Sokov thought to himself: "It seems that Rokosovsky is planning to hand over the task of attacking Jizdra to our division to complete. It's ridiculous. Just a few days ago, Jizdra was like a ripe apple. With a touch of light, it would fall from the tree. But this city that made the infantry army return to a defeat has now become a hot potato."
He did not speak, and continued to remain silent, waiting for Rokosovsky to continue to speak. He only heard Rokosovsky continue to say, "General Orlov's infantry army failed in the attack on Jizdra. I think you should know. In order to open up the road to Bryansk as soon as possible, I plan to hand over this task to your division to complete. How about it, are you confident?"
Regarding Rokosovsky's inquiry, Sokov did not rush to express his opinion, but asked back: "Comrade Commander, I want to ask, what kind of support can my division get when attacking Zedra?"
Rokosovsky's eyes swept over Kazakov and Orol, and asked Sokov with a smile: "Major Sokov, don't know what kind of aid you need?"
"I need the support of artillery and tanks." Since Rokosovsky had asked himself what kind of help he needed, Sokov naturally would not be polite, so he said straight to the point: "When seizing the German positions outside the city, I need the support of two artillery regiments and a tank brigade; as for fighting in the city, relying on the original strength of our division is enough."
Seeing that the number of artillery and tanks needed by Sokov was far lower than his expectations, Rokosovsky couldn't help but ask curiously: "Major Sokov, don't you think you have too little support? Also, why don't the army provide cooperation between artillery and tank soldiers when fighting in the city?"
"Comrade Commander, every time the German army was bombarded by our army, it would withdraw its troops to the second line of defense, so that our artillery shells would fall on empty positions. According to my observation, the second line of defense outside the city of Zedra was limited, and the firepower of the two artillery regiments was enough to cause them major casualties." Sokov explained to Rokosovsky: "In street battles in the city, tanks are more vulnerable to attack by German anti-tank players due to the limitations of vision and speed. If the tanks of the Tank Brigade enter the city, as long as the German army destroys the first and last tanks respectively, the entire tank column will be unable to advance and park on the streets and become targets for attack."
"Major Sokov, I can provide you with all your support." Rokosovsky looked at Sokov and asked, "When can you launch an attack?"
"I need to go back and prepare," Sokov replied after thinking for a while, "as long as the artillery and tank brigade are in place in time, we can launch an attack on the city tomorrow morning."
After the meeting, Sokov originally planned to return to the division headquarters immediately, but as soon as he walked to the street outside, he was stopped by Malinin who was chasing out. The chief of staff of the army asked with concern: "Misha, are you sure to seize Zhizdra?"
After a long time of silence on Malining's question, Sokov slowly shook his head and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, I'm not sure." Seeing the other party's face showing a disappointed expression, he quickly added, "But I will do my best. I believe that all the commanders and soldiers of the division have the same ideas as me."
"When I first came out, I saw Kazakov and Orel go to call. I believe that when you return to your division headquarters, the artillery commander and tank brigade commander who cooperated with you might have arrived first." At this point, Malining stretched out his hand to Sokov and said sincerely: "Misha, good luck! The commander and I will wait for your good news." Sokov and Malining shook hands, raised their right hand to their foreheads, saluted each other and turned away.
Sokov returned to the division headquarters and before he could enter his room, he heard the crowds of people in the room. He walked inside the room and saw that in addition to Chief of Staff, Potukin and the three regiment commanders, three school-level officers were sitting at the table.
"Comrades Commanders, please be quiet." Seeing Sokov walk into the room, Portukin quickly stopped the ongoing discussion. After the room calmed down, he stood up and greeted him: "Comrade Commander, you are back!"
"Yes, I'm back." Sokov shook hands with Potukin, while looking at the three strange officers with his eyes, and asked, "Comrade Chief of Staff, what are you discussing before I come back?"
"Comrade Commander," Potukin shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands, saying, "What else can be discussed? Of course, it is to study how to seize the German peripheral positions."
On the way back, Sokov considered how to attack, but he regretted that there was nothing else to do except for a strong attack. "Have you discussed what the result?"
"Sorry, comrade of the division commander." Potukin replied with a red face: "No useful tactics have been developed yet."
"Are you Major Sokov, the acting commander of the 31st Division of the Guards?" A middle-aged colonel with a round face stood up from the table, came to Sokov, reached out to him, and said enthusiastically: "I am Colonel Liabinkin, the commander of the 229th Artillery Regiment."
"Hello, Comrade Colonel." Confirm that the other party was the artillery commander who cooperated with him in his combat, Sokov quickly held his hand and said enthusiastically: "I'm glad to know you."
"Comrade Major, I'll introduce you to you." Liabinkin pointed to a short and fat officer next to him and said to Sokov: "This is my old friend, Lieutenant Colonel Peter, the commander of the 317th Artillery Regiment."
"Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Peter." Sokov quickly reached out to Lieutenant Colonel Peter and said with a smile: "Welcome to you!"
After meeting the two artillery regiment commanders, Sokov stopped his eyes on a colonel wearing a tank soldier uniform and asked with a smile: "If I'm not wrong, you are the brigade commander of the Tank Brigade. Comrade Colonel, I don't know what I should call him?"
"Comrade Major, you can call me Gustov." Maybe because he saw Sokov's military rank, two levels lower than himself, the tank brigade commander said with a somewhat plain expression: "My brigade is ordered to come and obey your command!"
"Comrades Commander, don't stand, please sit down." After everyone sat down, Sokov looked at the commander present and said, "Let's continue to discuss tomorrow's battle."
