Chapter 1118 Annihilation of the enemy during the movement (I)
Although the Germans controlled this area, they did not have any decent fortifications. After being attacked by rockets, they died suddenly, injured, and the remaining people either ran away or surrendered with their hands.
After learning that more than 20 prisoners had been captured, Sokov couldn't help but feel a headache. His troops are now active behind enemy lines. If they carry prisoners, it will definitely affect the speed of the troops' march. The division leaders have two different opinions on how to deal with these prisoners. One is to execute them on the spot to avoid future troubles; the other is to take them together.
The two sides argued and finally handed over the conflict to Sokov. Since the Germans had surrendered, it seemed a bit too inhumane to kill them again; it was impossible to let them go. How to deal with these prisoners became a problem that plagued Sokov.
After some thought, Sokov said to everyone: "I think I will take these prisoners with us for the time being. It is not too late to deal with them when the situation is critical."
When Sokov spoke, the other leaders in the division stopped arguing and expressed that they would obey Sokov's orders. Cidolin asked: "Comrade Commander, what should we do next?"
"Since we are posing for advancing towards Ijum, we have made the enemy wrong judgment, and we think we are ready to attack Ijum." Sokov said to Sidolin: "In this way, the German army, who are worried that Ijum will draw troops to strengthen the defense there."
"Comrade Commander, I have an idea." After Sokov finished speaking, Sidorin said to him: "In the northeast of Ijium, there are troops stationed in the defeated Southwest Front. Should people be sent to contact them? As long as they make feints in that direction, the enemy will feel more that our target is Ijium."
"Chief of Staff, you make sense. But we can't command the friendly forces." Sokov continued after thinking for a while, "I will immediately send a message to Commander Rokosovsky, tell him our plan, ask him to contact the friendly forces, and make some noise in the east of Ijum to confuse the enemy."
Sokov's telegram was soon placed in front of Rokosovsky.
After reading the telegram, Rokosovsky asked Malining, who was standing next to him: "Comrade Malining, tell me, can this plan of Misha work?"
"Comrade Commander," replied Malinin, "The question now is not whether Major General Sokov's plan works. It is whether the remnants of the Southwest Front are willing to cooperate with our actions."
"Speak."
"Since the Southwest Front troops were defeated by the Germans, the remaining commanders and soldiers were in a state of panic." Malining analyzed to Rokosovsky: "They were scared out of their courage by the Germans. If the enemy did not attack, they would be very happy; but if they were asked to attack, even if it was just a nominal attack, they would become timid."
"So, for a long time, the Southwest Front could not count on it at all?"
"I think so, at least they'll turn a blind eye to our advice."
"It seems that the only thing to ask Antonov for help in this matter is Rokosovsky," said Rokosovsky, picked up the high-frequency phone on the table and connected to the General Staff of Moscow.
Hearing Antonov's voice coming from the receiver, Rokosovsky hurriedly said, "Hello, General Antonov, I am Rokosovsky."
"Hello, General Rokosovsky." Antonov didn't know what Rokosovsky was calling for his purpose at this moment, so he asked tentatively: "What important thing do you have?"
"It's so. Major General Sokov brought a division's troops and had already penetrated deep into the enemy's back. He planned to launch a feint attack on Ijium to attract the enemy's attention and force the enemy to transfer the main force back from the direction of Kharkov." Rokosovsky said to Antonov on the phone: "According to the information we have, the Southwest Front has assembled a large number of troops in the northeast of Ijium. If they take feints, it will cause the enemy to misjudgment, thinking that our army is preparing to recover Ijium, which has just been lost. In this way, the enemy's main force will be continuously transferred from the direction of Kharkov, so that friendly forces that are sticking to that area will have more time to rest and replenish."
"General Rokosovsky, I probably need to ask Comrade Stalin immediately for this matter. Only after obtaining his permission can I issue an order to the Southwest Front troops. Two hours ago, General Vatujing was removed from his post because of unfavorable combat."
When Rokosovsky learned that Vatutin had been removed from his post, he was shocked and asked, "Then I can ask, who will be ordered by the base camp to take over his post?"
"General Malinovsky," Antonov said: "He will officially take over General Vatukin in a week."
"Hey, General Antonov, I don't have a week." Rokosovsky was a little anxious when he learned that he had to wait for a week: "Now Sokov's troops are surrounded by the German army. If friendly forces cannot provide timely cooperation, they may be eliminated. I beg you..."
"What are you begging for, Konstantin Konstantinovich?" Unexpectedly, Stalin's voice unexpectedly came from the receiver.
The person who heard the call with him turned into Stalin. Rokosovsky quickly stood up from his seat, straightened his body and said, "Hello, Comrade Stalin."
"Tell me, what happened?"
"That's right, Comrade Stalin." Rokosovsky hurriedly reported to Stalin: "Major General Sokov led the 41st Division of the Guards, pretended to be the enemy and went deep into the enemy's backbone and launched an attack on the enemy. According to his original plan, he was preparing to recapture Ijum so that the Voronezh Front could gain a foothold there.
But their whereabouts have been discovered by the enemy at this moment, so the plan to seize Ijium had to be adjusted. In order to more effectively consume the German army's vitality, Sokov proposed to give way to the remnants of the Southwest Front Army in the northeast of Ijium, and make some movement appropriately to attract the enemy's attention and make the enemy mistakenly think that our target of attack is Ijium."
