The reason why the 125th Regiment sent by Sokov was able to unexpectedly capture the Red Army Village was entirely because the main forces of the German army were attracted by the First and Second Battalions to the near highlands east of the city, with less than 200 defenders left in the city. This force was scattered in the city, and faced the fierce offensive of the Third Battalion sailors, they had no ability to resist at all.
After learning that the 125th Regiment had occupied the Red Army Village, Sokov ordered Vetkov to report the matter to Rokosovsky, and then he prepared to take a guard platoon and rush to the Red Army Village in armored vehicles. Before the German counterattack troops arrived, choose the position to establish a defensive position.
Just as Sokov was about to leave, Vetkov reminded him: "Comrade Commander, our large army is coming towards Donetsk. Which army do you plan to hold on to the city?"
After taking a look at the marching routes of each division, Sokov said to Vetkov: "I think the important task of defending Donetsk is to be handed over to Major General Merkulov's 67th Guard Division, and then a tank brigade is provided to them, so that even if the German army dispatches armored troops, we can fight against them."
On the way to the Red Army Village, Sokov met the 122nd Guards Regiment of Papchinko.
As soon as he saw Sokov, Colonel Papchinko said with a grievance: "Comrade Commander, you are so biased. Colonel Stalkia's 124th Regiment occupied Donetsk, and Colonel Yershakov's 125th Regiment captured the Red Army Village. However, our regiment has not received a single task. Now the commanders and fighters of the regiment are in a state of emotion."
"I think the person who is emotional is you, Colonel Papuchinko." Sokov exposes the little thoughts of the regiment commander in front of him and says to him: "Our division has successively occupied Donetsk and the Red Army villages, and the Germans will never give up. If my analysis is correct, the German troops carrying out counterattacks are already on the way. Therefore, the enemy doesn't have much time left for you. The first thing you do after entering the position is to seize the time to repair fortifications."
"Comrade," said Colonel Papchinko in embarrassment at Sokov's order: "The soldiers have become exhausted after a long distance march. I am worried that they do not have enough energy to build fortifications."
"How to build fortifications is your business." Sokov said with a serious expression: "If you have not completed the construction of fortifications when the enemy appears, then there is a possibility of being defeated by the enemy. During the Stalingrad defense battle, there were many elite troops of our army, so there were no fortifications on the battlefield, and they were easily defeated by the enemy."
Papu thought about it carefully and Sokov made a very reasonable statement. The Mamayev gang that he had been defending at the time was because of the perfect fortifications. As soon as his troops left the fortifications, it was difficult for them to advance, which proved that the enemy could not take down the Mamayev gang. It was not that the enemy's combat effectiveness was not good, but that the fortifications of Mamayev gang were too good for defense.
Thinking about this, he quickly replied: "Don't worry, comrade of the division commander, I will immediately send your order to the commanders and fighters. As soon as the troops enter the defensive zone, they will hurry up and repair the fortifications."
Sokov entered the Red Army village and came to the headquarters of the 125th Regiment, praising Yershakov and others.
Yershakov, who had just captured the city, was in an excited state. As soon as Sokov finished speaking, he immediately expressed his opinion: "Comrade Commander, don't worry, as long as our regiment sticks to the city, we will never let the enemy occupy this city."
"I plan to hand this city over to the 75th Guards Division for defense." The reason why Sokov was anxious to arrive here was to arrange defense as soon as possible, and to complete the construction of fortifications before the main force of the German army arrived. Therefore, he instructed Yershakov: "The mission of your regiment is to build fortifications outside the city as soon as possible and block the enemy from the city far away."
"Comrade Commander, I have one more thing to report to you." When he heard that Sokov planned to order his regiment to withdraw from the city, Yershakov was not upset. The Russian-style posed conditions to Sokov: "When we occupied the city, we found a batch of 14.5mm quadruple anti-aircraft machine guns. If we were to defend outside the city, I hope to equip these batch of anti-aircraft machine guns to our regiment."
