The conversation between Sokov and Trekov was clearly heard by Sidolin, Ivanov and others standing next to him. They were not optimistic about Sokov in their hearts about the bet they made, and they felt that he might lose.
After the indoor quiet for a while, Sidolin spoke first. He shook his head and reminded Sokov: "Comrade Commander, although the superiors have supplemented the troops of four battalions for us, unfortunately the commanders and soldiers are not ready to fight back. If they go out in a hurry, it may be difficult to achieve ideal results."
"The Chief of Staff is right." Ivanov expressed his support for Sidolin's statement in time: "The replenishment of our soldiers, before they can get familiar with this area, will probably not have good results if they are involved in an under-prepared offensive."
Seeing that Sidolin and Ivanov had the same views and thought they would lose in this bet, they smiled and asked, "Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander, I heard the tone of you two, and it seems that I think I will lose?"
"Isn't it?" Anisimov made a final blow, "Comrade Commander, to be honest, I don't think you can win this bet. After all, our army's counterattack will be supported by the air force and a large number of artillery soldiers. As long as the Germans are not blind or deaf, they will definitely guess that this is a long-prepared counterattack. If I were Paulus, I would definitely draw troops from the city without hesitation to reinforce the defenders in the Don River Basin, so as not to be cut off from the rear."
"Political Commissar Anisimov, you are not Paulus, and Paulus is not you, so you cannot make the same decision." Although the other three division-level leaders were not optimistic about themselves, Sokov said confidently: "I always believe that as long as the Stalingrad Front Army did not launch an attack, Paulus would not send any reinforcements to the defenders in the Don River Basin, and would still concentrate on the final attack on the factory area."
After Sokov finished speaking, seeing that Ivanov seemed to want to refute him, he raised his hand to stop him and continued, "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, you don't have to persuade me anymore. This time, whether I will lose or win or not, it's up to the facts. Anyway, the attack of friendly forces on the enemy in the Don River Basin will begin in a few hours."
Seeing Sokov so stubborn, Ivanov sighed softly and said helplessly: "Comrade Commander, since you are so persistent in your opinion, I believe you won't listen to anything I say. Then let's wait a little longer, and when the attack of friendly forces begins, see what the enemy in the city will react."
…………
When the artillery units of the Southwest Front and the Don Front carried out powerful artillery strikes against the German, Italian and Romanian troops entrenched in the Don River Basin, the news reached the German command in Glubinskaya.
Paulus stared at the telegram sent by the frontier commander, and after a while he sent a short time, he raised his head and sent a telegram to his Schmidt: "Chief of Staff, what do you think the Russians suddenly launched a powerful artillery attack on our defenders in the Don River Basin, what is the purpose?"
"The intention is obvious." Schmidt looked for some areas hit by artillery fire on the map and said confidently: "It may be that the progress we have made in the city that made the Russian Supreme Command feel scared, so they ordered the troops deployed to the north of our army to carry out attacks on our side and rear. In this way, we can divert our attention and gain valuable respite for the defenders in the city."
Schmidt's analysis was not aimless. As early as early September, October, and even early November, the Soviet army had launched attacks on the flanks of the German army, trying to restrain the German army's power in this way so that they could not concentrate all their strength to seize the city.
It is precisely for this consideration that after listening to Schmidt's words, Paulus nodded and said, "Chief of Staff, you are right. Don't look at the Russians' disturbances, their purpose is nothing more than to relieve the pressure on the defenders in the city."
"Hiss Commander!" Schmidt asked tentatively after Paulus finished speaking: "The defenders in the Don River Basin are almost Italian and Romanian troops. I am worried that with their combat effectiveness, it may be difficult to stop the Russian attack. Look, should we send troops to reinforce them?"
"Reinforce them?!" Paulus waved his hand and said, "No, Chief of Staff, we don't have to send troops to reinforce."
"But if the Russians attack breaks through the friendly defense line, our rear will be exposed to the Russians." Seeing that Paulus was unwilling to send troops to reinforce, Schmidt carefully reminded him: "At that time, we will be in danger of being attacked in the abdomen."
