"The injury is not serious." Yakov shook his head and said, "Although the person has regained consciousness, the director of the hospital also said that his vital indicators are getting better. But according to my observation, he is at least
Lying in bed for half a year."
Ustinov secretly calculated that it would take at least half a year for Sokov to be discharged from the hospital. Even if he could be discharged successfully, it was unlikely that he would continue to serve as the commander of the 27th Army. This would leave him with nothing to do with the subsequent deployment of weapons.
Worried.
However, in front of Yakov, he felt that he should make the problem clear: "Yakov, in the past, we gave all the most advanced weapons to General Sokov's troops first or separately.
The commander raised questions. We can also explain it by saying that Sokov is the inventor of new weapons. Now he has left the army and replaced other commanders to take over his army. This means that the 27th Army has lost its priority.
Conditions for obtaining advanced weapons.”
"You are right, Comrade People's Commissar, I completely agree with your proposal." Yakov strongly agreed with Ustinov's statement. In the past, at the meeting on the distribution of new weapons, the reason why he
He has always supported the 27th Group Army simply because Sokov is his friend and his savior. If he does anything good, he will definitely be given priority. Now that the other party has left the 27th Group Army, then this army and other
There is no difference between the troops. In terms of the distribution of weapons and equipment, they must be treated equally with friendly forces. They will be assigned to whoever should be assigned, and no one can enjoy special treatment.
Ustinov thought that Sokov could be admitted to the Lubyanka Hospital because of Stalin's instructions. Presumably, the Supreme Commander himself also had plans for how to settle him after he was discharged. In order to find out this, he tentatively asked Yakov
: "Yakov, do you know how your father plans to settle Sokov in the future?"
"I don't know." Yakov shook his head and replied simply: "My father just arranged for him to be admitted to a high-security hospital. He didn't say anything to me about how to arrange for him in the future. He just said that he would wait for Misha to be discharged from the hospital.
After that, he asked me to take him home for a meal. He wanted to see what the son of an old comrade he hadn’t seen for more than ten years looked like now."
After Yakov finished speaking, Ustinov continued: "Yakov, there are only you and me here, and I won't hide it from you. If General Sokov recovers and returns to the front line, in terms of the distribution of weapons and equipment,
, I will still consider giving him priority."
"Thank you very much, Comrade People's Commissar." Yakov heard what Ustinov said and said gratefully: "I thank you on behalf of Misha."
"He came to the Weapons and Equipment Department to help us develop weapons, and he can be considered one of our own." Ustinov said with a smile: "When I have time, I will accompany you to see General Sokov."
At the same time, in Stalin's office in the Kremlin, Vasilevsky was reporting to Stalin on the situation on the front line. Stalin, holding his famous pipe in his hand, stood in front of the map and listened quietly to his report.
After Vasilevsky finished speaking, Stalin lit his pipe, took a puff, and asked: "Comrade Vasilevsky, from your report, I feel that the landing site established by our army on the right bank can be used at any time.
There is a possibility of loss. How about it, is my understanding correct?"
"Absolutely correct, Comrade Stalin." Vasilevsky straightened his back quickly and replied: "In order to defend his Dnieper River defense line, Marshal Manstein mobilized heavy troops to attack the landing site on my right bank and launched a fierce attack. Our
The land gained by the blood and sacrifice of the commanders and soldiers is now being lost bit by bit."
"Why does this happen?" Stalin pointed at Vasilevsky with the hand holding the pipe and asked: "Explain it to me."
"Comrade Stalin, I have just made it very clear." Vasilevsky said respectfully: "The enemy launched a ferocious attack on our landing site on the right bank. They used a large number of tanks and artillery, and at the same time there were
Planes provide air cover..."
"Wait a minute, Comrade Vasilevsky." Stalin heard this and interrupted Vasilevsky's words: "If I remember correctly, the air control over the Dnieper River has been firmly controlled by me.
In the hands of the army. Also, the number of tanks and artillery of our army is no less than that of the enemy. Why can't we stop the enemy's attack?"
