March 15th is coming in a blink of an eye.
In real history, the Soviet army that was stuck in Kharkov was completely annihilated by the German army and the city fell back into the hands of the German army. However, due to the emergence of the butterfly of Sokov, the course of the war had been reversed. The three SS divisions who should have seized Kharkov are still staying in Balvinkovo, hundreds of kilometers away from Kharkov.
"Comrade Commander," Weitkov immediately reported to Sokov after receiving a telegram from the Front Command: "According to the Front Command's notification, the enemy's 6th and 17th Armored Divisions have joined with the three SS divisions in Balvinkovo. Their next action direction is to let the Red Army Village launch an attack."
Seeing Vitkov's face full of telegram, Sokov asked him with a smile: "Why, Comrade Chief of Staff, are you scared when you heard that the German army had assembled several divisions?"
"Comrade Commander, how could I be afraid? You know, I have participated in the Stalingrad defense battle, so how could I be easily scared?" Witkov said with a forced smile: "I am worried that our strength is too weak, there are too few tanks and cannons, and there is no air support. It is probably not easy to block the German attack."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, our strength is indeed weak compared to the enemy, but we have the confidence to block the enemy." Sokov said confidently: "If the Germans really attacked the city, then we must not only carry out frontal defense, but also send troops to harass the enemy's rear, disrupt their offensive steps, and take the initiative on the battlefield completely in our hands."
"Comrade Commander," said Vitkov in surprise, facing Sokov's confidence: "Do you really think we are sure to block the enemy's attack?"
"If it were a few days ago, I had no idea whether I could block the enemy's attack." Sokov felt that there was no need to hide it from his assistant, so he told the truth: "But the weather has warmed up these days, the snow has begun to melt, the road has become muddy, and the German armored troops have fallen into a state of difficulty in moving."
"The enemy's tanks cannot be used, and our tanks cannot be used either." Witkov said with some depression: "But their number of artillery is greater than ours. Even if there are no tanks, they can use powerful artillery fire to destroy our defensive positions."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I once said that we must learn how to fight in wars." Sokov told Vetkov: "There are many things worth learning from the enemy that we need to learn from. For example, every time the enemy is bombarded by us, they will retreat the troops of the first line of defense through the traffic trench to the second line of defense. When our shelling is over and the infantry begins to charge, they will retreat to the enemy of the second line of defense, and then return to the first line of defense through the traffic trench to repel our attack."
"Comrade Commander, your statement is correct." Weitkov agreed with Sokov: "The enemy is very cunning. Every time our army starts to shell, they will withdraw the troops on the first line of defense to the second line of defense, and even leave observation posts, so as to minimize casualties. As for our army, the most common method is to hide in anti-aircraft artillery holes or shelters in fortifications to avoid enemy artillery fire. After the enemy's shelling is over, even if the anti-aircraft artillery holes or shelters are not destroyed, the commanders and soldiers who are staying inside will be shocked and turned toward the enemy."
"Yes," Sokov nodded and continued, "even if the anti-aircraft hole or cover is not blown up, the officers and soldiers who are staying inside will become deaf or shocked. When the enemy starts attacking, it will be difficult to make the right response in the shortest time."
While the two were chatting, the German army dispatched fifty bombers to carry out intensive bombings on the Red Army village. Amid the deafening explosion, the entire city was burning everywhere and smoke was everywhere. Sokov's headquarters was blown up by a bomb. Fortunately, the people inside moved to the nearby air-raid shelter in time, otherwise there would be heavy casualties.
However, the headquarters was destroyed, and the succession between Sokov and his subordinate troops was interrupted. He could only go to the division headquarters of the 41st Guards Division and contact his subordinate troops through the radio and telephone.
What he told each division commander was the same: "Let the soldiers hide and minimize unnecessary casualties."
At the same time, he also personally called the commanders of the areas where the enemy might appear, and told them: "Appoint the observation post to closely observe the enemy's movements, and must not let them take advantage of the opportunity of bombing to get closer to your defense zone."
The regiment-level commanders who answered the phone all replied loudly: "Comrade Commander, don't worry, we have deployed enough observation posts outside the defense zone. If the enemy really appears, they will discover it in time."
As soon as a series of calls were finished here, Colonel Papchinko called in: "Comrade Commander, my scouts reported to me that a German army was advancing along the road in the direction of our regiment."
"How far is the enemy from you?" Sokov immediately asked, "What kind of troops do they have?"
"According to the scouts' reports, the enemy probably had an armored battalion with an infantry battalion." Colonel Papuchinko reported: "The enemy had twenty tanks, half of which were tanks No. 4. The infantry battalion was armed with armored vehicles and trucks, but due to the muddy roads, they were now trapped about five kilometers away from our defense zone."
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov was overjoyed to learn that the enemy's armored troops were trapped by the muddy roads and quickly ordered Colonel Papchinko: "Immediately send an anti-tank team and carry the bazooka to destroy the enemy's tanks."
"But, Comrade Commander." Colonel Papchinko said with some scruples about Sokov's order: "The enemy has an infantry battalion. If I only sent an anti-tank team, I might be annihilated by the enemy."
Sokov felt speechless when he heard the other party's concerns. After a while, he replied: "Comrade Colonel, it is obviously not enough to defeat the enemy with a single army. I ask you to send an anti-tank team to deal with the enemy's tanks. You can send infantry to act together, and carry at most rockets, so as to eliminate more German infantry."
