Red Moscow

"I hope that when the main force of the front army attracts the enemies in the city to fight outside the city, we will continue to develop the depth of the enemy's defense."

"Why?"

"The bridgehead we are building on the east bank of the Ude River... the landing field," Sokov originally wanted to say the bridgehead, but in the middle of the sentence, he remembered that the Soviet army did not have a bridgehead, and quickly changed his words to "landing field": "If we start from the landing field Advance in depth to the enemy's defense, the enemy will definitely mobilize heavy troops to intercept. The front of the landing field is too narrow. If there are too few troops for attack, it will be impossible to break through the enemy's defense; if there are too many troops, there will be problems that cannot be deployed. The area of ​​the troops, shelling or bombing, will cause huge casualties to our army."

"You are right. This is indeed the problem you are facing today." Zakharov felt that Sukov was right, so he asked curiously: "If the main force of the German army in the city is attracted by our front army During the decisive battle outside the city, can you launch a fierce attack on the enemy from the existing area?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, please rest assured that as long as the main force of the German army in the city is attracted by you, when we attack the frontal enemy, they will not be able to spare many troops to reinforce Kenf's combat group." Suo Cove said confidently: "I believe that with our strength, we can completely break through the enemy's defense on the Oud River."

"Hmm, I understand." Zakharov glanced at Konev, who was explaining the combat mission to his subordinates on the other side of the headquarters, and said to Sokov, "Comrade Sokov, I'm not going to lie to you." Said that our offensive troops were blocked by dense minefields laid by the Germans on the way forward, and their artillery continued to intercept our offensive direction with intensive artillery fire. Our advancing speed was very slow, almost every step forward , will have to pay dozens or even hundreds of casualties.”

Zakharov's words made Sokov feel extremely uncomfortable. He thought that when his troops attacked Jergachi, the casualties would be heavy enough, but he did not expect that the main force of the front army suffered even greater casualties.

Hearing that there was no sound in the microphone, Zakharov went on to say: "Comrade Sokov, don't worry, once we have made good progress here, I will notify you in time. Your main task now is to do Prepare for all battles, and when the main force of the enemy is attracted by us, launch an attack by surprise, and break through their defensive positions in the shortest possible time."

"Thank you, Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, thank you very much." Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Sokov quickly thanked Zakharov: "If we can successfully break through the German defense line and establish new achievements, among them You also have a share of the credit."

Sameko, who was standing next to Sokov, waited for Sokov to put down the phone, and immediately asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, when will the main force of the front army be able to attract the German army out of the city?"

Sokov turned his head to look at Sameko, and asked with a smile, "Why, Comrade Chief of Staff, can't you wait now?"

"No," Sameko did not hide his point of view, "According to my idea, after our troops occupy the bridge over the Ude River, they should break through the German army's barrier in the western suburbs of Kharkov as quickly as possible." Defensive positions, then rush straight into the city to fight the enemy to the death."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, I think it is necessary to remind you that General Konev's battle plan is to attract the enemies in the city and then wipe out most of them outside the city." Sokov said to Sameko: " When our army enters the city, the street fighting with the enemy will not be too tragic."

Hearing what Sokov said, Sameko immediately realized that the reason why Sokov temporarily changed his strategy and did not send troops to attack the city immediately was because he did not want to engage in street fighting with the enemy in the city.

Sameko, who has participated in many battles, naturally knows the brutality of street fighting. At the beginning Paulus' troops broke into Stalingrad, but they never managed to occupy the city because the Soviet army used the buildings in the city to carry out street fighting, which made it difficult for the German army, which had superior strength and equipment, to exert its true strength. .

"Comrade Commander, are you worried that after our troops storm into the city, they will have to engage in street fighting with the enemy?"

