The cave happened to be quiet for a moment, and Lyudnikov's voice came into everyone's ears. Everyone first looked at Lyudnikov, and then turned their eyes to Tsekov, who was sitting behind the table, waiting for him to give everyone a satisfactory answer.
"Comrades!" Cui Kefu stood up and said to everyone: "I think everyone knows one thing: When General Zhukov comes, it means that he will start an attack."
"Yes, Comrade Commander," Krelov echoed, "In our army, there is indeed such a statement."
"We know this statement not only, but the enemy knows it too." Cuikov continued: "If Zhukov appeared in the Stalingrad area before the start of the great counterattack, wouldn't it be like telling the enemy that we would take major military actions here? It was precisely for this reason that the Supreme Command sent General Zhukov to the west of the city, where he organized troops to launch a round of offensive against the enemy."
Cui Kov's words obviously did not convince everyone. After he finished speaking, a general stood up and questioned: "Comrade Commander, this reason is too far-fetched. If you don't want the enemy to know our counterattack plan, General Zhukov could have quietly come to the Stalingrad area without being noticed by the enemy to command this time to encircle the German army and set up a large counterattack."
Trekov stared at the other side for a while, but did not blame him, but said earnestly: "Filonko, have you ever thought about what kind of reaction the enemy would have if we carried out a large counterattack in Stalingrad?" Before the other side could answer, he took the initiative to give the answer, "The enemy will definitely draw troops from other areas to rescue the enemies in the Stalingrad region. At this time, there are troops needed to attack and restrain the enemy, so that they cannot come to reinforce Paulus. In this way, we can calmly surround Paulus and his army between the Don and the Volga."
Everyone knows that Cuikov's reason is impeccable. If Paulus's army was attacked, the German commander would definitely draw a large number of troops from other areas in the shortest time to rescue Paulus' army and save them from the fate of being surrounded.
"Comrades, I'll introduce you to you." Cui Kefu pointed at the general and said to everyone: "This is General Filonenko, the new commander of the 112th Infantry Division. He took over the position of division commander yesterday."
Sokov had dealt with Colonel Yermolkin, the commander of the 112th Division. At this moment, when he heard Cuikov say that the major general was the new division commander, he couldn't help but ask Lyudnikov next to him in curiosity: "Comrade Colonel, where did Colonel Yermolkin, the former division commander go?"
Hearing Sokov's question, Lyudnikov's face showed a surprised expression: "What, you don't know that Colonel Yermorkin had died in the battle four days ago."
Upon learning about the sacrifice of Colonel Yermolkin, Sokov's muscles twitched violently for a few times. He didn't expect that when he saw victory was in sight, one of his acquaintances died like this. However, he did not ask Lyudnikov about the other party's sacrifice process. He knew very well the cruelty of the Stalingrad defense battle. Not to mention a division commander, even the commander of the army, Cui Kov, was in danger many times and almost lost his life.
"Everyone's questions have been asked?" Krelov interjected without any chance, "If there is no problem, we will go back to our respective troops. Although this counterattack is not ours, as long as we defend our existing positions and eliminate the enemy in the future, it will be a great achievement."
As the commanders at the meeting stood up and walked slowly out of the cave, Cuikov suddenly said, "Let Colonel Sokov stay!"
Sokov didn't understand why Cuikov wanted to stay, and felt a little relieved. When he saw Berkin passing by, he grabbed the other party's arm and said to him in a pleading tone: "Comrade Political Commissar, can you stay with me?"
Berkin glanced at the location where Cuikov was, then shook his head and said, "There is no order for me to stay, I'd better wait for you outside."
"Col. Sokov," Gurov said, seeing Sokov talking to Berkin, and hurriedly said, "Please come to me!"
Sokov squeezed to the table, straightened his body and said to Cuikov: "Comrade Commander, Colonel Sokov, commander of the 41st Division of the Guards, is ordered to stay. Please instruct!"
Cuikov glanced at Sokov, then turned his head to Grov, and said with a smile: "Military Commissioner, I think it's up to you to talk to him." Sokov hurriedly faced Grov and waited for him to assign tasks to him.
"Col. Sokov," said Gurov politely: "We asked you to stay because you asked the commander yesterday that you hope to study at the Fulongzhi Military Academy. During the call last night, the commander reported this to General Yelemenko..."
When Sokov heard this, he asked nervously: "Comrade Military Commissioner, I wonder how the commander of the Front Army replied?"
"He was very satisfied with the fact that you wanted to study in the Military Academy. Comrade Khrushchev even immediately contacted the dean of the Fulongzhi Military Academy, hoping to arrange for you to enter the Senior Commander Training Class." Gurov smiled and said, "With Comrade Khrushchev, the whole thing will be much easier. The dean has agreed to let you enter the Senior Commander Training Class. As for the admission time, it will take until we defeat the enemy in the Stalingrad region."
"Great, this is great." Sokov was overjoyed to learn that he could enter this famous military academy. He quickly expressed his gratitude to Cuikov and Gurov: "Thank you!"
"Comrade Commander!" Seeing that the conversation between Cuikov and others and Sokov were over, General Lobov came over and said with a frown: "Now the river is frozen, and the ships on the other side cannot come, and we don't know when our logistics transportation will be restored. If sufficient material reserves cannot be guaranteed, I am worried that once the transportation cannot be restored before the counterattack, the areas we defend will be occupied by the German army."
When Lobov complained to Cuikov, Sokov, who was standing beside him, thought to himself: The floating bridge that appeared because of his own reasons allows the materials on the east coast to be transported not only by ships, but also by convoys to transport into the city. Logically speaking, the material reserves in the city should be twice as high as in real history, so why is there still a shortage?
