Sokov did not expect that as soon as he met Rokosovsky, the other party would ask himself such a difficult question. After a long silence, he answered cautiously: "Comrade General, please be honest. Although the terrain on the south side of the position is flat and not conducive to defense, it is not a big problem if it only blocks the enemy. If you want to attack from here, I think it is unlikely to succeed."
After hearing this, Rokosovsky turned his head and looked at Malining. Seeing that the other party smiled but did not speak, he turned his head to look at Sokov and asked: "Misha, let's listen to your analysis and judgment, so that we can understand why we can't succeed."
"Our offensive forces can only enter the position from the north side of the hillside. Since it is very difficult to cross a river first, then wait for the steep hillside to transport tanks and artillery up." Sokov said: "Without the support of tanks and cannons, simply using infantry attacks, you will inevitably pay a huge price to break through the enemy's defense line..."
"If we stockpile a large amount of troops here and launch an assault on the enemy's defense line unexpectedly." After listening to Sokov's analysis, Malining asked tentatively: "So is it possible that success is greater?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov said to Malining, "I do not deny that concentrating superior forces in a certain area and carrying out attacks on the enemy's defense line will definitely achieve great results. But I think it is not possible here. The attack on the front is too narrow and cannot be deployed too much force. If our officers and soldiers attack in a crowded formation, once they are intercepted by enemy artillery fire, they will cause extremely heavy casualties."
Everyone thought they could launch an assault from the position occupied by Sokov and others to the enemy's defense depth, but after Sokov's analysis, they found that this position was nothing but a piece of waste, and it was a pity to abandon it. "Comrade Commander," Malining sighed softly and asked Rokosovsky: "What should we do? Just stick to that position, or use it as the starting point of the attack?"
"No matter what, this is the nearest road to Orlovka." Rokosovsky also agreed with Sokov's analysis in his heart. However, as the commander of the Don Front, he was a commander of the Don River Front, for overall considerations, even though he knew that the attack from this direction would be difficult to achieve ideal results, he still had to try it. Therefore, he said decisively: "We must try to launch an attack from here to see if we can advance to Orlovka. As long as we can reach that transportation hub, then it will be possible for us to meet the defenders in the city."
Sokov knew very well that Rokosovsky was different from his own identity and the angles of the issues he considered were also different. In his opinion, it was difficult to achieve any results by launching an active attack on the enemy from that position, except for losing troops. Rokosovsky was the only hope to break the German encirclement at that time. Therefore, he did not continue to be entangled on this issue, but disconnected the microphone in time: "Comrade Commander, I want to ask, what should we do next?"
"The wounded people you carry can be placed in our field hospital." Rokosovsky took the initiative to arrange the wounded people in field hospitals, one to reduce the burden on Sokov and others, and the other to think that after these wounded people recovered, they could replenish their combat troops nearby. However, he could not make any decisions about Sokov and others' arrangements, so he could only say cautiously: "I will immediately send someone to General Yelemenko and Comrade Khrushchev to inform them of your situation, and they will arrange your stay or stay."
Maximenko, the director of the Communications Corps, stood not far away. When he heard Rokosovsky say this, he quickly said: "Comrade Commander, I will arrange for the radio operator to send a report to the headquarters of the Stalingrad Front, and report the news of Lieutenant Colonel Sokov and his friends here to General Yelemenko and Comrade Khrushchev."
While Maximenko was sending a newspaper, Rokosovsky looked at Sokov and said teasingly: "Misha, remember when I first met you, you were the garrison platoon leader guarding the town of Shimki. I had invited you to come to my army and I could make you a company commander, but you refused."
Rokosovsky's words reminded Sokov of the past, and he muttered in his heart: If he had agreed to Rokosovsky's recruitment, would his current position and military rank be higher?
While he was thinking about it, he heard Rokosovsky continue to say: "How is it, it's not too late to come to my army now. I can make you a division commander and apply to your superiors for promotion to major general."
The position of division commander is not very attractive to Sokov. Although he is only a brigade commander now, he is commanding several divisions and regiment-level combat units. However, the proposal to be promoted to major general made Sokov excited. Although his military rank is only two levels apart from major general, for many people, it is a life-long barrier that cannot be overcome.
Seeing Sokov remained silent, Rokosovsky realized that he was a little moved by his proposal, so he struck while it was hot and said, "Anyway, you may have to stay here for a few days. You might as well think about it carefully and give me a reply."
As Sokov's friend, Yakov, who had never spoken, finally couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Misha, General Rokosovsky's suggestion to you, you might as well consider it."
Sokov knew very well that if he returned to the city, his military rank and position would not change at any time, but there was a possibility of sacrifice at any time. If he agreed to Rokosovsky's invitation, he would soon become a division commander and even be promoted to major general.
Many staff and correspondents in the headquarters looked at Sokov with envious eyes. Everyone knew in their hearts that as long as Sokov nodded, a young general with great military achievements would appear in the Don River Front within a few days, and his future would be unlimited.
However, after a long wait, everyone saw Sokov shook his head slowly and said with a firm expression: "Comrade Commander, thank you for your kindness. I am the brigade commander of the 73rd Brigade of the Infantry of the 62nd Army. My troops are still fighting tenaciously with the enemy in Mamayevgang. I cannot abandon them at this time, so I cannot accept your invitation. I need to return to the city and fight with my soldiers."
Although Rokosovsky had long guessed that Sokov would reject him again, when he actually heard Sokov show his attitude, a deep sense of loss surged in his heart. He sighed and said regretfully: "Misha, it seems that we have no chance to fight side by side."
