Chapter 2237 Broad River

   After more than a day of reconnaissance, Sokov discovered a headache.

   Between the 48th Army and the German Army, there is actually a big river blocking it. This river is in the middle area between the two sides, and it is actually divided into two rivers, the East Oder River and the West Oder River. Between the two rivers is a shoal, which has been submerged due to the rising water level caused by the melting snow in spring, making the river an astonishing five kilometers wide, with the high west bank looming.

"Comrade Commander, how we can forcibly cross these rivers under the attack of the enemy's artillery and machine gun fire is a big problem." Sidolin took the information he had just received and said to Sokov: "If it is One river, we can still prepare boats to cross. But now the shoal between the two rivers, our boats cannot pass, because the water level is too shallow, the boat will run aground there, and become the target of German artillery fire and be blown to pieces. .”

Sokov has been fighting for so many years, and this is the first time he has encountered such a complex terrain. Naturally, he also has a headache: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you are right, the shoal between the two rivers prevents us from using boats. Carry out forced crossing work. Even if we cross the East Oder first, the boats will not be able to pass through the shallows and enter the West Oder."

"Misha, I think you can try it with a small boat." Lunev expressed his opinion beside him: "Look, after our troops have successfully crossed the East Oder River, the soldiers can be launched into the water and carry the small boats. Cross the shallows, put the boats back into the West Oder, and start a new round of crossing operations."

"Comrade Military Commissar, your idea is unrealistic." Sokov waited for Lunev to finish speaking, then shook his head and said, "Don't say that there is a shoal, which makes it impossible for our forced troops to use ships normally. Even if there is no Shoal, it is basically impossible for our commanders and fighters to paddle a distance of five kilometers with their own hands. Even when they are crossing the river, the German army on the other side will not take any action until our soldiers arrive. By the time I got to the shore, I’m afraid I’m already too tired to move.”

   "Then what shall we do?" asked Sidolin.

   "Chief of Staff, report the information we have detected to the Front Command." Sokov said, "See if they can do anything."

After receiving the report from Sidolin, Rokossovsky stared at the map for a long time, then raised his head and said to Bogolyubov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the line between the 48th Army and the enemy The river, where is it a river? It’s simply two Dnieper Rivers plus a Pripyat River. To complete the forced crossing under the enemy’s intensive artillery fire, I think it is an impossible task.”

"You are right, Comrade Marshal." Bogolyubov expressed support for Rokossovsky's statement: "We have fought for so many years, and this is the first time we have encountered such a river. It is obviously inappropriate to cross the river in a forced way. Therefore, we must study new tactics to ensure that the troops can cross the river smoothly."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, sitting in the headquarters and researching on the map, there is no effective way to find out." Rokossovsky stood up and said, "I plan to go to Misha's 48th Army to see if I can find a way to cross the river." good way."

Hearing that Rokossovsky was going to the 48th Army, Bogolyubov couldn't help feeling worried: "Comrade Marshal, the defense zone of the 48th Army is now at the forefront of the entire Front Army. To guarantee."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you can rest assured about this." Rokossovsky knew that Bogolyubov was worried that he would become the second Cherniakhovsky, so he comforted him and said, "I will pay attention to safety. There will be absolutely no accidents."

"Comrade Marshal, I think I'd better call General Sokov first and order him to send troops to meet you." Bogolyubov said sincerely: "If you have any accident on the road, we are sorry for the first time." For the Second Front Army, it will have extremely serious consequences.”

Rokossovsky saw that this was Bogolyubov's concern for him, so he did not refuse, but nodded and said: "Well, Comrade Chief of Staff, please call Misha and send I want to inform him about the inspection."

Sokov received a call from Bogolyubov and learned that Rokossovsky was coming to his place for inspection, and he was shocked into a cold sweat. His defense zone is now separated from the Germans by a wide river However, if Rokossovsky was discovered by the German army when he came to inspect and attracted shelling, it would probably have extremely serious consequences. Thinking of this, he tentatively asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I am too close to the enemy here. Comrade Marshal may have safety problems when he comes here."

