Early the next morning, a general walked into the headquarters from outside.
Sokov was originally talking to Smirnov and Yakov. When he saw the person coming, he stood up from his seat and hurriedly greeted him, saying: "Comrade Chuvasov, why are you here?"
?”
The person who came was none other than Chuvasov, the commander of the 98th Guards Division. Due to his outstanding military exploits, he had just been promoted to major general. At this moment, seeing Sokov walking towards him, he quickly stopped and
Raise your hands to salute the other party and say respectfully: "Hello, comrade commander, the commander of the 98th Guards Division, Major General Chuvasov, is reporting to you. I am following your orders, please give me instructions!"
After Sokov stepped forward to return the salute, he pulled his hand from his forehead, shook his hand warmly, and asked, "I didn't expect that after not seeing each other for a few months, you would become a general!"
Chuvashov glanced at Sokov's epaulettes, and the smile on his face became brighter: "Comrade Commander, I have become a general, but you have changed from a major general to a general."
After the two exchanged pleasantries, Sokov bluntly asked the other party why he was here: "Chuvashov, if you don't stay well in the 27th Army, why did you come to me?"
"Borrow the road!" Chuvashov replied briefly: "Because the German army's defense on the other side of the Dniester River was too tight, the two forced crossings we launched ended in failure. Last night I suddenly received a message from the commander
General Trofimenko’s call told us to go down the river, take advantage of you to cross the Dniester River, launch a surprise attack from the side of the German river defense position, and cover the friendly forces on the left bank to cross the river.”
Sokov quickly pulled the map on the table in front of him, then asked Chuvashov: "Chuvashov, tell me your plan?"
"My plan?" Chuvashov was confused by Sokov's question. He asked in confusion: "What plan?"
"How do you plan to attack the Germans?" Seeing that the other party did not understand what he meant, Sokov could only clarify to him: "You can't just cross the river and launch an attack on the Germans with great fanfare, right?"
"Isn't this wrong?" It may be that Sokov has been away from the 27th Army for too long. Even old subordinates like Chuvasov have forgotten his usual combat style. Chuvasov was confused.
Said: "But the order given to us by our superiors is to launch an attack from the side of the German river defense position."
"Yes, your division's mission is to attack the flank of the German river defense positions." Sokov patiently explained to Chuvashov: "But the tactics used are different, and the casualties paid by the troops and the results achieved will be greatly different.
difference."
Sokov's words reminded Chuvashov. He remembered that the former commander in front of him had always been unique in his style of commanding operations. The battles he commanded were always able to win at the lowest cost.
Achieve the greatest victory. This can be seen from the casualties suffered by the troops in the battle before and after Trofimenko took over the 27th Army.
"Comrade Commander," after thinking about this, Chuvashov humbly asked Sokov for advice: "Then what should we do?"
Sokov knew his identity very well. Although he was Chuvasov's old superior, he was not qualified to command the troops of the 27th Army as the commander of the 53rd Army. Therefore, he could only give him some suggestions tactfully.
.
"Comrade Chuvashov, although I can't command you directly now, I can give you some suggestions." He pointed to the map and said to Chuvashov: "Although the Germans put their main defense forces in Germany,
On the Dniester River, once they discover that one of our troops has appeared on the flank, they will definitely strengthen the defense on the flank. If you carry out a strong attack, I am afraid you will pay huge casualties.
Therefore, I suggest that your troops should use the cover of the terrain to quietly approach the German river defense positions. When they are close to the German positions, launch a surprise attack, so that the Germans can be caught off guard."
"General Chuvashov." Smirnov couldn't help but speak after listening for a while: "You know, in order not to affect the speed of the march, you did not carry any heavy weapons. If you are exposed prematurely,
If you carry out your own intentions and launch an attack on the German defense lines, I'm afraid you will pay a heavy price."
When Sokov was still the commander of the 27th Army, he once commanded the 53rd Army, so Chuvashov still knew some of the main commanders in the army. He waited for Smirnov to finish and then continued.
