Chapter 1473

After giving orders to his chief of staff, katukov turned his eyes back to me and said solemnly, "Rita, it's about 100 kilometers from the Dniester River to the Mosha station. We don't know how many fortifications the German army built on this road, and whether the road is suitable for tanks

I heard his voice out of the picture. Although our army successfully reached the Dniester River, we still don't know how strong resistance we will encounter on the road to chernovitzer. As a passer-by who knows the outcome of the war, I don't know what the final outcome of the battle will be, but according to the history I know, katukov had no defeat in the later stage of the war, so I comforted him and said, "general katukov, don't worry, the German army has been defeated by your troops, It is difficult for them to organize effective defense in the short term. As for the muddy road ahead, you can rest assured that our tanks have a wide track and are superior to German tanks in such terrain. "

My words made the expression on katukov's face a lot easier. After the chief of staff came back after giving orders, he asked, "chief of staff, do you know the number of the German troops in front of the Boiko tank brigade?"

"Yes, comrade commander." After hearing katukov's question, the chief of staff replied positively: "the German army in front of Colonel Boyko is the 68th infantry division. They have been maimed by our army in recent battles. According to the prisoner's confession, there are only seven or eight soldiers in each company of the division, and only a few more than thirty. In a word, the total strength of the division is probably only one reinforced battalion. "

After listening to the chief of staff's report, katukov nodded and then asked, "I remember this division was with the 7th German armored division two days ago. Where is the armored division now?"

"The 7th armored division of the German army, under the joint attack of our group army and the 4th group army of tanks, has now retreated to the kamenitz podoliski area, and has fallen into our encirclement with several other German troops." With a smile on his face, the chief of staff said, "I expect that as soon as general lelyushenko's forces win kamenitz podoliski, they will be able to launch a final attack on these besieged German forces."

After the chief of staff introduced the current situation to us, I became more interested in the tank brigade's capture of Mosha station. After he finished, I looked up at him and said, "chief of staff, we should let Colonel Boyko's tanks speed up and rush to Mosha station as fast as possible, so as to prevent the German army from destroying the station after discovering our army's intention."

"Comrade deputy commander of the front army," the chief of staff said to me with some embarrassment, "I have received a report that the infantry crossing the Dniester River can only take the form of a walking army because the convoy of dodge trucks has returned to the north to meet the walking troops of the 24th Infantry Division. If the tank brigade is allowed to speed up its March, it is bound to be out of touch with the infantry. "

As for the chief of staff's worry, I waved my hand and said to myself, "Comrade chief of staff, we need to seize the Mosha station and resume the railway traffic in the rear area in the shortest time. It will take at least two days to get to the station if you want to work with the infantry. In such a long period of time, if the German army finds that it can't hold the station and completely destroys the station and railway, we will have to spend more energy to restore the traffic. "

Seeing the embarrassed look on the chief of staff's face, I quickly added: "don't worry, comrade chief of staff. After our tank brigade has captured the station, it will start in place and wait for the coming of the successor troops, so that even if the German army carries out a counterattack, our troops can easily crush them. "

After hearing what I said, the chief of staff didn't say anything, but looked at katukov. I looked at katukov and complained in my heart that he was the commander here. How could I do anything for him. Just when I was annoyed, I heard katukov say to the chief of staff in a smooth tone: "chief of staff, since the deputy commander of the front army has given you a combat order, you should convey it to the front forces as soon as possible."

Before the chief of staff left, he asked me in a deliberative tone, "Rita, do you have anything else to add?"

After thinking about it, I said decisively, "for the convenience of command, now captain Boyko's 64th tank brigade is under the direct control of the group army. When the headquarters gives orders or he reports the situation, it is no longer necessary to pass them on through general Gutman, so as not to delay the fighter plane."

"I agree." With no hesitation, katukov expressed his support for my proposal. Then he waved to the chief of staff and said, "chief of staff, you should convey this order immediately. From now on to the end of the campaign, the 64th brigade of Colonel Boyko's tanks will be under the direct command of the headquarters of the group army."

