Chapter 1635

In the next two days, the 73rd, 78th, and 81st Guards Divisions under the 25th Guards Rifle Corps successively crossed the Dnieper River, allowing the 7th Guards Army to land on the right bank. The strength of the troops can stand up to the frenzied attack of the German army. The troops of the 27th Army Group, which had completed its mission, began to quietly withdraw to the original landing site along the road.

   Regardless of the fact that this area has become the defense area of ​​the 7th Guards Army, Sokov ordered the troops to retreat one by one in order to prevent the troops from being congested during the retreat. The first to retreat was the 1st Artillery Division, followed by Major General Gritsenko's 384th Division, followed by Major General Fomenko's 84th Division, and Colonel Koida's 188th Division was responsible for the post-break mission.

  Retreating from friendly defense areas, although there is no need to worry about being attacked by German ground troops, the possibility of being attacked by enemy planes during the retreat cannot be ruled out. For this reason, Sokov also specially called General Goliunov and asked him to dispatch the air force to provide air cover for the retreating troops.

  Colonel Koida set up the temporary division headquarters in a village southeast of Chijilin, and he planned to leave here after all the troops began to retreat. But what he didn't expect was that Sokov unexpectedly appeared in his division headquarters before the troops withdrew.

  Seeing Sokov who suddenly appeared, Koyda hurriedly stood up to meet him, and asked in surprise, "Comrade Commander, why are you still here and didn't retreat with the large army?"

"Your division hasn't been withdrawn yet, how can I leave here with confidence." After shaking hands with Koyda, Sokov walked to the table, looking at the political commissar Mashkov standing with the division chief of staff, a little surprised He asked calmly: "Comrade Colonel, two regiments of your division have withdrawn, why are you still here?"

  The reason why Sokov asked this is because when deploying the retreat mission, he once emphasized to the division commanders that when the troops retreat, they must be accompanied by a division leader. The purpose of his doing this is to prevent the division leaders from being able to resolve any situation that arises during the retreat of the troops. But at the moment, the three division leaders of the 188th Division are all there, and it is clear that they did not obey Sokov's order.

"Comrade Commander," Mashkov hurriedly explained when Sokov asked about the matter: "We have researched, and since the retreat routes of the troops are all in our army's defense zone, they will not be attacked by the German army. Therefore, it doesn’t matter at all whether there are division-level leaders accompanying him or not.”

Fortunately, Sokov is not a single-minded person, he is very flexible. Judging from the retreat of the two days, because the troops received air cover, it can be said that the road was calm and there was no situation at all. So whether the 188th Division? It is not so important to send division-level leaders to go with the vanguard.

  Sokov sat down at the table and asked casually, "Then when are you planning to retreat?"

  Koida came over and said with a smile: "Comrade Commander, you haven't retreated yet, how can we retreat. Even if we want to retreat, we have to wait until you leave."

   "That's right, that's right." Mashkov interjected: "Since our division is the rear guard, of course we can't let other people walk behind us. Comrade commander, don't you think so?"

Sokov laughed dryly, then changed the topic: "Colonel Koyda, according to the order of the superior, after the troops have all withdrawn to the original landing site, it may not be long before they launch an attack on the enemy. Be mentally prepared. Yet?"

"Comrade Commander," Koyda did not show the slightest excitement when he heard Sokov say this, but asked with a normal expression: "Where do you plan to place our division?" He was worried about Sokov Not knowing what he meant, he emphasized, "If we are still placed on the left bank of the Dnieper River, then we will have no chance to participate in the offensive."

   "Colonel Koida, I plan to place your division on the far left wing of the landing field to take over the defense of the 1st Mechanized Army."

   "Replace the defense of the 1st Mechanized Army?" Sokov's words surprised Koida, and he asked back: "After General Solomatin knows about this, won't he have any objections?"

"According to the order of the superior, the 1st Mechanized Army will return to the left bank of the Dnieper River in two days and rejoin the formation of the 53rd Army." Sukov said with some helplessness: "With the retreat of the 1st Mechanized Army, our landing site There's going to be a huge gap in the left flank, and I'm going to send you guys to fill that gap in the defense."

