"I don't want to!" All the commanders knew how to do such multiple-choice questions. Compared with the heavy casualties, it seemed that it was not unacceptable to keep the troops in the sewer that smelled bad and was not visible to the sun.
"Since everyone is unwilling to let their troops suffer heavy casualties, then immediately draw personnel and form a small team." Berkin's side of the army pointed: "Emperor Samoilov had led his troops to fight against the enemy in the sewer and had rich experience. Later, the team will be led by him to go to the sewer to familiarize himself with the terrain."
Since surveying the terrain of the sewer was related to the life and death of his troops, everyone was very active. In less than twenty minutes, they drew enough personnel and took them into the sewer by Samoilov.
The two attacks launched by the German army on the Archives Building ended in failure, not only did they die, but they also lost an aircraft. The German commander obviously could not accept such a failure. After the one-hour shelling ended, they launched another attack.
As soon as he heard the shelling outside stopped, Sokov said to Belkin: "Comrade Political Commissar, call Paulkosky, how are his troops casualties?"
Berkin nodded, and then handed the task to Captain Vanya, the chief of staff of the regiment. After receiving the order, Vanya immediately connected Paulkosky's command post and asked bluntly: "Comrade Captain, the division commander asks you how the casualties are?"
"Report to Comrade Chief of Staff," Paulkosky's ears were a little deaf in the continuous shelling. After hearing Vanya's question, he quickly replied in a loud voice: "We have nearly half of the officers and fighters killed and killed in the just-final shelling, and now there are 128 left."
"Comrade Commander," Vanya quickly covered the microphone and reported to Sokov: "There are 128 people left in a row now."
Sokov remembered that the company had more than 300 people under the full squad, and they almost caught up with a battalion of other troops. Now there are only 128 people left. It is conceivable how heavy casualties they suffered in the shelling just now. He thought for a moment, pointed at Wanya with his hand, and ordered: "Ask them, can you continue to hold your position? If you can't, replace the second company with you."
Vanya quickly let go of his hand covering the microphone and asked loudly: "Comrade Captain, the division commander asks you, can you continue to stick to it? If you think it doesn't work, we will immediately order Erlian to take over you."
"No, Comrade Chief of Staff." When he heard that his superiors were planning to withdraw his company, Paulkosky was a little anxious. Half of his soldiers were sacrificed on the position. Not only could he avenge them, but he was going to be taken down. How could he do it? So he shouted at the microphone: "Please tell the division commander that as long as there is one person in our company, we will never let the enemy cross our trenches alive."
"Misha," Berkin heard Paulkosky's determination and was afraid that Sokov would withdraw the company from the periphery, so he spoke and said, "Since Captain Paulkosky is so courageous, let them continue to hold on to their position. After dark, I will send the Second Company to take over their defense."
"Yes." Since Belkin, the leader of the regiment, had expressed his opinion, Sokov naturally would not wipe out his face, so he nodded and agreed: "Let them continue to stay on the position."
The company that remained on the position lived up to expectations and repelled two German attacks, killing and injuring more than 300 soldiers, but the entire company also reduced its personnel to 41 people.
But the gunshots and explosions outside became sparse. Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch. He saw that it was already four o'clock in the afternoon, less than an hour before darkness. According to convention, the Germans would not launch any further attacks. He said to Belkin: "Comrade Political Commissar, the first company has completed their mission. Let them take down and rest first."
Berkin nodded and then ordered Vanya: "Comrade Chief of Staff, let the Second Company go to the outer position and replace Captain Paulkosky and the others' defense."
When Sokov waited for Vanya to start calling, he asked Belkin: "Comrade Political Commissar, do you want to go upstairs with me to check it out?" Belkin thought that Sokov asked him to inspect the battlefield, so he nodded in agreement.
Unexpectedly, after reaching the roof, Sokov walked straight to the east of the building, raised his telescope and looked up the Volga River. Seeing his actions, Berkin asked in confusion: "Misha, what are you looking at?"
Sokov held up his telescope and replied without looking back: "Look at the pontoon bridge on the Volga River."
"Build a pontoon bridge on the Volga River?" Belkin said in confusion: "Aren't they afraid of being bombed by enemy planes?" According to his idea, building a pontoon bridge is a loss-making move when the river is blocked by enemy planes and artillery fire. Not to mention that it takes a lot of manpower and material resources every day to repair the blown pontoon bridge, it will also affect the passage of ships.
Sokov put down his telescope and saw Belkin holding the telescope and looking at the position where the fake pontoon bridge was built. He smiled and said to him: "Comrade Political Commissar, you've seen it wrong. Our pontoon bridge is not in the direction you are looking at."
"What, isn't the direction I look?" Belkin put down his telescope and pointed his finger at the engineers who were building a pontoon bridge on the river in the distance. He asked in surprise: "Misha, then can you tell me what those engineers are doing?"
"Yes, the engineers you saw were indeed building bridges. But the pontoon bridge they built was for the German air force and artillery." Sokov pointed to the direction of the broken bridge and continued: "The real pontoon bridge is there."
Because Belkin was not of the level, he naturally didn't know about the underwater pontoon bridge. He glanced at the broken bridge in the distance and asked unexpectedly: "But there is only the bombed cross-river bridge there, and no pontoon bridge?"
"It's right not to see it, my political commissar." Sokov said with a smile: "Because the pontoon bridge built is under the water, you naturally can't see it."
"The underwater pontoon bridge?!" Belkin was so surprised that his eyes almost fell from the ground when he heard Sokov say this. "Why are people coming under the water to build a pontoon bridge?"
"The bridge deck of the underwater pontoon bridge is only forty or fifty centimeters from the water surface, and it can't even flood the exhaust tube of a car." Sokov said proudly: "The underwater pontoon bridge can not only pass by people, but also pass through cars. In this way, we can transport more soldiers and supplies into the city in the shortest time..." After introducing the underwater pontoon bridge to Belkin in detail, he also explained that the pontoon bridge that Belkin just saw was just a fake pontoon bridge to divert the attention of the German air force and artillery.
"That's great, it's simply amazing." After hearing Sokov's story, Berkin couldn't help but shine when he thought that more troops and technical equipment were about to enter the city. "In that case, we will soon launch a large counterattack against the enemy."
"There should be a local counterattack. Speaking of a large counterattack, I think the time is not yet ripe." Sokov thought that the big counterattack in real history would be until late November, so he gave Belkin a vaccination in advance: "It will take at least one month to one and a half months to gather troops and technical equipment that are enough to crush the enemy..."
Before Sokov could finish his words, a communications soldier who followed them up walked to Belkin with the telephone and microphone and said to him: "Comrade Commander, it's the chief of staff's phone number."
Belkin put his headphones close to his ears and heard Vanya's anxious voice coming from inside: "Comrade Commander, can you go back to the command post immediately? Something unexpected happened here."
Chapter completed!