The position on the right bank was taken. The three divisions commanded by Ponejelin, according to Sokov's instructions, raced against time to repair the fortifications and consolidate the defense line to prevent the German counterattack.
At dawn the next day, the Germans launched an artillery bombardment on the Soviet positions. Fortunately, there were a large number of artillery-proof holes built on the position. Although the German shelling came suddenly, the losses caused to the defenders were not great.
As soon as the shelling here started, Sokov was woken up from his sleep by Smirnov. He sat on the edge of the camp bed, rubbed his face with both hands, trying to make himself more awake, and then told Smirnov: "Chief of Staff, get me through to Lieutenant Colonel Ponedelin's headquarters."
After picking up the phone receiver, Sokov clearly heard a rumble from the receiver, and quickly raised his voice and asked: "Lieutenant Colonel Ponedelin, what happened to you there?"
"Report to Comrade Commander." Ponjelin shouted at the top of his lungs: "The enemy is carrying out fierce shelling on the positions occupied by our army. It seems that they are preparing to launch a counterattack."
"How are the fortifications repaired?" Sokov couldn't help but worry about the safety of the commanders and soldiers on the position when he heard the fierce shelling. "Do the commanders and soldiers have a suitable place to hide?"
"Comrade Commander, you can rest assured on this." Ponejelin replied: "The right bank position we occupied originally had many reinforced concrete fortifications, which can withstand the bombardment of heavy artillery. In addition, I also ordered people to A sufficient number of artillery-proof holes have been dug on the position. No matter how fierce the enemy's shelling is, the losses it can cause us are very effective."
"That's good, that's good!" Seeing that Ponejelin faithfully carried out his orders and took the time to strengthen the fortifications, Sokov felt much more at ease: "If there is any latest change in the situation, remember to call in time. notice me."
As soon as the phone was put down, the high-frequency phone on the table rang.
Sokov stared at the phone, thinking in his mind: This phone can make outside calls. I wonder who is calling?
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While he was thinking wildly, Smirnov had already picked up the phone, put it to his ear and said: "I am Chief of Staff Smirnov, where are you?...What, it's you, Comrade General!...Please Wait a minute, I’ll get the commander on the phone right away.”
Smirnov covered the microphone with his hand and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, General Moskalenko of the 38th Army, wants to speak to you."
"General Moskalenko?" Sokov couldn't help but be startled when he heard the name. He thought to himself that he belongs to the First Front Army, and I belong to the Second Front Army. There is no affiliation between the two parties. What does he want from me? When he stretched out his hand, he asked Smirnov the question in his heart: "Chief of Staff, did he say something to me?"
Smirnov shook his head, saying that he didn't know either, then released his grip on the microphone and handed the microphone to Sokov.
Sokov put the receiver to his ear and said enthusiastically: "Hello, General Moskalenko!"
"Hello, General Sokov!" Moskalenko on the other end of the phone said politely: "I took the liberty of calling you to verify something with you."
"Verify one thing?!" Sokov asked in surprise: "Verify what?"
"Have you sent a small team to go deep into the Vinnitsa area?"
"Send a small team to operate in the Vinnitsa area?" Sokov said in an uncertain tone: "It seems not."
"My reconnaissance unit operating in the Vinnytsia area captured a dozen people of unknown origin in the forest yesterday evening." Moskalenko said: "After interrogation, they said they were the squad sent by you. On a special mission."
"A small team performing a special mission?" Sokov began to think hard, whether he really sent a reconnaissance team to the Vinnitsa area: "General Moskalenko, I can't answer you immediately, I want to know I’ll give you an answer soon.”
"Comrade Commander, have you forgotten Lieutenant Khrus and Corporal Aku?" Seeing Sokov lost in thought, Smirnov quickly reminded him: "They did not go to Vinnitsa under your orders. "
After Smirnov's reminder, Sokov immediately remembered that it was indeed a pity to let Khrus and Aku take a guard squad to find a commander who died that year near Vinnitsa.
