Chapter 621: The Road Back to the City (Part 1)

  Chapter 621 The Road Back to the City (Part 1)

   "Cross the river to the other side?" Vanya looked at the faintly visible town on the other side of the river, frowned and thought for a moment, then guessed how the next route would go. However, just to be on the safe side, he still asked tentatively: "Comrade Brigadier, that is to say, after we land ashore later, we will go down the river to the next ferry, where we will board a boat again to cross the river to Mamayev. The ferry behind the post?"

"That's right, Comrade Captain, the next route is indeed according to what you speculated." Seeing that Vanya had guessed the marching route of the troops, Sokov nodded and explained to him: "The only way is to do this." , we can minimize the loss of troops."

"Comrade Brigadier, I don't know if you have considered it." Vanya said cautiously: "In this way, we will be delayed on the road for a long time. Whether we march along the river or cross the river at the next ferry, we will be attacked by the enemy." Bombing and shelling. By the time we get to Mamayev Kurgan, at least a third of our troops will be lost."

   "Then what do you think?" After listening to Vanya, Sokov not only didn't blame him, but asked reasonably, "How should we go to minimize the casualties of the troops?"

"Comrade Brigadier," Vanya had just chatted with the crew of the tugboat and had some understanding of the situation in this section of the river, so he suggested to Sokov: "I asked the crew of the tugboat, but they were blocked by German artillery fire. The river channel is only about five or six hundred meters. As long as the tugboat can quickly tow the barge through this area, we can return to Mamayev Post in the shortest possible time.”

  Sokov was very tempted by Vanya's proposal, and almost agreed casually. But after thinking about it, no, I am a layman in shipping. As for whether I can march like this, I need to ask someone who knows how to do it. Therefore, after hesitating for a moment, he said to Vanya: "Comrade Vanya, this time There are more than a thousand sailors who returned to the city with us. They know more about things on the water than we do, so I'll ask them when they arrive."

   After waiting for a short time, Shamrih and political deputy battalion commander Shapovalenko appeared in front of Sokov. He said apologetically, "Comrade Brigadier, the troops are too scattered, and it will take some time to gather them all together."

"It doesn't matter." Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch, only forty minutes had passed since he came out of Pantai Layev, and he said magnanimously: "We still have time, we can wait for them slowly. "

After a pause, Sokov remembered Vanya's proposal, and asked Shamrih: "Comrade Captain, I would like to ask you a question. Do you think that after we let the troops board the ship, we would go directly down the river, and when we approached How about landing on Mamayev Kurgan?"

"Comrade Brigadier," Shamrikh pointed to the opposite bank after hearing what Sokov said, and asked with some surprise: "According to the prior arrangement, shouldn't we go to the opposite bank by boat first, and then go down the river?" , go to the next ferry to board the boat and cross the river?"

"That's right, the plan is indeed like this." Sokov explained to Shamrih: "But marching according to the original plan, the delay on the road is too long, so I plan to wait for the troops to board the boat and go directly down the river. We will save a great deal of time by disembarking close to the Mamayev Post."

"As far as I know, the section of the river blocked by German firepower is five or six hundred meters long." Shamrich said with a serious expression: "Maybe on land, this distance is nothing. But on the river, It takes a very long time to pass this distance. The tugboat towing the barge has a speed of only four knots, which is converted to a land speed of 7.4 kilometers per hour. That is to say, we have to pass the river of five or six hundred meters It takes at least five minutes. Do you think a slow-moving barge can withstand five minutes of German shelling?"

Shamrich's words made Sokov understand that Vanya's thinking was too much taken for granted. The barge is large and has obvious targets. If it floats under the enemy's nose for five minutes, no matter how bad the artillery is, it can sink it. . Thinking of this, Sokov decided to follow the original plan, let the troops go to the opposite bank by boat first, then walk to the next ferry, and enter the city by boat.

Just when Sokov was about to speak, Bely, who had remained silent all along, asked unexpectedly: "Comrade Captain, even if the speed of the barge can only reach four knots, we are going down the current. Factors, it will take less than five minutes for us to pass through this area.”

