"Comrade Sokov," Konev waited for Sokov to finish and said to him: "You are the commander of the 27th Army. Now Kremenchug is your defense area. If a suitable fighter is found,
You have the right to make emergency decisions, and you don’t have to ask me for instructions on everything, so as not to delay the war. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." With Konev's words, Sokov felt much more at ease. The following situation meant that the war situation was changing rapidly. If we had to rely solely on asking for instructions to fight, it would definitely lead to delays.
Fighting opportunities. If you have full command of yourself, you can firmly grasp the fighting opportunities: "I will never trust you."
Before putting down the phone, Sokov suddenly remembered another thing and asked quickly: "One more thing is that our army group will cooperate with the 53rd Army Group to defend Klementchug. I don't know who will be responsible for unified command."
?" The reason he asked this was because he was worried that Konev would hand over the command to the commander of the 53rd Army Managarov. After all, he was a lieutenant general and he was only a major general.
After hearing Sokov's question, Konev immediately guessed what he was thinking, and deliberately teased him: "Comrade Sokov, who do you think should unified command the two armies?"
Sokov did not expect that Konev actually kicked the ball back to his feet. After hesitating for a moment, he replied: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, if it is decided according to military rank, it should undoubtedly be General Managarov."
Unified command, after all, he is a lieutenant general and I am a major general. But according to the command ability..."
"Based on your command ability, you should naturally be the one to lead the headquarters." Konev spoke out Sokov's thoughts: "Am I right?"
"Yes." Since Konev guessed what he was thinking, Sokov did not hide it, but answered truthfully: "If you want to defend and expand the landing site on the right bank of the Dnieper River, I think it is up to me.
It should be very suitable to command two armies."
Unexpectedly, Konev replied unexpectedly: "I don't think it's appropriate, Comrade Sokov."
Konev's words stunned Sokov. They were inappropriate. Why? You know, since the Battle of Kursk, his troops have repeatedly performed extraordinary feats. Even in the battle to attack Belgorod,
With the assistance of his own troops, the 53rd Army successfully broke through the German riverside defenses and rushed into the city. Why would Konev say that he was not suitable for the position of joint command?
Before Sokov could ask the question in his heart, Konev had already spoken: "Comrade Sokov, I know that you feel aggrieved when I say this. Whether it is the Battle of Kursk or the liberation of Belgo
In the battles of Lod and Kharkov, your army units achieved huge results, which is unmatched by other armies of the front.
But the reason why you can achieve such huge results is because you have obtained weapons that other group armies cannot obtain, and a large number of soldiers with rich combat experience. If these weapons and soldiers are supplemented to any group army under the front army, they will
The same results can be achieved.”
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help but murmur to himself: Fighting a war relies not only on equipment and soldiers, but more importantly on tactics. Even if the weapons and soldiers obtained by his own troops are handed over to other group armies under the front army, at best they can only provide
Although they have great fighting power, it is basically impossible for them to achieve so many achievements.
But Konev is his superior. If he wants to say this, he and he really can't argue on the phone, so they can only bite the bullet and stop.
Fortunately, Konev quickly changed the subject and continued: "...But considering the special circumstances there, after the 53rd Army reaches the designated position, I can temporarily assign the 1st Mechanized Army to your command.
.The main force of the 53rd Army remains on the left bank of the Dnieper River."
"No problem, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." Sokov couldn't help but be overjoyed when he learned that Konev planned to hand over a mechanized army to his command. Although the mechanized army at this moment did not have thousands of armored vehicles like at the beginning of the war,
But the armored force is still very strong, which will be very helpful for him to expand the landing site in the future. He quickly said gratefully: "With the support of this unit, our hope of victory will be greater."
Sokov felt particularly comfortable when he learned that a mechanized army would soon be assigned to his command. After he put down the phone, he said to Samyko and Lunev: "Chief of Staff, Military Commissar, I have good news.
Let me tell you. General Konev just told me that he plans to put the 1st Mechanized Army under the 53rd Army under our command. In this way, the strength of our troops holding on to the landing site will be greatly enhanced."
