Due to insufficient strength, the German troops in Pavlish were temporarily unable to launch an attack on the warehouse area occupied by the Soviet army, thus buying valuable time for the Mikhailov Battalion.
Although there would not be much danger in the warehouse area before the main force of the German army arrived, Sokov, as the commander of the group army, was anxious. He walked back and forth in the headquarters with his hands behind his back, thinking about whether
Should we launch an attack in advance and join the Mikhailov camp in Pavlish as soon as possible?
Samyko knew that Sokov was thinking about the problem, so he did not disturb him, but patiently checked the preparations reported by the divisions below, so that when Sokov asked, he could accurately tell the latest situation.
After walking back and forth in the headquarters for more than a dozen times, Sokov suddenly stopped and turned to ask Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, how are the offensive preparations of the forward troops going?"
Upon hearing Sokov's inquiry, Samyko quickly put down the battle report in his hand and came over to report to him: "The current 254th and 300th Divisions are ready to attack and can attack the enemy's defense line at any time.
But I want to ask, where do you plan to choose the direction of attack?"
Sokov did not reply, but walked quickly back to the table, looked down at the map, then pointed to a location and said: "Chief of Staff, I plan to use this as our army's main attack direction."
Samek came over and took a look, with an expression of astonishment immediately showing on his face: "Comrade Commander, this is the defense line where the German armored divisions are stationed. If we choose to break through from this direction, I'm worried that the chance of success will be very low."
After listening to Samek's words, Sokov stared at him for a while and then asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I want to ask you, if we implement a breakthrough from the direction of the German infantry division, what will happen to their armored division?"
reaction?"
"Needless to say," Samek replied without hesitation: "Once the defense area of the German infantry division is attacked by our army, the nearby armored division will immediately provide support and dispatch tanks or directly attack our offensive troops with artillery fire.
.”
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff, you are right." After agreeing with Samyko's statement, Sokov continued: "As long as we choose the infantry division's defense zone as the direction of breakthrough, the German armored division will actively
But now we have changed the main attack direction and used the area where the German armored divisions are as the direction of breakthrough. The Germans will be confused and think that we are making a fake move, and their commander will order the infantry division to stay where it is.
We will stand by on the ground and not support the armored division. This will create an excellent opportunity for our army."
Sokov picked up the red and blue pencils and tapped the map gently: "Besides, the troops we deployed in front of the German armored division are Colonel Shechtman's 2nd Division. I am still very relieved about their combat effectiveness. If
Launching an attack will definitely break through the German defense line in the shortest possible time."
Samyko firmly believed in Sokov's statement, but what he was most worried about at the moment was the Mikhailov camp currently staying in Pavlish. After Sokov finished speaking, he carefully
Question: "Comrade Commander, what about the Mikhail Battalion in Pavlish City? Their troops are limited. If they are attacked by the German army, they may not be able to sustain it for long. When will we rush to support them?
"
"The German army had limited troops in Pavlish, and the Mikhailov Battalion used the weapons and ammunition in the warehouse to arm the workers and their families." As for the Mikhailov Camp in Pavlish, Sokov said
Not worried: "I believe they will not be in any danger within a day or two."
"Comrade Commander," Sameko asked tentatively: "In the upcoming offensive battle, is it not necessary for the 73rd Infantry Brigade to participate?"
Sokov raised his eyebrows and asked with some surprise: "Isn't the mission of the Guchakov Brigade to break through the German defense line in front of them as soon as possible, rush to Pavlish City, and join the Mikhailov Camp?"
After saying this, Sokov suddenly realized that he had not explained clearly to Samyko. No wonder the other party misunderstood, and quickly explained: "I am not not letting the Guchakov Brigade participate in the attack, but I plan to let the 254th
and the 300th Division launched an attack first to attract the attention of the German army. When our troops broke through the German defense line, Guchakov's brigade then launched an attack on the enemy from their defense area. I believe it will not take long to break through the defense.
, rushed into the city of Pavlish and joined forces with the Mikhailov battalion holding firm in the reservoir area."
Seeing that Sokov had considered all the issues that should be considered, Samyko paused for a moment and then asked: "Comrade Commander, when will we start the attack?"
Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch and said: "I see that in half an hour, the artillery division will first bombard the German armored division defense area. After the bombardment lasts for forty minutes, the infantry will launch an attack, which should be able to break through the German defense.
