The jeep in which Samek was riding followed Sokov's car. After leaving the station, he ordered the driver to return to the army headquarters and planned to bring more people over to assist Sokov.
When the convoy arrived at the Lviv train station, Sokov found that there were more commanders and fighters in the square than at the Kiev train station, but there were only a few soldiers guarding them around.
Seeing Sokov's motorcade stopping at the entrance of the train station, a captain immediately came up to him and asked politely: "Is this General Sokov?"
Sokov opened the door and got out of the car, nodded and replied: "Yes, I am Sokov."
"Hello, Comrade General!" The captain raised his hand to salute Sokov and introduced himself: "I am the staff officer of the Front Army Headquarters. I have been ordered to wait for you here."
"I was ordered to wait for me here?!" Sokov asked in surprise: "Whose order?"
"Major General Krenyukov, the military commissar of the front army," the captain said, "He is waiting for you in the stationmaster's office at the station. Please come with me."
Sokov followed the captain to the stationmaster's office and met Krenyukov waiting here.
When Krenyukov saw Sokov entering, he immediately came up to him, took the initiative to shake hands with Sokov, and said with a smile: "Comrade Sokov, you are late, I have been waiting for you here for a full hour.
"
Sokov said with some embarrassment: "I just went to the Kiev train station and wasted a little time..."
"Kiev Railway Station?!" Hearing what Sokov said, Krenyukov's face showed a look of astonishment: "The headquarters ordered you to go to Lviv Railway Station to receive troops, why did you go to Kiev Railway Station?
"
"Maybe I heard wrongly and thought that the place the commander of the front army told me was the Kiev train station." Sokov dared not speak ill of Konev, so he could only take the responsibility on himself: "Comrade General, because
My negligence has kept you waiting for so long, I'm really sorry."
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Krenyukov waved his hand: "General Sokov, although it is our first time to meet, I have heard about you a long time ago and know that you are a very cautious person who never misheard an order.
I'm afraid this kind of thing will not happen to you. I think it may be Commander Konev's slip of the tongue, and he said that the place where the soldiers were received was the Kiev train station."
"How many people did you bring here?"
"Originally, I brought a security battalion, plus more than fifty political workers." Sokov replied: "But now they are carrying out screening and security work in the square of the Kiev train station. I only brought one security platoon."
"The Kiev railway station is not the territory of the Voronezh Front. How could you carry out screening work there?"
"I made a request to Marshal Zhukov, hoping to receive the commanders and fighters waiting to be transferred there." Sokov explained to Krenyukov: "After getting his consent, I left my military commissar and guard battalion.
and political workers to carry out screening and vigilance work there.”
"You only brought over one guard platoon," Krenikov waited for Sokov to finish, then shook his head and said, "This is too few people. How long will it take to complete the mission of rescuing more than 20,000 commanders and combatants?"
Screening work?”
When Sokov heard that there were more than 20,000 people, he couldn't help but smile. Together with the commanders and fighters at the Kiev Railway Station, he had an additional force of 40,000. With so many soldiers, he could completely make up for the loss of the army in this battle.
losses can also increase the combat effectiveness of the troops.
Krenyukov took the initiative to explain to Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, because our army has conducted four battles with the German army in the Kharkov area, hundreds of thousands of people were captured...
"
When Sokov heard the number of hundreds of thousands, he began to think: In the first battle of Kharkov, 52 Soviet divisions were annihilated by the Germans. Although the number of prisoners was always unclear, even if each division was based on three thousand
According to human calculations, 150,000 people were captured; in the second battle of Kharkov, the number of prisoners captured by the Soviet army was 240,000; in the third battle, that is, at the beginning of the year, the number of prisoners captured was the lowest, reaching 9,000
Man. It seems that the number of hundreds of thousands is still reliable.
Seeing Sokov lowering his head and counting something with his fingers, Krenikov immediately guessed what he was thinking and continued: "Comrade Sokov, although the number of prisoners in our army is
There are hundreds of thousands, but due to various reasons, the total number of commanders and fighters rescued from prisoner-of-war camps by our army does not exceed 70,000, and most of them are in worrying physical condition."
