Red Moscow

Sokov waited for Tavlin to call back, saying that he had safely evacuated the airport, then called Chuikov and reported to him: "Comrade Commander, I have good news for you. Not long ago, one of my small Troops attacked the German-occupied Pitomnik airfield."

Chuikov, who was drinking water, heard what Sokov said, and suddenly sprayed water on Krylov's face opposite him. After coughing violently, he didn't bother to apologize to Krylov, and asked impatiently: "Colonel Sokov, is what you said true? Your troops really attacked the German-occupied Pittsburgh." Tomnik Airport?"

"That's right, Comrade Commander." Sokov replied affirmatively, "It's true."

"Damn it, Sokov, why did your team appear near Pitomnik Airport?" Chuikov asked in puzzlement, "Did you drop the team by air?"

"The detachment that attacked Pitomnik Airport consisted mainly of partisans from the Ignatov brothers' partisan unit." Sokov explained to Chuikov: "Only Sergeant Tavlin and two other fighters led the team. , is my subordinate."

"What kind of damage have you caused to the enemy?"

"According to Sergeant Tavlin's report, there are no planes on the airport." Sokov reported to Chuikov: "The fighters of the squad eliminated more than 300 Germans."

"What, wiped out more than 300 Germans?" Cuikov knew that the guerrillas' combat effectiveness was poor. If more than 300 German troops were to be wiped out, there might not be many left in the entire guerrilla team. Then he asked cautiously: "How about the casualties of the guerrillas, and how many people are left?"

"No one was injured."

"No one was injured?!"

"Yes, there were no casualties!"

"It's impossible." Chuikov shouted loudly: "Colonel Sokov, although the Germans are defeated by us now, their combat effectiveness should not be underestimated. With the combat effectiveness of the guerrillas, more than 300 enemies will be wiped out. , and I have no casualties, this is simply a fantasy."

"What I said is true." Sokov explained to Chuikov: "The detachment led by Sergeant Tavlin, in three captured half-track armored vehicles, rushed from the guerrilla camp to Puto. Mnik Airport. Unexpectedly, there were hundreds of meters away from the airport, but the Germans who spotted them ran away without firing a single shot. The soldiers of the squad used the machine guns on the armored vehicles to wipe out more than 300 enemies."

When Cuikov heard this, he originally wanted to ask how many of the more than 300 enemies wiped out were wounded. But on second thought, in such cold weather, the wounded would freeze to death within half an hour if they were lying in the snow. Even if some German soldiers were not killed on the spot, they would have been frozen to death by the severe cold before long.

"After the enemy at the airport fled, what did your team do?" According to Cuikov's idea, even if there were no enemies or planes at the airport, the fighters of the team should destroy the runway of the airport, preventing the enemy's transport planes from taking off and landing.

Unexpectedly, he heard Sokov say: "Comrade commander, I didn't ask them to do anything, I just asked them to evacuate the airport as soon as possible." Sokov worried that Chuikov would get angry, and explained to him specifically, "The squad There are only more than 30 people, and they are all equipped with light weapons. Even if they barely occupy the entire airport, once the Germans launch a counterattack, they will not be able to hold it, so I ordered them to evacuate the airport."

Hearing this, Chuikov laughed heartily, making Sokov laugh so hard that his whole body became hairy. He thought: Why does the commander laugh so strangely? Could it be that I said something wrong? After waiting for Chuikov to stop laughing for a while, he asked cautiously, "Comrade Commander, what are you laughing at?"

"Sokov, I should have thought a long time ago that you will definitely issue such an order to your soldiers." Cuikov didn't wait for Sokov to ask again, and continued on his own initiative: "Since your division launched a counterattack, it has occupied some areas. After that, they stopped advancing, and the reason they used was also insufficient troops and outdated equipment, unable to resist the enemy's counterattack."

Hearing Chuikov's explanation, Sokov smiled embarrassedly: "Comrade Commander, what I said is true. If I had not a division in my hand, but an infantry army reinforced by tanks and artillery, I would definitely More ground can be taken from the Germans."

"Okay, okay, stop complaining." Chuikov interrupted Sukov, and asked with a straight face: "I think you're not calling me just to report the attack on the airport. Tell me Well, what else is there?"

"Comrade commander, this is how I think about it." Seeing that Chuikov had guessed his intentions, Sokov did not go around in circles, but said truthfully: "Under the blows of our army, the defeated enemy has become Panicked. For example, today, when the enemy at the airport saw our army appearing, they ran away in a hurry without firing a single shot. This was unimaginable before. I think our next offensive focus will be the airport occupied by the German army. As long as all the airfields are occupied, the enemy will be basically cut off from the outside world.”

"A few days ago, our plane responsible for broadcasting an ultimatum to the German army was intercepted by German anti-aircraft fire over Pitomnik Airport, causing a pilot to be injured." Cuikov said on the phone: "We thought that the German army People near the airport must be heavily guarded, so the higher-ups have not made it a target for attack for the time being."

"Comrade commander, I suggest to you to report this matter to the front army headquarters immediately." Sokov said into the microphone: "Our army should take advantage of the weak defense of Pitomnik Airport and launch an offensive decisively. , and seize this important airfield. As long as we control all the airfields, the besieged Paulus forces will have to rely on airdrops for supplies."

"You make a lot of sense." Chuikov agreed with Sokov's statement: "I will immediately report this matter to General Rokossovsky and ask him to adjust the direction of attack."

Half an hour later, Rokossovsky received a report from Chuikov. After staring at the report for several minutes, he turned his head and asked Malinin: "Chief of Staff, which of our troops is the closest to Pitomnik Airport?"

"Pitomnik Airport is within the offensive area of ​​the 21st Army," Malinen looked at the map and reported to Rokossovsky, "However, there are many German defense lines on their way forward. Even if The attack went well, and it will take at least three or four days to reach Pitomnik Airport."

"No, three or four days is too long." Rokossovsky shook his head and said, "We must take Pitomnik Airport as soon as possible to cut off Paulus' connection with the outside world."

"However," Ma Linin said in embarrassment: "With the combat power of the 21st Army, it is very difficult to break through so many German defense lines in just one or two days."

"Look here," Rokossovsky pointed at the map with his hand and said to Malinin: "The troops of Batov's 65th Army are only more than 50 kilometers away from Pitomnik Airport. It only takes one day. reach the airport."

"But Pitomnik Airport belongs to the range of the 21st Army's attack." Malinen reminded Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, adjust the direction of the troops' attack without authorization. I am worried that it will cause unnecessary confusion."

"It's not that serious." Rokossovsky said with a final word: "Immediately inform Batov to adjust the direction of attack and send troops to advance to Pitomnik Airport. It is necessary to seize the airport in the shortest possible time and cut off Paulus. Escape through the air."

"Understood." Although Ma Linin still had opinions in his heart, since Rokossovsky had already issued an order, he would naturally carry it out unconditionally: "I will immediately notify General Batov and ask his troops to change the direction of attack."