"
Within half an hour, after receiving the order, more than two hundred artillery pieces of various calibers from the 1st Artillery Division and the 2nd Artillery Division launched a violent bombardment towards the German armored division's defense area. For a time, the sound of artillery rumbled, and the German defense area
Fires shot into the sky and smoke billowed.
Although the commander of the German armored division had long been aware of changes in the Soviet army on the opposite side, according to his experience, every time the Soviet army attacked, it attacked the weakest unit first. Troops with strong combat capabilities like his own were generally avoided by the opponent.
Object.
When he received a report from the front that the Soviet army was showing signs of launching an attack, he called several regiment commanders disapprovingly and asked them to be prepared to send troops to reinforce friendly neighbors on the flanks, because he felt that the infantry division must be the Soviet army.
The primary target of the attack.
As soon as the artillery fired, he learned that the artillery shells had landed on his own defensive position. The armored division commander did not take it seriously. He believed that this was a deliberate artillery suppression by the Soviet army in order to prevent them from reinforcing the friendly forces under attack. But as the situation became more and more intense,
He was immediately confused by the fierce artillery fire. Didn't he choose to attack the weak enemy first every time he attacked? Why did he greet him as soon as the artillery fire started?
Taking a chance, he called the commander of the infantry division to learn about the artillery fire on the other side's defense area. But the other party's answer surprised him: "We have not been hit by any artillery fire here."
"What, you haven't been attacked by artillery fire?" Hearing the other party's reply, the armored division commander went a little crazy: "This is impossible, you are the weakest in the eyes of the Russians. And according to their tradition, every time
It is to choose the weakest target to attack. How could it be reversed today? General, your subordinates may have deceived you."
But the infantry division commander's next words shocked him: "No, Your Majesty General. After I heard the sound of artillery outside, I went to the commanding heights and observed it myself. There was no sign of Russian shelling in our defense zone."
"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible." Although the armored division commander understood that the infantry division commander was telling the truth, he still said reluctantly: "How could the Russians suddenly change their fighting style? There must be some conspiracy in this!"
After the armored division commander put down the phone, he stared at the map on the wall in a daze. He didn't understand why the Soviet army, which always liked to attack weak enemies, went against the norm and took the lead in launching artillery bombardments on its own defense area this time. Is there really any conspiracy?
Seeing the division commander staring at the map in a daze, the division chief of staff hurriedly came to him and asked tentatively: "Your Excellency, division commander, do you think it is necessary to report this situation to your superiors?"
The words of the division chief of staff reminded the division commander. He nodded vigorously and said: "Yes, we should report it. We should report the attack we suffered to our superiors immediately."
Whether it is an armored division or an infantry division, they are all affiliated with General Blaskowitz's 1st Army. When Blaskowitz received the call from the commander of the armored division, his first reaction was that something had gone wrong.
Oops, when your defense line was bombarded by the Soviet army, shouldn't it be the infantry division commander who first reported to you and requested reinforcements? Why was it changed to the armored division commander today?
"What's going on?" Blaskowitz asked in a deep voice: "How could the Russians bombard the defense area of your armored division?" His words were full of doubts about the armored division commander.
The commander of the armored division was also a smart man. He heard Blaskowitz's dissatisfaction and doubts about himself from the tone of his voice, and could only reply aggrievedly: "Your Excellency, Commander, I don't know what's going on."
Logically speaking, even if the Russians want to attack our defense line, the breakthrough point they choose may be the relatively weak infantry division defense area. How could they launch a violent bombardment of my defense area? This seems abnormal."
Blaskowitz, who originally had a contemptuous attitude towards Sokov, finally realized after this period of confrontation that Sokov is a formidable opponent, and if he is not careful, he will fall into an irreversible situation.
This time I mobilized my troops to go north to reinforce the friendly forces in the Qijilin area. I had specially sent people to monitor the movements of the Soviet 27th Army, but the other side was carrying out large-scale construction projects and assumed a posture of only defending and not attacking. I saw that
Under such circumstances, we decisively moved three divisions north to reinforce friendly forces that were in dire straits.
But what he didn't expect was that just after his main troops were transferred, the Soviet army launched a sudden attack in the area where their defenses were weakest, catching him off guard. What's even more puzzling is that the opponent's primary attack this time
The target is actually the armored division that he thinks has the strongest combat effectiveness.
