"Due to their bravery and outstanding performance, the 28 soldiers of the 4th Company of the 316th Division carried out a heroic charge against the German positions during the attack at 10 a.m. on the 21st, killing dozens of enemy soldiers, destroying and injuring them.
We have 18 military tanks, which enabled our army to maintain a good offensive momentum and made outstanding contributions. All officers and soldiers are specially awarded a second-class collective merit!"
After announcing the merits to the 28 "fake heroes" who were inexplicably summoned to the headquarters to receive awards, Puerkayev smiled and awarded the still-dry award orders to their company commanders, smiling.
Congratulations: "Now, you are the heroes of the Soviet Union, and we are all proud of you."
The company commander who accepted the commendation order accepted the document inexplicably, and was driven away by Chief of Staff Puerkaev before he had time to ask what was going on.
"This is the honor that the headquarters has fought for for you. Don't make it known to the outside world. If nothing happens, just go back to the front line and stand by."
After leaving such a sentence, the chief of staff left the 28 people behind and hurriedly left the headquarters together with the two staff officers who came from the conference room and went to the conference room to attend an emergency meeting.
As for the 28 "fake heroes", Puerkayev had already thought about it. Since Khrushchev and others sent by Moscow cannot be allowed to come into contact with these so-called heroes, then these fake heroes must not be allowed to
Stay in a place where they can be easily found. After thinking about it, sending these soldiers to the front line is the best way to hide them. As for whether they are sacrificed or lost on the front line, they will be hidden for the Southwest Front Army Headquarters.
Carrying out this pretentious act.
The matter of the fake heroes was not what worried Puerkaev the most at the moment. It really worried him. He didn't even have time to explain some details in detail before he left the place where the fake heroes were and rushed to the conference room.
"How's it going?" As soon as he entered the door of the conference room, Pu'erkayev asked Kirponossu eagerly.
"Let me answer this question." Colonel Bagramyan, the director of the operations department who was also in the conference room, took two steps forward and said to Pu'erkayev.
Next, Bagramyan reported to the Chief of Staff that the Presidential Headquarters requested the Southwest Front Army to use the 5th and 6th Army Groups, at least 5 mechanized corps and all the aviation forces of the Front Army to carry out a concentrated assault in the general direction of Lublin, encircle and eliminate all the troops in Lublin.
The enemy group from Vladimir-Voronsky to Krestnopol for a frontal attack, and orders to capture the Lublin area before the end of June 24, etc.
While Puerkayev listened, he also gasped.
When Bagramyan began to read the telegram to himself, the chief of staff looked at him with obvious distrust, then snatched the telegram away and read it several times.
Finally, when the chief of staff finally believed that this bullshit order was real, he looked at Kilponos speechlessly.
"What should we do?" Purkayev's face turned green from holding back: "Thank God if we can organize a defense on the border to withstand the enemy's counterattack and block it in the defensive battle, but
Now the Presidential Headquarters is asking us to seize Lublin the day after tomorrow!"
"Moreover, where are our mechanized armies that are well-organized and can be used for offensive purposes? Apart from anything else, we can't provide the strength required in this order alone!"
Kildonos just listened quietly, then silently stretched out his hand to take the document, and once read it word for word.
Then, he slowly made a hissing gesture to everyone, picked up the receiver of the phone and said: "Go to Vashukin of the Military Committee and ask him to come to my place."
After receiving the notice, member of the Military Committee Vashukin quickly walked into the conference room as energetic as usual.
Without any extra courtesy, Kilponos handed him the directive from the Presidential Headquarters as soon as he came up.
After a few brief greetings with everyone, Vashukin quickly accepted the order and looked over it. Then he leaned back on the sofa chair without caring in front of a group of people and looked around at the generals present.
"I know that everyone finds it difficult, but what can be done? Comrades, when you receive an order, you must execute it!" Vashukin stood and spoke without pain in his back.
"That's what I said, Comrade Vashukin." Purkayev saw that the other party was not aware of the danger and difficulty at all, so he went up and said: "But we are not ready for this yet. For the time being, we can only
Think about defense instead of continuing to attack."
Vashukin leaned up when he heard this and did not respond to the chief of staff's explanation.
Puerkayev did not give up, but continued in a more determined tone: "Let us analyze the situation with a clear head. In the area between Lyubomli and Sokali in the direction of Lutsk alone, there are 10 enemies
A gradual counterattack by infantry and tank divisions."
Puerkayev paused and asked: "How can our army stop them? As far as I know, the 45th, 62nd, 87th, and 124th Divisions, the main force of our infantry, now have only about two regiments left.
Scale. Other troops are even worse.
"Therefore," Purkayev concluded, "tomorrow we can mobilize a maximum of less than 7 divisions in this direction to deal with the enemy's army of more than 10 divisions. How can we talk about an immediate attack?"
Vashukin tried to say a few words, but Purkayev did not let him interrupt and continued: "Besides, we should expect that the enemy will put at most the first echelon of troops into the battle today, and will undoubtedly increase its strength in the next few days, and it will be stronger than ours."
Much faster. You see," Pu'erkayev poked the map with a pencil: "Here alone, northwest of Ust-lug, our reconnaissance department discovered that more than 200 enemy tanks were concentrating at 16:00.
And this was not the only area where enemy tank reserves were discovered.
The member of the Military Commission took advantage of the moment of silence when Purkayev looked at the map and asked impatiently: "Have you finished speaking? Can I speak?"
"No, not finished yet!"
Chief of Staff Puerkayev kept his eyes on the map and continued to express his own opinions: "The situation of our air force is even worse. There are almost no border airports left that have not been destroyed."
"In addition, the only ones that our army can immediately concentrate and launch attacks on the enemy's main assault groups are the mechanized 4th and 8th armies."
"And we must also consider that if we attack, we will also be subject to continuous intensive attacks by the German aviation. In this case, it is almost impossible for us to succeed in the attack. In this case, even the attack will be meaningless."