After dark, an unexpected person came to the division command center.
When Sokov saw this person appearing at his command center, he was stunned at first, and then led Cidolin and others to greet him. When he raised his hand to salute him, he asked in surprise: "Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army, why are you here?"
"The counterattack will begin tomorrow," said Lieutenant General Golikov, deputy commander of the Stalingrad Front. He held Sokov's hand and said, "I am on behalf of the Front Command, come and find out how you are preparing for the counterattack."
When Sokov asked Golikov to sit down, he was thinking in his heart that according to the original history, shouldn't Golikov have become the commander of the Voronezh Front at this moment, how could he still be in the Stalingrad Front? Could it be that his appearance has changed a lot of the original history?
The reason why Sokov had such a question was that the 13th Guard Division, which should have shined in the Stalingrad defense battle, achieved some results shortly after entering the city, and disappeared in the following battle. Since the troops did not show any outstanding performance in the defense battle, I believe that the promotion path of General Rodimtev in the future will also undergo some changes.
Golikov didn't know that Sokov had considered so many issues in a moment, and said with a smile: "The Front Command was worried that your division's counterattack power was too weak to break through the frontal German defensive position. He planned to send you two tank battalions tomorrow..."
"What, two tank battalions?" Ivanov couldn't help but screamed in surprise when he heard Golikov say this: "Those are dozens of tanks. With so many tanks, it would be no problem to break through the enemy's frontal defense position."
Sokov was naturally very happy to learn that his superiors would send him two tank battalions, but he had no idea what kind of results the Stalingrad Front could achieve from the south of the city tomorrow. He poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Golikov, and then asked respectfully: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I wonder what the achievements the friendly forces have achieved in the Don River Basin during the day?"
Sidolin and others were also eager to know the achievements of the Southwest Front and the Don Front, so they looked at Golikov with a glance, waiting for him to express the answer he wanted to know.
"Our friendly forces fought very well." When he heard Sokov ask about the results of the friendly forces, Golikov's face showed a heartfelt smile: "According to the war report, after eighty minutes of artillery fire preparation, our troops launched an attack on the enemy in a vast area. The enemy never dreamed that our army would launch an attack in such a bad weather and be caught off guard. Although the Romanian artillery reacted in time and carried out artillery interception on our tank troops, due to the bad weather and low visibility, their shells did not pose any threat to our tanks.
At noon, our army successfully broke through the defense line of the Romanian 3rd Army and defeated the 13th, 14th and 9th Infantry Divisions on the defense line..."
"Isn't the Romanian 13th Infantry Division the division that was crippled by us?" Anisimov was surprised to Sokov when he heard this: "I didn't expect that they had just completed the change of defense and were attacked by our army. It would be strange if they could be blocked."
As the deputy commander of the Front Army, Golikov naturally knew that the battle with swords occurred in the north of Mamayevgang, so he did not refute Anisimov's statement, but nodded and echoed: "That's right. This infantry division in Romania had good combat power in the past and caused huge losses to our army. It may be because they had basically lost their combat power by you, so they collapsed so quickly when facing the offensive of friendly forces."
"Comrade Deputy Commander," Sidolin, as the chief of staff of the division, stared at the map every day, and the angle of consideration of the problem was naturally different from that of others. He took advantage of the gap between Golikov's speech and interrupted and asked, "I want to ask, where have the friendly troops left?"
"During the attack, not all the enemies we encountered were about to collapse, and some remained on the position and stubbornly blocked our attack." Golikov said with a serious expression: "For example, General Laska's Romanian 1st Cavalry Division and 6th Infantry Division, when facing the powerful offensive of our army, they have been resisting stubbornly, making it impossible for our army to seize their positions for the time being."
As the political commissar of the division, Anisimov usually focuses on morale and is not very familiar with military aspects. Hearing Golikov kept talking about the Romanian army, he couldn't help asking: "Comrade Deputy Commander, are there any German troops on the offensive line of friendly forces?"
"Yes, there is General Heim's 48th Armored Army." Golikov nodded and replied: "According to the war report, Paulus ordered Heim to command the 48th Armored Army and the three divisions of the Romanian 2nd Army to launch a counterattack against Kretskaya, trying to repel the infantry of the 21st Army and stabilize their defense."
Although the Soviet army fought very easily against the Romanian army, Sokov was really not sure what the outcome would be when encountering the German army. He couldn't help but ask: "Have the enemy's attempt succeeded?"
"No." Golikov replied with some smugness: "Our offensive forces successfully crushed the German counterattack and severely damaged three Romanian divisions. Before dark, friendly tank troops had successfully broken through the German defense line in Blinov, reaching the enemy's depth for forty kilometers."
The news that Golikov said made everyone excited. To be honest, except for Sokov, who knew the final outcome of this big counterattack, the rest of the people did not expect much hope for the counterattack. They all thought in their hearts that it was nothing more than a restraining action launched to prevent the German army from seizing the city. But they did not expect that such results would be achieved.
"Comrade Deputy Commander," Sidolin suppressed his inner excitement and tried his best to ask Golikov in a steady tone: "Do you think our front army can achieve such results from friendly forces when launching an attack from the south of the city?"
"Col. Sokov," Golikov did not answer, but threw the question to Sokov: "Do you think we can achieve such a result of friendly forces?"
"This is undoubtedly, Comrade, Deputy Commander of the Front." Sokov knew the final outcome of the Stalingrad defense battle, and on the eve of the start of the major counterattack, he needed to give everyone some confidence in victory, so he nodded and said, "I believe that the counterattack that will start tomorrow will not only break through the enemy's defense line, but also meet with friendly troops heading south in the shortest time."
Sokov's words surprised Golikov. He asked in surprise: "I really didn't expect that Colonel Sokov, you are so confident in the counterattack of our front army."