"Comrade Commander," Mashkov asked puzzledly: "Why did the superiors transfer the 1st Mechanized Army away at this time? If they were left behind, they would play an important role in our battle to expand the landing field." Huge effect."

   Sokov is not a roundworm in Konev's stomach. How could he know why he would suddenly call himself and say that he planned to let Solomatin's first mechanized army return to construction. So he could only shake his head with a wry smile at Mashkov's question.

   But at this time, he heard Koida say: "Comrade Political Commissar, I think that if we want to expand the landing field, the role of the First Mechanized Army will be limited."

  Kaida's words aroused everyone's curiosity, and Mashkov couldn't help asking: "Comrade commander, why do you say that?"

   "Comrade my political commissar," Keida said with some embarrassment: "From the performance of the 1st Mechanized Army some time ago, I found that not only their equipment and morale are not as good as ours, but also the commander's tactics are too outdated."

   "Tell me in detail," Mashkov said.

"As far as I know, they lost two battalions in order to hold on to the No. 1 outpost on the landing site." Keida said with a bit of resentment: "Knowing that there are no strong fortifications on the high ground, When the enemy bombarded the high ground, they still let the commanders and fighters stay in the simple fortifications, didn't they let them die?"

  The chief of staff of the division also heard some insider information at the time, and when Koida brought it up, he looked at Sokov with some concern. Seeing that the commander's expression was as usual, and he didn't mean to blame at all, he became more courageous, and echoed what he knew.

  Sokov did not speak, but quietly listened to what the division chief of staff said, thinking in his mind which direction he should launch the offensive after the defense of the landing field was consolidated.

"Comrade Commander," Koyda saw Sukov's absent-minded look, and when the division chief of staff's words came to an end, he asked tentatively: "I want to ask, after we take over the defense of the 1st Mechanized Army Should we be prepared to defend, or should we be prepared to attack?"

Koida asked very well. If it is to prepare for defense, after taking over the defense, it is necessary to build a large number of construction works in the defense area to build fortifications that can resist the German attack; if it is mainly offensive, then it only needs to simply repair the fortifications. .

"Comrade Colonel, if I asked you to take over the defense of the 1st Mechanized Army a week ago, your mission must be defense-oriented, and you must build a large number of fortifications to improve the defense system of the landing site." Sokov Said: "But with the liberation of Poltava, the main force of the front army has come to the Dnieper River one after another. At this time, what we have to do is no longer defense, but offense, and continue to attack the German army. Defend in depth until your defenses are torn apart."

"Understood, Comrade Commander." After understanding what Sokov meant, Koyda straightened his body and replied: "After our division takes over the defense of the 1st Mechanized Army, we will do our best to do everything before the offensive. Prepare."

Sokov was very satisfied with Koida's answer. He nodded and said: "Comrade Colonel, before the offensive begins, I will add a batch of weapons and ammunition for you, especially new rockets, so as to reduce the pressure on you during the offensive." resistance."

"Comrade Commander," it stands to reason that Keda should be satisfied with the supplement of weapons and ammunition, especially the supplement of new rockets, but he hesitated for a while after Sokov finished speaking, and then said He made his own request: "My troops suffered a lot of casualties in the process of blocking the German reinforcements. Look, can you add some troops to us?"

   "It's very difficult, Comrade Colonel." Sokov is now a smart woman who can't afford to live without rice. He doesn't have any reserves in his hand. How can he replenish the troops that have been reduced in battle? Faced with Koida's request, he could only shake his head and smile bitterly and said, "In this battle to help the 7th Guards Army open up the landing field on the right bank, among the three infantry divisions, your division has the least number of casualties. Don't blame me. Now I don’t have a reserve team, even if there is a reserve team, it’s impossible to give priority to supplementing you, otherwise other division commanders will come to me to ask for supplements, how should I answer them?”

