Chapter 1973

  After putting down the phone, Sokov thought to himself, if he wants to go to a new unit, if he only brings regiment-level commanders, it may not be enough. After all, my new position is the commander of the group army, so I can't bypass those army commanders and division commanders and directly command the regiment commanders I brought over, right?

  Sameko, who had just walked in from the outside, didn’t know that Sokov had just answered an important call, and found that the other party was sitting there in a daze, so he walked over and asked curiously, “Comrade Commander, what are you thinking about?”

   "Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov looked at Sameko and said with a wry smile, "I'm afraid it won't be long before I am no longer the commander of the combat group."

  Sameko was taken aback for a moment, then asked back, "Why?"

The transfer of Konev is still a secret at the moment, and Sokov naturally will not tell Sameko casually, and can only say mildly: "Because my superiors want to transfer me to other fronts, I can no longer serve as the commander of the combat group." member."

   After figuring out what was going on, Sameko then asked: "Do you know which army you will go to?"

   "I don't know." Sokov shook his head and said, "It's certain to leave here anyway."

   "Usually when you go to a new army, you can choose some people to take away." Sameko asked tentatively, "Who do you plan to take away?"

"The group of students I brought from the Frunze Military Academy." Sokov said: "Marshal Konev greeted me specifically, saying that when taking people away, they cannot affect the existing troops, so I Just take them away."

"What about Lieutenant Colonel Ponedelin, Colonel Muzichenko, and Colonel Kirillov?" Sameko said with some concern: "Their status today is entirely due to the support of you. With you gone, I fear the three of them will be unknowingly marginalized."

  Sameko’s words reminded Sokov that these three people were saved by themselves with their future. If he has been the commander of the battle group, they will not be treated unfairly. But if he leaves, who knows if the next commander will continue to value them?

   Seeing that Sokov was silent, Sameko asked another key question: "Comrade Commander, after you leave, who will take over your position?"

"Who else, of course, is General Trofimenko." Sokov explained to Sameko: "He was originally the deputy commander of the combat group. My commander left and he came to replace me. Isn't that a logical thing?"

   Knowing that Trofimenko will take over Sokov's post, Sameko couldn't help frowning: "Comrade Commander, isn't there anyone else to take over your post?"

   "Why do you say that?" Sokov asked back.

"You were wounded and left the 27th Army." Sameko said with a painful expression: "The one who replaced you was General Trofimenko. His command style is completely different from yours. In the following In the battle, although our army has achieved many victories, the casualties of the troops were so serious that when Kyiv was liberated, our army could only serve as a reserve force, responsible for monitoring the enemy in secondary directions."

From Sameko's words, Sokov heard the other party's worry, and said with a smile: "Comrade Chief of Staff, don't worry, people will always change. Although General Trofimenko used to command operations, It is very different from my way, but after getting along with him during this period of time, he has been somewhat influenced by me. I believe that when another war happens, he will not make some low-level mistakes before."

From Sokov's words, Sameko heard that there was no room for change in this matter, so he could only sigh, and said helplessly, "I hope so." After a pause, he asked tentatively, "Then what?" When is it time to leave?"

   "I don't know about this either." Sokov smiled wryly and said, "I will leave as soon as the order from the superior is issued."

Seeing that Sokov didn't know when he would be transferred or where he would be transferred, Sameko didn't get entangled in the matter, but changed the subject in time: "Comrade Commander, since you are leaving, So what will we do next?"

"I have specifically consulted Marshal Konev on this matter." Sokov said: "Our goal of launching the campaign has basically been achieved. In at most another week, this campaign will be declared over. In the next few days , It is to replenish soldiers and weapons and ammunition, and wait until the time is right before launching a new offensive campaign.”

When Sameko heard the news that the battle was coming to an end, he couldn't help worrying about the troops entering Romania: "Since the battle is coming to an end, what should we do with our troops in Romania? Should we let them stay there, or withdraw completely?" come out?"

"Withdrawal is impossible, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov said to Sameko: "All our troops must stay in Romania, and we must hurry up to build fortifications and improve the defense system to prevent possible German attacks. attack."

"That's right, since the battle is about to end, the superiors will definitely not allow our troops to attack again." Sameko said: "It is completely correct to let the troops in Romania go on the defensive. I will wait I will call several commanders in a short while and let them prepare to switch to defense on the spot. At the same time, migrant workers will be recruited locally to prepare to build strong fortifications and establish a complete defense system."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, it seems that you are very thoughtful." Sokov agreed with Sameko's words, and told him: "It takes a lot of manpower to build fortifications, but at the same time construction resources are indispensable. We Marshal Konev has been contacted, and he said that he will notify the logistics department and provide us with sufficient building materials to build fortifications."

"Comrade Commander," Sameko said hastily when Sokov mentioned the building materials needed for the construction of the fortifications, "I think this matter should be handed over to the engineering troops of the cluster. They are professionals. It is most appropriate to do these things. In addition, in addition to building fortifications, we also need to lay minefields and pull up barbed wire in front of our army's positions. This is a particularly huge project and cannot be completed in a day or two. "

"No hurry, Comrade Chief of Staff, these things can be done slowly." Although Sokov couldn't remember the exact time when the Romanian Campaign was launched, he knew that before August, the Soviet army in Romania would not have a major attack. After the action, he said to Sameko: "I estimate that after the end of this battle, our army and the German army will take a period of rest, and they will not launch a large-scale attack on our army for the time being."

"But it is always good to complete the fortifications earlier." Sameko said: "After the war broke out, why did the Germans break through our army's defenses on the border in such a short period of time, and then drive straight in? The fortifications built have not been completed for a long time, and when the enemy launches an attack, these fortifications that were originally used to resist the Germans have become ridiculous decorations and have no chance to play their role."

