Sokov's words resonated with Samyko: "Comrade Military Commissar, the commander is right. After Paulus's 6th Army fell into our encirclement, our army continued to launch attacks to reduce the German army's
Living space. When there is only a narrow strip of land left in the place they occupy, most of the supplies dropped by the Luftwaffe will fall into our defense zone."
After Samyko's reminder, Luniev realized that he had made a stupid mistake and quickly admitted his mistake to Sokov: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I made a mistake. It seems that we must leave our own on the left bank."
Troops. And they must be troops with strong combat effectiveness to prevent our main force from being encircled by the German army."
"Then which troops do you plan to use to hold Klementchuk?" Samyko asked.
"Since the city was captured by the 98th Guards Division, let them defend it." After staring at the map for a while, Sokov told Samyko: "Since General Fomenko's troops have arrived at Kle
Menchug ordered them to immediately enter the defensive positions of the landing field on the right bank and prepare to resist the German attack. As for the 98th Guards Division, they paid some price when they captured the city, and we need to replenish them as soon as possible."
"But we don't have a reserve team?" Samyko reminded Sokov: "How to replenish them?"
"You are wrong, Comrade Chief of Staff. In fact, we have a reserve team."
"We have a reserve team?" Samyko repeated Sokov's words with a shocked expression on his face: "Comrade Commander, do you plan to supplement the second lieutenant training company and the junior commander training company to the near future?"
The 98th Guards Division?"
"Is there anything wrong?" Sokov said to Samek: "Half of the members of the 98th Guards Division are sailors, and they are the most combat-effective unit. If we combine the second lieutenant training company and the junior commander
All 270 officers and men of the teaching company are assigned to the 98th Guards Division, which is very beneficial to their future growth."
When these two companies were assigned to the 27th Group Army, Sokov planned to assign all the soldiers in the company to the grassroots to serve as company and platoon-level officers, but he had to give up due to opposition from everyone. At this moment
The 98th Guards Division needs to replenish its troops, and it is most appropriate to add these two companies.
At first, Samyko was firmly opposed to dispersing the soldiers from these two companies to grassroots companies to serve as officers. But now after hearing Sokov's arrangement, Samyko did not stick to his point of view, but immediately called
To the commanders of the two companies, inform them to assemble their troops and be ready for departure at any time.
As the order was issued, the 98th Guards Division continued to clear out the remaining enemies in the city, while the 84th Infantry Division, which had just arrived at Kremenchug, was ordered to move to the landing site on the right bank, preparing to block a possible German attack there.
Attack. As for the tanks and artillery that arrived earlier, they all stayed on the left bank and were ready to provide artillery cover for the troops on the right bank at any time.
The troops of the third echelon began to march towards Kleminchug on foot without waiting for the train to return. If they met the returning train on the way, they would take the train and continue to Kleminchug. Along with the third echelon, there were
Second Lieutenant Training Company and Junior Commander Instruction Company.
Two hours after the third echelon set off, a staff officer came in and reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, the deputy chief of staff of the 53rd Group Army is outside asking for a meeting."
"Deputy Chief of Staff of the 53rd Army?!" Sokov recalled Konev's promise to him that he would send troops from the 53rd Army to help him consolidate and expand the landing site on the right bank. This deputy chief of staff should have been sent by the other party.
The representative quickly ordered: "Hurry up and invite him in."
Not long after the staff officer left, he came in with an old general with gray hair.
After the old general entered the door, his eyes were on Sokov. After scanning it, Runev and Samyko did not recognize who Sokov was, so they asked politely: "I am the deputy chief of staff of the 53rd Army."
Major General Mirnov, who is General Sokov?"
When he heard the other party calling his name, Sokov quickly stepped forward, took the initiative to extend his hand to the other party, and said friendly: "Hello, General Smirnov. I am Sokov, nice to meet you."
"Hello, General Sokov!" Smirnov said with some surprise after seeing Sokov looking up and down: "Before coming here, I heard that the commander of the 27th Group Army was very young. At that time, I thought
You are a middle-aged officer in your thirties or forties, I didn't expect you to be so young."
