."

After Sidolin waited for Sokov to draw the schematic diagram, he stared at the small circular position on the top platform, frowned and asked, "Comrade Brigadier, I don't understand why the circular fortification you designed is so far away from the edge of the hillside." Forty or fifty meters? In this way, the soldiers staying in the fortifications will not be able to see the enemy below the hillside at all."

"That's right, they can't see the enemy. But the enemy can't see them either." Sokov affirmed Sidolin's statement, and he went on to say: "As long as the Germans show up, they will be killed." Our army, which has been waiting in full battle, was defeated. And even if they wanted to throw grenades, it would be difficult to accurately throw them into our army's position at such a long distance."

"If the attacking German army prepares mortars, it will still pose a threat to our fortifications..."

"Okay, Comrade Chief of Staff, there is no need to say any more. Do you have a better plan?" Before Sidolin finished speaking, Belgin interrupted him: "Don't see the enemy's daily The artillery fire is so fierce, but the shells that hit the top of the mountain are few after all. Building a circular fortification on the top platform of the hill can not only reduce the chance of the fortification being directly destroyed by the artillery fire, but also allow the soldiers to quickly enter the position through the exits on the top. Block the enemy."

Sidolin saw that Belgin was also very optimistic about this kind of circular fortification, so he nodded and said: "Okay, Comrade Brigadier, then according to the method you said, build a new circular ring on the top of the hill. Fortifications."

After discussing the construction of fortifications on the top of the hill, the three of them shifted the topic to logistics and supplies. Although there were a lot of ammunition and supplies hoarded in the early stage, after this period of consumption, Sidolin worried that the troops would not be able to recover in the near future. , there will be a shortage of ammunition.

Sokov pinched his chin and said thoughtfully: "Our brigade is almost all equipped with German-style equipment. It is almost impossible to rely on logistics to supply us with supplies. Therefore, we need to organize soldiers and take advantage of the Go to the enemy's corpses at night to collect usable weapons and ammunition to ensure that we have enough ammunition to continue fighting."

"Comrade Brigadier, although the MG34 general-purpose machine guns and MP40 submachine guns we are equipped with are powerful, the consumption of ammunition is also a big problem." After Sukov finished speaking, Sidolin asked tentatively: "You see , can we try to change the equipment of the troop company to the standard equipment of our army?"

"It's useless to change to our army's standard equipment. Comrade Chief of Staff, don't you know how bad the current logistics supply situation is?" Sokov rejected Sidolin's suggestion without hesitation: "What's more After the fighters change their equipment, there is still a process of adaptation, which will inevitably affect their combat effectiveness. Therefore, I decided to maintain the status quo.”

After listening to Sokov, Sidolin was about to say a few more words when he saw Seryozha coming in from the door. He knew that Xie Liaosha would go to the Three Treasure Hall for nothing, and would never enter the headquarters easily, so he quickly asked, "Xeryosha, what's the matter?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff," replied Seryozha, looking at Sidorin, "a messenger has arrived from the headquarters of the army group and has important orders to convey to the brigade commander."

Knowing that Chuikov sent a messenger from the headquarters, Sokov quickly ordered: "Seryozha, please come in!"

Seryozha went to the door and said to the outside: "Come in, Comrade Order, our brigade commander is waiting for you."

A small soldier walked in from the door, and Sokov couldn't help but wonder why the messenger sent by Chuikov was actually a child. Belkin's attention was also attracted by the little messenger, and none of them noticed that the usually steady Sidolin was so excited that his hands were shaking.

Before Sokov could ask the other party's purpose, he heard a voice from behind that changed his tune because of excitement: "Son, did I read it right? It's really you?!"

The little messenger couldn't help being startled when he heard the sudden sound. He squinted his eyes and looked behind Sokov. After he saw Sidolin's face clearly, he exclaimed and rushed towards Sidolin. , Said loudly: "Father, it is I and I, I am little Sidolin." Then, the father and son hugged each other tightly.

Only now did Sokov and Belkin know that the little messenger sent by Chuikov was actually the son of Lieutenant Colonel Sidolin. After the two looked at each other, they kept silent wisely, so as not to disturb the meeting of the father and son on the battlefield.

Seeing his son whom he had not seen for a long time, Sidolin was overjoyed, but he did not forget his duty. After hugging for a while, he gently pushed his son away, looked at him and asked, "Son, did Commander Chuikov send you here?"

"Yes." Sidolin's words reminded little Sidolin of his purpose here, and quickly replied: "Comrade Commander asked me to come here to deliver orders."

Seeing that the father and son were talking solemnly, Sokov took a step forward and asked little Sidolin, "What orders do you have, Comrade Commander?"

Little Sidolin quickly glanced at Sokov's collar badge, and saw clearly that the other party, like his father, was a lieutenant colonel, and quickly straightened his body and replied, "Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. I am Commander-in-Chief order, please go to the headquarters."

"Damn it, if you want the brigade commander to go to the headquarters, you just need to make a phone call." Hearing what his son said, Sidolin couldn't help muttering in a low voice: "Why do you need to send someone specifically?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, don't you understand the painstaking efforts of the commander?" Belkin approached Sidolin and whispered, "The reason why he sent little Sidolin to pass the order is nothing more than to let you father and son meet. , lest you worry about each other."

The authorities were confused by the onlookers, and Sidolin immediately understood Cuikov's painstaking efforts when he heard Belkin's words, and he couldn't help feeling grateful to Cuikov.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov also guessed Chuikov's intentions. If he wanted to recruit himself to the headquarters, he could do so by phone. The father and son meet so that Lieutenant Colonel Sidolin will not worry about his son. Considering that Chuikov didn't seem to be in a hurry to ask himself to go to the headquarters, he didn't rush to set off either, but said to Sidolin: "You and little Sidolin haven't seen each other for a long time, so go to the next room and have a good chat. Let's talk." He raised his hand and looked at his watch, "I'll give you half an hour."

"Thank you, thank you, Comrade Brigadier." Sidolin was so moved that his eyes turned red for Sokov's kindness. After thanking Sokov, he took his son to the next room to catch up on the past. .

"Comrade Brigadier," Belkin asked curiously after Sidolin and his son left, "tell me, what does Comrade Commander think, and how do you arrange for their father and son to meet at this time?"

Sokov looked at Belkin and said with a serious expression: "Comrade Commissar, I think the reason why the commander sent little Sidolin here to meet his father may be because he was worried that the next battle would be too embarrassing. One of them may not live to the moment of victory, so this meeting was arranged."

"Yes, yes, judging from the fighting situation in the past two days, the Germans have launched attacks in various areas like crazy, trying to take Stalingrad in one fell swoop." Belkin said: "How many people can we have?" , can live to the day when the battle is won, it is really unknown."

Thinking that Sokov might encounter danger on the way to the headquarters this time, Belkin cautiously persuaded Sokov: "Comrade Brigadier, there is still time anyway, why don't you go and say goodbye to Assia?"

"No, no, no." Sokov immediately rejected Belkin's kindness: "I'm just going to the headquarters to accept orders, and I won't encounter any danger, so I don't need to see Asiya. If I really If you don't want to see her, maybe it will make her have bad associations and affect her normal work."