"Lunev, I think it's better for me to make the call myself." Sokov thought for a moment and decided to call Konev himself so that he could take good care of his future team: "I'll give him
Making this call makes you appear more sincere."
"Okay, Misha. Then it's up to you to call General Konev personally." Seeing that Sokov had already made a decision, Lunev did not object, but said quite cooperatively: "Then you and
I'll go back to the office, where I can speak directly to General Konev on the phone."
In fact, even if Lunev didn't say anything, Sokov planned to go to his place to call Konev. Otherwise, I'm afraid he couldn't find a phone number to contact Konev anywhere he could go.
Sokov followed Lunev back to the office. Lunev first asked Sokov to sit down, picked up the high-frequency phone on the table, dialed a number and said: "Switchboard? I am Deputy Minister Lunev.
, please help me get through to the headquarters of the Second Ukrainian Front, talk to General Konev, and tell me that there is something important."
After Lunev put down the phone, he walked to the sofa next to Sokov and sat down. He said apologetically: "Misha, I'm so sorry. I originally thought your temporary headquarters could go to Belarus, but I didn't expect Marshal Zhukov to come here."
There were some problems that made it impossible to implement this plan.”
"It doesn't matter, Lunev, this is not your responsibility." Before Sokov came to Lubyanka, he had already figured out that in the next battle of Cherkasy, Konev's troops would achieve huge results.
, if you send your temporary headquarters to the area, you can gain more valuable practical experience: "I think it is a good choice to let them go to General Konev, after all, my troops have fought in that area.
"
"Misha, it's not your army." Lunev heard this and corrected Sokov: "It's our army. You know, I will be your military commissar until you are injured and return to Moscow."
"Yes, yes, Lunev, you are right." Sokov said with some embarrassment: "If you don't remind me, I will forget that you are still my military commissar."
"You, you." Lunev nodded to Sokov with his hand, and said with a bit of laughter and tears: "I don't even know what to say to you."
Before Sokov could speak, the phone on the table rang. Lunev walked over, picked up the phone and put it to his ear: "I'm Lunev!...The command of the Second Ukrainian Front has been connected?...
...Well, put the phone in."
When Sokov heard that the call to Konev's headquarters had been connected, he couldn't help but lean forward slightly and planned to get up to answer the phone. Only to hear Lunev smiling into the microphone and saying: "Is it General Konev? I am
Lunev, how are you doing recently?... I'm fine, thank you for your concern... Well, Sokov is in my office right now. He has something to talk to you about in person. Look at you now
convenient?"
Soon, Lunev handed the microphone to Sokov: "Misha, General Konev wants to talk to you!"
Sokov stood up with a cane to support his body, limped to the desk, took the microphone from Lunev's hand, put it to his ear and said: "Hello, Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I am
Sokov.”
"Hello, Comrade Sokov!" Konev's familiar voice came from the receiver. He asked kindly: "How is your injury? When can you be discharged from the hospital?"
"I have been discharged from the hospital." Sokov said: "Now my superiors have arranged for me to study at the Frunze Military Academy. I am afraid it will take half a year before I have the opportunity to return to the front line."
"Comrade Sokov, you were once my subordinate. I know your abilities very well." Konev learned that Sokov would have to wait until he completed his studies at the Frunze Military Academy before he would have the opportunity.
Returning to the front line, although he felt a little disappointed, he still took the initiative to extend an olive branch to Sokov; "I wonder if you would consider joining the troops under my command when you have the opportunity to return to the front line?"
"Comrade Commander of the Front Army, of course I hope to return to your army again. After all, I have fought hard and outstanding battles with the Germans under your leadership." Sokov said: "I believe that under your leadership
, will achieve more victories.”
Sokov's rainbow fart made Konev feel very comfortable in his heart. However, he still said with some regret: "It's a pity that you have to wait a long time before you can return to the front line."
"Comrade Commander of the Front Army, although I cannot return to the front line for the time being, I would like to ask you to do me a favor."
"What help?"
