Red Moscow

After waiting for the other party to finish speaking, Sokov said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, let me ask you a question first."

"Comrade Commander, if you have any questions, just ask."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, do you think it is possible for the enemy to rush into our army's defense zone? Or, do they have the ability to rush to our place?"

"It's hard to say, Comrade Commander." Sameko said in an ambiguous tone: "Facing the enemy's attack, our army will resist tenaciously."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, what I want to hear is the truth, not such stereotypes." Sokov worried about Sameko's concerns, so he said tactfully: "We are just discussing a possibility in private as friends. .”

"I don't think the possibility of what you said is very big." After Sameko said this, without waiting for Sokov to ask again, he continued: "Our army's current defense zone is east of Moscow. In front, there are four units of the Voronezh Front, the Southwest Front, the Western Front and the Central Front, with a total strength of nearly two million. If the Germans really rushed to us, it would be unless Moscow fell..."

As soon as Sameko said this, he immediately realized that he had made a slip of the tongue, and hurriedly grasped it left and right, and found that the communication soldiers and combat staff officers were at the other end of the room, and they should not be able to hear him speaking, so he couldn't help but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're right." Sokov nodded, and said in an affirmative tone: "After the Battle of Stalingrad, the strength of the Germans has been greatly weakened. They can't break through the defense of our two million troops. Let alone occupying the whole of Moscow. Therefore, the possibility of them rushing here is basically zero."

Sokov's words made Sameko a little confused. He asked puzzledly, "Comrade Commander, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"My meaning is very simple. Is it necessary to build the fortifications that the superior ordered us to build?"

Sameko thought for a while and replied: "If the Germans really can't rush here, then we don't have to build any fortifications at all. After all, these tasks will waste a lot of manpower and material resources."

"I also think about it in the same way." Although Sokov's proposal hit a wall in front of Konev, after repeated thinking, he still felt that there was really no need to do such a waste of time and money, so he told Samee Coe said: "I plan to let the troops only dig a few trenches, and there is no need to repair those solid defense fortifications."

Sokov's words startled Sameko, and he asked nervously, "Comrade commander, we did this in flagrant violation of the orders of our superiors. If the higher-ups pursue it, no one will be able to bear the responsibility."

"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." Seeing Sameko's appearance of being afraid of wolves and tigers, Sokov comforted him and said, "I am the commander of the group army. Since I made the decision, if the superior wants to blame If so, I will bear all the responsibilities.”

Sokov was thinking in his heart, instead of wasting so much manpower and material resources to build fortifications that are not useful at all, it is better to concentrate on training so that the troops can form combat effectiveness as soon as possible. Moreover, the construction of a large number of fortifications will definitely destroy the original terrain, so that the armored troops will not be able to move freely.

Thinking of the armored units, Sokov couldn't help but feel moved, and then asked Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do we have armored units in our army?"

"Yes, General Poluboyarov's 4th Guards Tank Army." Sameko introduced to Sokov: "This tank unit was formed in June 1942, and its original designation was the 17th Tank Army. , but because of their bravery and tenacity in battle, as well as the results they achieved, they were awarded the new designation of the 4th Guards Tank Army in January this year."

Hearing that there was General Poluboyarov's 4th Guards Tank Corps in his army, Sokov couldn't help but shine. Although he was not familiar with the tank commander, he remembered that the tank army would be in the future. In the Battle of Berlin, he was the first to rush into the city of Berlin. I didn't expect that this heroic army would actually become his subordinate at this moment. This was really an unexpected surprise.

Sokov quickly asked Sameko: "Chief of Staff, can you call General Poluboyarov and ask him to come to the headquarters? I want to have a good talk with him."

"No problem." Since Sokov is the commander of the group army, it is natural for him to talk to the commander or division commander inside the group army, so Sameko replied readily: "I will call him immediately. , ordered him to come over as soon as possible."

Sokov waited for Sameko to finish the call, and then continued: "Comrade Chief of Staff, when I came to take office this time, I not only brought a guard company of more than 200 people, but also brought 40 people with rich experience. A commander with combat experience. Now they are waiting outside, please send someone to settle them."

Knowing that Sokov brought forty experienced commanders, Sameko couldn't help being overjoyed. He said repeatedly: "Comrade Commander, that's great. A large number of officers with command experience are needed, starting from battalion and company commanders."

Sokov knew very well in his heart that each of the forty officers he brought with him could be a good battalion or company commander, or even a regiment commander. However, when he first arrived, he hastily placed positions for them, which might cause everyone's misunderstanding, so he asked Sameko to arrange the people first, and after he became familiar with the division commanders, he would find a way to place these people in the divisions. To serve as battalion commander.

Sameko was very efficient in handling affairs. He called two staff officers and told them: "You two are responsible for arranging the officers brought by Comrade Commander and the guard company. Make sure they live well and eat well. ,Understand?"

"Understood, Comrade Chief of Staff." The two staff officers replied in unison.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov said to Sameko after the two staff officers who received the order left, "There is one more thing that I think I need to discuss with you."

"Comrade Commander, what's the matter?"

"Is Koski's defense here a bit too lax?" Sokov reminded the other party: "When I went to see the commander of the front army, the convoy was stopped by the checkpoint before it entered the town. For the security of the headquarters, foreign vehicles are not allowed to enter the town until they are authorized.

"And what about us?" Sokov said a little displeased: "My convoy was not questioned when it entered the town, and I didn't even see any patrols along the way. Just imagine, if our convoy was disguised by the German army , Couldn't they rush to the door of the headquarters in one breath, and then directly take down the entire headquarters?"