"That's what I said, General Sokov." Bogolyubov said rather helplessly: "But Comrade Marshal insisted on going to your place for inspection, and I couldn't stop him. The reason why I called you is because I just want you to keep him safe."

"Okay, Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army." For Sokov, Rokossovsky is his current backer. Even if he fights his old life, he can't let the other party have an accident, so he replied decisively: "I will ensure the safety of Comrade Marshal."

After putting down the phone, Sokov said to Sidolin and Lunev: "Chief of Staff, Comrade Military Commissar, General Bogolyubov just called to say that Comrade Marshal is coming to us for inspection. You know, two In the middle of the month, General Cherniakhovsky, the commander of the Third Front Army, was shelled by the German army on his way to inspect the Third Army, and he was seriously injured. In order to prevent similar things from happening again, we must Do a good job of security."

   "What should be done specifically?" Sidolin asked.

"Call the artillery director General Potapov first," Sokov said to Sidolin: "Let his artillery observers pay close attention to the movements in the direction of the German army. Once the German artillery fires, they must decisively implement artillery suppression." .”

  After taking down what Sokov said, Sidolin raised his head and asked, "What else?"

   "In addition, let Captain Koshkin bring a company of guards to meet Comrade Marshal and his party."

  Sidorin asked tentatively, "Aren't we going to meet him?"

"We won't go." Sokov shook his head and explained, "If we were going to greet them, the noise would be too loud. If the German army found out, a round of artillery fire would cause us huge casualties. "

  Sidolin thought about it, and it seemed to be the case, so he nodded and said: "Okay, Comrade Commander, then I will send Koshkin to take someone to meet him, and we will stay here to welcome Comrade Marshal."

   An hour later, Rokossovsky, accompanied by Koshkin, came to the headquarters of the 48th Army.

  After shaking hands with Sokov and others, Rokossovsky asked straight to the point: "Misha, how are you doing? Have you thought of a way to cross the river?"

"There is a way." Sokov said: "If the superior can hand over the hovercraft to us, let alone the distance of five kilometers, even if it is fifteen or twenty-five kilometers, our troops can reach the other side smoothly. And succeeded in taking the river defense position from the enemy."

"Misha, your idea is unrealistic." But as soon as Sokov finished speaking, Rokossovsky poured cold water on him: "I once contacted Comrade Ustinov , discussed with him about borrowing the hovercraft, but he refused. He said that the hovercraft is an imperfect product in military production. It's now sealed."

   Hearing what Rokossovsky said, Sokov realized that his last hope was also shattered. But he still asked unwillingly: "Comrade Marshal, is there really nothing you can do?"

"Misha, the act of sealing up the hovercraft has obtained the permission of the Supreme Commander himself." Rokossovsky reminded Sokov: "If you want to unblock it, you must get the permission of the Supreme Commander himself. In today's situation Next, I don’t think this possibility is very big, even if the seal is barely lifted, it will take ten days and a half a month to meet us, and the attack time that has already been set will be delayed.”

   "Then what should we do?" Sokov asked helplessly.

   "Take me to the river to have a look."

"What, you're going to the river?" Hearing that Rokossovsky was going to the river to check the terrain, Sokov was startled into a cold sweat, and quickly said: "No, no, Comrade Marshal, the situation there It's too dangerous, you can't go."

"There's nothing you can't go." But Rokossovsky said with a smile after hearing this: "Before the Bagration operation started, Marshal Zhukov also personally inspected the edge of the swamp. The Germans are only two or three kilometers away, and they are not afraid of danger, so am I afraid of danger?"

Now that Rokossovsky has already talked about this, it is obviously unrealistic to raise objections. In desperation, Sokov could only agree to Rokossovsky's proposal: "Okay Come on, Comrade Marshal, I will accompany you for a walk by the river."

In order to avoid exposing the target due to too many people, Sokov asked Sidolin and Lunev to report to him. He took Koshkin and several guards and followed Rokossovsky towards the Walk along the river.