After shaking hands with Smirnov, Sokov introduced his deputies to the other party. The first person to introduce was Lunev: "This is Lieutenant General Lunev. He comes from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and is now my military commissar."
When Smirnov heard that Lunev was from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the muscles on his face couldn't help but twitch violently a few times, but he still said politely: "Hello, Comrade Military Commissar, nice to meet you."
Then, Sokov introduced Samyko to the other party: "This is my chief of staff, Major General Samyko."
When Samyko shook hands with Smirnov, he stared straight at the other party and refused to let go. Sokov saw that Samyko's behavior was a bit rude, and when he was about to remind him, he heard that he was unexpected
He asked: "General Smirnov, if I guess correctly, you once served as the principal of the Podolsk Infantry Academy, right?"
When Smirnov heard Samyko ask this, he couldn't help showing an expression of astonishment on his face: "General Samyko, how did you know? Did you know me before?"
"No, no, no, General Smirnov, actually this is the first time I see you today." Samyko shook his head and said: "The reason why I asked you if you have served as the principal of the Podolsk Infantry Academy is because
I recently chatted with cadets at the Podolsk Infantry Academy and heard them mention you."
"What, you have students from the Podolsk Infantry Academy here?" Smirnov's eyes suddenly lit up when he heard what Samyko said. He reached out and grabbed Samyko's arms and asked excitedly: "
General Sameko, where are they? Can you take me to see them?"
"It's a pity, General Smirnov." When Sokov heard this, he also understood that the elderly general in front of him was the former principal of the Podolsk Infantry Academy. He said in a regretful tone: "You are late.
Well, if you had arrived an hour or two earlier, you could have met your former students."
"Then where are they now?"
"They have already followed the third echelon and moved towards Kremenchug."
"Ah, they have already left." After learning that the troops had left, Smirnov showed a disappointed expression on his face: "It's been two years. It's been two full years since I left them. I thought I would never see them again in this life.
I have the opportunity to interact with these young students again, and I didn’t expect to hear news about them here today.”
"Comrade General, please sit down." After Lunev asked Smirnov to sit down, he asked curiously: "I heard that during the Moscow Defense War, a German armored column broke through our defense line and marched along the road.
Advancing to Moscow. At that time, there were no our troops in front of the enemy. It was you who commanded the cadets of the Podolsk Military Academy to resist the German attack on the Mozhaisko defense line and gained valuable ground for the build-up of our troops.
time."
Smirnov did not deny what Luniev said. He went on to say: "At that time, we received orders from our superiors to go to the Mozhaisko defense line to resist the Germans, which was only more than a hundred kilometers away from Moscow.
.Before other troops complete their assembly, there will be no troops behind us. It can be said that we are Moscow's last line of defense.
Our equipment is very poor. We only have off-brand rifles for teaching purposes, a small number of Mosin-Nagant rifles, and a dozen light and heavy machine guns with not very good performance.
In addition to poor equipment, our biggest problem is the lack of commanders at all levels, and most of the trainees have only been trained for three or four months. Fortunately, when we were setting up defenses on the east bank of the Ugra River, we encountered Major Starciako of the Western Front.
He led 400 paratroopers. But it was with this strength that we blocked the enemy on the west bank of the Ugra River.
In the next five days, our small salient was attacked fiercely by the German army. In order to protect every inch of territory, we and the enemy launched a tug-of-war. Both sides tried their best to fight for positions. My political commissar
Boznov and more than 2,000 cadets died on the battlefield, but the Germans also paid a heavy price. More than 100 armored vehicles were destroyed by us, and nearly 5,000 soldiers fell to the guns of our cadets.
Under the mouth..."
Samyko brought a cup of hot tea to Smirnov and asked curiously: "Comrade General, when did you leave the Podolsk Infantry Academy?"
"According to the order of my superiors, I resigned on November 25, 1941, and Zalambovsky took over my position. Then I was transferred to the 129th Infantry Division as the division commander," Smirnov told.
