Before the troops led by Pavel arrived on the battlefield, the telegraph operator sitting nearby suddenly shouted excitedly: "Comrade Division Commander, I received a strange telegram."
"A strange telegram?" When Sokov heard the operator say this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and asked: "What a strange telegram?"
"A clear telegram," the operator said with a wry smile on his face: "It was sent on the same frequency and in the same band as the telegram received last month."
If the operator mentioned the strange telegram last month, maybe Sokov would not care about the telegram at all. But at this moment, he realized that the other party might have some important information that needed to be conveyed in time, so he adopted the method
Sent in such an extremely dangerous way.
Sokov stretched out his hand to the operator: "Show me the telegram."
The content of the telegram was simple: "The German air force, one motorized division and two infantry divisions, are about to rush to the fighting area north of Bryansk."
Potukin stood next to Sokov, tilted his head and read the contents of the telegram together, and said in a skeptical tone: "Comrade division commander, do you think this could be a German conspiracy?"
"If Comrade Telegraph Operator is right, the person who sent the telegram this time is the same person who invented the coded telegraph last time." Sokov raised the telegram in his hand towards Potukin, "I need to send this message immediately.
Report the matter to Comrade Commander."
Telegrams that can be received by the division-level unit radio station can also be received by the radio station of the group army headquarters. Therefore, after receiving Sokov's report, Rokossovsky said disapprovingly: "Major Sokov, your division
The current task is to break through the German second line of defense. As for the clear telegram, you should forget about it. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Comrade Commander." After Sokov put down the phone, he thought to himself: If what the telegram said is true, once the large German troops arrive, the Soviet attack will immediately fall apart. In order to prevent
After the troops were defeated and his division headquarters was also in trouble, he immediately called Bindasov and decisively ordered the other party: "Comrade Colonel, immediately organize the soldiers and build fortifications in the existing areas.
"
"Why is this, Comrade Division Commander." Bindasov was confused by Sokov's order. He didn't order the troops that were constantly attacking, why should he build fortifications, so he asked in confusion: "
Since our division is now attacking, not defending, I think there is no need to build any fortifications."
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov said. He could not see any hope for the Soviet army to win. He was worried that once the German reinforcements arrived, the Soviet offensive would collapse and the results achieved today would be in vain. In order to
To prevent possible counterattacks by the German army, he felt it was necessary to take precautions in advance, so he said to Bindasov on the phone: "Do you understand that if our army's attack is frustrated and the Germans move in in this area?
They counterattacked and launched an attack on our position. If we don't have any defenses, how can we resist their attack?"
Although Bindasov saw that the offensive troops were blocked in his observation post, he did not feel that the German army had the ability to counterattack. For him, building fortifications was simply unnecessary. But for those who are accustomed to obeying orders from their superiors,
For him, since Sokov has given an order, even if he knows that the order is wrong, he must carry it out unconditionally.
Just as the 1135th Regiment began to build fortifications, the battle for the second position was moving in a direction that was beneficial to the Soviet army. After receiving support from the 1137th Regiment, the morale of the 1139th Regiment was immediately boosted, and the soldiers successfully
He rushed into the enemy's position and engaged in a firefight with the enemy in the trenches.
Not only did the 31st Guards Division make progress, but Orlov's infantry corps also successfully broke into the German defensive positions and launched a brutal and fierce battle for the trenches. When he saw this scene, Zhukov's face showed
With a smile on his face, he turned to Rokossovsky and said: "It seems that our approach of putting the follow-up troops into battle in time is completely correct." He pointed with his hand towards the location of the 31st Guards Division, some
He said displeasedly, "Look what that Misha is doing? Our troops have achieved successive victories, but he is organizing manpower to build fortifications in the rear, which is just playing the piano randomly."
