Chapter 2026

"Comrades," Sidolin waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and said, "Actually, Comrade Commander has already provided you with an idea for replenishing soldiers. As long as you follow his instructions, the soldiers lost by the troops will In a very short period of time, it was fully replenished."

He made a good suggestion to everyone: "If you want to say who knows the terrain of Belarus and the enemy's situation best, of course it is our guerrillas. If you recruit one or two guerrillas, then the intelligence of the areas where they operate , Even if you don’t send scouts to scout, you can still know it well. If there is a prisoner-of-war camp somewhere, just let them take it there, and you don’t need your scouts to search around aimlessly. Are you right?”

"Yes, the chief of staff is right." Sidorin's words made everyone's thoughts suddenly clear. If the guerrillas were really incorporated, then all the information on their original activity area would be available even if he didn't send scouts to carry out reconnaissance. After being able to understand clearly, they said one after another: "We will send people to contact the guerrillas when we go back. In addition to adding them to our troops, we can also keep abreast of the situation in unfamiliar areas in a timely manner."

After several division commanders and brigade commanders returned to their troops, Sokov smiled and said to Sidolin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I really didn't expect that you thought about the problem more comprehensively than I did. I just proposed to them the idea of ​​​​replenishing troops." , and you pointed out to them the specific steps to implement.”

  Sokov's words are sincere, and the method Sidolin said is more applicable than what he said. If the commanders at all levels followed their own methods, they would send scouts to scout around to find the location of the German prisoner-of-war camps, and then come back to report. How much time will it take to go back and forth?

  But if you directly recruit a guerrilla team, you can get more timely and accurate information from them. If you know where there is a prisoner-of-war camp, you can directly send a force to rescue it, which greatly saves time.

"Comrade Commander, you are too proud." Hearing Sukov's praise, Sidolin said modestly: "I just reorganized the language of what you said. In the final analysis, it is still yours." Good idea."

   Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch, and then said to Sidolin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I am on duty tonight, you go to rest first, if there is anything, I will deal with it."

  Hearing what Sokov said, Sidolin didn't act hypocritical, but nodded slightly: "Okay, Comrade Commander, if you need me for anything, just send someone to call me."

   Nothing happened overnight.

  After dawn, when Sidolin arrived at the headquarters, Sokov handed over the work to him, and took two divisions and two brigades to Baranovich to join the assault troops commanded by Ponegerin.

  Pornegelin's headquarters was located in the church in the center of the city, leaving the municipal building to Batov. The reason why he wanted to do this was because Marshal Zhukov now sits at the headquarters of the 65th Army, and he couldn't let others set up the headquarters in a church that was half destroyed by artillery fire.

  Seeing that Ponegerin set up his headquarters in the half-collapsed church, Sokov couldn't help frowning slightly, and asked, "Comrade Deputy Commander, why did you set up your headquarters here?"

"Comrade Commander," Ponedelin saw the displeasure on Sukov's face, and quickly explained to him: "I gave the municipal building to General Batov as the headquarters because Zhukov marshal…"

His words came to an abrupt end here, but Sukov already understood what he meant, nodded, and then said: "Comrade Deputy Commander, you are right, if I were in your position, I would make the same move." Such a decision."

  Next, he began to understand the situation of the troops: "Now there are two divisions and one brigade in the assault force, how many soldiers can participate in the battle?"

Hearing Sokov's question, Ponegerin was silent for a while, and then replied: "Comrade Commander, after several days of fierce fighting, the casualties of the two divisions and one brigade were very serious. The only commanders and fighters who can go into battle today are Less than two-thirds."

  The casualties of the troops had long been expected by Sokov. After hearing this, he nodded and said, "Comrade Deputy Commander, have you taken any measures to replenish the troops?"

   "No." Ponegerin shook his head and said, "The city has just been liberated, and the residents' emotions are not yet stable. I'm afraid there won't be too many people responding to the conscription."

Ponegerin's words directly left Sokov speechless. He shook his head with a wry smile, and then said: "Comrade Deputy Commander, you have known me for more than a day or two. Don't you know the way I replenish my troops? Blindly wait for supplements from superiors, or recruit troops on the spot."