"Order the troops attacking the factory area and increase the intensity of the attack, and be sure to drive the Russians into the Volga River today." Paulus sneered: "Once we occupy the entire city, the attack launched by the Russians in the Don River Basin will be meaningless. Without sending troops to reinforce the defenders in the Don River Basin, the Russians will retreat obediently."
After hearing Paulus's words, Schmidt couldn't help but think. He felt that Paulus's words were still very reasonable. The main purpose of the Russians launching such a large-scale attack was to rescue Stalingrad. If his troops occupied the entire city, all the efforts made by the Russians would be wasted. At that time, they would have no meaning to attack the defenders in the Don River Basin.
After thinking clearly about this, Schmith said with his head: "I understand, Commander. I will immediately notify General Kurtzbach and let his troops attack the factory area with all their might."
"Remember!" When he saw Schmidt picking up the phone and preparing to call General Kurtzbach, the commander of the 51st Army, Paulus specifically reminded him: "Let them seize the entire Stalingrad today."
"clear!"
…………
Cuikov kept remembering that he had made a bet with Sokov. When friendly forces launched powerful artillery attacks on enemy positions in the Don River Basin, he couldn't help but call Yeliaomko on the other side and asked anxiously: "Comrade Commander, do you have any news about the Southwest Front and the Don River Front?"
"General Cuikov." Yeliaumko replied with a serious expression: "So far, I can only tell you that the artillery of these two fronts is preparing for artillery fire on the enemy's defensive positions. Even if you want to launch an attack, you need to wait until the artillery fire is completed."
"Comrade Commander," Cui Kev had long guessed that Yeliaumko would give him such an answer, so he continued to ask: "I want to ask you, do you think friendly troops can break through the enemy's defense?"
"This is the first time our army has gathered so many troops to carry out a powerful assault on the enemy." Hearing Cuikov's question, Yeliao Myanko said in a somewhat uncertain tone: "But what kind of results this assault can achieve depends on the situation after the friendly forces put the ground troops into the battle."
Yeliaumko considered that Cui Kov called himself, and it was definitely not for such a thing that he didn't know the answer yet, so he asked tentatively: "General Cui Kov, is there any other intention to call me?"
"That's right, comrade commander." Cuikov thought that he had asked Yelemenko later, so he did not hide it. He told the other party about his bet with Sokov, and finally said: "...If you want to counterattack against the frontal enemy, it may be difficult to succeed without the cooperation of tanks. I want to ask whether you can send a tank battalion from the east coast to assist Colonel Sokov's troops in a counterattack."
"Nonsense, it's simply nonsense." After hearing Cui Kev explain his purpose, Yeliaomko said angrily: "Don't say that I can't provide you with tanks now. Even if I can provide them, I don't agree that you will attack the enemy today. This can be said to be a suicide act. Not only is it difficult to achieve results, but it may lose the only living force in the city."
Cui Kov thought that as long as he mentioned that he would be ready to launch a counterattack today, Yeliaomenko would definitely be overjoyed. Unexpectedly, the other party's reaction was much beyond his expectations. He asked a little embarrassedly: "Comrade Commander, I think after the ground attack of friendly troops begins, we can attract the attention of the German troops in the city. Then we can beat them hard when they are in chaos."
"No, General Cuikov, I don't agree with you sending Sokov's troops to take risks." After sending four infantry battalions to supplement the 41st Guard Division, Yelemenko considered to put Sokov's troops into battle on the first day of the start of the large counterattack. But after reporting this plan, he was denied by the Supreme Command. It was precisely for this reason that he disagreed with Chokov's troops to take risks on the first day of the counterattack: "At least, we have to wait until our front army has also entered the counterattack and the situation is basically clear, then consider putting Sokov's troops into battle. Do you understand?"
