The 84th Division led by Major General Fomenko was the second echelon. Less than five kilometers away from Merefa Fortress, they encountered an oncoming train. Fomenko quickly ordered his men to signal the train and order them to stop immediately.
The driver saw someone blocking the car in front of him and thought that this was his defense zone, so he stopped the car boldly. As soon as the train stabilized, a captain from the 98th Guards Division got off the train and ran towards the lieutenant who was blocking the train. He asked loudly: "What section are you from and why are you blocking the train here?"
"Comrade Captain," the lieutenant who blocked the train said to him politely, "I am the combat staff officer of the 84th Infantry Division. Our division has been ordered to go to Kremenchug to participate in the battle, and we need to requisition your train."
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the captain showed a troubled expression on his face: "Comrade Lieutenant, I don't think I can agree to your request."
"Why?"
"Because the vehicle is also carrying more than 2,000 commanders and fighters who have just been rescued."
It turned out that after Chuvashov rescued the prisoners of war, he found that they were all very weak and could not be integrated into the combat troops. Just as the three rescued generals were about to be sent back to Merefa Fortress, they made a temporary decision to send all the rescued commanders and soldiers back in the same car.
After hearing this, the lieutenant felt that this kind of thing was beyond his control, so he said to the captain: "Comrade Captain, I will take you to see General Fomenko. You should report the specific situation to him in person."
Soon, the captain appeared in front of Fomenko.
After he raised his hand in salute, Fomenko asked straight to the point: "Comrade Captain, what's going on? Why are there more than two thousand rescued commanders and soldiers in the car?"
"Comrade General," the captain replied respectfully: "After we rescued these prisoners of war outside the city of Kremenchug, the division commander found that their bodies were too weak to be incorporated into the army for combat. If they stayed in place, they would not be able to fight. With great self-preservation ability, he sent them all back."
"Comrade Captain, because we have to rush to Kleminchug as soon as possible, we need to commandeer this train." Fomenko, who was eager to rush to Klemenkoug, waited for the captain to explain the reason, and said to him: "Please Order the commanders and fighters to get off the bus and head to Merefa Fortress on foot."
"Comrade General," the captain said with some embarrassment, "there are three generals in the car, and they are all in poor health. If they are asked to walk a few kilometers, I am worried that they will not be able to bear it."
"Oh, there are three generals in the car?!" Fomenko had no idea that there were three generals among the rescued commanders and fighters, so he was extremely surprised: "Who are they? In what year were they captured? ?”
The captain answered clearly: "The three generals who were rescued are Major General Ponedelin, the former commander of the 12th Army Group of the Southwest Front, Lieutenant General Muzichenko, the commander of the 6th Army, and the commander of the 13th Infantry Army. Major General Rilov. They were captured at the Battle of Uman shortly after the war broke out."
Fomenko was shocked when he heard the three names read out by the captain. He turned to Colonel Manokhin who was standing behind him and said: "Comrade Political Commissar, have you heard of the names of these three generals?"
"No." Manoxin shook his head and replied: "I have never been in the Southwest Front and I don't know these three commanders."
"Comrade Captain," Fomenko said to the captain, "please get the people out of the car as soon as possible and let us board. As for the three generals, just take our jeep and go to Merefa Fortress."
Since neither he nor Manokhin knew these three rescued generals, Fomenko naturally had no intention of meeting them. After instructing the commanders and soldiers to help the comrades in the car get out of the car, he led the members of the division headquarters and walked towards the special car at the rear of the car.
Knowing their special status, Ponedelin and others declined Uzakov's kindness when boarding the train. Instead of going to the special compartment at the rear of the train, they insisted on being squeezed into the same compartment as the soldiers. Because of this, they didn't see Fomenko at all when they got out of the car.
The captain who escorted them quickly stepped forward to say hello when he saw the three generals getting off the bus one after another.
Ponedelin asked in confusion: "Comrade Captain, what's going on? Why are we getting off here? As far as I know, Merefa Fortress is still several kilometers away from here."