   Hearing what Sameko said, Sokov couldn't help thinking about it. In fact, before the war broke out, a German soldier came to surrender and accurately stated the time when the German army launched an attack on the Soviet Union. Although Zhukov, the chief of the general staff at the time, repeatedly emphasized to Stalin that the intelligence of the defected soldier was true and credible, but the Supreme Commander himself was always suspicious, so that Zhukov and Timoshenko issued an order to the border troops. Ambiguous command.

  The order requires the troops to make a first-level combat readiness to strictly prevent the German army and its vassals from sneaking attacks, and also requires the troops not to be affected by any "provocative actions" by the German army. It is estimated that the headquarters of the various military regions were ignorant when they received the order. No one knew whether the General Staff asked them to meet the German attack, or let them stand by and drive away the Germans as before?

   It was this ambiguous order that pitted all the troops on the border. None of the commanders at all levels dared to give orders for troops to enter the position and distribute ammunition first. As a result, quite a few troops missed precious time for preparations for battle. crushed.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," but the situation today is very different from that at that time. The Soviet army is no longer passively waiting for the outbreak of war, but is actively attacking the German invaders. He made a mistake and gave inappropriate orders to the troops. Sokov said to him: "Now we are on the offensive side. The Germans dare not attack us easily before they are fully prepared. So there is no need to Nervousness, as long as the fortification can be completed within two months, it is enough."

   "Two months?!" Regarding Sokov's statement, Sameko seemed a little dubious: "Can the Germans really give us such a long time to prepare for war?"

"The Germans are definitely not willing to give us such a long time to prepare for war," Sokov said with a smile: "But after they have suffered a strong blow from our army, they need time to replenish troops and ammunition and consolidate their existing defense zones. It all takes time. In this way, there will be a rest period of two or three months without knowing it. And our army can just use this time to build fortifications, consolidate existing positions, and use them as future troops staging area and point of departure for the attack."

"Comrade Commander, General Sameko, what are you talking about?" Smirnov walked in slowly from the outside. Seeing that Sokov and Sameko were chatting enthusiastically, he couldn't help but come over and ask a few words: " Can you tell me about it?"

"General Smirnov, I have some bad news for you." Sameko glanced at Sokov, then turned to Smirnov and said, "I just received an order from my superiors. Pull away."

  Smirnov's expression froze on his face. After a while, he frowned and said to Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, don't make such a joke, it's not funny at all."

   "No, General Smirnov, I am not joking." Sameko said with a serious expression: "What I said is true."

At first Smirnov thought that Sameko was joking, but seeing his serious expression at the moment, he immediately realized that this matter might be true, and hurriedly walked up to Sokov and asked urgently: "Commander Comrade, is what the Chief of Staff said true?"

"Of course it is true, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov nodded, and gave the other party an affirmative answer: "Marshal Konev personally informed me that I would be transferred to other places not long ago. serving in the troops."

"If we transfer you to another unit, what shall we do?" Confirming the news that Sokov was about to be transferred, Smirnov immediately became anxious: "Now our troops have just entered Romania, once you transfer away, who will To command them?"

"The purpose of this campaign has been basically achieved," Sokov said to Smirnov: "So in a few days, the superiors will announce the end of this campaign. And our troops in Romania will also stop everything The military operation should be transferred to the defense on the spot, and the fortifications should be built as soon as possible to prevent possible counterattacks by the German army."

"Comrade Commander, if we stop our military operations in Romania, will the Germans launch a counterattack immediately?" Smirnov asked with some anxiety in his heart: "If this is the case, I am worried that by then Boni Will there be a fierce battle for the troops commanded by General Jielin?"

"Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov comforted Smirnov and said: "Judging from the current situation, the Germans have been beaten up by us. In a short period of time, they should not be able to launch new attacks in Romania. Offensive, so General Ponegerin and the others have enough time to build fortifications and establish a complete defense system."

"That's good, that's good." Hearing what Sokov said, Smirnov breathed a sigh of relief, and he explained to Sokov: "Don't see General Ponejielin's battle group, They have all entered Romania, but their logistics supply lines are not safe, and they are in danger of being attacked by the German or Romanian troops at any time. If they want to switch to defense on the spot, they must hoard a certain amount of supplies, so that even if the supply line is cut off by the enemy, It can last a long time, too.”

   "Comrade Commander, since you are leaving, shouldn't you greet General Ponejielin in advance?" Smirnov kindly reminded Sokov: "Let him know what he knows."

"You are right, Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov agreed with Smirnov's proposal: "After I leave, other commanders will certainly not value him as much as I do now, so let He was mentally prepared in advance."

   After finishing speaking, he asked the director of the communications corps to help him get through to the command of the Ponegelin battle group. After hearing Ponegerin's voice, Sokov asked, "General Ponegerin, how is the situation there?"

"After occupying the two cities in Romania, I have ordered the troops to turn to defense on the spot and build fortifications near the cities to prevent possible counterattacks by the Germans." With a perfect defense system, even if we are attacked by the German army, we can still hold on until the main force arrives!"

Sokov agreed with Ponegerin's arrangement: "General Ponegerin, you are right. Now the purpose of the campaign has been achieved, and it may end at any time. If we blindly expand the area , It will lead to the dispersion of troops, once the German army gathers superior forces to counterattack, we will suffer a big loss."

"That's right, Comrade Commander, I think so too." Ponegelin replied: "Consolidating the defense early will help our army gain a firm foothold in Romania and reserve a larger staging area and starting point for the follow-up troops. .”

  (end of this chapter)