After putting down the phone, Cuikov picked up the cigarette box on the table, shook a cigarette from it, held it in his mouth but did not ignite it. He quietly recalled the conversation between him and Yelemenko in his mind. Seeing that Cuikov had a cigarette in his mouth but did not ignite it, Krelov quickly lit a match and approached him to lit the cigarette. He asked carefully: "Comrade Commander, what did the commander of the Front Army say? Will he agree to let Sokov's troops launch a counterattack today?"
Trekov did not immediately answer Krelov's question, but took a puff of cigarette and asked, "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you think Sokov's troops should be allowed to launch a counterattack on the German defensive positions today?"
"How do you say it?" Krelov replied solemnly about Cuikov's question: "According to heart, I also hope to drive the Germans out of the city earlier, so naturally I hope the counterattack will be carried out as soon as possible. However, I thought about it carefully. When we first made Sokov's counterattack plan, the enemy on the front of Mamayev's hill was the Romanian army. With their combat effectiveness, they could not stop the counterattack of the 41st Division of the Guards. But since the German army changed defenses, our counterattack plan has faced a very embarrassing situation..."
"You don't have to say anything more." Before Krelov finished speaking, Cuikov raised his hand and interrupted his later words: "The difference between whether the enemy to attack is the German or Romanian. However, after a long battle, the morale of the defenders in the city has been somewhat affected. Since Sokov's troops can launch a counterattack earlier, it can inspire the morale of the troops and make everyone more confident in defending their positions."
After Krelov finished speaking, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, do you really think that after our friendly forces launched an attack on the enemy in the Don River Basin, the German troops in the city will no longer launch an attack?"
"I think this should be a common sense issue." Cui Kefu frowned and said, "As a senior commander, when he found himself on the back, he was attacked by the superior enemy. The first thing he had to do was to send reinforcements to the attacked areas instead of continuing to attack areas that he had never been able to seize."
However, Cuikov did not expect that he was slapped in the face in less than half an hour after he said it. The commander of the 37th Guards Division, Ruolujeff, called him and said anxiously: "Comrade Commander, due to the freezing of the river, German engineers laid roads for tanks on the ice. Now almost ten tanks have entered the factory area, and a large number of German infantry gathered. It seems that they are planning to launch a comprehensive attack on the defense zone of our division."
"What about the direction controlled by the 45th Infantry Division?" Some time ago, after the road bridge connecting the factory and the outside world was blown up, the German tanks, assault guns and armored vehicles could not enter the factory. The German army relied on infantry alone and could not seize the defenders' positions. The battle in the Derrensky factory fell into a stalemate. But at this moment, he heard that the German tanks had entered the factory again, and Cui Kov's heart became heavy. He knew that the 37th Guards Division had lost serious personnel and could only stick to a small area of ​​the factory. Most of the areas were under the responsibility of Colonel Sokolov's 45th Infantry Division. "How is the situation there?"
"There are also a large number of German tanks and assault guns in the area they are responsible for." Jolujeff replied on the phone: "It seems that the Germans are planning to launch a fierce attack on the Derzhinsky factory today. Comrade Commander, I ask you to send troops to reinforce us."
"Send troops, where can I send troops?" When I learned that the German army was about to launch an attack on the Derrensky factory, Cuikov's mood became worse. When he heard that Ruolujeff asked to send reinforcements, he said angrily: "Or, I will go there myself and fight side by side with your soldiers."
If Lujev knew that Cuikov was talking angry, he laughed dryly and asked carefully: "Comrade Commander, isn't there any war in Mamayevgang now? Look, should Colonel Sokov send troops to support us? As long as his troops are here, we will have the confidence to defend the factory no matter how fierce the enemy's attack is."
Cuikov never dreamed that if Ludev had taken up Sokov's idea. He denied this proposal without hesitation: "No, although there is no war in Mamayevgang for the time being, it does not mean that there will be no battle in the future. If I transfer all my troops to you, Mamayevgang will be lost because of the empty troops and cannot resist the German attack. Can you afford this responsibility?"
Chapter completed!