"Comrade Commander, thank you!" After Sokov finished speaking, Ponedelin unexpectedly said: "Thank you for your kindness. I feel that the position of division commander is already very difficult for me. If If you let me serve as military commander, I'm worried that I will live up to your expectations."
Seeing the confusion written on Sokov's face, he added: "Although I served as the commander of the group army long before the war. However, I stayed in a German prisoner of war camp for more than two years. , the tactical ideas I have mastered before are somewhat outdated. If I stay at the headquarters to serve as your adviser, you can correct me if I make any mistakes. But if you assume the position of military commander, once you make a command mistake, you will be punished. The troops suffered huge losses."
When Sokov heard that Ponedelin rejected his kindness, he originally wanted to persuade him a few more words, but after hearing what he added later, he changed his mind. Since the other party was unwilling to assume the position of army commander, then the matter would be over. Put it on hold for the time being and wait until he has established meritorious service in the battle to liberate Uman. Then appoint him as the commander of the army. It is a matter of course and no one will raise any objections.
On the way to the headquarters, Smirnov asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, do you really intend to let Ponedelin serve as corps commander?"
"Yes, I do have such an idea." Sokov replied truthfully: "Anyway, he served as the commander of the group army before the war. Now let him stay in the headquarters to serve as an advisor to us , it would be too unfair to him."
"But he said it himself. Although he was the commander of the group army before the war, after two years in the German prisoner of war camp, the tactics he mastered were outdated." Smirnov guessed Sokov's intention. Thoughts, he asked tentatively: "Are you planning to wait until he has established new achievements in the battle to liberate Uman before recommending to your superiors that he be appointed as army commander?"
Seeing that Smirnov actually guessed what he was thinking, Sokov was somewhat surprised. He nodded: "Yes, that's what I thought. If he can perform well in the battle to liberate Uman, I suggest I'm afraid there won't be any objections to his superiors appointing him as army commander."
"Do you think we will take action in the Uman region in the near future?" As a chief of staff, Smirnov's perspective on the problem is different from Sokov: "Compared with us, Uman is far away from Ukraine. The defense area of the 1st Ukrainian Front is closer, and I feel that even if the Uman Battle is to be launched, I am afraid that the High Command will hand over this task to the comrades of the 1st Ukrainian Front."
"The First Ukrainian Front has other combat tasks," Sokov said confidently: "I think the superiors will definitely leave the task of liberating Uman to our front army to complete. Otherwise Marshal Konev will not Call us personally to inform us of the meeting.”
After listening, Smirnov did not argue with Sokov, but nodded and said: "When we arrive at the front headquarters, we will know what tasks our superiors are going to assign to us."
Arriving at the conference room of the front army headquarters, Sokov saw that the commanders and chiefs of staff of other army groups had arrived. He and Smirnov arrived relatively late.
Seeing Sokov come in, Zaharov nodded to him, then pointed to the two empty seats next to the conference table and said: "Comrade Sokov, you and General Smirnov can sit there."
As soon as Sokov and Smirnov sat down, a military meeting at the army chief level began.
The first person to speak was Chief of Staff Zakharov: "Comrade commanders, I have summoned you here today to announce two important things.
The first thing is that at three o'clock this morning, the German army launched 24 V1 missiles from the Uman area towards Cherkasy..."
As soon as he said this, there was a buzz of discussion in the conference room. Except for a few people such as Sokov, Smirnov and Konev, the other commanders participating in the meeting had no idea about V1. What is a missile? Therefore, they were asking each other to find out what kind of new weapon this was from the Germans. It could actually launch a long-range attack on Cherkasy directly from Uman, one or two hundred kilometers away.
"Quiet, comrades commanders, please be quiet!" Seeing the chaos in the conference room, Zakharov showed an unhappy expression on his face. He slapped the table twice with the palm of his hand, letting everyone in the conference room He became quiet again: "Commanders here, I'm afraid most of you don't know what a V1 missile is. I will explain it to you soon."