"It's like this. Not long ago, I just finished the intermediate commander training class." Sokov explained to Konev: "Under the instruction of Marshal Zhukov, I transferred the 59 students in the class except myself to
, have been incorporated into a newly formed temporary headquarters. In order to quickly complete the running-in of this temporary headquarters and accumulate valuable combat and command experience, I want them to come to your place. What do you think?"
Konev couldn't help but be secretly happy about Sokov's request. He knew very well that the intermediate commander training courses trained only regiment-level cadres. If the team formed by Sokov could come to his own army, he would be very successful.
Bring yourself unexpected benefits.
After thinking about this, Konev was about to agree when he suddenly remembered a key question and asked: "Comrade Sokov, I would like to ask who is in charge of this temporary headquarters?"
"In order to better manage this team, I also formed an additional advisory group." Considering the special status of Ponedelin and others, Sokov said cautiously: "Ponedelin, Muzichenko
An advisory group composed of three people including Kirillov will manage the entire team."
After hearing this, Konev said with some surprise: "Oh, so you plan to let Ponedelin manage this team."
"That's right, Comrade Commander of the Front Army, that's how I think about it." Seeing Konev's lack of comment, Sokov couldn't help but feel guilty: "Do you think there is anything wrong?"
"No, I think it's quite appropriate. On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the Second Ukrainian Front, I welcome your temporary headquarters to come to us to participate in the battle." Konev expressed his willingness to accept Sokov's team and then asked
: "Which army group do you think is more appropriate to assign them to?"
"Needless to say, it must be General Managarov's 53rd Army." Sokov replied without hesitation: "The 53rd Army and I fought side by side when we were defending Kremenchug.
I believe that the members of the Provisional Command will definitely accumulate rich command experience after joining that army."
"Comrade Sokov, you may not know that the commander of the 53rd Army is no longer Lieutenant General Managarov, but the newly appointed Major General Tarasov."
After learning that Managarov was no longer the commander of the 53rd Army, Sokov felt a little disappointed. He then asked: "What about the chief of staff, is he still Major General Derevyanko?"
"No, he was transferred away together with General Managarov."
Sokov chose the 53rd Army because in the later stages of the Battle of Cherkasy, the Germans broke through from the area defended by the 53rd Army. He felt that placing his temporary headquarters here would be more conducive to the trainees.
Accumulate valuable command experience.
Now that he heard that the commander and chief of staff of the 53rd Group Army had been transferred, Sokov could not help but feel a little shaken. If there were no acquaintances there to take care of him, his team would inevitably be squeezed out or even marginalized in the past.
It goes against your original intention.
Seeing Sokov's delay in speaking, Konev became a little impatient: "Comrade Sokov, are you still there? Why don't you speak?"
Sokov sighed softly and asked tentatively: "Can I ask who the current chief of staff of the group army is?"
"It's Major General Smirnov." Konev may have thought that Sokov didn't know this person, so he took the initiative to introduce him: "At the beginning of the war, he was the dean of the Podolsk Infantry Academy, and later he served in many positions.
He held positions in the army. Before you were injured, he was the deputy chief of staff of the 53rd Army."
When he learned that the current chief of staff of the 53rd Army was actually Smirnov, Sokov felt much more at ease. He still had a good impression of this elderly general. In the early days of the war, he led a team with poor equipment.
The student soldiers effectively slowed down the German army's advance towards Moscow and bought valuable time for the high command to build a defense line in the rear. In addition, he and Ponedelin and others were old acquaintances, and after the members of the temporary headquarters passed there
, you will definitely get his special care.
"It turns out to be General Smirnov." Sokov said in a relaxed tone: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I have dealt with him before. He is an excellent commander with a brave spirit. I believe in the temporary command
After the troops go to the 53rd Group Army, they will definitely be able to achieve the desired goal."
Konev naturally didn't know what Sokov was thinking. Now his troops and Vatutin's troops were launching a siege on the German army in the Cherkasy area, and they were in urgent need of a large number of commanders to replenish the troops. Now Sokov
A temporary headquarters composed of dozens of trainees was sent to Kokov, which was undoubtedly a timely help.
"Comrade Sokov, I wonder when your temporary headquarters members will arrive?"
