Sokov hesitated for a moment, and then continued to ask: "Lieutenant Rednikova, can you tell me where the defense zone of the troops you want to instigate is?" His purpose of asking this was to find out whether the troops were stationed on their own offensive routes. If so, many unnecessary casualties could be reduced.

  Rednikova seemed embarrassed by Sokov's question: "Comrade General, I don't know if I should answer your question."

   Seeing Rednikova's embarrassed face, Sokov guessed that he might not be high enough to know more inside information, so he stopped embarrassing Rednikova: "Well, Comrade Lieutenant, since you can't tell me, I won't ask any more, lest you violate the confidentiality regulations."

   "Comrade General, thank you for your understanding." Regarding Sokov's understanding, Rednikova said gratefully: "I have already violated the regulations by telling you the tasks we performed. If I say the specific unit number, it is really a leak. Not only will I be punished, I am afraid it will also implicate you."

   Koshkin half turned around and asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, shall we go to the infantry brigade first, or to the tank brigade first?"

   "Let's go to the infantry brigade first." Sokov said: "After all, today's operations are still dominated by the infantry brigade, and the tank brigade can only play a supporting role."

   "Okay, then let's go to the Infantry Brigade first." Koshkin said to the driver: "Driver, let's go to the 118th Infantry Brigade first."

   A few minutes later, Sokov's convoy stopped in front of a wooden house, which is the headquarters of the 118th Infantry Brigade.

   Lieutenant Colonel Grushiko, the brigade commander, who had already received the news, stepped forward and opened the rear door of the jeep as soon as the car stopped.

   After the door opened, Rednikova was the first to get out of the car.

  Seeing that it was actually a female officer, Gelushko couldn't help being taken aback, thinking who is this female officer, and why did she appear here with the commander?

  As Sokov’s classmate at the Frunze Military Academy, Glushko knew Assia. When he saw that this person was not Assia, he couldn’t help but have some different thoughts in his heart. He felt that this female officer might have a different relationship with Sokov, so he always took her with him when he went to the front for inspections.

   After Sokov got out of the car, he shook hands with Glushko, and then introduced Rednikova to him: "This is Lieutenant Rednikova from the Ministry of Internal Affairs." He only mentioned Rednikova's background and military rank, and didn't mention a word of other things, which made Glushko feel even more surprised.

   When everyone came to the headquarters, Sokov asked straight to the point: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, how is the situation here?"

   "Report to Comrade Commander." Glushiko replied: "Our brigade has just occupied a town of the German army in two hours. At the moment, the second battalion is fighting the fire and resettling the homeless refugees in the town."

   "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I think you should have received a notice from Comrade Military Commissioner to restrain military discipline and not harass the local people." Sokov looked at Glushko and asked, "Is there such a situation in your brigade?"

   "No, Comrade Commander, absolutely not." Grusko shook his head and said resolutely: "I have conveyed the notice issued by the Army Group Command to every soldier. I dare not say anything about other units, but there will never be any violation of military discipline in my brigade."

   "That's good." Now that Grushiko expressed his attitude to himself, Sokov did not continue to question him, but shifted the topic to the current battle: "Is the newly occupied town equipped with defenses?"

   "There are many fortifications built by the German army on the outskirts of this town, but all the fortifications are facing east." Grusko reported to Sokov: "I heard from the locals that these fortifications were built more than ten or twenty years ago, and the main purpose was to defend against the Polish army."

   Hearing what Grushiko said, Sokov couldn't help laughing. Before the outbreak of World War II, it was Poland that jumped the most. When Mustache raised the threat of force, the Polish general also declared that as long as Germany dared to use force, Poland would return Germany to the situation after the end of World War I. But it was such a country that dared to speak harsh words. Under the attack of Germany and the Soviet Union, it took only 28 days. Poland, which was trying to rise after World War I, collapsed under the joint attack of the two military powers.

  Sokov said with a sneer: "The Germans never dreamed that these fortifications they built would have no chance to defend against Poland's attack, because this country was destroyed in less than a month under their blows."

   "We plan to build some fortifications on the west side of the town and deploy artillery positions in the town." Glushko said: "In this way, even if the Germans launch a counterattack, we will be able to block their attack."

  When Grushiko said this, Rednikova had a complicated expression on her face and opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't say it in the end. Sokov saw her strangeness. After a little thought, he thought of a possibility. Could it be that the German troops that Rednikova and the others were planning to instigate rebellion were in the direction of their attack?

  Although he wanted to know the answer very much, he didn't ask Rednikova. He knew very well in his heart that this involved confidentiality, and even if he asked, Rednikova would not tell herself. On the contrary, it will make the other party feel embarrassed.

   "Okay, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Sokov nodded in approval of Glushko's defense plan: "Then arrange for people to build some fortifications on the west side of the town, regardless of whether the Germans will launch a counterattack. With the fortifications, we don't have to worry about being attacked by the enemy when we stay in the town."

  Sokov stayed in the headquarters of the infantry brigade for more than half an hour, then got up and left, preparing to inspect the tank brigade.

   "Comrade Commander," when Sokov got into the car, Koshkin turned to Sokov and said, "I think you don't seem to want to inspect the tank brigade?"

  Seeing that Koshkin saw his thoughts, Sokov no longer concealed it, but nodded and said: "Koshkin, you are right, I really don't want to go to the tank brigade for inspection. You know, the area where we are fighting now is full of rivers, and the tank troops are basically useless. On the contrary, when the tank troops are advancing, engineers need to open up special roads for them so that the tanks can pass smoothly."

