"Ah, you don't know the specific location?" Kharitoyev's words made Sokov's heart freeze. He said regretfully: "That's such a pity."
"Comrade Commander, don't worry." Military Commissioner Gorokhov interjected: "Although we don't know the specific location, I don't think it will be difficult to find it."
Gorokhov's words gave Sokov renewed hope: "Really, Comrade Military Commissar? Can we really find the mine where our prisoners of war are held?"
"Comrade Commander, if it is true, as Lieutenant Kharitoev said, that the Germans imprisoned 20,000 to 30,000 prisoners of war in the mine, it proves that the mine is an open-pit mine, and the area must be large to accommodate There are so many people. As long as we search the mine based on this clue, we can find the place."
Sokov turned and asked Smirnov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you know that there is such a huge mine near Uman?"
"I seem to have heard that there is such a mine." After hearing this, Smirnov said thoughtfully: "I heard that the diameter of this open-pit mine is more than three hundred meters. If you want to go down to the pit, it is impossible. Instead of taking a lift, ride a car that spirals down the mine wall.”
"Then do you know where this mine is?" Sokov asked in surprise.
"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander." Unexpectedly, Smirnov shook his head and said: "The name and location of an open-pit mine of this size are absolutely confidential. I think unless you work in this open-pit mine Only people, or Uman’s original leader, can know its specific location.”
Sokov couldn't help but want to curse. He finally found out that there was a place where a large number of prisoners of war were held, but no one knew the location of this open-pit mine.
"Comrade Commander, don't be anxious." Seeing Sokov's frown, Smirnov guessed that he was worried about finding the mine, and quickly comforted him and said, "We have two ways to find this mine. .”
Sokov raised his eyebrows: "What can we do? Come on and tell me."
"The first is to notify the commanders of each division and ask them to ask the Ukrainian soldiers in the division to see who knows the location of this open-pit mine."
Before Sokov could speak, Ponedelin spoke first: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't think we can do this. You know, the army recently added a large number of Ukrainian recruits, among whom German spies were inevitably mixed. If the news If it leaks out, the Germans may kill these prisoners of war in order to prevent them from being rescued by us."
Sokov glanced at Ponedelin and felt that what he said made sense. After nodding slightly, he asked Smirnov: "Chief of Staff, what is your second solution?"
Smirnov shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and continued: "If we can't learn the location of the open-pit mine through the Ukrainian soldiers in the army, we can only take the stupidest method and send people to go deep into that area to conduct reconnaissance. .”
"Send someone to conduct reconnaissance in that area?" After Smirnov finished speaking, Sokov began to wonder whether he should take this approach. Although we know that the huge open-pit mine is near Uman, if we really want to send scouts to search for it, I'm afraid it will take a lot of manpower and a lot of time. He looked up at Smirnov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, if we send out scouts, how long do you think it will take to get the required information?"
"It will take three days at the fastest." As soon as Smirnov finished speaking, he saw Sokov frown slightly and quickly added: "We are more than a hundred kilometers away from Uman. No matter how fast the scouts march, It will take at least two days to reach the vicinity of Uman. Including the search time, three days is already very fast."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, if the diameter of the open-pit mine is indeed more than three hundred meters as you said, then our reconnaissance plane will be able to detect it in the air." Sokov felt that instead of sending scouts to try their luck, it would be better to invite The Air Force helps. As long as they send out reconnaissance planes, it may only take an hour or two to get the answers they want.
When Smirnov heard this, he thought this was a good idea. In the past, the air supremacy over the battlefield was controlled alternately by both sides, but now as the situation develops in favor of the Soviet army, air supremacy has been firmly in the hands of the Soviet army. He nodded quickly and said: "Comrade Commander, I agree with your proposal. I suggest reporting this matter to General Konev. After he understands the actual situation, he will definitely agree to send planes for reconnaissance without hesitation."
"Okay, I'll make the call." Sokov felt that if he really wanted to rescue the two to thirty thousand prisoners of war, it would be an impossible task without the help of the front army headquarters. Even though he was now commanding a group army, it was still somewhat beyond his capabilities to go deep into the heavily defended areas of the German army and rescue a group of prisoners of war.
After answering the call from the Front Army Headquarters, Sokov recognized that the person who answered the phone was Zakharov, and asked politely: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, can you hand the phone to Comrade General? I have something important to do." You have to report to him.”
"I'm Konev." Konev's voice soon came from the receiver: "Comrade Sokov, what do you want from me?"
"Hello, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." Sokov straightened his back and said respectfully: "Not long ago, we completed the exchange ceremony with the German army and exchanged 3,214 commanders and combatants. However, most of them have... There are only more than 1,500 people who are injured or disabled and can be incorporated into the army to fight."
"Ah, you don't know the specific location?" Kharitoyev's words made Sokov's heart freeze. He said regretfully: "That's such a pity."
"Comrade Commander, don't worry." Military Commissioner Gorokhov interjected: "Although we don't know the specific location, I don't think it will be difficult to find it."
Gorokhov's words gave Sokov renewed hope: "Really, Comrade Military Commissar? Can we really find the mine where our prisoners of war are held?"
"Comrade Commander, if it is true, as Lieutenant Kharitoev said, that the Germans imprisoned 20,000 to 30,000 prisoners of war in the mine, it proves that the mine is an open-pit mine, and the area must be large to accommodate There are so many people. As long as we search the mine based on this clue, we can find the place."
Sokov turned and asked Smirnov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you know that there is such a huge mine near Uman?"
"I seem to have heard that there is such a mine." After hearing this, Smirnov said thoughtfully: "I heard that the diameter of this open-pit mine is more than three hundred meters. If you want to go down to the pit, it is impossible. Instead of taking a lift, ride a car that spirals down the mine wall.”
