While Lunev was leaving, Sokov picked up the phone and ordered the communications soldier to help him get through to the headquarters of the Voronezh Front to find Marshal Zhukov.
Soon, Zhukov's voice came from the receiver: "Hey, Misha, what's the matter?"
Hearing Zhukov's impatient tone, Sokov realized that the other party might still be angry with him about the counterfeit money, and he quickly said shamelessly: "Comrade Marshal, I'm calling you because there is something very important!
"
"A very important thing?!" Zhukov repeated Sokov's words and said disdainfully: "What kind of trouble are you planning to do this time?"
"Comrade Marshal, you misunderstood." Seeing that Zhukov was still angry about what happened last time, Sokov quickly laughed and said, "I'm calling you this time because I really have something very important to do.
There is a direct connection to the right bank landing site."
Upon hearing that Sokov mentioned the landing site on the right bank, Zhukov suddenly changed his attitude: "Is there any problem with the landing site on the right bank?"
"The Germans began to launch a crazy attack on the landing site on the right bank." Sokov knew Zhukov's character, so he did not beat around the bush, but said bluntly: "In order to reduce the pressure on the defenders, I plan to let the artillery deployed on the left bank to
They provide necessary artillery support."
"Well, this is completely necessary." Zhukov agreed with Sokov's approach, but then he asked in confusion: "But does this have anything to do with you calling me?"
"Comrade Marshal, if you want to bombard the enemy attacking our positions from the left bank, you must use heavy artillery." Sokov explained: "But the number of shells of the heavy artillery is limited now, and I am afraid it cannot last for two days."
"Providing supplies to the frontier is a matter for Moscow's logistics department." Zhukov replied: "I can only give them suggestions, but I have no right to interfere with their supply plans. As for the artillery shells, you can only figure it out yourself."
"I have a way to get heavy artillery shells." Sokov said with a smile, "But the difficulty now is that we can't get these shells from the rear to the front."
"Is there no artillery shells in Konev?" Zhukov asked: "Do you still need to transport them from the rear?"
"Yes, there must be. And they will receive more supplies recently."
"Since you can get supplies, why are you in a hurry?" Zhukov said disapprovingly: "When the artillery shells in the rear meet, then let Konev allocate part to you. Anyway, there are less than a thousand from Moscow to the Dnieper River.
It's only a few kilometers away and can be delivered in two days."
"If some of the artillery shells from the rear can be allocated to us, I will definitely not make this call to you." Sokov said helplessly: "But as far as I know, these heavy artillery shells from the rear will all
For the attack on Poltava, we won't get any."
"Then what can I do for you?"
"Comrade Marshal," Sokov heard from Zhukov's tone that the other party intended to help him, and said quickly: "I have obtained enough heavy artillery shells. The difficulty now is the transportation problem."
"Did you get enough heavy artillery shells?" Zhukov was about to ask Sokov where he got them from, but suddenly remembered the friendship between Sokov and Yakov, and asked tentatively: "Did you get them from Yakov?"
Did you get it from your husband?"
"Then how do you want me to help you?"
"Comrade Marshal, I want the Air Force transport plane to transport artillery shells for us." Before making the call, Sokov had already thought about how to communicate with Zhukov. Now that the other party had already asked, he no longer hesitated: "
But for this kind of matter, my level is too low and I can’t talk to the air force commander, so I can only ask you to come forward.”
"So that's what happened." After hearing Sokov's request, Zhukov said disapprovingly: "I will say hello to the Air Force Commander as soon as possible and ask him to arrange a sufficient number of transport planes to transport heavy artillery shells for you."
Sokov knew very well that since Zhukov had expressed his willingness to help him, it would not be long before a group of transport planes landed in Kremenchug. Before the transport planes arrived, temporary structures had to be set up at the airport.
Building to store incoming artillery shells.
After putting down the phone, Sokov returned to the hall and asked Sameko: "Chief of Staff, how many delivery vehicles can we call on now?"
