Red Moscow

Since the end of the battle, Ponegelin's battle group has automatically disbanded. After handing over the command of the 41st Guards Division to Colonel Sidolin, Chief of Staff, he returned to Otatz. After receiving a call from Koshkin, knowing that Sokov had something urgent to see him, he went directly to the designated place without saying a word.

Seeing Ponegerin walk into the conference room, Sokov stepped forward to shake hands with him, and said politely: "General Ponegerin, you are here! I'm so sorry, I planned to let you take a good rest for a few days, But I have to call you here because of something urgent."

"It's okay, Comrade Commander." Pornegerin responded politely, "I don't know if something happened to you in such a hurry to find me?"

"Yes, General Ponegerin, something happened." Sokov told Pornegerin to sit down, "Sit down first, and then I will tell you slowly."

After Ponegerin sat down, Sokov organized the vocabulary in his mind, and said: "General Ponegerin, I have some bad news to tell you. After a while, I will was transferred away."

"What, you're going to be transferred?" Hearing the news, Ponegerin showed a shocked expression on his face: "Comrade Commander, I wonder where you will be transferred?"

"General Ponejielin, you are not an outsider, so I will not hide anything from you." Sokov said: "Marshal Konev will soon be transferred to the Ukrainian First Front Army as the commander of the Front Army. I And as his subordinate, I will follow him to the First Front Army."

"Comrade Commander, I don't know what kind of position your superiors will give you after you go there?" Ponegelin asked tentatively, "Will you be appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Front Army?"

"Impossible, it's absolutely impossible." As soon as Ponegerin's voice fell, Sokov waved his hand and denied his guess: "With my current qualifications, as the commander of a combat group, there are many people who gossip .If I go to serve as the deputy commander of the front army on the main front, I am afraid that more people will be dissatisfied."

"Then what position will you take when you go to the First Front Army?" Ponegerin thought of a possibility, but quickly denied it in his heart, thinking it was impossible. Although I denied this speculation in my heart, I couldn't help asking: "I won't let you be the commander of the group army?"

"That's right." Sokov nodded, and said affirmatively: "General Ponejielin, before you came here, General Zakharov, the chief of staff of the Front Army, came here and explained that the Supreme Command transferred me to the Ukrainian No. On the one hand, the army is preparing to let me take the post of commander of the group army, and let me choose one of the three positions of commander of the group army."

"I don't know which three army groups it is?"

"Lieutenant General Pukhov's 13th Army, Lieutenant General Trofimenko's 27th Army, Lieutenant General Zhmachenko's 40th Army."

After listening to the numbers of the three armies that Sokov said, Ponejielin couldn't help frowning: "Comrade Commander, I think it doesn't matter which army you serve as the commander, but the commander of the 27th Army is the only one. You can't do it."

Hearing what Ponegelin said, Sokov couldn't help being interested, and asked curiously, "Why?"

"The reason is very simple," said Ponegelin without hesitation: "You are now the commander of the combat group, commanding the 53rd and 27th armies, as well as two tank armies. If you really run to serve as the commander of the 27th army If you are a member, it will make others misunderstand that you have made some mistakes and have been demoted by the Supreme Command. This will have a bad impact on your reputation."

Sokov laughed after hearing this. He didn't expect that Pornegerin's thoughts coincided with his own.

When Ponegerin saw Sokov laughing, he thought that the other party was laughing at his statement incorrectly. He felt that he explained: "Comrade commander, you believe me, you really don't want to be the commander of the 27th Army. Reputation can have a negative impact."

"General Ponegerin, you misunderstood." Seeing that Pornegerin had misunderstood, Sokov hurriedly explained to him: "The reason why I laughed is because what you said coincided with what I thought. "

"So you won't be the commander of the 27th Army?"

"No, General Ponegerin." Sokov shook his head and said, "Although this unit has achieved a series of victories under my command, but now let me go back to command this unit, I'm afraid it will be difficult to perform decently. Instead of disappointing the superiors in the future, it is better to go to a new army and let this army that was originally looked down upon establish a series of remarkable feats."