As soon as Bely finished speaking, Shamrich shook his head like a rattle and said: "Comrade Colonel, you are mistaken. The Volga River is near Stalingrad. Because the river is curved and there are many sandbars and shallows, the flow speed Extremely slow, even if we go down the river, the speed will not increase much."

   "Then what should we do?" Bely waited for Shamrich to finish speaking, then turned to look at Sokov, and asked him for instructions: "Should we follow the original plan, or take the risk of taking a barge down the river?"

  This is really a difficult choice, isn't it? Seeing Bely throwing the question to himself, Sokov couldn't help complaining in his heart. He wanted to return to Mamayev Post as soon as possible, but no matter how he went, the casualties of the troops would not be small, so he couldn't help being in a dilemma.

Seeing that Sokov was still unable to make up his mind, Beilei asked tentatively, "Mi Shao, why don't we follow the original plan, go to the other bank first, and then go down the river, even if encounters happen along the way?" When the enemy's air strikes or shelling strikes, we can also disperse and hide the troops in time."

   "Okay, Colonel Bely!" After repeated weighing in his heart, Sokov felt that he should act according to the original plan, go to the opposite bank first, and then march on foot to the next ferry to cross the river by boat. Although it takes a long time to do so, and it may be attacked by the enemy's air strikes and shells, it is better than sitting on a barge and becoming a target for German shelling. "Let's adopt the original plan and go to the opposite bank by boat first."

   While speaking, the sailors of the Marine Battalion came to the river. Seeing his subordinates appear, Shamrih hurriedly said to Sokov: "Comrade Brigadier, my troops are here, and I will arrange for them to board the ship first."

   "Go, Comrade Captain." Sokov waved his hand at the other party and said, "You take the troops on board first, and the rest of the troops will wait until you get on the ship."

The sailors of the Marine Battalion lined up neatly and boarded the barge in an orderly manner. Standing on the barge, Yakuda, the deputy battalion commander, asked Shamrih for instructions: "Comrade battalion commander, we need all the soldiers to come Do you want to go in the cabin? You know, they are all standing on the deck, and they are easy targets for enemy planes."

   "No need." Shamrih waved his hand and said, "We just need to reach the other side. It won't take long. Let the sailors stay on the deck."

"Yes!" Yakuda agreed, then rushed to the sailors who were about to enter the cabin, and shouted at them: "Stay on the deck, no one is allowed to enter the cabin without my order. Stay on the deck... "

   Hearing Yakov repeating the order loudly over and over again, the sailors no longer walked towards the entrance of the cabin, but formed a neat queue on the deck in units of companies.

   After the sailors boarded the ship, Vanya asked Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Brigadier, all the sailors have boarded the ship, can we board?"

"Let's board the ship!" When Sokov said this, he instinctively raised his head and glanced at the sky, seeing that today is a good day with clear skies and no clouds, and it is also the most favorable weather for enemy planes to attack, so he specially warned: "Let the soldiers prepare for air defense."

"Comrade Brigadier," Vanya naturally knew what Sokov meant by air defense, so he reminded him tactfully: "Our battalion has not many people left, so we need to adopt the tactics of concentrating fire on planes. I'm afraid it won't work."

"You don't have enough people, don't you still have a guard battalion and a marine battalion?" Sokov said to Vanya, "Anyway, even if all the troops board the ship, it will take a certain amount of time to reach the other side. You can teach them how to gather together." Tactics of shooting down planes."

   "Yes!" Vanya agreed, turned around and trotted away.

   After all the commanders and fighters boarded the ship, a sailor on the barge passed the signal flag and notified the crew driving the tugboat to start the ship. When the tugboat towed the barge full of commanders and fighters and slowly drove towards the opposite bank, Sokov immediately realized in his heart that the decision to act according to the original plan was correct. The speed of this ship may be faster than the speed of people walking Not much sooner. If you really go through the enemy's artillery blockade at this speed, it will be death.

