Chapter 2033: Two-pronged approach

  Chapter 2033 Two-pronged approach

  Before Operation Bagration began, the two wing groups of the Belarusian First Front Army were divided by a wide swamp. Now as the battle progressed, the Polesier Swamp had been left far behind, and the frontal front of the Front Army was almost cut in half.

  In this case, Rokossovsky shifted the focus of his work from the right wing of the Front Army to the left wing. He planned to use the forces on the left flank to launch an attack, and to advance side by side with the troops on the right flank, pushing into the depths of the German defense together.

   "Comrade Chief of Staff," Rokossovsky looked at Ma Linin and asked, "What troops do we have on our left wing?"

   "Report to Comrade Commander," Ma Linin said excitedly: "Our left wing has 5 combined armies of various arms, 1 air force army, and the rapid corps has 1 tank army and 2 cavalry armies.

These units are: Lieutenant General Popov's 70th Army, Lieutenant General Gusev's 47th Army, Lieutenant General Chuikov's 8th Guards Army, Lieutenant General Korpakchi's 69th Army, Bogdanov Tank Corps Admiral's 2nd Tank Army, Lieutenant General Porenin's 6th Air Force Army, Lieutenant General Konstantinov's 7th Guards Cavalry Corps, Lieutenant General Kryukov's 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps, West Lieutenant General Gmund Bellinger's Polish 1st Army. "

   "I really didn't expect that the strength of the left-wing troops far surpassed that of the right-wing." Rokossovsky said with emotion: "I just don't know whether they can achieve more results than the right-wing troops on the battlefield."

   "Comrade Commander, since you plan to launch an attack on the enemy from the left flank, do you want to invite some commanders of the group army over to study the next battle plan together?"

"I think it's okay." Rokossovsky agreed with Malinin's proposal: "Just call Popov, Gusev, Chuikov and Kolpakchi over, after all, in the next offensive battle Among them, the combined army of various arms under their command played the greatest role."

  Popov, Gusev, Chuikov, and Kolpakchi, who were notified by Malinin, all rushed to the Front Army Command within an hour.

Seeing the arrival of the four men, Rokossovsky went up to shake hands with them one by one and said: "Four comrades, I invited you here today to study the next step of the battle plan. If you have Just say what you think, it will be very helpful for us to formulate a battle plan."

  Popov heard Rokossovsky say this, with a surprised expression on his face: "Comrade General, what do you mean, the troops we deployed on the left wing of the front army also have the opportunity to participate in offensive battles?"

"Yes, General Popov." Rokossovsky nodded and gave the other party an affirmative answer: "The attack of the right-wing troops has completely disrupted the German defense. In order to destroy the German defense system as soon as possible , to drive them out of our country, I decided to send all the troops on the left into battle."

   "Comrades, commanders," Ma Linin said from the side: "Our meeting today is very important. Everyone sit down first, and then listen to Comrade Commander tell you slowly."

  After the four army commanders sat down, Ma Lining ordered someone to bring tea and some snacks, and then said: "There are tea and snacks here. You are welcome, you can discuss while eating."

   "General Rokossovsky," Chuikov was the first to ask, "I don't know which of our troops is going to attack first?"

"Comrade Chuikov," Rokossovsky said, "we have carefully studied the intelligence of the enemy and the terrain, and the position of the enemy troops has not changed much recently. After discussing with the chief of staff, I made a decision : Use the vanguard battalions of your various armies to carry out combat reconnaissance on the enemy's defensive positions. Once you find out whether the enemy has withdrawn his main force to deep areas, and only left covering troops in front of us. Knowing this will enable us not to As for the ammunition expended to break through the main line of defense."

   "That's right, it should indeed be done," Chuikov said.

"General Chuikov, as far as I know." Ma Linin stared at Chuikov and said with a smile: "The reconnaissance battalion is the first to charge, and after finding out the enemy situation on the ground, decide whether to invest in a large force to attack or let the reconnaissance battalion withdraw. Tactics, but your invention, I wonder if you can continue to use this tactic in the next battle, to deal with the strong German defenses?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you are right, I invented this tactic." Chuikov did not question Malinin's statement, but continued: "I think in the next attack, we can also Use this tactic against German defensive positions."

