The combat effectiveness displayed by the two newly arrived female fighter squadrons greatly exceeded everyone's expectations. In just two days, they shot down fifteen and damaged six, while their own side suffered no losses.
After Rokossovsky learned about the results achieved by the women's fighter squadron, he made a special call to Sokov. He smiled and said: "Misha, I think you are really lucky. I was originally worried that I would add two women's squadrons to you, but they would be better than nothing at best and would not have much effect at all. Who knows that in just two days, , achieved such great results.”
"Comrade Commander of the Front Army," Sokov waited for Rokossovsky to finish and said with a smile: "We have interrogated the captured German pilots. According to their confessions, after learning about the appearance of the White Rose in Stalingrad, , all the pilots looked very panicked, deeply afraid that they would meet Lieutenant Lilia."
"The White Rose of Stalingrad?" Rokossovsky heard this and couldn't help but curiously asked: "What is going on? What is the connection with Lieutenant Lilia? Why are German pilots afraid of her?" "
Even though Rokossovsky was the commander of the front army, he didn’t know many things at all. Sokov quickly explained to him: “Lieutenant Lilia shot down many German aircraft during the air battle, including them. Among them were the ace pilots. Because there were lilies painted on both sides of her fuselage, the enemy mistook her for white roses, so she was nicknamed the 'White Rose of Stalingrad'."
"So that's it." Rokossovsky nodded and continued: "I heard that she is the first queen pilot in our army. No matter what, you must ensure her life safety, do you understand? ?”
Sokov remembered that Lilia died in 1943, but could not remember the specific date. In order to prevent this beautiful white rose from withering, Sokov decided to use his ability to protect the other party's life. When Rokossovsky heard what he said, he quickly replied loudly: "Don't worry, Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I believe that the pilots of the aviation division will protect her safety as much as they care for their own eyes."
"Misha, according to the intelligence obtained by our reconnaissance." Rokossovsky continued to ask Sokov: "The officers and soldiers of the Imperial Division and the Skeleton Division can only get three hundred grams of bread a day. It seems that your blockade is Very effective.”
Sokov couldn't help but smile when he heard Rokossovsky's compliment. Rokossovsky then asked: "When do you plan to launch an attack on the enemy?"
"Tomorrow, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." Sokov quickly replied: "Our troops are ready to attack and will launch an attack on the enemy's positions at six o'clock tomorrow morning."
Rokossovsky did not ask about the specific offensive steps, because he knew very well that according to Sokov's character, he would definitely adjust the combat deployment according to the specific situation on the battlefield. He only said into the microphone: "Then I wish you good luck!" After saying that, he hung up the phone directly.
Seeing Sokov put down the phone, Vitkov asked him for instructions: "Comrade Commander, do we need to prepare artillery fire before tomorrow's attack?" According to Vitkov's idea, Sokov always believed that artillery fire before the attack was necessary. Preparation is a waste. It consumes a lot of artillery shells. Not only can it not destroy many enemy fortifications, but it also cannot kill a few enemies. It is better to use the artillery shells in more important places.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Sokov unexpectedly nodded, and then said: "Before the attack tomorrow morning, you can prepare for ten minutes of artillery fire."
"What, there will be ten minutes of artillery preparation before the attack tomorrow?" Hearing what Sokov said, Vitkov couldn't help but be stunned. He asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, weren't you the most opposed to artillery shells before?" Wasting it on this meaningless bombardment? Why did you suddenly change your mind this time?"
Lunev listened and asked Vitkov curiously: "Chief of Staff, the artillery preparation before the attack is to destroy the enemy's fortifications and kill the enemy's effective forces. How can it be said that it is a waste of artillery shells?"
"Comrade Military Commissar, let me explain this to you." Seeing Lunev's curious question, Sokov explained to him: "Usually when our army's shelling begins, the enemies in the first line of defense will They will retreat to the second line of defense. After our army's shelling ends, they will return to the first line of defense to block our attack. Therefore, don't look at our army blowing up the enemy's position before a large-scale attack. There was a sea of fire, but there were not many enemies on that position, and our artillery shells could only destroy some insignificant fortifications and not cause much damage to the enemies."