Half an hour later, Boyko contacted katukov directly through his radio station. Because the distance is too far, the effect of wireless communication is not good, so whether it is the order given by katukov or the result reported by Boyko, it is completed by telegram.

Just as Colonel Boyko's tank brigade was charging deep into the German defense, Zhukov called. He asked directly, "Hello, Rita, have katukov's troops crossed the Dniester river?"

"Yes, comrade marshal." I looked up at katukov, who was lying at his desk looking at the map, and then answered positively, "at present, the 64th tank brigade and the 24th infantry division of the 11th guard tank army have successfully crossed the Dniester River and rushed to chernovitzer. General katukov and I have given them the goal of first seizing the Mosha station near chernovitzer. "

"Mosha station?" After hearing the name, Zhukov looked it up on the map and said, "this railway station is about 100 kilometers away from the Dniester river. If tanks and infantry work together, it will take at least two days. Do you think the Germans are all idiots and will do nothing for two days? "

"Marshal," I heard Zhukov's dissatisfaction from his voice, and quickly explained, "I have taken into account what you said, so I ordered the tank brigade to abandon the infantry and rush to the defense depth of the German army alone, so as to win the Mosha station near the city in the shortest time."

"Well, that's not bad!" Although Zhukov only said "not bad" about our plan, I can see from my understanding that he is actually very satisfied“ I'll wait for your report. "

After I put down the phone, I asked katukov with some trepidation: "general katukov, do you think Colonel Boyko's troops can capture Mosha station in the shortest time?"

Katukov listened to me, gave me a strange look, and then said, "what's the matter with you, Rita? You are the most confident when you rush to Mosha station. How can you become bottomless after a phone call with Marshal? "

I gave a dry smile and explained with a thick face, "general katukov, I'm afraid of something unexpected."

"Deputy commander of the front army," this time the chief of staff said to me with a smile, "according to Colonel Boyko's report, the tank troops encountered resistance from the 68th infantry division of the German army along the way, but these resistance were very weak. Our tank brigade had almost no loss and rushed through these areas."

After the chief of staff finished speaking, I raised my hand to look at my watch and said to katukov, who was buried in the map: "general katukov, the 64th brigade of the tank has only advanced 30 kilometers in four hours, which is a bit too slow. If you don't speed up, you can't get to Mosha station until dark. "

Listening to me, katukov quickly removed his eyes from the map, stood up straight and said to his chief of staff, "chief of staff, send a message to Colonel Boyko, so that he would not entangle with these small enemies along the way, and leave them to the troops behind to solve. His first task at present is to lead the troops to rush forward quickly and strive to occupy the Mosha station in the shortest time. "

When the chief of staff went to make a phone call, katukov comforted me and said, "Rita, don't worry. As long as Colonel Boyko is not on the road with the German army, their marching speed will be greatly improved." He raised his hand, looked at his watch, and then added, "it's 12 noon. If everything goes well, they should arrive at Mosha station at 4 pm."

Having listened to katukov's words with such confidence, I did not tangle in this matter any more. Instead, I discussed with him how the rest of the troops should be deployed after crossing the river.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, a staff officer came up with a telegram and said in a loud voice, "report, the telegram that Colonel Boyko had just sent back from the front line."

The chief of staff took it and looked at it only once, then his eyes looked like copper bells. When I saw his reaction, I guessed that something must have happened beyond our plan. However, before he finished reading the contents of the telegram, I was patient and did not rashly ask him what had happened.

"Chief of staff, what's the matter?" As soon as the chief of staff removed the telegraph from his face, katukov and I asked in unison.