"Comrade General," although Rokossovsky also felt that Sokov's approach was a bit inappropriate, he was his subordinate after all, and he still had to put in a good word for him in front of Zhukov: "Anyway, the remaining members of the 31st Guards Division are
The troops below will not go into battle for the time being, so it is not a bad thing to let them repair the fortifications." He looked up at the fighter planes circling and diving in the sky, and added with some concern, "The ammunition carried by our fighter planes should
It’s almost consumed.”
Zhukov did not take Rokossovsky's concerns seriously. He raised his hand and looked at his watch and said confidently: "If everything goes well in the attack, our troops will seize the enemy's second position within half an hour.
At that time, the fighter planes can return to the airport to replenish fuel and ammunition, and our infantry can also take the opportunity to rest for a while before attacking the third position."
However, what happened next was beyond Zhukov's imagination. A large group of German fighter planes suddenly appeared over the battlefield. The Soviet aircraft group, which was preparing to withdraw from the battlefield, saw the German fighter planes suddenly appearing. Regardless of their own ammunition and
We were low on fuel, so we bravely faced it.
Fighters from both sides started a fierce battle over the battlefield. They circled, chased and fought at different altitudes. From time to time, planes hit by machine guns or cannons fell from the sky, dragging long black smoke strips, and landed in the distance.
In the forest, after a black smoke with flames rose into the sky, there was another dull explosion.
Seeing the ongoing air battle above his head, Sokov couldn't help but frowned. He knew very well that the German air force stated in the clear telegram had arrived on the battlefield. If they had arrived half an hour earlier, who would have won?
It's hard to say. But at this moment, the ammunition of the Soviet fighter planes has been almost exhausted, and the fuel is also very limited. If they continue to stay over the battlefield, I am afraid there will be no chance to return to the airport.
However, the vast majority of Soviet pilots knew very well that once their planes left, the German planes would be able to massacre the ground attacking troops. Therefore, even if there was little ammunition and fuel left, they still bravely fought in this area and
German planes started a dogfight.
Several brave pilots, after using up all the ammunition on board, bravely flew their planes towards the enemy planes to prevent German planes from attacking ground troops. After a loud bang, they both turned into a ball of fire.
The burning body fragments scattered from the sky like a goddess scattering flowers.
"Our pilots are so brave!" Potukin looked at the Soviet fighter planes still fighting fiercely with enemy planes in the sky and said with emotion: "Even if the enemy planes are several times more numerous than them, they are still fighting bravely."
"Chief of Staff, they did behave very bravely." Sokov looked at the fighter planes from both sides falling in the sky and said solemnly: "But what they did is not advisable."
"Why?" Potukin asked curiously.
"Pilots cannot be compared with infantry. An excellent pilot requires a lot of flying time to train." Sokov said: "Under the current situation, what they have to do is to save themselves first, so that they have the opportunity to eliminate more
The enemy. Their life-for-life tactics will only cause us to lose a large number of excellent pilots, thereby weakening the strength of the air force."
Rokossovsky was also aware of Sokov's worries. He said to Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, the ammunition and fuel of our fighter planes are almost exhausted. If they are allowed to stay here and continue to fight with the Germans,
The battle will inevitably result in heavy casualties. I beg you, let them withdraw from the battlefield immediately."
Zhukov put down the telescope, turned to look at Rokossovsky, then nodded and said solemnly: "Comrade Rokossovsky, your statement is correct. We cannot let excellent pilots die like this."
Uselessly sacrificed." Then he ordered the communications staff, "Send a telegram to the Air Force Command and order them to immediately withdraw the fighter planes over the battlefield. The ammunition and fuel of these fighters are about to be exhausted, and there is no point in continuing to stay.
."
As the order was issued, the remaining Soviet fighter planes left the battlefield one after another. However, even so, the air force, which had suffered huge losses, would not be able to recover for a long time.
Shortly after the Germans gained control of the air over the battlefield, a large number of infantrymen appeared in the distance. Under the cover of tanks, they rushed towards the second line of defense, which was still in a state of melee.
