"Under the current circumstances, we can only try our luck." Klitschko said, then called the director of the communications corps and told him: "Get me through to Moscow immediately. I want to find Golikov."
General."
"Comrade Commander," the director of the communications corps said with some embarrassment after hearing Klitschko's order: "Since General Golikov was dismissed from his post, I don't know where he has been transferred?"
Klitschko thought that Golikov returned to Moscow after he was dismissed. As for what he is doing now, not many people know. If he hadn't met a friend from Moscow not long ago and accidentally mentioned Golikov,
Husband, he still doesn’t know where the other person is at this time.
Hearing the question from the Director of the Communications Corps, he quickly said: "General Golikov is now the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, responsible for the management of cadres. You can call the People's Commissar of Defense and you should be able to find him there."
After struggling for more than half an hour, Klitschko finally got through Golikov's phone call. Hearing Golikov's call, he said excitedly: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I am Klitschko, please.
How have you been lately?"
"It's okay." After Golikov answered briefly, he asked: "Your army group is currently fighting the German army heading north. Why did you remember to call me?"
"That's it, Commander of the Front Army." Although Klitschko knew that it was taboo to report over the top, but in order to prevent his troops from being annihilated in this battle, he could only bite the bullet and do such taboo things:
"My group army has suffered heavy losses after a long battle and is in urgent need of replenishment."
"The troops need to be replenished. You can contact Comrade Vatutin. He is now the commander of the Voronezh Front." Golikov asked in confusion: "What is the use of looking for me?"
"I have already looked for him, but he was unable to provide me with reinforcements at all. On the contrary, he ordered us to use the existing troops to hold our position tenaciously and not to retreat even a step."
"Comrade Vatutin's order is correct." Golikov said with some confusion: "Even if I were in his position, I would give you the same order."
"Comrade Commander of the Front Army..."
"Stop it, I am no longer the commander of the Voronezh Front."
"Comrade Deputy People's Commissar," seeing that Golikov was a little reluctant to call him by his previous position, Klitschko quickly changed his name to a new one: "In today's battle, in order to block the enemy's attack, I have
In the end, all the reserves went into battle. If the German offensive is still fierce tomorrow, I don’t think I have any power to stop them."
"What should we do?" Golikov stared at the map in front of him and asked with a serious expression: "If you can't hold the position, why don't you stop holding it? If your position is broken through by the Germans, they can go all the way north and back to Kurdistan.
In the Kursk area, we will join forces with the German Ninth Army heading south. By that time, our troops deployed in the Kursk salient will be surrounded by the German army."
"Comrade Deputy People's Commissar, I also want to avoid this kind of thing from happening, so I take the liberty to ask for your help."
"How can I help you?"
"Well, about twenty kilometers behind us is the Pushor River. The troops stationed there now are the 27th Army of Major General Sokov." Klitschko said with some embarrassment: "If we can get
With their support, I believe we will be able to block the German attack tomorrow."
"In that case, you can contact him directly." Knowing that Sokov's troops were stationed on the banks of the Pushol River, Golikov felt inexplicably relieved. He felt that as long as Sokov's troops
place, then the Germans would not be able to advance smoothly. Regarding Klitschko's proposal to ask for help from Sokov, he thought it was very good, and said kindly: "Sokov is a very easy-to-talk person.
, if he finds out that you are in danger, he will come to support you without hesitation."
"Comrade Deputy People's Commissar, that's the reason." Klitschko said with some embarrassment: "But I have never dealt with him before, so I rashly asked him for help, worried that he would reject me?"
"You were worried about being rejected by him, so you wanted to ask me to mediate." When Golikov heard this, he immediately understood what Klitschko meant, and said with a smile: "You think my face is that big?
, as soon as he comes forward, Comrade Sokov will agree to send troops to support you?"
"Comrade Deputy People's Commissar, please." Klitschko heard from the tone of Golikov's words that the other party was indeed willing to help him, so he pleaded hard: "Please and General Sokov
Say hello and let him understand the actual situation here, but it will be much easier if I open my mouth again."
"Okay, General Kryuchinkin." Golikov was still very affectionate for this general who had fought alongside him. He said euphemistically: "I will immediately tell Soko what you mean.
I will convey it to Comrade Husband, but I can’t guarantee whether he will agree to it or not.”
A few minutes later, the phone in front of Sokov rang. He thought it was one of his subordinates reporting to him the defense situation, so he picked up the phone and said, "I am Sokov, who are you?"
"Hello, Misha." Unexpectedly, a familiar voice came from the receiver: "I am Golikov."
"Hello, Comrade General." Sokov only knew that Golikov had been removed from his post, but he did not know what position he held now, so he could only address the other party by his military rank: "Do you have any instructions?"
"Instructions are out of the question." Golikov said with a smile, "I do have one thing I want to ask you for help with."
"Comrade General," Sokov thought Golikov was joking with him, so he said with a smile: "How can I help you?"
"Yes." Golikov suppressed the smile on his face and said seriously: "Almost twenty kilometers south of you, General Klitschko's 69th Army is deployed. After a long battle, they
Finally, even the reserves were exhausted. If the Germans launch another fierce attack tomorrow, their positions are in danger of being breached. As a group army commander, you should know very well that if the 69th Group Army's positions are breached by the enemy,
, what serious consequences will it bring?”
"Yes, Comrade General, I understand very well." Sokov nodded and said: "Once the 69th Group Army's position is breached, the German army can continue to advance north, detour back to the location of Kursk, and compete with their
The troops moving south will join forces and encircle all our troops deployed in the Kursk salient."
"Misha, you have indeed seen this." Golikov waited for Sokov to finish and said with a smile: "Now there is an opportunity to prevent the 69th Group Army's defense zone from being breached. Are you willing to help?"
