"Yes, Comrade Commander of the Front Army, my troops have indeed captured the enemy's riverside positions and are developing in depth."
"How is this possible?" Konev said with some excitement: "less than half of the time we had to prepare for the enemy's artillery fire, you actually told me that your troops had launched an attack and successfully captured We have captured the enemy's riverside positions and are developing in depth."
"It's true, Commander of the Front Army, everything I said is true."
"Then please explain to me carefully, what is going on?" Konev was worried that Sokov would not be able to fulfill his promise and that he would not be able to seize the enemy's riverside positions within a quarter of an hour after the attack began. Falsifying the results of the battle, so he said earnestly: "Comrade Sokov, I can understand your eagerness to win, but you cannot fake the results of the battle to deceive your superiors. Once found out in the future, I am afraid it will have a negative impact on your future. There are adverse effects.”
Sokov realized that Konev did not believe in his results and even suspected that he had falsified his results. He quickly explained to him: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, please listen to my explanation."
"I'm listening, just tell me."
"The situation is like this. The artillery shells stored in our army can only maintain artillery fire preparation for one hour. Therefore, before the battle begins, I told the troops that as soon as our artillery stops firing, not only will the artillery fire in the north and northwest continue, Continuing, all assault forces must attack immediately."
Konev raised his hand and looked at his watch. Only fifty minutes had passed since the artillery preparations began. "But it's less than an hour before the artillery preparations begin. Why did you launch the attack in advance?"
"I saw that the enemy's riverside positions had almost ceased to exist under my powerful artillery fire, so I adjusted my strategy in time and ordered the assault troops to launch an attack in time. Before the enemy could recover from the bombardment, He came to his senses and quickly rushed into their position which was damaged by the bombing."
When Konev heard this, he couldn't help but asked softly: "Comrade Sokov, you once told me that the Weapons and Equipment Department gave you a new type of river crossing equipment. I wonder if you used this during the assault. Planting equipment?”
"It was used, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." Speaking of the hovercraft, Sokov replied proudly: "It is precisely because of this new type of river crossing equipment that our troops were able to successfully seize the German border within fourteen minutes. River position.”
Sokov's words made Konev feel itchy. He really wanted to see with his own eyes what the new strictly confidential river crossing equipment looked like. After putting down the phone, he raised his hand to look at his watch and said to Zakharov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I want to go to Sokov's headquarters, and you will be in charge here."
Hearing that Konev said he was going to Sokov's headquarters, Zakharov became a little anxious: "Comrade Commander, there is only one hour left before the attack starts. I'm afraid it's not appropriate for you to leave at this time. ?”
"What's inappropriate?" Konev, who was eager to see the new river-crossing equipment, said to Zakharov: "Isn't the bombardment going to end in an hour? Besides, each unit has clearly defined its mission. When the bombardment begins, , the commander knows that if he directs the battle. In other words, nothing major will happen within two or three hours, and if I leave for a while, it will not affect the overall situation."
"Comrade Commander is right." As soon as Konev finished speaking, Military Commissar Susekov continued: "Don't say that the shelling has not stopped at the moment. Even if it stops, it will take at least an hour or two. Only the troops fighting at the front will receive a steady stream of battle reports. In such a long period of time, even if the comrade commander leaves temporarily, it will not affect the overall situation."
After saying these words, Susekov turned to look at Konev, smiled and asked: "Comrade Commander, can I go with you to Sokov's headquarters?"
"Let's go, Comrade Military Commissar." Konev didn't understand Susekov's intention and said to him with a smile: "I think you must also be eager to know about the new river-crossing equipment equipped by Sokov's troops. What is it like? Then let’s go and see it together, we just have to feel sorry for the chief of staff and stay behind to guard the house.”
When Zakharov heard what Konev said, he realized that he might not be able to see with his own eyes what the new river-crossing equipment looked like before the battle was over. He could only wave to Konev and Susekov, and said helplessly: "Then you go back quickly. I'm worried that something urgent has happened, and I can't handle it alone."
When Konev and Susekov appeared at Sokov's headquarters, Sokov couldn't help being stunned. After he raised his hand to salute the two, he stuttered and asked: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, Military Commissar Comrades, why are you here?"
"Comrade Sokov, we are here to check whether the results you reported are true." Konev said with a smile: "By the way, let's take a look at what the new river crossing equipment you are using looks like."
Only then did Sokov understand that the reason why the two of them were here was because they wanted to see with their own eyes what he had been keeping secret from them.
Now that the hovercraft has been used on the battlefield, Sokov naturally no longer needs to keep it secret. He led the two people to the lookout, handed them a telescope respectively, and said: "It just so happened that the new troops had boarded the ship. , are about to go to the other side, you can see this amazing river crossing equipment with your own eyes."
Konev raised his binoculars and looked toward the river first. Except for a row of tanks parked by the river, he did not see any river-crossing equipment. However, he did not make any announcement, but turned his attention to the positions on the other side to see if, as Sokov said, they had successfully occupied the positions along the river.
Looking at it, Konev saw several bright red flags erected in the trenches that had been shattered by artillery fire, fluttering in the wind. Surrounding the red flag are busy commanders and soldiers who are repairing the fortifications destroyed by artillery fire.
"Comrade Commander," Konev was watching the positions on the other side when he suddenly heard Susekov exclaim: "Look quickly, what is this thing approaching the shore?"
"It should be the new river-crossing equipment that Comrade Sokov mentioned." Konev quickly turned the telescope in the direction Susekov pointed, and saw a dozen or twenty boats with strange shapes, which was surprising. What's interesting is that these ships can also move quickly on land: "Haha... they can also run so fast on land... they are still accelerating... they are very fast... really fast!... Oh my God, I'm not blind, am I..."
