Chapter 2758

After a rest, the troops set out again.

Sergeant Zub came to Sokov and said worriedly: "Comrade Captain, the people we took in have no combat effectiveness at all except wasting our food. If we encounter new scattered small troops, should we not take them in again?"

Sokof knew that Zub was telling the truth, but those who seemed like a burden at the moment would be reorganized after arriving at the new defense zone, and they would be a force that should not be underestimated. "Sergeant Zub, you can't say that. The soldiers we have taken in have lost their organization. When we reach our destination and reorganize them, they will soon be able to form new combat effectiveness."

"Comrade Captain is right." Chulsin, who was walking next to him, echoed: "Sergeant Zub, don't think they are a burden. When we return to our defense zone, there will definitely be many troops scrambling for such soldiers. If we don't control them now, where will we recruit soldiers with combat experience? Do you want the entire army to be made up of recruits?"

After listening to the two people's words, Zub realized that he had thought the problem too simply, and quickly apologized to Sokov: "I'm sorry, Comrade Captain, it's I thought things were too simple. "

"It's okay." Sokov said generously: "This is human nature. After all, the incident in the early morning scared everyone."

After a pause, Sokov said to Chulxin and Zub: "You two are people I trust. If we fight with the enemy again before we find the friendly defense line, even if you are scattered, you must find a way to stay by my side. Do you understand?"

Although Chulxin and Zub did not understand what Sokov meant by this, they still nodded: "I understand!"

After the last time Sokov traveled through time, he realized a serious problem: if he did not have his own team, he would face many difficulties in carrying out his work in a new environment. When he was the commander in the later period of the war, why was he able to command the troops to the extent of being able to use his arms and fingers? It was mainly because he had a group of classmates from the Frunze Military Academy to help him. This time, before becoming a senior commander, he needed subordinates like Konstantin, Chulxin and Zub to help him around.

In the evening, the soldier who was exploring the way ahead came back to report to Sokov: "Comrade Captain, we found a road ahead. There is an open space opposite the road, and there is a forest more than 200 meters away."

Sokov waited for the soldier to finish speaking, and then asked hurriedly: "Have you found any traces of the enemy?"

"No." The soldier shook his head and said: "We have carefully observed and found no traces of the enemy."

"That's good, that's good." Knowing that there were no traces of the enemy, Sokov felt relieved. If you want to continue moving forward, you must cross the road, but there is an open area of ​​several hundred meters opposite the road. If the enemy appears on the road when passing through the open area, a battle is bound to occur. Once you are entangled by the enemy, it will not be so easy to get out.

Sokov found Vlasov and reported to him: "Comrade Commander, the soldiers who explored the road ahead said that there is a road ahead, and there is a few hundred meters of open land opposite the road, and then there is a forest. Will you allow us to pass through this road?"

Hearing what Sokov said, Vlasov did not make a decision immediately, but waved his hand and said: "Take me to see."

Sokov brought Vlasov, Colonel Del, and five or six soldiers including Chulsin and Zub to the edge of the forest near the road. Looking at the seven or eight meters wide dirt road ahead, Sokov did not say a word. It didn't take much time to cross the road, but it would take at least two or three minutes to enter the forest opposite. One or two people are better, the target is small, even if Germans appear on the nearby road, it will not have much impact. But if hundreds of people pass by at the same time, once they are noticed by the Germans, fighting is inevitable.

After checking the terrain around him, Vlasov turned to Colonel Del and asked, "Chief of Staff, what do you think?"

Colonel Del said without hesitation, "While there are no enemies now, order the troops to quickly pass through this road and go to the forest on the opposite side."

But Vlasov did not immediately agree to his proposal, but expressed his concerns: "From here to the forest on the opposite side, there are several hundred meters away, even if you run, it will take two or three minutes. If the enemy happens to appear on the road when we pass by, then our whereabouts will be exposed, and it will be very dangerous. Besides, we don't know what the situation is like in the forest on the opposite side. What if the Germans are ambushing there, we rush through rashly and fall into their trap."

