"Comrade commanders," Konev said without hesitation after the other party finished speaking: "Have you ever thought about the fact that we currently have insufficient soldiers and ammunition, and the Germans are also facing the same problem. If we want
Wait until the replenishment given by our superiors arrives, complete the replenishment of soldiers and ammunition, and then attack the enemy. By then, the enemy will have already completed their replenishment and rest. If we want to defeat them, we will inevitably pay huge casualties."
The commanders present listened to what Konev said and thought about it carefully, and found that this was really the case. While their own troops were being replenished with soldiers and ammunition, the Germans would not be idle and would definitely replenish them. When both sides were ready, the Germans would not be idle.
After completing the replenishment and rest, launching an attack on the enemy's defense area will inevitably increase the casualties of the troops.
Seeing the silence of the commanders, Konev understood that they were thinking about the problem he was talking about, so he struck while the iron was hot and said: "The reason why the Uman Battle we are about to launch this time is so hasty is entirely because the Germans have
We have weapons that can carry out long-range strikes against us. Think about it, the Germans can launch missiles at our defense areas every day, and we have no power to fight back at all and can only be passively beaten. In order to prevent this from happening, we
It is necessary to launch a surprise attack on the German army before they complete their new defense deployment and destroy their missile launch base in the Uman area..."
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart, secretly saying that the German missile launching positions can be moved at any time. Even if Uman and Vinnitsa are liberated, it does not mean that the German missile launching positions have been destroyed. They can also be moved to other places.
city, and continued to carry out long-range attacks on the Soviet defense areas.
However, he did not point this out to Konev in public, but quietly listened to Konev's arrangements, secretly wondering whether the other party would assign the task of attacking Uman to his own troops.
Unexpectedly, he thought so, and saw Konev's eyes falling on him, and then heard the other party say: "Comrade Sokov, in this battle of Uman, I plan to let your group army be the main offensive. You have a problem?"
?"
After Sokov waited for Konev to finish speaking, he slowly stood up and said slowly: "Comrade Marshal, if we attack the enemy with the current strength of our group army, it will be tantamount to committing suicide."
Konev may have never dreamed that Sokov would actually say such a thing. According to his idea, when Sokov heard himself asking this question, he would definitely answer loudly after getting up: "No problem." Listen.
When the answer he least wanted to hear came, Konev frowned, looked at Sokov and asked with some displeasure, "Comrade Sokov, when do you think you should attack the Germans instead of letting your commanders and soldiers do it?"
What about suicide?”
Sokov heard the anger in Konev's voice and realized that he had misunderstood. He quickly explained: "Comrade Marshal, my superiors just gave me a batch of weapons and equipment. They are now in transit. I'm afraid I have to wait another four or five days."
Time will come. As soon as this batch of equipment arrives, I will be able to arm all the commanders and combatants, thereby increasing the combat effectiveness of the troops."
After listening to Sokov's explanation, Konev realized that he had wrongly blamed him. He coughed heavily, cleared his throat, and asked: "Comrade Sokov, how many days do you need to prepare?"
Sokov made some calculations in his mind and felt that the weapons and equipment Yakov had prepared for him would take four or five days no matter how fast. He replied: "Comrade Marshal, I think it may take four or five days."
"No, four or five days is too long." Konev shook his head and said: "We will launch an attack on the enemy in six days. If you wait until the weapons and equipment arrive, then set off to the designated location.
, I am afraid that the commanders and soldiers have long been exhausted, how can they still have the physical strength to fight the enemy?"
"Comrade Marshal," Sokov said: "While waiting for the arrival of weapons and equipment, our troops will actively prepare for battle, and some of the troops may even head to designated locations to receive new equipment there.
.”
"That's okay." Konev felt that what Sokov said was reasonable. Although the weapons and equipment are not yet in place, it is perfectly okay for the troops to move to the designated area first to receive and familiarize themselves with the equipment. "Then.
Do as you say."
Zakharov waited for Konev to finish, then interrupted and asked: "Comrade Sokov, how has the performance of the small team you sent behind enemy lines been in the past two days? We seem to have never received any intelligence from them.
