"Comrade Commander," Sokov was talking to Shtemenko when the phone on the table suddenly rang. When he picked up the phone, he heard the voice of Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov: "I
It’s Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov, commander of the 252nd Infantry Division.”
"It turns out to be Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov." Hearing that the person calling him was Kirillov, Sokov was a little surprised: "What do you want from me?"
"That's it, Comrade Commander." Kirillov said on the phone: "According to the scout report I sent, the enemy is gathering in an area a few kilometers away from us. It seems that they want to launch an attack on our position.
.”
"The enemy wants to attack your position?" Sokov couldn't help but be stunned after hearing this, and then asked instinctively: "Where is your division's defense zone?"
"In the Vilishankar region."
After hearing Kirillov's answer, Sokov immediately remembered that when he was deploying defense, he sent the 49th Infantry Army and part of the 57th Army to garrison the Vilishanka area. The 252nd Division commanded by Kirillov
, undoubtedly the part representing the 57th Army: "Oh, it turns out that the troops stationed in the Vilishankar area of the 57th Army are your division."
"Yes, Comrade Commander. This is our division."
"What preparations has your division made to face possible attacks by the enemy?"
"It's just digging fortifications," Kirillov replied: "But we don't have artillery, and we don't have decent heavy weapons. If the Germans use tanks to lead the infantry to attack, I'm afraid we will pay huge casualties."
Sokov thought for a moment, and then asked: "What kind of fortifications does your division have now?"
"Because time was tight, we only dug a few trenches and did not have time to build civil and firepower points."
"Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov, if there are really only a few trenches, once the Germans launch a fierce attack on you, your position will be breached very quickly."
"Yes, Comrade Commander, the situation is exactly like this." Kirillov said urgently: "I would like to ask you, what should we do to ensure that the position is not breached by the Germans?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov, listen." Sokov quickly had a defense plan in his mind: "In order to prevent the enemy from using your main position after your position is breached, seize the time to deepen the depth of the trenches.
.”
"Deepen the depth of the trenches?" Sokov's words made Kirillov confused: "Comrade Commander, I don't understand, there is a difference between deepening the depth of the trenches and ensuring that our positions are not breached by the enemy.
What connection?”
"Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov, don't interrupt me, listen to me continue: the depth of the first trench must not be less than two meters, and with the sandbags on the trench walls, the height must reach about two meters. And each trench
A fifty-centimeter earthen platform must be reserved at the shooting position facing the German attack. Remember, there is no need for the position facing our second trench."
"Comrade Commander, why is this? With a two-meter-deep trench and two-foot-high sandbags, our soldiers can't even put their heads up, so how can they shoot at the enemy?" Kirillov asked in surprise.
Seeing that the other party did not understand his intention, Sokov couldn't help but sigh: "Didn't I ask you to keep a fifty-centimeter-high earthen platform at each shooting position? When the enemy rushes over, our soldiers can stand on the earthen platform.
Go up and shoot them."
"But this is too inconvenient." Kirillov continued to complain.
"When the enemy rushes up, you can voluntarily abandon the first trench and withdraw to the second trench..."
"But, Comrade Commander." Faced with the plan proposed by Sokov, Kirillov asked in confusion: "Then, wouldn't our trenches be occupied by the enemy?"
"Didn't I ask you to dig the trenches deeper and not retain the earth platform in the direction facing the second trench?" Sokov said with a smile: "The Germans who occupied our trenches did not see the earth platform at all because there was no earth platform for their feet.
Without conditions outside, it is naturally impossible to shoot at our troops. But our soldiers can hide nearby, throw grenades into the trenches, and blow up the enemies in the trenches.
When Kirillov heard this, he immediately understood what Sokov wanted to express: "Comrade Commander, I understand. After the enemy occupied our position, because it faced the second trench and there was no earthen platform for footing, the Germans
You can't see the situation outside at all, so you can't shoot at us..."