"I'm sorry, Comrade General." Even though Ponedelin had just been rescued, the captain was extremely polite to him. He patiently explained to the other party: "Because our troops are eager to rush to Kremenchug, we need urgent recruitment. This train, therefore, I can only force you to get off the train and walk to Merefa Fortress.”
"This is what it should be." After hearing what the captain said, Ponejelin said reasonably: "Since the troops who are eager to go to the front need to commandeer the train, let's get off the train. Anyway, it's only a few kilometers away, so we can walk slowly , it won’t take long.”
"Comrade generals," the captain said to the three of them, "General Fomenko, commander of the 84th Infantry Division, was worried that you were too weak to cover such a long distance, so he left his jeep behind. Used to send you to Merefa Fortress.”
"What about the other soldiers?" Lieutenant General Muzichenko, who rarely spoke, said, "Many of them are very weak and are still incapable of such a march."
"Comrade Lieutenant General," the captain said to him quickly, "I see there are many trucks nearby. I can negotiate with them and ask them to keep these trucks for us to transport the wounded."
However, before the captain could make contact, the lieutenant who blocked the truck had already walked over and said to the captain: "Comrade Captain, on the order of the division commander, I leave five trucks for you. You can use these vehicles to transport the wounded."
"Comrade Lieutenant, thank you so much." The Captain held the other party's hand and said excitedly: "Having these five trucks has been a great help to us."
After the train restarted, Fomenko, who was sitting in a special carriage, looked at the slowly moving troops beside the railway. When he saw these skinny rescued commanders and fighters, he felt uncomfortable in his heart. He turned around and ordered the telegraph operator, "Send a telegram to the Army Group Headquarters and say that we met the returning train five kilometers away from the fortress. Now we have taken the train and headed for Klemenkoug. And the people who got off the train The commanders and soldiers are marching slowly along the railway, hoping that the headquarters can send more vehicles to pick them up."
After seeing the telegram, Sokov immediately ordered Samyko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, notify the logistics department to send fifty trucks to find those marching troops along the railway and transport them to the fortress as soon as possible." Fomenko The 84th Division led by the Major General was the second echelon. Less than five kilometers away from Merefa Fortress, they encountered an oncoming train. Fomenko quickly ordered his men to signal the train and order them to stop immediately.
The driver saw someone blocking the car in front of him and thought that this was his defense zone, so he stopped the car boldly. As soon as the train stabilized, a captain from the 98th Guards Division got off the train and ran towards the lieutenant who was blocking the train. He asked loudly: "What section are you from and why are you blocking the train here?"
"Comrade Captain," the lieutenant who blocked the train said to him politely, "I am the combat staff officer of the 84th Infantry Division. Our division has been ordered to go to Kremenchug to participate in the battle, and we need to requisition your train."
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the captain showed a troubled expression on his face: "Comrade Lieutenant, I don't think I can agree to your request."
"Why?"
"Because the vehicle is also carrying more than 2,000 commanders and fighters who have just been rescued."
It turned out that after Chuvashov rescued the prisoners of war, he found that they were all very weak and could not be integrated into the combat troops. Just as the three rescued generals were about to be sent back to Merefa Fortress, they made a temporary decision to send all the rescued commanders and soldiers back in the same car.
After hearing this, the lieutenant felt that this kind of thing was beyond his control, so he said to the captain: "Comrade Captain, I will take you to see General Fomenko. You should report the specific situation to him in person."
Soon, the captain appeared in front of Fomenko.
After he raised his hand in salute, Fomenko asked straight to the point: "Comrade Captain, what's going on? Why are there more than two thousand rescued commanders and soldiers in the car?"
"Comrade General," the captain replied respectfully: "After we rescued these prisoners of war outside the city of Kremenchug, the division commander found that their bodies were too weak to be incorporated into the army for combat. If they stayed in place, they would not be able to fight. With great self-preservation ability, he sent them all back."
"Comrade Captain, because we have to rush to Kleminchug as soon as possible, we need to commandeer this train." Fomenko, who was eager to rush to Klemenkoug, waited for the captain to explain the reason, and said to him: "Please Order the commanders and fighters to get off the bus and head to Merefa Fortress on foot."
