When Rokossovsky heard Bogolyubov address him, he changed from general so-and-so to commander, which showed that the other party began to accept him. He smiled slightly and said to the other party: "Comrade Chief of Staff, hurry up and make a call."
"Yes!" Bogolyubov brushed aside half an hour's decadence and replied energetically: "I will call Major General Pukhov immediately and order him to move to the Korosten area as soon as possible."
A few minutes later, Pukhov, commander of the 13th Army, received a call from Bogolyubov: "Major General Pukhov, are your troops ready for combat?"
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." Pukhov replied with a tragic expression: "I have just returned from the troops below. The commanders and soldiers are ready for battle and are ready to cooperate with the 38th Group Army to launch a counterattack against Zhitomir."
"Major General Pukhov, the mission of your army has been adjusted." Bogolyubov waited for the other party to finish speaking, and immediately corrected: "You no longer need to rush to support the 38th Army, but turn northwest to assist the 60th Army Army group captures Korosten.”
"What, assist the 60th Group Army in capturing Korosten?" Pukhov couldn't help but secretly complain when he heard this order, because his leading division had now left Kiev and headed towards the Kiev-Zhitomyr highway. Advance westward, preparing to join the retreating 38th Army. He said aggrievedly: "But my leading division has already set off and is preparing to rush along the road to join the 38th Group Army."
"Immediately order the leading division to change its marching direction and move towards the Korosten area immediately." Bogolyubov was afraid that the other party would not take this order seriously, and specifically emphasized: "This is an order issued by General Rokossovsky on behalf of the base camp. Orders must be carried out unconditionally.”
When Pukhov heard that the order was given by Rokossovsky, he was surprised and asked: "What, the order was given by General Rokossovsky? When did he become the representative of the base camp?"
"Today," Bogolyubov replied briefly: "In order to save the situation in Kiev, the Supreme Command temporarily appointed General Rokossovsky as the representative of the base camp and came to our headquarters to assist in commanding operations. But since then From now on, he has taken over the command of the entire army, so you must obey his orders unconditionally. Do you understand?"
Pukhov couldn't help but be happy to learn that Rokossovsky had taken over the command of the front troops. He knew very well that Rokossovsky's ability to command operations was far better than that of Vatutin. Commanding the troops will definitely reverse the current unfavorable situation. He quickly replied loudly: "Understood, Comrade Chief of Staff, I will immediately order someone to notify the vanguard division and ask them to change their marching direction and move towards the Korosten area."
Bogolyubov waited for Pukhov to finish his statement, and then continued: "General Pukhov, once your army assists the 60th Army in capturing Korosten, it will dispatch troops to Chernobyl and Pripya. The quarter movement, which echoed the Belorussian Front moving south, prevented the enemy from deploying sufficient forces to resume the offensive on Korosten."
"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." Now that he knew that Rokossovsky was commanding the troops, Pukhov felt much more at ease. "I will definitely carry out the new combat orders to the letter."
"Very good, then we are waiting to hear your good news."
After Bogolyubov put down the phone, he immediately reported to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, I have conveyed your order to the 13th Army. The Army Commander Major General Pukhov told me that his leader The division is moving along the road in the direction of Zhitomir, and he will order the troops to turn to the Korosten area as soon as possible.”
After hearing this, Rokossovsky nodded slightly and said to Bogolyubov: "Whether Kiev can be defended depends entirely on the 60th and 13th armies. When can they capture Korosten to disperse the main force of the German army?" the goal of."
Rokossovsky considered the matter of resolving the crisis in Kiev very carefully. He felt that if Vatutin followed Vatutin’s approach and placed all troops inside and outside Kiev, then the Germans might repeat the same thing. They used the tactics they had used in 1941 to encircle the Soviet troops in the Kiev area, and worked hard to win a similar victory again. Once something goes wrong with the Soviet army in the Kiev area, the good situation that was finally achieved will be ruined.
And he sent the 13th Army outside the city of Korosten to assist the 60th Army there to capture the city. Once the city is liberated, the two armies can divide their forces. One part will continue to hold on to the newly liberated city, while the other part will turn around and head north to cooperate with friendly forces in Belarus.
