After Sokov waited for Tavlin to call back and said that he had safely evacuated the airport, he called Chuikov and reported to him: "Comrade Commander, I have good news to report to you. Not long ago, one of my squadrons
Troops attacked Pitomnik Airport, which was occupied by the Germans."
Chuikov, who was drinking water, heard Sokov say this and suddenly sprayed the water on Krylov's face opposite him. After coughing violently several times, he couldn't wait to apologize to Krylov and couldn't wait to apologize.
"Colonel Sokov, is everything you said true? Did your troops really attack Pitomnik Airport, which was occupied by the Germans?"
"Hell, Sokov, why did your squad appear near Pitomnik Airport?" Chuikov asked in confusion: "Did you airdrop the squad there?"
"The main members of the team that attacked Pitomnik Airport were guerrillas from the Ignatov Brothers' guerrillas." Sokov explained to Chuikov: "There were only Sergeant Tavlin who led the team and two other soldiers.
, are my subordinates."
"What kind of damage have you inflicted on the enemy?"
"According to Sergeant Tavlin's report, there are no planes at the airport." Sokov reported to Chuikov: "The soldiers of the small team eliminated more than 300 Germans."
"What, more than 300 Germans were wiped out?" Chuikov knew that the guerrillas' combat effectiveness was poor. If more than 300 Germans were to be wiped out, there might not be many left in the entire guerrillas. So he asked cautiously: "What about the guerrillas?"
What are the casualties? How many people are left?"
"No one was injured or killed."
"No casualties?!"
"Yes, there are no casualties!"
"This is impossible." Chuikov shouted loudly: "Colonel Sokov, although the Germans have been defeated by us, their combat effectiveness cannot be underestimated. Just relying on the combat effectiveness of the guerrillas, more than 300 enemies must be wiped out.
, and I didn’t suffer any casualties, this is simply a fantasy.”
"What I said is true." Sokov explained to Chuikov: "The detachment led by Sergeant Tavlin rushed to Pito from the guerrilla camp in three captured half-track armored vehicles.
Mnik Airport. Unexpectedly, there were still several hundred meters away from the airport. The Germans who discovered their traces actually ran away without firing a shot. The soldiers of the small team used the machine guns on the armored vehicles to eliminate more than 300 enemies."
When Chuikov heard this, he originally wanted to ask how many of the more than 300 enemies killed were wounded. But then he thought, in such a cold weather, the wounded would definitely freeze to death in less than half an hour if they were lying in the snow.
Some German soldiers were not killed on the spot, but they would be frozen to death in a short time.
"After the enemies in the airport escaped, what did your team do?" According to Chuikov's idea, even if there are no enemies or planes at the airport, the soldiers of the team should destroy the runway of the airport so that enemy transport planes cannot take off and land.
Unexpectedly, he heard Sokov say: "Comrade Commander, I didn't ask them to do anything, I just asked them to evacuate the airport as soon as possible." Sokov was worried that Chuikov would get angry, and specifically explained to him, "Squad
There were only more than thirty people, and they were all equipped with light weapons. Even if they barely occupied the entire airport, they would not be able to hold it once the Germans launched a counterattack, so I ordered them to evacuate the airport."
When Chuikov heard this, he laughed out loud, which made Sokov laugh till his whole body went crazy. He thought: Why did the commander laugh so strangely? Did I say something wrong? He waited for Chuikov's laughter to stop.
, asked cautiously: "Comrade Commander, why are you laughing?"
"Sokov, I should have thought a long time ago that you would definitely give such an order to your soldiers." Chuikov did not wait for Sokov to ask again, and took the initiative to continue: "Since launching the counterattack, your division has occupied part of the area.
After that, it stopped moving forward. The reason used was that there were insufficient troops and backward equipment to resist the enemy's counterattack."
Hearing Chuikov's explanation, Sokov smiled sheepishly: "Comrade Commander, what I said is true. If I didn't have a division in my hands, but an infantry corps reinforced by tanks and artillery, I would definitely
More positions can be taken from the Germans."
"Okay, okay, stop complaining." Chuikov interrupted Sokov and asked with a straight face: "I think you didn't call me just to report the attack on the airport. Tell me.
Well, is there anything else?"
"Comrade Commander, this is how I think about it." Seeing that Chuikov had guessed his intention, Sokov did not talk in circles, but said truthfully: "Under the blows of our army, the enemy who has suffered repeated defeats has become
Panic. For example, today, when the enemies at the airport saw our troops appearing, they fled in panic without firing a shot. This was simply unimaginable before. I think the focus of our next attack will be the airport occupied by the Germans.
As long as all the airports are occupied, the enemy will basically be cut off from the outside world."
"A few days ago, our plane responsible for broadcasting the ultimatum to the Germans was intercepted by German anti-aircraft fire over Pitomnik Airport, causing one pilot to be injured." Chuikov said on the phone: "We originally thought that Germany
People near the airport must be heavily guarded, so the superiors have not made it a target of attack for the time being."
"Comrade Commander, I suggest to you that you immediately report this matter to the front army headquarters." Sokov said into the microphone: "Our army should take advantage of the weak defense of Pitomnik Airport to launch an offensive decisively.
, seize this important airport. As long as we control all the airports, the besieged Paulus troops will have to rely on airdrops if they want to obtain supplies."
"What you said makes sense." Chuikov agreed with Sokov's statement: "I will report the matter to General Rokossovsky immediately and ask him to adjust the direction of the attack."
Half an hour later, Rokossovsky received the report from Chuikov. After staring at the report for several minutes, he turned to Malinin and asked: "Chief of Staff, which of our troops is closest to Pitomnik Airport?"
"Pitomnik Airport is within the attack area of the 21st Army," Malinin looked at the map and reported to Rokossovsky: "But because there are many German defense lines on their route of advance. Even if
If the attack goes well, it will take at least three or four days to reach Pitomnik Airport."
"No, three or four days is too long." Rokossovsky shook his head and said: "We must capture Pitomnik Airport as soon as possible to cut off Paulus' connection with the outside world."
"However," Malinen said in embarrassment: "With the combat effectiveness of the 21st Army, it is very difficult to break through so many German defense lines in just one or two days."
"Look here," Rokossovsky pointed at the map with his hand and said to Malinin: "The troops of Batov's 65th Army are only more than fifty kilometers away from Pitomnik Airport. It only takes one day to reach them.
Able to reach the airport.”
"But Pitomnik Airport falls within the attack range of the 21st Army." Malinin reminded Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, if you adjust the attack direction of the troops without authorization, I am worried that it will cause unnecessary chaos."
"It's not that serious." Rokossovsky said decisively: "Immediately notify Bartov to adjust the direction of the attack and send troops to advance to Pitomnik Airport. We must seize the airport in the shortest possible time and cut off Paulus."
Airway for escape."
"Understood." Although Malinin still had opinions in his heart, since Rokossovsky had given the order, he would naturally execute it unconditionally: "I will immediately notify General Bartov and ask his troops to change the direction of attack."