  Koyda knew that what Sokov said was true. For more than two months, they had been fighting almost every day, and all the divisions of the group army had suffered a lot of casualties. Although many commanders and fighters rescued from the prisoner-of-war camps were incorporated into the troops by Sokov one by one, the divisions still faced a shortage of troops.

"Then what should we do?" Kuida murmured: "The number of soldiers in the army is getting smaller and smaller, and the next battle will be more cruel. I am worried that once the number of troops is reduced too much, our division will be beaten into pieces." If you have an empty number, you may be withdrawn to the rear to supplement your rest, and you will not be able to participate in the next battle."

   Several people here were talking, followed Sokov to the operator of the division headquarters, came over and reported to Sokov, "Comrade Commander, your call is from Chief of Staff Sameko."

Hearing that it was Sameko calling, Sokov quickly took the transmitter and earphone from the telegraph operator, and spoke to Sameko who was far away in Kremenchug: "Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff. , I'm Sokov."

   "Hello, Comrade Commander." Sameko reported to Sokov: "The First Artillery Division and the 384th Division have arrived at the landing site one after another. I have placed them near the river to rest."

   "Well, you have done a lot. After fighting for this period of time, the commanders and fighters have become exhausted. They should be given a good rest."

"Comrade Commander, there is one more thing I want to ask you for instructions." Sameko didn't know that Sokov already knew about taking over the defense of the 1st Mechanized Army, so he specifically reported to him: "I am afraid that the 1st Mechanized Army It will be back to construction in two days, I would like to ask, which army do you plan to let take over their defense?"

"I am going to let the 188th Division of Colonel Koyda take over the defense of the 1st Mechanized Army." When Sokov said this, he glanced at Koyda standing in front of him involuntarily: "The two divisions of the division A regiment will arrive at the landing site at noon tomorrow, you send someone to guide them to the mechanized 1st Army's defense area, and take over the defense."

"Well, I also think it is very appropriate for the 188th Division to take over the defense of the 1st Mechanized Army." Sameko obviously hesitated for a long time before he said cautiously: "According to the information I have, whether it is Gerry Major General Cenko's 384th Division, and General Fomenko's 84th Division, both had a very serious reduction in personnel during this battle to assist friendly forces in establishing a landing field, and obviously cannot take over the defense of the mechanized army."

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov knew that the supplies sent from the rear are not enough to meet the needs of all his troops, so he had to say hello to Sameko first, and give priority to providing supplies for Keda's troops: "wait After the troops of the 188th Division enter the designated positions, you should give priority to replenishing them with weapons and ammunition, especially new rockets, the more the better.”

"Ah, a new type of rocket?" After listening to Sokov's request, Sameko said with some embarrassment: "Comrade Commander, to tell you the truth, I received a call from Colonel Yakov yesterday. Said that because of some problems in production, the supply of our new rockets may be temporarily suspended."

   "What, do you want to suspend the supply?" Sokov frowned: "Did Yakov say the specific reason?"

  "I didn't say the specific reason," Sameko replied: "Just told me that there were some problems in production, which led to a sharp drop in production, so it can no longer be provided to us."

  Sokov keenly captured a key word from Sameko's words: a sharp drop in production! The reduction in output shows that the production of new rockets is still going on, and there are still products coming out every day. But the other party said that they would no longer provide products to themselves, proving that they intend to supply these products to other troops.

  In an instant, Sokov wanted to call Yakov immediately to find out what was going on. Just when he was about to call the communications soldiers and ask them to connect him to Moscow, he realized that he was in the temporary headquarters in Keda, and there was no way to communicate with Moscow's weapons and equipment department.

  He sighed softly, and decided to call Yakov after returning to the Army Group Command to ask what happened and why the supply to him was suddenly interrupted. In order not to increase the psychological burden on Sameko, he tried his best to control his emotions and said in a calm tone: "Chief of Staff, I know about this matter. When I go back, I will call Colonel Yakov personally , and ask what is going on."

  (end of this chapter)