Chapter 1445: Making a feint to the east and attacking in the west
Seeing the 180-degree turn in the attitude of the residents present, Lyapkin narrowed his smile to a slit. He took the loudspeaker from Sokov's hand and raised his voice and shouted: "Comrades,
We need two hundred people to repair the water supply system in the city that was damaged by the Germans. If you are willing to participate, please line up at the small table on the left. Our comrades will group you according to your expertise and arrange accordingly.
work."
Seeing the residents rushing toward the small tables, Lyapkin continued: "Comrades, our work is not free. Each person who participates in the restoration work can receive 500 grams a day.
Bread, and two pickled tomatoes…”
Seeing that the problem here had been resolved, Sokov had no time to listen to what Lyapkin was saying. Instead, he walked to Lunev and asked him in a low voice: "Comrade Military Commissar, are you following me?"
Should we go back to the headquarters together, or should we stay here and help our local comrades continue their work?"
Lunev glanced at the beaming Lyapkin, thought for a moment, and then said decisively: "Comrade Commander, I know that the war is coming, but I can't help you by your side. I think, I still can't help you."
Stay here, restore the water and electricity supply in the city as soon as possible, let the factories resume work and shops open this morning..."
Sokov did not force anyone to do anything, so he simply said: "Okay, Comrade Military Commissar, you can stay." He looked left and right, and then waved to Serelkov, who was standing not far away.
, ordered him: "Comrade Lieutenant, I have entrusted the safety of the military commissar to you. You must promise me that you must ensure the safety of his life just like you protect your own eyes."
"Comrade Commander, please rest assured." Serelkov quickly glanced at Lunev, and then said in a firm tone: "We will definitely protect the safety of comrade Military Commissar."
After explaining the task to Serelkov, Sokov extended his hand to Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, we will see you after we liberate Kharkov. I wish you good luck!"
…………
As soon as Sokov returned to the headquarters, Samyko came up to him and reported excitedly: "Comrade Commander, good news."
"Good news?!" Sokov raised his eyebrows and asked casually: "Caught the German pilot?"
"You guessed it right, Comrade Commander." Sameko replied with a smile: "Our soldiers finally found the parachuting pilot after repeated searches in the forest."
"He didn't try to resist?"
"No, he was seriously injured and had lost the ability to resist." Sameko reported: "When our soldiers found him, he was lying unconscious under a tree. Our soldiers carried him back to the station.
, after examination by the military doctor, it was found that his legs had been broken, a broken rib was inserted into his lung, and he also lost a lot of blood. Our military doctors are giving him first aid, and it is still unknown whether he will survive."
"Oh, he was seriously injured?" Sokov frowned slightly and continued: "Where did our soldiers find him?"
"Here," Samyko pointed to a location on the map and said to Sokov, "it is only one kilometer away from the starting position of the 384th Division."
"Are any Germans looking for him?"
Unexpectedly, Sokov's words actually stopped Sameko from asking: "This...I don't know about this. I guess...it probably doesn't exist."
Sokov stared closely at the map on the table, frowning and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, let me ask you, if our plane is shot down by the enemy in the defense zone, will you send someone to search for it?"
"Needless to say, of course we have to look for it. Your plane was shot down last time, and we sent people to search in time..." What Sameko blurted out came to an abrupt end when he said this. He suddenly realized that he said
He let it slip that he was shot down by a German plane while checking the terrain on the battlefield. This was an embarrassing incident for Sokov. If he said it at this moment, he might make the other party angry. So Samyko quickly defended: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander,
I didn't mean to target you..."
Unexpectedly, Sokov's mind was not on this matter. He was thinking that if the German army found out that the reconnaissance plane had been shot down, they would definitely send troops to search. If the whereabouts of the pilot could not be found, I am afraid that the German army would become suspicious. In order to avoid this worst case,
If something bad might happen, some actions must be taken in other areas to divert the attention of the Germans.
Thinking of this, he raised his head and asked Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, where is the main force of the 98th Guards Division now?"
