Sokov's "prophecy" was verified a few days later. Rokosovsky personally called him and said with emotion: "Misha, you are right in your analysis. The Voronezh Front defeated the German Ranz battle cluster with three armies and recovered Kharkov, the Ukrainian industrial center."
"Comrade Commander of the Front, this is really exciting news." Sokov said cautiously after reorganizing the words in his mind: "But the Germans may launch a crazy counterattack next."
"Misha, you can rest assured of this." Rokosovsky said with a smile: "I have conveyed your advice to him by phone with General Golikov. He has done all measures to deal with it. Even if the Germans launch a crazy counterattack, he can handle it calmly."
"Actually, what I am worried about is not General Golikov, but General Vatutin on the other side." Sokov knew very well that Manstein did not care about the Soviet occupation of Kharkov. He focused his attention on the south side and was preparing to concentrate on dealing with the southwestern front of Vatutin. "I think they will become the primary target of attack for the Germans."
"I don't think so." Rokosovsky was skeptical about Sokov's "analysis": "As far as I know, the German defense line was already broken under the fierce attack of our two fronts. Moreover, General Vatujing's troops also approached Manstein's headquarters, the important city of Zaporozer, located at the bend of the Dnieper River. As long as friendly forces can take the city, the enemy will have to give up the existing defense area and retreat to the other side of the Dnieper River."
He paused for a moment and continued, "I think the focus of the defense next should be in the direction of Kharkov. After all, the liberation of Kharkov will be of great help to restore the military production of our army. The Germans are definitely unwilling to see this situation happen, so they will concentrate all their strength to counterattack Kharkov."
"Comrade Commander of the Front," Sokov was silent for a moment, feeling that he should report to Rokosovsky on the problems faced by the Southwest Front: "At General Vatujin's Southwest Front was deeply in the depths of the enemy, his wings were exposed to the German army. Moreover, our troops were advancing too fast, and the logistics supply line was damaged by the German army because of the roads and bridges along the way and could not be put into use normally. Once the flanks and supply lines were attacked, they would face a catastrophe."
If it were another commander, he would definitely criticize Sokov in a harsh tone when he heard him say this. After all, the Soviet army's offensive is now like a rainbow, but you are here to sing a counter-tune, saying that the offensive troops are facing danger. This is simply a defeatist argument and should be criticized severely.
Rokosovsky covered the microphone with one hand and gently patted the desktop with the other hand, but his eyes were on the map on the opposite wall, and his mind repeatedly pondered Sokov's statement.
Sokov heard the sound of the earpiece suddenly disappear, but there was no blind voice after hanging up. After waiting for two minutes, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, are you still listening?"
"I'm still here." Sokov's voice woke Rokosovsky up from his contemplation. He quickly said, "Misha, I just thought about what you said carefully and felt that it was very possible. I need to report this matter immediately. Help me take good care of Ada." After that, he hung up the phone without saying a word.
After finishing the call with Sokov, Rokosovsky realized the seriousness of the problem and immediately contacted the Kremlin through the high-frequency phone call in the headquarters. Hearing Poskrebekinv's voice coming from the receiver, Rokosovsky politely asked: "Hello, Poskrebekinv! Is Comrade Stalin in the office?"
"Yes, he is in his office." Poskrebekinv knew that Rokosovsky had called, and there must be something important, so he quickly said to the microphone: "General Rokosovsky, please wait for a moment, and I will notify Comrade Stalin." He pressed the button of the intercom on the table, and when he heard a sound, he immediately said respectfully, "Comrade Stalin, the call from General Rokosovsky is on the front line."
"Come in." After Stalin said this, he picked up the phone on the table: "I am Stalin."
"Hello, Comrade Stalin." Rokosovsky said respectfully: "I have important information to report to you."
"Tell me, Konstantin Konstantinovich." Stalin heard Rokosovsky's voice, smiled on his face, and called the other party's real name and father's name affectionately, and asked, "Call me, is there anything important?"