"Then do you know where this mine is?" Sokov asked in surprise.
"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander." Unexpectedly, Smirnov shook his head and said: "The name and location of an open-pit mine of this size are absolutely confidential. I think unless you work in this open-pit mine Only people, or Uman’s original leader, can know its specific location.”
Sokov couldn't help but want to curse. He finally found out that there was a place where a large number of prisoners of war were held, but no one knew the location of this open-pit mine.
"Comrade Commander, don't be anxious." Seeing Sokov's frown, Smirnov guessed that he was worried about finding the mine, and quickly comforted him and said, "We have two ways to find this mine. .”
Sokov raised his eyebrows: "What can we do? Come on and tell me."
"The first is to notify the commanders of each division and ask them to ask the Ukrainian soldiers in the division to see who knows the location of this open-pit mine."
Before Sokov could speak, Ponedelin spoke first: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't think we can do this. You know, the army recently added a large number of Ukrainian recruits, among whom German spies were inevitably mixed. If the news If it leaks out, the Germans may kill these prisoners of war in order to prevent them from being rescued by us."
Sokov glanced at Ponedelin and felt that what he said made sense. After nodding slightly, he asked Smirnov: "Chief of Staff, what is your second solution?"
Smirnov shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and continued: "If we can't learn the location of the open-pit mine through the Ukrainian soldiers in the army, we can only take the stupidest method and send people to go deep into that area to conduct reconnaissance. .”
"Send someone to conduct reconnaissance in that area?" After Smirnov finished speaking, Sokov began to wonder whether he should take this approach. Although we know that the huge open-pit mine is near Uman, if we really want to send scouts to search for it, I'm afraid it will take a lot of manpower and a lot of time. He looked up at Smirnov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, if we send out scouts, how long do you think it will take to get the required information?"
"It will take three days at the fastest." As soon as Smirnov finished speaking, he saw Sokov frown slightly and quickly added: "We are more than a hundred kilometers away from Uman. No matter how fast the scouts march, It will take at least two days to reach the vicinity of Uman. Including the search time, three days is already very fast."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, if the diameter of the open-pit mine is indeed more than three hundred meters as you said, then our reconnaissance plane will be able to detect it in the air." Sokov felt that instead of sending scouts to try their luck, it would be better to invite The Air Force helps. As long as they send out reconnaissance planes, it may only take an hour or two to get the answers they want.
When Smirnov heard this, he thought this was a good idea. In the past, the air supremacy over the battlefield was controlled alternately by both sides, but now as the situation develops in favor of the Soviet army, air supremacy has been firmly in the hands of the Soviet army. He nodded quickly and said: "Comrade Commander, I agree with your proposal. I suggest reporting this matter to General Konev. After he understands the actual situation, he will definitely agree to send planes for reconnaissance without hesitation."
"Okay, I'll make the call." Sokov felt that if he really wanted to rescue the two to thirty thousand prisoners of war, it would be an impossible task without the help of the front army headquarters. Even though he was now commanding a group army, it was still somewhat beyond his capabilities to go deep into the heavily defended areas of the German army and rescue a group of prisoners of war.
After answering the call from the Front Army Headquarters, Sokov recognized that the person who answered the phone was Zakharov, and asked politely: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, can you hand the phone to Comrade General? I have something important to do." You have to report to him.”
"I'm Konev." Konev's voice soon came from the receiver: "Comrade Sokov, what do you want from me?"
"Hello, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." Sokov straightened his back and said respectfully: "Not long ago, we completed the exchange ceremony with the German army and exchanged 3,214 commanders and combatants. However, most of them have... There are only more than 1,500 people who are injured or disabled and can be incorporated into the army to fight."
"Ah, you don't know the specific location?" Kharitoyev's words made Sokov's heart freeze. He said regretfully: "That's such a pity."
"Comrade Commander, don't worry." Military Commissioner Gorokhov interjected: "Although we don't know the specific location, I don't think it will be difficult to find it."
Gorokhov's words gave Sokov renewed hope: "Really, Comrade Military Commissar? Can we really find the mine where our prisoners of war are held?"
"Comrade Commander, if it is true, as Lieutenant Kharitoev said, that the Germans imprisoned 20,000 to 30,000 prisoners of war in the mine, it proves that the mine is an open-pit mine, and the area must be large to accommodate There are so many people. As long as we search the mine based on this clue, we can find the place."
Sokov turned and asked Smirnov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you know that there is such a huge mine near Uman?"
"I seem to have heard that there is such a mine." After hearing this, Smirnov said thoughtfully: "I heard that the diameter of this open-pit mine is more than three hundred meters. If you want to go down to the pit, it is impossible. Instead of taking a lift, ride a car that spirals down the mine wall.”
"Then do you know where this mine is?" Sokov asked in surprise.
"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander." Unexpectedly, Smirnov shook his head and said: "The name and location of an open-pit mine of this size are absolutely confidential. I think unless you work in this open-pit mine Only people, or Uman’s original leader, can know its specific location.”
Sokov couldn't help but want to curse. He finally found out that there was a place where a large number of prisoners of war were held, but no one knew the location of this open-pit mine.
"Comrade Commander, don't be anxious." Seeing Sokov's frown, Smirnov guessed that he was worried about finding the mine, and quickly comforted him and said, "We have two ways to find this mine. .”
Sokov raised his eyebrows: "What can we do? Come on and tell me."
Before Sokov could speak, Ponedelin spoke first: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't think we can do this. You know, the army recently added a large number of Ukrainian recruits, among whom German spies were inevitably mixed. If the news If it leaks out, the Germans may kill these prisoners of war in order to prevent them from being rescued by us."
