What Sokov did not expect was that two hours before dawn, General Kazakov, commander of the artillery of the group army, came to his headquarters. Seeing Sokov's confused look, Kazakov said jokingly: "What, Major Sokov, you don't seem to welcome my arrival?"
"Welcome, of course!" Sokov only hesitated for a moment, and then he knew the purpose of Kazakov coming to his headquarters. The other party wanted to observe the effect of the artillery bombardment here, so he quickly said enthusiastically: "Comrade General, please sit down. ! I think you must be tired, please have a cup of hot tea."
"That's great. I'm thirsty now." After Kazakov sat down at the table, he looked up at Sokov and said, "Hurry up and give me a cup of hot tea." Waiting for the staff to bring the tea After bringing it over, Kazakov asked Sokov again, "Major Sokov, where is your observation location?"
Sokov had already established a spacious observation post on a nearby hill so that the headquarters could be moved there if necessary. When Kazakov asked about the observation post, he quickly replied: "Our observation post is only two or three hundred meters away from here. Do you need to command the artillery there?"
In response to Sokov's question, Kazakov nodded in affirmation: "Yes, I intend to command the artillery there." Then he ordered Sokov, "Comrade Major, the communications staff I brought is outside. Find someone to take him to the observation post and lay a telephone line that can directly communicate with the army headquarters."
Sokov quickly said to Potukin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, send an officer to accompany General Kazakov's communications staff to the observation post and help him lay the telephone lines."
When Potukin left the division headquarters and went to look for people outside, Sokov asked Kazakov: "Comrade General, in a few hours, our artillery will fire on the enemy's positions. I want to ask , how long does it take to prepare for this artillery fire?"
After hearing Sokov's question, Kazakov was silent for a moment, and then said: "Major Sokov, I don't want to hide anything from you. The supplies given to us by our superiors were very few and came very slowly, so that we did not Stockpile enough ammunition to support this attack. Therefore, I can only provide you with artillery support from two regiments, and the time will not be too long, only about half an hour."
After learning that the artillery could only provide him with half an hour of artillery support, Sokov felt a little disappointed, but then he thought about it. The German defenses on the other side of the Zizdra River were not particularly strong. After half an hour of shelling, It should be possible to destroy most of the civil bunkers or fire points.
Seeing Sokov's delay in speaking, Kazakov guessed that he must be a little disappointed. After all, the artillery could provide him with too little support, so he changed the subject and asked: "Major Sokov, are you ready to cross the river?" Are you ready?"
"Yes, my troops have arrived at the crossing point." Sokov shook his head, trying hard to get rid of the things that were troubling him. He looked at Kazakov and said, "As long as I give my order, they will We can cross the Zizdra River immediately."
Although Kazakov is a member of the headquarters, many things involve secrets, and Rokossovsky has not explained them to him. So much so that he still thinks that the breakthrough point for Sokov's troops will be in the area where he is about to bombard. . He kindly reminded the other party: "According to the information I have, your division's forward position is only two to three hundred meters away from the German position, and there is a river fifty or sixty meters wide in the middle. If a forced crossing is carried out during the shelling, , may be accidentally injured by our own artillery shells; and after the artillery preparations are completed, the German army will soon recover from our artillery fire, and they are fully capable of stopping your attack. Even if you barely break through the German defenses, you will There will be a huge price to pay.”
Considering that the battle would start in a few hours, Sokov did not hide his true intentions from Kazakov. He pointed at the map and said: "Comrade General, our breakthrough is not here. The main force of our division at present. They have reached the upper reaches of the Zizdra River and have chosen a suitable crossing point there. They will cross the river at the right time and hit the German flank hard."
After hearing that the main force of the 328th Division had quietly moved into the upper reaches of the Zhizdra River, Kazakov was secretly surprised and said to himself that you have done a good job in keeping secrets. As the group army headquarters, I The members don’t even know this. After he waited for Sokov to finish speaking, he asked with concern: "Comrade Major, the Germans have not discovered that the main force of your general division is deployed in the upper reaches of the Zhizdra River, right?"
"No." Sokov shook his head and explained to Kazakov: "In order to prevent the Germans from discovering our actions, I used the tactic of concealing the truth to attract their attention."
"What did you say?" Hearing the word coming out of Sokov's mouth, Kazakov asked in surprise: "I didn't understand what tactics you were talking about. Can you explain it in more detail? "
From Kazakov's reaction, Sokov realized that he had spilled the beans, and quickly introduced to Kazakov the tactics he used to conceal the truth. After listening to this, Kazakov nodded approvingly and said: "Not bad, Major Sokov, you used this tactic very well. The Germans must have thought that our army had assembled a large number of troops on the position opposite them. We have heavy troops, so we have to strengthen the defense of forward positions. In this way, we can eliminate more enemies when preparing for artillery fire."
Considering that the time for artillery preparation was too short, Sokov decided to adjust the original combat plan. He first ordered the operator to send a telegram to Lieutenant Colonel Pavel, informing him to cross the river an hour in advance. After completing the task of crossing the river, they quickly moved south, pounced directly on the flank of the German army, and gave them a severe lesson.
Half an hour before the bombardment started, Sokov accompanied Kazakov to the observation post he had set up, intending to command the attacking troops here. As soon as he entered the door, Kazakov saw the communications staff officer he had brought with him, and asked: "Comrade staff officer, how is the situation? Can you speak directly to the headquarters?"
"Yes, Comrade General." After answering the question, the communications staff officer carefully asked, "Do you need to try the phone line?"
Kazakov thought that the battle had not yet started, and if there was any problem with the phone, it could be dealt with in time, so he urged the communications staff: "Then call the army headquarters immediately. I want to talk to the commander."