"Comrade Commander, thank you!" After Sokov finished speaking, Poniejlin unexpectedly said: "Thank you for your kindness. I feel that the position of division commander is already very difficult for me. If If you let me serve as military commander, I'm worried that I will live up to your expectations."
Seeing the confusion written on Sokov's face, he added: "Although I served as the commander of the group army long before the war. However, I stayed in a German prisoner of war camp for more than two years. , the tactical ideas I have mastered before are somewhat outdated. If I stay at the headquarters to serve as your adviser, you can correct me if I make any mistakes. But if you assume the position of military commander, once you make a command mistake, you will be punished. The troops suffered huge losses."
When Sokov heard that Ponedelin rejected his kindness, he originally wanted to persuade him a few more words, but after hearing what he added later, he changed his mind. Since the other party was unwilling to assume the position of army commander, then this matter Put it on hold for the time being and wait until he has established meritorious service in the battle to liberate Uman. Then appoint him as the commander of the army. It is a matter of course and no one will raise any objections.
On the way to the headquarters, Smirnov asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, do you really intend to let Ponedelin serve as corps commander?"
"Yes, I do have such an idea." Sokov replied truthfully: "Anyway, he served as the commander of the group army before the war. Now let him stay in the headquarters to serve as an advisor to us , it would be too unfair to him."
"But he said it himself. Although he was the commander of the group army before the war, after two years in the German prisoner of war camp, the tactics he mastered were outdated." Smirnov guessed Sokov's intention. Thoughts, he asked tentatively: "Are you planning to wait until he has established new achievements in the battle to liberate Uman before recommending to your superiors that he be appointed as army commander?"
Seeing that Smirnov actually guessed what he was thinking, Sokov was somewhat surprised. He nodded: "Yes, that's what I thought. If he can perform well in the battle to liberate Uman, I suggest I'm afraid there won't be any objections to his superiors appointing him as army commander."
"Do you think we will take action in the Uman region in the near future?" As a chief of staff, Smirnov's perspective on the problem is different from Sokov: "Compared with us, Uman is far away from Ukraine. The defense area of the 1st Ukrainian Front is closer, and I feel that even if the Uman Battle is to be launched, I am afraid that the High Command will hand over this task to the comrades of the 1st Ukrainian Front."
"The First Ukrainian Front has other combat tasks," Sokov said confidently: "I think the superiors will definitely leave the task of liberating Uman to our front army to complete. Otherwise Marshal Konev will not Call us personally to inform us of the meeting.”
After listening, Smirnov did not argue with Sokov, but nodded and said: "When we arrive at the front headquarters, we will know what tasks our superiors are going to assign to us."
Arriving at the conference room of the front army headquarters, Sokov saw that the commanders and chiefs of staff of other army groups had arrived. He and Smirnov arrived relatively late.
Seeing Sokov come in, Zaharov nodded to him, then pointed to the two empty seats next to the conference table and said: "Comrade Sokov, you and General Smirnov can sit there."
As soon as Sokov and Smirnov sat down, a military meeting at the army chief level began.
The first person to speak was Chief of Staff Zakharov: "Comrade commanders, I have summoned you here today to announce two important things.
The first thing is that at three o'clock this morning, the German army launched 24 V1 missiles from the Uman area towards Cherkasy..."
As soon as he said this, there was a buzz of discussion in the conference room. Except for a few people such as Sokov, Smirnov and Konev, the other commanders participating in the meeting had no idea about V1. What is a missile? Therefore, they were asking each other to find out what kind of new weapon this was from the Germans. It could actually launch a long-range attack on Cherkasy directly from Uman, one or two hundred kilometers away.
"Quiet, comrades commanders, please be quiet!" Seeing the chaos in the conference room, Zakharov showed an unhappy expression on his face. He slapped the table twice with the palm of his hand, letting everyone in the conference room He became quiet again: "Commanders here, I'm afraid most of you don't know what a V1 missile is. I will explain it to you soon."