"But, Comrade Commander." After Samyko waited for Sokov to finish speaking, he frowned and reminded him: "The troops of the two armies are crowded in the same area. If there is no unified command, I am worried that unnecessary chaos will occur.
confusion."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, don't worry." Sokov waited for Samyko to finish expressing his worries, then comforted him and said: "After our main force and the 53rd Army arrive in Klemenkoug, I plan to leave two
The division held on to Kleminchug and the left bank area, and the remaining troops and the 1st Mechanized Corps were deployed at the landing site on the right bank.
As for the main force of the 53rd Army, let them be deployed near Kremenchug. We are each responsible for a certain area, and even if there is no unified command, it will not affect the overall situation."
Seeing that Sokov had already thought carefully about it, Samyko stopped saying anything and asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, when will the headquarters be moved to Kremenchug?"
Sokov considered that although three infantry divisions, some tank troops and artillery were already stationed in Kremenchug, the strength there was still a little weak. If the group army headquarters was moved there in a hurry, once
If it is attacked by the German army, then the possibility of the headquarters being taken over by the enemy cannot be ruled out.
Thinking of this, he said to Samyko: "Chief of Staff, don't be anxious. We don't have many troops in Kremenchug now. At least some more troops need to be sent over before we can consider moving the headquarters forward."
"
When Samyko heard this, Sokov's words made sense. So far, the 4th Guards Tank Corps and the two artillery divisions were still staying at Merefa Fortress, and their transfer would take a lot of time.
. Then he nodded and agreed: "Comrade Commander, what you said makes sense. I think we should wait until the tank corps and artillery division have entered Kremenchug before following Major Guchakov's infantry."
The 73rd Brigade, go forward to Kremenchug."
The two of them had just reached an agreement when suddenly the phone rang. Lunev reached out and grabbed the phone: "I'm Lunev, what can I do?"
After a moment, Lunev's face showed a shocked expression, and he asked repeatedly: "Where is it?...Have troops been sent to search?...Understood, I will report to comrade commander immediately."
Sokov stopped talking with Samyko and curiously asked Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, you look so serious, has something happened?"
"Comrade Commander," Lunev reported to Sokov with a serious expression: "The call came from Colonel Khokhlov, commander of the 182nd Division. He just reported to me that four female signal soldiers of the division were in
While bathing in the river on the north side of the fortress, they were shot by German snipers and all died on the spot..."
Before Lunev could finish speaking, Sokov jumped up from his seat: "German snipers killed four of our female communications soldiers. Is this news reliable?"
"Completely reliable," Lunev nodded and replied in a positive tone: "After the incident, Lieutenant Colonel Golyachkin, commander of the 546th Regiment, has sent a battalion to search the ruins of the nearby fortress, preparing to
Find the German sniper hiding inside."
"It's been several days since we liberated the fortress," Samek asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Where did the German snipers come from?"
Sokov was thinking that when the Brest Fortress was lost for such a long time, Major Gavrilov, the commander of the 44th Infantry Regiment, still persisted in the fortress for a month before being captured by the Germans because of his injuries. Now.
It only took a few days for his own troops to liberate the fortress, and it was not surprising that there were still a few German soldiers left in the ruins of the fortress.
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov said angrily: "We only have a few days to capture the fortress. It is not surprising that there are a few German soldiers hiding in so many ruins." He saw Runev's hand.
Still holding the microphone, he ordered him, "Comrade Military Commissar, please tell Colonel Khoklov that after the German snipers complete the killing, they will definitely move their targets. It is not enough to send only one battalion to search.
Let the entire 546th regiment commanders and fighters participate in the search work, and be sure to catch the German sniper who killed the female signal corpsman."
"Comrade Colonel," Lunev said into the microphone: "Comrade Commander has an order to immediately send out the entire 546th Regiment to search the area. We must catch the German sniper who fired... Huh?! Please wait.
Now, I need to ask Comrade Commander about this matter..."
"Comrade Commander," Lunev looked at Sokov and asked: "Colonel Khokhlov asked for instructions on what to do with the German sniper after he is captured?"