"
The chief of staff of the front army actually asked directly about the small units sent to the enemy rear by the troops below, which puzzled the commanders present. But only Sokov understood that the other party was actually asking about the troops carrying new rockets.
Why hasn't the German missile launch base been attacked yet?
Sokov, who also received no reply, knew very well that if the small team behind enemy lines remained silent, it meant that they had not yet reached the position to conduct reconnaissance. After organizing the vocabulary in his mind, he replied: "Front Army
Comrade Chief of Staff, I have not yet contacted the dispatched detachment. According to my analysis, they should still be on the march at this moment."
"What happened? Why is it so slow?" Zakharov said displeasedly after hearing this: "Don't you know that the longer the delay, the greater the threat the Germans pose to our army?"
Faced with Zakharov's harsh tone, Sokov felt a little sorry for his men, so he retorted: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, you cannot blame the comrades of the squad for this. After all, our defense zone is far away from Uman.
It’s too far, and we have to pass through many German defensive areas along the way. As long as we can reach the designated location within three days, it will be very impressive.”
Just when Zakharov wanted to teach Sokov a few words, Konev raised his hand to stop him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, General Sokov is right, it is indeed too far from his defense area to the Uman area.
Point, and the road is not easy to walk on. In order not to be discovered by the enemy, the scouts have to go out day and night, so it will naturally take more time."
Although Konev said good things to Sokov, he finally told him: "General Sokov, since your army group is the first echelon of the offensive, it must all reach the designated position on March 8. How about that?
, are there any difficulties?”
"There is no difficulty, Comrade Marshal." Sokov agreed readily this time, "I promise to get all the troops to the designated place within the specified time."
Konev nodded and was about to speak when suddenly a staff officer came in from outside the door. He came to Zaharov's side, bent slightly, leaned close to Zaharov's ear, and whispered a few words.
sentence.
"What's going on?" Seeing the sudden intrusion of the uninvited guest, Konev said in a stern tone: "Didn't you see that we are in a meeting?"
The staff officer quickly faced Konev, straightened his back and said: "Reporting to Comrade Marshal, I just received a telegram from the Supreme Command. I feel it is necessary to report to Comrade Chief of Staff."
"A telegram from the Supreme Command?" Konev's face showed a surprised expression: "What does it say?"
The staff officer looked at the many commanders present and seemed hesitant to speak. Konev slapped his hand on the table and said sternly: "No one is an outsider here. If you have anything, just say it."
"
"Comrade Marshal," replied the nervous staff officer: "The telegram from the Supreme Command stated that in order to strengthen the strength of the 53rd Army, the 3rd and 4th Guards Airborne Divisions were prepared to be placed under the command of the 18th Guards Infantry Corps.
The new troops will arrive at the designated location today at the latest."
Today's 53rd Army has three corps structures, namely the 18th Guards Corps, the 49th Infantry Corps and the 57th Infantry Corps. The two infantry corps each have three infantry divisions, while the 18th Guards Corps has only one 41st Guards Corps.
Division. At this moment, I heard that my superiors were going to send two Guards Airborne Divisions to strengthen the 18th Guards Army. Sokov, who felt like he had been hit on the head by a piece of pizza falling from the sky, suddenly beamed with joy.
"The 3rd and 4th Guards Airborne Divisions?" When Konev heard the news, he still couldn't believe it. He looked at his staff and asked: "Is the news reliable?"
"Completely reliable." The staff officer said as he pulled out the folder tucked under his arm, opened it, took out a telegram and handed it to Konev: "This is the telegram from the Supreme Command."
Konev took it and saw that, as the staff said, the Supreme Command assigned the two Guards Airborne Divisions to Sokov's 53rd Army and directly incorporated them into the 18th Guards Army.
"Congratulations, General Sokov." Konev handed the telegram in his hand to Sokov and said with a smile: "This way, you don't have to worry about insufficient troops. And as far as I know
, these two airborne divisions have made considerable achievements on the battlefield, and I believe that it won’t be long before they become the elite of your group army.”
When other commanders present learned that the Supreme Command had added two divisions to the 53rd Army, they couldn't help but cast envious glances at Sokov. Although they felt a little sour in their hearts, they still stepped forward to ask Sokov
The husband expressed congratulations.