"After several months of fighting, their soldiers were exhausted," Sokov replied truthfully: "In addition, due to our attacks some time ago, their supply problems arise. In this case, in the face of our long-prepared counterattack, their resistance will be destroyed step by step by step by step by step by step by step. I believe that it will not take long before we can encircle Paulus's 6th Army in the Stalingrad region to create conditions for the complete annihilation of them."
"Col. Sokov, then tell me," Golikov asked with interest when he heard this, "Then tell me, where is the most likely position for our front army and friendly forces to meet?"
"Comrade Deputy Commander, please see this map." Sidolin pushed the map on the table in front of Golikov, and said with a smile: "The division commander has long marked the position of the three fronts to join forces."
Golikov looked down at the location on the map that Sokov circled with a red pen, and said unexpectedly: "Col. Sokov, I really didn't expect that your idea would coincide with the idea of ​​Commander Yelemenko. He also absolutely met with our front and friendly forces, right in Karachi."
The people who were surprised were not only Golikov, but also Ivanov and Anisimov. Although Sokov had analyzed the current situation for them, they were still full of questions about whether the three major fronts could meet in Karachi. At this moment, when he heard what Golikov said, he couldn't help but look at Sokov with admiration.
"Col. Sokov." Seeing that Sokov's analysis coincided with the idea of ​​the leader of the front army, Golikov was full of confidence in the upcoming counterattack of the Sokov division. He then asked: "I want to ask, when do you plan to attack the frontal enemy?"
"Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army," Sokov said cautiously, "The Front Army will launch a counterattack from the south of the city tomorrow. The enemies they are facing are basically Romanian troops, and the battle will probably be easier than we think.
The superiors issued a counterattack order to our division, considering the front of Mamayevgang and the two Romanian divisions deployed by Paulus. We have the strength to break through their defense and provide assistance to the counterattack of the main force. But what we did not expect was that the Germans suddenly replaced the defense line of the Romanian army with two other German divisions a few days ago, which made the situation deviate from our original idea...."
Although Golikov had known all of what Sokov said, he still patiently listened to the difficulties he encountered before speaking: "That's right, the leader of the front army has changed from a Romanian army to a German army. He is worried that your strength is not enough, so he specially added four full battalions for you. And tomorrow, when the counterattack in the south of the city begins, there will be two tank battalions crossing the river and joining your counterattack forces to enhance your counterattack power."
"It is not enough to have the support of the tank troops alone." Sokov shook his head slightly and continued: "In the process of our division's counterattack, I also hope to get support from the left bank artillery and the air force."
"There is no big problem to let the artillery provide you with artillery fire support. After all, there are artillery observers staying at Mamayev's hill, and they can indicate the shooting parameters for the artillery on the left bank. But the Air Force," said Golikov, speaking of this, took off his fur hat on his head, raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, and said with some embarrassment: "In such bad weather, our Air Force cannot be dispatched."
"Don't worry about this." Sokov said with confidence: "The heavy snow has been falling for several days. I heard from a veteran who has lived in Stalingrad for a long time that it would be a sunny day at the latest. At that time, our fighter planes will be able to take off to provide air cover for our offensive forces."
Hearing Sokov's statement, Golikov was silent for a while and said in an uncertain tone: "But according to the report of the meteorological department, there will be such heavy snow weather for at least the next week."
"Comrade Commander of the Front Army," Sokov was obviously more confident in the veterans who had lived in Stalingrad for a long time. As soon as Golikov finished speaking, he added: "I just listened to the veterans, so I deliberately set the time for the counterattack the day after tomorrow. If the sky was really clear and our fighter planes could take off again, I think it would be a great time to counterattack."
Golikov stared at Sokov for a long time, and finally said, "Col. Sokov, I can't give you any promises before I get the consent of Commander Yelyemko. Can you understand?"
"I can understand." Sokov felt that the other party's deputy commander probably did not have much real power, and everything needed to be agreed by Yelemenko and Khrushchev, so he nodded and said, "However, if we can't get air support from our counterattack, I'm worried that it will be difficult to succeed."
Golikov looked at the phones placed on the table and asked Sokov: "Can you talk directly to the Front Command on your phone?"
"Yes." Sidolin quickly pushed the high-frequency phone to Golikov and said with a smile: "Comrade Deputy Commander, this phone can directly call the Front Command." Seeing that Golikov signaling him to answer the phone, he quickly called the communications officer to connect the line so that he could call Commander Yelemenko.
Golikov and Yelemenko did not have a long time to talk. After reporting what Sokov said to the other party, he asked whether the air force could be dispatched the day after tomorrow to provide air support to the 41st Guards Division, which carried out the counterattack operation. After receiving the accurate reply, he put down the phone and said to Sokov: "Col. Sokov, I have conveyed your request to Commander Yelemenko. He has promised that as long as the weather conditions allow, he will definitely send the air force to support you in the battle."
Golikov picked up the tea on the table and took a sip, looked at Sokov and asked, "Do you have any other questions, comrade Colonel?"
"Some." Sokov asked tentatively, considering that fighting in unfamiliar areas and the coordination between spaces was a big problem, he asked tentatively: "I want to ask, how do I get in touch with the pilot in battle?"
"This is very simple." Golikov said lightly: "If you have any questions, you can notify the Front Command by phone, and then the Command will notify the Air Force Command. They will issue specific combat missions to the pilots."
After hearing Golikov say that contacting the Air Force requires two transfers, Sokov shook his head and said, "Comrade, Deputy Commander of the Front Army, I think this kind of contact information is inappropriate. If you communicate with the pilot and have to go through two transfers, you may be delayed in the fight."
Chapter completed!