"Bring him to the bodies of the four female soldiers who died and shoot him." Sokov replied firmly: "We will never accept his surrender."
"Understood." Lunev said again into the microphone: "Comrade Colonel, did you hear that? Comrade Commander ordered that once the German sniper is caught, he should be immediately taken to the body of the sacrificed female soldier and shot. Even if he
He voluntarily laid down his weapons and surrendered, and we will never accept his surrender."
If the German snipers had killed other commanders and fighters, Sokov might not have issued such an order. But the other party actually killed four young girls in their prime, and he shot them while they were bathing in the river.
There is absolutely no tolerance for this two-legged beast.
Sokov turned to Samyko and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please immediately call the commanders of each division and brigade and order them to conduct a comprehensive search of the ruins of the nearby fortress to check whether there are any Germans who have slipped through the net.
Even if I dig three feet into the ground, I will search out all the enemies."
As Sokov's order was issued, in less than ten minutes, tens of thousands of troops in the fortress immediately began searching for the ruins. Some civilians who remained in the fortress participated in the search. They were familiar with the fortress.
, far surpassed the commanders and fighters of the 27th Group Army. With their selfless help, seven or eight German wounded soldiers were searched out in less than half an hour. However, these wounded soldiers were already dying, and even their movement was a problem.
Naturally, he would not be the murderer who killed the female communications soldier. Sokov, out of humanitarian considerations, sent military doctors to treat them. Whether they could survive depends on their personal fortune.
After the search lasted for an hour, the commanders and fighters of the 546th Regiment finally discovered traces of the German sniper. However, the opponent was very cunning. He hid behind a pile of masonry and rubble and shot at the Soviet commanders and fighters approaching him. In just two days,
Within minutes, five more soldiers fell under his gun.
Seeing that his men were falling to the muzzles of German snipers one after another, the company commander, Captain Zheliya, quickly called in an anti-tank team and used rocket launchers to attack the sniper's hiding position.
As the rocket flew out and hit the sniper's hiding place, the whole moment was quiet. But Zheliya rushed up with more than a dozen soldiers and found that the German sniper's hands were blown off and one of his eyes was also damaged.
He was blinded by the explosion and his face was covered in blood. It looked really scary.
But Zheliya had no mercy for him, so he turned around and ordered the soldiers behind him: "Someone, drag him to the river and shoot him next to the bodies of the female communications soldiers."
A soldier took two steps forward. Instead of bending down to help the sniper, he raised the bayonet in his hand and stabbed it in hard. His move immediately aroused the imitation of the surrounding soldiers, and everyone rushed to
He stabbed the sniper blindly with his bayonet. At first, the sniper's scream could still be heard, but soon the sound became fainter, and finally it was completely silent.
Zhelia chose to ignore what the soldiers did. For the executioner who killed nine Soviet soldiers in a row, it was too easy to just shoot him. Let the soldiers stab him to death, which is what he deserved.
By the time the soldiers dispersed, the German snipers were already lifeless. Zhelia lowered his head to check, and then ordered the soldiers: "Okay, drag his body next to the bodies of the female soldiers, and let the sacrificed sisters
Look, you have already avenged them."
When Sokov learned that the sniper had been killed, he stood up and said to Samyko and Lunev: "Chief of Staff, Comrade Military Commissar, you stay, I will go see the sacrificed female communicators."
"No, Comrade Commander, you can't go." Unexpectedly, Samyko tried his best to stop Sokov: "There may be hidden snipers. If you go, won't you become their target?"
"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov said confidently: "I believe that my men, after such a rigorous search, will definitely not have any more enemies surviving. It should be the safest for me to go out at this moment."
Hearing Sokov's confidence, Lunev's hesitation disappeared without a trace. He stood up and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I am your deputy, and I will definitely do this with you."
Go, I hope you won’t refuse my request.”
After Sokov stared at Lunev for a while, he nodded slightly: "Okay, Comrade Military Commissar, since you insist so much, let's go together. The chief of staff will be responsible for the matters here."
This chapter has been completed!