After the meeting, Sokov and Smirnov got in the car and hurried back to the army headquarters, intending to tell the good news to the military commissar Gorokhov who stayed at the headquarters.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked into the headquarters, Sokov saw Ponedelin, Gorokhov and others talking to three unfamiliar officers. Sokov was a little curious about who these people were, so he asked Goro
Hof greeted: "Comrade Military Commissar, who are these commanders?"
"Comrade Commander, you are back!" Gorokhov saw Sokov appear, with an expression of surprise on his face. He stepped forward and shook hands with Sokov, and then pulled his man to the place where the three of them were.
In front of him, he introduced to him: "I have good news to tell you. The Supreme Command has added two Guards Airborne Divisions to our group army to supplement the 18th Guards Rifle Corps, which has only one Guards Division."
He pointed to one of the major generals and introduced to Sokov: "Let's meet him. This is the newly appointed commander of the 18th Guards Infantry Corps, Major General Afunin."
"Hello, Commander Afunin." Sokov stepped forward and held Afunin's hand, and said friendly: "Welcome to become one of us."
Next, Gorokhov introduced a colonel who looked to be in his forties: "This is Colonel Konev, commander of the 3rd Guards Airborne Division."
"Konev?!" When Sokov heard that the colonel and Marshal Konev actually had the same surname, he couldn't help but joked: "Comrade Colonel, I didn't expect that you and Marshal Konev have the same surname. What a coincidence. Maybe
You will also become a marshal in the future."
When the middle-aged colonel heard what Sokov said, he laughed at first, and then said: "Comrade Commander, I have never thought about being a marshal. I only hope that I can live until the day of victory."
Sokov almost blurted out that there was only one year left before the end of the war. Fortunately, he noticed this stupid mistake in time, put the words on his lips in time, and swallowed them again: "Don't worry, Kone
Colonel Husband. Although I cannot guarantee that everyone will live until the day of victory, I can try my best to ensure that all commanders above the regiment level live to see the flag of victory flying over the Nazi's lair."
Sokov's words made Colonel Konev become excited: "Comrade Commander, can I really live to see the day of victory?"
"Of course." Sokov didn't know whether the 53rd Army under his command could continue to fight under Konev's command and become the force that captured Berlin after Konev became the commander of the First Ukrainian Front. But in order to allow himself
These commanders under his command were all confident of victory. He replied with such an expression: "I think all of us in this room should be able to see the day of victory."
After getting to know Major General Rumyantsev, commander of the 4th Guards Airborne Division, Sokov looked at Ponedelin and asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, have you informed General Kurishenko, commander of the 41st Guards Airborne Division?"
"No."
"Why not notify?" Sokov said with a straight face: "Now that the commanders of the 18th Guards Corps have taken office, should Kurishenko come over to meet his new superiors?"
"I immediately called General Kurishenko and asked him to rush to the headquarters immediately."
While Ponejelin was on the phone to the 41st Guards Division, Sokov said to Afunin: "Commander Afunin, in the original establishment of our 18th Guards Army, there was only one Guards Division.
41st Division. Seeing that a battle is about to begin, I am still wondering whether the Guards should be the first echelon of the attack or stay behind as a reserve."
"Comrade Commander," Afunin said respectfully after Sokov finished speaking: "The two Guards Airborne Divisions I brought this time are both units with great military achievements. Almost every commander and fighter has rich experience.
Combat experience. Just feel free to put us into the first echelon, I believe I will not let you down."
Smirnov, who had been listening for a long time, interrupted and said: "Comrade Commander, I believe what General Afnin said. The officers and soldiers in the airborne troops are all well-trained. The soldiers lost in the battle are directly
Replenishment is drawn from other units rather than recruiting new recruits without any combat experience, so their combat effectiveness is never diluted by additional troops."
This is the first time Sokov has heard of the direct transfer of manpower from combat units to replenish troops after the airborne troops suffer battle losses. However, he feels that this method of replenishing troops is the most effective in maintaining the combat effectiveness of the troops.
, as soon as the replenishment is completed, they can immediately go into battle. Unlike temporary recruits, even if they are put on the battlefield after several months of training, their combat effectiveness is still not reassuring.