"I think a 57mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun can be designed." Sokov replied: "Not only has the range longer than the 37mm, but it is also more powerful."
"If a 37mm twin anti-aircraft gun is designed, it can also be installed on the base of a T-26 tank." Yakov asked rhetorically: "If a dual 57mm anti-aircraft gun is used, what kind of tank base should it be installed on?
?”
Sokov thought that the 57mm twin self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of later generations would be mounted on the base of the T-54 tank. But now where to find the base of the T-54 tank, he could only settle for the next best thing and choose the T-54 tank.
-34 base. Thinking of this, he said to Yakov: "Yasha, I think this self-propelled anti-aircraft gun can be installed on the base of the T-34 tank and continue to use an open protective turret."
Yakov had participated in the design of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. When Sokov said this, he had a perceptual understanding of this new weapon that was still in the research and development stage. He thought for a while, and then asked
Kov: "Misha, if we really follow your suggestion and build this kind of anti-aircraft gun, how effective do you think it will be on the battlefield?"
"Whether the newly launched weapons are easy to use needs to be tested on the battlefield." Sokov said to Yakov: "If you can provide me with this new self-propelled anti-aircraft gun as soon as possible, I can make it in a very short time.
Within, we will provide you with the necessary parameters.”
"Well, that's okay." After hearing this, Yakov nodded and said, "I will fly back to Moscow overnight to talk with the engineers in the R&D institute and try to produce a prototype as soon as possible."
Seeing that Yakov adopted his opinion, Sokov couldn't help but be overjoyed and asked quickly: "Yasha, how long will it take to produce a prototype car?"
Yakov looked at Sokov, thinking about how to reply to the other party. After a while, he finally said: "Although in the design office, everything is ready-made. But after the prototype car is built,
We still need to spend some time testing. Waiting for everything to be completed, it will be a month at the earliest."
"What, it will take a month." When Sokov heard what the other party said, he immediately shook his head like a rattle: "No, no, it's too long. If it really takes that long, the enemy's aircraft will probably be killed.
Cities like Erkasy and Kirovgrad were blown into ruins.”
"Then tell me, how many days are suitable?"
Sokov originally wanted to say one day, but considering that the prototype produced in this way may have serious quality problems. After thinking for a while, he stretched out three fingers and said to Yakov: "Three days! Three days later.
, I want to see a prototype!”
"Misha, you are kidding!" Yakov jumped up from his seat: "Even if you don't count the time to build the prototype, just talking about transportation, there are more than a thousand roads from Moscow to here, and the Spring Festival in Ukraine is thawing in March.
During the season, our transportation situation is already poor. How can we deliver the prototype car you need here within three days?"
"If we use railway transportation or road transportation, it is indeed impossible to deliver the prototype vehicle here within three days." Sokov recalled that the weight of this 57mm twin self-propelled anti-aircraft gun was not heavy, and the weapons and equipment department even sent the original five pairs
The number of road wheels was reduced to four pairs, so a bold idea came to his mind: "But what if it is transported by air? It will probably only take a few hours to transport the prototype by transport plane."
"Misha, your idea is too fanciful." After listening to Sokov's words, Yakov retorted: "Do you know how heavy our T-34 tank is? I want to use this tank chassis.
The self-propelled anti-aircraft gun is probably not much lighter in weight, and we don’t have such a powerful transport aircraft that can transport the prototype here.”
Sokov had already guessed that Yakov would say this, so he smiled and said: "Yasha, since you said that there is no powerful transport aircraft that can transport the prototype cars you produced, you might as well unpack two more hovercrafts and specially transport them.
How about transporting prototypes?”
When Yakov heard this, he realized that he had fallen into Sokov's trap, pointed at him and said: "Misha, you, you, you actually went in such a big circle just to let me provide you with a hovercraft."
Seeing that Yakov was not angry, Sokov struck while the iron was hot and said: "Instead of letting so many hovercrafts eat dust in the warehouse, it is better to send them to the front line, where they can play a greater role."