"They have all arrived at the Oude River and are stationed in the forest on the west bank." Samyko didn't know why Sokov suddenly thought of asking about this, so he asked with some surprise: "Comrade Commander, why are you asking about this?"
"
"Is the phone line connected?"
"Yes, the phone line is open."
"Put me through the headquarters of the 98th Guards Division immediately. I want to speak to Colonel Chuvashov."
Although Samyko didn't know why Sokov was in a hurry to talk to Chuvashov, he still ordered the communications soldier to quickly connect Sokov to the headquarters of the 98th Guards Division.
Sokov put the microphone to his ear: "Hey, is this Colonel Chuvashov? I'm Sokov!"
"Hello, Comrade Commander." Colonel Chuvashov's respectful voice came over the phone: "Do you have any instructions?"
"Comrade Colonel, I would like to ask, can your troops go into battle now?"
"Come into battle now?" Chuvashov asked in surprise: "Didn't Chief of Staff Samyko just give us the task to temporarily rest by the river and wait until the time is right before launching an attack on the enemy?"
"Yes, I did ask Samyko to give you such an order." Sokov said expressionlessly: "But now the enemy situation has changed, and you need to launch an attack from the direction of the landing site to reconnoiter the German defenses.
Condition……"
Chuvashov did not have the slightest doubt about the order issued by Sokov. He waited for Sokov to finish and immediately replied: "I understand, Comrade Commander, I will immediately issue the order to the 299th Guards Regiment.
Give them combat orders and send them into battle."
"Comrade Colonel, I will send the 85th Independent Tank Battalion to assist your attack." Sokov said into the microphone: "Now you are ready to attack, and when the time comes, launch an attack on the enemy."
Samyko waited for Sokov to put down the phone and asked with some surprise: "Comrade Commander, the 296th Regiment of the 98th Guards Division is fighting the German attack on the east bank of the Ude River. Is it right to launch an attack on the enemy at this time?
Isn’t it a bit inappropriate?”
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I know that my order is a bit sudden, but I also have my own considerations in making such a decision." Sokov explained to Samyko: "Look at where the German pilots parachuted.
, it is only one kilometer away from the 384th Division’s night attack starting position, and the enemy will definitely have doubts. Why did our fighter jets shoot down their reconnaissance aircraft in this airspace?
If the enemy becomes suspicious because of this matter and strengthens defense in the area, it will have an adverse impact on the 384th Division's operations tonight. In order to divert the enemy's attention, it is necessary for us to make some noise in other areas.
Attract the enemy's attention."
"Comrade Commander," Samyko put forward his own different opinions on Sokov's consideration: "The reconnaissance plane was shot down by an enemy plane. This kind of situation is common on the battlefield. We don't need to make a fuss.
Should we carry out an offensive operation at the bridge? You must know that the consequence of doing so will be a loss of our manpower."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov has already made a decision. Naturally, he will not change his mind just because of Samek's words. In addition to attracting the attention of the German army, more importantly, he wants to conduct reconnaissance
Let’s take a look at the German defense strength near the bridge in order to decide whether to adjust the next battle plan. "My order cannot be changed. You should immediately notify the commander of the tank battalion and ask him to be prepared to cooperate with the attack of the 299th Guards Regiment."
"
Those who questioned Sokov's order were not only Samyko, but even Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Uzakov. When Chuvashov assigned him a task, he immediately revealed his
Concerns: "Comrade Division Commander, I think it is very unwise to attack the enemy at this moment."
In order to convince Chuvashov, he pointed to the map and said: "The enemy has formed an arc-shaped encirclement around our landing site on the east coast. If we only use one regiment to carry out the assault, the enemy is fully capable of cutting off the attacking troops and the landing site.
If there is no contact between us, then our troops will be in danger of being annihilated."
Then, Uzakov conducted a deduction on the map to Chuvasov, trying to make the other party understand how stupid it was to attack the enemy with a regiment. He finally said: "Comrade division commander, I
It is strongly recommended that you immediately report to Comrade Commander and request him to cancel this offensive operation."