"Reporting to Comrade Stalin, although our air force has mastered the air superiority over the Dnieper River, the enemy's air force can still form an advantage in local areas." Vasilevsky explained with a wry smile: "As for tanks and artillery,
Although there are more people than Germans, most of them still stay in the left bank area and have not yet had the opportunity to be transported across the Dnieper River..."
"Why hasn't it been shipped over yet?" Stalin asked displeasedly: "You know, it has been almost a month since the 27th Army's right bank landing site was established."
"Comrade Stalin, although the Sokov troops have established a landing site on the right bank for a long time, the main force of the Steppe Front at that time was concentrated in the Poltava area for fighting." Vasilevsky said: "Therefore, it can
The number of tanks and artillery shipped to the right bank was very limited."
"I remember reading the battle report at that time. The Germans knew that Sokov's troops had established a landing site on the right bank, so they massed heavy troops to attack them, trying to drive them all into the Dnieper River. Then the enemy's attempt was blocked by Sokov's troops.
Crushed." Stalin frowned and asked: "Since Sokov's troops can block the enemy's attack, why can't General Shumilov's 7th Guards Army block it?"
Regarding Stalin's question, Vasilevsky did not know how to answer for a while.
Stalin put the pipe in his mouth and took a deep puff, then continued to ask: "How is the situation of the 27th Army? Has Alexandria and Kirovgrad been captured?"
"No, Comrade Stalin." Vasilevsky did not expect that Stalin would suddenly ask about the 27th Army, and he couldn't help but said in a panic: "They changed the battle plan and did not send any information to Alexandria and Kirovgrad.
Instead of moving forward, we turned to other combat directions."
"Turn to other combat directions?" Stalin asked puzzledly: "Which combat direction did you turn to?"
"In order to assist the troops of the 7th Guards Army in holding the newly-built landing site, the 27th Army changed its original combat plan and did not continue to advance to the south of the original landing site. Instead, it turned to Qijilin in the northwest to attack the German troops at the new landing site.
Launch attacks on the flanks to reduce pressure on friendly forces."
"Nonsense, this is simply nonsense." After Stalin clearly saw the new combat direction of the 27th Army on the map, he couldn't help but said angrily: "Comrade Vasilevsky, we must reduce the pressure on the 7th Guards Army.
It is not necessary to launch an attack from the enemy's flank. They can launch an offensive towards Alexandria and Kirovgrad according to their original plan. When the enemy sees that the cities they occupy are attacked by us, they will definitely
Mobilize troops to go for reinforcements. In this way, the pressure on Shumilov's troops will also be greatly reduced."
Faced with Stalin's doubts, Vasilevsky did not dare to say anything. After all, when Trofimenko proposed this plan, he agreed with it. He felt that having an elite force attack from the rear of the German army could effectively weaken the enemy.
strength to ensure that the 7th Guards Army holds the new landing site.
But the actual effect is that since the 27th Army stopped its movement to the south of the landing site, the German army had time to consolidate the defense line and deploy more troops to reinforce the fighting area.
Seeing that Vasilevsky did not speak, Stalin's brows knitted into a knot: "Comrade Vasilevsky, why don't you speak? Please tell me who modified the 27th Group Army's combat plan without authorization, so that the troops
Caught in a tug of war?"
Vasilevsky hesitated for a moment and decided to tell the story: "Comrade Stalin, the person who revised the combat plan was the new group army commander Lieutenant General Trofimenko. I have carefully read his plan and feel that it is a plan that will be revised soon."
He believed that the 7th Guards Army was the best way to rescue it from its predicament and agreed to his revised plan."
"So, now that the battle on the right bank of the Dnieper River is in a stalemate, you are primarily responsible?"
"Yes." Vasilevsky lowered his head and said with a look of shame, "I am willing to take all responsibilities."
Vasilevsky was Stalin's favorite general, how could he be easily dealt with? Stalin knocked the ash from his pipe into the ashtray, looked up at Vasilevsky and asked: "What if the 27th Army is ordered to follow the instructions at this moment?"
Can the original plan, to continue the attack on Alexandria and Kirovgrad, be achieved?"
