Sokov laughed dryly and said awkwardly: "Oh, I remembered wrongly, it should be the 316th Infantry Division."
Tsvetayev looked at Sokov and asked with some surprise: "General Sokov, as far as I know, you once participated in the defense of Moscow and stayed in the 16th Army of General Rokossovsky.
.Why, don’t you know General Panfilov?”
"I don't know." Sokov shook his head and said like a rattle: "Although I participated in the defense of Moscow, I only led a squad of garrison troops and was stationed in the town of Khimki until the big counterattack began.
I have just officially become a subordinate of General Rokossovsky."
When talking about the town of Khimki and Rokossovsky, Sokov couldn't help but remember that after he led his men to block the German army in the town, he was promoted to the platoon leader of the garrison platoon by the Moscow garrison commander Artemyev, and Roko
It was under such circumstances that Sovsky appeared. He also tried to persuade himself to join his army, and was even willing to directly appoint himself as company commander.
Sokov secretly thought: If I had agreed to Rokossovsky and became his subordinate, would I still be the commander of the 27th Army today?
"What are you thinking, General Sokov?"
Tsvetaev's voice woke Sokov out of his thoughts, and he replied in a panic: "General Tsvetaev, I was thinking that since the enemy was so powerful at that time, we were defeated.
The enemies currently defending the city of Kharkov are much weaker than the German army at that time, so we should not have much of a problem defeating them."
"Yes." Sokov's words resonated with Tsvetaev: "General Sokov, to tell you the truth, when the war broke out, I was working as a lecturer at the Frunze Military Academy, and one of my professors at the time
Before the senior class graduated, the trainees returned to the army one after another to serve as division commanders, brigade commanders, or even higher-level positions to participate in the war against Germany.
After August, I once inquired about this group of students. Some of them died on the battlefield, and some disappeared. Some survived and are now holding more important positions in the army."
Knowing that Tsvetaev had served as a lecturer at the Frunze Military Academy, Sokov couldn't help but become interested. He asked tentatively: "General Tsvetaev, I also want to go to the Frunze Military Academy."
I want to study, but I don’t know what kind of procedures I need to go through?”
"Do you still need to learn?" After hearing what Sokov said, Tsvetayev said in surprise: "Do you know? Some of the battles you commanded in the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Kursk,
They are all listed as classic battle examples by the Frunze Military Academy. Think about it, with your ability, if you enter the Frunze Military Academy, who would dare to be your teacher?"
"General Tsvetayev, you can't say that." Since Sokov became the commander of the group army, he has gradually realized that his abilities are seriously insufficient, and he is eager to enter a military academy to study systematically, so he
He said modestly: "I have never received systematic command training, and I can barely manage to be a division commander. Now that I am the commander of a group army, I feel a little out of my depth. I eagerly want to enrich myself in a military academy."
When Sokov said these words, Tsvetaev kept staring into his eyes. After making sure that the other party was not joking with him, he said solemnly: "Comrade Sokov, since you want to enter the Military Academy so much."
Why not study with Marshal Zhukov? You know, although I once served as a lecturer at the Frunze Military Academy, it has been two years since I left the academy. It is still unknown whether the new school leaders will buy my account.
As long as Marshal Zhukov comes forward in this matter, the school will definitely accept you to study in the school."
While the two were talking, the communications staff reported to Tsvetayev: "Comrade Commander, the Chief of Staff called back. The 87th Division and the Tank Brigade have already set off. They can reach here in about an hour."
"General Sokov," Tsvetayev said to Sokov with a smile after waiting for the staff to finish speaking, "my troops will arrive in an hour, won't it be too late?"
"Not too late, not too late," Sokov said, waving his hands: "It's just dawn, and our attack won't start until nine or ten o'clock at the earliest. Your troops just need to arrive before the attack."
Tsvetayev looked outside and asked with some surprise: "General Sokov, where is your artillery?"
"Artillery?!" Sokov was stunned for a moment, then understood what Tsvetaev meant and explained to him: "General Tsvetaev, we usually don't prepare artillery fire before attacking."
