The assault on Shevsk is scheduled for August 26.

Half an hour before the start of the preparation of the shelling of the offensive, Rokossovsky and Kazakov came to the headquarters of Batov. The former wanted to know in time how the troops were progressing after the offensive began, while the latter was to see how effective the artillery bombardment would be.

Seeing the two coming together, Batov's face couldn't help but show a look of surprise. Rokossovsky saw that Batov kept glancing at Kazakov out of the corner of his eye, so he said: "General Kazakov is here today because in the preparation of this shelling, we will use new tactics, and he is here to see what kind of results can be achieved. ”

After the artillery fire was ready to begin, Rokossovsky walked to the lookout, raised his telescope and looked at the German positions in the distance.

Rokossovsky looked at it for a while, put down his binoculars, raised his hand to look at his watch, and then asked Kazakov: "General Kazakov, in five minutes, your artillery fire will be transferred to the second line of defense of the German army, how is it, are you ready?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Kazakov said in an affirmative tone: "In another five minutes, except for the two artillery regiments that were left to continue to bombard the German front-line positions and clear their minefields and barbed wire, the rest of the artillery began to bombard the second line of defense of the German army." ”

"Comrade Commander, what's going on?" Batov, who was standing on the side, listened to the conversation between Rokossovsky and Kazakov, and after listening to the conversation between Rokossovsky and Kazakov, he asked Rokossovsky in confusion: "Why concentrate artillery fire on the second line of defense of the German army?" If we do not prioritize the destruction of the German front-line fortifications, as well as the enemy hiding in them, our troops will inevitably suffer huge losses when they go on the offensive. ”

"Comrade Batov," Rokossovsky, although he did not remember whether he had told Batov that the Germans would hide in the second line of defense during the shelling, patiently explained to him: "We bombarded the second line of defense of the German army in order to reduce the pressure on our troops during the offensive. According to our long-term observations, as soon as the Germans were shelled by our troops, they would immediately transfer their main forces in the first line to the second-line positions through the communication trenches. When the artillery bombardment of our troops was over and the troops were on the offensive, they returned to the front-line positions through the communication trenches and launched a block on our troops. ”

After listening to this, Batov nodded and said: "Comrade commander, the situation you mentioned does exist. I had previously considered a separate attack and a direct artillery attack on the Germans who had retreated to the second line of defense, but since we did not know the location of the German positions, we could only bombard their first-line positions in a step-by-step manner, hoping to reduce our offensive by destroying their fortifications. ”

The shelling of the German positions lasted for two hours, and as soon as the shelling ended, a series of red flares rose in the air, which stood out in the smoke of gunfire. Seeing that the signal for attack had been given, the infantry and tanks hidden in the trenches and forests advanced towards the German positions, which were still shrouded in gunsmoke.

Rokossovsky looked at the German positions shrouded in gunpowder smoke in the distance, and thought nervously: "Did the German troops defending these positions be wiped out by our artillery fire on the second-line positions in the artillery bombardment that just ended?" Or did they not transfer their positions at all, but kept hiding in the anti-artillery holes or shelters of the front-line positions? ”

His doubts got to the street ten minutes later. About a company of Soviet infantry, under the cover of two tanks, successfully passed through the minefields and barbed wire in front of the German positions, and was less than a hundred meters from the trenches, but still did not meet any form of resistance.

Just as Rokossovsky's heart was in his throat, suddenly a point of machine-gun fire appeared on the position, and a dense burst of bullets knocked down several fighters who were walking in the front. The rest hurriedly lay down in the crater next to them and fired back at the exposed fire point. The tank leading the advance of the troops, seeing that the infantry following them was intercepted by German machine gun fire, quickly stopped on the spot, turned the muzzle, aimed at that position and fired a shot, and lifted the fire point away. Immediately, a soldier who had escaped from the firing point was machine-gunned and knocked him to the ground.

