Solomatin did not expect Sokov to say these words. He murmured: "Comrade Commander, are you planning to cancel the counterattack?"
"Yes, Comrade General." Sokov did not hide his true intention: "I do not deny that the counterattack you blocked can regain the position from the enemy. But in order to hold the outpost position, you have to
Invest more troops. If too many troops are invested here, it will inevitably weaken the defense forces in other areas. Once the Germans feel that there is little point in fighting for the outpost positions, and detour to the rear of the position, your second line of defense will be weakened.
The defense line launched an attack. Can the second line of defense, whose defensive strength has been severely weakened, block the enemy's attack?"
"..."
After Sokov finished speaking, he paused for a moment intentionally, wanting to hear Solomatin's reply to him. Seeing that the other party was silent, he continued: "Comrade General, don't care about the gains and losses of a position.
, as long as the enemy's effective strength can be eliminated, even if you take the initiative to give up some positions, it is completely necessary.
Therefore, the more territory the Germans occupy, the more troops they will allocate for defense, thereby weakening their offensive power. After we have consumed a large amount of the enemy's effective strength, we can launch a counterattack and remove the lost positions from
Take it back from the enemy's hands."
"Comrade Commander, you are right." After Sokov finished speaking this time, Solomatin finally responded: "If we continue to hold on to the No. 1 outpost position, I'm afraid I will have to fill in a brigade of troops. If
By deploying these troops on the second line for defense, I am confident that we can block the enemy's attack."
Seeing that Solomatin's thoughts had changed, Sokov was very pleased. When he was about to say a few words, he saw Samyko hurried over and said to him: "Comrade Commander, something happened!"
"Something happened?!" Hearing what Samyko said, Sokov couldn't help but feel a thump in his heart. He quickly covered the phone with his hand and asked nervously: "What happened?"
"This is the reconnaissance intelligence that the Reconnaissance Department just received." After Samek handed the telegram to Sokov, he looked down at the map on the table, then pointed at the map and said to Sokov: "According to the intelligence, the enemy
Here and here, there are a large number of armored troops ambushed, it seems there is some conspiracy."
Sokov looked towards the position of Samyko's finger. When he saw the place clearly, he was suddenly startled into a cold sweat. After repeated confirmations, he released his hand covering the microphone and asked Solomatin with lingering fear: "
Comrade General, please answer me, are you planning to take a detour from the west of Outpost No. 1?"
When Solomatin heard what Sokov said, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment and asked: "Comrade Commander, aren't you planning to cancel the counterattack? Why are you so concerned about our counterattack route?"
"Stop talking nonsense," Sokov said impatiently: "Tell me quickly, am I right?"
"Yes, you are right." Seeing Sokov's sudden change in attitude, Solomatin didn't understand what was going on, but he still truthfully reported his planned counterattack route to Sokov.
, finally couldn't help but asked curiously: "What happened?"
"Yes, Comrade General, something big has happened." Sokov stared at the telegram in his hand and replied with a breath: "According to the reconnaissance information just obtained, the enemy ambushed an armored division on the route of your counterattack.
If you counterattack as planned and fall into the trap of the Germans, their armored divisions can easily defeat your counterattack force."
Sokov's words frightened Solomatin out of his wits. He asked tremblingly: "Comrade Commander, is the news reliable?"
"Completely reliable." After Sokov said this, in order to increase credibility, he deliberately added: "Comrade General, when you just reported to me, you did not mention your counterattack route at all. Even if I want to lie to you,
, can't make up these details. It was our scouts who discovered the German armored units hidden in the mountains and villages during the reconnaissance. Once you carry out the counterattack according to the planned route after dawn, you will enter Germany.
Human ambush circle.”
Just when Solomatin was panicking, Sokov couldn't help but trembled when he thought of a possibility, and then he couldn't wait to ask: "Comrade General, how many people know your battle plan?"
"In addition to the commanders of the troops participating in the war, there are also intelligence staff, communications staff, etc. in the military headquarters..." Solomatin guessed what Sokov would say, and said first: "Comrade Commander, do you suspect that they leaked information?"