Everyone said: "After the major counterattack under Moscow City began, the troops under my command chased after the enemy until they were defeated and defeated."
When Sokov saw that both Samyko and Lunev were interacting with Smirnov, it seemed inappropriate if he did not express his position, so he knowingly asked: "General Smirnov, what happened to the Podolsk Infantry Academy?"
?”
Smirnov thought that Sokov did not understand the situation of the Podolsk Infantry Academy, and specifically introduced to him the fate of the troops recorded: "...the remaining more than a thousand people received the order to retreat from their superiors, and at the same time, they also
An order was received to complete military school training in the city of Ivanov. Soon, the remaining cadets were sent to Shuya, Ivanovo Region, and a new school was reorganized and renamed Shus
Infantry Academy."
"Then how did you become the deputy chief of staff of the 53rd Army?"
"I was wounded in a battle in October 1942. After I was discharged from the hospital, I served as the commander of the 116th Infantry Division." Smirnov told the three people: "When I arrived at the Battle of Kursk, I was promoted to the commander of the 53rd Army.
Deputy Chief of Staff."
"So that's it." Sokov looked at the gray-haired old general in front of him, feeling somewhat unworthy of him. If he hadn't commanded the cadets of the Podolsk Infantry Academy, they would have been killed on the Ugra River.
The coast blocked the German attack. I am afraid that the Germans had already rushed into Moscow. After all, at that time, no Soviet troops had established defensive positions in front of the German assault troops.
But the war has been going on for two years. Principal Smirnov, who was then a major general, still carries the rank of major general on his shoulder straps. It can be said that he has been standing still for two years. And Luo, who was also a major general with him at the time,
Kossovsky, now a general, is only one step away from the marshal.
During the Battle of Moscow, the performance of the Podolsk Infantry Academy was obvious to all, and this history was something Smirnov was proud of. And Lunev and Samyko revolved around this history, and Smirnov
Nov was chatting and laughing.
Sokov sat nearby and listened for a while, raised his hand to look at his watch, and then said to Smirnov: "General Smirnov, it's getting late. Shouldn't you tell me the purpose of your visit?"
After being reminded by Sokov, Smirnov immediately remembered the purpose of his visit and said sternly: "I'm sorry, General Sokov, I was so engrossed in chatting that I forgot the purpose of my visit. Commander Mana
General Garov asked me to tell you that the order our army group received is to fully cooperate with you in consolidating the landing site on the right bank of the Dnieper River. You have the final say on how our troops will be deployed."
Sokov did not expect that the commander of the 53rd Army, General Managarov, would be so magnanimous that he would hand over the command to himself and let himself arrange the deployment of the two army units.
Sokov turned to look at Samyko who was standing aside, and said to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, show General Smirnov the plan we just studied, and let him make suggestions by the way.
There is nothing that needs to be modified.”
Samyko agreed, picked up a document on the table, handed it to Smirnov, and said with a smile: "General Smirnov, this is the defense plan that Comrade Commander and I have studied. Take a look.
Is there anything that needs to be modified?”
Smirnov took the document from Samyko's hand and began to browse it carefully. The more he looked at it, the more serious the expression on his face became. According to his opinion, the combat effectiveness of the 53rd Army was far inferior to that of the 27th Army.
In a battle of attrition such as consolidating the landing site, the troops of the 53rd Army will definitely be placed in the most brutal place of the battle and used as cannon fodder to consume the effective strength of the German army.
But in this document, part of the troops of both armies are deployed on the left bank, and the defenses on the landing field on the right bank are completely beneficial to the 53rd Army. Once the German army launches an attack on the landing field, they will first engage in firefights with them.
The unit is Sokov's 27th Army.
After reading the document, Smirnov looked up at Sokov and asked tentatively: "General Sokov, can I take this document back and let our commander have a look at it to see what he thinks?
"
"Okay." Sokov replied readily: "This document was originally prepared for you. Since you are here, I would like to trouble you to take the document back to General Managarov when you go back."
This chapter has been completed!