As soon as Sokov put down the phone, he said to Smirnov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, Marshal Konev promised to provide us with a batch of new rockets for use by the squad behind enemy lines. You immediately arrange for manpower to go to the front headquarters.
Go and receive these weapons."
Hearing what Sokov said, Smirnov said with some surprise: "Comrade Commander, since the superiors promised to give it to us, they will definitely send someone to deliver it. Why do we need to bother and send someone to get it?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, our superiors ordered us to send out a small team as soon as possible to attack the German army's new weapon launch point." Sokov explained to Smirnov: "Now the superiors' transportation capacity is tight. If we wait blindly, we will probably have to wait.
In a day or two, things may go wrong."
Smirnov asked with some confusion: "We have several reconnaissance teams near Uman. Even if we have to send a new team, there is no need to be in such a hurry, right?"
"I don't want to be in such a hurry, but the current situation forces us to dispatch a new unit as soon as possible, otherwise we will suffer more losses."
Sokov said this not to be alarmist, but because in real history, Germany launched 10,000 missiles to the British Peninsula in less than a year. Although the accuracy of this kind of missile is not good,
The advantage lies in the large number. Launching dozens of them at a time will still cause great losses to the city and residents.
When Smirnov started calling his subordinates to assign tasks, Sokov suddenly thought of a key question. The German army launched a V1 missile from Uman, more than 100 kilometers away, and it actually hit them accurately.
The accuracy of attacking the village is a bit too high.
It’s okay to think about this problem, but when I think about it, I suddenly think about it with horror. According to Sokov’s understanding, the cost of this V1 missile is not high, and the output is also very high. As long as the German army arranges a few more military factories, it can produce at least
Produce three to four thousand V1 missiles.
Thinking of this, Sokov walked to the door of the headquarters and said to a soldier standing guard at the door: "Comrade soldier, please go and ask the director of the reconnaissance department to come over and tell him that I have something to ask him."
The soldier agreed and ran away along the corridor.
When Sokov limped back to the table, Smirnov, who had finished making the phone call, asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, what are you doing at the door?"
"I asked the soldier to call the director of the reconnaissance department. I have some things to discuss with him."
"Since we want to call the director of the reconnaissance department, you can just make a phone call." Smirnov said, somewhat dumbfounded: "Why do we need to ask the soldiers to call him?"
"I feel a little uncomfortable after sitting for a long time. I want to move around."
After the director of the reconnaissance department came over, Sokov called him to the table and said to him: "Comrade director, I want to ask you, have our scouts taken photos of the enemy's new weapons?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." The head of the reconnaissance department nodded and said, "In order to understand the enemy's defense deployment, the reconnaissance teams we dispatch usually carry cameras."
"So, did they take photos of all the new weapons they saw last night and today?"
"Theoretically, this is the case, Comrade Commander." The director of the reconnaissance department said in an uncertain tone: "But if an accident occurs, the photo-taking business may be ruined."
When Sokov heard what the Director of the Reconnaissance Division said, he couldn't help but feel a little angry: "Comrade Director, as a scout, he carried a camera to carry out reconnaissance behind enemy lines, but did not take any photos. Does this mean that all the scouts you sent
Is it inappropriate?"
"No, Comrade Commander, you misunderstood." Seeing Sokov's anger, the director of the reconnaissance department quickly explained: "I just said that it was possible, and did not say that there must be no photos taken. Several reconnaissance teams I sent
The detachment is composed of experienced old scouts, I think they will definitely be able to get the information we need."
"Comrade Director, what I hope is an affirmative answer, not your speculation." Sokov slapped the table hard and said sternly: "Comrade Director, please inform the comrades on duty and ask them to immediately
Get in touch with the forward scouts and find out how their reconnaissance work is going."
The director of the reconnaissance department agreed and was about to return to his office to find out what useful information the scouts on the frontier had detected. Unexpectedly, before he could leave, he was stopped by Sokov, who pointed at the table on the table.
The phone said to him: "Comrade Director, use this phone to call your subordinates and ask them to establish contact with the forward scouts as soon as possible."