The chief of staff flushed with excitement and said to katukov, "Comrade commander, we are really lucky this time. We have made a lot of money

"Rich, what's rich?" "I want to see what makes you so happy," katukov muttered as he took the telegram from the chief of staff

In my impression, katukov has always been a very calm man. Unexpectedly, he took the telegram to his eyes and looked at it for a moment, and his eyes immediately glowed with excitement. He even said, "great, great, this Colonel Boyko is really great. I'm going to give him credit. I'm going to give credit to all the officers and men of the 64th tank brigade! "

"General katukov," seeing that katukov, like his chief of staff, became very excited after reading the telegram, I couldn't help asking curiously, "what's the good news that makes you and your chief of staff so impolite?"

"That's right, Rita. It's good news. It's great news!" He handed me the telegram he had read and said, "look at it. It's exciting news."

I took the telegram and looked down at it. Just looking at the beginning, I can see why katukov and his chief of staff are so impolite. It read: "our brigade is rushing into Mosha station, destroying the garrison in the station and seizing a German train. This train full of tanks and ammunition was captured by our tank soldiers shortly after it arrived and had no time to unload. According to statistics, there are 12 tanks, weapons and ammunition... "

After reading the full text of the telegram, I handed it to the military commissar who came together to find out what was going on, and then said to katukov, "general katukov, with this batch of captured ammunition, even if Colonel Boyko's tank brigade is fighting alone, it doesn't have to worry about the shortage of ammunition."“ That's right, "katukov agreed with me." in particular, the 12 captured tanks, although Colonel Boyko did not specify what type they were, were just in time for a tank brigade with a serious shortage of tanks. As soon as the unloading is completed, the captured tanks can be put into combat at any time. " After listening to katukov's words, I suddenly realized a problem. When the 64th brigade of the tank attacked forward, how did the tank soldiers who lost their tanks follow the troops? But when I asked katukov this question with doubts, katukov and his chief of staff looked at each other, and then burst into laughter, which made me look blank. After they finished laughing, katukov explained to me, "Rita, the tank brigade is equipped with a lot of armored vehicles. The tank soldiers who have lost their tanks usually follow the tanks in armored vehicles. If they meet the enemy's anti tank men, they will get out of the car and act as infantry to eliminate these blocking elements. " After his explanation, I understood why he would say that after the tank was unloaded, it could be put into battle quickly. Katukov turned and asked the chief of staff, "where is our 24th infantry division?"“ Here it is. " The chief of staff pointed to the map and said to katukov, "because the infantry are fighting with the German stragglers as they move forward, they are still about 70 kilometers away from Mosha station."“ No, they're too far away from the tank brigade. " As soon as the chief of staff finished speaking, I hastened to say, "once the large German forces counter attack the Mosha station, it will be difficult to hold it only by the strength of the 64th tank brigade."“ Rita is right Katukov agreed with me again and asked the chief of staff, "go back to the north to pick up the infantry truck. When can I get back to the river?"“ If all goes well, they will arrive at the river dardniester in ten minutes' time. After refueling, they will continue to push southward and rush to Mosha station to join the 64th brigade of tanks. " Speaking of this, the chief of staff also showed a little worry: "Comrade commander, at present, our troops are rushing to Mosha station along the highway. On the South Bank of the Dniester River, many troops are crowded together, blocking the road leading to the station. It may not be easy for the motorcade to pass quickly. "“ Inform general Guttman and ask him to arrange for immediate evacuation and diversion. " Pointing to the map, katukov said without expression: "let the infantry on foot go through the fields on both sides of the road, continue to move south, and give up the road to tanks and trucks."“ Let the infantry march through the fields? " For katukov's order, the chief of staff showed an expression of embarrassment. He scratched the back of his head and said, "I'm afraid that in this way, the commanders and fighters will have emotions."“ Chief of staff, do you think our tanks can move in the impassable fields? " After the chief of staff shook his head, he went on to say, "you need to explain this to the commanders below, and then they can explain it to the soldiers. Do you understand?"“ I see The chief of staff nodded and said rather reluctantly, "I'm going to call general Gutman and ask him to order the infantry to make way for tanks and trucks."