Seeing that there was sporadic resistance on the position, several commanders who stood at the lookout to inspect the battlefield were relieved, it seems that the German army has suffered huge losses in the shelling just now, otherwise their resistance would not be so weak.

After beckoning Rokossovsky to sit down at the table, Batov said with a relaxed expression: "Comrade commander, it seems that the main forces of the German army on the front line have withdrawn to the second line of defense, and as a result, under the blow of our army's powerful artillery fire, they have suffered huge losses. ”

"Batov, how far can you advance today?" Rokossovsky took a sip of the tea on the table, looked up and asked, "Can you cross the Shev and Shaim rivers?" ”

In response to Rokossovsky's question, Batov pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said: "Comrade commander, this is not easy to say. Although we behaved with ease when seizing the first line of defense of the Germans. However, the Germans had built a well-developed defense system on the banks of the Shev and Sheim rivers, using villages and settlements, and it was very difficult for us to force our way across the river under their noses. ”

After listening to Batov's concerns, Rokossovsky asked with a flat expression: "General Batov, what do you think?" ”

"I intend to regroup my forces and prepare the equipment for crossing the river after occupying the second line of defense of the German army, and then launch a new offensive." "It will take about three to five days," Batov said. ”

"Time is precious to us." Kazakov interjected: "Our artillery ammunition is only enough for a week, and if you were on the banks of the Shev and Shaim rivers, you would have wasted that long time." I fear that in the coming battles, the artillery support we can provide to you will be greatly reduced. ”

Seeing that Batov took off his military cap, scratched the back of his head with his hand, and had an embarrassed expression, Rokossovsky stood up and said to him: "Your troops continue to advance to the banks of the Shev and Seim rivers, and I will order the engineering troops to erect pontoon bridges over the river for you, help you cross the river smoothly, and establish a landing ground on the opposite bank." ”

"Comrade Commander, I have an idea." As soon as Rokossovsky's words were finished, Kazakov spoke: "Let our troops smoothly seize these two rivers." ”

"Comrade Kazakov, what good do you have?" When Kazakov said that he had a good suggestion, Rokossovsky immediately urged him: "Hurry up and listen to it." ”

"When our army reaches the river, we can send a small force to cross the river at night and build fortifications by the river." Kazakov pointed to the map and said to the two: "Then withdraw before dawn." Once our troops had begun to force their way through, they would be able to quickly occupy these positions and prevent the troops from being driven down the river by a German counterattack. ”

Hearing Kazakov's thoughts, Rokossovsky did not express his position, but turned his head and asked Batov: "What do you mean, Comrade Batov?" ”

"This suggestion of General Kazakov," Batov said thoughtfully, "sounds pretty good. You must know that many times, after completing the task of crossing the river, our troops were unable to establish a landing ground on the other side of the river because they could not stop the subsequent counter-assault launched by the German army. Kazakov's idea, I think it's worth a try. ”

"Well, General Batov, since you think so, then when your troops reach the river, follow this plan." After Rokossovsky finished speaking, he raised his hand and looked at his watch: "It's not early, I need to rush to the 60th Army immediately, according to the plan, they will launch an offensive against the Germans tomorrow." ”

Rokossovsky and Kazakov came to the headquarters of the 60th Army and met with Chernyakhovsky. At the handshake, Rokossovsky took the initiative to ask: "How is it, General Chernyakhovsky, how are your preparations?" ”

"Report to Comrade Commander," Chernyakhovsky replied, "we have made all combat preparations, and when the preparations for the shelling are over early tomorrow morning, we will launch an offensive against the Germans." ”

"Is there any movement in the Germans in front of you?" Rokossovsky picked up a telegram on the table and looked at it and asked: "Did they find out that you had offensive intentions?" …… Hell, what's going on? ”

Rokossovsky put the telegram on the table, slapped it twice with his palm, and asked Chernyakhovsky in a stern tone: "Comrade General, you explain to me that the German troops in front of you are recruiting, why don't you want me to report it?" ”

