Onupriyenko heard the implication of Sokov's words. His troops were the first to rush into Minsk and had made a great contribution. The task of clearing out the remaining enemies in the city was best left to other troops.
Do it and let them get some credit. If you take away all the credit, I'm afraid they will become the target of public criticism.
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Onupryenko said with a smile: "Before new orders are issued, I will order my subordinates to take a good rest and not participate in the search for remaining enemies in the city for the time being."
"General Onupriyanko, it's not that he doesn't participate, it's that he doesn't take the initiative to participate." After Sokov said this, he saw a confused expression on Onupriyanko's face, so he made further inquiries about him.
Explanation: "I won't let you search for the remnants of the enemy, which refers to the areas outside your defense zone. As for the enemies within your defense zone, you still have to find a way to eliminate them yourself. Do you understand?"
"Now I understand everything." Onupryenko is also a smart man. He completely understood Sokov's meaning, nodded and said: "I will let the commanders and fighters carry out the task during their free time while clearing the remaining enemies in the defense zone.
Proper rest.”
Sokov nodded and said to Onupriyenko: "General Onupriyenko, our offensive battle has just begun, and there are still many battles to be fought. This means that you may be fighting in the near future.
It will be impossible to replenish troops for a long time. If proper rest and recuperation is carried out, a large number of commanders and soldiers will be exhausted and unable to participate in the next phase of the battle, which will be a huge loss for you."
After leaving the headquarters of the 6th Guards Division, Sokov then went to the headquarters of the 1st Guards Division. The reason why he chose to see Tolstikov was to appease him and avoid having to rely on him.
Erstkov was devastated by this blow.
But when Sokov arrived at the headquarters of the 1st Guards Division, Tolstikov was convening a meeting with the commanders of the regiments. The attacks on the regiments were slow, resulting in the Minsk Palace Building and the Committee Building being destroyed by the 6th Guards Division.
He was furious about the fact that Shi Shi was the first to get there.
Although he said that his troops were the second to enter Minsk, he knew very well that when the battle to liberate Minsk was mentioned in future history books, the 6th Guardsmen who were the first to rush into the city would definitely be mentioned.
The Normal University wrote a special letter, but selectively ignored his own troops. This was something he could not tolerate.
Seeing Sokov's arrival at this moment, he couldn't help but complain: "Comrade Commander, I can't figure it out!"
"Is there anything you can't figure out?" Sokov said with a smile: "Just tell me and I'll give you an explanation."
"Comrade Commander, you should know that our division was the first to attack Minsk." Tolstikov said firmly: "If you don't believe it, I can ask the commanders and fighters to testify and let them tell you.
You and our division are the first to attack the enemy."
"I believe it." After Sokov said this lightly, he asked tentatively: "Then tell me, since you are the first to launch an attack, why can't you be the first to enter the city?"
Hearing Sokov's question, Tolstikov couldn't help but blush, and said with some embarrassment: "After the enemy discovered that our division had launched an attack on the city, they immediately transferred troops from different places to attack us.
Tenacious blockade. It was precisely because the enemy deployed troops from all over to deal with us that the troops in some areas became weak. The 6th Guards Division took the opportunity to attack the weakly defended areas of the German army and became the first to enter.
Troops in the city."
"General Tolstikov, your words seem to make sense, but have you ever thought about the reason why the 6th Guards Division was able to become the first force to enter the city, in addition to seizing the weak points of the German defense?
In addition, it is also related to the combat effectiveness of their troops. Maybe if they change another unit, even if they face an enemy with weak defenses, they may not be able to break through the enemy's defenses and successfully rush into the city."
After Tolstikov waited for Sokov to finish speaking, he thought about it carefully and realized that this was really what happened. For a moment, he didn't know how to refute Sokov.
"Okay, General Tolstikov, don't be upset anymore." Sokov said to him with a smile: "Operation Bagration has just started for more than a week, and there are still many battles to come. I hope that in the next
In a siege, your division can be the first unit to enter the city."
After hearing what Sokov said, Tolstikov murmured in a low voice: "Even if we are the first to rush into the city, what's the use? Is any city in Belarus more important than Minsk?"