  As soon as the barge stopped on the east bank, Sokov saw someone on the bank shouting loudly at the ship: "Is Lieutenant Colonel Sokov on board? Is Lieutenant Colonel Sokov on board?"

   "I am Sokov." Seeing that the caller was a lieutenant in a black sailor uniform, Sokov quickly agreed and asked, "What's the matter?"

  The lieutenant quickly ordered the sailors on the shore to set up a springboard for the barge, and then trotted all the way aboard. He came to Sokov, raised his hand to salute, and said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I am from the Volga River District Fleet. I just received a telegram from the Front Army Command to let your troops land. Rest in town."

   "What, let the troops rest in Red October Town?" After listening to the lieutenant's words, Sokov asked in surprise, "Then when can we set off?"

   "This will have to wait for the specific notice."

Sokov saw that he couldn't ask what he wanted from the other party's mouth, so he said to Vanya, Tenev, Shamrih and others standing aside: "You first arrange for the soldiers to disembark, and I will Later, go to the town and ask the commander in charge to see when the troops can leave."

   Waiting for several subordinates to agree in unison, return to their respective units, and arrange for the commanders and fighters to disembark, Sokov asked the navy lieutenant: "Comrade lieutenant, I wonder who is in charge in the town?"

   "It's our captain, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." The lieutenant quickly replied: "Our ship was bombed and sunk by an enemy plane two days ago, and the superior ordered the rest of us to come here and take charge of the defense of the ferry."

  Sokov glanced at Bely who was standing next to him, and asked politely, "Can you take us to meet your captain?"

"Yes, of course." Seeing that the soldiers on the barge hadn't started to disembark, the lieutenant quickly greeted Sokov and Bely: "Comrade commanders, please follow me, and I will take you two to meet our captain."

  Led by the lieutenant, Sokov and Bely came to the station in the town. The lieutenant came to the door of one of the intact offices in the station and shouted into it: "Report!"

"Come in!"

  The lieutenant pushed open the door, but did not enter the door. He stood at the door and reported: "Comrade Captain, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov is here!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, a surprised voice came from inside: "What, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov is here, hurry up and invite him in, I'm just looking for him."

  Sokov and Bely went to the door and saw a lieutenant commander sitting behind a desk in the room. The major got up from his seat, walked around the desk, came to the door and raised his hand to salute Sokov: "Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I am Major Sergei, the captain of the gunboat of the Volga Fleet."

   "Hello, Comrade Major." Sokov raised his hand to salute him, and asked curiously, "I was just outside the door, and I heard that you have something to ask for me. What's the matter?"

  Sergey didn't immediately answer Sokov's question, so he found a commander with a higher rank standing next to him, and he hesitated whether he should salute him.

Sokov saw that Sergei had been silent for a long time, but his eyes had been staring at Bely next to him. He guessed what the other person was thinking, and urged him: "Major Sergey, this is Colonel Bely, he is You came with me. Can you tell me if you need me?"

   "Comrade Major," Bely said without losing the opportunity, "I am a subordinate of Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. If you have anything to ask him, just tell him directly. Our time is precious and we cannot stay here for too long."

"That's it, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Sergei guided Sokov to the desk, pointed to the map on the desk, and said to Sokov: "I received a call from the Front Army Command not long ago, please You rush over immediately, the commander of the front army and the military commissioner want to see you. The location of the headquarters is here, and you can walk about five kilometers to the southeast."

   "Comrade Major," Sokov frowned when he learned that Yelymenko and Khrushchev wanted to see him, and asked back, "Do you know what's going on?"

   "I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, I don't know." Sergey replied simply, "I'm just conveying to you the order from my superiors. As for what to ask you to do at the Front Army Command, I don't know."

Sokov saw that Sergei's words did not mention Bely or the names of other commanders at all, so he guessed that the two chiefs of the front army might only see him alone, so he turned his head and said to Bely: "Colonel Bely, I You must rush to the front army headquarters as soon as possible, and the troops will be in charge of you."

  (end of this chapter)