Chapter 2130: new attack

In order to reassure everyone, Zhukov also specially emphasized: "Don't worry, when you attack the Modlin Fortress from the Pultusk landing site, the troops of the two commanders Chuikov and Kolpakchi will also be in Magnushe. Simultaneously operate at the landing field of Vu and Pulawi to contain the enemy's forces and ensure that you can successfully capture the fortress."

Finally, Zhukov said to Sokov: "Misha, when the troops of Batov and Popov attack the Modlin Fortress, your troops must launch an attack on the German army in the triangle in time. This area has a favorable opportunity to decisively eliminate the enemies here. How about it, do you have confidence?"

   "Comrade Marshal." Hearing Zhukov ask himself, Sokov quickly stood up and said, "I will do my best to clear the German army in the triangle area in a short time."

   "Okay, now that the tasks are clear, let's all go back to our respective troops. In the early morning of two days later, we will launch an attack on the original target." Zhukov finally added: "Misha stay!"

   "Comrade Marshal," Sokov knew very well in his heart that Zhukov left him alone, and he must have something important to say, so he asked respectfully, "Do you have any special instructions?"

   "Misha, I left you because I have something important to tell you." Zhukov said heavily, "Rokossovsky is in the hospital."

"What, the Marshal is in the hospital?" This unexpected news really surprised Sokov, and he asked in surprise: "I saw that he was fine a while ago, why did he suddenly go to the hospital? Where is he now?" Hospitalized, the field hospital of the front army?"

   "No." Zhukov shook his head and said, "He was hospitalized in Moscow, the hospital where you were hospitalized last time."

   "The Lubyanka family?" Sokov asked tentatively.

   "That's right, it's there."

   "He was fine a few days ago, why was he suddenly discharged from the hospital?" Sokov asked the question he was concerned about again.

"I think there are two reasons." Zhukov treated Sokov as his nephew, so he did not hide anything about this matter: "One is that he was removed from the position of commander of the First Front Army. It must have caused a lot of blows to him; secondly, he has been in a busy state since he took office, and he sat on the plane for several hours, which led to the recurrence of old injuries."

   After figuring out what was going on, Sokov secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but the old injury had recurred, and it seemed that there was nothing serious about it. He could just rest in the hospital for a while.

  Sokov returned to his headquarters, Ponejielin and Sidolin immediately greeted him and asked: "Comrade Commander, I wonder what combat mission Marshal Zhukov has assigned us."

   "Still the same as last time, capture the triangle area controlled by the German army."

"What, capture the triangle?!" Hearing what Sokov said, Sidolin couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise: "The road from the Luran landing site to the triangle is in the blockade area of ​​​​the German artillery, let us execute it." Doesn't such a combat mission mean that the commanders and fighters are going to die?"

   "Chief of Staff, don't worry." Ponegerin stopped Sidolin from continuing, but asked Sokov, "How does Marshal Zhukov think?"

"When Marshal Rokossovsky was still serving as the commander, he formulated a series of combat plans." Sokov said: "In this combat plan, almost all the troops received combat missions. The north and south of Warsaw carried out large-scale roundabout operations. The task of our army group is to stay in place and wait for orders. Do you remember this incident?"

   "Of course I remember." Pornegelin said rather helplessly: "Outside our landing site is the German artillery blockade area. We simply don't have the ability to effectively suppress the German artillery fire when we attack."

"This time, the troops of General Chuikov and General Kolpakci will simultaneously attack from the Magnusev and Pulawi landing sites, and conduct a large-scale detour operation from the south of Warsaw. The 65th Army of General Batov The 70th Army with General Popov will launch an attack from the Pultusk landing field and rush directly to the German Fortress Modlin."