When Sokov heard what Golikov said, he began to think quickly in his mind: "The 69th Army Group used to be under the command of Golikov. Today he called himself inexplicably and specifically mentioned this unit.
, does he want to entrust his affairs to be related to the 69th Army?"
As Sokov thought, he lowered his head and looked at the map in front of him, looking for the location of the 69th Army. After seeing the opponent's position clearly, he immediately guessed the purpose of Golikov's call. If the German army really broke through the 69th Army,
69 Group Army Defense Area, then the next target of attack is the location of your own troops. In order to prevent your defense area from being attacked by the enemy, you must find a way to block the enemy from a distance.
Wanting to understand this, Sokov asked tentatively: "Comrade General, I want you to call me. Do you want me to send troops to strengthen the defense of the 69th Group Army to prevent the enemy from breaking through our defense line?"
"It saves trouble to talk to smart people." Golikov was still hesitating in his heart, how to say this to Sokov. Unexpectedly, it only took a moment for the other party to guess his purpose, and he said with a smile:
"I'm calling you to ask you to send a unit to reinforce the 69th Group Army."
"Comrade General, if you are still serving as the commander of the Voronezh Front, as long as you give the order, I will immediately send troops to reinforce." After thinking for a moment, Sokov shook his head and said: "But now, please forgive me,
I cannot agree to your request."
Seeing that Sokov rejected his request, Golikov was so angry that he turned livid. He wanted to scold him twice, saying that he no longer served in the army, but he actually refused to pay his own debt. But then he thought about it.
Cove's approach is understandable. After all, if he mobilizes troops without permission from his superiors, he is in danger of being sent to a military court at any time.
Just when Golikov was in a dilemma, he suddenly heard Sokov say again: "Comrade General, there is a proverb in the far East, which is called "the lips are dead and the teeth are cold." He originally wanted to say "idiom", but there is no such thing in Russian.
He could only use "proverb" to replace this word, "which means that if the lips are gone, the teeth will feel cold. Now the relationship between us and the 69th Army is the relationship between lips and teeth. If the 69th Army fails
, then we will directly face the enemy's attack."
From Sokov's words, Golikov keenly realized that the other party was actually willing to send troops, but it needed to go through a procedure, so he asked tentatively: "Misha, what do you need to do before you are willing to send troops?"
"It's very simple." Sokov didn't want to send troops to fight the Germans and be punished for it in the end, so he went straight to the point and said to Golikov: "Please ask General Klitschko to make a request to Commander Vatutin.
He contacted my front commander, General Konev, and after receiving approval, I will immediately send troops to reinforce the 69th Group Army."
"This is a good idea." Golikov thought about it carefully. Sokov's method is the safest. Everyone has said hello, and it is justifiable for them to send troops again. "I immediately told the matter
Klitschko, let him get in touch with General Vatutin."
Klitschko received a call from Golikov. When he learned that Sokov was willing to send troops to help him, he couldn't help crying with joy. As for Golikov, he asked him to report to Vatutin, who would then contact Konev.
One thing, of course, he wholeheartedly agrees to.
After receiving the call from Klitschko, Vatutin felt particularly strange. He asked Khrushchev who was sitting next to him: "Comrade Military Commissar, tell me why Klitschko invited Sokov
Send troops to support him?"
"Comrade Commander, please look at the map." Chief of Staff Ivanov interrupted: "Look, the defense area of Sokov's troops is located twenty kilometers north of the 69th Group Army. Once the German army implements an effective
After the breakthrough, their next attack target was the 27th Army deployed on the banks of the Pushor River."
"The chief of staff is right," Khrushchev said slowly: "Based on what I know about Sokov, he will definitely not watch the friendly forces in front being defeated by the enemy, so he will send troops without hesitation.
.However, for the sake of safety, some procedures that should be followed are still indispensable."
After hearing Khrushchev's explanation, Vatutin immediately understood what was going on. He nodded quickly and said: "I understand. Then I will immediately contact General Konev and ask him to send Sokov's troops."
Reinforce the 69th Group Army."
When Vatutin called Konev, a fierce debate was taking place in Sokov's headquarters. Lunev questioned Sokov's plan to send troops: "Comrade Commander, now we are deployed in Pudong
There are only three divisions and one tank corps on the Shoal River. If we deploy troops to reinforce the 69th Group Army, it will weaken our defense power in the existing area. Once the reinforcements we send fail to block the enemy's attack, the enemy will
Like a tidal wave rushing towards the Pushor River, what kind of power can we use to stop them?"
After Sokov waited for Lunev to finish speaking, he first glanced at Samyko, who was silent, and then said: "Comrade Military Commissar, you must have just heard the conversation between me and General Golikov. Now we
The relationship with the 69th Group Army is the relationship between lips and teeth. Once the lips are gone, the teeth will feel cold. In order to avoid this situation, we must send troops to support the 69th Group Army."
"How many troops are planned to be transferred there?" Lunev once again raised his question: "The troops sent are too few and they will have no effect. If too many troops are sent, then our defense force here will be overwhelmed.
Greatly weakened."
"A division." Sokov raised a finger and said: "I plan to send Colonel Koida's 188th Division. Their division is now fully staffed and well-equipped, plus they have undergone rigorous training some time ago.
, there shouldn’t be any problem in blocking the enemy.”
"I agree with Comrade Commander." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Samyko echoed: "I know what Comrade Military Commissar is worried about. I am worried about the majority of recruits in the army, and I have no idea about the combat effectiveness.
But as the chief of staff, I know very well that if these troops are used for offense, their combat effectiveness may not be ideal, but if they are used for defense, one division can completely defeat two friendly divisions."