If someone else had said this, Malankin would have scoffed, but who is Sokov? Even though he is young, the army is full of legends about him, saying that as long as the area defended by his troops, even if
No matter how powerful the German army is, they can never break through its defense line.
Sokov was not a roundworm in Malanjin's belly, so he naturally didn't know what the other party was thinking. He was considering how to defend himself. After staring at the map for a while, he felt that he could not get more useful information, so he could only ask Malanjin for help.
Jin asked for advice: "Comrade General, according to the map, on our right wing is the 305th Infantry Division. What is the current situation of this unit?"
Hearing Sokov's question, Malanjin did not answer, but turned to look at the chief of staff aside. The understanding chief of staff quickly straightened his body and replied: "Report to Comrade General, the 305th Division has reduced its troops after the battle.
Very powerful, as far as I know, they have no more than 2,000 soldiers left?"
"What, there are less than two thousand people left?" Sokov couldn't help but frowned: "Then how big is their defensive front?"
"Five kilometers."
"Five kilometers?!" Sokov was startled by this data. A force of less than 2,000 people had to defend a five-kilometer-wide frontal position, which meant that each person was responsible for defending a 2.5-meter section.
But in this way, he had some idea in his mind. In the next battle, he should tell Koida to focus his defense on the 305th Division on the right, and if necessary, invest troops there to avoid attacking his flank.
exposed to the enemy.
"Comrade General," seeing Sokov's serious expression, Malankin said cautiously: "Although the 305th Division is severely lacking in troops, there are a large number of permanent fortifications in the areas they defend, and there are densely packed areas in front of the positions.
With the mine array, it is still very difficult for the enemy’s armored forces to break through in this area.”
What is the most important thing in a defensive war, is fortifications? If there are solid fortifications and a complete defense system to rely on, it will undoubtedly increase the chance of a successful defense. But how should he arrange the defense next? Sokov feels that he has not asked Malan
Jin pushed the need to be honest. He just smiled and said: "Comrade General, thank you for telling me all this. I will arrange the defense deployment of my department according to the specific situation."
"Comrade General," the chief of staff saw an officer and soldiers coming in from outside with breakfast, and he said politely to Sokov: "You must not have had breakfast yet? If you don't mind, just eat some with us."
"
Sokov saw the officer who had just come in from the door and ordered the soldiers to put the samovar, cups, plates with sugar cubes, plates with bread, canned pickles, and canned meat stew on the table one by one. He said jokingly
: "Comrade General, your breakfast is really rich. It seems that if I have the opportunity in the future, I will ask you to come here to have a meal."
Sokov's words caused a round of good-natured laughter, and the atmosphere in the whole room suddenly became much more harmonious. Several people sat down around the table to have breakfast. The chief of staff poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Sokov, apologetically.
He said: "General Sokov, I'm really sorry, because there will be a war later, and we can't treat you to a drink. We can only warm you up with a cup of hot tea."
"It doesn't matter, I never drink when I'm commanding operations." Sokov politely responded: "It's good to drink tea. Even though it's summer, the temperature is still too low every morning. Drinking some hot tea can just warm you up."
Warm yourself up."
While everyone was having breakfast, they started chatting. In order to get to know the Guards Division Commander in front of him, Sokov politely asked: "General Malankin, I don't know which unit you have been in since the war broke out. Maybe we have worked side by side."
What about combat?"
"When the war broke out, I served as the quartermaster of the 16th Army..."
"The quartermaster of the 16th Army?" Upon hearing this familiar number, Sokov said in surprise: "So, you have always been a subordinate of General Rokossovsky."
Unexpectedly, Malanjin shook his head after hearing this and said with a wry smile: "Comrade General, you don't know something. The original commander of the 16th Group Army was Lieutenant General Lu Jin, and General Rokossovsky was only the Ninth Mechanized Army at that time.
Commander, it was not until General Lu Jin was transferred to the commander of the 20th Army that he became the commander of the 16th Army."