Hearing what Sokov said, Ponegerin's eyes lit up immediately: "Comrade Commander, I understand Marshal Zhukov's intentions. As long as the 65th and 70th Army Groups attack the Modlin Fortress, then we will launch an attack on the triangle area." When attacking, at least the artillery fire in the direction of Modlin Fortress will be weakened, or even completely disappeared, thereby reducing the losses we may suffer during the attack.”

"That's right, that's true." Sokov nodded and said, "But don't forget that there are also powerful German artillery deployed near the triangle area. As long as we launch an attack, they can still use their powerful artillery. Artillery fire intercepted us."

"Comrade Commander, as long as there is no artillery fire from Modlin Fortress, the remaining artillery firepower is not enough to stop our attack on the triangle." Knowing that when the troops are attacking, they will basically not be attacked by people from Modlin Under the artillery fire from the fortress, Ponegelin seemed confident: "I think it only takes half a day at most to take down the triangle."

"Oh, Comrade Deputy Commander, I didn't expect you to be so confident in this battle." Pornegerin's attitude surprised Sokov, and he said jokingly: "Otherwise, this attack will It's up to you to command."

   "No, no." Hearing what Sokov said, Ponegerin waved his hands in a panic, and said modestly: "Comrade Commander, you should take the command. I believe your ability is far better than mine."

  Sokov didn't refuse either, so he accepted the command of the battle carelessly. But then he said with a stern face, "This is our last battle in the Belarusian First Front, so we must fight with momentum."

"What, the last battle of the First Belarusian Front?" Sidolin keenly caught the key words in Sokov's words, and asked tentatively: "So, as long as we win the triangle, we will Transferred to the Second Front Army?"

"Yes, Comrade Deputy Commander, you guessed right, it is indeed the case." On the way back, Sokov thought carefully why Zhukov couldn't wait to fight this battle, it might be because of the elite three army groups To be transferred away, the new group army replenished to him has a slightly inferior combat effectiveness. If the attack is not launched as soon as possible, it will be very difficult for him to complete the set combat goals with his weakened strength.

   "I'm worried that there will be some accidents." Sidolin said: "Maybe after this battle, Marshal Zhukov discovered the importance of our army group and was reluctant to let us go. It is not impossible."

"I don't think so." After saying this, Sokov walked to the wall, picked up the explanatory stick by the wall, pointed to the map and said to Ponejielin and Sidolin: "Look at the second front army. The enemy they are facing, judging from the current combat area designated for them, has a frontal width of more than 200 kilometers. On such a wide front, they only have two army groups, not to mention attacking, even if it is used for defense, I am afraid Very choking."

  Ponejielin walked up to Sokov, looked up at the map on the wall, and asked Sokov tentatively: "Comrade Commander, where do you think we will be deployed after we join the Second Front Army?"

Sokov tapped a position with a stick and said: "With such a wide front, it will definitely be divided into two areas. The terrain on the right wing is relatively high. If we want to attack, it will be a false attack, which is very disadvantageous to us. Yes. The terrain on the left wing is relatively flat, which is very conducive to the deployment of troops, so I think that once we are incorporated into the second front army, we will participate in the first round of attacks as the left wing troops."

  After listening to Sokov's words, Ponegerin was silent for a while, and then asked: "Then how should we attack?"

"Comrade Deputy Commander, look here." Sokov pointed to the river on the map, and said to Ponejielin: "First, we must break through the enemy's Narew River defense line in a new area, and then complete the defense of the Narew River." The forcible crossing of the Vistula, because the river made a sharp turn from south to north and traversed the entire area attacked by the main group of the Second Front.

  From the intelligence I know, the enemy has built strong fortifications on the west bank of the Vistula River. After breaking through the Narew position, our army should advance as quickly as possible, without giving the enemy a chance to retreat and occupy this area. From what I knew of Marshal Rokossovsky, he would certainly also maintain a strong shock group on the left flank to assist the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front if necessary. "

  Pornegelin, Sidolin and Sokov all nodded in unison after finishing their speech. They felt that Sokov's analysis was very reasonable, and the next battle would most likely be carried out according to Sokov's analysis.

