Red Moscow

The ringing of the phone in the headquarters woke up Sokov who had just fallen asleep.

Before he could sit up from the camp bed, Sameko, who was sleeping on the table, grabbed the microphone first: "I'm Sameko, where are you?...What? What did you say?...Say it again?"

From the serious expression on Sameko's face, Sokov guessed that something major might have happened. Quickly turned over and got out of bed, put on his military coat and walked towards Sameko: "Chief of Staff, what happened?"

Sameko quickly covered the phone with his hand, turned to Sokov and said, "Comrade Commander, the call is from Colonel Koida, the commander of the 188th Infantry Division. He said that the enemy opposite them seems to have moved."

"Is there a change?" Sokov's first thought was whether the enemy would take advantage of the night to counterattack, so he quickly asked, "Is the enemy planning to attack them?"

"No." Sameko said, shaking his head. "He said the enemy seemed to be retreating."

"Retreat?" Sokov couldn't believe his ears. The Germans were actually retreating, and they were retreating in the middle of the night. This was too unreasonable. "Comrade Chief of Staff, did you hear clearly, what Colonel Koyda said is that the enemy is retreating?"

"That's right, that's what he said." Probably to convince Sokov, he also took the initiative to hand over the microphone: "You can ask him yourself."

In order to find out what was going on, Sokov quickly took the microphone and asked bluntly, "Colonel Koida, I'm Sokov. What's going on? Is the enemy really retreating?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander, according to the information I have obtained, the enemy is withdrawing from their defensive positions in an orderly manner." Kuida guessed that Sokov would definitely ask about the source of the information, and said without waiting for him to ask. : "This was reported to me by Lieutenant Colonel Majwo of the 562nd Regiment. He saw the enemy withdraw from the barricade with his own eyes."

"I see, Comrade Colonel." Sokov couldn't understand why the Germans chose to retreat at night. Not only was it easy to cause chaos everywhere, but the transfer of tanks and artillery was also a big problem. In order to find out what was going on, he ordered Koida: "Send people immediately to conduct reconnaissance and find out what the hell the Germans are doing?"

"Comrade Commander," Keida replied respectfully, "I have dispatched scouts to carry out reconnaissance on the enemy. I believe it will not be long before I can get accurate information back."

Before Sokov could speak, the high-frequency phone next to him rang, and Sameko quickly picked up the receiver: "I am Major General Sameko, where are you? ... Hello, General Zakharov, may I ask you Calling so late, do you have any instructions?...Okay, I will report to Commander Sokov as soon as possible..."

Sokov heard that Sameko mentioned his name when he was on the phone with Zakharov, and realized that his superiors might have some important notice, so he quickly spoke to Koida: "Colonel Koida, once If the scouts have any information, remember to report to me as soon as possible."

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Keida replied loudly.

When Sokov hung up the phone, he found that Sameko had also ended the call with Zakharov, and asked anxiously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, General Zakharov called, did you say what it is?"

"General Zakharov said that the enemy has moved in the northwest and north of the city and may launch a counterattack against our army overnight." Sameko reported to Sokov: "The Front Army Command ordered us to be more vigilant to prevent the Germans from attacking us." possible counterattacks."

Sokov frowned: "Colonel Keida reported to me that the enemy was retreating; but the Front Army Command informed me that the enemy might attack us overnight. Which information is true?"

"Comrade Commander," Seeing Sokov's embarrassed face, Sameko said quickly, "I think the information from the Front Army Command should be accurate. Since they said that the enemy might attack us overnight, should we Inform the troops below to prepare for battle so as not to be caught off guard by the enemy?"

"It is necessary to be prepared for battle." Sokov said thoughtfully: "But it should not be defense, but offense."

"It's not defense, but offense?" Sameko said in surprise, "Comrade Commander, don't you believe the information provided to us by the Front Command?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, as a senior commander, we cannot blindly trust the information provided by our superiors, we must also verify it." Sokov said righteously: "Whether the enemy wants to attack or retreat, they will definitely not Only in one place, I think we need to contact other troops to find out what the enemy on the other side of them is doing."