"Yes, there is indeed no city in Belarus that is as important as Minsk." Sokov looked at Tolstikov and said earnestly: "But you can't be discouraged by this. You know, we have removed the Germans from
After they are driven out of Belarus, we will definitely attack their hometown. Then your division will still have a chance to be the first to enter Warsaw, or even be the first to rush into Berlin..."
When Tolstikov heard what Sokov said and was the first to rush into Berlin, his whole body suddenly became excited. He said to the leaders present: "Comrade leaders, you all
Did you hear what the commander said?"
"I heard it!" the group leader below replied in unison.
"Just hear it." Tolstikov said loudly to his men: "Although we are not the first to rush into the city today, please remember that in the future we must strive to be the first to rush into the city.
Troops in Berlin.”
"Comrade Commander," Koshkin came in from the outside and handed a telegram to Sokov: "This is a telegram from Chief of Staff Sidorin."
Sokov knew that Sidorin would not send him a telegram casually if there was nothing important, so he quickly unfolded the telegram and read it carefully. After reading it, he suddenly beamed with joy.
"Comrade commanders," Sokov raised the telegram high above his head, shook it twice and said: "I just received a front army telegram forwarded by my chief of staff. It said that due to Vitebsk, Bo
The enemy forces in the areas east of Bruisk and Minsk were wiped out, and a gap of 400 kilometers wide appeared on the front. The German command did not have the troops to close this gap in the short term, so the Supreme Command asked our front forces to make full use of this gap.
An extremely favorable situation to expand the results achieved.
In order to implement this instruction from the base camp, the Front Army Headquarters decided that while not stopping the pursuit of the enemy, the 48th and 65th Group Armies would carry out a centripetal assault in the general direction of Baranovichi in order to encircle the German Baranovichi Group.
and annihilate it."
After listening to Sokov's words, the commanders present were stunned for a moment, and then cheered. They secretly guessed that since the commander read this telegram in public, it meant what new combat missions would be assigned to his troops.
.
Sure enough, their guess was soon confirmed. Sokov said to Tolstikov: "General Tolstikov, you have heard the telegram from your superiors. I have decided to launch this attack."
I leave it to your division to complete, I wonder if there are any difficulties?"
"No, Comrade Commander." Tolstikov felt unexpectedly nervous when he heard Dusokov said that he planned to let his troops be the main attacker: "I will never let you down."
As the situation in Minsk stabilized, Sokov informed Sidorin to move his headquarters to the city and establish a new headquarters in the committee building occupied by the 6th Guards Division.
As soon as Ponedelin saw Sokov, he reported an important news to him: "Comrade Commander, I have good news to tell you that tonight there will be a salute in Moscow's Red Square to celebrate the liberation of Minsk.
.”
Sokov was stunned for a moment, and then he remembered that from whence on, every time an important big city was liberated, a salute would be fired in Moscow's Red Square to celebrate. As the capital of Belarus, Minsk naturally had to follow this example.
Seeing that Sokov didn't speak, Ponedelin thought he was shocked by the news, and continued: "There is a road connecting Minsk and Moscow. Through this road, you can directly reach the heart of our country. The Patriotic War
After the outbreak, Minsk was the first big city captured by the Germans. The liberation of this city has important symbolic significance. Therefore, it is completely necessary to fire a salute in celebration."
Sokov naturally ordered what Ponedelin said, but at the moment he was thinking about the fact that although the city was liberated, there were still a large number of German troops around the city, including the main force of the 4th Army and part of the 9th Army.
, in order to prevent these troops from being annihilated by the Soviet army, the newly appointed commander Model will definitely take various measures to rescue these besieged troops.
After Ponedelin finished speaking, he found that Sokov was silent. He realized what the other party was thinking about and quickly asked with concern: "Comrade Commander, what are you thinking about?"
"Comrade Deputy Commander," since the other party was also the chief military officer, Sokov did not talk in circles, but expressed his worries himself: "Although we have liberated Minsk, we should also see that in Minsk
There are still a large number of enemies around. If we want to carry out the orders from our superiors and carry out a centripetal attack with the 65th Group Army, we must leave enough troops to defend the city to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation and taking the city back."