"What, you didn't prepare artillery fire before the attack?" Tsvetaev became anxious upon hearing this, "General Sokov, if there is no necessary artillery preparation to destroy the enemy's fortifications before our infantry attack begins,
Eliminate the active forces in the fortifications, and when the attack begins, the attacking troops will pay huge casualties."
"General Tsvetaev, don't worry, please listen to my explanation." Sokov knew that the Soviet army was accustomed to violently shelling German positions before attacking, and then launching a ground attack: "The reason why I am here
Before the attack, there will be no artillery preparations. This is entirely because when the enemy is bombarded by our army, only a few observation posts will be left to monitor our army. The remaining officers and soldiers have retreated along the communication trenches to the second line of defense. Our artillery shells can
The casualties caused by the enemy are very limited. When the Germans wait for our army's artillery bombardment to end and the infantry begins to charge, they will return to the first line of defense along the communication trenches and try their best to block our army's attack."
After listening to Sokov's words, Tsvetaev couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and asked dubiously: "Is everything you said true, General Sokov?"
"Of course it is true, General Tsvetaev." Sokov replied confidently: "Rather than dropping artillery shells on positions without defenders, it is better to wait until our army is exchanging fire with the enemy and then carry out targeted artillery fire.
.”
"General Sokov," Tsvetayev heard this and immediately realized that the tactics used by Sokov were the foundation for his frequent victories. He pulled Sokov to sit down and asked urgently: "Quickly?"
Please tell me how to carry out targeted bombardment?"
Seeing that Tsvetayev asked him for advice so humbly, Sokov naturally did not hide his secrets and taught the other party his commonly used tactics. His purpose of doing this was to hope that Tsvetayev's assault group army would succeed in the next step.
In battles, unnecessary casualties can be reduced by using one's own tactics.
"General Tsvetayev, we usually deploy artillery behind the assault troops, with a distance of no more than one kilometer. Once we find a strong German fire support point in front, we use artillery to shoot directly at it.
Once destroyed, it clears the way for our attacking forces."
When Tsvetayev heard Sokov's statement, it seemed quite reasonable. After he quickly wrote down what Sokov said, he turned to the communications staff standing next to him and ordered: "Comrade staff, call me immediately.
The headquarters sent a telegram asking the chief of staff to send two more artillery regiments to participate in this combat operation."
The communications staff officer agreed and turned around to send the telegram.
But Sokov's heart became uneasy. Although Tsvetayev transferred two more artillery divisions, which was very helpful for the next attack. But he knew very well that Tsvetayev had
The troops' strength is also limited. If the landing site is strengthened, the strength in other directions will be seriously weakened. I don't know whether this will affect the subsequent operations.
Thinking of this, he asked Tsvetayev tentatively: "Comrade General, if you transfer so many troops here, won't the strength in other places be weakened?"
Tsvetayev understood what Sokov meant and replied with a smile: "Don't worry, General Sokov. In addition to three infantry divisions, the 7th Tank Corps and the artillery unit, I also have a mechanized corps.
The 4th Army, as well as other forces, are fully capable of controlling our existing defense areas."
Since Tsvetayev said this, Sokov stopped trying to dissuade him and asked instead: "Then where do you plan to deploy them?"
"Well, isn't there a clearing in the middle of the woods over there?" Tsvetayev pointed to a clearing in the distance and said to Sokov: "We can deploy the artillery there."
Sokov looked in the direction of Tsvetayev's finger and felt that it would be quite appropriate to place one or two artillery regiments there. If two artillery divisions were placed there, it would look overcrowded. Once the German artillery shells hit
In the past, more than two hundred artillery pieces would be wiped out in a short period of time.
"No, General Tsvetaev, I think it is very inappropriate to put two artillery divisions there."
Hearing that Sokov actually opposed his proposal, Tsvetayev asked in surprise: "Why?"
"General Tsvetaev, the forest glade there is too small. If two artillery divisions are placed there, it will look overcrowded." Sokov explained to the other party: "Once the enemy discovers our artillery,
The position of the position, if we implement artillery counterattack here, I am afraid that it will not be long before this place will be turned into a sea of fire."