Lunev, who understood the truth for the first time, couldn't help but be stunned after listening to Sokov's explanation. After a long time, he tentatively asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, according to you, our army's artillery preparations on the enemy's positions before each large-scale attack have no effect at all?"
"It cannot be said that if a thousand artillery fires simultaneously and bombards the enemy's positions, some enemy defensive positions can still be destroyed." Sokov continued: "Once the fortifications are destroyed, those enemies returning from the second line of defense will , there was no time to repair the fortifications, so our troops rushed forward."
"Oh, that's it." After listening, Lunev nodded thoughtfully and said, "No wonder I checked your battle records every time and basically didn't mention how long the battle lasted before the attack. Preparation for artillery fire, it turns out that you have not prepared for artillery fire at all."
"Comrade Commander," Seeing that Sokov did not answer his question, Vitkov raised his question again: "Since we have never used artillery preparations in previous attacks, why should we use it this time? "
"Comrade Chief of Staff, as a commander, we must know how to adjust tactics in a timely manner according to the situation on the battlefield." Sokov explained to Vitkov and Lunev: "The enemy on the first line of defense , when being shelled by our army, they will definitely move to the second line of defense. After ten minutes of shelling, I will order the artillery fire to extend the fire, making the enemy think that our attack is about to begin, and wait for them to return from the second line of defense. When this happens, use new rockets to attack them. In this way, a large number of enemy infantry can be eliminated."
"Yes, this is a good way." Regarding the method Sokov said, Witkov only thought for a moment before realizing the advantages of this tactic and said excitedly: "Usually when our army's artillery fire is extended, , it means that the infantry will start to attack. The enemy is very familiar with this tactic of ours. When they see our artillery fire extending, they must think that our army is preparing to attack, and they will order the troops to withdraw to the second line to retake the first line position and prepare Block us. At this time, our army will attack with rockets unexpectedly, which will destroy a large number of the enemy's effective forces and make the next battle easier."
"Comrade Commander," Vitkov patted the map twice with his hand and said regretfully: "I think if the troops deployed to the north were not the 67th Guards Division but the 41st Guards Division, we might The attack launched can become smoother. As long as they quickly circle back behind the Skeleton Division, they can cut off the enemy's retreat. If we are lucky, we can also completely annihilate these two elite divisions of the German army."
"Yes, I regret it. It was my poor thinking at the time." Sokov led the commanders and fighters of the 41st Guards Division at the time. After withdrawing from the enemy's rear, due to the attrition of the troops to a certain extent, if the German army followed and pursued , would definitely cause greater casualties, so he took it upon himself to move his troops to the defense area of the 71st Guards Division. At this moment, he was preparing to launch a counterattack against the German army, but he discovered that the enemy the 41st Guards Division was facing was the Skeleton Division.
However, the deal is already done and it is too late to change. If we mobilize the troops at this moment, it will cause unnecessary chaos. So Sokov said to Vitkov: "Chief of Staff, according to the original plan, Major General Merkulov's 67th Guards Division will launch an attack on the Imperial Division. An hour after their battle started, nearly The 41st Guards Division launched another attack on the Skeleton Division's defense area."
As a soldier, what he is most happy to see is that his troops continue to attack the enemy again and again. Therefore, after hearing Sokov's order, Vitkov answered particularly loudly.
It became clear the next day that there were still two minutes before six o'clock. Colonel Miyakotin, commander of the artillery division, called Sokov and asked Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Commander, when will we start shelling the enemy's positions? "
"Are you all ready?"
"Ready."
"Very good," Sokov raised his hand and looked at the watch on his wrist and said to Miyakotin: "There are still one minute and thirty seconds before the bombardment starts. Order your men to get ready."
As soon as Sokov finished speaking, he heard Miyakotin's voice giving orders on the other side of the phone: "The bombardment is about to begin. Order all artillery positions to prepare for firing."