"Unfortunately, Comrade Stalin, I don't think it can be done." After Vasilevsky finished saying this, before Stalin could ask again, he took the initiative and said: "With the adjustment of the plan, the locations of the participating troops have changed.
Changes have occurred accordingly. Even if they are not entangled by the Germans, it will take at least a day or two to rush to the original combat area. The German troops south of the landing site have stabilized their position after a brief panic.
, defense fortifications are being rebuilt, preventing our army from rapidly expanding its results."
Knowing that the troops on the right bank of the Dnieper River were unable to expand their results was largely due to Trofimenko, Stalin could not help feeling dissatisfied with him. But Sokov withdrew as soon as he was wounded.
A newly appointed group army commander may have a heavy blow to the morale and morale of the 27th Group Army.
"When will Xiao Misha be discharged from the hospital?" Stalin asked unexpectedly.
"I...I don't know." Vasilevsky replied in a panic: "I only know that he was sent back to Moscow. As for which hospital he was placed in, I really don't know."
Stalin walked to the table, picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said to the topic: "I'm Stalin, please pick me up from Comrade Ustinov's office."
The call was quickly connected, and Ustinov on the other end of the phone said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Stalin, what are your latest instructions?"
"Comrade Ustinov," Stalin asked slowly, "I remember little Misha's wife, she seems to be working at your place?"
When Ustinov was about to ask who the little Misha was, he suddenly remembered that when Yakov called Sokov, he liked to call Misha Misha. It seemed that the little Misha Stalin was talking about was injured and hospitalized.
Sokov.
But for the sake of safety, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Stalin, the little Misha you are talking about is the former commander of the 27th Army, Major General Sokov, right?"
"Yes, that's him."
After confirming that the little Misha mentioned by Stalin was Sokov lying in the Lubyanka hospital, Ustinov continued: "General Sokov's wife Asya is a member of our weapons and equipment department.
A military doctor." He knew that Stalin would not call to ask about this for no reason, so he further explained, "But she is not here now."
"Then where did she go?"
Ustinov glanced at Yakov standing opposite and continued: "I considered that General Sokov might need the care of relatives, so I wrote a letter of recommendation and temporarily asked her to help in the hospital until
Until General Sokov is discharged from the hospital."
Knowing that Asiya went to the military hospital in Lubyanka, Stalin nodded slightly and continued to ask: "Comrade Ustinov, do you know how little Misha's condition is and how long it will take to be discharged from the hospital?"
"Yakov just came back from the hospital, he told me." Ustinov said this to increase credibility: "He said that General Sokov's injury was very serious. Although he is awake now, the injury is not serious."
He is recovering, but it will take at least half a year or more to fully recover."
"Ah, it takes so long." Stalin originally thought that Sokov's injury would only take a month or two, so that after he recovered, he could be arranged to return to command the 27th Army. But now it will take half a year or even
It would obviously not show up if he was asked to return to his post after a longer period of time. He said softly and hung up the phone.
After Ustinov put down the microphone from which the blind tone came, Yakov curiously asked: "Comrade People's Commissar, what did my father say on the phone?"
"He asked about General Sokov's injury and whether his wife worked with us." Ustinov said confusedly: "He might be able to learn more about these things by calling the hospital directly.
To be more comprehensive, why did you call me?"
As for Stalin on the other end of the phone, after putting down the phone, he sighed softly and said to Vasilevsky: "Comrade Vasilevsky, Xiao Misha will stay in the hospital for half a year at the earliest. It seems that he can
It is obviously unrealistic to return to the 27th Army in a short time."
Vasilevsky heard what Stalin meant, and smiled and said to him: "Comrade Stalin, I understand what you mean. General Sokov will definitely not be able to return to the battlefield in a short time, so Troffi can only
General Trofimenko will continue to act on his behalf. If you feel that General Trofimenko's abilities are not good enough, you can wait until a suitable candidate is available and then replace him."
"Okay then." Stalin still listened to Vasilevsky's suggestion. He nodded and said, "Then let him temporarily command the 27th Army and replace him as soon as a suitable candidate is available.