Tsvetaev had actually considered the issues that Sokov was worried about. He frowned and said to Sokov: "General Sokov, if the artillery deployment is too dispersed, it will be difficult to form a strong attack on the enemy.
Artillery strike."
"Actually, it is not necessarily a bad thing to disperse the artillery." Sokov replied with a smile: "At least when the enemy wants to carry out artillery countermeasures against our artillery positions, we will have too many targets and it will be difficult to choose.
Once they launch counter-artillery fire on one of our artillery positions, other artillery positions can concentrate their artillery fire to destroy the enemy's artillery positions."
"That's what I say, but the artillery is too scattered. How should we use them in battle?" Seeing Tsvetayev's confused look, Sokov continued: "When we want the artillery to
When bombarding a certain target, you can notify all the artillery positions by phone to focus fire on a certain coordinate. Since the artillery positions are scattered and the angles of the bombardment are also different, the damage to the enemy position will be greater; furthermore,
One point is that when the enemy wants to counterattack our artillery, it will be difficult to choose because we have too many positions. Even if they finally select a target, the remaining artillery positions can attack the enemy at the same time, exposing them.
Artillery position destroyed."
The phone in the headquarters rang. Major General Gritsenko, who had been ignored, picked up the receiver and handed it to Sokov after listening for a moment: "Comrade Commander, it's Chief of Staff General Samyko calling.
phone number."
When he learned that the call was from Samek, Sokov was a little surprised: "Oh, the phone number you have here can actually contact the army headquarters directly? Then why didn't you tell me just now?"
Gritsenko replied with an aggrieved look: "Comrade Commander, you didn't ask me just now."
Sokov put the receiver to his ear and said loudly: "I am Sokov!"
"Comrade Commander," Sameko's anxious voice came from the receiver: "Why did you end up in the defense area of the 384th Division? Since the radio could not contact you, I called many troops in order to find you.
Telephone."
"I'm sorry, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov remembered that he was in a hurry to go to the headquarters in Tsvetaev and left the radio at the Fisky collective farm. After he arrived at the 384th Division's defense area, he forgot to make a call.
Telling Samyko his whereabouts, he quickly apologized and said: "Because I accompanied General Tsvetaev, commander of the assault group army, to the landing site, I did not report my whereabouts to you in time, and I made you worry about me. I am really sorry."
Samyko's focus was obviously not on why Sokov forgot to bring the radio, but on how he got involved with Tsvetaev. He asked cautiously: "Comrade Commander, who did you say you were with?"
Together? Lieutenant General Tsvetaev, commander of the 5th Assault Army?"
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov replied truthfully: "Your guess is correct, I am indeed with him."
"Wouldn't he be angry if we poached the 300th Infantry Division from his organization?"
"No, Comrade Chief of Staff, he is not angry." Sokov glanced at Tsvetaev with a smile and continued: "On the contrary, he is very reasonable and is even willing to send troops from the 384th Division
Join the battle at the established landing site and advance with our troops towards Kharkov."
Samyko learned that Sokov planned to join forces with friendly forces to launch an attack deep into the enemy's defenses from the landing site established by the 384th Division. He quickly asked nervously: "Comrade Commander, you are launching an attack at the landing site on the left wing. What should we do?"
What to do? Should we continue to hold our position, or should we attack Kharkov at the same time as you?"
"Don't be anxious, Comrade Chief of Staff." Based on the performance of the 300th Division, Sokov felt that the combat effectiveness of the assault group army was much weaker than his own troops. Whether he could successfully break through the enemy's defense in joint operations with them was still a question.
The problem is, there is no need to attack from two landing sites at the same time. If the attack on the left wing fails, it will inevitably have an adverse impact on the right wing. Therefore, the safest way is to attack the landing site on the left wing, while the right landing site remains stationary and continues to contain the main strength of the German army.
"You are still on the defensive for the time being. Whether or not to attack the enemy depends on the progress of the left wing."
"I understand." After Samyko waited for Sokov to finish speaking, he immediately repeated his order, and finally said: "While conducting defensive operations, I will order the troops in the right wing landing field to prepare for an attack.