"Comrade Commander, thank you!" After Sokov finished speaking, Poniejlin unexpectedly said: "Thank you for your kindness. I feel that the position of division commander is already very difficult for me. If If you let me serve as military commander, I'm worried that I will live up to your expectations."
Seeing the confusion written on Sokov's face, he added: "Although I served as the commander of the group army long before the war. However, I stayed in a German prisoner of war camp for more than two years. , the tactical ideas I have mastered before are somewhat outdated. If I stay at the headquarters to serve as your adviser, you can correct me if I make any mistakes. But if you assume the position of military commander, once you make a command mistake, you will be punished. The troops suffered huge losses."
When Sokov heard that Ponedelin rejected his kindness, he originally wanted to persuade him a few more words, but after hearing what he added later, he changed his mind. Since the other party was unwilling to assume the position of army commander, then this matter Put it on hold for the time being and wait until he has established meritorious service in the battle to liberate Uman. Then appoint him as the commander of the army. It is a matter of course and no one will raise any objections.
On the way to the headquarters, Smirnov asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, do you really intend to let Ponedelin serve as corps commander?"
"Yes, I do have such an idea." Sokov replied truthfully: "Anyway, he served as the commander of the group army before the war. Now let him stay in the headquarters to serve as an advisor to us , it would be too unfair to him."
"But he said it himself. Although he was the commander of the group army before the war, after two years in the German prisoner of war camp, the tactics he mastered were outdated." Smirnov guessed Sokov's intention. Thoughts, he asked tentatively: "Are you planning to wait until he has established new achievements in the battle to liberate Uman before recommending to your superiors that he be appointed as army commander?"
Seeing that Smirnov actually guessed what he was thinking, Sokov was somewhat surprised. He nodded: "Yes, that's what I thought. If he can perform well in the battle to liberate Uman, I suggest I'm afraid there won't be any objections to his superiors appointing him as army commander."
"Do you think we will take action in the Uman region in the near future?" As a chief of staff, Smirnov's perspective on the problem is different from Sokov: "Compared with us, Uman is far away from Ukraine. The defense area of the 1st Ukrainian Front is closer, and I feel that even if the Uman Battle is to be launched, I am afraid that the High Command will hand over this task to the comrades of the 1st Ukrainian Front."
"The First Ukrainian Front has other combat tasks," Sokov said confidently: "I think the superiors will definitely leave the task of liberating Uman to our front army to complete. Otherwise Marshal Konev will not Call us personally to inform us of the meeting.”
After listening, Smirnov did not argue with Sokov, but nodded and said: "When we arrive at the front headquarters, we will know what tasks our superiors are going to assign to us."
Arriving at the conference room of the front army headquarters, Sokov saw that the commanders and chiefs of staff of other army groups had arrived. He and Smirnov arrived relatively late.
Seeing Sokov come in, Zaharov nodded to him, then pointed to the two empty seats next to the conference table and said: "Comrade Sokov, you and General Smirnov can sit there."
As soon as Sokov and Smirnov sat down, a military meeting at the army chief level began.
The first person to speak was Chief of Staff Zakharov: "Comrade commanders, I have summoned you here today to announce two important things.
The first thing is that at three o'clock this morning, the German army launched 24 V1 missiles from the Uman area towards Cherkasy..."
As soon as he said this, there was a buzz of discussion in the conference room. Except for a few people such as Sokov, Smirnov and Konev, the other commanders participating in the meeting had no idea about V1. What is a missile? Therefore, they were asking each other to find out what kind of new weapon this was from the Germans. It could actually launch a long-range attack on Cherkasy directly from Uman, one or two hundred kilometers away.
"Quiet, comrades commanders, please be quiet!" Seeing the chaos in the conference room, Zakharov showed an unhappy expression on his face. He slapped the table twice with the palm of his hand, letting everyone in the conference room He became quiet again: "Commanders here, I'm afraid most of you don't know what a V1 missile is. I will explain it to you soon."
