Red Moscow

  Chapter 2065

"How to transport it, my chief of staff?" Rokossovsky stared at the map in front of him and said: "The width of the Vistula River is close to one kilometer, and building a bridge will be a very difficult job. Once the Germans find out If there is a bridge on the Vistula River, aircraft bombing and artillery bombardment will definitely be used to cut off the practice on both sides. In this way, the troops on the left bank landing field can become a lone army, and in the end they will either be annihilated by the Germans or be defeated by the Germans. into the Vistula."

Hearing what Rokossovsky said, Malinin had to think carefully: "That's right. It is not enough to rely on ships to transport personnel, equipment and material resources to the left bank. Ships transport personnel, Supplies or some small-caliber artillery are not a big problem, but there is no way to transport the tanks."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, I seem to have heard that the German army has a kind of underwater tank." Rokossovsky said thoughtfully: "It was originally intended to be used when attacking Britain, but it was later transferred to the East." After the German army's attack on the Brest Fortress was frustrated, these underwater tanks crossed the Bug River from underwater and rushed into the fortress..."

Ma Linin patiently listened to Rokossovsky's narration, then shook his head and said: "Comrade Commander, I have heard of amphibious tanks, which can float on the water, and are basically light tanks. Tanks that can dive , it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

"I just heard about it." Fortunately, Rokossovsky did not dwell on this issue, so he changed the subject in time: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you should contact Chuikov immediately and ask him to send enough forces to protect the You tell him that the pontoon bridge is the lifeline to ensure the landing site on the left bank, and once this lifeline is cut off, no matter how heroic the troops on the left bank are, they will eventually have to abandon the landing site because they run out of ammunition and food."

   Hearing what Rokossovsky said, Malinin realized the seriousness of the problem. He nodded and said: "Understood, Comrade Commander, I will immediately convey your meaning to Chuikov."

At the same time, Chuikov was at his headquarters, receiving a report from the chief of staff, General Belyavsky: "... the bulk of the divisional artillery, the entire regimental artillery, the 43rd Guards Cannon Artillery Brigade Some of the 152mm cannon howitzers and three self-propelled artillery regiments are deployed on the right bank for direct aiming fire."

  Chuikov nodded and asked, "How many river crossing equipment do we have?"

   "83 amphibious vehicles, about 300 ships and motorboats of various types, which can carry a total of 3,700 people."

"It can only carry 3,700 people at a time." Chuikov was obviously dissatisfied with this data, he shook his head and said, "I think the number of ships should be at least doubled, so that we can transport more troops in a short period of time." Transported to the left bank."

"The Front Army Command said it would provide us with a batch of river-crossing equipment," Beliavsky tentatively asked Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, can you call and ask when the river-crossing equipment provided to us will be ready?" In place?"

   But before Cuikov could call the front army headquarters, Ma Linin called first: "General Cuikov, hello! I'm Ma Linin!"

"Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff!" Cuikov heard the call from Malinin, and he didn't care about the greetings, so he asked straight to the point: "I want to ask, when will the superiors provide us with the equipment for crossing the river? You know, we are now All the boats combined can only carry 3,700 people across the river at one time. As for the pontoon troops, the situation is even worse. I am afraid that there are not enough materials to build a pontoon bridge."

"General Chuikov, I called you because of this matter." Ma Linin said: "Currently the troops with the equipment for crossing the river are only General Sokov's 48th Army. Send the river-crossing equipment to the headquarters of the front army. After they deliver the items, I will arrange for someone to deliver them to you."

When Cuikov heard that the 48th Army had river-crossing equipment, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "Comrade Chief of Staff, is it the kind of hovercraft that travels fast? If it is, it would be great. It will take less than an hour. I can send the entire force of a division across the river."

"Unfortunately, General Chuikov." Unexpectedly, Ma Linin poured cold water on Chuikov: "The hovercraft you know have long been taken back by the Weapons and Equipment Department. The river crossing equipment that the 48th Army can provide you is ordinary boats and kayaks and things like that.”

Just when Chuikov was lost, Malinin said again: "Comrade Commander asked me to tell you that after you have built a pontoon bridge on the Vistula River, you must beware of German air strikes. The pontoon bridge is the lifeline connecting the two banks. Once the lifeline is destroyed by the enemy cut off, then the troops on the left bank will become extremely difficult, and in the end they will either be wiped out by the enemy or driven back to the right bank. Do you understand?"

