Chapter 1466

After listening to Bogoliubov's reading of my promotion, I was stunned. Just now I was told that my chance as commander of the front army is slim; In a twinkling of an eye, I was promoted to my rank. I don't know if this is a slap to a sweet jujube?

Looking at me standing in a daze, Zhukov coughed and asked sternly, "Rita, why don't you talk? Don't you know what to say when you get a promotion? "

Zhukov's words made me shiver. I said in a loud voice, "serve the Soviet motherland!"

After looking me up and down, Zhukov said to Khrushchev with a smile, "Comrade military commissar, do you know that the first time I saw Rita was when I was commander of Leningrad's front army, when she was a sergeant, commanding an anti-aircraft machine gun platoon, sticking to the polkovo highland. I didn't expect that just over two years later, she had become one of the senior commanders of our army and won the rank of general. "

"Yes, comrade Zhukov." As for Zhukov's statement, Khrushchev also said with a smile: "although the promotion of post and rank during the war is easier than that in peace time, it is almost impossible for a male commander to get such a rapid promotion in such a short time without special ability, let alone a female comrade."

My heart was very happy with their praise, but on the surface, I tried my best to pretend to be modest and said, "Comrade marshal and Comrade military commissar, in the next battle, I will try my best to live up to the trust of my superiors."

Just then, a staff officer trotted up to us, holding the telegram in his hand and reporting to Zhukov, "Comrade marshal, the telegram of the 60th group army, the enemy has launched an attack on their defensive positions."

Zhukov took the message, quickly browsed the above content, raised his head and told Bogoliubov: "chief of staff, you go to call back general chernyahovsky and tell him that in the face of the German crazy attack, you can't carry out passive defense, you should carry out small-scale counterattack at any time and disrupt the German offensive steps."

"I see, comrade marshal." Bogoliubov readily agreed: "I'm going to telegraph."

Looking back at bogoleubov's departure, Khrushchev said with emotion: "Comrade Zhukov, I find that since you became the commander of the front army, the enthusiasm of the chief of staff is much higher than before."

Zhukov was surprised by Khrushchev's words. He was surprised and asked, "has he been living here before?"

"Comrade Zhukov, you should know that general watujing is a staff officer." In response to Zhukov's question, Khrushchev said vaguely: "moreover, comrade bogoleubov can not play a significant role in the headquarters for those who like to do things by themselves, which affects his enthusiasm for work to a certain extent. Now, since you came, he has regained the value of his existence, so his enthusiasm is unprecedented. "

After hearing this, Zhukov just gave a hum, then turned to the wall, looked up at the map, and began to judge the German army's next move according to the information.

…………

Just as the 60th group army and the 1st group army of the close guard, which were the main attack directions, were frantically attacked by the German superior forces, the 18th and 38th group armies on the left wing of the front army launched a fierce attack on the areas with weak German defense. In a short period of four days, khmerinik, venica and zmerinka were successively liberated, and the defeated troops of the first German tank group army were compressed to the vicinity of kamenitz podoliski.

After receiving the good news from the front line, Khrushchev became a history teacher for us with great interest. He pointed to the map and said loudly to us: "kamenitz podolisky is a famous historical city in western Ukraine. It is located on the Bank of the motrich River, a tributary of the Dniester River on the left bank. It is a military fortress of all ages and has a Turkish castle built in the middle ages. Once belonged to Lithuanian, military and Turkish respectively, in 1793 with Ukraine into tsarist Russia. It's an important road hub and railway intersection... "

Before he finished, Bogoliubov came to Zhukov in a hurry with a newly received telegram and said excitedly, "good news, good news, marshal."

All of us were attracted by his shouts. Zhukov looked at him and asked, "chief of staff, what's the good news?"

"Yes, comrade marshal." When Bogoliubov handed the telegram to Zhukov, he deliberately raised his voice and said to everyone, "the troops of the first German tank group army are divided and surrounded by our army in the kamenitz podolisky area, including the famous" Hitler division "and the seventh German armored division..."

"What, the seventh armored division is surrounded by us?" When Zhukov heard Bogoliubov say so, he snatched the telegram and couldn't wait to see it. After reading the above, he slapped the telegram on the table and said excitedly, "great, just great. This is really a narrow road for our enemies. In this way, we can settle the accounts with our old enemy, the seventh armored division. "

Zhukov's words aroused my great interest. In order to find out what happened, I asked Khrushchev in a low voice, "Comrade military commissar, why do you say that the seventh armored division and we are enemies?"

When Khrushchev heard my question, he was stunned and then relieved: "I remember that you joined the army after the war broke out, so it's normal that some things are not clear.

At the beginning of the war, the seventh armored division cut off the retreat of the Minsk garrison in Belarus, resulting in their encirclement and annihilation. Then, in the vicinity of Smolensk, the division repulsed the troops we were trying to get out of the siege many times, resulting in the annihilation of the troops trapped in the siege. Later, in August, they crossed the Dnieper River and surrounded our four army groups in viazima with several other armored divisions.... "

Looking at the angry expression on Khrushchev's face when he told us about our army's defeat, I knew how embarrassed the Soviet army was beaten by the seventh armored division. Now Fengshui turns to be the seventh armored division, which is surrounded by us. The opportunity for us to take revenge finally comes.