: "General Smirnov, what you said makes perfect sense. In the past, I was not thinking carefully. I only thought about how to complete the tasks assigned to us by our superiors as soon as possible, but I did not consider that doing so might cost the troops huge sacrifices.
.”
"Anyway, we have nothing to do now," Sokov said to Chuvashov: "Then let's study how to attack the German river defense positions."
Fortunately, the leading regiment of the 41st Guards Division was not idle after crossing the river. Papuchenko sent several reconnaissance groups to the upstream and downstream to conduct reconnaissance on the German river defense positions. Although so far, there are still
He did not obtain a complete map of the river defense formation, but the information he obtained was enough for Sokov to make reasonable suggestions to Chuvashov.
"Chuvashov, look here." Sokov pointed to a location on the map and said to Chuvashov: "This is a commanding height. The Germans have deployed four artillery pieces on it. Not only can they bombard the left bank
Friendly troops, even if you attack from the flank, you will be killed by artillery fire from the high ground."
Chuvashov wrote down the position of the German artillery on the paper with a pen, nodded and said: "Understood, I will send a small team to eliminate the German artillery position before the attack begins."
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Sokov asked with a half-smile: "Comrade Chuvashov, how do you plan to deal with the German artillery position? Is it to blow it up?"
Chuvashov nodded vigorously and replied truthfully: "Yes, we must blow it up to eliminate the threat it poses to our army."
"I have just said that you came lightly this time and did not bring any heavy weapons." Sokov asked calmly: "What if when you launch an attack on the river defense position and encounter the strong German defenses?
, what are you going to do?”
"Blow it up," Chuvashov replied without hesitation: "Order the soldiers to carry explosive packages or cluster grenades and rush up to blow up the enemy's firepower points."
Sokov asked, somewhat dumbfounded: "Comrade Chuvashov, the Germans have definitely set up more than one firepower point in the river fortifications. If you want to send soldiers to blast, not only will the action be slow, but the casualties will also be absolute."
Indispensable."
"Then what should I do to reduce the casualties of the troops while reducing casualties?"
Faced with Chuvashov's humbly asking for advice, Sokov did not hesitate to give him advice: "Didn't you already occupy the German artillery position? The artillery in the hands of the Germans is a threat to us. But if it falls into the hands of our army,
In your hands, it will be transformed into a kind of assistance. After occupying the German artillery position, you can completely turn the muzzle of the gun, bombard the strong firepower points in the river defense position, cover the troops on the other side to cross the river, and cooperate with your troops to seize the river defense position."
Sokov's words immediately made Chuvasov's thinking suddenly clear: "I understand, Comrade Commander, I understand. Now that the German equipment has been captured, it must be put to use and used to strike hard.
enemy."
"As long as you understand." Sokov looked at Chuvashov and said, "I have full confidence in you capturing the German river bank positions."
Sokov suddenly remembered that the 98th Guards Division was formed from two marine brigades and one infantry brigade. It always had many brave and capable sailors, so he asked curiously: "By the way, Chuvasov
Comrade, how many soldiers are there in the division now, and what proportion of them are sailors?"
Upon hearing Sokov's question, Chuvashov sighed and said: "Comrade Commander, today's 98th Guards Division has basically become an army. The sailors who originally had the numerical advantage are now only one."
Company. In order to preserve this little seed, I incorporated them all into my guard battalion."
"What, there is only one company of sailors left?" When Sokov learned that the sailors who originally accounted for two-thirds of the total strength were now only one company, he was shocked: "Didn't the sailors die after they died?
Any corresponding supplements?”
"There are indeed a lot of sailors among the soldiers recruited by the group army, but they have been integrated into other units. However, the soldiers recruited by our division are all army soldiers, so the number of sailors in the division is getting smaller and smaller."
"How could this happen?" Sokov said with a wry smile: "You know, before I was sent to Moscow due to injury, your division was basically fully staffed, and sailors still accounted for most of it. Unexpectedly,
Now there is only one company left."
"The tactics used by the new commander are very different from those you are accustomed to before." Chuvashov said with a wry smile: "As long as you can complete the mission of your superiors, seize the designated position, and annihilate the enemies who hold the position, even if
No matter how great the sacrifice is, it is still worth it.”
