"Comrade Stalin!" Poskrebyshev straightened his back and replied respectfully: "General Vatutin called from Kiev and said that he had something important to report to you. I want to ask, can you answer the phone? Come in?"
"Did he say anything?"
"No." Poskrebyshev shook his head and said, "He only said it was a very important thing."
Stalin took the pipe out of his mouth, knocked it lightly on the ashtray twice, and then said: "Put the phone in." Although Stalin was dissatisfied with Vatutin for his poor command due to the Battle of Zhitomyr, Rokossovsky was even ordered to take over his command. But after such a long time, the anger in his heart has long been extinguished, otherwise Rokossovsky would not be allowed to return the command of the troops next week.
"Put the phone in." Stalin took out a cigarette from the cigarette case, crushed it with his fingers, and stuffed the tobacco into the pipe. "I want to hear what important thing he has."
Poskrebyshev, who was standing at the door, breathed a sigh of relief. He was still worried that Stalin would not agree to answer Vatutin's call, and he didn't know how to explain it to the other party.
Soon, Vatutin got on the phone with Stalin: "Hello, Comrade Stalin, I am Vatutin. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine!" Stalin asked coldly: "Tell me, why are you so anxious to find me? Why is it so important?"
"Comrade Stalin," Vatutin heard Stalin's cold tone, so he wisely did not mention Sokov's matter immediately, but asked tentatively: "I heard a piece of news. It is said that I will be able to recover by next Monday. Regarding the command of the 1st Ukrainian Front, I would like to ask, is this true?”
"This is an order I personally issued. I should formally notify you tomorrow at the latest." Stalin said displeasedly: "Is this why you called me in the middle of the night?"
"This is just one of the things." Vatutin heard the signs that Stalin was getting angry and quickly spoke faster: "In addition, I also heard that when General Rokossovsky left, he planned to take Sokov to to the Belorussian Front and appointed him commander of one of the armies.”
Vatutin said with full of grievance: "Comrade Stalin, you also know that Sokov was the commander of the 27th Army before he was injured. Even if he wanted to return to the army, he would definitely give priority to returning to the original unit. How could he go to other units? Where is the front army?"
"Misha is going to Rokossovsky's army?" Stalin couldn't help being stunned when he heard the news, and then asked: "Who did you hear about this?"
Vatutin became hesitant. If he told the truth, he would have betrayed the staff officer who tipped him off. But since Stalin asked about it, it would be impossible not to tell him.
Seeing Vatugin's delay in speaking, Stalin became a little impatient: "Vatugin, are you still there?"
"Yes, Comrade Stalin!"
"Then why didn't you say anything?" Stalin asked in a more serious tone: "Who told you that Rokossovsky was going to take Misha to the Belarusian Front?"
Vatutin glanced at the staff officer standing next to him and thought that if he didn't tell the truth, Stalin would definitely be furious. He could only bite the bullet and said: "Comrade Stalin, although I have been temporarily dismissed from my post during this period, if If anything happens, the staff of the staff department will still report to me specifically."
"Oh, that's it." After hearing Vatutin's explanation, Stalin was not angry. On the contrary, he felt that Vatutin was very popular. Even after he was dismissed from his post, some staff members from the headquarters still took the initiative to ask him. Tell the news.
Vatutin heard that Stalin was not angry, so he continued: "Comrade Stalin, I strongly recommend that General Sokov be returned to my First Ukrainian Front."
"Vatutin, you must be mentally prepared. Even if Sokov does not join the Belarusian Front, I am afraid he will not return to your Ukrainian team to serve as the commander of the 27th Army."
Stalin's words confused Vatutin, and he asked puzzledly: "Comrade Stalin, why is this?"
"I received a call from Konev this afternoon." Stalin replied: "He said that Misha was in his unit before the battle in Kursk. If he recovered from his injuries, he should return to his unit as soon as possible and give Misha Shah arranged for a group army commander."
Hearing that besides Rokossovsky, there were others competing with him for Sokov, Vatutin suddenly became anxious: "Comrade Stalin, I think it is most appropriate to let Sokov return to us. After all, he is injured." The 27th Group Army that he formerly commanded is now within the organizational structure of our front army."