But Blaskowitz was a smart man, and he quickly figured out the problem. If the Soviet army followed its own judgment and launched an attack on the infantry division's defense zone first, the armored division on the side could use artillery fire or dispatch
Tanks, attack the Soviet offensive troops, thereby achieving the purpose of driving them back.
But now the Soviet army first fights the troops with the strongest combat effectiveness. In the current situation, the infantry division with weak combat effectiveness can only choose to sit on the sidelines and watch, and cannot dispatch troops to reinforce the armored division. After thinking about this reason, he gave instructions into the microphone
Armored Division Commander: "Find a way to hold the position, and I will send troops to reinforce you as soon as possible."
That's what he said, but now Blaskowitz is a clever woman who can't make a meal without rice. Three of his five divisions have been transferred to the Chigilin area. Even if they are urgently transferred to come back for reinforcements, I'm afraid it will take a day at the earliest.
It took more time to arrive at the battle area. Whether the armored division would still exist at that time was still unknown.
Blaskowitz sat down at the table, opened the drawer, and took out a delicate box. The box opened, revealing the cigars inside. He took out one and cut off the tail with special scissors, then held it in his mouth.
mouth. However, he did not light it immediately, but began to meditate.
His chief of staff walked in from the outside and saw Blaskowitz sitting on an armchair with a cigar in his mouth and closing his eyes to relax. Although he knew that the other party was closing his eyes to relax, the military situation was urgent now and he could only hold on.
Hearing the voice of the Chief of Staff, Blaskowitz opened his eyes, took off the cigar from his mouth, put it on the ashtray, and asked: "Chief of Staff, what can I do?"
Although the chief of staff knew that Blaskowitz had received a call from the commander of the armored division not long ago and was very familiar with the situation on the battlefield, he still followed the procedure and reported: "According to the latest intelligence, the armored division we stayed in the original defense area is
We were heavily shelled by the Russians. It seems that the Russians are planning to break through our defense line from that direction."
"Well, I know that." Blaskowitz asked weakly: "Chief of Staff, where do you think we can transfer troops to reinforce the armored division?"
"The three divisions we transferred are now fighting the Russians in the Chigilin area and cannot be withdrawn for the time being." The chief of staff also has a headache about which troops to send to reinforce the armored division, not to mention the three divisions transferred.
Already entangled by the Soviet army, even if it has not yet entered the battle, it may be too late to mobilize back to reinforce the armored division. After repeated thinking, he felt that since the ground troops could not support him, he could only pin his hopes on the air force: "Commander
Your Excellency, I think we should report the difficulties encountered here to Marshal Manstein and ask him to send the air force to support us."
"Oh, report to Marshal Manstein?" Hearing the suggestion from the chief of staff, Blaskowitz seemed a little hesitant. Although asking for help from Manstein only required a phone call, but such a
Come, will it leave a sign of incompetence to the other party? It is precisely because of such concerns that Blaskowitz killed the idea as soon as it came up. At this moment, he heard the chief of staff mention Manstein
Because, he couldn't help but fell into deep thought.
Seeing Blaskowitz's delay in expressing his position, the chief of staff became a little anxious and said in a somewhat anxious tone: "Your Excellency, Commander, the situation is urgent. You must make a decision quickly, otherwise we will not wait until the Russian ground attack begins."
We sent the air force out, but it was too late."
The chief of staff's concern was correct. Sokov's troops often sneaked close to the position at the end of the bombardment, and immediately launched an attack as soon as the bombardment stopped. The defenders usually had not yet woken up from the bombardment at this time, and often
They would be caught off guard. In order to prevent something like this from happening again, the Chief of Staff felt that the Air Force should be allowed to bomb the Soviet artillery positions and areas where the attacking troops were gathering before they attacked to ensure the safety of the defense line.
"Okay, Chief of Staff." The words of the Chief of Staff finally made Blaskowitz make up his mind: "Immediately connect me to Marshal Manstein's headquarters. I will report to him personally the situation here and request
He provides us with necessary assistance."
The call was quickly connected, and the chief of staff said to Blaskowitz respectfully: "Your Excellency, Commander, the Marshal's call has been connected."
Although he knew that Manstein could not see him, Blaskowitz still stood up, adjusted his military appearance, then reached out to take the microphone from the chief of staff's hand, put it to his ear and said: "Hello, Marshal Your Excellency.