"Okay, Comrade Commander, I'll make a call right now." The director of the reconnaissance department said, grabbed the phone on the table, called his subordinates who stayed in the office, and told them to get in touch with the scouts at the front immediately.
, ask the other party if they have taken photos of the new German weapons.
After the director of the reconnaissance department finished making the call, Sokov asked him to sit down, then called Smirnov and Gorokhov, and said to the three of them in a serious tone: "Comrade commanders, let me tell you some bad news.
"
Hearing Sokov said there was bad news to be announced, everyone's faces showed expressions of astonishment. You must know that in the Battle of Cherkasy that just ended not long ago, as many as 60,000 to 70,000 German troops were annihilated. How could there be anything?
bad news.
"The situation is like this..." Sokov told the three people about the fact that the village of Morenchi was attacked by the new German weapons and suffered huge losses. Smirnov and Gorokhov just understood it more or less.
Sokov did not appear surprised when he heard what he said about the situation. However, it was the first time for the director of the reconnaissance department to hear this shocking news, and he was stunned with shock.
After a while, the director of the reconnaissance department woke up from the shock. He looked at Sokov and asked tentatively: "Comrade commander, if I guess correctly, you want to analyze the Germans through the photos taken by the scouts."
This new type of weapon.”
"Yes, that's exactly what it is." Sokov nodded and said, "The village of Morenqi that was attacked is more than a hundred kilometers away from Uman. The enemy's new weapons can fly that far, which is already enough to cause trouble.
It was surprising, but I didn't expect the accuracy to be so high. If Marshal Konev hadn't moved the headquarters a few days ago, maybe the headquarters at this moment would have been in ruins, and the people inside would have suffered heavy losses.
If our scouts can get photos of this new weapon, we can use the photos to find the weapon's weaknesses and come up with ways to deal with it."
Sokov's words made the director of the reconnaissance department realize the great responsibility on his shoulders. He quickly stood up and assured Sokov: "Comrade Commander, please don't worry. If my subordinates contact the scouts and discover that they are
If no photos were taken, I would urge them to look for opportunities to take them again.”
Although Sokov knew the appearance and various parameters of the V1 missile very well, he could not introduce the new German missile to Konev and others before he got the scout's photo. Because of the advent of a new weapon
, is absolutely confidential. How could you, a Soviet general, get top-secret information from the German army? If you do so, you will cause unnecessary trouble for yourself.
Hearing what the director of the reconnaissance department said, Sokov couldn't help but sigh and said: "Since it is a new weapon, I'm afraid the Germans will not use it frequently. If our scouts are not able to take pictures today, after missing this opportunity, we still don't know.
How long will it take before I have another chance to take pictures?"
"Why?" Smirnov asked puzzledly.
"I think the Germans may want to test the results of the battle first and confirm that the results are good before launching another attack." Sokov explained: "Based on my understanding of Marshal Konev, he will definitely send people to blockade the entire village.
Get up and stop the German agents from approaching."
"It makes sense, it makes sense." Smirnov agreed with Sokov's statement: "After all, the rockets launched by the Germans flew more than a hundred kilometers, even if they strayed far away from the target.
It’s also excusable.”
After waiting for almost a quarter of an hour, the subordinates of the director of the reconnaissance department called and reported: "Comrade director, I have been in contact with the commander of the reconnaissance unit."
Hearing that he had made contact with the scouts at the front, the director of the reconnaissance department asked impatiently: "Tell me quickly, did they take photos?" After asking this, he held his breath, like a student sitting
I was so nervous in the classroom waiting for the teacher to announce the results.
"Yes, Comrade Director." came the voice of his subordinate on the phone: "They took a lot of photos. But because the light was too dark at night, they did not dare to use flash, so they took fewer photos at night and during the day.
More."
"Great, this is great." After listening to his subordinate's report, the director of the reconnaissance department did not hang up the phone immediately. Instead, he reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, we have understood clearly that the scouts have
The new weapons of the German army were photographed, but most of the photos were taken during the day. Because the light was not good at night, there were fewer photos taken."
