Red Moscow

"Lunev, I think I should make this call myself." Sokov thought for a moment, and decided to call Konev himself so that he can take good care of his future team: "I will give him Making this phone call is more sincere."

"Okay, Misha. Then you will call General Konev yourself." Seeing that Sokov had made a decision, Lunev did not object, but said rather cooperatively: "Then you and I'll go back to the office, where the phone can speak directly to General Konev."

In fact, even if Lunev didn't say anything, Sokov planned to go to him to call Konev. Besides, I'm afraid he couldn't find a phone number to get in touch with Konev anywhere he could go.

Sokov followed Lunev back to the office. Lunev first asked Sokov to sit down, picked up the high-frequency phone on the table, dialed a number and said, "Is it the switchboard? I am Deputy Minister Lunev." , please help me connect to the Ukrainian Second Front Army Command, find General Konev, and tell me that there is something important."

Lunev put down the phone, walked to the sofa next to Sokov and sat down, and said apologetically, "Misha, I'm so sorry, I thought your temporary headquarters could go to Belarus, but I didn't expect Marshal Zhukov to come here. There are some problems that make this plan impossible to implement.”

"It's okay, Lunev, this is not your responsibility." Before Sokov came to Lubyanka, he had already figured it out in his heart. In the next Battle of Cherkasy, Konev's troops will achieve great results , If you send your temporary headquarters to the area, you can gain more valuable actual combat experience: "I think it would be a good choice for them to go to General Konev, after all, my troops have fought in that area. "

"Misha, it's not your army." Lunev corrected Sokov after hearing this: "It's our army. You know, I was your military commissar until you were wounded and returned to Moscow."

"Yes, yes, Lunev, you are right." Sokov said a little embarrassedly: "If you don't remind me, I will forget that you are still my military commissar."

"You, you." Lunev nodded to Sokov with his hands, and said a little bit dumbfoundingly: "I don't even know what to say about you."

Before Sokov could speak, the phone on the desk rang. Lunev walked over and picked up the phone and put it close to his ear: "I'm Lunev! ... The Ukrainian Second Front Command is connected? ... Well, put the call in."

Sokov heard that the call to Konev's headquarters had been connected, so he couldn't help leaning forward slightly, intending to get up to answer the call. I only heard Lunev smile into the microphone and said: "Is it General Konev? I am Lunev, how are you doing recently? ... I am fine, thank you for your concern. ... It is like this, Sokov at this moment Just in my office, he has something to talk to you personally, do you think it is convenient for you now?"

Soon, Lunev passed the microphone to Sokov: "Misha, General Konev wants to talk to you!"

Sokov stood up supporting his body with a cane, limped to the desk, took the microphone in Lunev's hand, and said in his ear: "Hello, Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I am Sokov."

"Comrade Sokov, hello!" Konev's familiar voice came from the receiver, and he asked kindly: "How is your injury? When will you be discharged from the hospital?"

"I've already been discharged from the hospital." Sokov said, "Now that my superiors have arranged for me to study at the Frunze Military Academy, I'm afraid it will take half a year before I have the chance to return to the front line."

"Comrade Sokov, you used to be my subordinate. I know your abilities very well." Konev learned that Sokov would not have the chance until he finished his studies at the Frunze Military Academy. Returning to the front line, although he felt a little disappointed, he still took the initiative to throw an olive branch to Sokov; "I wonder if you will consider the troops under my command when you have the opportunity to return to the front line?"

"Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I certainly hope to return to your army again. After all, I have fought arduously against the Germans under your leadership." Sukov said: "I believe that under your leadership , and more victories will be achieved."

Sokov's rainbow fart made Konev feel very comfortable. However, he still said with some regret: "Unfortunately, you have to wait for a long time before you can return to the front line."

"Comrade Front Army Commander, although I can't return to the front line for the time being, I would like to ask you to do me a favor."

"What help?"