With that said, Sokov connected Chuvashov's headquarters and asked straight to the point: "Comrade Colonel, did I disturb your sleep?"

"No, Comrade Commander." Chuvashov quickly replied: "I was already lying down, but the commander of the first battalion, Major Shamrich, called me and said that there seemed to be something wrong with the enemy opposite them."

"Oh, something's wrong." Sokov asked, "What's wrong."

"It stands to reason that after we seize the enemy's position, the enemy will definitely increase its troops overnight in order to prevent us from expanding the results of the battle." Chuvashov reported on the phone: "But according to Major Shamrich's report, their scouts It was found that the enemy not only did not increase its troops, but showed signs of transferring troops away."

"Comrade Colonel, are you sure the enemy is moving their troops away?"

"Comrade Commander, I'm still not sure about this." Chuvashov said cautiously: "So I ordered Major Shamrih to send scouts again to scout the enemy and find out what their real intentions are. "

"If you have any news, report to me immediately."

After putting down the microphone, Sokov said to Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, it seems that my judgment is correct. Not only will the enemy not carry out night attacks on us, on the contrary, they seem to plan to use the cover of night to withdraw troops." out of Belgorod."

Although the information obtained from the two sources indicated that the German army was using the night to cover their retreat, but out of caution, Sokov could not easily report the matter. After all, Zakharov had just warned himself not long ago that the enemy might launch a night attack. In such a short period of time, he directly told Zakharov that the enemy was not preparing to attack, but was preparing to retreat. Isn't this tantamount to questioning the authority of the Front Army Command and slapping Konev in the face? !

Therefore, before the official report, Sokov decided to find out the real situation, so he called several other division commanders in succession to understand their positive situation so as to make a correct judgment.

After Sameko made the phone call, he reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I have called the commanders of the other three divisions. Except for the Gritsenko division in the north, the rest of the divisions have found the opposite side. The enemy has changed, it doesn't look like it is preparing to attack, but on the contrary it looks like it is preparing to retreat."

"Comrade Chief of Staff," according to the summary of the various units, Sokov can basically determine that the Germans want to break through the Soviet defense at night and retreat south to Kharkov, which has a better defense system: "The matter It has become very clear that the enemy's actions are not intended to carry out a night attack on our army, but to use the cover of night to quietly leave Belgorod.

If the news is true, I think we should report to the front army headquarters immediately, so that they can adjust the combat deployment in time, so as not to be escaped by the enemy. "

Seeing Sokov reaching out to grab the microphone, Sameko quickly grabbed his hand and said nervously, "Comrade Commander, I think we'd better wait."

"Wait any longer?" Sokov said angrily, "What are you waiting for?"

"Wait for the reconnaissance report from the 188th Infantry Division." Sameko gritted his teeth and said, "If Colonel Koida's report still means that the enemy is preparing to retreat, we need to pursue the enemy. Now The commanders of the divisions should be notified immediately to prepare for battle, and once the order to attack is received, they should immediately launch an attack on the retreating German troops."

"Okay." Sokov felt that Sameko's words made sense, so he nodded and said, "Then we will continue to wait for the reconnaissance report from the 188th Division, and at the same time issue combat orders to each unit, so that they can act at any time." Ready to strike."

Koyda's reconnaissance report did not wait, but Zhukov's call came.

Zhukov asked on the phone: "Misha, how is the situation there? Is the enemy going to attack?"

"Comrade Marshal," since it was Zhukov who called, Sokov felt that it was necessary to report the actual situation to him: "Although the enemy on the opposite side of our army's defense line has changed, I feel that they are not planning to attack us. , but intend to quietly withdraw from Belgorod under the cover of night."

"What, what did you say? The enemy will not attack us overnight, but is planning to use the cover of night to quietly withdraw from Belgorod?" Zhukov said unhappily, "How can you make such a ridiculous guess? "

"Comrade Marshal, I don't think my guess is absurd at all." Sokov knew very well in his heart that if he wanted to convince Zhukov, he had to present real evidence, otherwise he would not easily believe his own words: "I am in the city. Four infantry divisions, two marine brigades and one infantry brigade, except for the enemy on the opposite side of one division's defense area, the enemy in the rest of the area has abnormal behavior."