Ponedelin was startled by Sokov's words and broke into a cold sweat. He was only thinking about how to expand the results of the war, forgetting that there were also the main force of the German 4th Army and part of the 9th Army near Minsk, and the commanders who commanded these troops.
Model is also known as the master of defense. If the friendly forces fail to defeat this enemy, Minsk will still be in danger.
"Comrade Commander," Ponejelin said cautiously: "Then what do you think we should do?"
"The orders from the front army headquarters must be implemented. At the same time, we cannot abandon the city's defense work." Sokov frowned and said: "I see that in the centripetal attack with the 65th Army, there is the 1st Guards.
The 6th Division will carry out the operation, and the remaining troops will stay to ensure the safety of the city. We must not let the Germans take this city away from our hands again."
Ponedelin strongly agrees with Sokov's statement. As long as the salute is fired in Red Square tonight, it means announcing to the world that the Soviet army has recaptured Minsk, the capital of Belarus, which was occupied by the German army. But if
Just after celebrating, the city was taken away by the Germans again, which was tantamount to a public slap in the face. By that time, not only would he be sent to a military court, I'm afraid Sokov would also be implicated.
But Ponedelin felt in his heart that sending only two divisions to cooperate with the 65th Group Army was too little, so he tentatively said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, it is appropriate to send only two divisions."
?"
"Why is it inappropriate?" Sokov asked rhetorically: "Comrade Deputy Commander, don't you think that if we send too many troops, it may weaken Minsk's defense strength."
"But two divisions are indeed missing." Ponejelin said in embarrassment: "Not even a quarter of the entire army group. How about adding another division?"
Seeing that Ponedelin insisted on his opinion again and again, Sokov did not want to lose face. After some thinking, he finally relaxed and said, "Okay, Comrade Deputy Commander, since you must insist on increasing the
If we don’t have enough troops, let Lieutenant Colonel Victor’s 122nd Infantry Brigade also participate in this battle.”
He was worried that Ponejelin would ask for more troops, so he said first: "Two infantry divisions and one infantry brigade are quite a lot of troops, enough to cooperate with the 65th Group Army. As for other troops, they will continue to stay.
Defense preparations are being made in the city of Minsk to prevent the Germans from jumping over the wall and trying to take the city from our hands again."
"Then when will we convene a meeting with the commanders of each division?" Sidorin asked.
"Let's wait until after dark." Sokov said to Sidorin: "By then, the remaining German forces in the city must have been eliminated by our army. The division commanders and brigade commanders who came to attend the meeting don't have to worry about what will happen on the way.
Attacked by the enemy."
After dark, the division commanders and brigade commanders under the group army gathered at the headquarters to participate in an impromptu military meeting. When they heard that Sokov planned to send the 1st and 6th Guards Divisions and the 122nd Infantry Brigade to cooperate with the 65th
When the troops of the Army Group carried out a centripetal assault on the German Baranovich Group, the division commanders and brigade commanders who could participate in the battle were certainly happy; but the division commanders and brigade commanders who stayed behind were not happy.
Originally, they were not able to achieve much success in liberating Minsk. Now that the task of assaulting the German Baranovich Group has been handed over to other troops, it is no wonder that they are not aggrieved, so it is inevitable to complain a little.
.
"Quiet, please be quiet!" Seeing that the venue was as noisy as a vegetable market, Sidorin quickly stood up and banged his fingers on the table several times, "Please be quiet!"
After Sidorin said this several times, the venue finally returned to calm.
Sokov continued: "Comrade commanders, I know that many people will be somewhat emotional because they were not able to participate in tomorrow's offensive battle. However, I want to remind everyone that although we have liberated Minsk, there are still many people around the city.
There are still a large number of enemies. If all our troops participate in the attack on the Baranovich Group, who will defend the city? If the Germans take advantage of the lack of troops in the city and launch another attack on the city, who will defend it then?
?”
"Whether we attack the Baranovich Group or stay and hold on to Minsk, it is all equally important." In order to let the commander who was left behind to prioritize, Sokov specifically emphasized: "The attack failed.
We can attack another day; but if the city is lost, how can we face the motherland and its people?"
Sokov's words caused everyone to fall into deep thought, and the venue became silent.