"Comrade Commander, from what you said, I can guess which unit you are planning to go to!"

"Then tell me, which army will I go to?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you want to go to Lieutenant General Zhmachenko's 20th Army." Ponejielin said confidently: "When General Moskalenko was the commander of this army, there were Good performance. But since General Moskalenko returned to the 38th Army as the commander, this unit has started to decline. I think, even if you don’t choose this unit, your superiors will probably persuade you to serve in this unit The headquarters of an army, in order to change the status quo of this army."

"You're right, General Ponejielin." When Sokov and Zakharov were talking, they noticed that the other party seemed to want him to take over as the commander of the 40th Army. When he expressed his willingness to take over Zhmachenko's position, he accidentally discovered that Zakharov was secretly relieved, "I also noticed that the superior had such an intention."

After discussing Sokov's future position, Ponejielin finally brought the topic to himself: "Comrade Commander, if you leave the Second Ukrainian Front, then I don't think I can stay in this army for long. Yes, after all, I am the one who was put into another book."

"Not only you, but also the two colonels Muzichenko and Kirillov." Seeing that Ponedelin had already guessed the reason for calling him, Sokov simply explained the matter: "You three I am afraid that no one can continue to gain a foothold in the Second Front Army."

"Then what do you think?" Ponegerin looked at Sokov and asked, "Are you going to let us stay here and resign ourselves to fate, or let us follow you to the new army?"

"General Ponegerin, from the bottom of my heart, I very much hope that the three of you can go with me to the new army." Sokov said sincerely: "That's why I asked the three of you to come here."

"I understand, Comrade Commander." Ponedelin nodded and said, "I personally declare to you that I am willing to go with you to the new army. As for Muzichenko and Kirillov, even if If they don't want to, I'll try to convince them."

"That's really great." Sokov didn't expect things to go so smoothly. Before the persuasion content he had prepared in advance had time to use, Ponejelin took the initiative to agree to follow him to the new army. Since the other party supported him so much, Sokov naturally couldn't treat him badly, "General Ponegerin, don't worry. After the 40th Army, I will ask the superior to appoint you as my deputy commander, so that we can fight side by side again. "

"Comrade Commander," but Ponejielin obviously didn't care about the position given by Sokov: "As long as I can fight side by side with you, let alone a deputy commander, I am very happy even as an ordinary soldier."

Having said that, how could Sokov allow Ponegerin to be an ordinary soldier? Instead, he said with a smile: "General Ponegerin, you are joking. With your ability, it is enough to serve me as a soldier in the military." Teacher, I hope that I will ask you for advice in the future, and you should not hide your secrets."

Sokov's words touched Ponejielin's heart very much. He was very grateful to Sokov for his care and new appointment. He nodded and tried to say in a calm tone: "Don't worry, Comrade Commander, I will definitely I will do my best to assist you in your work.”

Next, the two discussed how the new troops should carry out their work. Ginger is still old and spicy, and Pornejelin's experience in this area is far richer than Sokov's. When Sokov encountered something he didn't understand, he would ask repeatedly and record it in the notebook one by one.

While the two were busy, Koshkin walked in from the outside and reported to Sokov: "Report to Comrade Commander, Colonel Muzichenko and Colonel Kirillov have arrived!"

"Please come in!"

The next moment, Muzichenko and Kirillov appeared at the door. They saw Sokov and Ponedelin sitting next to the conference table. They were about to raise their hands to salute, but Sokov raised his hand to stop them. Leo: "They're all our own people, so don't be so polite, come and sit down."

After Muzichenko and Kirillov sat down, Sokov winked at Ponedelin and motioned him to tell them what had happened. The comprehensible Ponedelin nodded, then turned to his two colleagues and said, "Muzchenko, Kirillov, the commander called the three of us here today because he has something important to announce to us. "

"Important matter?!" Kirillov interjected, "Now that the battle is over, there will be no more wars for a short time, and the commander must have called us here for something important. General Ponejielin, you Don’t go around in circles, just tell us what’s going on.”