   "Comrade Commander, if the higher-ups let our army attack Berlin, I think the tank unit can still be used." Koshkin said: "Fighting in the city, encountering the enemy's strong fortifications and fire support points, our tanks will be able to tear through the enemy's defense line by firing a few shots."

   "If we have the opportunity to enter Berlin to fight, the tank unit can indeed be used." Sokov said with a wry smile: "But do you think we have a chance?"

   "Comrade Commander, I heard that there are hundreds of thousands of German troops in Berlin, and there are also several impenetrable anti-aircraft towers..."

   "Wait a minute, Koshkin!" Sokov heard this, and immediately interrupted Koshkin's words: "Where did you hear about the air defense tower?" The reason why he asked this was to find out how the other party viewed the Berlin air defense tower.

   "I heard from comrades in the friendly army," Koshkin noticed Sokov's dissatisfaction, and said hastily and cautiously: "They said that the anti-aircraft towers in Berlin can not only defend against air, but also the artillery deployed on them can bombard the surroundings of Berlin like fortress artillery. As long as our troops enter the range of artillery fire, they will be attacked by intensive artillery fire and pay a heavy price. It is precisely because of this rumor that I feel that we have a high chance of entering Berlin to fight."

   "Since the German air defense tower is such a threat to our ground forces, why don't they send planes to blow it up?" Rednikova asked puzzled.

   "Comrade Lieutenant, do you think the Air Force has not considered this issue?" Koshkin said with a sneer: "But the anti-aircraft towers are extremely strong. Whether it is our army's aircraft or the Allied aircraft, they have repeatedly bombed the anti-aircraft towers. But in the end, the anti-aircraft towers were not destroyed, but a lot of aircraft were lost."

  When Sokov mentioned this, he felt a little more at ease. What Koshkin heard was roughly the same as the historical facts, not what those sand sculptures of later generations said. The Berlin air defense tower shot down tens of thousands of Soviet and Allied bombers overnight. He said to Koshkin: "Koshkin, I admit that the air defense towers in Berlin are a great threat to the air force, but it is simply impossible to say that they can bombard attacking troops from all directions with artillery like a fortress."

   "Comrade General." Seeing Sokov's confidence, Rednikova asked tentatively, "Do you really think that the German anti-aircraft towers will not pose any threat to our ground offensive forces?"

   "There must be a threat." Sokov does not deny that the artillery on the air defense tower poses a threat to the ground attacking troops to a certain extent, but when it comes to stopping the ground attack, it is impossible: "But its threat is not as great as imagined. After our army enters the city of Berlin, the air defense tower will not pose a threat to the ground troops due to the shooting angle. .”

   After listening, Rednikova nodded vigorously, and then asked: "Comrade General, I want to ask you, how long do you think we can defeat the enemy?"

   Sokov didn't speak, just stretched out a finger.

  Rednikova said in surprise: "What, another year?"

   "No, Lieutenant Rednikova." Sokov shook his head and said, "What I'm saying is that we can completely defeat the Germans within a month."

   "Defeat the Germans within a month?" Hearing what Sokov said, Rednikova exclaimed in surprise: "How is this possible? You know, the Germans have hundreds of thousands of troops in Berlin, and they can mobilize millions of People's Stormtroopers if necessary. If we want to defeat such a large defender, it will take half a year, even if it doesn't take a year. How can we completely defeat the Germans in a month?"

  Sokov did not argue with the other party on this issue, because these people are different from himself. They are not from later generations, and they have no idea about the direction of history. They can only analyze how long the ongoing Battle of Berlin will take according to their own judgment.

  In fact, not to mention ordinary commanders, even Zhukov, according to his plan, it will take at least three months to completely defeat the German defenders in Berlin. The real Battle of Berlin began on April 16 and ended on May 8. After 23 days, Germany announced its unconditional surrender. This speed of victory is far beyond Zhukov's imagination.

   came to the headquarters of the tank brigade. As soon as the tank brigade commander saw Sokov, he began to complain: "Comrade commander, our tank troops are always at the forefront of every attack, but this time we are far behind the infantry. Every time we rush to the offensive assembly point, we find that the infantry's battle is over. If this continues, I am afraid that the commanders and fighters will have emotions in their hearts."

   "Comrade Brigadier, I think you are the one who is emotional." After unceremoniously debunking the opponent, Sokov smiled bitterly and said, "It's not that I don't want your tank brigade to lead the way, but the terrain here is very unfavorable to the deployment of tank troops. Think about it, if we forcefully cross the Oder River, even if your tank brigade takes the lead, can you cross the wide river?"

   "No." The tank brigade commander lowered his head and replied: "My tanks can't swim, they can't pass through such a wide river. Only after the infantry brothers have established a foothold on the west bank and erected a pontoon bridge can our tanks enter the west bank area through the pontoon bridge."

   "That's right, that's true." Sokov continued: "Also, after you reach the West Bank, I'm afraid you will also find that besides the Oder River, there are many small ditches here, which also make it difficult for you to move. You have no choice but to let the infantry open the way in front, and you follow behind to provide them with the necessary artillery cover, so that they can smoothly push into the depth of the German defense."

   "Comrade Commander, I have one more question." The tank brigade commander waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and then summoned up his courage to ask: "I heard people say that our army group is not qualified to participate in the attack on Berlin. I want to ask, is this true?"

   "Comrade Brigadier, I would like to correct you first." Sokov looked at the other side and said, "It's not just our army group that can't participate in the attack on Berlin, even the entire Second Front Army is also not qualified to participate in the attack on Berlin. This is indeed a regrettable thing, but to ensure that the troops attacking Berlin are not disturbed, we must continue to fight in the existing area to ensure the safety of the friendly flank. Do you understand?"