"When the Germans discovered that our troops were nearby and they wanted to shoot at us, they had no choice but to keep jumping around and shoot outside. Do you think that in this case, their shots could hit the target?"
"cannot!"
Sokov's words aroused roars of laughter from those present. Ponedelin, who was sitting not far away, was thinking: This move by Comrade Commander is really great. Even if the first trench is lost, the Germans in the trench will
The soldiers could not attack the second trench a hundred meters away. The commanders and soldiers hiding outside the trench could use the Germans' blind spots to throw grenades into the trench and kill the enemies in the trench.
"Comrade Sokov," Shtemenko couldn't help but interject after hearing this: "Can our commanders and fighters take advantage of this and pretend to abandon the first trench from time to time to lure the enemy in, and then use it again?"
Kill them with grenades?”
"That's right, Comrade Deputy Chief of General Staff." Sokov agreed with Shtemenko's statement: "We can indeed use this method to eliminate a large number of the enemy's effective forces. But every time we enter the trenches,
We must eliminate all enemies. If there are officers and soldiers who slip through the net, report what happened to the German commander. An indiscriminate artillery bombardment by the enemy on our defense area will still cause us huge casualties."
After saying this to Shtemenko, Sokov said into the microphone again: "Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov, did you hear what I said?"
"I heard it, Comrade Commander."
"Now that you heard it, let's take action quickly." Sokov said: "It will take a lot of time to dig fortifications. We must set up defenses according to my instructions before the German attack starts."
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Kirillov replied excitedly: "I immediately ordered everyone to dig trenches and let these trenches become the graves of the Germans."
"Wait a minute." Just when Kirillov was about to hang up, Sokov stopped him again: "I haven't finished speaking yet."
"Please tell me, Comrade Commander."
"When conducting defensive operations, do not put all your troops into battle." Sokov said: "Each regiment must leave at least one battalion as a reserve."
"Comrade Commander," Kirillov said with some embarrassment: "Since the end of the last battle, our division has not been fully replenished. The strength of each regiment is only 60%. If each regiment allocates one battalion as a reserve
, then the troops used for frontal defense will become weak."
"Blankly defending is just a passive defense. If you want to hold the position, you must adopt the tactics of defending while attacking. The reason why I asked you to leave one battalion in each regiment as a reserve is to prevent you from losing your main position if it is lost.
The reserves can be put into battle in time to block the gap opened by the Germans. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Kirillov replied with some reluctance: "I will follow your order."
Sokov heard the reluctance in the tone of the other party's words, and then said: "Don't worry, Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov, I won't let your division fight alone, I will give it to General Melekhov."
Call and order him to provide you with the necessary artillery support. If possible, I also plan to order him to deploy other divisions to take over your defense."
After hearing Sokov's promise, Kirillov felt much better. He quickly replied loudly: "Thank you, Comrade Commander. With your words, I feel at ease. I promise you,
My troops will never let the enemy break through our defense lines."
After hanging up the phone, Sokov immediately called the communications staff officer and told him: "Comrade staff officer, help me pick up General Melekhov immediately. I have a task to assign to him."
Unexpectedly, after the communications staff member heard Sokov's words, he did not immediately execute his order, but stood there in a daze.
"What's going on?" Seeing that the other party was standing still and not moving, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little angry, and asked with a straight face: "Comrade staff, didn't you hear my order?"
"I heard it, Comrade Commander." The staff officer replied with some embarrassment: "But I don't know General Melekhov."
After hearing what the other party said, Sokov immediately realized his negligence. The personnel in the forward headquarters were basically his classmates at the Frunze Military Academy. Many of them were usually guards at the headquarters.
In the army, there was no opportunity to get access to more intelligence, so it was not surprising that he did not know the new commander of the 49th Army, General Melekhov.
After figuring out what was going on, Sokov did not blame the other party. On the contrary, he said kindly: "I'm sorry, comrade staff, I didn't explain myself clearly. General Melekhov is the commander of the 49th Infantry Corps. Please help me."
