Red Moscow

  Chapter 2069

  Chuikov's troops forcibly crossed the Vistula River, established a landing field ten kilometers wide and five kilometers deep on the left bank, and urged General Tkachenko, the director of engineering, to work overtime to erect a pontoon bridge on the river.

  The pontoon bridge is still in the process of being erected, and the artillery, tanks, and vehicles transporting supplies and soldiers of the 8th Guards Army who are preparing to deploy on the left bank are waiting by the river.

  When the pontoon bridge was erected and General Tkachenko announced that it was officially opened to traffic, the convoys who had been waiting for a long time began to board the pontoon bridge one after another and drove towards the opposite bank.

  At dawn, the German army dispatched the air force to bomb the landing field established by the 8th Guards Army. One of the bombers threw away all the aerial bombs it carried, and when it raised its altitude to return, it unexpectedly found that there seemed to be something moving on the Vistula River behind the landing site. The plane hovered over the Vistula River to find out if the Soviet army was moving on the river.

  The German pilots had good eyesight, and soon discovered that a pontoon bridge had been erected on the Vistula River. There were countless trucks, tanks and towed artillery, and they were boarding the pontoon bridge one after another, heading towards the left bank.

The fact that the Soviet army built a pontoon bridge on the Vistula River quickly reached the ears of the German commander. He immediately dispatched more bombers. Indiscriminate bombing of the pontoon bridges in order to prevent the Soviet army from transporting supplies and heavy equipment to the left bank area.

   Facing the enemy plane diving down from the sky, Tkachenko immediately ordered the anti-aircraft guns deployed near the pontoon to fire, trying to drive away the bombing enemy plane. Regrettably, the number of enemy planes exceeded the anti-aircraft artillery on the ground. Although the Soviet anti-aircraft artillery fired tenaciously, the aerial bombs dropped by the enemy planes still blew up the pontoon bridge. The truck and two tanks sank to the bottom of the water along with the broken bridge.

  Chuikov was shocked when he learned that the pontoon bridge had been blown up, and quickly asked Tkachenko who called him: "Comrade Chief Engineer, I wonder how long it will take you to rebuild the new pontoon bridge."

"It's very difficult, Comrade Commander." Tkachenko said embarrassingly: "In order to build this pontoon bridge, I have used up all the materials that can be used. We have no way to build a new bridge until new materials arrive." Also, the enemy is bombarding the surface of the Vistula River non-stop, even if we try to build a pontoon bridge, our engineers will suffer great casualties."

"General Tkachenko," Chuikov said to Tkachenko: "Hurry up and collect bridge-building materials. I will dispatch anti-aircraft artillery troops to protect the bridge as soon as possible. I will never let the German planes attack the river unscrupulously." carry out the bombing."

  After putting down the phone, Chuikov asked Belyevsky: "Comrade Chief of Staff, how many antiaircraft artillery units can we transfer to the area where the pontoon bridge will be erected?"

"Comrade Commander, due to the restoration of several antiaircraft artillery divisions and assault guns some time ago, our artillery strength has been greatly weakened." Beleyevsky explained to Chuikov with a look of embarrassment: "That is He said that now we have only one anti-aircraft artillery division that can be used, and they are responsible for the air defense along the river with a width of 25 kilometers, so the strength is too weak."

Chuikov frowned: "Comrade Chief of Staff, just now General Tkachenko told me that if the air defense force is not strengthened, even if they have enough bridging equipment, it may be difficult to build a new pontoon bridge on the Vistula River. Because The enemy's non-stop bombing will not only cause heavy casualties to the engineers who erected the bridge, but will also make our pontoon bridge impossible to erect."

  Beleyevsky thought for a while, and then suggested to Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, I think the only way now is to ask the superior for help."

   "Is it useful to ask your superiors for help?" Chuikov said coldly: "I'm afraid Marshal Rokossovsky can't mobilize much air defense force?"

   "There may not be any anti-aircraft units in the reserve team of the Front Command." Beleyavsky reminded Chuikov: "But we can play the idea of ​​friendly forces."

   "The idea of ​​attacking the friendly army?!" Cuikov asked curiously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't know which army you are referring to by the friendly army?"

"Of course it is Lieutenant General Bellinger's Polish 1st Army." Berejawski said: "Their army has a well-equipped anti-aircraft artillery division. I think they can be asked to help us complete the air defense of the Vistula River. Task."