Chernyakhovsky hurriedly stood up and replied with an expressionless face: "Comrade commander, the telegram you saw was received just a few minutes before you entered this room, and I haven't had time to report it yet. ”

Hearing that the telegram had just been received, Rokossovsky realized that he was concerned about it, so he quickly took a deep breath, and after his mood stabilized a little, he asked Chernyakhovsky: "Comrade General, who sent this telegram, and is it reliable?" ”

"The telegram was sent by our scouts who had been sent to the enemy's lines," Chernyakhovsky, in order to increase the credibility of the telegram, also emphasized to Rokossovsky: "The leader of the reconnaissance group is a veteran, who joined the party in 1931, an old Bolshevik, absolutely loyal to the motherland and Stalin, and I believe that his report should be credible." ”

"The Germans have added an infantry division and a motorized brigade to your front," Rokossovsky looked at Chernyakhovsky and asked, "Are you confident that in the short term, you will break through the frontal defense of the German army?" ”

Chernyakhovsky turned his head to look at the deputy commander and chief of staff standing next to him, then nodded, and said in an affirmative tone: "Comrade commander, please rest assured that all the commanders and fighters of our 60th Army will definitely fulfill the glorious mission entrusted to us by their superiors and break through the frontal defense of the German army. ”

"Very well, if only you had that confidence." After listening to Chernyakhovsky's statement, Rokossovsky nodded with satisfaction, motioned for the three of them to sit down, and then said: "Since the German army has increased troops in front of you, then the original battle plan will be adjusted accordingly, which of the three of you will talk about it first." ”

……

……

Rokossovsky left the defense zone of the 60th Army and returned to the command of the Front. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Terekin walking towards him, still holding a document in his hand, and greeted him with a serious expression: "Comrade commander, you are back!" ”

"Comrade Military Commissar, is something happening?" Rokossovsky and Terekin have been partners for a long time, and seeing this expression on his face, he knew that something must have happened, and hurriedly asked.

"Comrade Commander, I just received a telegram from General Batov," Terekin handed the telegram to Rokossovsky, and at the same time said: "In today's battle of their army, a hero of the 'Matlosov' type has appeared, and this is their report. ”

Heroes of the "Matlosov" type? Rokossovsky pondered for a while what Terekin was called, and then remembered that at the beginning of the year, a soldier of General Matlosov, in order to eliminate the enemy's fire point, in order to eliminate the enemy's firepower point, was seriously wounded and ran out of grenades, and blocked the enemy's machine gun hole with his own body. Unexpectedly, only half a year later, such a hero appeared in Batov's troops.

He hurriedly skimmed through the above content, and it turned out that when the troops were attacking the second line of defense of the German army, there was a relatively hidden fire point, which was not destroyed by Soviet artillery fire. When the Soviet infantry launched a charge, the enemy's fire points fired, causing considerable casualties to the Soviet commanders and fighters. A Red Army corporal named Sayers took two fighters to blow up the fire point. Two fighters were killed on the way, while Sayers was also seriously wounded. When he stuffed the explosives bag he was carrying into the enemy's firing point, he was thrown out by the enemy. In order to quickly destroy this point of fire, he decisively blocked the enemy's point of fire with his body and died with this point of fire.

After reading it, Rokossovsky put down the telegram in his hand, looked at Terekin and asked: "Comrade Military Commissar, what do you think?" ”

"I propose to award him the title of 'Hero of the Soviet Union'." Terekin said with a solemn expression: "In recognition of his heroic and tenacious fearlessness." Comrade commander, what do you think? ”

After more than two years of fighting in the Great Patriotic War, and now the number of commanders and fighters who have received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union is increasing, Rokossovsky felt that Sayers deserved such a title for his actions, so he decisively said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I agree with you and award Corporal Sayers the title of 'Hero of the Soviet Union' and immediately inform the entire Front of his heroic deeds. ”