"Comrade Logistics Minister," Cuikov said to Lobov with a stern face, saying to him with a stern face: "You first distribute the ammunition and materials needed by the infantry brigade to them. As for transportation issues, I will call the commander of the Volga Fleet in the future and ask them to try to transport the materials over with ships."
"Transport here by ship?" Lobof said in surprise: "Comrade Commander, this is too risky. The river has frozen now, and unless the icebreaker is helped, the ships on the other side cannot come at all."
"It's an extraordinary time now, we always have to take risks." After saying that, he walked to a wooden table beside the wall, grabbed a phone, shook the crank a few times, put the microphone in his ear and said, "I am Choikov, pick me up the Volga region fleet and find Rear Admiral Rogachev."
After waiting for about two or three minutes, the phone was connected. Cui Kev said to the microphone: "Hello, General Rogachev! I am Cui Kev."
"I called you to ask if it is possible to resume transportation on the river in a short period of time?"
"What, are you trying to find a way? OK, OK, I'll wait for your good news."
Trekov put down the phone, walked back to Krelov, and said to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I just went on the phone with Rear Admiral Rogachev, and he said they were trying to find a way to transport supplies for us with ships."
"Comrade Commander," Krelov glanced at the frown Lobov, and said to Cuikov with a wry smile: "The ships of the Volga Fleet are all small in size, and they cannot break the ice like icebreakers."
"Comrade Logistics Minister, go and do your business first." Cuikov waved to Lobov and said, "When there is good news, I will send someone to notify you immediately."
After Lobov left, Trekov called Sokov to sit down and asked, "Col. Sokov, where are you going to go back later, barricade factory or Mamayev hill?"
"Comrade Commander, the current situation of the barricade factory is not optimistic. I think I should stay in the barricade factory for the time being." Sokov saw Cuikov open his mouth and seemed to have something to say, so he guessed the question he wanted to ask, and said first: "But I will return to Mamayev on the night of the first night of the start of the large counterattack, that is, on the evening of the 18th."
The reason why Sokov chose to return to Mamayev before the start of the major counterattack was to use the terrain there to condescend to see the grand occasion of the counterattack.
Cuikov is not a god, so he naturally doesn't know what Sokov is thinking. When he heard that he would return to the division command of Mamayevgang before the great counterattack, he nodded and said, "Col. Sokov, your troops have been in Mamayevgang for several months. Now the Battle of Stalingrad is coming to an end. I hope you can continue to persevere and never give up Mamayevgang to the enemy."
"Don't worry, comrade Commander." Sokov quickly assured Cuikov: "As long as I have a breath, I will never let the Germans occupy Mamayev's hill."
Gurov raised his hand and looked at his watch, and said to Sokov: "Col. Sokov, I think you will stay in the headquarters tonight. I have some things to say to you."
"But, comrade of the military committee." Sokov explained anxiously when he heard Grov say he wanted to keep him, "Col. Lyudnikov and one of my regiment commanders are still waiting for me outside."
"Let them go back first." Cui Kefu said, "You can go back after dawn tomorrow."
Sokov came outside the cave and saw Lyudnikov and Berkin. Guzman was smoking, so he walked towards them. When he saw Sokov coming, he quickly threw the cigarette butt in his hand and asked, "Col. Sokov, your conversation with the commander has ended. Can you go back?"
"I'm sorry, comrade Colonel." Sokov said to Lyudnikov with apologetic expression: "Commander asked me to stay here for one night, you can go back first." He saw the guard platoon in the distance and added, "Leave me a guard squad, and you can take all the rest back."
"I think the guard platoon should be left behind." Lyudnikov refused to Sokov's kindness, "The guard squad I brought is enough to ensure the safety of the three of us."
"Comrade Colonel, please listen to me and take the guards with you." Sokov thought of walking at night and the danger factor was relatively high, so he insisted on his opinion: "You may encounter sporadic German soldiers when you go back tonight. If there are fewer people around you, it will be unsafe."
Seeing that the two were going to have a dispute over this matter, Berkin hurriedly came out to smooth things over: "Misha, I think Samoilov will take a guard squad to stay, and the rest will escort Colonel Lyudnikov and I back. What do you think?"
"Okay, that's it!"
…………
Cuikov's purpose of leaving Sokov was to ask his troops to find opportunities to counterattack the frontal enemy after the start of the large counterattack. After all, the Romanian troops stationed near Mamayevgang are now weaker than the German army.
Just as the few people were formulating a counterattack plan, strange sounds suddenly came from outside, as if some monster was hitting the ice surface. When Cuikov heard this sound, he quickly winked at Krelov and signaled him to find out what was happening outside.
Krelov picked up the phone and contacted the observation center by the river and asked directly: "What happened outside? What sound is coming from the river?"
After a long time of silence on the phone, an excited voice finally came out: "Comrade Chief of Staff, a sailor from the Volga River Fleet, is driving two gunboats, hitting the ice on the river surface."
The observation whistle made everyone stunned. After a while, Krelov asked tentatively: "What did you say? You are not mistaken when you hit the ice with a gunboat, right?"
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." Observation Post said in a positive tone: "I have observed carefully. It was really the gunboats of the district fleet that hit the ice on the river. Now they have advanced about fifty meters."
"I understand." Krelov put down the phone and reported to Cuikov: "Comrade Commander, the observation post, said that two gunboats from the Volga Fleet were impacting the ice on the river. It seemed that they planned to force a water transportation line."
Chapter completed!