"Comrade Stalin, I think you should have received the war report from the front. The Voronezh Front commanded by General Golikov has taken over Kharkov from the Germans."
"Yes, I have received such an exciting battle report." Stalin asked back: "Did you call me to congratulate me?"
Rokosovsky hesitated for a moment and decided to tell the truth: "Comrade Stalin, I call you because I discovered that General Vatujing's Southwest Front Army is now in danger."
Stalin's smile froze on his face. He took a few deep breaths before suppressing the anger in his heart: "Comrade Rokosovsky, don't you know that the Southwest Front troops have approached Manstein's headquarters and have the possibility of seizing this city at any time. We were already in sight of victory, but you want to say some frustrating words. Why didn't I see that Vatujing's troops are in danger? Tell me, who instilled such a ridiculous idea into your mind?"
"Comrade Stalin, when I first heard of this possibility, I thought it was very absurd." Rokosovsky decided not to speak Sokov out of it, so he took all the responsibility on himself: "After careful observation, I found that General Vatujing's troops penetrated the German defense depth of hundreds of kilometers, and their wings had long been exposed to the enemy. In addition, the supply line was damaged by the enemy because of the enemy's destruction, and there were very few supplies that could be sent to the front in time, and it came very slowly. If the German army discovered the weakness of our army, launched an attack from the flank, and cut off their supply line, then the Vatujing's troops would be in danger of being surrounded."
"Comrade Rokosovsky, I think you are nervous." Stalin did not pursue where this absurd remark came from, but retorted: "Don't you know that our army has several times more powerful and technical equipment than the Germans? Even if the supply status is not ideal now, it would be impossible for the Germans to surround us.
I had just been on the phone with Vatujing, and he told me with great certainty that the enemy had been hit hard by our army after the demise of the Paulus group. As long as our army continues to advance, they will escape the Dnieper River without looking back. As for counter-assault, it is impossible to happen."
"Okay, stop talking." Stalin heard that Rokosovsky seemed to want to defend something, so he interrupted his words without saying a word: "I just wiped out the Paulus group, and there are still many problems to solve. You can take care of your own part. Don't worry about the matters between Vatuting and Golikov."
After Rokosovsky put down the phone, he asked Malining, who was standing aside: "Chief of Staff, if you want to replenish a unit, how long will it take to complete it?"
"Comrade Commander," Malining did not understand the purpose of Rokosovsky's question, but answered truthfully: "It depends on what size of the soldiers it is to supplement. If it is at the level of the army, it will take at least two and a half months..."
Before Malining finished speaking, Rokosovsky raised his hand and interrupted the words behind him: "It's not the level of the army, nor the level of the army, but the replenishment of the division-level troops. How long will it take?"
"It is much easier to supplement the troops at the division level." Malining calculated for a moment in his mind and replied: "If there are less than two thousand people, it can be completed in one day; if there are two thousand to five thousand people, it will take two days; if there are more than five thousand people, it will take about three or four days."
"Then I'll give you three days." As soon as Rokosovsky and Malining finished speaking, he immediately continued: "The number of troops to supplement the 41st Guard Division shall not be less than 6,000."
"Replenish the 41st Guard Division of Sokov?" Malining asked in surprise: "Their division has nearly 7,000 troops now. If they add 6,000 troops, the total force will reach 13,000, which is equivalent to two other divisions. I don't understand, there is no war now, why do we need to add so many troops to them?"
"Chief of Staff, I have an ominous premonition that what Misha said may become true." Rokosovsky pointed to the map and said to Malining: "After the 41st Guards Division completes the reorganization, they will be deployed near the Southwest Front. Once the situation on the battlefield becomes unfavorable to our army, they will be able to block the rushing enemy."
"Comrade Commander, do you also think that General Vatujing's troops will fail?"
Chapter completed!