"It's like this. Not long ago, I just finished the training course for intermediate commanders." Sokov explained to Konev: "Under the instruction of Marshal Zhukov, I sent 59 students in the class except me , have been incorporated into a newly formed temporary command. In order to quickly complete the running-in of this temporary command and accumulate valuable combat and command experience, I want them to go to you. I don’t know what you want?"

Regarding Sokov's request, Konev couldn't help but secretly rejoice. He knew very well in his heart that the middle-level commander training class trained only regiment-level cadres. If the team formed by Sokov could come to his own troops, it would bring him unexpected benefits.

After figuring this out, Konev was just about to agree, when he suddenly remembered a key question, and asked again: "Comrade Sokov, I would like to ask, who is in charge of this temporary headquarters?"

"In order to better manage this team, I also formed an advisory group." Considering the special identities of Ponedelin and others, Sokov said cautiously: "Ponedelin, Muzichenko An advisory group consisting of three people, Kirillov and Kirillov, will manage the entire team."

After hearing this, Konev was a little surprised and said, "Oh, so you planned to let Ponegerin manage this team."

"That's right, Comrade Commander of the Front Army, that's how I think about it." Seeing that Konev didn't comment, Sokov couldn't help feeling guilty: "Do you think there is anything wrong?"

"No, I think it's quite appropriate. On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the Ukrainian Second Front Army, I welcome your interim headquarters to join us in the battle." Konev expressed his willingness to accept Sokov's team, and then asked : "Which group army do you think it is more appropriate to assign them to?"

"Needless to say, it must be General Managarov's 53rd Army." Sokov replied without hesitation, "I and the 53rd Army once fought side by side when defending Kremenchug. I believe that the members of the interim command will definitely accumulate rich command experience after they go to that unit."

"Comrade Sokov, you may not know that the commander of the 53rd Army is no longer Lieutenant General Managarov, but the newly appointed Major General Tarasov."

Knowing that Managarov was no longer the commander of the 53rd Army, Sokov felt a little disappointed. He then asked, "What about the chief of staff? Is he still Major General Derevyanko?"

"No, he was transferred with General Managarov."

The reason why Sokov chose the 53rd Army was because the Germans broke through from the area defended by the 53rd Army in the later period of the Cherkasy Battle. He felt that it would be more beneficial for the students to put his temporary headquarters here. Accumulate valuable command experience.

Now that he heard that the commander and chief of staff of the 53rd Army had been transferred away, Sokov could not help but feel a little shaken. If there were no acquaintances there to take care of him, his team would inevitably have been excluded or even marginalized in the past. It violated my original intention.

Seeing Sokov's delay in speaking, Konev became a little impatient: "Comrade Sokov, are you still there? Why don't you speak?"

Sokov sighed softly, and asked tentatively: "Then may I ask, who is the chief of staff of the current army group?"

"It's Major General Smirnov." Konev might feel that Sokov didn't know him, so he took the initiative to introduce: "At the beginning of the war, he was the head of the Podolsk Infantry Academy, and later he served in many He served in the army. Before you were wounded, he was the deputy chief of staff of the 53rd Army."

When he learned that the current chief of staff of the 53rd Army was actually Smirnov, Sokov felt a lot more at ease. He still has a good impression of this elderly general. At the beginning of the war, he led the poorly equipped student soldiers, which effectively slowed down the speed of the German army's advance to Moscow, and bought precious time for the command to build a defense line in the rear. . In addition, he was an old acquaintance with Bornejelin and others, and after the members of the interim headquarters passed by, they would definitely receive special care from him.

"It turned out to be General Smirnov." Sokov said in a relaxed tone: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I have dealt with him before. He is an excellent commander with a spirit of bravery. I believe that the interim commander After the troops go to the 53rd Army, it will definitely achieve the expected goal."

Konev naturally didn't know what Sokov was thinking. Now his troops and Vatutin's troops were besieging the German army in the Cherkasy area, and a large number of commanders were urgently needed to replenish the troops. Now that Sokov has sent a temporary headquarters composed of dozens of students, it is undoubtedly a timely help.