   "General Chuikov." Rokossovsky said to him, "Be more specific."

  Cuikov let out a "hmm" and continued: "We can let the vanguard battalion launch a trial attack, and judge whether the enemy's main force is still in the defensive position according to the enemy's resistance level, so as to decide whether to invest in the main force."

"General Chuikov is right," Gusev echoed: "Our vanguard battalion attacked the enemy's defensive positions under the cover of tanks. If the main force of the Germans is still in position, then the vanguard battalion's attack will There will certainly be tenacious resistance. If the resistance is weak, it means that the enemy has withdrawn their main force to the depth of the defense."

   "So, everyone agrees to use the vanguard battalion to launch a tentative attack on the enemy's defensive positions?" Rokossovsky looked at the crowd and asked, "Is my deduction correct?"

   "Exactly, Comrade Commander." Chuikov said: "That's exactly what we mean."

Rokossovsky saw that everyone's opinions reached a consensus, and he put forward his own ideas: "Comrades generals, why don't we organize a group of generals and go to the forward command post in the Radoshina area to observe our army The offensive situation. I don't know what you think?"

   "Agreed!" Cuikov was the first to express his opinion.

   "I agree too!" Popov followed closely.

   Gusev and Kolpakchi, who were belatedly aware of it, were stunned for a while before expressing their opinions: "I agree too!"

"Okay, since everyone has no objections, let's go to the Radoshina area immediately." Rokossovsky turned to Malinin and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, the work in the headquarters will be entrusted to you. gone."

  Two hours later, everyone came to the observation post in the Radoshina area. From here, they could clearly see the German defensive positions and the scene of the battle through binoculars.

   Rokossovsky looked up at the time, picked up the microphone and called Kazakov, Artillery Commander of the Front Army: "Comrade Artillery Commander, let's get started!"

   Following the order, the artillery unit commanded by Kazakov carried out intensive shelling on the German defensive positions.

  As soon as the shelling stopped, before the smoke cleared, the vanguard battalion, which had already been ready to go, rushed towards the enemy's position with the tanks. Seeing the Soviet attack, the German artillery used artillery to intercept the attacking troops.

Seeing that the attacking force was intercepted by German artillery fire, Rokossovsky quickly called Porenin, the commander of the 6th Army of the Air Force: "General Porenin, I ordered the Air Force to take off immediately and use a four-aircraft formation to go Assault on German artillery positions."

  But the Germans obviously expected that the Soviet army would use bombers to attack the enemy's artillery positions. Soon after the Soviet bombers bombed the ground positions, German fighter jets appeared in the sky and fought fiercely with the Soviet bombers.

  Due to the small number of bombers dispatched by the Soviet army, they were unable to gain air supremacy on the battlefield, so that the attacking troops were suppressed by the firepower of the German army.

  However, the vanguard battalion serving as a tentative attack, under the cover of tanks, successfully rushed into the enemy's first trench. As the battle became more and more intense, Rokossovsky knew very well that what the troops encountered was the enemy's main line of defense. Can't wait any longer. He immediately gave the artillery commander Kazakov an order to destroy the enemy's fortifications with artillery fire.

   General Kazakov, who received Rokossovsky's order, immediately ordered his subordinates to open fire. The salvo of artillery of various calibers made the positions of the Germans shrouded in gunpowder smoke.

Since Rokossovsky gave Kazakov an order to prepare for two hours of artillery fire on the enemy's positions, it was imperative to destroy the German defense system so that the subsequent offensive troops would have enough time Complete the assembly and launch the final assault on the enemy.

  During the preparation of the artillery, Cuikov kept making phone calls, asking and understanding the current positions of the divisions to determine whether he needed to revise his original combat plan.

  The high-frequency phone in the observation station rang, and everyone turned their attention to Rokossovsky, waiting for him to come to answer the phone. Since high-frequency phones are used to communicate with the outside world, other people have no right to touch this phone even if they are tasked at the commander level of the group army.

