On the first day of 2018, I would like to thank all readers for their companionship and strong support over the years!

I wish you all a safe, healthy and happy 2018!

Zhukov and Rokossovsky came to Chuikov's headquarters early the next morning, and happened to meet Chuikov, who had just returned from a front-line inspection.

Seeing the two marshals appear at his headquarters early in the morning, Chuikov immediately became keenly aware that there must be an important task waiting for him. After saluting the two, he asked straight to the point: "Comrade Marshal, the 8th Guards Army is ready to force the crossing of the Vistula River and is ready to fight at any time. Do you have any other tasks for us? ”

"Yes, Comrade Chuikov." Rokossovsky took a map and spread it on the table, introducing Chuikov to the combat mission. "According to our agreement with the Krajov Army in Warsaw, no less than two divisions will be sent in the near future to assist them in the uprising in Warsaw."

"Let's send troops to help the friendly Polish people, to hold a battle against the fascist invaders?" When Chuikov heard Rokossovsky say this, his face suddenly showed joy: "It's really good. I wonder what troops you plan to send to accomplish this glorious mission? ”

"According to our research, one of the two divisions entering Warsaw must be made up of Poles." Rokossovsky looked at Chuikov and said, "After our consultation with General Behringer, we are ready to let Colonel Stanisław Galitsky's 3rd Polish Division complete this task. The other division is drawn from your army. ”

Chuikov thought for a moment, then replied: "I intend to involve the 79th Guards Infantry Division of Major General Vajin in this glorious and great mission. ”

Rokossovsky had heard of Major General Vargin and was still familiar with his abilities, so he nodded his head in agreement with the candidate recommended by Chuikov without thinking.

"Comrade Marshal," a smile appeared on Chuikov's face when he saw that his proposed candidate had been approved, and he continued: "Can you tell us about the situation in Warsaw?" ”

"As a result of the rapid advance of our troops to the Vistula River, the Germans in Warsaw were in a panic, and they moved the SS and the 17th and 22nd garrison regiments stationed in Warsaw to the left bank of the Vistula River to resist our attack. With just over a thousand German troops in the city, it can be said that it was very empty, and it was the best time for us to carry out a resolute attack and destroy the Germans.

The commander of the garrison in Warsaw was Lieutenant General Rainer Stagel, who had little experience in commanding operations. The commander of the German forces in Warsaw, Erich von Bach, was still in Berlin at the moment, and he could not rush back to Warsaw in a short time to mobilize troops to suppress the uprising. That is, for two to three days after the outbreak of the uprising, the German resistance was weak and unorganized. ”

"Understood, Comrade Marshal." When Chuikov heard this, he replied with a smile: "Don't say three days, as long as my troops enter the city of Warsaw, they will be able to occupy the city in thirty hours." ”

"Comrade Chuikov, don't be blindly optimistic." Zhukov, who had been listening, interjected: "Your first task now is to cross the Vistula River first. If possible, cross the river with tanks, artillery, ammunition, provisions, and other supplies, so that if something unexpected happens in Warsaw, you can hold our main force into the city. ”

Hearing Zhukov talk about crossing the river, Chuikov hurriedly called a general and introduced Zhukov and the two of them: "This is General Tkachenko, the chief of the engineering corps of the group army. To cross a river as wide and deep as the Vistula requires a tremendous amount of labor on the part of engineers and engineers. Thanks to their dedication and technical support, it was possible to transport personnel, tanks, artillery and other military supplies across the river. ”

Zhukov walked up to Tkachenko and asked with a smile: "How is it, comrade general, are you confident that you will complete the task of building bridges assigned to you by your superiors?" ”

"Please rest assured, Comrade Marshal." Tkachenko replied loudly: "My engineers are a united collective, and they are good at preparing all the necessary equipment for crossing the river in the shortest possible time. ”

"Very well, Comrade Tkachenko." After listening to Tkachenko's statement, Rokossovsky nodded and said: "If you can build a pontoon bridge over the Vistula, then we can cross the main force of the 8th Guards Army to the opposite bank in the shortest possible time, and establish a landing ground in the area of the left bank, so that we can smoothly carry out the next battle." ”

Unexpectedly, after listening to Rokossovsky's words, Tkachenko was silent for a long time before he spoke: "Comrade Marshal, it is very difficult to build a pontoon bridge over the Vistula. When he said this, seeing that Rokossovsky's face became serious, he hurriedly explained, "The wide and turbulent river will certainly cause us a certain amount of inconvenience by erecting pontoon bridges, but our engineering soldiers can still erect pontoon bridges." My concern was that the German air force and artillery, as soon as they learned that we had erected a pontoon bridge over the Vistula, would send planes to bomb it or bombard this section of the river with intensive artillery fire in order to destroy the pontoon bridge we had erected. ”

Hearing Tkachenko say this, Rokossovsky glanced at Zhukov, nodded and said: "That's right, this is also what we are worried about, the enemy's aircraft and artillery will be enough to destroy any pontoon bridge we have erected over the Vistula. ”

Chuikov thought for a moment and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, I have an idea, if the right flank of our front can attack from the east and northeast of Warsaw, it may be possible to divert the attention of the Germans from the Vistula River, so that we can quickly complete the erection of the pontoon bridge and calmly transport troops and heavy weapons to the right bank. ”

"Comrade Chuikov, you may not know that two of our army groups have just been incorporated into the base camp reserve, which means that our right-wing forces have weakened." Rokossovsky said to Chuikov somewhat helplessly: "The 48th and 65th armies are fighting more than a hundred kilometers east and east of Warsaw, and after crushing a powerful enemy, they will go out to the Narev River and seize the landing ground on the west bank of the river.

And Popov's 709th Army, although with the cooperation of friendly forces, succeeded in capturing the Brest fortress, they still need to stay in the area and clear the remnants of the German army......"

"Comrade Marshal," after listening to Rokossovsky's briefing on the current situation of friend and foe, Chuikov asked with a serious expression: "When should our troops cross the Vistula?" ”

Remembering that the Warsaw uprising was taking place on August 1, and that his troops had to enter a day earlier in order to be effective, Rokossovsky decisively said: "General Chuikov, the troops of the 79th Guards Division and the 3rd Polish Division must enter Warsaw on the 31st of this month, so that the success of the uprising in Warsaw is more certain." ”

When Chuikov heard what Rokossovsky said, he made a silent calculation in his heart that General Tkachenko would not be able to complete the erection of the pontoon bridge on the Vistula in any case, and could only cross the river with lightly armed troops by boat. He made a quick calculation, and then replied: "Understood, Comrade Marshal, my troops will turn the forced crossing originally scheduled for the 30th into a smuggling operation. ”

…………

At two o'clock in the morning of the 30th, the troops of the 79th Guards Division and the 3rd Polish Division, with the help of more than 400 kayaks and wooden boats of various kinds, crossed the Vistula River one after another. After a short rest in the forests on the opposite bank, they quietly marched to Warsaw, preparing to take part in the uprising that was taking place there.