"Comrade Commander, what are you planning to transport?" Samyko did not immediately answer Sokov's question, but asked instead: "Is it soldiers or supplies?"
"Of course it's supplies."
"There are less than a hundred trucks." Sameko replied hesitantly: "I don't know if that's enough?"
"Enough is enough." Sokov knew that even if Zhukov came forward, the Air Force would not be able to send him too many transport planes at one time, so twenty or thirty trucks should be enough to unload the goods each time. "
Arrange these trucks at the airport north of the city, and they will be put to use in a short time."
"Send all the trucks to the airport in the north of the city?" Samyko heard Sokov's order and asked with some surprise: "Comrade Commander, what do you plan to have them transport?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, you will know what to transport when the time comes."
Seeing that Sokov did not say anything, Samyko did not ask further questions, but changed the topic to other things: "Comrade Commander, there are many wounded sent down from the front, and they are all placed in the field hospital in the city. Now there are medical staff
How do you think we should solve the serious shortage of personnel?"
"If there are not enough medical staff, we can ask the hospitals in the city for help and ask them to send experienced doctors and nurses to assist us in the treatment of the wounded." Sokov said to Samek: "As for the shortage of nursing staff, we can go to the cities.
Residents were recruited. Anyone willing to come to the hospital to care for the wounded would receive extra food every day."
Sokov knew very well that in this kind of city, currency has lost its original role. In addition to the rationing system, the things sought after by residents are all kinds of food and daily necessities. If it is provided to citizens who come to the hospital to help, the necessary
food, I believe everyone will participate enthusiastically.
"This is a good idea." After Sokov finished speaking, before Samyko could react, Managarov's eyes lit up, and he turned to his chief of staff, Derevyanko, and said: "Chief of Staff
Comrade, our field hospital has just been established. Although it has not received many wounded yet, there is still a shortage of medical staff. You can follow General Sokov's approach and recruit some nursing staff from the city to solve the problem of insufficient manpower in the field hospital.
.”
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Derevyanko nodded and said, "I will convey your order as soon as possible."
"General Sokov," General Tsarev, the military commissar of the 53rd Army, asked: "Your special company has been established for some time. I wonder if they have eliminated the spies in the city? If not, I'm worried about waiting.
When enemy planes carry out night bombings again, these spies will hide in the darkness and send out signal flares."
Tsarev's words reminded Sokov that he had been busy with the defense of the landing site on the right bank during this period. He had not yet had time to ask about the progress of the city's purge of spies.
"Chief of Staff," Sokov turned to Samyko and asked, "I wonder if there have been any recent developments in Lieutenant Samoilov's special company?"
"Comrade Commander," upon hearing Sokov asking himself, Samyko quickly explained: "Comrade Military Commissar has always been in charge of this matter. I think he is the only one who can answer you."
"Where is Comrade Military Commissar?"
Sameko looked around, then pointed to the top of the church with his hand: "I just seemed to see him going upstairs. He should be sending a report from the bell tower."
Lunev owns an independent radio station, and everyone knows this. Since Lunev has a harmonious relationship with everyone and is very cooperative with Sokov's work, everyone did not let go of his use of the radio to report to the superiors.
As soon as Sokov heard that Luniev had gone to send a report, he immediately thought that the other party wanted to help him, so he did not ask about his whereabouts anymore, but ordered Samyko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you give
Call Lieutenant Samoilov and ask him to come to my place."
Samoilov received the call and quickly came to the headquarters.
After he finished saluting, Sokov asked straight to the point: "Comrade Lieutenant, is there any progress in the work your company has recently carried out?"
"Comrade Commander," Samoylov replied awkwardly after hearing Sokov's question: "With the help of citizens, we discovered several suspicious elements..."
"Where are they?" Seeing Samoilov's expression, Sokov knew that they had not made any substantial progress, so he asked coldly: "You won't tell me that they have all run away, right?
"
"That's right, Comrade Commander, they all ran away." Samoilov quickly defended himself: "The areas where they moved were all near the bombed ruins. The terrain was too complex. Our soldiers
I was not familiar with the place, so I found their traces several times, but in the end they escaped."