Sokov knew that what Krenikov said was the truth. The captured Soviet commanders and fighters were either sent to the gas chambers of the concentration camps or were tortured to death by the Germans. It was not easy for so many people to survive.
.
He was silent for a moment, and then said to Krenikov: "Comrade General, I think these commanders and fighters who can survive are all reliable. Do you think you can skip the screening process and let me take them back to the army directly?"
"No, Comrade Sokov, this is definitely not possible." Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he was opposed by Krenikov: "Even you and I know that these surviving commanders and fighters are absolutely loyal and reliable.
, but the necessary procedures cannot be omitted. Commander Konev sent me here to supervise your screening work, so as not to leave anything to say to others in the future."
Krenyukov's words reminded Sokov that he was probably the only one who dared to recruit rescued commanders and combatants in such a large-scale. Even big guys like Rokossovsky did not dare to be like him when recruiting rescued commanders and combatants.
Such a great battle.
"Okay, Comrade Military Commissar." Since Kreniukov was sent by Konev to supervise him, Sokov did not intend to embarrass him, so he took the initiative and said, "But it may take a while."
"Why?"
"My chief of staff has gone back to the headquarters." Sokov explained: "But he will bring people over soon to help me. As soon as new personnel arrive, we can start the screening work."
Krenikov nodded and said: "Comrade Sokov, in addition to these more than 20,000 commanders and fighters, the superiors also plan to equip you with a second lieutenant training company and a junior commander training company."
Hearing these two unfamiliar words, Sokov showed an unexpected expression on his face. He asked in confusion: "Comrade Military Commissar, I wonder what these two troops do?"
"Don't you understand what it means on paper?" Krenyukov said with a smile: "Obviously, these are two companies composed entirely of officers. Your army has added so many soldiers, I'm afraid there won't be any
How many qualified grassroots commanders are there? Members of these two companies can serve as grassroots commanders in your unit."
"I wonder where these two companies come from?"
"Have you ever heard of the Podolsk Infantry School?"
If Krenikov was talking about another military academy, Sokov might not know about it, but the reputation of the Podolsk Infantry School is too great. Even in blockbusters like "The Defense of Moscow", there is a special
A plot was related to the school. Sokov nodded vigorously and replied: "Of course I know, Comrade Military Commissar. During the Battle of Moscow, the German armored forces broke through our defense line and quickly marched toward Moscow along the highway.
At that time, there was no defense line of our army in front of them. It was the students of the Podolsk Infantry School who used their own flesh and blood to delay the enemy's advance and bought precious time for the main force of our army to arrive.
.”
Krenikov nodded with a smile and said: "You are right. If they had not blocked the path of the German army in time, the Germans might have reached Moscow long ago. Our army had not done well at that time.
Prepare for a counterattack. Once the enemy rushes outside the city, it will have serious consequences."
“At that time, there were two military schools in Podolsk, one was called the Podolsk Infantry School and the other was the Podolsk Artillery School. Due to the needs of the war, they were merged into one unit, led by Principal Ivan Semyonovich.
Head to the Mozhaisko Defense Line to stop the Germans.
The equipment of the trainees was very backward. Most of them used old-fashioned teaching aids. Later, their superiors supplemented them with some off-brand rifles and Mosin-Nagant rifles. The situation of the artillery was better. They still had a few machine guns and old-fashioned artillery.
.
According to Marshal Zhukov's order, they must hold on in the Mozhaisko area for at least five days, and it would be best if they can hold on for seven or eight days. Because there are no reserves behind them. Once the defense line is broken through by the Germans, the enemy will
It only takes a few hours for the tanks to appear on the outskirts of Moscow.
The students from the mixed regiments of the two military schools sacrificed more than 2,500 people in just a few days of fighting. However, with their tenacious fighting spirit and crude weapons, they resolutely blocked the path of the German army and eliminated the enemy.
More than 500 tanks, armored vehicles and trucks, and more than 5,000 officers and soldiers."
"It's really amazing." Although Sokov had seen a movie about the Podolsk Infantry School, it did not mention the results achieved by the school. At this time, hearing Krenyukov say this, he was still quite shocked.
. He even asked himself in his mind, if he led such a force with backward equipment to stop the German armored forces, would he be able to complete the task assigned to him by his superiors?