   "Tomorrow's attack, which unit do you plan to use as the main attack?" asked Bonejelin.

  Sokov thought for a while, the three Guards divisions under his command had been fighting the enemy non-stop since they entered the Luran Landing Field, so they might not be able to use them for attack. The 284th Infantry Division and the two infantry brigades also paid a lot of money to reinforce Batov some time ago, so it is not appropriate for them to be the main attackers.

   "In my opinion, the 3rd and 109th Infantry Divisions will serve as the first echelon to attack the triangle." Sukov said: "The 211th Infantry Division and the 122nd Brigade will be the second echelon."

  Two days later, in the early morning, more than a thousand artillery pieces of various calibers launched a fierce shelling towards the German target on the other side of the Narew River at the same time. For a while, the German position was filled with gunpowder smoke, and only the flashing fireballs inside and the deafening explosions could be seen.

  Because today is the second time to attack the triangle area, both Ponegerin and Sidolin are extremely nervous. They are worried that if something unexpected happens, the original attack plan may be cancelled. Both of them prayed secretly in their hearts, hoping that the offensive would start as scheduled.

   After the shelling lasted for two hours, it finally stopped.

  Two red flares rose in the air, which signaled the start of the attack.

  Thousands of commanders and fighters in the Puutusk landing field, as soon as they saw the signal to attack, immediately shouted "Ulla", rushed out of the trench, and rushed towards the direction of Modlin Fortress.

On the side of the Luran landing site, Sokov did not give the troops an offensive order for a long time, so that the commander of the 3rd Division called Sokov and said impatiently: "Comrade commander, our army's artillery preparations It has stopped, when will our troops start?"

Hearing that the commander of the 3rd division was so anxious, Sokov was silent for a moment, and then ordered: "Comrade commander, I agree with your troops to attack, but I remind you, after leaving your existing starting position for 500 meters, give me all Stop, but shout like we're really attacking, understand?"

  The commander of the 3rd Division heard what Sokov said. Although he didn't understand why the other party did this, he still bit the bullet and agreed: "Yes, Comrade Commander, I will definitely follow your order."

  Watching Sokov put down the phone, Ponejielin asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, I don't understand why you gave such an order to the commander of the 3rd Division. It's so strange."

"Comrade Deputy Commander, I think you should understand that the Germans have figured out the law of our army's shelling. As soon as our shelling starts, they will retreat to the second line of defense. When our army's shelling stops and the troops start to attack , they will return to the first line of defense."

"You are right, Comrade Commander, that is indeed the case." After agreeing with Sukov, Ponegerin still raised his own doubts: "But this is different from the order you just issued. Does it matter?"

"Of course it has something to do with it." Sokov said: "I asked the commanders and fighters of the 3rd Division to shout loudly, just to make the Germans think that our army's large-scale offensive has begun, forcing them to return from the second line of defense. And wait Once they have entered the first line of defense, we then use heavy artillery fire to destroy them."

"Chief of Staff," Sokov called Sidolin and told him, "Call the Chief of Artillery and ask the Artillery Observers to keep a close watch on the enemy's movements. Once they return from the second line of defense to the first line , give me a violent bombardment with cannon fire."

   "Understood, Comrade Commander." Sidolin said with a smile: "I will call the Artillery Director."

  Ten minutes later, there was a rumbling sound of artillery outside. This was the artillery of the group army firing at the enemy's position. The German officers and soldiers who had just returned from the second line of defense were covered by intensive artillery fire before they had time to enter their respective combat positions, and they were immediately blown upside down.

After the shelling continued for five minutes, Sokov raised his hand to check the time, and said to Sidolin again: "Chief of Staff, the effect of the shelling has been achieved, notify the troops of the first echelon to immediately charge into the enemy's position. Be sure to take the enemy's position in the shortest possible time."