With the liberation of the city of Zedra, the 16th Army troops opened a passage to the direction of Bryansk. Rokosovsky summoned all the division commanders participating in the battle to his command center, first praised Sokov, and then ordered Malining to arrange new combat missions to everyone.
Malinin pointed to the map hanging on the wall and introduced the situation to the division commanders present: "... With the liberation of Zedra, the passage to Bryansk was opened. Our next task was to advance southwest, liberate the cities of Korenievo, Berezino, Fukino and other cities on the way to Bryansk, and eliminate all enemies in this area..."
General Orlov waited for Malining to introduce the situation and asked first: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I would like to ask which unit the headquarters intends to order as the vanguard of the entire army."
"Is this a matter of course, Comrade General?" Malinin looked at Sokov with his eyes and said with a smile: "In view of the outstanding performance of the 31st Guards Division in the battle of Liberation Zdra, they will be the main offensive mission for this attack."
Orlov originally wanted to win the lord's mission for his infantry army, but when he heard that the headquarters had arranged the 31st Guard Division to perform this mission, he tactfully shut his mouth. If it were another army, he could still fight for it, but the achievements made by Sokov's army were incomparable to him, and even if he wanted to fight, he could not compete.
However, Rokosovsky considered that the infantry army had just been formed and if there was no result of the battle, he would not be able to explain to the base camp, so he stood up and said to Orlov: "General Orlov, Major Sokov's 31st Guard Division, is the vanguard of the entire army, and is responsible for the main offensive mission; while your army is the second echelon, ready to respond to them at any time."
Orlov knew very well that the tasks of the second echelon usually enter the battlefield from the gap opened by the first echelon to achieve the goal of expanding the results. Although the 31st Guards Division is the main attack mission, his infantry army, as the second echelon, has achieved great contributions. Therefore, as soon as he heard Rokosovsky's words, he expressed his timely statement: "Comrade Commander, please rest assured that my infantry army will be ready for combat at any time and give sufficient support to the 31st Guards Division if necessary."
After he said this, he did not sit down immediately, but continued to stand in place. Judging from the expression on his face, he seemed to have something to say to Rokosovsky. Rokosovsky noticed his hesitation and asked, "General Orlov, what else do you have?"
"That's right, comrade commander." Orlov looked at Sokov first and said guiltily: "I heard that when our army attacked Zedra, General Zhukov, the commander of the front army, once said that Colonel Mamendov was at the level of a battalion commander. Once the battle ended, he would be sent to the 31st Guard Division as a battalion commander. Don't you know if this is the case?"
The commander present immediately became confused when he heard Orlov say this: demoting a division commander to battalion commander is a very serious punishment. Will it be true? This is the first time Sokov heard about this. Like everyone else, he was confused, not sure whether it was a real thing or ordinary rumor.
"That's right, this is the case." Rokosovsky looked at Sokov before speaking, and then said to Orlov: "I think it's not just you, but even the other commanders of the infantry army, all saw it. Because he used wrong tactics in the offensive battle, our commanders and fighters suffered huge casualties. If it weren't for the 31st Guard Division turning the tide, perhaps our operation to liberate Juzdra this time would have ended in failure. Such a commander, let alone let him be the battalion commander, even if he was the company commander, I don't think it would be too much."
Just when Rokosovsky was furious, Maximenko, the director of the Corps Communications Force, came over and handed a telegram to Rokosovsky, and whispered: "Comrade Commander, we have just received a strange and clear telegram, please check it out."
Rokosovsky took the telegram and saw the contents clearly, he couldn't help but frown and asked, "Major General Maximenko, do you think the content of this telegram is reliable?"
"I don't know." Maximenko shook his head and said, "If the information is true, it will never be sent in the form of a clear telegram. Therefore, in this way, not only can we understand the content of the telegram, but even the enemy can see the telegram."
"What's going on? Is there something wrong?" Malinin saw Rokosovsky and Maximenko whispering, and hurried over and asked in a low voice.
"Comrade Chief of Staff." Rokosovsky handed the telegram in his hand to Malining and ordered him to say, "Give the contents of the telegram to the commanders present."
After receiving the telegram, Malinin also showed a look of surprise on his face after seeing the contents. However, he followed Rokosovsky's orders and read the telegram for the commanders present: "According to reliable information, the enemy ambushed an armored division in the forest of Korenievo, with a large number of tanks and cannons. Once our troops enter their ambush circle, they will launch an attack."
After hearing this telegram, the commanders began to discuss again. Some people said, "It's really inexplicable. How could such an important telegram be sent out in clear code? I think this must be a conspiracy of the Germans."
His statement immediately resonated with the commanders around him: "Yes, it must be that the Germans saw us liberating Juzdra and opened a gap in their defense line. In order to delay our army's advancement, they created such a telegram full of loopholes."
While everyone was talking, Sokov was thinking in his heart: What's going on? With the German personality, he would never play such a bad scam, because it would be discovered at a glance. But if it was a telegram sent by our army's spies, why not use a password, but use such a dangerous and clear-cut telegram?
After Rokosovsky returned to the quiet room, he took the telegram from Malining and tore it to pieces, and then said: "Comrades Commanders, this must be a conspiracy of the Germans, we don't have to pay attention to it. Next, Chief of Staff Malining will assign you the next combat mission."