Sokov did not immediately give Konev a positive answer, but asked: "When do you want them to be in place?"
"Of course, the sooner the better." Konev did not hide his true thoughts: "Comrade Sokov, I plan to wait for your team to arrive, and leave some of them to serve as staff officers at the front army headquarters, while the rest will arrive.
The 53rd Army serves as the regiment-level commander."
"Let some of them serve as regiment-level commanders?" Sokov couldn't help but worry a little after listening to Konev's words: "If these students who serve as regiment-level commanders suffer casualties in the battle, then
This means that there will be a shortage of personnel in my future headquarters."
"In war, there are no immortals." Konev said to Sokov: "The best way to let them accumulate rich command experience in a short period of time is to let these students join the army.
Serve as a regiment-level or deputy regiment-level commander and fight the enemy with real swords and guns."
Perhaps because he was worried that Sokov regarded these trainees as treasures and was unwilling to send them to dangerous places, Konev added: "Comrade Sokov, don't worry. As the battlefield situation becomes more favorable to our army,
With the direction of development, the number of regiment-level commanders being injured or even killed has been gradually reduced. I believe that even if these trainees are added to the army, when you return to the front line, many people will still survive, and they will be
An experienced and excellent commander.”
Konev's words convinced Sokov, and he put down his worries. After thinking for a while, he said into the microphone: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I will explain to the students tomorrow, and then we can arrange
They set off. I think they will arrive at your headquarters in three days at most."
Early the next morning, Sokov took Koshkin's car to the college.
When getting out of the car, Sokov said to Koshkin: "Lieutenant Koshkin, I don't know how to use the car for the time being. Please go to Khimki town to pick up Asiya."
"Okay, Comrade General." Koshkin readily agreed to Sokov's request, and then asked: "After I bring Asya back, do I need to come here to take you home?"
Sokov thought about it in his mind. It would take almost two hours to go back and forth from here to Khimki. During this time, he could explain the next work to Ponedelin and others.
, then nodded and said: "Okay, Lieutenant Koshkin, after you pick up Asya, please come to the academy to pick me up."
After Koshkin drove away, Sokov limped to the classroom with a cane.
At this moment, Ponedelin was speaking to the students in the classroom. When he saw Sokov entering, he had a surprised expression on his face: "General Sokov, shouldn't you be resting at home these days? Come to the academy."
What are you doing here?"
"Major Ponejelin." In front of many students, Sokov did not call him a general anymore, but called him by his current military rank: "I am here today because I have something important to say to you.
Everyone announced."
Seeing everyone looking at him, Sokov coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and continued: "According to the original plan, after you receive short-term training from Major Ponejelin here, you will be sent
Go to General Rokossovsky’s Belorussian Front. But I received a notice yesterday that you can no longer go to the Belorussian Front.”
As soon as Sokov finished speaking, the whole classroom exploded like a red-hot iron pot sprinkled with salt.
"What happened? Why don't we go to the Belarusian Front?"
"Yes, we are sitting here participating in the new training just to go to the Belarusian Front. How can we say we can't go and not go now?"
Faced with the fierce anger among the students, Sokov did not speak. He just stared at everyone quietly, preparing to wait for the classroom to quiet down before announcing a new decision.
Seeing the chaos in the classroom, Ponjelin quickly shouted at the top of his lungs: "Comrades, please be quiet! Comrades, please be quiet!"
After the classroom became quiet for a while, he continued to speak loudly: "Don't forget, you are all regiment-level commanders. What does it look like to be noisy like vendors in the market?"
Ponedelin's words made the classroom completely quiet. Seeing that the time was right, Sokov said: "Students, I spoke to General Konev yesterday, and he agreed to let you go to the Second Ukrainian Front.
They are engaged in a fierce battle with the German army. Once you get there, you will be able to accumulate rich and valuable command experience in a very short period of time."
"When can we set off?" Ponejelin, who was standing aside, asked on behalf of the students.
"Let's set off today." Sokov turned to Ponedelin and asked: "How long does it take to prepare for the temporary headquarters to set off?"