"Comrade Sokov, when will the members of your interim headquarters arrive?"

Sokov did not immediately give Konev an affirmative answer, but asked instead: "When do you expect them to arrive?"

"Of course, the sooner the better." Konev did not hide his true thoughts: "Comrade Sokov, I plan to wait for your team to arrive, and leave some of your team as staff officers at the Front Army Command, and the rest will arrive The 53rd Group Army serves as regiment-level commander."

"Let some of them serve as regimental commanders?" Sokov heard Konev say this, and he couldn't help but feel a little worried about gains and losses: "If these trainees who serve as regimental commanders suffer casualties during the battle, then It means that there will be a shortage of staff in my future headquarters."

"War, where there are no immortals." Konev said to Sokov: "The best way to let them accumulate rich command experience in a short period of time is to let these students go to the army. Serve as a regiment-level or deputy regiment-level commander, and fight the enemy with real swords and guns."

Perhaps because he was worried that Sokov would regard these trainees as treasures and was unwilling to send them to dangerous places, Konev added: "Comrade Sokov, but don't worry. As the battlefield situation is moving towards our army's With the development of the direction, the number of injuries or even sacrifices of regiment-level commanders has been gradually reduced. I believe that even if these trainees are added to the army, when you return to the front line, many people will survive. An excellent commander with a lot of experience."

Konev's words convinced Sokov, and he let go of his worries. After thinking for a while, he said into the microphone: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I will explain to the students tomorrow, and then I can arrange for them to leave. I think they will arrive at your headquarters in three days at most."

Early the next morning, Sokov arrived at the academy in Koshkin's car.

When getting out of the car, Sokov said to Koshkin: "Lieutenant Koshkin, I won't use the car for the time being, please go to Khimki Town to pick up Asya back."

"Okay, Comrade General." Koshkin readily agreed to Sokov's request, and then asked: "After I bring Asya back, do I need to come here to pick you up?"

Sokov thought about it in his heart. From here to Khimki, it takes about two hours to go back and forth. He can completely explain the next work to Ponejielin and others during this time. , then nodded and said: "Okay, Lieutenant Koshkin, after you pick up Asiya, please come to the academy to pick me up."

After Koshkin drove away, Sokov limped into the classroom with a cane.

At this moment, Ponegerin was speaking to the students in the classroom. When he saw Sokov coming in, he had a surprised expression on his face: "General Sokov, shouldn't you rest at home these days? What are you doing here?"

"Major Pornegerin." In front of many students, Sokov did not call him a general anymore, but called him by his current military rank: "I came here today because I have an important matter to convey to Announcement to all."

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Sokov coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and continued: "According to the original plan, you will be sent to To General Rokossovsky's Belarusian Front. But I was notified yesterday that you can no longer go to the Belarusian Front."

As soon as Sokov finished speaking, the whole classroom exploded like a red-hot iron pot sprinkled with a handful of salt.

"What happened, why didn't we go to the Belarusian Front?"

"Yes, we are sitting here to participate in the new training, just to go to the Belarusian Front Army. How can we say no now and not go?"

Facing the turmoil of the students, Sokov did not speak, but just stared at everyone quietly, preparing to announce a new decision after the classroom quieted down.

Seeing the chaos in the classroom, Ponegerin hurriedly shouted: "Comrades, please be quiet! Comrades, please be quiet!"

After the classroom was quiet for a while, he continued to speak loudly: "Don't forget, you are all regimental commanders, and you are as noisy as vendors in the market. What do you look like?"

The words of Ponegerin completely silenced the classroom. Seeing that the time was ripe, Sokov said: "Students, I spoke with General Konev yesterday, and he agreed to let you go to the Ukrainian Second Front Army. They are fighting fiercely with the German army. When you get there, you can fight against the German army. In a very short period of time, he has accumulated rich and valuable command experience."

"When can we leave?" Ponegerin, who was standing aside, asked on behalf of all the students.

"Leave today." Sokov turned to Ponejielin and asked, "How long will it take for the interim headquarters to prepare?"