"I think our division cannot leave Lugansk no matter when." Sokov received a call from Rokosovsky. After learning about Popov's situation, he said his reasons without hesitation: "Menstein's troops have been supplemented and strengthened, and their technical equipment is far more than us. If we leave Lugansk rashly to support friendly forces, we will be easily defeated by the enemy."
After saying this passionately, Sokov suddenly regretted it. He felt that he had made a low-level mistake, that he was talking too much, even if the person who was talking to him trusted him very much.
Fortunately, Rokosovsky did not care about Sokov's attitude, but continued after a while of silence, "Misha, admit that what you said makes sense. But as the troops closest to the Popov fast cluster, once you see them in danger, you cannot refuse to save them. If the Germans allow them to destroy them, the enemy will soon turn around and attack you. With your strength, whether you can block the enemy's attack will be a question."
Now that Rokosovsky has put it to this point, Sokov decided to take a step back: "Commander of the Front Army, although we cannot leave the existing defensive positions, we can here to pick up the defeated troops and let them retreat safely into our defense zone."
The purpose of Rokosovsky calling Sokov was to wait until Popov's cluster was defeated and the remaining troops could be safely retreated to Lugansk, but he was worried that Sokov would not agree. Therefore, during the call, he deliberately asked Sokov to reinforce Popov. Seeing that the goal had been reached, he finally said: "When your division's defense zone starts to accept Popov's troops, remember to notify me."
When Sokov put down the phone, he thought to himself that if he was the one who commanded the Kharkov battle, he would definitely wait for all the participating troops to take their place and leave enough reserves before launching an attack. At the same time, the logistics supply base should also move forward with the combat troops to ensure that the troops can receive supplies in a timely manner.
But then he thought about it that the victory of the Stalingrad defense battle made many senior Soviet commanders blinded by the victory. They thought the German army was vulnerable and wanted to drive the Germans out of the Soviet territory as quickly as possible. This kind of steady and step-by-step tactic would definitely not work.
"Chief of Staff," he turned to Cydolin and said, "The commander of the front army had just given me an order. When General Popov's rapid cluster was hit hard by the German army and the troops were defeated, he found a way to accommodate more commanders and fighters into the defense zone of our division."
"Comrade," Sidolin immediately understood what he meant when he heard Sokov say: "You mean to prepare their place as soon as possible, right?"
"Yes, even if only one or two thousand people retreated into our defense zone, their food and accommodation were a big problem." Sokov said: "Also, there must be a large number of wounded people in the middle of them. Now there is only a medical team led by Asia in the city, and I'm afraid that they can't take care of so many wounded people."
"So should we notify Pavlov's military doctor and ask him to immediately lead the field hospital that has just been formed forward?"
"Yes, Misha." Belay said on the sidelines: "I also feel that the time to move the field hospital forward is ripe, so that they can come here early. Even if there is a fight here, there will be enough medical staff to take care of the wounded."
Sokov was reluctant to let the field hospital go to Lugansk, first to have enough time to form a field hospital, and secondly, because there are not so many wounded and sick people in the city to treat. Now that the situation has changed, it is natural to let the field hospital go to Lugansk. He nodded and said to Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, send a telegram to Pavlov's military doctor, ordering him to lead the field hospital immediately, carry enough medicine to arrive in Lugansk, and prepare for combat missions."
Besides, Pavlov, who was staying in Stalingrad, had been eager to go to Lugansk to meet with the division headquarters after completing the establishment of the field hospital. However, he had not received the order to move forward and could only stay in the city and provide various trainings to the newly supplemented health workers every day.
After receiving the telegram from Cidolin, he immediately summoned all the medical staff of the field hospital, waved the telegram in his hand, and said excitedly: "Comrades, I just received a telegram from the Chief of Staff. He ordered our field hospital to rush to Lugansk immediately and meet with the main force of the division." The medical staff lined up, when they heard Pavlov say this, couldn't help but cheer loudly when they thought that they were about to go to the front line.
After the medical staff returned to tranquility, Pavlov arranged a departure sequence: military doctors and senior health workers took the first batch to Lugansk; and the new health workers who had just finished training were used as the second echelon, escorting medicines and then rushing to the front line.
As the medical staff got on the bus one after another, the hospital's political commissar asked Pavlov in a low voice: "Comrade Director, what should Ada do? Let her stay and take care of the wounded, or go to Luhansk with us?"
According to Pavlov's original intention, he must have asked Ada to stay here to take care of the wounded. After all, many of the wounded were brought back by her personally from Lugansk. But then he thought, it was not appropriate to let Ada stay. If his field hospital leaves and other troops take over it, and when he sees Ada here, he directly incorporates her into another field hospital, what should he do? If Ada has any problems, I am afraid no one can calm Rokosovsky's anger.
Thinking of this, Pavlov gritted his teeth and said, "Let Ada act with us and arrive in Lugansk as soon as possible."
The hospital political commissar did not expect Pavlov to make such a decision, and asked in surprise: "Comrade Dean, aren't you worried that Ada will encounter danger on the front line?"
"Comrade Political Commissar," Pavlov said to the hospital political commissar: "Even if you stay here, it is not necessarily safe. If other troops take over here and see Ada who cares for the wounded, without knowing her identity, he will directly organize her to their field hospital and let her go to the battlefield to rescue the wounded, which will be dangerous."
In order to dispel the political commissar's concerns, Pavlov continued: "Even if the battle in Lugansk is very fierce in the future, as long as we are still alive, no one will let Ada go to a dangerous place. Do you understand, my political commissar?"
Chapter completed!