"Do you think Mischa can continue to serve as the commander of the 27th Army after returning to the army?" Stalin asked with a sneer: "Then how do you plan to place the current commander, General Trofimenko?"
Vatutin was asked, although Trofimenko's commanding ability was far inferior to Sokov. But in any case, he has been commanding the 27th Group Army for more than two months. Is it inappropriate to rashly remove him from his position?
Seeing that Vatutin didn't speak, Stalin continued: "It is completely impossible for Rokossovsky to take Misha to the Belarusian Front. Because Misha's injury has not recovered and he is in a wheelchair every day. Go to the Frunze Military Academy to take classes. Think about it, how can he go to the front line to command operations like this?"
Vatutin really didn't know that Sokov was still injured. Hearing the news, he couldn't help but be stunned: "What, his injury is still not healed?"
"Yes, I told Yakov yesterday that if it is convenient, let Misha come to the Kremlin to see me." Stalin said: "Unexpectedly, Yakov told me that Misha's injury has not recovered yet. Even when I went to the Frunze Military Academy to attend classes, I had to sit in a wheelchair."
Since Sokov's injury has not yet healed, it shows that he will not be poached by other front army leaders in the near future, and the stone hanging in Vatutin's heart has finally fallen to the ground. He asked cautiously: "Comrade Stalin, I want to go back to Moscow tomorrow, is that okay?"
"Go back to Moscow tomorrow?" Stalin frowned and asked, "What are you doing back?"
"I feel it is necessary to visit Sokov." Vatutin did not hide his true intention in front of Stalin: "See if I can convince him, and after the injury recovers, I will return to my unit. .”
"You can try this." Considering the Battle of Zhitomyr, Stalin has seen that many senior commanders have too weak command capabilities. If Sokov wants to go to the First Ukrainian Front, it will be easier to find a suitable position. However, he did not explicitly express support for Vatutin, but said vaguely: "After you get to the hospital, you can tell Misha what you mean and see what he thinks."
After thanking Stalin profusely, Vatutin put down the phone in his hand, and then ordered his adjutant: "Adjutant, please contact the airport immediately. I will take a flight back to Moscow tomorrow morning and ask them to prepare for takeoff in advance. Prepare."
Early the next morning, Vatutin took his adjutant and flew to Moscow on a plane that had been prepared. Since the skies from Kiev to Moscow are now controlled by the Soviet Air Force, he did not let fighter aircraft escort him.
When the plane took off, the adjutant asked Vatutin worriedly: "Comrade Commander, it takes almost two hours to fly from Kiev to Moscow. Do you really not need fighter escort?"
"No need." Vatutin said carelessly: "Comrade Adjutant, don't you know that from the sky on the left bank of the Dnieper River, our military's fighter planes control the air?"
"Comrade Stalin!" Poskrebyshev straightened his back and replied respectfully: "General Vatutin called from Kiev and said that he had something important to report to you. I want to ask, can you answer the phone? Come in?"
"Did he say anything?"
"No." Poskrebyshev shook his head and said, "He only said it was a very important thing."
Stalin took the pipe out of his mouth, knocked it lightly on the ashtray twice, and then said: "Put the phone in." Although Stalin was dissatisfied with Vatutin for his poor command due to the Battle of Zhitomyr, Rokossovsky was even ordered to take over his command. But after such a long time, the anger in his heart has long been extinguished, otherwise Rokossovsky would not be allowed to return the command of the troops next week.
"Put the phone in." Stalin took out a cigarette from the cigarette case, crushed it with his fingers, and stuffed the tobacco into the pipe. "I want to hear what important thing he has."
Poskrebyshev, who was standing at the door, breathed a sigh of relief. He was still worried that Stalin would not agree to answer Vatutin's call, and he didn't know how to explain it to the other party.
Soon, Vatutin got on the phone with Stalin: "Hello, Comrade Stalin, I am Vatutin. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine!" Stalin asked coldly: "Tell me, why are you so anxious to find me? Why is it so important?"
