After a period of fighting, the pace of advance into the enemy's defenses began to slow down due to the loss of men, weapons and ammunition of the Soviet troops, as well as the fatigue of the commanders and fighters. The German army, which was retreating one after another, also became concentrated at this time, so that the German commander could put more troops in important defensive areas.

Rokossovsky, when convening a meeting of the commanders of the armies, specifically mentioned the problems that the troops are currently facing. After his speech, the commander of the 63rd Army, Korpakich, stood up and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, we were supposed to force the crossing of the Sozh River during the march, but due to the stubborn resistance of the German troops and the fatigue of our commanders and fighters, the forced crossing operation failed. I hope to give our commanders and fighters a little time so that they can rest well and wait for the supply of troops and ammunition from the rear. ”

As soon as Kolpakchi's words were finished, the commander of the 3rd Army, Gorbatov, stood up and said with a serious expression: "General Korpakich, you are wrong in this way. True, after a long battle, our commanders and fighters became tired, but the Germans were not iron-clad either, they were no less exhausted. If the offensive were stopped at such a time, it would be tantamount to giving the Germans time to recuperate. Once they recover and regroup, when we launch a new offensive, it will cost them dearly. ”

Rokossovsky stared at Kolpakchi, a general who had been removed from the post of commander of the 62nd Army by Stalin because of the unfavorable combat in the Battle of Stalingrad, for a long time before he spoke: "General Kolpakchi, I understand the difficulties you are facing. However, it is not your army group that has difficulties, and this phenomenon exists to varying degrees in the entire front army. But the other commanders did not complain, but continued to direct the troops in a brave battle with the enemy. Of course, since you don't think you're up to the post of commander, you can apply to us and we'll reassign the unit to a new command. ”

"No~!" As soon as Rokossovsky's understatement was finished, Kolpakchi roared: "Comrade commander, even if I shoot myself in the head, I will definitely not leave the unit of the 63rd Army." ”

"Comrade General," Terekin came out in time to play the round, "and since you have the courage to shoot yourself in the head, why can't you fight the enemy bravely?" You know, as General Gorbatov said, we are tired, and the enemy is equally tired, it depends on who is stronger-willed and who can hold out to the end. ”

Terekin's words made Kolpacic feel a little too rash. After a few violent convulsions of the muscles on his face, he straightened up and addressed Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, please rest assured that even if you do not receive replenishment of soldiers, weapons and ammunition, all the commanders and fighters of our army group will fight bravely until the fascist invaders are driven out of our territory. ”

"General Kolpakč, it's right to have such determination." After Rokossovsky said something in admiration, he raised his hand and pressed down, motioning for him to sit down: "You can sit down first!" ”

After Kolpacic sat down, Rokossovsky said to Malinin: "Chief of staff, tell us about our next battle plan." ”

Malinin nodded, stood up and walked to the map, and said to the commanders of the army groups present at the meeting: "Comrade commanders, because the entire front army is hesitant in the area between the two rivers of the Sozh and the Dnieper, they are forced to engage in a hard battle with the Germans in the terrain conditions of the forest swamp. In order to reverse this situation, the Front Command decided after study that the main direction of attack would be placed on the left flank of the Front, with the 61st, 65th, and 48th armies taking the lead in attack, while the newly incorporated 50th, 3rd, and 63rd armies would continue to fight actively in order to attract the enemy's forces to their own side and thus ensure the offensive of the forces of the main front. ”

After Malinin finished arranging the tasks of the front, the commanders of the group armies who held the meeting were happy and worried, and Batov and others, who were in charge of the main offensive task, were naturally ecstatic, while Gorbatov and others, who were in charge of the task of assisting, were melancholy, they did not expect that they would be in the original unit to take up the attack in the secondary direction, and now in the new unit, they can still only be responsible for the secondary direction.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Rokossovsky hurriedly came out to reassure them: "Comrades commanders, don't feel lost. Although we have divided the main attack and assist directions in our plan, it is possible that the situation will change unexpectedly when the battle starts. For example, during the last attack in the direction of the Desna River, the 65th Army, which was originally the main attack, was stubbornly defended by the Germans and advanced with great difficulty. And the 60th Army, which served as an assist, went very well. We immediately adjusted our troops according to the situation on the battlefield, and turned the left flank, which was originally used as an assistant, into the main direction of attack; And the original main offensive area was changed to the direction of assist......" Rokossovsky's words immediately made Gorbatov and them happy.

Seeing everyone's smiles, Rokossovsky continued: "The enemy has turned the Gomel region into a strong support point, and is carrying out a stubborn defense. The task of the 65th and 48th armies was to concentrate their forces, cross the Sozh River as quickly as possible, and take Gomel from the enemy. ”

…………

According to what the Soviets had, the Germans had only four infantry divisions and one armored division in the Gomel area, and the Soviets were several times more powerful. According to Rokossovsky's assumption, in a maximum of one or two days, either Batov or Romanenko's troops could reach the city of Gomel.

But there is always a distance between ideals and reality, and the fighting in the Gomel direction lasted four days, and the troops of both Batov and Romanenko advanced only less than five kilometers from their original positions, and then could not move any further.

On the right flank, which was tasked with assisting, the situation was not good, and the Germans suddenly concentrated their superior forces and launched a counter-assault on the positions of the 50th and 3rd armies. Since the ammunition of these two armies was not replenished in time, they were defeated in the face of the enemy's offensive. In just one day, the area of the landing ground established by the two armies was reduced by one-third.