   "I understand, Comrade Chief of Staff." Chuikov assured Malinin: "Once our army establishes a landing field on the left bank, we will definitely ensure the safety of the floating bridge connecting the two banks."

   After Chuikov put down the phone, he said to Beliavsky: "Chief of Staff, Malinin called just now, saying that a batch of river crossing equipment has been mobilized for us from the 48th Army and will be delivered as soon as possible."

Beliavsky also knew about the existence of the hovercraft. Hearing what Chuikov said, he thought that among the river crossing equipment provided by the other party, including the hovercraft, he couldn't help but smile: "Comrade commander, it is the kind that can quickly travel on the water surface and in the swamp. A moving hovercraft?"

"Chief of Staff, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you." Chuikov shook his head and said, "Those hovercraft have been taken away by the Armament Department, so the river crossing equipment provided by the 48th Army is ordinary wooden boats or kayaks. "

"That's such a pity." Beliavsky said: "I have heard that the troops commanded by General Sokov used hovercraft to cross over several times, and the Germans were caught off guard, and the troops successfully boarded the opposite bank. , established a reliable landing site. If we can also have a batch of such hovercraft, then no matter how wide the Vistula River is, it will not pose any threat to us.”

"On the phone just now, Chief of Staff Malinin reminded us of one more thing." Chuikov pointed to the Vistula River on the map: "After our troops establish the landing field on the left bank, we should quickly complete the erection of the pontoon bridge to ensure Soldiers, equipment and various supplies are continuously transported to the landing site. Once the Germans are aware of our actions, they will definitely use artillery bombardment or air force bombing to cut off the training between the two sides."

Speaking of this, Chuikov couldn’t help but think of the days when he stood firm in Stalingrad. Due to the ice on the Volga River, the soldiers and supplies on the east bank could not be transported to the city, and the wounded and evacuated residents in the city could not be transferred. to the east coast. But fortunately, it is still summer, so there is no need to worry about the water freezing. Even if the floating bridge cannot be erected, the personnel and materials needed for the landing site can still be transported by boat.

   "Comrade Commander, Comrade Commander." Seeing that Chuikov had been distracted, Beliavsky couldn't help calling him, "What are you thinking?"

   Chuikov woke up from his contemplation, chuckled, and replied, "I'm thinking about the Battle of Stalingrad."

Hearing Chuikov mention the Battle of Stalingrad, Beliavsky immediately misunderstood what he meant, and nodded and said, "At the beginning, General Sokov was just a division commander under your command. In terms of military rank and position, they are on the same level as you."

"General Sokov is an excellent commander." Chuikov commented on Sokov to Beliavsky: "The German troops who fought against him will tremble with fear as long as they hear his name. Trembling. When encountering again, because of fear, the troops will lose their morale and morale, which will greatly reduce their combat effectiveness."

Beliavsky raised his hand to check the time, and said to Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, the forced crossing will start in twelve hours, or should the forced crossing be carried out only in newly selected areas?" he asked. The reason is that the position established by the 4th Guards Army after crossing the river two days ago is not in the area where the storm is about to start.

Chuikov understood what Beliavsky wanted to express, nodded, and said: "That's right, the forced crossing operation after twelve hours will only be carried out at a few newly selected target positions. The few fortifications established on the left bank, unless the forced crossing operation here fails, do not take any action."

The left bank areas occupied by the 4th Guards Army were not conducive to the deployment of mechanized troops because of the vertical and horizontal rivers and numerous trees, so the German army did not have much defensive force in those areas. Therefore, when the 8th Guards Army established a landing field on the left bank, Just use those areas as alternative areas after the failure of the forced crossing operation.

  After Sokov learned that Cuikov's troops were about to cross the Vistula River, he immediately arranged for the preparation of the manpower and sent all the river-crossing equipment collected to the Front Army Command. Seeing that Sokov moved so quickly and delivered the river-crossing equipment so quickly, Ma Linin represented Rokossovsky on the phone and offered him a verbal commendation.

As soon as the phone here was hung up, a phone next to it rang again. Sidolin picked it up and listened to it for a while, then handed the receiver to Sokov, and said, "Comrade Commander, we are looking for you. It's from Lieutenant Colonel Glushko."