Sokov just wanted a photo so that he could legitimately introduce the V1 missile to Konev. After listening to the words of the director of the reconnaissance department, he immediately asked: "Comrade director, if you order the scouts to return now, what will they do?"
When can you return to us?"
"Comrade Commander," the director of the reconnaissance department said solemnly, "it is more than a hundred kilometers from the Uman area to here. Since the scouts cannot walk openly on the road, they can only operate in inconvenient forests.
, so no matter how fast they go, it will probably take them three days."
"No, three days is too long." Sokov thought that the Germans would not be idle during these three days, and might one day launch a V1 towards an important Soviet target.
Missile. Konev had a good tone today and had transferred the headquarters a few days earlier, otherwise it might have been blown to pieces today. In order to implement his plan as soon as possible, Sokov said to the director of the reconnaissance department in a stern tone:
"Comrade Director, I don't care what method you use. The photos taken by the scouts must be placed in front of me by noon tomorrow at the latest."
"Comrade Commander," after hearing the order issued by Sokov, the face of the reconnaissance director was full of embarrassment: "The distance is more than a hundred kilometers, and all of it is in forest areas with inconvenient movement. It needs to be completed within one day.
, walking such a long distance is simply an impossible task.”
"Comrade Director, you are right. It is indeed impossible for an ordinary person to cover a distance of more than 100 highways in one day." Sokov said with a straight face: "
But these people are scouts. They can use their special skills to find a way to return to our defense area. If they are really qualified scouts, maybe they can appear in my headquarters in less than 24 hours.
.”
After figuring out Sokov's intention, the Reconnaissance Division let out a long sigh, and then said into the microphone: "You send a telegram to the commander of the reconnaissance unit and send someone to send back the film. Remember, they are only given time.
One day, Comrade Commander hopes to see them at the headquarters at noon tomorrow."
The subordinate on the other end of the phone did not express any opinion, but said respectfully: "I will immediately arrange for someone to send a telegram to the reconnaissance team and ask them to send the film back to the headquarters."
Sokov confirmed that the director of the reconnaissance department had faithfully conveyed his order, then nodded and said with satisfaction: "Comrade director, you did a good job. Everything is fine here. You can go back first. Remember, just now
What I said to you cannot be mentioned to anyone, so as not to cause unnecessary panic. Do you understand?"
"I completely understand, Comrade Commander." said the Director of the Reconnaissance Division: "I will let him rot in his stomach about this matter."
After sending away the director of the reconnaissance department, the muscles on Smirnov's face twitched violently. He tentatively asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, let the scouts march more than a hundred kilometers on foot in one day.
Is that possible?"
"Isn't it possible?"
"I think this is basically impossible." Smirnov retorted plausibly: "After the troops under my command completed the blocking mission near Yukhnov, we were assigned to the command of the Western Front Command. Once
, I met Comrade Rokossovsky. He said that on the first day of the outbreak of the war, his troops set out from Zhitomyr and marched at a rapid pace towards Kovel and Lutsk. The soldiers only had one day.
Walked 50 kilometers.”
Smirnov reminded Sokov: "Comrade Commander, at that time Rokossovsky's troops still took the main road, and under good road traffic, they only traveled 50 kilometers a day. But now you have allowed
The scouts traveled more than 100 kilometers in 24 hours. I think this is an impossible task."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I think it is necessary to remind you," Sokov said: "I am giving this order to the scouts, not to ordinary soldiers. I admit that if you want to complete a whole mile on foot in one day,
With more than 100 kilometers of roads, this is simply impossible."
"Since you also think the task is difficult to complete, why do you still issue such an order?"
Faced with Smirnov's doubts, Sokov continued: "But since they are scouts, they should complete the order I gave them in the same way as scouts."
Just when Smirnov was still about to argue a few words, Gorokhov, who was sitting next to him, pulled his sleeve and then said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I think since the commander dares to issue such a task, he must
I have already considered all the issues that should be considered, so you don’t have to worry about it here."