"That's right," Sokov said without concealing his point of view: "Street fighting is not only a war of attrition, but also destroys factories and schools in the city, and even causes a large number of casualties among residents. Therefore, I feel that General Konev It is undoubtedly the most correct way to attract the enemy's main force to fight outside the city, and then rush into the city after consuming a lot of their vitality. Weaken."

Sokov's words gave Sameko a new idea: "Comrade commander, do you think we can take the initiative to attack the enemy and force them to transfer their troops from the city to fight with us?"

Regarding Sameko's statement, Sokov asked noncommittally: "From the current situation, the German army has formed a circular encirclement on our landing field on the east bank of the Ude River. How do you plan to break through the enemy's encirclement? And draw the enemies out of the city?"

Sameko thought for a long time, and finally made up his mind: "I think we can take a surprise operation, let the troops break through the enemy's defensive positions under the cover of artillery fire, and attract the enemy to attack us."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, when I spoke with General Zakharov just now, you must have heard something." Sokov said with a serious expression: "The landing field we have established today is facing the narrow front. The troops invested in the attack If it is too small, it will be impossible to break through the enemy's position; if it uses too much force, it will not be able to deploy, and on the contrary, it may be bombarded or bombed by the enemy, causing unnecessary sacrifices."

After hearing Sokov's words, Sameko's expression became serious: "Comrade Commander, what should we do? Should we just go on stalemate with the enemy like this?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, our troops have already established a landing field on the east bank. Is it just to stand in a stalemate with the enemy?" Sokov smiled lightly, tapped twice on the table with his finger, and then said: "We You can use the 296th Guards Regiment to attract the enemy, and send other troops to attack the enemy from other areas."

"Other areas?" Sameko asked instinctively when he heard this: "Comrade commander, where do you plan to attack the enemy?"

"Here." Sokov pointed to a position on the table, and said to Sameko: "According to reconnaissance, the enemy's defense in this area is the weakest, and we can launch an attack from this position."

Sameko looked at the direction of Sokov's finger, then shook his head and said with a wry smile: "Comrade Commander, the area you mentioned has a river width of about 600 meters. , I am afraid that there will still be huge casualties.”

"That's right, if we use ordinary river-crossing equipment to cross the river, we will definitely suffer huge casualties." Sokov asked with a smile: "But what if we use Colonel Yakov's hovercraft troops?"

"Where is the hovercraft unit?" Sameko's eyes lit up first, and then the light in his eyes dimmed: "Comrade Commander, our scouts have conducted reconnaissance on the positions along the Oude River, and found that the enemy is not only on the shore Minefields were set up, tripods were set up, and barbed wire was pulled up. I don’t think we will be able to easily send troops in front of the enemy’s positions with hovercraft like we liberated Belgorod.”

"The enemy has only laid mines and arranged obstacles in some important areas." Sokov said to Sameko: "The area I chose, because the river is wide, the enemy does not think that we will carry out forced crossings from here, so The number of troops deployed is limited. We only need to cross the river first to seize the enemy's position, and then use the hovercraft to transport the rest of the troops to the opposite bank."

Sameko stared at the map on the table for a while, then looked up at Sokov and asked tentatively, "Comrade Commander, is it possible?"

"I think it will work."

"Then I will call Colonel Yakov and ask him to come here immediately. We will also discuss with him about transporting troops across the river by hovercraft."

"Chief of staff, when you call, ask the chief engineer to come over as well. I have important tasks to assign to him."

Although Sameko didn't know the purpose of Sokov calling the Chief of Engineers to come over, he still faithfully carried out the order given by the other party and informed the Chief of Engineers to rush to the Army Group Headquarters as soon as possible.

While waiting for Yakov and the chief of the engineering corps, Sokov asked Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, which of our troops is the closest to the river crossing?"

"Major General Gritsenko's 384th Infantry Division." Sameko replied: "Except for the regiment that assisted the 182nd Division's attack, it is still staying in and around Dergach, and the other two regiments are moving to the designated places. Woolen cloth."

"Chief of Staff, where is the designated place you mentioned?"