Seeing this situation, Zhukov couldn't help but feel a little in his heart, secretly thinking that what he said in the clear telegram was true, and the German reinforcements were really coming. But at this time, he could not order a retreat casually, otherwise it would be very difficult.
It might turn into a rout. So after thinking for a moment, he ordered the infantry corps to build fortifications in the existing areas so that they could rely on these positions for defense after the attacking troops were repelled by the Germans.
After Rokossovsky asked Malinin to pass on the order, he looked in the direction of the 31st Guards Division and said with emotion: "When this Misha thinks about problems, he always seems to think further and more comprehensively than us. Just now we
They are still criticizing him for ordering the troops to build fortifications, which is unnecessary. Now it seems that he has long expected that the German army may launch a counterattack against us."
"Comrade Rokossovsky," Zhukov said after Rokossovsky finished speaking: "The Germans have gained control of the air on the battlefield, and their reinforcements have also arrived. At this time, continue to fight.
, it will be difficult for us to achieve our set goals.”
"Then what should we do?" Rokossovsky asked quickly.
"Order the troops to stop the attack and temporarily withdraw to the first line of defense occupied by our army," Zhukov said with difficulty: "Organize a new defense there. Also, try to find out who invented the coded telegraph. From a certain
Based on the analysis of these signs, he should be our intelligence officer who broke into the German army, otherwise we would not be able to provide such accurate intelligence."
"Don't worry, Comrade General." Rokossovsky assured Zhukov: "We will figure it out."
The 1137th and 1139th regiments responsible for the left-wing attack only resisted for less than 20 minutes in the face of the powerful German counterattack, and were forced to withdraw from the German second line of defense and return to the first line of defense occupied by themselves.
Prepare to rely on the fortifications there to resist the next German offensive.
As the 31st Guards Division retreated, the flank of the right-wing infantry corps was exposed to the German army. In order to prevent the troops from being cut off by the enemy rushing from the side door, Orlov decisively issued a retreat order to the troops. The infantry corps
The commanders and fighters took turns covering the second line of defense and retreated to the first line of defense.
Seeing the 31st Guards Division and the Infantry Corps gradually withdrawing from the occupied first line of defense, Zhukov felt much calmer. He pointed at the smoke-filled battlefield ahead and said to Rokossovsky: "Rokossovsky.
Comrade Fsky, although we currently do not have enough troops to continue attacking the enemy, I hope you can stabilize the front within the existing area."
Rokossovsky nodded vigorously and replied: "Don't worry, Comrade General. We will do everything possible to stabilize the defense line within the existing area. But you need to replenish us with weapons and ammunition, otherwise our cannons will
It is just a decoration and cannot provide necessary artillery support to these infantry comrades who are engaged in positional warfare with the enemy."
"Don't worry, Comrade Rokossovsky." Zhukov knew very well that without the support of artillery, it would be difficult for the troops of the 16th Army to hold on to the occupied position, so he nodded in agreement: "You will do it in the shortest possible time.
Within, get the supplies you deserve.”
After receiving Zhukov's promise, Rokossovsky said to Kazakov: "Commander of artillery, you immediately choose a suitable location to deploy artillery, and be ready to provide artillery support to the infantry at any time."
An hour or two ago, Bindasov, who was still complaining about the construction of fortifications, could not help but widen his eyes in surprise when he saw that the troops attacking the German positions had to retreat to the first line of defense after the attack was thwarted.
, he never dreamed that the troops who had the advantage would be defeated so quickly. He said to the first battalion commander Jetrov with lingering fear: "Comrade Captain, I thought not long ago that the division commander asked us to build fortifications here.
, is unnecessary. But at this moment, it seems that the division commander has long considered that our army's attack may be frustrated, so he made such a wise decision. No wonder someone else, a major, will be appointed as the acting division commander by his superiors, and I am a colonel.