"That's a good idea." Hearing that, Chuikov felt that what Beleyavsky said made sense, and quickly picked up the phone in front of him: "I'll call General Bellinger and ask him to send an antiaircraft artillery division. Come support us."

"Wait a minute, Comrade Commander." But Beleyavsky raised his hand to stop Chuikov's move: "I think you should report this matter to the Front Army Command, and it may be more appropriate for Comrade Marshal to come forward. .”

While the two were discussing how to strengthen the air defense force on the bank of the Vistula River, Colonel Shugayev on the left bank landing field called: "Comrade Commander, the German army dispatched an attack to repel our 47th Guards Division." The 17th and 45th Infantry Divisions launched an attack on the front of the landing field; at the same time, they also deployed the 19th Armored Division and Goering Division to carry out flank attacks from the left and right wings of the landing field in an attempt to wipe out all our troops isolated on the left bank.

Knowing that the German army concentrated its superior forces and carried out a counterattack on the Magnusev landing field, Chuikov realized the seriousness of the problem. Faced with the German army's three-sided attack, the 47th Guards Division, which had lost contact with the right bank, could be said to have become a A lone army, if they cannot persist in the siege of the German army, is in danger of being wiped out.

  Thinking of this, he said into the microphone: "Comrade Colonel, you must find a way to block the German attack. I will let the artillery deployed on the right bank provide you with the necessary artillery cover."

   "Comrade Commander, please rest assured." Shugayev, who received Chuikov's promise, quickly raised his voice and said, "Even if we fight to the last man, we will never take half a step back."

   "Very well, I feel relieved if you have such determination." Chuikov asked into the microphone, "Do you have any difficulties?"

"There are difficulties." Shugayev thought for a while and replied: "At present we are resisting the attack of four German divisions, and two of them are armored divisions. Since there are no heavy weapons, it is difficult to deal with the enemy's tanks. We can only let the soldiers use anti-tank grenades or cluster grenades to blow them up. Comrade commander, can you provide some heavy weapons for our division? Even if there are only a few anti-tank guns, so that we can not use the soldiers Flesh and blood, blow up the enemy tanks."

   Regarding Shugayev's request, Chuikov thought for a long time, and then said decisively: "Comrade Colonel, I will provide you with the heavy weapons you need, and you should be able to reach the landing site before dark."

In order to provide assistance to the troops on the left bank landing site as soon as possible, after finishing the call with Shugayev, Chuikov immediately contacted Rokossovsky and complained to him: "Comrade Marshal, we are on the left bank of the Vistula River." The landing site is being attacked by the German army frenziedly. Since the troops do not have heavy weapons, they have suffered heavy casualties. If there is no way to transport the heavy weapons there, I am worried that they will soon be wiped out by the enemy or driven into the turbulent in the Vistula."

"I see, Comrade Chuikov." Rokossovsky, who had just read the battle report, knew the situation at Chuikov's place like the palm of his hand, and said hastily: "I will immediately order the engineers to build a pontoon bridge for you on the Vistula River. "

  As soon as Rokossovsky put down the phone, he called a staff officer and told him: "Go and invite General Proshlyakov, the director of the engineering corps, here."

   After a few minutes, Proshlyakov hurried into the headquarters, looked at Rokossovsky and asked: "Comrade commander, do you have any important business with me?"

"It's like this, General Proshlyakov." Rokossovsky brought Proshlyakov to the map, pointed to the Magnusev landing site on the opposite bank, and said to him: "The Germans are dispatched. The 47th Guards Division had no heavy weapons and suffered heavy casualties in the face of the onrushing German tanks. I would like to ask you engineers to set up on the Vistula River as soon as possible. A pontoon bridge, so that our tanks and artillery can go to the opposite bank through the pontoon bridge."

After Rokossovsky finished speaking, Proshlyakov frowned and thought about it, and then said: "Comrade Commander, this is not easy to handle. The German planes have been circling in the air. Seeing Wherever our troops are assembled or there is an action to build a bridge, we will immediately rush over and bombard them indiscriminately."

"You don't have to worry about air defense." Hearing that Proshlyakov was worried about the bombing of the Luftwaffe, Rokossovsky quickly comforted him and said, "The antiaircraft artillery division of the Polish 1st Army is about 100 meters away from Wisła. The river bank is only five or six kilometers away. I will call General Bellinger and ask him to transfer the anti-aircraft artillery division to the position where the pontoon bridge will be erected to provide you with air defense cover. At the same time, I will also order the air force to send fighter planes The enemy planes over the Swa River drove away."