Get him on the phone."
The call was quickly connected, and Sokov said into the phone: "I am Sokov, am I General Melekhov?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander, it's me." Melekhov on the other end of the phone asked hurriedly: "Comrade Commander, what are your instructions?"
"General Melekhov, I heard that the German army is about to launch an attack on the positions of the 252nd Division." Sokov asked expressionlessly: "Are your army's artillery ready to intercept artillery fire?"
Hearing that the German army was going to attack the positions of the 252nd Division, Melekhov couldn't help but panic, and then replied: "Comrade Commander, I don't know about this at all. Who told you?"
"Didn't Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov, commander of the 252nd Division, report this situation to you?"
"No, Comrade Commander." Melekhov said bitterly: "You know, Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov is not my subordinate at all. If something happens in his position, according to usual practice, he will report directly to
Chumakov, commander of the 57th Army, reported. The other party received the report, verified it, and then reported it to me."
"Nonsense, it's just nonsense." After listening to Melekhov's defense, Sokov suddenly became angry and said: "General Melekhov, do you know that every minute on the battlefield is precious, if
To obtain a piece of information, it has to be relayed layer by layer before it can be conveyed to your ears, which will delay the fighter's opportunity."
"There is no way, Comrade Commander." Melehov said helplessly: "After all, Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov's 252nd Division is affiliated with the 57th Army."
"Okay, General Melekhov, don't say any more." Sokov interrupted the other party and said to himself: "I will now officially inform you that Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov's 252nd Division will start from now on.
, officially placed under your command until the end of this battle. Do you understand?"
"But what about General Chumakov?" Although Sokov had already said this, Melekhov still asked awkwardly: "Will he be resentful of me because of this matter?"
"You don't have to worry about General Chumakov's affairs. I will greet him personally." Sokov said: "Your task now is to deploy the artillery immediately. When Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov needs it,
When necessary, provide him with necessary artillery support."
As soon as the call here was completed, Sokov ordered the communications staff to connect the phone to the Army Headquarters. When he heard that the person who answered the phone was Smirnov, Sokov said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, would you please
Say hello to General Chumakov and tell him that Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov's 252nd Division will be temporarily placed under the command of the 49th Infantry Corps from now on until the end of the battle."
Smirnov was surprised by Sokov's sudden order. He asked in surprise: "Comrade Commander, why should the 252nd Division be assigned to the 49th Army? You know, in this way,
The 57th Army only has two divisions left, which will greatly weaken their combat effectiveness."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov told Smirnov in detail what happened, "Although Melekhov is the corps commander and Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov is only the division commander, both of them
There is no direct affiliation, which means that reporting military information or issuing orders must be relayed through layers of information, which will delay the fighter's opportunity. Therefore, it is completely necessary to temporarily place the 252nd Division under the command of the 49th Army."
"Okay, Comrade Commander. Since you have made a decision, I will obey your order." Smirnov said, "I will convey your intention to General Chumakov immediately."
Seeing Sokov finish the phone call, Shtemenko said with great interest: "Comrade Sokov, I just thought about your tactics carefully. If it can really be effective on the battlefield, it can greatly reduce the risk of
The casualties of our commanders and soldiers.”
Sokov thought in his mind: According to post-war statistics, only 3% of Soviet men born in the five years of 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925 and 1926 survived the war. In other words,
For every one hundred men who went to the front, only three survived.
Although he is a group army commander, his name sounds scary, but the scope of his influence is very effective. What he can do now is to use better tactics in the war to reduce the casualty rate of the troops, and strive to make this situation more effective.
Among young men born in five years, more of them can live to the day of victory.
Seeing Sokov's calm look, Shtemenko hummed, and then asked: "Comrade Sokov, why didn't you speak? Didn't you hear me?"
"I heard that, Comrade Deputy Chief of General Staff." Sokov tried his best to force a smile on his face: "I am wondering whether Lieutenant Colonel Kirillov's troops can block the fierce German attack."