"Comrade Lieutenant," Samyko saw the unnatural expression on Sokov's face and was worried that he would reprimand Samoilov, so he quickly said: "You have more than two hundred people in your company and you can't even catch a few German spies.
Are you here?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Samoilov saw that Samyko was trying to smooth things over for him, and after giving him a grateful glance, he continued to explain: "We got the news and rushed to where the German spies were.
Our encirclement was formed, and the enemy had already noticed something was wrong, so they burrowed into the ruins, and by the time we chased them in, they would have disappeared without a trace."
"So have you set any new targets in the past two days?"
"Yesterday the bakery owner Yulis provided us with a clue."
"What clue?"
"He said that a house opposite him seems to have a lot of people visiting recently." Samoilov reported to Sokov: "And these people who come to visit do not come during the day, but come at night."
"Then what measures did you take?" Samek asked.
"I sent two smart soldiers to monitor nearby." Samoylov replied: "If there is any movement, they will come back and report to me in time."
"Comrade Lieutenant," Sokov frowned when he heard this: "Since Yulis told you that his neighbors are suspicious, why don't you immediately bring people to arrest them all. Instead of just sending two people
To monitor?"
Samoilov replied with some embarrassment: "Comrade Commander, I am afraid of arresting the wrong person, so I first send people to monitor them. If I find anything wrong with them, it will not be too late to arrest them."
"Comrade Lieutenant, you are totally wrong." Sokov said angrily: "Whose home would have many people visiting after dark? I really can't think of anyone other than German spies.
reasons.
Also, if you only send two people to monitor, if someone comes out of the house, will the person you are responsible for monitoring follow or not? If you choose to follow, there will only be one person left to monitor, and you can't even come back to report.
If you don't follow, what if the other party is an important person and wants to contact other spies elsewhere? In this case, didn't you miss the opportunity? "
Although the weather in September was already very cold, the sweat on Samoilov's forehead kept coming out. After wiping the sweat with his sleeve, he respectfully asked Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Commander,
, then what should we do next?”
"What should I do, what else can I do?" Seeing that Samoylov still didn't understand what he meant, Sokov was so angry that he slapped his face hard on the table, and then said: "Arrest, it must be
Arrest people. Not only the owner of the house, but also those who went to find him, I will arrest them all. After they are captured and interrogated slowly, I will not believe that there are no German spies among them."
"I understand, Comrade Commander." Samoylov quickly straightened his body and replied, "I will send someone to arrest him immediately."
"It's not about sending people to arrest, but you are leading people to arrest yourself." Sokov stopped Samoylov who was about to leave, and told him: "Remember, bring more people over, and first
All their possible escape routes are blocked, and then they go into the house to arrest people, making sure that no one slips through the net."
"Comrade Commander, please rest assured." Samoylov expressed his determination to Sokov: "If one of you escapes, you will remove me from my post when you come back."
As soon as Samoylov left, Runev came down from the bell tower. He quickly came to Sokov, waved a telegram in his hand, and said with some pride: "Comrade Commander, this is
I just received a call back and the matter has been resolved."
When Sokov went aside to read the telegram, Samyko asked Lunev in a low voice: "Comrade Military Commissar, what happened? What telegram did you send to Comrade Commander?"
Lunev knew that even if he didn't say anything about this kind of thing, everyone present would learn about it through their own channels in the future. It would be better to explain it first, lest anyone suspect that he had concealed many things in the future, so he lowered his voice and told Ah
I told the commanders present about Thea’s matter.
Although General Derevyanko of the 53rd Army was somewhat resistant to Sokov when it came to commanding operations. But when he learned that Sokov’s wife was being bullied, he was still filled with indignation: “It’s outrageous, it’s simply outrageous.
It's too much. Our commander is fighting bloody battles on the front line, while his wife has to be bullied in the rear. This is simply too much. I suggest sending a joint telegram to the front army headquarters and asking the relevant departments to severely punish this black sheep."