Seeing that Rokossovsky had considered all the things that should be considered, Proshlyakov nodded and assured him: "Comrade Marshal, since this is the case, then I will arrange manpower to erect the pontoon bridge as soon as possible." .”

   "How long will it take?" Rokossovsky asked, looking at Proshlyakov's back.

   Proshlyakov said without looking back: "The narrowest part of the Vistula River is nearly one kilometer, and the river is fast-moving. It will take us at least eight hours to complete the erection of the pontoon bridge."

  Although Rokossovsky felt that the eight-hour bridge-building time was a bit too long, except for the engineers of the Front Army, the engineers of the 8th Guards Army had no ability to build bridges in a short period of time.

Considering that the German bombers over the Vistula River have seriously hindered the bridge-building work, Rokossovsky told Malinin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you call General Porenin immediately and order him to send A certain number of fighter planes will drive away the enemies on the Vistula River, and cover the engineering troops to complete the erection of the pontoon bridge."

  After the air force covering the engineer operation is arranged, it is time to contact the anti-aircraft artillery. Rokossowski called the headquarters of the Polish 1st Army. After hearing that the person who answered the phone was Bellinger, he smiled and said, "Hello, General Bellinger!"

   "Comrade Marshal, do you have any instructions?"

"General Bellinger, the situation is like this. The Germans are conducting a counter-attack on the landing field on the left bank, trying to drive the 47th Guards Division occupying it into the Vistula River." Rokossovsky said into the microphone : "Because the division lacked heavy weapons, they suffered heavy casualties in the face of a fierce German offensive several times their size. Therefore, the division commander, Colonel Shugayev, begged us to provide him with heavy weapons."

  Bellinger was puzzled when he heard what Rokossovsky said. Why didn't he send troops to rescue the landing site occupied by Chuikov's troops, but he was playing with his own ideas. He asked a little puzzled: "Comrade Marshal, what can we do?"

"General Bellinger, the situation is like this." From Bellinger's tone, Rokossovsky heard that he might have misunderstood, and explained to him: "We plan to go to the Magnusev A pontoon bridge was erected at the location of the landing field. However, due to the continuous attacks of the Luftwaffe on our ground forces in this area, our bridge-building operations have been greatly hindered."

Bellinger is also a smart person. As soon as he heard this, he guessed the meaning of Rokossovsky's opponent, and asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, I understand what you mean, you want our anti-aircraft artillery division , to provide air defense cover for the bridge-building engineer units?"

"That's right, that's right." Rokossovsky nodded and replied, "The task of the Antiaircraft Artillery Division is not only to cover our engineers to build bridges, but their next task is to continue to protect the bridge. Bridges, to avoid being bombed by the Luftwaffe."

   "I understand," Bellinger nodded immediately and said, "I immediately gave an order to Colonel Prokopovich, the commander of the anti-aircraft artillery division, and asked him to lead the troops to the bridge-building area immediately."

  As soon as the call with Rokossovsky was over, Bellinger grabbed the phone and said into the microphone: "This is Bellinger, connect me to the anti-aircraft artillery division, and find the division commander, Colonel Prokopovich."

  Two hours later, Prokopovich rushed to the Vistula River with his anti-aircraft artillery division. At this moment, this place has become a busy large construction site, and the engineering soldiers are braving the bombing of enemy planes, making preparations for building a bridge by the river. The only few anti-aircraft guns are constantly firing into the air, trying to drive away the annoying enemy planes.

Seeing Prokopovich's troops approaching, a Soviet lieutenant colonel immediately walked up to him and said politely: "Comrade colonel, please deploy the antiaircraft artillery division on the spot and help us drive away the enemy planes in the air." .”

"Understood." Prokopovich agreed, and then ordered his chief of staff to give orders to the several anti-aircraft artillery regiment leaders below, asking them to choose a suitable position, build an anti-aircraft artillery position, and drive the enemy planes in the air as soon as possible. Walk.

   While the anti-aircraft artillery division deployed on the spot was still building an air defense position, a Soviet fighter group arrived. After they dispersed in the air, they fought fiercely with the enemy planes in two formations. Seeing this situation, Prokopovich immediately shouted at the top of his voice: "Comrades, speed up and build an air defense position, and try to knock down all the German planes as soon as possible."

  (end of this chapter)