"So that's how it is, comrade of the division commander." After Sokov's explanation, Colonel Papuchinko suddenly realized: "I will send troops to attack this enemy trapped by muddy roads."
"Very good." Seeing that the other party finally understood his intention, Sokov couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He then said, "I'm waiting for good news for your group here."
The dusty Witkov, when he heard Sokov say this, asked in surprise: "Comrade Commander, don't the enemy have an armored battalion and an infantry battalion? Will there be any problem if you ask Colonel Papchinko to send a small army to deal with the enemy?"
"I don't think so." Sokov thought that his troops were equipped with new rockets and rockets, which was the best match for the enemy during the march, so he said with great confidence: "Even if there is only one company of troops, it can severely damage this enemy."
After the bombing of the enemy planes was over, Gorishne immediately organized troops to put out the fire and dug out the undead people from the collapsed ruins.
Just as he was busy, he received a call from Sokov: "Col. Gorishne, how is your situation there?"
"Comrade Commander," replied Gorishne with a wry smile: "In the bombing that had just ended, most of the fortifications we built in the city have been destroyed."
"Comrade Colonel, since the fortifications have been destroyed, you should hurry up and repair the fortifications while organizing fire extinguishing and saving people." In order to increase the other party's sense of urgency, Sokov also specifically emphasized: "According to the report of the frontier commander, there is an enemy approaching our city. I believe that fierce battles will take place inside and outside the city soon. If you have not repaired the fortifications and waited for the enemy's tanks to rush into the city, then everything will be done."
It has to be said that Sokov's intimidation was still very effective. Gorishne, who hung up the phone, immediately issued an order to the troops, asking them to put out fires and save people in the city while trying out the fire and saving people.
After Sokov made the phone call, he felt that if there was no air support and the enemy would come to bomb again and again, it would be difficult for the city to establish a complete defense system, so he said to Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, please send a report to General Rokosovsky with the radio station in the division, and report to him about our bombing."
More than ten minutes later, the telegram sent by Sokov came to Malining. After reading the telegram, he ran to Rokosovsky and reported to Rokosovsky: "Comrade Commander, Major General Sokov reported that the enemy had just dispatched no less than fifty bombers to bomb the Red Army Village."
"It seems that the enemy is going to attack."
"Comrade Commander," Malinin reminded him that Rokosovsky did not ask about Sokov's safety, saying, "The telegram I received was sent out on the radio of the 41st Guards Division."
Hearing Malining say this, Rokosovsky asked with some wonder: "Comrade Chief of Staff, why should the telegram from Misha be sent out by the radio station of the 41st Guards Division?"
"In my judgment," replied Malinin, "Major General Sokov's command may have been destroyed by enemy bombings in the recent bombing."
"We are in the Red Army Village - the troops on the front line of Donetsk, Misha is commanded by him. He cannot make any mistakes." After learning that Sokov is in danger, Rokosovsky seemed very anxious. He ordered Malining to say: "Call the Air Force Commander immediately and order him to send fighter planes to patrol the overhead of the Red Army Village, so that the enemy can't bomb the Red Army Village unscrupulously."
"Comrade Commander, if we send too few fighter jets and encounter enemy bombing, it will not be of much use."
"Every day, besides night, at least one squadron of fighter jets must be made during the day, patrolling over the Red Army village." Hearing Malinin say this, Rokosovsky quickly added: "No matter how many enemies come, as long as there is a squadron of fighter jets, they can resist for a while so that we can send more planes to rush over."
After obtaining Rokosovsky's authorization, Malinin immediately called the air force under the Front Command, and in the name of Rokosovsky, he ordered them to dispatch no less than one squadron of fighter jets to patrol the Red Army village at any time.
After all this was arranged, Malining replied to Sokov in the name of Rokosovsky, saying that the Front had sent an air force to carry out patrol missions over the Red Army village.
After receiving the telegram, Sokov handed it to Vitkov and said to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, if the air force sent by the Front Command can patrol the city at any time, it would probably not be so easy for the enemy to bomb us again."
Besides, Papuchinko sent the 1st Battalion and 2nd Company to the place where the German army was discovered.
After the troops set off, a soldier asked the company commander Guchakov: "Comrade Commander, can we fight against a armored battalion and an infantry battalion of the Germans?"
After hearing this, Guchakov sneered and said contemptuously: "Don't forget that we used the troops of a division some time ago to defeat the three most elite German SS divisions. If the German army had two battalions, but because they were trapped by the muddy roads, we only needed to carry out long-range attacks with rockets, which would cause huge casualties to them."
Guchakov's words reminded the commanders and fighters who were originally worried about the battle a few days ago. When they thought that they had suffered heavy losses from the enemy and their casualties were much smaller, everyone felt much more at ease. With the orders issued, everyone accelerated their pace and wanted to get to the place where the enemy was discovered as soon as possible, and use the rockets they carried to teach them a lesson.
The troops were walking through the forest. Due to the melting snow, many places became muddy, which slowed down the marching speed of the soldiers. But Guchakov did not urge the commanders and soldiers. He knew very well that if he forced the marching speed, when he felt the combat site, everyone would be exhausted and exhausted, and there would be no physical strength to fight against the enemy.
Therefore, Guchakov only sent two groups of scouts to the front to reconnaise the enemy's movements and prepare to adjust the combat plan according to changes in the situation.
Chapter completed!