"General Moskalenko, when I think about it, this is indeed the case." Sokov was worried that Moskalenko didn't believe him, so he took the initiative and said: "There were 12 people in total, and they took four three-wheeled motorcycles. Car. I wonder if the number I mentioned is correct?"
"General Sokov, since you sent the people, I want to have a good talk with you."
"Okay, if you have anything to say, just say it."
"Vinnitsa is the next location for our army to attack, and you belong to the Second Front. It is wrong to send troops to Vinnitsa for reconnaissance without our permission." Moss Kalenko said aggressively: "I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation for this matter."
Sokov was stunned. You called me because you wanted to raise an army to investigate the crime. However, in order not to offend the enemy, he replied politely: "General Moskalenko, my men went to Vinnitsa to perform a special mission and have nothing to do with your attack on the city."
"Since you sent people to my offensive area, why didn't you say hello to me beforehand?" But Moskalenko still said in a stern tone: "What should I do if there is a misunderstanding and a fight occurs?"
"I'm sorry, General Moskalenko, let me reiterate." Seeing that the other party spoke very rudely, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little angry. However, he tried to control his emotions and said in a calm tone: "I sent They went to the Vinnitsa area to carry out a special mission, not to conduct reconnaissance. Besides, when they set out, I had no idea which unit would be responsible for the Vinnitsa area. How could I contact them in advance? "
"Since your people are in my area now, I hope to get an explanation." Moskalenko said bluntly: "You must explain to me clearly what the special mission is."
Faced with Moskalenko's reaction, although Sokov was very angry, he still politely replied, "Comrade General, in July of 1941, a scout captain of the 12th Army, in the National Defense He died in the fortification area. The people I sent were to find the bones of that commander."
When he learned that Sokov sent people into the area where he was about to attack, it was not to conduct reconnaissance and prepare to take credit from him, but to search for the regrets of a sacrificed commander, Moskalenko's tone softened. : "It turns out that General Sokov almost misunderstood."
After a pause, he continued: "Do you need our help? If necessary, just ask and I will send someone to fully cooperate."
"Thank you, General Moskalenko." Regarding Moskalenko's kindness, Sokov chose to refuse: "Now Vinnitsa is still under the control of the German army. If there are too many people looking for the bones, it will soon be difficult. It is easy to be discovered by the Germans, and then the troops we dispatch may encounter mishaps."
"I understand." Moskalenko, who was rejected by Sokov, knew that the tone he just spoke was a bit uncool and must have made the other party feel uncomfortable, so he quickly apologized and said: "Thank you for reminding me, then I will I won’t send anyone over to cause trouble. As for the detained people, I will order the troops to release them.”
"General Moskalenko, I would like to ask, where are my subordinates now?"
"They will be detained at my headquarters." Moskalenko thought that Sokov was raising troops to investigate, and quickly explained: "Don't worry, I will have them released immediately."
"General Moskalenko, if possible, I hope to speak to Second Lieutenant Herus, who is leading the team. He is a member of the security force of our army headquarters. He is responsible for this mission."
"Okay, okay." After learning that Sokov sent the men just to find the remains of a fallen commander, Moskalenko's tone became more polite: "I'll let Second Lieutenant Khrus speak to you right away. .”
A few minutes later, Herus's voice came from the receiver: "Comrade Commander, I am Herus."
"How was your mission?" Sokov asked tentatively: "Did you find the remains of the captain?"
"Not yet, Comrade Commander." Khrus sighed and said with some regret: "In three years, the terrain in many areas has changed. After we arrived at the defense fortification area in Vinnitsa, it took us a day to I spent a lot of time searching around, but I still couldn’t find the bunker that Aku held, let alone the scout captain who died nearby.”
Sokov was silent for a moment, then asked: "Then have you expanded the search scope? Since the Germans only discovered their bunker after occupying the entire defense fortification area, it shows the location of the bunker. It should be very remote.”