"Abnormal performance?" Zhukov asked curiously, "What is abnormal?"

"If we want to attack, then the enemy will definitely move troops from other areas. How can we take away the troops at the junction of the two armies?" Sokov said with confidence: "Based on this, I think the enemy may use the night under cover, quietly withdrew from Belgorod."

"Misha, don't you think your guess is too absurd?" Zhukov curled his lips and said to Sokov, "There are at least tens of thousands of enemies in the city. Not high, they will inevitably be in chaos during the retreat, and once they are attacked by us, they are in danger of being wiped out."

Sokov knew that without accurate information, he would not be able to convince Zhukov completely, so he could only say euphemistically: "Comrade Marshal, I just heard a report from my subordinates that the enemy seems to be planning to retreat. I also think this is not realistic. .But now it seems that my judgment should not be wrong."

Fortunately, Zhukov is not a person who does not listen to different opinions. After listening to Sukov's words, he thought for a long time, and finally said, "Then what measures did you take?"

"I ordered all divisions and brigades to send scouts to conduct reconnaissance on the enemy in front of them to find out the enemy's true intentions." Sukov replied: "At the same time, I ordered all troops to prepare for combat. Once it is confirmed that the enemy is When retreating, immediately launch an attack on the enemy, absolutely not allowing them to withdraw from Belgorod easily."

"Misha, you are very thoughtful." Zhukov approved of Sokov's statement: "If you have any reconnaissance results, report them to me immediately."

After finishing the conversation with Sokov, Zhukov thought for a while holding the microphone, and then said to Vatutin: "Comrade Vatutin, have you sent scouts to scout the enemies in Belgorod?"

"No, Comrade Marshal." Vatutin replied truthfully: "I think the battle is about to start, and there is no need to send scouts to carry out reconnaissance."

"Why don't you send scouts to find out the intentions of the Germans?" Zhukov frowned and said, "Now the order you give to the troops is to prepare to meet the enemy's counterattack. But have you ever thought that the enemy on the opposite side of your defensive position The enemy has changed, maybe it is not to attack, but to retreat? If you give the wrong order to the troops before you understand the situation, maybe the enemy that could have been eliminated by us may take advantage of the darkness Slip out of Belgorod?"

"No way, Comrade Marshal." Vatutin said in surprise: "The enemy still has tens of thousands of people in the city, and they are fully capable of sustaining it for a period of time. How could it be possible that the battle lasted only one day, and the enemy would secretly retreat in the dark Comrade Marshal, I think that Major General Sokov may have instilled wrong information into you."

"I think his analysis is very reasonable." Zhukov now thinks that Sokov's analysis is very close to the actual situation, and he didn't talk nonsense with Vatugin, but said to him in a commanding tone: "Vatugin Comrade Tujing, immediately mobilize capable scouts to conduct reconnaissance on the enemy in front, and figure out what the enemy is trying to do."

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Vatutin was very dissatisfied with Zhukov's order, but Zhukov's military rank and position were higher than his own, and he could only unconditionally execute the order issued by the other party: " I will immediately notify the reconnaissance department and ask them to dispatch capable scouts as soon as possible to carry out reconnaissance on the enemy."

But before Vatutin's scouts were dispatched, Sokov's call came first.

Hearing that Sokov said on the phone that he wanted to find Zhukov, Vatutin didn't dare to make things difficult for him, and directly handed the phone to Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, this is Major General Sokov's call, and he is probably reporting the reconnaissance information to you. .”

Zhukov took the microphone and asked in a deep voice, "Misha, how is the situation, have you figured it out?"

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Sokov said hastily on the phone: "According to the scout's report, the enemy is moving south of the city in an orderly manner, except for a small number of troops left to stand at the junction of the enemy's position. Transfer, it looks like the enemy is about to slip away."

Sokov's report made Zhukov realize that the enemy was really retreating overnight, and he couldn't wait to ask, "Have you reported this situation to General Konev?"

"Comrade Marshal, while I am calling you, my chief of staff, Major General Sameko, is reporting the latest reconnaissance information to the commander of the front army."