Sokov didn't expect that Vlasov would think so complicated about a simple road problem. He said quickly: "Comrade Commander, can I tell you what I think?"

"Of course." Vlasov nodded and said sensibly: "Captain Sokov, I know you have a lot of ideas and you will definitely come up with a good solution. Can you tell us how to pass this road?"

"We can pass in groups." Sokov replied: "Ten people in a group, pass the road in batches, and wait until the first group enters the opposite forest before the second group sets off. At the same time, we set up a machine gun on each side of the road, and if we find the enemy coming, we can suppress them with firepower."

"This is a good idea," Vlasov said approvingly after hearing this: "Then follow the method you said. By the way, first send a group of people to the forest opposite to check if there are any Germans in it."

"No problem, Comrade Commander." Sokov agreed very readily: "I will send someone there right away."

Soon, the first group of soldiers exploring the path was assembled, and Sokov asked Chulsin to be the leader. When they set off, Sokov also specifically warned: "Chursin, after you lead people into the forest on the opposite side, you must search carefully to see if there is any German ambush. After confirming that there is no enemy ambush, send people back to I report.”

"Understood, Comrade Captain." Chursin repeated Sokov's order: "As soon as it is confirmed that there are no enemies in the forest opposite, I will immediately send someone back to report." After a moment of pause, he added, "If If I find an enemy ambushing me, I will fire a warning shot immediately.”

Sokov held Chulsin's hand and said with concern: "Be safe, I wish you good luck!"

When Chursin's team left the forest, crossed the road, and quickly rushed towards the opposite forest, Sokov called Konstantin in front of him: "Second Lieutenant Konstantin, I give you a mission. Don't we have two rifles?" A light machine gun? You and your men will set up the machine guns on both sides of the road. Once you find an enemy threatening the passing troops, shoot immediately."

"Yes, Comrade Captain." Constantine replied quickly and loudly: "I will immediately go to set up security."

Then Sokov called Sergeant Zub in front of him and told him: "Sergeant Zub, you lead the second group. When Qursin sends someone back to report that the forest on the opposite side is safe, you will lead the second group." The second group quickly crossed the road and entered the forest on the other side."

"clear."

Colonel Del, who was standing not far away, saw Sokov giving orders to everyone. He couldn't help asking Vlasov in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, you and I both know that according to the records, Captain Sokov He has only been in the army for more than a month, but when you look at him giving orders, he looks like a commander with many years of command experience.”

In fact, Vlasov also had doubts about Sokov's origins. When he first met Sokov, Sokov said that he had just joined the army for a day or two, but judging from his speech and behavior, he did not look like an ordinary person at all. Who among ordinary people would dare to break into a German armored column single-handedly and capture 12 of the enemy's tanks in one go? Even a veteran with combat experience, with dozens or twenty tanks behind him, would probably not dare to do this.

Hearing what Colonel Del said, Vlasov said with emotion: "Maybe Sokov is a military genius, otherwise I would not be able to explain what I saw."

"Then what position do you think he can reach in the future?"

"I can't say exactly where he will be in the future." Vlasov said thoughtfully: "As long as he can survive on the battlefield, in three to five years, he may have the opportunity to become the commander of the group army. ”

"Ah, he can become the commander of the group army in three to five years?" Colonel Del said with some surprise: "This is too fast. I thought it would be good if he could become a division commander."

Fortunately, Sokov did not hear the content of the conversation between the two. Otherwise, he would have refuted the other party in his heart: It will take another three to five years before he has the opportunity to become the commander of the group army. Who are you looking down on? You know, the last time he traveled through time, it only took a little more than a year for him to assume the position of commander of the group army, and he defeated the German army on the battlefield with fear.

After the first group led by Chulsin successfully entered the forest through the open area, Sokov's nerves became highly tense and he stared at the forest opposite, fearing any gunshots coming from inside. If there are really gunshots, it means that the Germans are found in the forest on the opposite side, which means that the road is blocked and the route must be changed to escape the German encirclement.

