Sokov never dreamed that his every move and words in Stalingrad would be compiled into documents and secretly sent to Moscow. At this moment, this information about him was placed on Beria's desk.
This middle-aged man, who wears a pair of round-rimmed glasses and is somewhat bald, looks like a kind university professor, but in fact his name can make people shudder. After repeatedly checking the information about Sokov, he couldn't help but start to think deeply. He felt that Sokov's rise was too miraculous. Not only did he accurately judge the enemy's situation, but he also grasped the fighter aircraft in an extremely timely manner.
The sudden ringing of the phone interrupted his contemplation. He picked up the microphone and put it to his ear, and Poskrebyshev's voice came out: "Comrade Beria, please come to Comrade Stalin's office immediately for a meeting. Vasilevsky and Antonov The general is already here."
Beria, who is in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, also serves as a member of the People's Commissariat of Defense and deputy chairman of the Soviet Council of Ministers. Recently, due to the unfavorable war situation in the Don and Volga river basins, he has participated in many such meetings. He closed the folder and stood up to walk outside. After walking a few steps, he stopped again, feeling that he should make a detailed report to Stalin on his suspicions about Sokov. So, he bent down, picked up the folder, tucked it under his arm, and walked quickly outside.
When Beria came to Stalin's office, Antonov was pointing at the map with an explanatory stick to introduce the situation to everyone. In addition to Stalin and Vasilevsky, the people sitting at the conference table also included Kalinin, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. , People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov, Marshal Budyonny of the Soviet Union and others were present. Seeing Beria's arrival, everyone nodded slightly at him and continued to listen to Antonov's explanation.
After Beria found his seat and sat down, he began to listen carefully to Antonov's introduction to the frontline situation: "...the defense line we established from Pavlovsk to Verkhovnay Kurmoyarskaya, The frontal width is 530 kilometers and the depth is 120 kilometers. The 21st, 62nd, 63rd, and 64th Group Armies are the first echelon; the 57th, 28th, and 38th Group Armies are the reserve groups..."
Hearing this, Kalinin couldn't help but interrupt and asked: "General Antonov, I want to ask, since we have such a group army, why can't we stop the German attack?"
In response to Kalinin's question, Antonov did not answer immediately, but cast an inquiring look at Stalin. After receiving permission, he continued: "Many of our army groups just stop at written reports. We took in the troops who retreated from the direction of Kharkov; some of them were new troops formed temporarily, which lacked training and even seriously lacked equipment. In addition, what we built in a hurry was just some ordinary troops. The field fortifications could not pose any real threat to the fiercely attacking German army."
After listening to Antonov's words, Kalinin turned to look at Stalin and said: "So, the Germans will soon rush to the city of Stalingrad, and our troops are not yet fully ready to defend the city. preparation."
"Yes, the Germans are constantly rushing towards Stalingrad." Stalin put his pipe on the table, stood up and said: "But I believe that our city defense fighters will do it before the enemy approaches the city. Make all defensive preparations."
"Comrade Stalin," after hearing Stalin mention the defense of Stalingrad, Beria felt that he should stand up and say a few words. He quickly interjected: "Can I express my opinion?"
Even though Beria was a member of the People's Commissariat of Defense, he rarely spoke at such military meetings. Today's contrasting performance aroused great interest in Stalin. He looked at Beria and said: "Comrade Beria, if you want to say anything, just say it."
"That's it, Comrade Stalin." Beria raised the folder in his hand and said to Stalin: "I just received a report from Stalingrad. Judging from various signs, the commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade asked... There’s something wrong with Cove.”
"Sokov?!" Stalin recited the last name silently in his mind, then remembered who Beria was talking about, and asked with interest: "Comrade Beria, tell me, what's wrong with him?" ?”
"According to the information," Beria put the folder on the table, opened it, picked up one of the papers, glanced at the content on it quickly and said: "Rokossovsky ordered him to lead his troops To the Tim area, they cooperated with the tank army to harass the German transportation lines. However, with the sacrifice of the commander of the tank army, General Lidyukov, this order was cancelled.
After the order was cancelled, he did not immediately lead his team back to Yelets to return to the army, but instead broke off contact with the front army headquarters without authorization. By the time Rokossovsky contacted him again, his troops had already occupied Kursk. "
"Comrade Beria, you are right." Regarding Beria's statement, Vasilevsky, the chief of the general staff, echoed: "Sokov did not respect the situation after the mission to attack the transportation line was canceled. Rokossovsky ordered us to immediately return to Yelets. Instead, we decisively seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Kursk, where the German army's defense was weak. This gave our army a crucial breakthrough in the German defense line. department."
"Comrade Chief of General Staff," Beria put down the document in his hand and looked sideways at Vasilevsky and said: "You know, the distance from Tim to Kursk is not short. How did he know the strength of the troops in the city? Weak, and decisively lead the troops to attack?"
After Vasilevsky was speechless, Beria turned to Stalin and said: "Comrade Stalin, according to the information I have, not long after the ministry entered Kursk, he declared on different occasions that the German army was The next target of the attack will be Stalingrad. You know, at that time, Hott's 4th Armored Army was rushing towards the Caucasus. Even our intelligence department believed that the enemy's attack was aimed at the oil in the Caucasus. . How does he know the enemy's attack direction?"
After hearing these words, Stalin did not express his opinion, but said noncommittally: "Go on."
"After being reorganized into the 73rd Infantry Brigade, the German 297th Infantry Division once launched attacks from the east of the city, but all ended in failure." Beria continued to report: "During the battle, our commanders and soldiers captured some prisoners. But he let them go without any explanation. I suspect he did this to allow these prisoners to pass on some information to the Germans."