Chuvashov seemed very hesitant. He didn't know whether he should call Sokov and ask for permission to stop the attack. He just stared at the map in front of him and thought hard.
Seeing Chuvashov's delay in responding, Uzakov couldn't help but become a little anxious: "Comrade division commander, we can no longer hesitate. Even if our offensive troops can be covered by tanks, they still cannot escape being surrounded and annihilated by the enemy.
I implore you in the name of the division chief of staff, please ask Comrade Commander to terminate this wrong offensive order."
Chuvashov weighed the situation again and again, slapped his hand on the table, and said decisively: "Okay, Comrade Chief of Staff, I will call Comrade Commander right now and ask him to terminate this attack."
Unexpectedly, after the call was connected, the person who answered the phone was Samyko. After patiently listening to Chuvashov's words, Samyko said to him: "Comrade Colonel, I understand what you mean, and I also know about this attack."
Possible dangers. But as a commander who has been in the army for more than twenty years, don’t you know that orders from superiors can only be executed and cannot be discussed?"
"But, Comrade Chief of Staff, are we just going to watch our soldiers die?..."
"That's enough, Colonel Chuvashov, don't say any more." Before Chuvashov could finish speaking, Samyko interrupted him in a stern tone: "Do you think Comrade Commander and I would just watch helplessly?"
Do you want to watch your soldiers die? To tell you the truth, when the 299th Guards Regiment attacks, it will not only get the cooperation of the 85th Independent Tank Regiment, but also the artillery support of the 1st Artillery Division, and even the front army headquarters will send the air force
, to provide air cover for your attacking forces."
Chuvashov, who was already trapped, couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard Samyko's words: "Comrade Chief of Staff, are the artillery support and air cover you mentioned true?"
"Of course it's true." Samek said: "When did Comrade Commander stop keeping his words?"
"I understand, Comrade Chief of Staff." Now that there is support from the air force and artillery, the 299th Regiment's attack seems less dangerous. Chuvashov quickly replied: "I immediately ordered the 299th Regiment to enter the attack position.
, be ready to attack the enemy at any time."
…………
As Sokov had predicted, when the Luftwaffe combined the downing of a reconnaissance plane with intelligence that Sokov's troops were moving toward the bridge they had captured, one conclusion was immediately drawn: in the east
The Soviet army, which had established a landing site on the shore, was about to launch a powerful offensive.
Kenf summoned several division commanders who were currently fighting against Sokov's troops. After briefing them on the situation, he asked: "Gentlemen, generals, what action do you think the Russians will take next?"
The commander of the 320th Infantry Division, whose troops were fighting the 98th Guards Division on the banks of the Oude River, heard General Kenf's question and quickly stood up and replied: "Your Excellency, I think the Russians will definitely break through our division's defense area.
Please send me reinforcements to strengthen our frontal defense."
But as soon as he finished speaking, several division commanders immediately echoed him, feeling that Sokov's troops would definitely try to break through near the bridge and quickly rush into Kharkov.
However, Lieutenant General William Stemerman, commander of the 11th Army who had just taken office for two days, raised his own questions: "Gentlemen, I think the direction of the Russian attack is not near the bridge, but somewhere else."
location.”
"General William," Kenf heard William Stemmerman say this, and couldn't help but asked curiously: "Can you tell me how you came to such a conclusion?"
"Your Excellency, General," Wilhelm Stemmermann bowed slightly to Kenf and said politely: "Several divisions of our 11th Army have deployed arc-shaped defensive positions near the bridge. No matter which direction the Russians attack, they will
There is a possibility that our attacking troops will be intercepted or even surrounded.
If it were other Russian troops, it would be very possible for them to do such a stupid thing. But what we have to face is Sokov, who causes us the most pain. Compared with other Russian generals, his tactics are the most difficult to figure out.
. At least so far, I haven't heard of any officer who faced him taking advantage.
Therefore, I think it is unlikely that he will launch an attack from the front. The most likely possibility is to contain our forces near the bridge and quietly send troops to attack us in other areas, catching us by surprise."