"Also," Sokov continued: "If one mound is too small, you can add a few more. For safety reasons, steel plates should be installed in the mound to prevent any accidents from causing bullets to penetrate the mound.
Cause unnecessary harm to the commanders and fighters behind. Do you understand?"
"clear."
After talking about the training, Sokov then mentioned the performance of the 122nd Brigade in executing the mission: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, why did you perform so poorly on the search mission I assigned you? Other brigades only had two or three
There are hundreds of people, but you have less than a hundred people, what is going on?"
Hearing Sokov's criticism, Victor lowered his head and explained with a blushing face: "Comrade Commander, in fact, during the search process, we also arrested a lot of German officers and soldiers. Too many to say,
There are still four to five hundred people."
When he learned that the other side had captured four to five hundred German officers and soldiers, but the reported results were less than a hundred, Sokov realized the seriousness of the problem and quickly asked: "What on earth is going on."
"Comrade Commander, many of the German prisoners we captured were children aged 16 or 7. I couldn't bear to attack them, so I ordered people to let them all go."
"Confused, Lieutenant Colonel Victor, you are so confused." After hearing this, Sokov said angrily: "No matter how old the opponent is, as long as they are wearing military uniforms and holding weapons on the battlefield, they are our enemies. Yes.
There must be no mercy for the enemy."
"Comrade Commander," Victor defended himself again: "But they are all children..."
"That's enough." Sokov interrupted the other person's words and said to him with a straight face: "The German 12th Armored Division is called the 'Baby Division' - their military uniforms have a glass milk bottle logo printed on them.
, to distinguish the adult army.
Mustache was surprised to find that this infant division was more fanatical, brave and loyal than other troops. It was a so-called outstanding combat division. In this regard, Mustache greatly praised the "baby division" and said:
'If young soldiers can fight like adult soldiers, the enemy will lick their wounds.'"
After saying this, Sokov sneered and asked Victor: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, do you have anything else to say now?"
"No." Victor finally realized his mistake at this moment and admitted it with a red face: "I have nothing to say. In a word, this is all my fault. Please don't punish my subordinates."
"Lieutenant Colonel Victor, I know you made such a decision out of kindness." However, Sokov did not continue to blame Victor, but said to him sincerely: "I hope you will stay in prison for a long time."
Keep in mind that kindness to your enemies is cruelty to yourself."
"I remember, Comrade Commander." Victor nodded and said, "I will not make similar mistakes again in the future."
"Comrade Commander," at this time a brigade staff officer came over and said to Sokov: "Your call is from the chief of staff."
When Sokov learned that Sidorin was looking for him, he guessed that there must be something important. He quickly followed the staff to the brigade headquarters, picked up the microphone on the table and said, "I am Sokov."
"Comrade Commander, I just received an order from the Front Army Headquarters." Sidorin said urgently on the phone: "They ordered us to immediately hand over the river crossing equipment owned by the group army."
"What, let us turn in the river-crossing equipment?" Sokov was a little surprised when he heard such an order: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what is going on? Why did the superiors issue such an order?"
"I don't know either." Sidorin said distressedly: "Since our superiors asked us to hand over all the river-crossing equipment, it proves that a certain force may launch an action to forcefully cross the Vistula River."
Sidorin's words reminded Sokov. He remembered that shortly after the Warsaw Uprising broke out, Chuikov's 8th Guards Army successfully crossed the Vistula River and established a ten-kilometer-wide front in the south of Warsaw.
, the Magnushev landing site with a depth of five kilometers, the front army headquarters asked its troops to hand over the river crossing equipment, which must be given to Chuikov's troops for use.
After thinking about this, Sokov said into the microphone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, immediately notify the troops with river crossing equipment and hand over the river crossing equipment to the group army headquarters."
"Do you really want to hand over all the river crossing equipment?" Sidorin asked.
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff, hand them all over." Sokov considered that he was now at the brigade headquarters of the 122nd Brigade and there were some important things that he could not say in front of these subordinates, so he specifically added: "I will do it as soon as possible.
Rush back to the headquarters."