"Four-connected anti-aircraft machine gun?" Sokov's eyes lit up when he heard the weapon that Yershakov said. Therefore, this anti-aircraft machine gun can not only be used to attack enemy aircraft, but also flat-fired infantry, which is simply a nightmare for infantry. He asked quickly: "How many are there?"
"There are twelve struts that need to be pulled by a car or a carriage."
"Is there enough ammunition?"
Yershakov nodded vigorously and replied: "I think this batch of anti-aircraft machine guns should be the inventory of our army. Since the city fell, it has fallen into the hands of the enemy. I went to the warehouse to check it myself. Each anti-aircraft machine gun can be equipped with no less than 10,000 bullets, including a lot of armor-piercing incendiary bombs, which can not only be used to deal with the enemy's planes, but also to deal with the enemy's tanks and armored vehicles at close range."
"Comrade Colonel, in addition to the aircraft, tanks and armored vehicles you mentioned, this anti-aircraft machine gun can also be used to flat-fire infantry." Sokov thought of the German offensive troops, who were beaten to death by the 14.5mm quad-aircraft machine gun, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly. "For the troops, this anti-aircraft machine gun is simply their nightmare."
"I understand, comrade of the division commander." Seeing Sokov agreeing to hand over the anti-aircraft machine guns to his troops, Yershakov quickly replied: "Now there is still a small group of enemies, probably a company of troops, huddling in the western suburbs, trying to use the terrain there to resist stubbornly. After I destroy them, I will use it as our regiment's defensive position."
"Comrade Colonel, take action now." Sokov learned that there was an enemy in the western suburbs, and hurriedly instructed Yershakov: "I will give you two hours, and you must take down the enemy's position."
"Two hours?" Hearing the time Sokov gave himself, Yershakov's face showed a embarrassed expression: "Comrade Commander, will two hours be too little? You know, it takes more than half an hour for our troops to move to the vicinity, and the remaining one and a half hours to attack, which is a bit too hasty."
"Comrade Colonel, don't you know that your superior's orders can only be executed, not for discussion?" Sokov did not want to bargain with Yershakov, so he ordered him in a stern tone: "Take your troops now."
Faced with Sokov's strong tone, Yershakov did not dare to refute, so he could only agree and rush to the western suburbs with his troops to eliminate the enemies entrenched there.
Among the fortifications in the western suburbs of the city are the remnants of the vanguard of the Imperial Division. After they realized that the city was occupied by the Soviet army, they decisively chose to retreat and retreated to the fortifications in the western suburbs, intending to rely on the fortifications to defend here and wait for the arrival of the main force of the Imperial Division.
When the 125th Regiment's troops appeared in the distance, they were immediately discovered by the German sentries in the fortification. After a while, the German battalion commander came to the trenches and raised his telescope to look at the place where the Soviet army was gathering in the distance. Seeing that the other side had only infantry but no tanks, he became much more at ease.
The German battalion commander said to his subordinates: "Don't worry, the Russians do not have tanks. If they want to break through our defensive positions, they will have to pay at least two thousand lives. Everyone should stick to their respective positions."
Yershakov called the offensive mission to Shamrich's third battalion. He called Shamrich to his presence and pointed to the German fortifications in the distance and said, "Comrade Major, have you seen the enemy's fortifications? In addition to the crisscrossing trenches and traffic trenches, there are many civil and industrial firepower points. The attack is very difficult. Can your battalion take it down?"
"Don't worry, comrade commander." The third battalion was the main force in seizing the Red Army Village. The commanders and fighters of the battalion were at a high morale moment. Naturally, they would not feel that it would be difficult to seize a position that only one or two hundred enemies were holding on: "Our battalion guaranteed to complete the attack mission you assigned us."
Just as the third battalion was ready to go, Sokov came to the front. He raised his telescope and looked at the opposite side for a while, turned his head to Yershakov and said, "Comrade Colonel, order a force to launch a feint attack on the enemy's position. Once it is counterattacked by fire, he will immediately lie down on the spot. No one is allowed to stand up until he sees the signal flare."