"Kirillov, don't worry, I'm going to tell you what's wrong with you." Ponedelin glanced at Sokov, and then said something that surprised Muzychenko and Kirillov : "After a while, Comrade Commander will be transferred from the Second Front Army to the First Front Army to serve as the commander of the group army."

After the two heard the news, the expressions on their faces were the same as those of Ponejelin just now, they were both incredible expressions. After a while, Muzichenko said: "Comrade commander, can you tell us what happened? You know, with your current ability, even if you can't serve as the deputy commander of the First Front Army, Is it not enough to just give you the position of commander of the group army?"

"This is an order from the superior." Sokov couldn't explain too much to the two of them, so he could only say vaguely: "Since I have been informed to report to the First Front Army in a while, I must obey."

"You should talk to your superiors to see if you can stay in the Second Front," Muzichenko said.

"Colonel Muzichenko, as an old commander with decades of military experience, you naturally understand that orders in the army must be obeyed regardless of whether they are right or wrong, and there is no room for bargaining." Sokov said calmly. Said: "Since the superior asked me to serve as the commander of the group army, then I will follow the order and take up the post."

After saying this, he carefully observed the expressions of the two of them, and saw that they were all disappointed, so he continued: "I called General Pornegerin and you here today, just to ask you what's next. What plan. Are you going to stay in the Second Front Army, or follow me to the First Front Army?"

"Comrade Commander, I will go wherever you go." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Kirillov took the initiative to say, "I am willing to follow you to the First Front Army."

Muzichenko, on the other hand, looked hesitant, as if reluctant to give up his current position. Seeing this, Ponedelin showed dissatisfaction on his face: "Muzchenko, what are you still thinking about? Don't you want to follow the commander to the First Front Army?"

"General Ponedelin," Muzichenko said hesitantly when he heard Ponedelin say this, "I feel that even if I went to the First Front Army, I would serve as a division commander. Instead of running around , it would be better to stay in the First Front Army and continue to serve as the commander of the 233rd Division."

"You...!" Ponedelin was so angry that he couldn't speak when he heard Muzychenko say this, he pointed his finger at the other party, trembling with anger.

Seeing this, Sokov quickly raised his hand to stop him, and came out to smooth things over and said, "General Ponedelin, everyone has his own ambitions. Since Colonel Muzichenko is unwilling to go to the First Front Army, then I will not force him to do so. Let him remain in the Second Front."

When Muzichenko said that he wanted to stay in the Second Front Army, he kept beating drums in his heart. He could not be where he is today without the help of Sokov. But now, what I'm doing now feels a bit like crossing the river and tearing down the bridge. If I meet someone with a bad temper, I might just punch them directly.

Seeing that Sokov was so reasonable at this moment, the heart hanging in his throat was put back in his stomach again. He stood up and murmured, "Comrade Commander, since I don't follow you to the First Front Army, it is obviously inappropriate to stay here. Allow me to leave?"

"Allow!" Sokov readily agreed, and stretched out his hand to him, saying in a friendly manner: "Colonel Muzichenko, then I wish you good luck!"

After Muzichenko left, Kirillov pouted at his back and cursed dissatisfiedly: "What, without the help of the commander, you are probably still in the cell of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A teacher who doesn’t know what his last name is, and actually did something like crossing a river and demolishing a bridge.”

Sokov was quite open-minded. Since Muzichenko didn't want to mess with him anymore, and the twisted melon was not sweet, he didn't need to force him, just let him go. I just hope that after he suffers a loss in the future, he won't be so cheeky to come to him again.

"Okay, then I will talk about my thoughts." Sokov said to the two: "When we get to the new army, I plan to appoint you Kirillov as the commander of the army, and I will send you from the Frunze military All the students from the academy will be included under your command, which will be more conducive for us to complete control of the troops in a short period of time."