"Yes, it's amazing." Krenikov said with emotion: "You know, these trainees are only seventeen or eighteen years old and have only received three months of military training. In addition to insufficient weapons, they also lack all levels of military training.
The command staff. But even so, they still taught the Germans a lesson."
"Does the Podolsk Infantry School still exist today?"
"Of course it exists." Krenikov nodded and said: "The remaining more than a thousand cadets were sent to Shuya City in Ivanovo Region, where a new school was built and renamed Shusky
Infantry school. The trainees from these two companies are the first batch of trainees to graduate after the school was rebuilt. Zhukov feels that integrating these trainees into your army can play a greater role."
Sokov suddenly remembered a scene in the movie: the trainees received the order to set off and sang a song on the street, which was known as the "Battle Hymn of the Podolsk Infantry School". He curiously asked Kliniuko
Husband: "Comrade Military Commissar, I wonder if these new students can sing the "Battle Hymn of the Podolsk Infantry School"?"
""Battle Hymn of the Podolsk Infantry School"?!" Krenyukov asked in confusion: "Is there such a song? How come I have never heard of it?"
Fortunately, Sokov still remembered a few simple lyrics, so he sang in front of Krenikov:
"I remember a small provincial town,
Quiet, remote and melancholy,
churches and markets,
A tree-lined road in the city.
Once in the twinkling pairs of figures,
I saw a familiar and dear figure,
blue round hat,
blue blouse,
Black skirt and girlish figure..."
Before Sokov could finish singing, Krenyukov raised his hand to interrupt him and said with a smile: "Comrade Sokov, aren't you a person of our time?"
Krenikov's words made Sokov break into a cold sweat, and he muttered to himself: "What's going on? Has he noticed my identity as a time traveler?"
But the next words reassured him: "What you sang was not the "Battle Hymn of the Podolsk Infantry School", but a popular youth song called "Tanya Tanyusha" in the past two years.
You don’t even know such a famous song, that’s why I say you are not from our era.”
After figuring out what was going on, Sokov laughed dryly and defended himself: "Comrade Military Commissar, I don't like listening to music very much, so it's not surprising that I haven't heard this song. By the way, second lieutenant training
When will the company and the junior commander's teaching company arrive?"
Sokov's words successfully diverted Kreinyukov's attention. After thinking for a while, he replied: "If there are no accidents, they will arrive here around two o'clock in the afternoon."
"Then how should I use them?" Sokov continued to ask: "Should I use them according to the current establishment, or should I dismantle them and assign them to various companies to serve as grassroots commanders?"
"Comrade Sokov, since these two companies are assigned to you, how you use them is your own problem." After finishing these irresponsible words, Krenyukov paused for a moment and couldn't help but think again.
Added: "In General Meretskov's army, there are also two companies like this. They always appear in dangerous areas and perform the most difficult tasks."
Sokov originally planned to use these two companies as independent units to be used in the most dangerous areas, but after hearing what Krenyukov said, he couldn't help but change his mind. He felt that hundreds of junior officers should be treated as ordinary
It is a waste to use it by soldiers. On the battlefield, bullets are treated equally regardless of whether you are an officer or an ordinary soldier. After a battle, hundreds of officers may be used up, but if they are allocated to
Each unit serves as a grassroots commander. As long as the army units are not completely wiped out by the enemy, there will always be officers who survive.
While the two were talking, the sound of a car horn was heard outside, and then the captain who led Sokov came in again and reported to Krenyukov: "Comrade Military Commissar, Chief of Staff of the 27th Group Army Samy
General Coe is outside."
Krenyukov glanced at Sokov and told the captain: "Hurry up and invite him in!"
Not long after the captain left, he came in with Sameko.
"Hello, General Samyko." When Krenikov saw Samyko entering, he took the initiative to shake hands with him and asked with a smile: "I heard that you went back to the headquarters to gather people. I don't know how many you brought with you."
Is someone coming here?"
"Hello, Comrade General." Samyko did not know Krenyukov, and the other party did not introduce himself. He could only address the other party by his military rank, and responded politely: "I brought a battalion, plus twenty
A political worker. They are making preparations outside at the moment and plan to start screening work as soon as possible."