"Comrade Commander, look at what you said." Sokov remembered that after the Battle of Stalingrad, the 62nd Army commanded by Cuikov was first adapted into the 8th Army of Guards, and then he was incorporated into the Central Front of Rokosovsky. He did not worry about not being able to become a subordinate of Rokosovsky. Sokov smiled and said, "Maybe the army commanded by General Cuikov will be placed under your command one day. At that time, will I become your subordinate?"
"I hope so!" After Rokosovsky said this insincerely, he saw Maximenko coming towards him and asked quickly: "Comrade Director of Communications, has Yeliamenko called back?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Maximemko nodded and said, "I think General Yelemenko is staying up late at the moment to call us back so quickly."
Rokosovsky took the telegram from Maximeko. Before he could even read it, he couldn't wait to ask: "What did General Yelemenko say in the telegram?"
Maximenko glanced at Sokov, who was standing beside Rokosovsky, and replied: "The telegram said that the remnants of the 308th Infantry Division head north to Dubofka for reorganization. The remnants of the 73rd Infantry Brigade and the remnants of the Guard Battalion went to Wenrefka to receive new troops there."
Rokosovsky threw the telegram aside and leaned over to look at the map on the table. After looking for a while, he looked up and asked Malining: "Chief of Staff, I remember you seemed to tell me during the day that there were a group of recruits in Wenrefka, about 4,000 people?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Malining guessed Rokosovsky's intention to ask this, glanced at Sokov quickly, and continued: "In Wenrevka, a group of soldiers was indeed arrived, but only two-thirds were recruits, and the rest were sailors drawn from the Northern Fleet."
"A third of them are sailors?" Rokosovsky's face suddenly smiled when he heard Malining say this. He turned to Sokov and looked at Sokov: "Misha, did you hear it? One third of the soldiers who are about to add you are sailors."
"I heard, comrade Commander." Sokov heard that there were thousands of sailors among the soldiers who were supplementing him, and his heartbeat could not help but accelerate. Although the sailors had poor light weapons and equipment, their combat effectiveness was far superior to that of the army. With these sailors, there was no problem at all in the Mamayev Club until the end of the battle. He said excitedly: "I believe that with the cooperation of these sailors, we will definitely be able to firmly guard the Mamayev Club."
Rokosovsky looked around and found that there were no other school-level officers here except Sokov, Yakov and Bere, so he asked curiously: "By the way, where are Colonel Gurdiev, the commander of the 308th Infantry Division, and his political commissar Comrade Svelin?"
"Comrade Commander," when Rokosovsky asked about Gurdiev, Malinin quickly replied: "The commanders and soldiers of the 308th Division entered the city with Lieutenant Colonel Sokov. I sent someone to place them in an empty house in the south of the city. The division commander and political commissar of the division are assisting the commander's staff to arrange accommodation for the soldiers."
After Rokosovsky learned where Gurdiev was going, he raised his hand and looked at his watch, and said to Sokov and Bere: "Misha, Colonel Bere, it's getting late, so you go back and rest first. After dawn, I will send someone to Wenrefka."
After Sokov followed Yakov to the room where he lived, he asked Yakov curiously: "Yakov, you should be still sleeping when we entered the city. I want to ask, how did you know that I was at the headquarters?"
"The news of your entry into the city was reported to General Rokosovsky by the officer on duty." Seeing Sokov's face full of confusion, Yakov explained to him: "Then he sent someone to wake me up and let me accompany him to the headquarters to see you."
After a moment of pause, Yakov asked again: "Misha, I'm very curious, why don't you agree to Rokosovsky's invitation to stay in the Don Front instead of returning to the dangerous city?"
"Yakov," although from the heart, Sokov was unwilling to return to that dangerous city, but in front of Yakov, he had to sing a few high-profile lines: "The Germans have rushed into the city, and there must be someone to stop them. As a command center, I should be with my own soldiers at this moment and fight tenaciously with the Germans in the city."
"Misha, you're right." Yakov raised his hand and patted Sokov's shoulder twice, and said with envy: "If Comrade Ustinov had not sent a telegram and ordered me to rush back to Moscow immediately, I would also like to return to Stalingrad with you and see with my own eyes how you made achievements."
When Sokov learned that Yakov was going back to Moscow, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, as if he had unloaded the big stone in his heart. The old man was by his side and put too much pressure on him. If he really had any accidents on the battlefield, he wouldn't be able to take it.
Sokov said: "Yakov, after you return to Moscow, please find a way to send us a batch of rockets. We do not have air supremacy, tanks and cannons, and the number of enemies is not as large as that of the enemy. If we want to defend our position, we really cannot do without this new rocket."
"Don't worry," Yakov said, slapped his chest and said, "As soon as I returned to Moscow, I urged the arsenal to work overtime for you to produce, and make sure you have enough rockets to use."
After expressing his gratitude to Yakov, Sokov asked, "When will you go back to Moscow?"
"I originally planned to leave when it dawn, but General Rokosovsky said that he would fly back to Moscow at noon the day after tomorrow and let me take a plane back with him."
Sokov knew that at Rokosovsky's level, if he was flying back to Moscow, the Air Force would definitely send at least one squadron of fighter jets to escort it, and the safety along the way was absolutely guaranteed. He nodded and said, "It's good to take a plane. You can reach your destination in at most two hours, which is much faster than taking a train."
Chapter completed!