"This is nonsense." Sokov was very angry after hearing this: "As a commander, if you want to win the war, you must know how to use the minimum cost to achieve the maximum results. If you ignore the casualties of the troops and act recklessly,
, even if the victory is barely achieved, the heavy casualties of commanders and soldiers will cause the troops to lose their combat effectiveness."
"Comrade Commander," although Chuvashov could not say anything bad about the current commander, he still bravely spoke out what was in his heart: "Although you have been away for such a long time, the group army once accepted your command.
Our commanders and fighters still miss you and hope you can return to lead us again."
"This is impossible, General Chuvasov." Although Sokov always thinks about the old subordinates of the 27th Army, it is obvious that he will not show it if he is asked to return as commander. First, he and the 27th Army
The running-in period for the commanders and fighters of the 53rd Group Army has just come to an end, and when the troops are beginning to win successive victories, there is absolutely no reason to leave.
The second is that he went to the 27th Group Army. Who will command the 53rd Group Army? The combat effectiveness of this unit has finally improved. Maybe because of his departure, it will become a low-level unit again.
"Yes, I also know that this is impossible, but what I said is true. Commanders and fighters at all levels really miss you." Chuvashov looked at Sokov and said: "If it is possible,
I hope you can come back to the army to visit."
"Yes, Comrade Chuvashov, if I have the chance, I will go back and have a look." Sokov suddenly lowered his tone and said in a voice that only he could hear: "Look at my old friends from the past, look at
Are they still alive?"
Sokov did not know that when he and Chuvashov were discussing how to seize the German river defense positions on the Dniester River, thousands of miles away in the General Staff Office in Moscow, Zhukov, Vasilevsky and
Several important figures in the staff department were discussing an important matter.
Standing in front of the map hanging on the wall, Shtemenko said to Zhukov and others: "Comrade commanders, judging from the current situation, the 53rd Group Army commanded by General Sokov still has strong assault capabilities. If allowed,
They continue to attack and they are fully capable of entering Romania within a week."
After listening to Shtemenko's words, Deputy Chief of General Staff Ivanov, who had been sitting on the bench, asked puzzledly: "Since the 53rd Army has such strength, why did it stop advancing?"
"The reason is very simple." Shtemenko pointed to the map and explained to the other party: "Because the 53rd Army advanced too fast, the 27th and 52nd Army on their left and right wings were already thirty to fifty kilometers behind. Ko and I
Marshal Nev said that if the 53rd Army is allowed to continue to advance, in a few days, they will become a lone force deep into the belly of the German army. Once the Germans launch an attack from their flanks, this force may
Caught in siege.
In order to avoid this worst situation, Marshal Konev has ordered the army to stop advancing and build fortifications in place to prepare for the German counterattack."
"Isn't General Sokov good at winning battles?" Ivanov said unconvincingly: "Even if he is temporarily besieged by the German army, I think he has the ability to persist until reinforcements arrive."
"Comrade Deputy Chief of General Staff, let me remind you to pay attention to something." Vasilevsky suddenly said: "The 27th Army, which is now on the right wing of the 53rd Army, was once a unit commanded by Sokov. Back then, Sokov served as
As commander, this unit can be said to be capable of fighting well and has won one victory after another.
But why did the combat effectiveness of this unit decrease after the commander was changed? Even in such a major military operation to liberate Kiev, the 27th Army was unable to participate because of heavy casualties.
This time they were able to advance to the Dniester River because Sokov's 53rd Army handed over part of the occupied city to them. If they relied on their own strength, they don't know how long they would have to wait to reach Germany.
Nistria River.
Do you think a unit with such combat effectiveness can rush over to support Sokov's 53rd Army in time when they see it being surrounded? I'm worried that by the time they arrive, the besieged troops will have already been annihilated by the enemy. By then
It will have a fatal blow to the morale and morale of our army."
"Comrade Vasilevsky," Zhukov couldn't help but interject after hearing this: "If you have any ideas, why don't you tell them and let everyone listen."