After saying this, he deliberately paused for a moment to observe Yakov's reaction. Seeing that the other party was still silent, he continued: "Yasha, if the aircraft launched by the German army towards the city passes over the defense zone,
, it is entirely possible that my troops lack effective anti-aircraft weapons and can only watch the city being attacked helplessly."
What Sokov said later finally convinced Yakov. After he sat down again, he nodded slowly and said: "Okay, Misha, I will report this matter to Comrade Ustinov when I return to Moscow."
Make a report and try to persuade him to agree to unsealing these hovercrafts and put them back into the battlefield."
Hearing what Yakov said, Sokov felt that his goal had been achieved, so he was ready to say something applicable to Yakov. Quan should express his gratitude to him: "Yasha, you can't find out just by looking at the photos."
An effective way to deal with German aircraft."
"Then is there any way you can get more useful information?"
"If we can seize an aircraft, we may be able to figure out its structure." Sokov just said this method, but he denied it the next second: "No, no, this is unlikely. Let alone the German launch
The base is well-defended, even if it is not tight, our soldiers captured an aircraft, but how can we get such a heavy thing back?"
"Seizure is unrealistic," Yakov thought clearly. This new weapon that has just been developed must be regarded as a treasure by the Germans. It may be a top secret within them, and the people who have access to it are very limited.
It is simply impossible to seize it directly. Since it is impossible to seize it directly, we can only resort to the next best thing: "Misha, see if you can send someone to collect relevant information so that we can further understand the German aircraft."
Although Sokov is well aware of the performance and data of the V1 missile, under the current situation, he can only bite the bullet and continue to pretend to be confused: "Okay, Yasha, I will contact the scouts ahead immediately and let them
Try to find a way to collect more information about aircraft."
The phone on the table rang, and Smirnov reached out and picked up the phone. After listening for a moment, his face showed joy. He told the phone: "Come to the headquarters immediately and speak to me and
Comrade Commander reports."
Sokov, who was talking to Yakov, heard the call from Smirnov and asked curiously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, who called?"
"It's the director of the reconnaissance department." Smirnov said with excitement: "He said he had obtained some valuable information and wanted to report it to you immediately."
"Valuable intelligence?" Sokov asked tentatively: "Is it related to the German aircraft?"
"Yes, it is related to the German aircraft." Smirnov said: "So I asked him to come over and report to us in person."
A few minutes later, the director of the reconnaissance department appeared at the headquarters.
Seeing the appearance of the director of the reconnaissance department, Smirnov hurried forward to greet him and asked with a smile: "Our director of the reconnaissance department is here. I wonder what good news you have brought us?"
The director of the reconnaissance department first saluted several people, and when he was about to give a report, he suddenly found an unfamiliar colonel present. The words he spoke were swallowed back in his stomach.
"Comrade Director, this is Colonel Yakov from the Weapons and Equipment Department." Sokov saw the scruples of the Director of the Reconnaissance Division, and quickly introduced Yakov to him, and specifically emphasized: "He is not an outsider, you have
Just say whatever you want."
"Hello, comrade colonel." Even though the director of the reconnaissance department was also a colonel, he saw that Yakov's identity was unusual. He quickly raised his hand and saluted him, and then reported to Sokov: "Commander
Comrade, the thing is like this. There is a reconnaissance unit that just sent a telegram, saying that they captured a German signal soldier and found an order from his body, which is to prepare the V1 missile to launch in the early morning of tomorrow.
At three o'clock, attack on Cherkasy."
"Wait, what did you say?" Sokov was shocked when he heard the name of the V1 missile said by the director of the reconnaissance department, and then asked: "What missile?"
"It's the kind of aircraft that attacks villages." The director of the reconnaissance department thought that Sokov really didn't know anything, and specifically explained: "The Germans call it a V1 missile."
"Oh, that's it. I understand." Sokov nodded pretending to be special, then turned to Yakov and said: "Yasha, you heard it, right? It turns out that the Germans have newly developed
The aircraft’s name is V1 missile.”
"A very strange name." Yakov said, "Besides the name of the V1 missile, is there any other useful information?" In order to let the director of the reconnaissance department understand what he meant, he also explained specifically, "For example,
How do the Germans control missiles so that they can directly hit the target at a range of up to 100 kilometers?"