One word awakened the dreamer, and Sukov's words made Ponejielin understand that there was a problem with his thinking, and asked quickly: "Comrade commander, are you planning to use the commanders and fighters rescued from the prisoner-of-war camp to supplement our troops?" ?”

Seeing Sokov nodding in affirmation, he said hesitantly: "But as far as I know, there is no prisoner-of-war camp near Baranovich. And we have just arrived in this area, so we are not familiar with the surrounding environment." , even if the Germans had established a prisoner-of-war camp nearby, it would be difficult for us to discover its location."

"That's right, you're right, we're not familiar with the terrain here, and we don't know the enemy's distribution. Even if they have a prisoner-of-war camp nearby, we don't send scouts to conduct reconnaissance, and we can't find the location of the prisoner-of-war camp. location." Sokov looked at Ponegerin and said, "Although we don't understand this place, someone does!"

   "Does anyone know?!" Bornejelin raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, "Who is it?"

   "Who else can it be? Of course it's the guerrillas who are active nearby." Sokov said: "Do you think there is anyone who understands the surrounding environment better than them?"

   "That's not true." Ponegerin asked cautiously: "Comrade Commander, what do you mean, we send people to contact the guerrillas and get the information we want from them?"

Sokov took a deep breath, and then said: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I think it is most appropriate for us to send people to recruit the guerrillas nearby. If we do this, we will not only be able to replenish the missing soldiers in the army, At the same time, there will be a group of guides who understand the surrounding environment. Even if we are looking for some prisoner-of-war camp, maybe they can provide us with the specific location, and help us liberate the prisoner-of-war camp and rescue the commanders and fighters detained inside."

After listening to Sukov's words, Ponegerin's eyes lit up immediately. He slapped the table and said excitedly: "Yes, why didn't I think of this. As long as we recruit the guerrillas, we will not only add It will be very beneficial for us to carry out the next step of operations.”

   "Comrade Deputy Commander, do you know where there are guerrillas nearby?"

"I know." Ponejielin nodded and said, "Before we attacked Baranovic, we had the help of many guerrillas. These guerrillas had two or three hundred people, and the few were no more than four." Fifty people, although their combat effectiveness is mediocre, they can provide us with various useful information in a timely manner."

"Where are those guerrillas?" Sukov thought of the fact that there are two independent troops in the city of Baranovich. If they are troubled by the other party's preemption, he urged Ponejielin: "Arrange people immediately, Discuss the adaptation with several guerrilla captains."

The reason why Sokov rushed so urgently was because there were more wolves and less flesh. After half a month of fierce fighting in the 65th Army, the number of troops was also very serious. All the guerrillas were recruited, and by that time I would be dumb and eat coptis, and I couldn't tell what I was suffering.

Although Ponegerin didn't understand why Sokov was so impatient, he still called Tolstikov and others and asked them to recruit the guerrillas who cooperated with them. Is there any prisoner-of-war camp for Soviet commanders and fighters nearby?

  In the past few days, the troops under the command of Ponegelin have cooperated with seven or eight guerrilla groups. Although each guerrilla group has a small number of people, it is not a small number.

  After receiving the call from Ponegelin, the headquarters of the two divisions and one brigade made appointments with the guerrilla captains one after another, and discussed with them about the integration. For the guerrilla captains, becoming a regular army was something they dreamed of, so the two sides hit it off, and within an hour, the recruitment of all the guerrillas was completed.

After receiving a call from the commander below, Ponedelin reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, the 1st Guards Division has incorporated two guerrillas with 395 additional troops; the 6th Guards Division has incorporated Three guerrilla units, supplemented by 249 troops; the 122nd Infantry Brigade incorporated two guerrilla units, supplemented by 416 troops.

  Sokov laughed when he heard this: "I really didn't expect that Lieutenant Colonel Victor had the most recruits."

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Ponegerin nodded and said, "Actually, these two guerrilla groups assisted him in attacking the city. If they hadn't suffered certain casualties during the siege battle, they would still have There are more than two hundred people.