"Transmitting information?" Stalin heard this, knocked his pipe on the ashtray twice, and asked impatiently: "Comrade Beria, please tell me clearly, what information are you passing on?"
Beria was silent for a moment, and then made an earth-shattering announcement: "I suspect that he is a spy sent by the Germans."
"Impossible." After hearing what Beria said, Vasilevsky instinctively retorted: "Comrade Beria, you must be mistaken. How could he be a German spy? Since you have With so much information about him, don’t we still know the many achievements he has made?”
"That's right, I checked it carefully, that's why I have such suspicion." Beria glanced at everyone and said slowly: "Don't you all notice that his judgment of the battle situation and his judgment of the fighter planes? Are the grasps surprisingly accurate? It seems that everything is going according to his arrangements. If it happens once or twice, it can still be said to be a coincidence, but if it happens every time, there is a problem. "
When Stalin heard this, he stood up and walked back and forth in the spacious conference room with his hands behind his back without even taking his pipe, and began to think about everything Beria said. After walking for about five or six minutes, Stalin stopped and asked casually: "What is he doing in Stalingrad now?"
"Comrade Stalin," Vasilevsky quickly stood up and faced Stalin behind him and replied: "From the moment he entered Stalingrad, he has been organizing manpower to build fortifications. According to him, it is difficult for our troops to stop The German offensive, the final battle between the enemy and ourselves, will begin in the city of Stalingrad."
Although Vasilevsky had reported this matter to Stalin, for the Supreme Commander himself, who was busy with everything, he did not pay attention to such a trivial matter at all, so until now, he did not know where Sokov's troops were stationed. Where: "Where are his troops building fortifications?"
"At Mamayev Heights, Comrade Stalin." Beria lost no time in saying: "From there you can overlook the entire city and the Volga River. If Sokov is really a German spy, once the German army rushes into Stalingrad , he can cooperate with the Germans inside and outside..."
"This is impossible." Before Beria could finish speaking, Marshal Budyonny, who had long been marginalized, interrupted him: "Comrade Beria, no matter how much evidence you have, you said Soko It is completely impossible that Lieutenant Colonel husband is a German spy." At this point, the marshal stood up, looked at Stalin and said: "Comrade Stalin, you should know very well what kind of person our old comrade Sokov is. . Do you think his son, a Red Army commander with rich combat experience and repeated military exploits, could be a spy for the enemy?"
Stalin did not answer Budyonny's question immediately. He returned to his seat, sat down, filled his pipe with tobacco, lit it again and said: "Buyonny is right. Old Misha is not only brave in battle, but also a member of our party." A loyal member. I think no matter how bad his son is, he will never become a spy for the Germans. Beria, could it be that he is a German spy lurking within our army and deliberately provided you with wrong information? ?”
Seeing that Stalin did not agree with his statement and even suspected that the person who provided him with information was a German spy, Beria said with some reluctance: "Comrade Stalin, the person who provided me with information has been tested and is completely credible. After Sokov arrived in Stalingrad, he not only built a lot of construction on Mamayev Hill, but even left his own defense area without authorization and went to the city center to give instructions on the defense construction work there."
When Kalinin heard this, he glanced at Beria meaningfully, and then asked curiously: "Comrade Beria, tell me, how does he give instructions on other people's defense construction work?"
"Some time ago, he took a female hygienist to go shopping." Beria, who was in a dilemma, could only bite the bullet and continue: "When they arrived at the department store in the city center, Sokov saw the second floor of the building. After the sandbags facing each other on the platform were not stacked in the shape of a fortification according to the regulations, he got angry about the experience of the department store..."
After Kalinin waited for Beria to finish speaking, he asked: "Comrade Beria, if I remember correctly, as early as May, the National Defense Committee issued an order to the Stalingrad City Defense Committee, asking them to seize the opportunity to Build strong defenses inside and outside the city. You signed this document yourself, right?"
Hearing Kalinin ask this, Beria could only nod his head and replied: "Yes, I signed it."
"Since this is the order you signed, you should be very clear that in order to prevent the enemy from seizing the city, we should build this city into a strong fortress." Kalinin looked at Beria, frowned and said, "I'll go After passing the department store in Stalingrad, the second-floor platform there is a good defensive position, and it is completely necessary to build a defense there. I think Sokov, as a commander, did nothing wrong. "
"Okay, stop talking." Seeing that Beria seemed to be arguing with Kalinin, Stalin stopped the two of them in time: "We were discussing how to stop the enemies rushing towards Stalingrad, but you changed the subject It is too absurd to turn to the discussion of whether an ordinary lieutenant colonel is an enemy spy. Comrade Antonov, please continue."
"But, Comrade Stalin." Beria saw that Stalin took the initiative to change the topic. With his understanding of him, if he did not convince him in the shortest time, then there would be no effect if he talked about it later. He quickly rushed to Antonino The husband continued: "What should we do about Sokov? No matter how you look at it, his analysis and judgment seem a bit incredible."
"Comrade Beria," Stalin said impatiently when he saw that Beria was always struggling with this topic: "You said that his analysis and judgment of the enemy's situation and his grasp of fighter aircraft were very accurate and timely. There is nothing surprising about this. Yes, if he didn't have this ability, how could he grow from a corporal to a lieutenant colonel in a short period of time? If you still find it difficult to understand, I can only tell you: he is a genius!" After that, He waved his hand to Antonov, gesturing for him to continue.