The call was quickly connected, and Rokossovsky's voice came from the receiver: "General Kazakov, you should be in the 328th Division now. How is their morale now?"
After Kazakov glanced at Sokov quickly, he smiled and said to the microphone: "Their morale is very high, and they will definitely achieve good results in the next battle. By the way, Comrade Commander, others How are your troops prepared?"
Sokov thought that Kazakov and Rokossovsky might have something confidential to discuss, so he walked to the lookout, raised his binoculars and looked at the German positions in the distance. There was only silence on the enemy's position, and no one could be seen at all. I don’t know whether the enemy was frightened by the Soviet snipers and did not dare to show up, or it was too early and the Germans had not gotten up yet.
As soon as the time for the attack arrived, Kazakov turned to the staff officer holding the microphone behind him and nodded, indicating that the bombardment could begin. The staff officer who received the signal immediately shouted into the microphone: "General's order, fire immediately!"
As the order was given, the rumble of artillery shell explosions soon came outside, and dazzling flames rose up from the German positions in the distance. The bodies of the German soldiers curled up in the trenches and huddled in the civil fortifications were everywhere. The station was lifted into the air by the air waves. Many missed cannonballs fell into the Zizdra River, raising water columns rising into the sky. Seeing the water column rising from the river, Sokov thought to himself: Fortunately, I did not choose to attack from the front, otherwise our ship would have been shot in the river. Not only would the ship be blown to pieces, but no one on the ship would survive. Come down.
Seeing that their position was being shelled by the Soviet army, the German artillery positions deployed in the distance also fired. They tried to suppress the Soviet artillery. As a result, after only a few shots were fired, the Soviet artillery deployed in the other direction opened fire, suppressing the German army with powerful firepower, and soon silenced the German artillery.
Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch, then turned to ask Potukin who was standing next to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what position has Lieutenant Colonel Pavel's troops reached?"
"Please wait a moment, comrade division commander. Let me see if there is a telegram." Potukin quickly put down the telescope in his hand and walked towards the telegraph operator sitting in the corner.
After two or three minutes, Potukin walked back to Sokov and said to him: "Comrade division commander, Lieutenant Colonel Pavel called back. They are still two kilometers away from the German position. As soon as the artillery fire stops, they can Attack immediately."
Twenty minutes into the bombardment, a new idea suddenly appeared in Han Zhan's mind. He said to Potukin: "Chief of Staff, call Colonel Bindasov and ask them to prepare for an attack."
"What, let the 1135th Regiment prepare for an attack?" Potukin heard Sokov's order and quickly reminded him: "Comrade Division Commander, you should have seen the situation outside. If our troops are allowed to If you attack at this time, you may be accidentally injured by your own artillery fire."
"It will take at least twenty minutes for Bindasov and his troops to enter the attack position." Sokov glanced at Potukin and said to himself: "If they wait until the shelling is over, they take action again. , at least the same amount of time must be delayed. You should know very well that every minute on the battlefield may determine the outcome of the war..."
Seeing what Sokov said, Potukin did not argue with him. Instead, he called Bindasov and ordered him to start gathering troops and prepare for an attack.
As soon as the shelling stopped, the 1137th and 1139th regiments, which came near the German position, launched an attack on the enemy's position. Most of the German soldiers who were stunned by the Soviet artillery fire had not yet run out of the void, so their resistance seemed insignificant in the face of the onrushing Soviet troops. It took a battalion of the 1137th Regiment less than five minutes to rush into the German trenches and engage in hand-to-hand combat with the surviving Germans inside.
"Colonel Bindasov," Sokov saw this situation, immediately put down the telescope, picked up the microphone and said to Bindasov: "The time is almost up, let your soldiers attack. Remember, your actions It's going to be so fast that not even a single German can escape. Do you understand?"
"Understood, comrade division commander." Bindasov replied resoundingly: "We will never betray your trust in us, and we will never let a German escape."
Not long after, the commanders and fighters carrying the boat crossed the forward position and rushed directly towards the Zizdra River. When they arrived at the river, they threw the boat into the river, then climbed onto the boat and started paddling with the paddles and shovels in their hands, so that the boat could sail quickly to the other side.
Before the boat could reach the other side, the soldiers jumped into the water, splashed ashore, and rushed into the smoke-filled German positions in groups. The soldiers rowing the boats turned around and came back to send the commanders and soldiers waiting on the shore across the river.
The commanders and fighters of the 328th Division launched attacks on the German positions from two directions at the same time. How could the German army, which had suffered heavy casualties in the artillery fire and was stunned by the bombing, withstand such a fierce attack. The battle soon became one-sided. Except for a few German troops who were still resisting, the rest saw that the situation was not good and either fled or surrendered.
In less than an hour, the gunfire from the other side stopped completely. Looking at the position still smoking in the distance, Sokov turned to Kazakov and said: "Comrade General, I will leave this observation post to you. I will lead the troops up there."
"What, you want to lead the troops up personally?" Hearing what Sokov said, Kazakov asked in surprise: "Then who will command the troops?"
"That's it, Comrade General." Sokov was preparing to lead people across the river. He was not charging into the battle like ordinary soldiers, but moving his headquarters forward: "In order to understand the situation on the battlefield in a timely manner, I plan to My headquarters moves forward, and I will direct the battle closer to the troops."
After hearing what Sokov said, Kazakov gave up the idea of persuading him, because he clearly remembered that Rokossovsky liked to emphasize repeatedly that commanders should be as close to their troops as possible. The key to winning the war. So he stretched out his hand to Sokov and said with a smile: "Major Sokov, I wish you good luck and achieve brilliant results in the next battle."
"Thank you, Comrade General." Sokov shook Kazakov's hand and replied, "I think I will live up to your expectations. Goodbye, see you when the battle is over!"