After saying this, he stopped, thinking that the three commanders under his commanders or the three commanders might say something. Then he waited for a while, but found that everyone was silent, so he tried to squeeze out a smile on his face and asked, "What's wrong, comrades in command, why don't you talk?"
"What's there to say?" Colonel Gustov said in a muffled voice: "The mission of our tank brigade is to charge with the infantry. Whether it can break through the German peripheral positions depends on your luck."
And the tone of Liabinkin's speech was much more polite: "Major Sokov, our two artillery regiments are cooperating with you in the battle. Just give me the order."
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov directly chose to ignore Gustov's sarcasm. He looked at Liabinkin and asked, "I want to ask, how much time can you provide us with artillery preparations?"
"Gay Major," Liabinkin's expression became serious when he heard Sokov's question: "Due to the limited number of shells, the preparation of artillery fire before the attack can only last for about a quarter of an hour at most."
"A quarter of an hour of artillery fire preparation? It's enough!" Sokov pushed the map in front of Liabinkin and explained to him: "Comrade Colonel, look, this is the first line of defense of the German army, and the second line of defense is seven or eight hundred meters behind. After tomorrow's artillery fire is ready, you will first launch a five-minute shelling of the first line of defense, then conduct extended shooting, and concentrate artillery fire to bombard the enemy's second line of defense!"
"Comrade Major, I don't quite understand what you mean." After hearing this, Liabinkin looked at Sokov with a strange look and asked, "Why do you spend so much time bombing the second line of defense that is temporarily impossible to seize?" Liabinkin's question was also the question of the commanders present. Everyone focused their attention on Sokov, trying to figure out the purpose of his doing so.
"The reason is very simple. Every time the German army was bombarded by our army, it would withdraw its troops to the second line of defense. Our artillery fire was basically an empty position. When our army's artillery fire stopped and the infantry launched an attack, the German army would go back to the position of the first line of defense to block our army." In order to solve everyone's doubts, Sokov raised his voice and said, "The reason why I asked the artillery to launch a five-minute artillery bomb on the first line of defense was to give the German army an illusion that our army would use precious artillery shells on empty positions as before. When they were careless, the artillery accidentally extended the artillery fire to bombard their second line of defense. When the enemy was dizzy by our artillery fire, our infantry began to attack under the cover of tanks."
Gustov heard Sokov's voice outside the painting, so he asked as soon as Sokov finished speaking: "Comrade Major, if I guessed correctly, you are planning to order our infantry to charge when the artillery regiment bombarded the second German position. Do I understand correctly?"
"Yes, Colonel Gustov. That's how I thought about it." Seeing that Gustov guessed his intention, Sokov did not hide it and nodded and admitted: "When the shelling was in progress, the tanks of the Tank Brigade opened the way in front, while the infantry followed the rear of the tank. If we could successfully seize the first line of defense, except for leaving a few troops to defend, the remaining troops would continue to advance to the second line of defense. The infantry hid behind the tank and could avoid being accidentally injured by our artillery fire."
Sokov's words aroused Gustov's interest. He stared at the map and said, "Major, you make sense. If our army attacked the enemy's second line of defense before the shelling stopped, the tanks marching in front could block the flying shrapnel for the infantry."
Seeing that the tank brigade commander agreed with his statement, Sokov pointed to the map and said, "Col. Gustov, your regiment's offensive starting point is here. I wonder when you can enter the offensive starting position?"
Gustov raised his hand and looked at his watch, then said, "My tank brigade is still moving now. It will take until two o'clock in the morning to reach its departure position one after another."
"It's time!" Sokov said to Gustov with a smile: "Our attack will start at six in the morning."
After arranging the artillery and tank soldiers, Sokov began to assign offensive tasks again. He told Pavel: "Lieutenant Colonel Pavel, your 1137th Regiment has the least casualties in the entire division, so tomorrow's main attack mission will be handed over to your regiment."
"Don't worry, comrade Commander." Seeing that Sokov handed over such an important task to his regiment, Pavel quickly stood up and said, "Our regiment promises to break through the German peripheral positions."
Sokov nodded and turned his gaze to Bindasov who was sitting aside again: "Col. Bindasov's troops quickly entered the battlefield from the breakthrough point after Lieutenant Colonel Pavel's 1137th Regiment broke through the German peripheral positions, and cooperated with friendly forces to eliminate the enemies in the city. Do you understand?"
"I understand!" Bindasov quickly stood up and agreed.
Although Sokov felt that his success rate in seizing Zhizdra was very high, he did not make any gambles, but then announced: "As for Lieutenant Colonel Ajik's 1139th Regiment, it will act as a reserve for the entire division. He will act with the division's artillery battalion and the tank battalion."
"Comrade Commander, I want to talk about my own thoughts." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Ajik stood up and said with a bitter face: "In the battle some time ago, our group was almost in the supporting role. Do you want us to continue to be supporting roles in the battle of Liberation Zdra?"
"Ltd Colonel Comrade," Sokov understood that Ajik had just been transferred to the division as the regiment commander, hoping to achieve some results as soon as possible and let the superiors take a good look, so he said this, so he comforted him and said, "Don't worry, the protagonists and supporting roles on the battlefield are constantly changing. Maybe you think you only have to be a supporting role for the rest of your life, but by accident, you may become the protagonist."
Sokov waved to the commanders present and said, "Okay, today's military meeting ends here. Let's go back to their respective troops to prepare. Remember, artillery preparations will start at 6:00 tomorrow morning, and infantry and tank soldiers will launch an attack from their departure position at 6:05. Do you understand?"
Chapter completed!