"Comrade Stalin," Vatutin heard Stalin's cold tone, so he wisely did not mention Sokov's matter immediately, but asked tentatively: "I heard a piece of news. It is said that I will be able to recover by next Monday. Regarding the command of the 1st Ukrainian Front, I would like to ask, is this true?”
"This is an order I personally issued. I should formally notify you tomorrow at the latest." Stalin said displeasedly: "Is this why you called me in the middle of the night?"
"This is just one of the things." Vatutin heard the signs that Stalin was getting angry and quickly spoke faster: "In addition, I also heard that when General Rokossovsky left, he planned to take Sokov to to the Belorussian Front and appointed him commander of one of the armies.”
Vatutin said with full of grievance: "Comrade Stalin, you also know that Sokov was the commander of the 27th Army before he was injured. Even if he wanted to return to the army, he would definitely give priority to returning to the original unit. How could he go to other units? Where is the front army?"
"Misha is going to Rokossovsky's army?" Stalin couldn't help being stunned when he heard the news, and then asked: "Who did you hear about this?"
Vatutin became hesitant. If he told the truth, he would have betrayed the staff officer who tipped him off. But since Stalin asked about it, it would be impossible not to tell him.
Seeing Vatugin's delay in speaking, Stalin became a little impatient: "Vatugin, are you still there?"
"Yes, Comrade Stalin!"
"Then why didn't you say anything?" Stalin asked in a more serious tone: "Who told you that Rokossovsky was going to take Misha to the Belarusian Front?"
Vatutin glanced at the staff officer standing next to him and thought that if he didn't tell the truth, Stalin would definitely be furious. He could only bite the bullet and said: "Comrade Stalin, although I have been temporarily dismissed from my post during this period, if If anything happens, the staff of the staff department will still report to me specifically."
"Oh, that's it." After hearing Vatutin's explanation, Stalin was not angry. On the contrary, he felt that Vatutin was very popular. Even after he was dismissed from his post, some staff members from the headquarters still took the initiative to ask him. Tell the news.
Vatutin heard that Stalin was not angry, so he continued: "Comrade Stalin, I strongly recommend that General Sokov be returned to my First Ukrainian Front."
"Vatutin, you must be mentally prepared. Even if Sokov does not join the Belarusian Front, I am afraid he will not return to your Ukrainian team to serve as the commander of the 27th Army."
Stalin's words confused Vatutin, and he asked puzzledly: "Comrade Stalin, why is this?"
"I received a call from Konev this afternoon." Stalin replied: "He said that Misha was in his unit before the battle in Kursk. If he recovered from his injuries, he should return to his unit as soon as possible and give Misha Shah arranged for a group army commander."
Hearing that besides Rokossovsky, there were others competing with him for Sokov, Vatutin suddenly became anxious: "Comrade Stalin, I think it is most appropriate to let Sokov return to us. After all, he is injured." The 27th Group Army that he formerly commanded is now within the organizational structure of our front army."
"Do you think Mischa can continue to serve as the commander of the 27th Army after returning to the army?" Stalin asked with a sneer: "Then how do you plan to place the current commander, General Trofimenko?"
Vatutin was asked, although Trofimenko's commanding ability was far inferior to Sokov's. But in any case, he has been commanding the 27th Group Army for more than two months. Is it inappropriate to rashly remove him from his position?
Seeing that Vatutin didn't speak, Stalin continued: "It is completely impossible for Rokossovsky to take Misha to the Belarusian Front. Because Misha's injury has not recovered and he is in a wheelchair every day. Go to the Frunze Military Academy to take classes. Think about it, how can he go to the front line to command operations like this?"
"Yes, I told Yakov yesterday that if it is convenient, let Misha come to the Kremlin to see me." Stalin said: "Unexpectedly, Yakov told me that Misha's injury has not recovered yet. Even when I went to the Frunze Military Academy to attend classes, I had to sit in a wheelchair."
Since Sokov's injury has not yet healed, it shows that he will not be poached by other front army leaders in the near future, and the stone hanging in Vatutin's heart has finally fallen to the ground. He asked cautiously: "Comrade Stalin, I want to go back to Moscow tomorrow, is that okay?"