Susekov's breathing became rapid, and he raised his voice and shouted: "Comrade Commander, they were at least three hundred meters away from the river from where they started, but it only took them less than a minute to rush over. Into the water. Oh my God, they're already on shore, literally flying over the water."
Konev saw the hovercraft arrive on the other side, drive a few hundred meters toward the city, and then finally stop. Then he saw countless commanders and combatants disembarking from the boat. After they finished gathering around the hovercraft, they rushed towards the area ahead where gunfire sounded.
When he saw the hovercraft that had unloaded the officers and soldiers and turned back, Konev put down the telescope in his hand and turned to ask Sokov, who was standing behind him: "Comrade Sokov, is this the new river crossing equipment given to you by your superiors? "
"That's right." Sokov nodded and replied with a smile: "It is precisely because of this new type of river crossing equipment that we were able to successfully cross the river and seize the enemy's position in such a short period of time."
"You are right." Konev said thoughtfully: "It is precisely because of this high-speed river crossing equipment that more troops can be put into the battlefield in a very short period of time. The enemy succeeded in occupying their defensive positions before they could recover.”
"Comrade Sokov, I wonder what this new type of river crossing equipment is called?" Susekov asked.
"Call it a hovercraft."
"Hovercraft?!" After Susekov repeated the name, he said to Konev with a side face: "Comrade Commander, I just counted, there are only 22 such ships, but it can be anywhere from five to ten Within minutes, a battalion of troops was sent to the other side.
You can imagine, if we could equip one hundred, two hundred or even more hovercrafts, we could place all our troops as close as possible to the enemy's positions in the shortest possible time. In this way, we can reduce many unnecessary casualties during the attack. "
"Comrade Sokov," Susekov's words made Konev's heart beat. If his troops were really equipped with hundreds of hovercrafts, then assault operations against the enemy would become easier. Once the artillery preparations were over, The enemy hadn't fully woken up from the bombardment, and their own troops had already rushed in front of them on hovercrafts. Before the enemy had time to organize resistance, they would be wiped out by the Soviet commanders and fighters who rushed in front of them: "I want to ask Ask, what is the monthly output of this kind of hovercraft?”
"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I really can't answer your question." Sokov said with a wry smile: "If you want to know, I can ask someone to answer it for you."
After getting Konev's permission, Sokov picked up the phone on the table and said into the receiver: "Invite Colonel Yakov here and say that someone wants to see him."
Soon, Yakov appeared in Sokov's headquarters. Seeing Konev and Susekov standing here, he quickly raised his hands to salute them, and asked curiously: "Two comrades generals, why are you here?"
Both Konev knew Yakov. After hearing his question, they smiled and replied: "I heard that Sokov's troops have occupied the position on the other side, so I wanted to come over and see if his report was true. But we also have another purpose here, which is to find out what new river-crossing equipment you have equipped Sokov."
"Actually, the hovercraft was originally invented by Sokov." Yakov turned his head and looked at Sokov with admiration, and said sincerely: "Comrade Ustinov only agreed to hand over the newly produced hovercraft to Sokov's troops are here to complete the final testing."
Konev knew very well that completing the final testing of the equipment was just a high-sounding excuse to prevent other troops from finding trouble with Ustinov when they knew about it. But he didn't care about this issue at the moment. He asked curiously: "Colonel Yakov, can you tell me what is the production volume of this kind of hovercraft?"
"Hovercraft?!" After Susekov repeated the name, he said to Konev with a side face: "Comrade Commander, I just counted, there are only 22 such ships, but it can be anywhere from five to ten Within minutes, a battalion of troops was sent to the other side.
You can imagine, if we could equip one hundred, two hundred or even more hovercrafts, we could place all our troops as close as possible to the enemy's positions in the shortest possible time. In this way, we can reduce many unnecessary casualties during the attack. "
"Comrade Sokov," Susekov's words made Konev's heart beat. If his troops were really equipped with hundreds of hovercrafts, then assault operations against the enemy would become easier. Once the artillery preparations were over, The enemy hadn't fully woken up from the bombardment, and their own troops had already rushed in front of them on hovercrafts. Before the enemy had time to organize resistance, they would be wiped out by the Soviet commanders and fighters who rushed in front of them: "I want to ask Ask, what is the monthly output of this kind of hovercraft?”
"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I really can't answer your question." Sokov said with a wry smile: "If you want to know, I can ask someone to answer it for you."
After getting Konev's permission, Sokov picked up the phone on the table and said into the receiver: "Invite Colonel Yakov here and say that someone wants to see him."
Soon, Yakov appeared in Sokov's headquarters. Seeing Konev and Susekov standing here, he quickly raised his hands to salute them, and asked curiously: "Two comrades generals, why are you here?"
Both Konev knew Yakov. After hearing his question, they smiled and replied: "I heard that Sokov's troops have occupied the position on the other side, so I wanted to come over and see if his report was true. But we also have another purpose here, which is to find out what new river-crossing equipment you have equipped Sokov."
"Actually, the hovercraft was originally invented by Sokov." Yakov turned his head and looked at Sokov with admiration, and said sincerely: "Comrade Ustinov only agreed to hand over the newly produced hovercraft to Sokov's troops are here to complete the final testing."
Konev knew very well that completing the final testing of the equipment was just a high-sounding excuse to prevent other troops from finding trouble with Ustinov when they knew about it. But he didn't care about this issue at the moment. He asked curiously: "Colonel Yakov, can you tell me what is the production volume of this kind of hovercraft?"