Is it secret?" Before Sokov could answer, he said resolutely, "Impossible, this is absolutely impossible. My staff officers and commanders are absolutely reliable, and they will never be Germans.
spy."
Seeing that Solomatin defended his subordinates without explanation and did not put the responsibility for leaking secrets on his subordinates, Sokov was full of admiration. He waited for the other party to be quiet and said slowly: "Comrade General, except
Apart from someone in the army headquarters and participating troops leaking the secret, there are two other possibilities."
"What two possibilities?"
"First, the enemy intercepted your telegrams or eavesdropped on your phone calls, and then learned about your combat plan."
"Comrade Commander, in order to prevent leaks, I did not use telegrams or telephones to issue combat orders to the troops." Solomatin waited for Sokov to finish speaking and then explained to him: "I sent communications troops to carry documents.
, to convey orders directly..."
At this point, Solomatin's words suddenly stopped.
"Did the intelligence leak out from the communications soldiers?" Sokov guessed what the other party was thinking, and said first: "Perhaps a communications soldier who sent intelligence was captured after encountering a German scout on the road.
The information he carried fell into the hands of German scouts."
"It is possible, Comrade Commander." Solomatin said with a solemn expression: "I will immediately send someone to verify whether there are any communications troops who have not returned after sending intelligence."
Sokov was certain in his heart that the leakage of the battle plan was inseparable from the communications sent by the mechanized army, so he said into the microphone: "Comrade General, please hurry up and inquire about this matter. If you have the result, you will immediately
Inform me."
After putting down the phone, Sokov raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat on his forehead, and said to Samek with lingering fear: "Comrade Chief of Staff, it was really dangerous. If you hadn't arrived in time and sent out the scouts, Soloma would have been there."
Beijing will definitely send troops to counterattack the enemy, resulting in the annihilation of his most elite 219th tank brigade and 19th mechanized brigade."
"To find out what is going on," Lunev said unexpectedly: "You must know that the Germans actually knew the information that we did not know in advance, and even set up an ambush on the counterattack route of the mechanized army. If we
If we are not aware of it and continue to follow the original plan and launch a counterattack against the enemy after dawn, I am afraid that thousands of commanders and soldiers will die in vain."
Samyko also agreed with Lunev's statement. He even suggested to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, it is better to leave the investigation of leaks to the military commissar. You can let Samoylov
The lieutenant serves as his assistant. After all, they are all from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and they are professionals in dealing with hidden enemies."
"Okay," Sokov felt that this matter was of great importance and should not be taken lightly, so he turned to Lunev who was standing next to him and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I will leave it to you to investigate the leak. Remember,
What we have to deal with is the enemy, not our own people. We must not resort to subjugation and attack. Otherwise, we will hurt our own people, but the real enemy will be safe and sound."
"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Lunev nodded and replied, "I know it in my heart. I will never betray your trust in me. I will definitely find out the truth about the leak in the shortest possible time."
Lunev's work efficiency was still very high. Less than an hour after he left the headquarters, he called Sokov: "Comrade Commander, the leak has been clarified."
Sokov immediately perked up: "Comrade Military Commissar, what is going on?"
"It's like this," Lunev explained: "After the military communications corps sent the information to the tank brigade and mechanized brigade, the commander of the mechanized brigade ordered the combat staff to send the order to the following commanders to clarify their missions.
I copied several copies and distributed them to each camp."
"Comrade Military Commissar," Sokov heard this and immediately realized that the channel for the leak was not from the army headquarters or brigade headquarters, but from the battalion headquarters below. He quickly asked: "How did the information leak out?
Woolen cloth?"
"After our investigation, we found that a staff officer of the third battalion who kept the combat orders was missing." Lunev continued: "After sending people to search, his body, documents, weapons and documents were found in the nearby forest.
All of them are missing. Preliminary estimates suggest that they were kidnapped by German scouts, dragged into the forest, and the documents on them were taken away and then killed."
"This is nonsense." After listening to Lunev's report, Sokov couldn't help but be furious: "Why didn't we arrange for personnel to protect the staff officer who was carrying important documents, but let him move around so that he was kidnapped and killed by the enemy and lost?
File."