When he learned that the other party was actually Lukin's subordinate, Sokov suddenly had an absurd idea in his mind: During the Moscow Defense War, when the 16th Army was fighting fiercely with the enemy, Konev, who served as the commander of the Western Front,
But he inexplicably ordered Rokossovsky to hand over the troops to Lukin, and then led his headquarters members to Vyazma to receive the fictitious troops. In retrospect, Konev's order was a bit inexplicable, but it made him
Rokossovsky and his command were saved from danger of capture.
Could it be that Konev is also a time traveler just like him? But as soon as this idea came up, Sokov vetoed it. This is impossible. If Konev is also a time traveler, with the historical knowledge he has mastered, it is impossible.
Perhaps he made no achievements in the early stages of the Great Patriotic War, and even relied on Zhukov's protection to escape the fate of being dismissed.
"Comrade General, Comrade General." Malanjin found that Sokov was holding a piece of bread in his hand and staring at the can of stewed meat in front of him. He seemed to be thinking about something and called him several times. When Sokov raised his head,
While looking at himself with a blank expression, he smiled and asked, "I see that you seem to have something on your mind. Can I ask what you are thinking about?"
Naturally, Sokov would not tell Malankin that he was wondering whether Konev was a time traveler from the future like himself. If his original order was not given to Rokossovsky but to Lu
As for Jin, maybe Rokossovsky is the person staying in the prisoner of war camp at this moment, and Lukin has the opportunity to become a wartime marshal.
But now that Malankin has asked this question, Sokov can only say perfunctorily: "I heard you mentioned General Lukin, and I was wondering how he is doing now."
"After we were besieged in Vyazma, Commander Lukin ordered us to carry out a dispersed breakout in order to prevent the troops from being wiped out." Malankin heard Sokov mention Lukin and couldn't help but sigh and said: "I
We led a guard company to break out south and met a guerrilla group in the forest. With their help, we successfully jumped out of the enemy's encirclement. However, the unit led by Commander Lu Jin failed to break through.
Come."
Although the division chief of staff has been working with Malanjin for more than a year, he has never heard him mention this matter. When I heard Malanjin say this, I couldn't help but ask: "Comrade division commander, do you know how General Lu Jin is doing now?"
?”
"I have inquired through various channels." Malanjin said with a solemn expression: "But the information I got was contradictory. Some people said that General Lu Jin had died, and even swore that they saw the general breaking out with his own eyes.
During the battle, a shell fell next to him and exploded, and he died on the spot. Some people also say that Comrade General did not die in fact, but was captured by the Germans."
"Comrade division commander," the chief of staff asked again: "Which one do you think is more likely?"
Malanjin was silent for a moment, and then said cautiously: "I think the rumor of sacrifice is more reliable. If he was captured by the enemy, the enemy would definitely publicize their achievements; secondly, with General Lukin's character, even if
If he fell into the hands of the enemy, he would try his best to escape. Now, almost two years have passed and there is still no news about him. I think he must have died."
"General Malankin," Sokov, who came from the future, naturally knew that Lukin was fine at the moment. However, when he broke through, his leg was blown off by the running of the German army. Even if he wanted to escape from the enemy's prisoner-of-war camp, he would be powerless.
Seeing how frustrated Malanjin was when he mentioned Lu Jin, he couldn't help but interjected: "I think General Lu Jin is still alive. Maybe when our army invades the enemy's border, you can personally rescue him from the prisoner of war camp."
come out."
"What, General Lukin is still alive." Malanjin grabbed Sokov's arm and asked excitedly: "General Sokov, did you hear some gossip?"
"I don't have any gossip." Sokov shook his head and said, "I just analyzed the situation based on what you just said. You said someone saw him being knocked down by a shell, but the person who said that didn't
Didn’t you run over to check?”
Malanjin thought for a while, shook his head and denied, "No, according to the person involved, he was busy rushing out with the troops at the time, and just watched General Lu Jin being blown down by a shell from a distance, and did not step forward to check.