Half an hour later, when Sokov returned to the army headquarters, Sidorin reported to him: "I have notified the troops who have the river crossing equipment and asked them to hand it over to the headquarters as soon as possible."
"Comrade Commander." Ponejelin, who was silent on the side, suddenly asked: "Do you know why our superiors asked us to hand over the river crossing equipment?"
"The reason is very simple, my comrade deputy commander." Sokov replied with a smile: "There must be troops preparing to forcefully cross the Vistula River. We are asked to hand over the river crossing equipment in order to cross more troops at one time.
Go to the other side of the river."
Ponejelin stared at the map in front of him and said thoughtfully: "The closest to Warsaw now is General Bogdanov's 2nd Tank Army. However, because the general was injured and withdrew from the battle, it inevitably affected the morale of the troops.
The ground will have an impact. I don't think it is a wise choice to let them carry out a forced crossing and storm Warsaw at this time."
"Yes, I think so too." As soon as Ponejelin finished speaking, Sidorin added: "I think we should make a request to the Front Army Headquarters to allow our group army to participate in the attack on Warsaw."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, your idea is good, but it is unrealistic." Sokov said with a smile: "Don't forget that in order to retake Brest, the German army is moving their 2nd and 3rd
The remnants of the 9th Army have gathered together and are ready to attack us at any time. If we attack Warsaw, who will defend Brest?"
"But the current situation of the 2nd Tank Army makes it impossible to carry out cross-river operations against the enemy." Sidorin raised his own question: "After all, their commander, General Bogdanov, was injured not long ago.
Military morale and morale have been adversely affected."
Ponejelin frowned: "Comrade Commander, according to your statement, since the force participating in the forced crossing is not the 2nd Tank Army, and we are not in the round, which force would it be? I really can't figure it out.
"
Sokov pointed at the map and said to the two of them: "Don't just focus on the east of Warsaw. You should care about other directions. For example, in the south of Warsaw, the German defense force is relatively weak. If we can
Choosing to implement a breakthrough in this direction will be much easier than attacking Warsaw directly."
According to Sokov's words, the two chose the location for the forced crossing of the Vistula River south of Warsaw. After only looking at it for a moment, Sidorin exclaimed: "Oh my God, could it be that the troops who carried out the forced crossing...
It’s actually General Chuikov’s 8th Guards Army?”
"This possibility is very high." Sokov knew clearly that the first unit in history to forcibly cross the Vistula River was Chuikov's 8th Guards Army. However, after they established a landing site, they encountered a crazy counterattack by the German army.
As a result, they were unable to expand the area of the landing site within a few months, let alone advance towards Warsaw.
But for the sake of the credibility of his "analysis", Sokov even gave Sidorin a suggestion: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you haven't called your son for a long time, right? Anyway, there is nothing to do today.
You might as well make a phone call."
Sidorin naturally understood Sokov's original intention. It was a fake call to him to spy on whether the 8th Guards Army was currently conducting large-scale military operations. He thought about it and did not expose Sokov's intention.
He picked up the phone on the table and asked the communications soldier to help him get through to the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army.
But what is regrettable is that the signal corps quickly told Sidorin: "I'm sorry, Comrade Chief of Staff, the other party's line is busy and there is no way to get in."
Sidorin put down the phone, shook his head at Sokov, and said with a wry smile: "Comrade Commander, I think your estimate is correct. The line at General Chuikov's headquarters is busy and there is no way to get in."
Ponejelin said from the side: "How about we try sending a telegram?"
"Forget it," Sidorin waved his hand and rejected Ponedelin's kindness: "My personal affairs cannot affect General Chuikov's command of the troops."
While several people were talking, the phone on the table rang. Sidorin picked up the phone and listened for a moment, then stood at attention and said: "Comrade Marshal, we are collecting ships and preparing to hand them over in the shortest possible time."
To the front headquarters."
When Sokov learned that the call was from Rokossovsky, he quickly reached out and took the phone from Sidorin's hand: "Hello, Comrade Marshal, this is Sokov."