   "Lieutenant Colonel Glushiko," Sokov asked with the microphone close to his ear, "What can I do for you?"

   "Comrade Commander, my new deputy brigade commander, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan, said he is an old acquaintance with you." Glushko said on the phone: "He asked me to say hello to you!"

  The name Ivan is too common for Sokov. Among the people he knows, there are at least dozens of people with this name. He was a little puzzled and asked: "He said he was an acquaintance of mine? Ask him, where did we meet?" Although he hadn't seen what the other person was like, he was very concerned about the casual relationship with this person. dissatisfied.

"I have already asked, Comrade Commander." Grushko said with a smile: "He said he met you when the city of Kryukovo was liberated, when he was a member of the 1077th Regiment of the 8th Guards Division. Battalion Commander, you were directly promoted from sergeant to lieutenant in that battle, and you assumed the position of company commander."

After listening to Glushko's narration, Sokov recalled his experience not long after he came to this world. At that time, the Eighth Guards Division was going to liberate Kryukovo, and this Lieutenant Colonel Ivan, no, he was It was the troops commanded by Major Ivan who took the lead in the attack, but due to the incorrect method of attack, one-third of the troops were killed or injured, but not even a single street was captured. He led people into the buildings on both sides of the street, and after blasting through the walls, he came to the firepower point of the German army. After destroying it easily, he opened the attack channel for the large troops.

"It turned out to be him." After thinking about who it was, Sokov said with a smile: "Lieutenant Colonel Grusko, then you can take him over here. After all, we are old acquaintances. We can sit down and talk about the past. .”

   "Comrade Commander," Sidolin waited for Sokov to put down the phone, and immediately leaned over and asked curiously: "What's going on with Lieutenant Colonel Ivan, can you tell me?"

  Seeing that not only Sidolin was very interested in his relationship with Lieutenant Colonel Ivan, but even Bonejielin who was on the side also cast a curious look. Sokov coughed lightly, cleared his throat and said, "This was after the great counter-offensive under the city of Moscow began. At that time, I was only a guard platoon leader in Khimki Town, and I was assigned to guard by my superiors." The 1077th Regiment of the 8th Division. When they went there, they were attacking Kryukovo. Due to certain deficiencies in the use of tactics, as a result, the troops suffered one-third of the casualties, and they still failed to break through the German army in the middle of the street. Fortifications..."

  Pornegelin immediately became interested when he heard this: "Comrade commander, tell me quickly, what method did you use to kill the enemy's fortifications?"

"The method is very simple." Sokov said lightly: "I brought the soldiers into the building, then blasted through the wall, approached the position where the enemy's firepower was located from the room, and then appeared at the window, threw grenades and shot down. , It was killed by the enemy's firepower in one fell swoop."

"Great, Comrade Commander, your method is really great." Ponegerin said: "According to my idea, if you want to destroy the enemy's fortifications, I'm afraid the only way to do it is to use rocket launchers or recoilless guns." OK. But I didn't expect that you could quickly approach the enemy's fortifications from inside the building and destroy them with grenades and bullets."

"Comrade Deputy Commander, in fact, you don't know that I am very afraid of death." Sokov said with a smile: "So when I am fighting, I have to keep using my brain and try to come up with a plan that can destroy the enemy. It’s a good way to save yourself.”

Sokov's statement made the two of them laugh, and Sidolin nodded to Sokov with his hand: "You can say this in front of us. If someone else hears it, be careful that someone will sue and say you It’s greed for life and fear of death.”

"Chief of Staff, I've said too much." Ponegelin said next to him: "Everyone who says they are afraid of death will believe it. But the only thing that says our commander is afraid of death is that no one will believe it. Look, from him Since I joined the army, how many tough battles I have fought and how many times I have been injured, if I am a person who is greedy for life and afraid of death, I am afraid that I would have found a chance to stay in the rear, so why would I stay at the front line like I am now."

"Okay, okay, don't talk about it." Sokov also realized that some jokes can't be said casually in today's era, otherwise it may really cause unnecessary trouble for himself. He said to Sidolin: "Lieutenant Colonel Grushiko and Lieutenant Colonel Ivan are coming, let the cooking class prepare something for them so that they can enjoy a good meal."

  (end of this chapter)