Sameko pointed to the location of the bridge with his hand and said, "According to the original plan, they should rush to the vicinity of the bridge and make all preparations for the attack."

"There is no need for them to go there now." Sokov waved his hand at Sameko and said, "Contact Major General Gritsenko immediately and order his troops to change the marching direction and move towards the crossing point. Remember, be sure to tell him Pay attention to concealment, don't be discovered by the enemy's reconnaissance plane, otherwise our sneak attack tonight will become a strong attack."

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander, I will definitely tell Major General Gritsenko."

When the two had considered the details, Yakov and the director of the engineering corps walked into the headquarters one after the other.

Sokov and Yakov exchanged a few simple greetings, then called him to the table, pointed to the map on it and said to him: "Yasha, I am going to carry out a daring mission tonight. Your troops assist." He clicked on the location where the forced crossing was to be carried out, "The forced crossing is here."

Yakov looked at the position of Sokov's finger and questioned: "Misha, I think the location you chose should be the widest location on the Oud River. Why did you choose this place?"

"That's right, this is indeed the widest area on the entire Oud River." Sokov said with a serious expression: "Because of this, the enemy thinks that we will definitely not choose this area to cross the river, because their defense here is the most comprehensive. Weak."

"What is our mission?" Yakov asked briefly.

"It's still the same as when we attacked Belgorod. First use the hovercraft to send the commandos to the front of the enemy's position. While they are fighting the enemy, you return to the west bank and transport the remaining troops to the opposite bank."

"Misha," Yakov asked as he stood up straight and looked at Sokov, "How many troops do you need me to transport to the east bank?"

"Not many, at most the commanders and fighters of two regiments and the equipment they carry."

After thinking for a while, Yakov nodded and said, "If there are only two regiments and the weapons they carry, then there is no big problem. I wonder when you are going to start the operation?"

"tonight."

After discussing with Yakov about the use of hovercraft to transport troops, Sokov turned to the engineering director who was standing aside, and said to him: "Comrade engineer, if I want to order you to build two pontoon bridges on the Oud River, How much time do you need?"

Hearing Sokov's question, the director of the engineering corps naturally connected the fact that Sokov arranged for him to build the pontoon bridge with the forced crossing of the troops: "Comrade commander, is the bridge built at the place where the assault troops forcibly crossed the Ude River?" ? If the bridge is built here, I think it will take a whole night at the fastest..."

"Comrade Chief Engineer, you made a mistake." Before the other party finished speaking, Sokov interrupted him: "I didn't want you to build a bridge in this area."

"Not here to build a bridge?" Sokov's words surprised the director of the engineering corps, and he asked in amazement: "Then where do you want us to build a bridge?"

"Here," Sokov said, pointing to the bridge over the river occupied by the 98th Guards Division: "You build a pontoon bridge on both sides of the bridge over the Oud River so that our troops can pass as quickly as possible. "

The director of the engineering corps was aware of Sokov's intention to build a bridge. If there was only one bridge, congestion would inevitably occur when large troops crossed the river. There will be rivers of blood. He collected himself and asked, "Comrade Commander, when will we start building the bridge?"

Sokov knows that building bridges on the battlefield is not like building bridges in games. As long as you have enough money and materials, you only need to click a few times with the mouse, and the bridge will be built. Building a bridge not only takes a lot of time, but also needs to prepare a lot of bridge-building equipment in advance, so he said to the director of engineering: "It can be as fast as a day or two, and the slowest is no more than three days. The troops of our army will go to Harko Husband launched a general attack. You first hurry up and prepare the equipment for the bridge, and immediately erect the pontoon bridge on the Oud River after receiving my notice."

"Okay, Comrade Commander." Although Sokov's disease did not specify the specific attack time, the engineering director knew that the matter was urgent, and quickly straightened his back and replied, "I will immediately arrange for the equipment needed for bridge construction. "