Rokossovsky called the director of the Communications Corps in front of him and ordered him: "Comrade Director of the Communications Corps, please help me get through to the Belarusian Front. I want to speak to Chief of Staff Malinin."
The call was quickly connected, and Malinin heard Rokossovsky's voice and immediately asked with concern: "Comrade Commander, I heard that you were appointed as the representative of the base camp and sent to the First Ukrainian Front. How are you, are you there?"
"Yes, I have already arrived at the new headquarters." After Rokossovsky briefly answered the other party's question, he said to Malinin casually as usual: "And I have just taken over the command of the troops. From now on, I can command the Belorussian Front and the 1st Ukrainian Front at the same time."
Hearing the news, Ma Lining couldn't help but be overjoyed and said repeatedly: "Great, Comrade Commander, this is great. In this way, you can adjust the deployment of troops and choose the direction of attack in a timely manner according to the situation on the battlefield. This allows us to take the initiative on more battlefields.”
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I think about it this way." Rokossovsky knew that if he wanted the two front armies to coordinate on the battlefield, he had to explain it to Malinin to avoid communication problems between the two armies. During the attack on the German army, there was again a situation of fragmentation.
He said into the microphone: "Gomel has been liberated by our army. It can be used as a transfer point for our supplies. You must stockpile enough weapons, ammunition and military supplies there as soon as possible to ensure that when our army fights in Belarus, A variety of supplies can be obtained in a timely manner.”
"Comrade Commander, you can rest assured on this." Rokossovsky's words reminded Malinin of Vatutin. The Kharkov counterattack at the beginning of the year was initiated by Vatutin on his own initiative. He misjudged the situation and believed that after the Soviet army completely annihilated Paulus's 6th Army in Stalingrad, the German army fell into a rout. Vatutin wanted to change the situation of the war with his own offensive, instigating the Soviet army to launch a general attack on Manstein's headquarters, and eventually eat up the entire Army Group South.
At that time, Vatutin commanded the Southwest Front and broke through more than 600 kilometers of the German defense line, more than 200 kilometers away from the nearest supply point. In order to allow Vatutin to completely defeat the German army on the left bank of the Dnieper River, the Supreme Command specially dispatched the entire Voronezh Front army to come for reinforcements. However, not only did it fail to achieve the goal of the campaign, but it also allowed the German army to make a beautiful turnaround and became the highlight of Manstein's military career.
When Rokossovsky heard Bogolyubov address him, he changed from general so-and-so to commander, which showed that the other party began to accept him. He smiled slightly and said to the other party: "Comrade Chief of Staff, hurry up and make a call."
"Yes!" Bogolyubov brushed aside half an hour's decadence and replied energetically: "I will call Major General Pukhov immediately and order him to move to the Korosten area as soon as possible."
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." Pukhov replied with a tragic expression: "I have just returned from the troops below. The commanders and soldiers are ready for battle and are ready to cooperate with the 38th Group Army to launch a counterattack against Zhitomir."
"Major General Pukhov, the mission of your army has been adjusted." Bogolyubov waited for the other party to finish speaking, and immediately corrected: "You no longer need to rush to support the 38th Army, but turn northwest to assist the 60th Army Army group captures Korosten.”
"What, assist the 60th Group Army in capturing Korosten?" Pukhov couldn't help but secretly complain when he heard this order, because his leading division had now left Kiev and headed towards the Kiev-Zhitomyr highway. Advance westward, preparing to join the retreating 38th Army. He said aggrievedly: "But my leading division has already set off and is preparing to rush along the road to join the 38th Group Army."
"Immediately order the leading division to change its marching direction and move towards the Korosten area immediately." Bogolyubov was afraid that the other party would not take this order seriously, and specifically emphasized: "This is an order issued by General Rokossovsky on behalf of the base camp. Orders must be carried out unconditionally.”
When Pukhov heard that the order was given by Rokossovsky, he was surprised and asked: "What, the order was given by General Rokossovsky? When did he become the representative of the base camp?"