"Comrade General," the captain said with some embarrassment, "there are three generals in the car, and they are all in poor health. If they are asked to walk a few kilometers, I am worried that they will not be able to bear it."
"Oh, there are three generals in the car?!" Fomenko had no idea that there were three generals among the rescued commanders and fighters, so he was extremely surprised: "Who are they? In what year were they captured? ?”
The captain answered clearly: "The three generals who were rescued are Major General Ponedelin, the former commander of the 12th Army Group of the Southwest Front, Lieutenant General Muzichenko, the commander of the 6th Army, and the commander of the 13th Infantry Army. Major General Rilov. They were captured at the Battle of Uman shortly after the war broke out."
Fomenko was shocked when he heard the three names read out by the captain. He turned to Colonel Manokhin who was standing behind him and said: "Comrade Political Commissar, have you heard of the names of these three generals?"
"No." Manoxin shook his head and replied: "I have never been in the Southwest Front and I don't know these three commanders."
"Comrade Captain," Fomenko said to the captain, "please get the people out of the car as soon as possible and let us board. As for the three generals, just take our jeep and go to Merefa Fortress."
Since neither he nor Manokhin knew these three rescued generals, Fomenko naturally had no intention of meeting them. After instructing the commanders and soldiers to help the comrades in the car get out of the car, he led the members of the division headquarters and walked towards the special car at the rear of the car.
Knowing their special status, Ponedelin and others declined Uzakov's kindness when boarding the train. Instead of going to the special compartment at the rear of the train, they insisted on being squeezed into the same compartment as the soldiers. Because of this, they didn't see Fomenko at all when they got out of the car.
The captain who escorted them quickly stepped forward to say hello when he saw the three generals getting off the bus one after another.
Ponedelin asked in confusion: "Comrade Captain, what's going on? Why are we getting off here? As far as I know, Merefa Fortress is still several kilometers away from here."
"I'm sorry, Comrade General." Even though Ponedelin had just been rescued, the captain was extremely polite to him. He patiently explained to the other party: "Because our troops are eager to rush to Kremenchug, we need urgent recruitment. This train, therefore, I have no choice but to get off the train and walk to Merefa Fortress.”
"This is what it should be." After hearing what the captain said, Ponejelin said reasonably: "Since the troops who are eager to go to the front need to commandeer the train, let's get off the train. Anyway, it's only a few kilometers away, so we can walk slowly , it won’t take long.”
"Comrade generals," the captain said to the three of them, "General Fomenko, commander of the 84th Infantry Division, was worried that you were too weak to cover such a long distance, so he left his jeep behind. Used to send you to Merefa Fortress."
"What about the other soldiers?" Lieutenant General Muzichenko, who rarely spoke, said, "Many of them are very weak and are still incapable of such a march."
"Comrade Lieutenant General," the captain said to him quickly, "I see there are many trucks nearby. I can negotiate with them and ask them to keep these trucks for us to transport the wounded."
However, before the captain could make contact, the lieutenant who blocked the truck had already walked over and said to the captain: "Comrade Captain, on the order of the division commander, I will leave five trucks for you. You can use these vehicles to transport the wounded."
"Comrade Lieutenant, thank you so much." The Captain held the other party's hand and said excitedly: "Having these five trucks has been a great help to us."
After the train restarted, Fomenko, who was sitting in a special carriage, looked at the slowly moving troops beside the railway. When he saw these skinny rescued commanders and fighters, he felt uncomfortable in his heart. He turned around and ordered the telegraph operator, "Send a telegram to the Army Group Headquarters and say that we met the returning train five kilometers away from the fortress. Now we have taken the train and headed for Kremenchug. And those who got off the train The commanders and soldiers are marching slowly along the railway, hoping that the headquarters can send more vehicles to pick them up."
After seeing the telegram, Sokov immediately ordered Samyko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, notify the logistics department to send fifty trucks along the railway to find the marching troops and transport them to the fortress as soon as possible."