However, it is a pity that there is a guerrilla team with a number of 200 people. After the troops of the 65th Army entered the city, they were sent to cooperate with them to fight. Now they are stationed in the defense area of ​​​​the friendly army. The friendly forces have conflicts. "

They were all friendly troops fighting side by side. Sokov couldn't afford to turn against Batov's troops because of a guerrilla force of about 200 people. considerate."

   After a pause, he asked again: "By the way, did those guerrillas say that there is a prisoner-of-war camp of our army somewhere nearby?"

Hearing Sokov's question, Ponegerin raised his hand and slapped himself on the forehead, and said apologetically, "I'm really sorry, Comrade Commander, I think I've forgotten this." In order to make up for his mistake, He offered to say, "I'll call right away and ask them to ask the guerrilla leader."

   These Belarusian guerrillas who have been active behind enemy lines for a long time are really not covered. Less than half an hour after Ponedelin's call was made, Onuprienko came to the headquarters.

  When he saw Sokov sitting at the table drinking tea, he was taken aback for a moment, then raised his hand to salute: "Hello, Comrade Commander! When did you arrive?"

   "It's been almost two hours since I came here." After Sokov finished speaking, he asked bluntly, "General Onupriyenko, is there anything you want to come to the headquarters?"

"Comrade Commander, this is the situation." Onuprienko quickly glanced at Ponejielin who was standing next to him, and said to Sokov: "Didn't Comrade Deputy Commander call us just now? Let's ask the newly recruited guerrillas if there is a POW camp nearby..."

  Sokov heard this and interrupted Onu Priyenko: "General Onu Priyenko, so you have good news?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Onuprienko nodded and said with affirmative tone: "The captain of a guerrilla team we incorporated told me that there is a The German prisoner-of-war camp held a large number of our prisoners of war."

   "A large number of prisoners of war of our army?!" Sokov felt ecstasy in his heart, but he still tried to control his emotions, and tried to ask in a calm tone: "Did the guerrilla captain say how many people there are?"

   "Because the enemy's guards are very strict, they can't get close at all." Onuprienko replied: "He roughly observed the size of the prisoner-of-war camp through a telescope. There are about four to five thousand people inside."

  Sokov turned his head to look at Ponejielin, who happened to be looking at him too. When the two looked at each other, Sokov saw a trace of surprise in the other's eyes: "Comrade Commander, four or five thousand people is really a lot."

   "Yes, there are quite a lot of people." Onupriyenko said with emotion: "If these commanders and fighters are rescued and incorporated into my army, then our division will be able to restore the state of full strength."

Sokov did not make any promises to the other party, but continued to ask: "General Onuprienko, how many guards are there in the prisoner-of-war camp? If you let your troops attack, how many troops will be needed to capture it?" What about this POW camp?"

"There are about two companies of guards." Onu Prienko said: "There are only seven or eight wooden watchtowers in the prisoner-of-war camp, as well as machine gun fire points near the entrance and exit. If we want to capture the prisoner-of-war camp, at most two One battalion is enough."

  Using two battalions to attack two companies, with such a simple arithmetic, Sokov calculated the result after a while: with more fighting and less, there should be no problem in liberating the prisoner-of-war camp. But I just don't know who Onu Priyenko plans to send to attack the prisoner-of-war camp: "General Onu Priyenko, who do you plan to send to attack the prisoner-of-war camp?"

   "Lieutenant Colonel Milesyev's 25th Guards Regiment," Onuprienko replied, "I don't think there should be any problem in taking this prisoner-of-war camp with the combat effectiveness of the regiment."

"General Onuprienko," but Sokov shook his head after hearing this: "It is not necessary to use storm tactics to capture the enemy's prisoner-of-war camp. If we really do this, the Germans will definitely resist desperately." , and when they see that the prisoner-of-war camp cannot be defended, they will even kill the commanders and fighters detained in the prisoner-of-war camp."

   "Then what should we do?"

"If you can not attack by force, try not to attack by force." Sokov said to Onuprienko; "The best way is to let our commanders disguise themselves as the enemy and go to attack the prisoner-of-war camp, and catch the enemy by surprise. Before they recover, rescue our commanders and fighters."

  (end of this chapter)