   Fortunately, Rokossovsky did not rush to the river to look directly at the German army on the other side, but entered an observation post on the bank embankment to observe the situation on the other side from here. When he used the binoculars to observe the situation on the other side, Sokov, who was standing behind him, was thinking in his mind, what method does the marshal plan to use to break the deadlock in front of him?

   After an unknown amount of time, Rokossovsky put down the binoculars in his hand, turned his head and asked Sokov behind him, "Misha, do you know the deployment of the German troops on the other side?"

   "I don't know." Sokov replied truthfully: "Due to the obstruction of the river, we haven't had time to send scouts to the other bank, so we don't know anything about the strength and equipment of the German army on the other bank."

   Seeing that Sokov was not aware of the enemy's strength and equipment on the other side, Rokossovsky did not blame him, but said briefly: "Let's go back to your headquarters first and study how to cross the river."

  After returning to the headquarters, Sokov hurriedly brought Rokossovsky a cup of hot tea himself: "Comrade Marshal, please drink tea!"

   Rokossovsky took a sip from the teacup, put the teacup on the table, looked at Sokov and asked, "Misha, do you have any way to cross the river now?"

"No." Sokov shook his head and said like a rattle drum: "The shoal between the East and West Oder Rivers is the biggest problem. Its existence makes it difficult for our army to get the ships out even if they cross the East Oder River." Transfer to the West Oder." Seeing that Rokossovsky seemed to want to say something, he added, "Maybe someone will say that this problem can be overcome by using a small boat of the kind that usually crosses the river. As long as After crossing the East Oder River, let the soldiers go into the water to carry the boat across the shallows, and then put the boat into the West Oder River, and then we can continue to carry out the forced crossing operation. But I think this approach is not worth adopting, after all, we and the enemy The river between them is five kilometers wide, even if the soldiers can paddle this far, they will exhaust their physical strength."

"You're right, Misha." Rokossovsky agreed with Sokov's statement: "Letting the soldiers paddle for five kilometers in a row is a strict test for their physical strength. At the beginning, maybe their speed will be very fast, but as their physical strength is exhausted, their rowing speed will become slower and slower. , will become the best target for German artillery."

   "Comrade Marshal, is there really nothing we can do?"

   "I have an idea." Rokossovsky said with some hesitation: "But now we don't know anything about the strength and equipment of the German army on the West Bank, and we don't know whether this method will work."

  Hearing that Rokossovsky said that there is a way to cross the river in front of him, Sokov couldn't help becoming interested, and asked urgently: "Comrade Marshal, can you tell me what is the way?"

Rokossovsky picked up a pencil on the table, drew a few arrows at the position of the river, and then said: "If only one of your armies launches a force-forcing operation against the other side, the enemy will definitely concentrate all its forces against you. What I'm considering is to deploy General Batov's 65th Army and Fejuninsky's 2nd Shock Army to cross the river on your left and right flanks while you are carrying out the forced crossing. In this way, the German army will use The troops that are used for defense will be dispersed, thereby reducing your main force when attacking."

"I understand, Comrade Marshal." Hearing this, Sokov immediately understood Rokossovsky's intentions, and quickly said to him: "I will immediately send scouts to the other side of the river to find out the enemy's strength. Deployment and equipment situation, in order to develop new operational plans for you, provide accurate intelligence support."

"Well, Misha, that's what I mean." Seeing that Sokov realized his intentions, Rokossovsky nodded and said with satisfaction: "Only after we have figured out the deployment and equipment of the German army on the other side, can I Only then can we formulate a targeted attack plan. I feel that the armies on your left and right flanks are pure feints or genuine attacks."

He stretched out **** and said to Sokov: "Misha, time is tight, I can only give you two days. After two days, you must provide me with accurate information on the other side. How can it be done? Are you there?"

   "Don't worry, Comrade Marshal. I'm sure I can do it."

  (end of this chapter)