"You are right, Comrade Commander." Khrus replied: "We encountered the reconnaissance force of the 38th Group Army when we were expanding the search scope and continuing to search."
When Sokov heard this, he became very angry: "Second Lieutenant Herus, there are 12 of you, were you subdued so easily?"
"Comrade Commander, you can't blame us for this." Khrus said aggrievedly: "At that time, we were conducting scattered searches. Facing the opponent who suddenly appeared and had a numerical advantage, we had no time to make any reaction."
"Are any team members injured?"
"When Aku and two team members resisted, they were beaten with bruises and bruises. But they were all superficial injuries, nothing serious."
"Can the search continue?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Khrus remembered that the purpose of his visit this time was to find the remains of the captain. As long as he was still alive, the mission must continue: "We will continue to search."
"I wish you good luck!" Sokov finally said: "If it is inconvenient to bring the remains back, you can bury them on the spot and mark them. After this battle is over, I will send people to move the graves."
After Smirnov waited for Sokov to put down the phone, he immediately asked with concern: "Comrade Commander, what happened? Why did General Moskalenko call to accuse him?"
"It's just a misunderstanding." Sokov waved his hand to Smirnov and said: "When Lieutenant Khrus and the others were searching for the remains of the martyrs, they unfortunately encountered General Moskalenko's reconnaissance force and were all captured. And General Moskalenko called just to ask why I sent a reconnaissance team into the area where they were about to fight without notifying him."
"We don't know which troops our superiors will arrange to attack Vinnitsa," Smirnov said with some dissatisfaction after hearing this: "Don't say we didn't send people to conduct reconnaissance. Even if we did send people to conduct reconnaissance, there is no need to notify anyone."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov said with a wry smile: "Now we are a combat group with two armies under its control. If we are really interested in Vinnitsa, I am afraid that we can take the lead before the 38th Army takes action. Take the city. Don’t forget, the 237th Division, which originally belonged to him, is still the reserve force of the group army."
Smirnov heard what Sokov said and felt it made sense. In the last attack on Uman, Sokov's 53rd Army was ahead of the 38th Army and entered the city first. If Vinnitsa comes again, Moskalenko will definitely think that Sokov is deliberately targeting him, which may cause unnecessary trouble.
Sokov remembered that Ponejelin's newly occupied right bank position was being bombarded by the Germans. He certainly couldn't watch them being beaten passively and had to find a way to help them, so he asked Smirnov: "Yes?" Yes, where is General Tsarev?"
"He should still be sleeping in his room." Smirnov said in an uncertain tone: "How about I send someone to call him?"
"Hurry up." Unexpectedly, Sokov said smoothly: "We can't watch Ponejelin's troops being bombarded by the enemy and do nothing. We must use the existing firepower of the group army to attack the German artillery positions. Implement suppressive fire."
A few minutes later, a sleepy Tsarev came to the headquarters and asked Sokov in confusion: "Comrade Commander, do you have any instructions?"
"Comrade Artillery Commander," Sokov looked at him and said: "Now the newly occupied positions on the right bank are being hit by fierce German artillery fire. I order you to immediately use the artillery of the group army to fire on the German artillery positions. Suppress. How about it? Any questions?"
"No problem." Tsarev shook his head and said immediately: "But it will take half an hour at the earliest before we can suppress the German artillery positions."
"Can you hurry up?" Sokov said impatiently after listening to Tsarev's words: "I'm afraid the German artillery fire will stop firing in less than half an hour. How will you deal with them then?" Implement suppressive fire?"
"Comrade Commander, there is nothing we can do about this." Tsarev said with a grimace: "The artillery is still resting now. Even if I issue a battle alarm, they can be ready to fire within half an hour. It’s already very fast.”
Sokov knew that Tsarev was telling the truth, but he really couldn't wait half an hour, so he adopted a compromise method: "Comrade Artillery Commander, I will give you twenty minutes. When the time is up, the group army The artillery must fire on the German artillery positions and suppress them. Do you understand?"