"Oh, it's Misha." Rokossovsky said lightly on the phone: "I called you because there is a large amount of river crossing equipment stored in the Brest Fortress. I hope you can get there as soon as possible.
Turn it over."
"We have been seizing the time to collect." After Sokov briefly reported the situation, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, judging from the current situation, the progress of the 2nd Tank Army is not going smoothly. I am afraid that this batch of river crossing equipment
Shouldn’t you leave it to them?”
When Rokossovsky heard what Sokov said, he laughed twice, and then asked: "Misha, I know you have a good mind, so you can analyze it, which troop we will put in what position?"
What about local forced transfers?”
Sokov heard Rokossovsky's words and seemed to want to hear his own analysis. He pretended to ponder for a long time, and then said: "Comrade Marshal, before you called, I was talking to my deputy commander.
Carry out map deductions with the chief of staff to study where it is suitable to carry out forcible crossing."
Hearing what Sokov said, Rokossovsky couldn't help but feel a little surprised, and then asked: "I want to know, what conclusion did you draw?"
"We all agree that to forcefully cross the Vistula River, we do not necessarily have to choose the area where Warsaw is located. That is the focus of the German defense. Even if we barely succeed in forcing the crossing, the troops will suffer huge casualties and lose the opportunity to expand the results.
Ability." Sokov said pretentiously: "So the best place to cross the river should be south of Warsaw. This is an area where the German defense is relatively weak. The forced crossing operation we carried out can easily succeed."
Sokov's words aroused great interest in Rokossovsky, and he asked with great interest: "Tell me, where should we cross the river, and which army should carry it out?"
"If I were to direct the river crossing operation, I would choose the crossing area in the Magnushev area." Sokov had just vaccinated Rokossovsky and said that his headquarters was studying the map.
Therefore, even if some things are completely consistent with the current battle situation, it can be said to be the result of coincidence or analysis. "From the analysis of the situation of the enemy and ourselves on the map, the most suitable unit for carrying out the task of forced crossing is General Chuikov's Guards
The 8th Army is none other than that."
After listening to Sokov's so-called analysis, Rokossovsky couldn't help but take a breath. He didn't expect that Sokov's analysis was so consistent with the ongoing war. He asked tentatively: "
Misha, tell me, after General Chuikov's troops established a landing site on the left bank of the Vistula River, can they quickly expand their results?"
When Sokov heard what Rokossovsky said, he immediately understood that what he said had been taken into his heart, otherwise he would not have been able to ask such an important question. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said:
"Comrade Marshal, I feel that even if the forced crossing is successful, I'm afraid the situation will not be too optimistic."
"Why?"
"The successful crossing and the establishment of a landing site on the left bank of the Vistula River only completed the first step of our operation." Sokov said: "But if General Chuikov's troops want to expand their results, they must transport a considerable number of tanks and artillery.
to the left bank area. But will the Germans allow our army to transport equipment smoothly across the river? They will definitely dispatch their air force to carry out indiscriminate bombing on the bridges our army has built on the Vistula River, cutting off our army on both sides of the river.
Once the troops on the left bank do not receive supplies, they will not be able to hold on for long, and they may even be driven into the Vistula River by the enemy."
After Rokossovsky ended his call with Sokov, he stared at the map in front of him and fell into deep thought. He agreed with Sokov's statement. If a pontoon bridge cannot be built on the Vistula River, the troops on the left bank will be in urgent need.
The technical equipment was transported there, and the river-crossing troops with only light weapons might be driven into the Vistula River by the Germans, let alone expanding the results.
Seeing that Rokossovsky was deep in thought, Malinin asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, what are you thinking about?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Rokossovsky pointed to the map in front of him and said to Malinin: "I think Misha is right. There is no big problem for Chuikov's troops to cross the Vistula River, but the subsequent troop strength and
How to transport the equipment is a big issue we have to consider."
Sidorin asked with some confusion: "Comrade Commander, I don't quite understand what you mean. Since General Chuikov's troops can successfully complete the forcible crossing operation, then for him, if the subsequent equipment and troops are transported there,
It shouldn’t be a big problem.”
This chapter has been completed!