When the minute pointed to the twelve position, Sokov suddenly shouted: "Fire!"
"Yes!" Colonel Miyakotin on the other end of the phone answered loudly, and then conveyed the order to fire to the subordinates around him.
Just ten seconds later, the rumble of gunfire came from outside. The artillery division pieced together more than 80 artillery pieces of different calibers and fired at the German positions outside the town of Rojinsik. For a time, clouds of black smoke rose from the enemy's position from time to time, and the splashing mud water turned the German officers and soldiers in the trenches into mud monkeys.
"Retreat, retreat quickly!" The German battalion commander on the position heard the explosion outside and quickly gave orders to his men: "Retreat to the second line of defense immediately!"
In fact, even if the German battalion commander did not shout, the German officers and soldiers on the position knew what to do. However, after the battalion commander gave the order, their retreat became more justified. In less than two minutes, more than 400 German soldiers on the position withdrew along the communication trenches to the fortifications near the town.
Merkulov held up his binoculars and looked at the German positions that were being shelled in the distance. He said to the Chief of Staff standing aside: "Tell the commander of the 196th Regiment that if you encounter fire suppression from above the church again, Let friendly forces destroy it with rocket launchers."
"Understood, comrade division commander." The chief of staff replied quickly: "I will pass your order over."
Ten minutes passed quickly, and the artillery division's artillery fire began to extend towards the enemy's second line of defense. The German battalion commander hiding in the second line of defense saw that the Soviet artillery fire began to extend fire, and quickly issued an order to his subordinates, asking them to return to their original positions immediately to prepare to prevent the imminent Soviet attack.
But what the German battalion commander did not expect was that after he led his troops back to the front-line position, he did not see the attacking Soviet commanders and fighters. Instead, he was greeted by more than a dozen rockets with long flame tails. In an instant, the German battalion commander and his men were enveloped in dazzling firelight and choking smoke.
As soon as Sokov finished speaking, he heard Miyakotin's voice giving orders on the other side of the phone: "The bombardment is about to begin. Order all artillery positions to prepare for firing."
When the minute pointed to the twelve position, Sokov suddenly shouted: "Fire!"
"Yes!" Colonel Miyakotin on the other end of the phone answered loudly, and then conveyed the order to fire to the subordinates around him.
Just ten seconds later, the rumble of gunfire came from outside. The artillery division pieced together more than 80 artillery pieces of different calibers and fired at the German positions outside the town of Rojinsik. For a time, clouds of black smoke rose from the enemy's position from time to time, and the splashing mud water turned the German officers and soldiers in the trenches into mud monkeys.
"Retreat, retreat quickly!" The German battalion commander on the position heard the explosion outside and quickly gave orders to his men: "Retreat to the second line of defense immediately!"
In fact, even if the German battalion commander did not shout, the German officers and soldiers on the position knew what to do. However, after the battalion commander gave the order, their retreat became more justified. In less than two minutes, more than 400 German soldiers on the position withdrew along the communication trenches to the fortifications near the town.
Merkulov held up his binoculars and looked at the German positions that were being shelled in the distance. He said to the Chief of Staff standing aside: "Tell the commander of the 196th Regiment that if you encounter fire suppression from above the church again, Let friendly forces destroy it with rocket launchers."
"Understood, comrade division commander." The chief of staff replied quickly: "I will pass your order over."
Ten minutes passed quickly, and the artillery division's artillery fire began to extend towards the enemy's second line of defense. The German battalion commander hiding in the second line of defense saw that the Soviet artillery fire began to extend fire, and quickly issued an order to his subordinates, asking them to return to their original positions immediately to prepare to prevent the imminent Soviet attack.
But what the German battalion commander did not expect was that after he led his troops back to the front-line position, he did not see the attacking Soviet commanders and fighters. Instead, he was greeted by more than a dozen rockets with long flame tails. In an instant, the German battalion commander and his men were enveloped in dazzling firelight and choking smoke.