Lunev waited for Sokov to have an attack and then said: "Comrade Commander, in fact, this incident cannot be completely blamed on the commander below. The third battalion commander also did not assign tasks to the company below over the phone out of confidentiality considerations.
, but asked the staff officer to take the document to convey it. Unexpectedly, he encountered a German scout disguised as our army on the road.
German scouts wearing our army uniforms set up a checkpoint on the road and stopped the jeep in which the staff officer was riding. While checking the documents, they suddenly attacked and killed the driver and two guards with daggers, and hijacked the staff officer...
…”
"Wait a minute, Comrade Military Commissar." Sokov heard this and discovered a flaw. He quickly interrupted Lunev's words and asked puzzledly: "The German scouts pretended to be our commanders and soldiers and set up checkpoints to kill the staff officers.
How did you know about the entourage process?"
"When we sent people to search, we found the bodies of the murdered guards and the driver in the grass on the roadside." Lunev continued: "One of the guards had not yet died, and he told what happened intermittently.
After that, he died."
"After such a big incident, it is obvious that the third battalion commander can no longer continue to hold his current position." Sokov said into the microphone: "Comrade Military Commissar, let him serve as a soldier in the company. As for his vacated position,
, the deputy battalion commander will take over."
After Lunev and Sokov ended the call, he put down the phone and said to Solomatin who was standing next to him: "Comrade General, the commander has said that the commander of the third battalion is no longer suitable to serve as battalion commander, and it is recommended that the deputy battalion commander should take over.
His duties."
Hearing what Runev said, Solomatin asked nervously: "Then what should we do with the third battalion commander?"
"He made a huge mistake this time. He almost let two of your brigades enter the German ambush circle. He must be dealt with." Lunev said: "After he is relieved of his duties as battalion commander, let him
Will you join the company below and become a soldier?"
"Comrade Military Commissar," Solomatin asked in surprise after listening to Runev's words: "Let the commander of the third battalion become a soldier?"
"That's right." Lunev frowned and said: "Comrade General, your battalion commander should feel lucky. He is now in the 27th Group Army and has changed to other units. Based on the mistakes he has committed, he would have been killed long ago.
He was shot."
But Lunev obviously misunderstood Solomatin's meaning. Solomatin originally thought that his men had made such a big mistake, and even if they were shot, it would be considered a minor offense, and his family might be sent to Siberia. But now.
When I heard that he was just dismissed from his post and sent to the company to serve as a soldier, I felt relieved and quickly said to Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, on behalf of the Third Battalion Commander, I would like to thank you for giving him a chance to redeem himself and make meritorious service."
Runev said to Solomatin with a straight face: "Comrade General, in order to avoid similar things from happening in the future, I suggest that you develop some confidentiality measures to ensure the safety of the information during the transmission process."
"I understand." Although Solomatin's military rank is as high as Lunev, the other party is from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He does not dare to offend easily, so he can only follow the other party's wishes and say: "We will formulate new measures as soon as possible.
, to ensure the security of information during transmission.”
Now that his own affairs were done, Lunev said a few more words and then left the mechanized army headquarters with Samoylov.
On the way back to the headquarters, Samoilov, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, half-turned around and asked Lunev, who was sitting in the back row: "Comrade Military Commissar, do you know this about this matter?"
Lunev, who was closing his eyes to rest, heard Samoylov's question, opened his eyes, and said with a wry smile: "Comrade Lieutenant, if you follow my idea, not only will the third battalion commander have to enforce military law, but also the mechanized
The brigade commander will also be punished."
Samoylov is also a smart man. After hearing what Lunev said, he immediately realized that the result of this punishment was probably under the instruction of Sokov, so he asked tentatively: "So, handling the matter in this way is not a good idea."
What do you mean, Comrade Commander?"
Lunev didn't speak, just nodded, then closed his eyes again and began to meditate.
Seeing that Lunev stopped talking, Samoylov sat up straight and stared out the window with vigilant eyes, thinking to himself: I didn't find any checkpoints on the way here. If there were checkpoints when I went back, it would prove that it was
If the enemy is disguised, I will shoot directly, so as not to die in an unknown manner like the staff officer of the mechanized brigade.