"Comrade instructor," Yershakov asked in confusion about Sokov's somewhat inexplicable order: "Why?"
"Don't ask so many whys." Sokov didn't want to explain to him, and said to himself: "You just need to convey my orders so that the casualties of the troops can be reduced during the attack."
Sokov's order was quickly conveyed to the third battalion, which was responsible for the attack. Although everyone did not understand the meaning of Sokov's order, it was still implemented unconditionally.
After the attack began, Captain Agranov, the company commander of the Third Battalion, who was in charge of the feint attack mission, walked in front of the troops with a pistol. While he walked, he shouted at the soldiers at the top of the voice: "Brothers, once the German army starts shooting, you will immediately lie down on the spot and fight back at the enemy. No one is allowed to stand up until he sees the signal flare."
The enemy's position was silent until the Eighth Company was still 150 meters away from their trench, when the German machine guns opened fire. Some sailors were shot and fell down. The remaining commanders and soldiers quickly lay down on the spot as ordered, raising their guns to fight back at the exposed German firepower points.
"Comrade Commander," Seeing that the enemy's position opened fire, Yershakov quickly reported to Sokov: "The enemy has opened fire, what should we do next?"
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov said to Yershakov with a smile: "Let your twelve anti-fire machine guns, and at the same time shoot at the enemy's positions, and eliminate the exposed fire points."
Yershakov only understood the meaning of Sokov's order just now, and nodded quickly, and the anti-aircraft machine gun company that was temporarily formed issued a shooting order.
With a command, twelve four-unit 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine guns began to shoot at the German positions. The fire point was exposed on the position, and it was hit hard in an instant, and it was immediately dumb. Even the enemies hiding in the fire point in the earth and wood did not escape the bad luck, and were still hit by the steel bullets pouring down like heavy rain.
In just a few minutes, all the firepower points exposed on the German positions became mute.
"Comrade Colonel, the enemy's firepower points have been almost wiped out." Sokov saw that the enemy's firepower points were mute, so he nodded with satisfaction, turned his head to Yershakov and said, "Order the anti-aircraft machine gun company to stop shooting and send signal flares, so that the troops can start attacking."
"I understand, comrade of the division commander." Seeing the German firepower point that was causing him a headache, Yershakov was accidentally shot to ashes by dense anti-aircraft machine gun bullets. He quickly agreed excitedly and began to issue instructions to his troops according to Sokov's order.
As a red signal flare representing the attack rose into the air, the soldiers who were originally lying on the ground jumped up and rushed towards the enemy's position. As the enemy suffered huge losses in the baptism of anti-aircraft machine gun bullets just now, their resistance seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the swarming Soviet commanders and fighters.
Seeing the Soviet commanders and soldiers rushing into the opposite position one after another, Yershakov raised his hand and looked at his watch, and found that only an hour had passed since receiving Sokov's order. Only then did he realize in his heart that the time Sokov had set for himself was not too short, on the contrary, there was still a lot of room for him.
Yershakov looked at Sokov and said with admiration: "Comrade Commander, you are so amazing. I really admire you for being able to take down the enemy's strong defense position in such a short time."
"Okay, don't flatter me." Although Yershakov's words made Sokov feel comfortable, he understood more that the German reinforcements were coming. If they could not build a line of defense as soon as possible, the next battle would be difficult. He urged Yershakov: "Since the position has been taken down, then take your subordinates and build fortifications there. Remember, you must complete the basic defense work before the German reinforcements arrive."
After Yershakov left with the troops from the regiment command, Sokov turned around and said to the radio operator behind him: "Send a telegram to Colonel Vitkov and ask if there are any latest instructions?"
Soon, the radio operator handed over a telegram to Sokov and said to him: "Comrade Commander, Colonel Vitkov, the chief of staff of the group, transferred the order of the front army to build a new line of defense in the Red Army village, Donetsk, to fight against the possible attacks by the German army."
Chapter completed!