After a brief introduction, Khrushchev went up to Zhukov, looked at the map lying on the table, and said thoughtfully, "Comrade Zhukov, as long as we capture kamenitz podolisky, our troops will be able to set foot on the former frontier again. Who will be the first to reach the border will be of great significance. Therefore, I suggest that general katukov's first tank group army be transferred from the main attack direction to our left wing to launch a final assault on kamenitz podolisky. "

As long as we capture kamenitz podolisky, our troops will be able to set foot on the long-distance border line. Khrushchev's proposal is so attractive that I feel a little excited. I quickly turned to Zhukov to hear what kind of decision he would make.

Zhukov stood up, walked back and forth a few times, stopped to look at Khrushchev and said, "Comrade military commissar, I can't deny that your proposal is very attractive. From my heart, I really want to win such an honor, but under the current circumstances, it is not appropriate to transfer the first group army of tanks from the main attack direction. "

After that, he quickly went to the table, called me, Khrushchev and Bogoliubov to the table, pointed to the map and said to us, "you see, the German forces are concentrating their superior forces to attack the 60th group army and the 1st group army of the guards in the main attack direction, trying to drive them back to the starting point of attack. At present, we are here to continue our strength and prepare for a new round of attack. Once general katukov's forces are transferred to the left, we will fall short of our long-term attack. "

When Zhukov said that, Khrushchev's face was disappointed. He said with regret: "Oh, if that's the case, maybe marshal konev will get the honor of reaching the frontier first."

As soon as he said that, I heard a strange noise. Looking in the direction of the sound, I found that Zhukov had broken the red and blue pencil in his hand. When I saw Zhukov's gaffe, I was surprised, and then I guessed the cause of his gaffe. In the battle of Korsun shevchenkovsky, Stalin gave the command of the two front armies to konev of the Holy Family zhelung because of the wrong command of vatukin. Konev was promoted to marshal by Stalin because he achieved the goal of the campaign. If, in the campaign launched by the three front armies at the same time, konev led the command troops to reach the border line first, then he would overtake Zhukov as deputy commander in the limelight, which Zhukov could not accept psychologically.

However, after a period of silence, Zhukov looked up at Khrushchev standing in front of him and said with firm expression: "Comrade military commissar, please remember that our task is to defeat the Communist aggressors and drive them out of our territory. As for whose troops arrive at the border first, it doesn't matter. Anyway, they are all Soviet troops. "

With that, he threw the broken pen in his hand on the table and said without expression, "OK, let's discuss when to launch a new attack on the German army."

Bogoliubov frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "marshal, today is the 19th. I think we can start our attack on the German army again in two days."

"Can we attack the day after tomorrow?" Khrushchev doubted bogoleubov's statement: "you know, the enemy's attack on us is still very fierce, and our troops in many areas have to withdraw temporarily."

"Comrade military commissar, what you see is only temporary imagination. In the last few days of the German attack, we have received a lot of replenishment from the rear. In addition to the soldiers, there are also many tanks Bogoliubov confidently told Khrushchev: "our army will have enough strength the day after tomorrow to launch a new attack on the enemy."

"What's the matter, chief of staff? Has the superior supplemented the front army?" Zhukov and other Bogoliubov nodded to confirm, and immediately ordered: "all the new troops will be added to the two group armies in the main attack direction; As for the tanks, "he thought about it, and then decided decisively," they will all be added to the 3rd group army of rybalco's close guard tanks. After the new attack, they will be the main assault force. "

…………

Zhukov chose 6 a.m. on March 21 when he resumed his main attack on the German army. But two hours before the attack, something unexpected happened.

Chernyahovsky called Zhukov and reported to him, "Comrade marshal, after the strong artillery preparation, the German army suddenly launched an attack on our defensive position. Although our commanders and fighters have been tenacious in defense, there are still a large number of enemies who rush to our defense depth through the gap between our group army and the first group army of the close guard. "“ What, the German army, from the junction of your two armies, rushed into your defense depth Zhukov was startled by chernyahovsky's report. After frowning at me, he continued to ask, "Comrade General, can your troops stop them?"“ It may be difficult. " Chernyahovsky replied with some embarrassment: "the German forces have rushed into our defense depth. There are at least two armored divisions and one infantry division, and our main forces are concentrated in the front of the defensive position, ready to launch an attack on the German forces. Because the enemy has chosen the weakest defensive area of our army, it may be possible to slow them down; As for blocking them, I don't think it's realistic. "“ Why is that? " Zhukov was particularly dissatisfied with chernyahovsky's reply. He raised his voice and asked, "can't one of your army groups stop the three German divisions? Besides, you are not fighting alone. As long as your troops block them, I will inform general glicko of the 1st group army of the guards, and let his troops attack the flank of the German army from another direction, so as to ensure that you can encircle the German army. "“ "Marshal," chernyahovsky said, after a moment of silence, as if with great determination, "we captured several German officers in the battle. According to the prisoner's confession, the troops that break into the defense depth of our army are not for attack, but for breakthrough. They are going to risk a passage between us and the first group army of the guards, rush out of the possible encirclement of our army and rush to jernopol. "“ What, they're going to rush to jernopol? " When Zhukov heard this, he cast his eyes on me again and asked in a dubious way: "Comrade General, are you sure the prisoner didn't lie? They may deliberately spread such false information so that we can misjudge the situation on the battlefield. "