"I'm sorry, Colonel Yakov, I don't know." The director of the reconnaissance department was stunned by Yakov's question. He replied with some embarrassment: "My scouts were not able to obtain more detailed information."
Seeing that he could not get any more useful information from the director of the reconnaissance department, Yakov was somewhat disappointed. He raised his hand and looked at the time, and then said: "I want to fly back to Moscow as soon as possible and report the situation here to Us
Comrade Zinov reports."
In order to ensure Yakov's safety, Sokov called Koshkin and told him: "Comrade Lieutenant, Colonel Yakov is going to return to Moscow by plane. Now I give you a task, which is to lead a guard platoon.
Escort Colonel Yakov safely to the airport. Got it?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander!" Koshkin replied resoundingly: "I will definitely send Colonel Yakov to the airport safely."
After sending Yakov away, Sokov began to wonder. Now the scout only knew the name of the missile, but did not obtain any further information, making it impossible for him to introduce the performance of this missile to Konev.
"Comrade Commander, Comrade Commander." Seeing that Sokov was in a daze again, Smirnov guessed that he was thinking about something, but there was a more important thing in front of him, so he shook his arm and shouted several times.
Voice: "What are you thinking about?"
Sokov was shaken awake. He looked at Smirnov with a confused expression and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what's the matter?"
"Comrade Commander, there is a more important thing, have you forgotten?"
"What's important?"
"Didn't the director of the reconnaissance department just say that the Germans are preparing to attack Cherkasy with V1 missiles?"
"Yes, yes, you are right to remind me." Sokov said quickly: "Such an important matter needs to be reported to the commander of the front army immediately, so that the defenders of Cherkasy can prepare to avoid unnecessary casualties.
"
When the call was connected to the front army headquarters, Sokov recognized that the person who answered the phone was Konev, and immediately said excitedly: "Hello, Comrade Marshal, I have something important to report to you."
When Konev heard that Sokov said he had something important to report, he immediately thought of the attack on the village and quickly asked: "Comrade Sokov, is it related to the aircraft that attacked the village?"
"Yes, Comrade Marshal, your guess is correct." Sokov said: "Our scouts captured a German signal soldier near Uman, and found an order from his body, which was for V1
Missile force..."
"Wait a minute, Comrade Sokov." As soon as Sokov read this, he was interrupted by Konev: "What did you just say? What missile, what is it?"
Sokov understood that Konev did not know the name of the V1 missile, and quickly explained to him: "It is the aircraft that attacked the village. Our scouts have figured out its name. The Germans call it the 'V1 missile.'
.”
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Konev had the same reaction as Yakov: "It's a very strange name. Is there more information about this new weapon of the German army?"
"Not yet, Comrade Marshal." Sokov replied: "But I have urged the scouts to continue conducting reconnaissance. Once I have the latest information, I will report to you as soon as possible."
"Well, very good, very good." Konev was very satisfied with Sokov's attitude. He finally asked curiously: "Comrade Sokov, you called me so late just to say this."
Something?"
"No, Comrade Marshal." Sokov thought of the purpose of his call and quickly added: "I'm calling you because the order captured by the scouts is for the German V1 missile unit to be deployed at three o'clock tomorrow morning.
At the right time, carry out a long-range strike on Cherkasy.”
"Three o'clock tomorrow morning?" After hearing the shocking news, Konev couldn't help but raise his hand to look at his watch, frowning and said, "There are only six hours left before that time."
But before Konev ordered Zakharov to call the Cherkasy garrison, he had to confirm one thing: "Comrade Sokov, is this information of yours accurate?"
"It's absolutely accurate." Sokov said solemnly: "I believe that my scouts will not lie to me."
"I understand. I will call the Cherkasy garrison immediately and inform them to be prepared." After Konev said this, he also expressed his gratitude to Sokov: "Comrade Sokov,
On behalf of the soldiers and civilians of Cherkasy, I would like to express my gratitude to you for saving their lives."