"
"That's right." In order to let Malanjin know the fact that Lukin is still alive, Sokov began to analyze him step by step: "Since he didn't come forward to check, it can't be proved that General Lukin died. Maybe.
General Lu Jin fell to the ground because he was stunned by the shell or injured."
"If the Germans capture General Lukin, they will definitely publicize it in the newspapers." Malankin heard this and said with some confusion: "But I checked a lot of captured newspapers, especially after the Battle of Vyazma
newspapers, but I didn’t see any news about General Lu Jin at all.”
"I think the general must have been seriously injured when he was captured, and was even in a coma." Sokov continued: "The Germans were very cautious in doing things, without knowing the true identity of the opponent and determining whether they could be rescued.
On the premise of keeping him alive, we will not report casually. Maybe by the time the Germans figure out that he is General Lukin, a long time has passed. Even if they are retreating from the city of Moscow, there will be no time to report a wounded person.
Soviet general."
Sokov's analysis gave Malankin a glimmer of hope. He said emotionally: "General Sokov, according to your analysis, General Lukin may be staying in a German prisoner of war camp."
?”
"Comrade General, I think this possibility is very high." Sokov nodded and said: "General Lukin survived despite being seriously injured and is now staying in a certain German prisoner of war camp.
, waiting for us to rescue him."
"General Sokov, please forgive me." When Malankin was convinced of what Sokov said, the division chief of staff raised a question: "How can you be sure that General Lukin is still alive and is still staying somewhere?
In a prisoner of war camp?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov looked at the Chief of Staff in front of him and said with a smile: "My troops have liberated dozens of prisoner of war camps and incorporated most of the rescued commanders and fighters into my combat troops.
.Among these comrades who have regained their freedom, we have discovered more than once that many of them were declared missing or even sacrificed. However, before that, both their superiors and family members thought that they had been sacrificed."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, please stop talking." Seeing that his Chief of Staff seemed to want to say something more, Malanjin immediately stopped him: "I think General Sokov's analysis is very reasonable. General Lukin may now be
Stay in a German prisoner-of-war camp." After saying this, he faced Sokov again and said in a pleading tone, "General Sokov, if you have the latest news about General Lukin in the future, please tell me
Tell me promptly."
Sokov only knew that Lieutenant General Lukin was rescued by the US military in the prisoner-of-war camp of Mosburg on the Isar River in Germany a few days before the victory of the war, but he did not know where he was being held now. Therefore, he faced
In response to Malanjin's plea, he nodded slightly and said solemnly: "Don't worry, Comrade General, once I have news about General Lu Jin, I will definitely inform you as soon as possible."
"Thank you, General Sokov." Malanjin held Sokov's hand tightly and said emotionally: "On behalf of the surviving commanders and fighters of the original 16th and 20th Group Armies, thank you."
Malanjin's words made Sokov realize that if he could provide them with evidence that Lu Jin was still alive, and even tell them the prisoner of war camp where the other party was being held at the moment, he might be able to gain more friendships in the military. Don't look at Lu Jin.
After being captured, the 16th and 20th armies he commanded were both annihilated by the Germans, but many of his old troops still survived, such as the Guards Division commander in front of him, Major General Malanjin.
It was based on this consideration that Sokov nodded vigorously and said: "Don't worry, Comrade General, I think I will not let you down."
Everyone finished the somewhat humble breakfast while chatting. The division political commissar came back from outside alone. He reported to Sokov: "Comrade General, the troops of the 188th Division have arrived. After completing the defense handover, the division's political commissar came back.
Colonel Ida is busy deploying new defenses."
After learning that the troops had taken over the Guards Division's position, Sokov felt that he should rush back immediately to take a look, so he stood up and said goodbye to Malankin: "General Malankin, I want to go over and see the defense situation. Thank you for your hospitality."
.”
When Malanjin sent Sokov off, he smiled and said politely: "General Sokov, please pay attention to safety on the road. We welcome you to come as a guest at any time."