"Comrade Rokosovsky," Stalin and others said seriously after Rokosovsky finished speaking: "I remember that shortly after the war broke out, all fronts of our army retreated step by step under the attack of the German army. At this time, Petrovsky, the commander of the 63rd Infantry Army, commanded his troops to launch a counterattack against the enemy, liberating the two cities of Rogachev and Jilobin, and wedged into the enemy's front for thirty kilometers. In order to commend his bravery and the great results he achieved, I ordered him to be promoted to Lieutenant General."
When Rokosovsky heard Stalin mention Petrovsky, he immediately understood the other party's intentions and quickly said, "Comrade Stalin, the current situation is very different from that time."
"The difference?" Stalin asked, "What is the difference?"
"At that time, the enemy was advancing towards our country, and their troops were very dispersed. This time, as long as a combat-capable force was concentrated and an effective counterattack against them, they could achieve great results. But now, around the Sokov division are three of the most elite German SS divisions. In the direction of Ijium, there are two German infantry divisions and the armored army that can arrive in one day. If Sokov's troops were ordered to attack Ijium directly, they might be destroyed by the entire army."
Rokosovsky's words made Stalin silent. After a long time, he spoke: "Comrade Rokosovsky, what is the intention of Sokov's activity in this area?"
"According to his report," Rokosovsky reported: "He intends to annihilate as much of the German live force as possible in the movement to relieve the pressure on our army."
"Annihilate the enemy in the movement," Stalin mentioned this statement, saying half-believingly: "Is Sokov really capable of doing this? Don't let the enemy not eliminate much by then, his troops will be annihilated by the Germans."
"Comrade Stalin, Sokov has a good way of fighting." Seeing that Stalin did not trust Sokov, Rokosovsky explained to him: "Since he proposed the tactic of annihilation of the enemy in the movement, I believe he will not disappoint me."
"You should have known from Antonov that I have removed Vatutin from his post and appointed General Malinovsky to take over his post." Stalin said on the phone: "But it will take him a week at the earliest to get familiar with his troops. I think you can ask him to assist you in the fight."
"Comrade Stalin, we can't wait for a week." Rokosovsky was a little anxious: "Sokov's troops are fighting desperately with the Germans. If the Southwest Front troops did not make some feints in the direction of Ijium, they would probably not be able to attract the enemy's attention."
"Can't they wait for a week?"
"Can't wait, Comrade Stalin." Rokosovsky said in a stressed tone: "Every minute on the battlefield is precious, and our troops have no time to wait for another week."
"Okay, then." Stalin said to the microphone: "I will discuss this matter with Comrade Zhukov immediately and let him temporarily go to the Southwest Front to replace the commander. I believe that with his friendship with Xiaomia, I will definitely do my best to help."
After receiving a positive reply, Rokosovsky asked Malinin to send Sokov a telegram saying that the base camp was about to send Zhukov to the acting commander of the front army immediately. If the Sokov division was preparing to attack Ijum, the troops of the Southwest Front would cooperate fully. Even if they could not attack for the time being, they would make some noise to attract the attention of the Germans and prevent them from being besieged by more German troops.
After reading this telegram from Rokosovsky, Sokov seemed to have a reassurance. He was worried that when his troops were too close to Ijium, not only would the enemy's resistance become stronger and stronger, but he might also receive orders from his superiors to seize Ijium at all costs. If that is the case, he would be prepared to sacrifice all the members in advance.
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov handed the telegram to Cydolin and said to him: "order the 122nd Regiment to continue to advance westward, while the 124th Regiment stayed in ambush, ready to attack the enemy who came upon hearing the news."
"What, let the 124th Regiment leave an ambush?" Hearing Sokov's order, Cidolin asked in surprise: "Comrade Commander, do you really think that the enemy's large troops will come here?"
"We first destroyed a German regiment headquarters, and now we have seized their defense zone." Sokov smiled and said, "In order to find out who attacked them, the German commander will definitely send troops to check it out. At that time, we will take decisive attacks while they are not paying attention to it, destroy or severely damage this enemy."
"Well, it makes sense." After thinking about Sokov's words, Sidolin felt that ambushing near the area he had just captured was indeed beyond the enemy's expectations, and he would be caught off guard. He nodded quickly and said, "Comrade Commander, your method is really good. The enemy's troops should not exceed one thousand people. Once they enter our ambush circle, there is probably no hope of survival."
"By the way, Chief of Staff, I want to emphasize the discipline."
Seeing Sokov saying this without expression, Cidolin couldn't help but feel a little shocked and asked quickly: "Comrade Commander, please explain what discipline is?"
"From now on, every battle we have, we will never leave any prisoners. Do you understand?"
Sidolin naturally understood that the reason why Sokov issued this order was because if the troops operating behind enemy lines carried a large number of prisoners, their actions would become slow and they would be at risk of exposure at any time. He quickly replied: "I understand, comrade of the division commander, I will convey your order to the regiments so that everyone will not leave any prisoners in the battle."
Sokov nodded and continued, "We carry limited ammunition and cannot be supplemented. We are destined to be active behind enemy lines for not too long. Therefore, we must adopt the tactic of quick battle and quick decision. After attacking a certain German army, we will immediately move to attack new targets. We must constantly consume the German army's vitality in mobile warfare. In this way, when we withdraw from the Red Army village, the enemy will not have enough power to attack the city."
When Sokov mentioned the Red Army Village, Sidolin couldn't help looking to the east. He murmured: "I hope that the troops who hold on to the city can use the time we have raided for them to strengthen the city's fortifications. Otherwise, when the angered enemy launches a crazy attack on the city, we will not be able to stop it without a complete defense system."