After half an hour of long waiting, Sokov saw a soldier running out of the forest opposite. Through the telescope, he could clearly see the expression on the soldier's face. There was no panic or fear, only unconcealable joy.

From the expression on the soldier's face, Sokov suddenly felt at ease, indicating that there was no trace of the enemy in the forest opposite.

However, he did not immediately order Sergeant Zub's second group to set off. After all, he only observed the expressions on the soldiers' faces and did not understand the actual situation in the forest opposite, so he could not act hastily.

Seeing the relaxed expression on Sokov's face, Vlasov quickly took the telescope in his hand and looked at the soldiers running over. At the same time, he asked Sokov: "Captain Sokov, we didn't hear gunfire from the forest opposite. Does this mean there are no enemies inside?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sokov nodded and replied: "When Chursin led the team to leave, he made an agreement with me that if an enemy is found, he will fire a warning shot in time. If there is no enemy, he will send People come and report."

Upon hearing this, Colonel Del immediately urged: "Captain Sokov, since there are no enemies in the forest opposite, order everyone to pass quickly. Otherwise, when the Germans come, it will not be so easy to pass."

Seeing that the soldier reporting the news was about to reach the highway, there was a roar of a motorcycle engine from the west of the highway, and it seemed that a motorcycle was approaching. Because the direction the sound came from happened to be at a bend in the forest, it was impossible to see clearly whether the approaching motorcycle belonged to the Soviet army or the German army.

The soldier who was running, after hearing the sound of the motorcycle, did not dare to continue running forward. Perhaps he was afraid of exposing himself, so he just lay on the ground.

Sokov saw that the soldier was only a dozen meters away from the road. As long as he worked harder, he could run over in a dozen seconds. But now he was lying on the ground. Although there were weeds as cover, if the German motorcycle passed by, the German soldiers sitting on it would still be discovered.

Thinking of this, Sokov shouted at the soldier: "What are you doing lying there? Come over here!"

Hearing Sokov's shout, the soldier quickly got up from the ground and rushed towards the location of Sokov and others with a gun.

Because he had just delayed some time when he lay down, he crossed the road and rushed into the forest. A sidecar three-wheeled motorcycle emerged from the corner of the road. There were two German soldiers on the car, one was a motorcyclist wearing goggles, and the other was a machine gunner sitting in the sidecar.

He saw the soldier who rushed into the forest, shouted, then raised the MG3 machine gun fixed on the sidecar and started shooting crazily.

"Lie down, lie down quickly!" Although most soldiers were lying down, Sokov was worried that some people were still standing and would be hit by the German machine gun bullets, so he shouted loudly and asked everyone to lie down on the spot.

After everyone lay down, they did not immediately fire back. Therefore, the German motorcycle was in a fast-moving process, and even if they fired, it would not be easy to hit the target.

When the motorcycle was more than 30 meters away from where Sokov and others were hiding, Constantine, who was hiding on the roadside with a machine gun, decisively ordered the machine gun to fire.

The German was caught off guard. First, the machine gunner was shot, his head tilted back, and then he fell off the motorcycle. Then, the bullet hit the motorcyclist again, and the out-of-control sidecar motorcycle rushed directly into the forest.

Sokov didn't know whether this motorcycle was a pioneer exploring the way or a messenger delivering a letter. But he could not care about so much at the moment, and decisively issued an order, "Everyone cross the road immediately and rush to the opposite forest as fast as possible."

As Sokov's order was issued, the soldiers at the edge of the forest got up from the ground, crossed the road in a swarm, and ran through the open space to the distant forest.

And Sokov led a few soldiers to surround Vlasov, Colonel Del and Nikolsky in the middle to cover them through this open space.

After entering the forest, Chulsin immediately came up and asked with concern: "Comrade Captain, are we moving now?"

Sokov immediately ordered: "Count the number of people to see if everyone is here."