When Malinin reported to Rokossovsky with the telegram he had just received, he said worriedly: "Comrade commander, the progress of our left flank is not going well, and the situation is even worse because the right flank has been counter-attacked by the Germans. If I don't think of a way, I fear that the troops of the 50th and 3rd armies will be driven back to the left bank of the Sozh by the Germans. ”

Rokossovsky took the telegram from Malinin's hand and looked at it, and instead of speaking, he stood up, walked to the wall, looked up at the map above, and began to think about what way to turn the tide of the war. After a long time, he turned to Malinin and said, "Chief of Staff, I think we should change the direction of the offensive in order to reverse the current unfavorable situation. ”

"But, Comrade Commander." As soon as Malinin waited for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, he immediately reminded him: "The situation on our right flank is very bad, the Germans are conducting a frantic counter-assault, and our army is running low on ammunition, so I don't think it's realistic to turn them to the main offensive direction." ”

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Rokossovsky immediately understood in his heart that the other party had misunderstood what he meant, and he asked with a smile: "Do you think I am ready to change the direction of the main attack from our left flank to the right flank?" ”

"Isn't it?" Ma Linin asked briefly.

Rokossovsky shook his head and said, "Of course not. "I have decided to move the assault southward, leaving only the troops of the 48th Army in the area between the two rivers, and let them pin down as many enemies as possible here with their own active operations." Let the 65th Army and the 61st Army coordinate to carry out assaults in Loyev and Raduli in the lower reaches of the Dnieper. ”

After waiting for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, Malinin stared at the map for a long time, and then a surprised expression appeared on his face: "Comrade commander, if we turn the direction of our main attack here, then we can get the assistance of the 60th and 13th armies, and the chances of success will be greatly improved." ”

Rokossovsky nodded and said to Malinin: "Chief of staff, you can find a way to refine our plan in more detail, and then call General Batov and ask him to quietly transfer the main forces of the army group to new areas within six days and prepare to force the crossing of the Dnieper." ”

Shortly after Malinin received a new combat order and sent it to Batov in the form of a telegram, Batov's phone called. He excitedly said to Rokossovsky on the phone: "Comrade commander, this decision of yours is really too wise. Taking advantage of the fact that the enemy was increasing its forces in Gomel and the rest of the sector was empty, we crossed the Dnieper from the south by surprise and dealt them a heavy blow, which I believed would be successful. ”

"General Batov," Rokossovsky asked casually to his subordinate, "do you think there is anything that needs to be improved in this plan?" ”

"Comrade Commander, that's what I think." Hearing Rokossovsky asking himself, Batov hurriedly said: "After studying with the chief of staff and the military commissar, I believe that we should leave a unit in the existing area, and the task for them is to harass the enemy as much as possible, attract the attention of the Germans, and make the enemy think that our main forces are still in place." In fact, the main forces of our army group have quietly moved south, and they have reached a new section to prepare to cross the river. ”

Hearing what Batov said, Rokossovsky immediately realized that there were many loopholes in his order, and after a quick thought, he nodded and agreed to Batov's request.

Putting down the phone, Rokossovsky called Malinin in front of him and said to him: "Chief of Staff, there are still some loopholes in this plan of ours, and if you are not careful, the Germans will see through it." You immediately ordered the troops of the 50th, 3rd and 63rd armies to switch to the offensive against the Germans in their own sector three days later, attracting the enemy's forces so that they could not detect the secret movement of Batov's troops. ”

"Comrade Commander, is this appropriate?" Regarding Rokossovsky's order, Malinin said with some hesitation: "The three armies on the right flank are currently running out of ammunition, and ordering them to go on the offensive at such a time is not tantamount to sending them to death?" ”

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Rokossovsky felt very uncomfortable in his heart when he saw Malinin questioning his orders, and he said with a straight face: "If we cannot break through the German defenses in time in the new section, our troops will be in a predicament of not being able to advance between the two rivers, and for a long time, the morale of the troops will be affected." ”

"I see, Comrade Commander." Malinin nodded with a grim face, and said with difficulty: "I'll go and give orders to General Gorbatov and them, so that they can prepare for the offensive as soon as possible." ”

When Gorbatov received the telegram from Malinin, he was stunned. He shook the telegram in his hand and asked the director of the communications corps repeatedly: "Comrade Director, are you sure that the telegram you received is not wrong?" ”

The director of the communications corps hurriedly straightened up and replied: "Report to Comrade Commander, this is a telegram that I personally translated, and there will be absolutely no mistakes. ”

"I see," Gorbatov waved at the chief of the communications corps and said, "You go down first." ”

Gorbatov put the telegram in front of his chief of staff and said to him: "Chief of staff, look at this telegram. This is ridiculous, the front army command clearly knows that we are seriously short of men and ammunition, and it is difficult to resist even the enemy's attack, but actually ordered us to attack, isn't it a joke? ”

After carefully reading the telegram, the chief of staff raised his head and said to Gorbatov: "Comrade commander, I think we should call the command of the front to verify and ask them if they have sent such a telegram. ”

Gorbatov thought about it, shook his head and said: "No, we can't make this call." I think it's better to call the commanders of the two friendly armies on the left and right and ask if they have received the same telegram. ”

The chief of staff nodded, and immediately asked the communications corps to dial the 50th Army headquarters. After putting down the phone, he nodded at Gorbatov and said: "Comrade commander, I have already asked, they also received the same telegram ordering them to switch to the offensive in three days. ”

"It seems that the front command has made some big moves, and wants us to attract the attention of the enemy." By this time, Gorbatov finally understood Rokossovsky's intentions, and he hurriedly said to the chief of staff: "Comrade Chief of Staff, let's study the details of the offensive. ”