"Today," Bogolyubov replied briefly: "In order to save the situation in Kiev, the Supreme Command temporarily appointed General Rokossovsky as the representative of the base camp and came to our headquarters to assist in commanding operations. But since then From now on, he has taken over the command of the entire army, so you must obey his orders unconditionally. Do you understand?"
Pukhov couldn't help but be happy to learn that Rokossovsky had taken over the command of the front troops. He knew very well that Rokossovsky's ability to command operations was far better than that of Vatutin. Commanding the troops will definitely reverse the current unfavorable situation. He quickly replied loudly: "Understood, Comrade Chief of Staff, I will immediately order someone to notify the vanguard division and ask them to change their marching direction and move towards the Korosten area."
Bogolyubov waited for Pukhov to finish his statement, and then continued: "General Pukhov, once your army assists the 60th Army in capturing Korosten, it will dispatch troops to Chernobyl and Pripya. The quarter movement, which echoed the Belorussian Front moving south, prevented the enemy from deploying sufficient forces to resume the offensive on Korosten."
"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." Now that he knew that Rokossovsky was commanding the troops, Pukhov felt much more at ease. "I will definitely carry out the new combat orders to the letter."
After Bogolyubov put down the phone, he immediately reported to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, I have conveyed your order to the 13th Army. The Army Commander Major General Pukhov told me that his leader The division is moving along the road in the direction of Zhitomir, and he will order the troops to turn to the Korosten area as soon as possible.”
After hearing this, Rokossovsky nodded slightly and said to Bogolyubov: "Whether Kiev can be defended depends entirely on the 60th and 13th armies. When can they capture Korosten to disperse the main force of the German army?" the goal of."
Rokossovsky considered the matter of resolving the crisis in Kiev very carefully. He felt that if Vatutin followed Vatutin’s approach and placed all troops inside and outside Kiev, then the Germans might repeat the same thing. They used the tactics they had used in 1941 to encircle the Soviet troops in the Kiev area, and worked hard to win a similar victory again. Once something goes wrong with the Soviet army in the Kiev area, the good situation that was finally achieved will be ruined.
And he sent the 13th Army outside the city of Korosten to assist the 60th Army there to capture the city. Once the city is liberated, the two armies can divide their forces. One part will continue to hold on to the newly liberated city, while the other part will turn around and head north to cooperate with friendly forces in Belarus.
Rokossovsky called the director of the Communications Corps in front of him and ordered him: "Comrade Director of the Communications Corps, please help me get through to the Belarusian Front. I want to speak to Chief of Staff Malinin."
The call was quickly connected, and Malinin heard Rokossovsky's voice and immediately asked with concern: "Comrade Commander, I heard that you were appointed as the representative of the base camp and sent to the First Ukrainian Front. How are you, are you there?"
"Yes, I have already arrived at the new headquarters." After Rokossovsky briefly answered the other party's question, he said to Malinin casually as usual: "And I have just taken over the command of the troops. From now on, I can command the Belorussian Front and the 1st Ukrainian Front at the same time."
Hearing the news, Ma Lining couldn't help but be overjoyed and said repeatedly: "Great, Comrade Commander, this is great. In this way, you can adjust the deployment of troops and choose the direction of attack in a timely manner according to the situation on the battlefield. This allows us to take the initiative on more battlefields.”
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I think about it this way too." Rokossovsky knew that if he wanted the troops of the two fronts to coordinate on the battlefield, he had to explain it to Malinin, lest there would be communication problems between the two troops. During the attack on the German army, there was again a situation of fragmentation.
"Comrade Commander, you can rest assured on this." Rokossovsky's words reminded Malinin of Vatutin. The Kharkov counterattack at the beginning of the year was initiated by Vatutin on his own initiative. He misjudged the situation and believed that after the Soviet army completely annihilated Paulus's 6th Army in Stalingrad, the German army fell into a rout. Vatutin wanted to change the situation of the war with his own offensive, instigating the Soviet army to launch a general attack on Manstein's headquarters, and eventually eat up the entire Army Group South.