Rokossovsky picked up the phone on the table, and Antonov's voice came from the receiver: "General Rokossovsky, according to the battle report, your troops are progressing very well. I would like to ask Let me ask you, when do you plan to let the troops on the left attack? You must know that the Supreme Command has given you great support and provided you with a sufficient number of soldiers and weapons. I hope you will not disappoint us. "

   "Don't worry, General Antonov." Rokossovsky thought of the attack launched here today, and he had not had time to report to the General Staff. Since Antonov took the initiative to call at this moment, Rokossovsky said into the microphone: "General Chuikov's troops and the German troops on the left flank of our army launched an attack."

   "What, you have already launched an attack on the enemy?" After hearing this, Antonov said in shock, "When did this happen?"

"Just about half an hour ago, I had issued an attack order to the troops." Rokossovsky explained to Antonov: "However, due to the troops that are engaged in the battle at this moment, there is only one vanguard battalion, and a small number of tanks and troops. There are not many aircraft, and the scale of the battle is too small, so there is no report for the time being."

"So that's the case." After Antonov figured out what was going on, he asked tentatively: "General Rokossovsky, your left wing is attacking the enemy, so can I understand that you plan to abandon the right wing?" attack?"

"How could it be?" Rokossovsky said to Antonov with a smile: "The attack on the left wing of the Front is a continuation of the battle that began at Bobruisk, but it by no means means that the right wing has stopped fighting. .I have given the order to the troops on the right to continue the offensive and to advance towards the Brest fortified area. This is very important. Because at this stage, the direction of Kovel has become our decisive direction. Success depends in many ways on whether the enemy commits major reserves to the defense of Brest."

"General Rokossovsky," said Antonov, looking at the map in front of him, "if your attack in the direction of Kovel goes well and you develop an attack on Siedlce and Lublin, it will take a few days. Your troops will be able to enter Poland."

"Yes, Comrade Chief of the General Staff." Rokossovsky agreed with Antonov's statement: "Although the right-wing troops entered the battle later, I believe that they will be able to fight faster than the right-wing troops." troops entered Poland ahead of schedule."

Hearing what Rokossovsky said, Antonov suddenly remembered something, and asked quickly: "General Rokossovsky, I would like to ask whether the troops commanded by Sokov are on the left or right. ?”

Hearing Antonov's question, Rokossovsky couldn't help being taken aback, and then asked back: "Comrade Chief of Staff, don't you read the battle reports from the front every day? Don't you know that the 48th Army under the command of Misha, Are you right-wing or left-wing?"

"Well, I remember that the 48th Army under his command belonged to the right wing of the Front Army." Antonov said: "When fighting in Ukraine, the troops under his command were the first to advance to the national border and entered Romania first. ...if his troops are the first to enter Poland, then he will have a chance to make his mark in the history books."

   Rokossovsky heard it, isn't it? In future history books, it will definitely be recorded who was the first commander to enter the enemy's territory, and Sokov must be on the list. After all, the troops under his command were the first to cross the border and enter Romania. If the troops he commands now can also be the first to enter Poland, historians of later generations will definitely praise him.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Rokossovsky also felt very sorry when he thought that the troops commanded by Sokov could not become the first troops to enter Poland: "Because of the barrier of the Brest Fortress, I think the troops commanded by Misha will not be able to enjoy this honor this time."

   When Rokossovsky said this, he was secretly wondering whether he should find some time to appease Sokov, lest he feel any dissatisfaction in his heart.

   Before the conversation with Antonov ended, Chuikov reported to Rokossovsky: "Comrade General, the troops of our army have arrived at the designated positions and are ready to attack the enemy at any time."

Rokossovsky hastily covered the microphone with his hands, and told Chuikov: "General Chuikov, since your troops have reached the attack position, as soon as the artillery preparations are over, attack the enemy's position immediately. Remember , we must break through the German defenses within two hours and advance deep into their defenses."

   "Yes, Comrade General!" Chuikov replied loudly: "I will definitely not disappoint your expectations."

  (end of this chapter)