Just as the 79th Guards Division and the 3rd Polish Division were engaged in a fierce battle with the Germans in the city of Warsaw. The battle at the Magnushev landing ground was also in full swing.

Seeing that the Soviets had successfully crossed the Vistula River and established landing grounds in Magnushev and Pławi on the west bank, the Germans immediately organized troops to carry out a counter-assault in an attempt to drive all the Soviet troops on the bank into the Vistula River.

In order to repel the 47th Guards Division at the Magnushev landing site, the Germans dispatched the 17th and 45th Infantry Divisions to attack the front of the landing site; At the same time, the 19th Panzer Division and the Goering Division were also deployed to flank from the left and right flanks of the landing site in an attempt to eliminate the Soviet forces occupying an area.

When Chuikov learned that the Germans had concentrated their superior forces and launched a counter-assault on the Magnushev landing site, he focused his attention on this direction, and he knew very well in his heart that once the Germans occupied the landing field, the two divisions in Warsaw would become completely alone, and even if the Germans did not besiege them, they would be unable to continue the fight because they ran out of ammunition and food. Therefore, whether or not the Magnushev landing field can be preserved is the key to whether the 8th Guards Army can liberate Warsaw.

In order to keep abreast of the battle situation at the front, Chuikov moved his command to a position only across the river from the Magnushev landing field, and he called Shugaev, the commander of the 47th Guards Division, and asked in a stern tone: "Comrade Colonel, how is the situation there, can you hold back the German attack?" ”

"Comrade commander," hearing that it was Chuikov's voice, Shugaev hurriedly raised his voice and said: "Even if we fight to the last man, we will definitely not take half a step back." ”

"Very good, if you have such determination, I am relieved." Chuikov asked into the microphone, "Do you have any difficulties?" ”

"It's difficult, it's there." Shugaev thought for a moment, then replied: "At the moment we are fighting against the attack of four German divisions, two of which are panzer divisions. Since there were no heavy weapons, we had to use anti-tank grenades or cluster grenades to blow up the enemy's tanks. Comrade commander, can you supply our division with some heavy weapons? Even if there are only a few anti-tank guns, so that we can blow up the enemy's tanks without the flesh and blood of the soldiers. ”

In response to Shugaev's request, Chuikov pondered for a long time, and then said decisively: "Comrade Colonel, I will provide you with the heavy weapons you need, and you should be able to reach the landing site before dark." ”

Chuikov put down the phone, immediately dialed the front headquarters, found Rokossovsky and complained to him: "Comrade Marshal, our Magnushev landing ground is being subjected to a frantic counter-assault by the Germans, and since the troops do not have heavy weapons, they are currently suffering heavy casualties. If they don't find a way to get their heavy weapons over, I fear that they will soon be wiped out by the enemy or driven into the raging Vistula. ”

"I see, Comrade Chuikov." Rokossovsky, who had just finished reading the battle report, knew the situation there well, and he hurriedly said: "I will immediately order the engineers to erect a pontoon bridge for you on the Vistula River." ”

As soon as Rokossovsky put down the phone, he called a staff officer and instructed him: "Go and invite the chief of the engineering corps, General Proshlyakov, here." ”

After a few minutes, Proshlyakov hurriedly walked into the command headquarters, looked at Rokossovsky and asked: "Comrade commander, do you have anything important to look for me?" ”

"That's right, General Proshlyakov." Rokossovsky brought Proshlyakov to the map, pointed to the Magnushev landing ground on the opposite bank, and said to him: "The Germans sent four divisions and launched a fierce attack on Chuikov's landing field, and the 47th Guards Division, due to the lack of heavy weapons, suffered heavy casualties in the face of the surging German tanks. I would like to ask you engineers to build a pontoon bridge over the Vistula as soon as possible, so that our tanks and artillery can pass through the pontoon bridge to the other side. ”

After waiting for Rokossovsky to finish, Proshlyakov thought about it with a frown, and then said: "Comrade commander, this is not easy to do. The German planes were constantly circling in the air, and when they saw where our troops were gathering or building bridges, they immediately rushed over and bombed indiscriminately. ”

"This is easy to do," Hearing that Proshlyakov was worried about the bombing of the Luftwaffe, Rokossovsky hurriedly said to him: "The Polish anti-aircraft artillery division is only five or six kilometers away from us, so I will call General Behringer and ask him to transfer the anti-aircraft artillery division to the position where we are going to erect a pontoon bridge and provide us with anti-aircraft cover." At the same time, I will also order the Air Force to send fighter planes to drive away enemy planes over the Vistula River. ”

Hearing that Rokossovsky had taken into account everything that should be considered, Proshlyakov nodded and assured him: "Since this is the case, then I will arrange for people to erect the pontoon bridge as soon as possible." ”

"How long will it take?" Rokossovsky asked, looking at Proshlyakov's back.

Proshlyakov said without looking back: "The narrowest part of the Vistula is almost a kilometer, and the river is so fast that it will take us five hours at the fastest to complete the erection of the pontoon bridge. ”

After Proshlyakov left, Rokossovsky asked Malinin: "Chief of Staff, the air forces of Rudenko and Polenin, which is closest to the Magnushev landing site?" ”

Malinin immediately replied without thinking: "General Rudenko's fighters and bombers are providing the necessary air cover for the liquidation of enemy troops near the Brest fortress. And General Porenin's air force can still dispatch at least one or two flying regiments. ”

"Since this is the case," Rokossovsky, after learning about the current state of the Air Force, decisively ordered: "You immediately call General Polenin and order him to put all the planes into the battlefield and cover the engineering troops to erect pontoon bridges over the Vistula. ”

The Air Force, which covers the operations of the engineering troops, has been in a row, and the next thing is to contact the anti-aircraft artillery. Rokossovsky dialed the command of the Polish First Army, and when he heard that the person who answered the phone was Bellinger, he smiled and said: "Hello, General Behringer!" What's the situation going on there? ”

"The Germans are not willing to be defeated and are carrying out a non-stop counterattack against the positions we occupy." After reporting on the situation of his troops, Behringer asked Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, do you have any instructions?" ”

"The Germans are carrying out counterattacks in all sections in an attempt to drive our troops who have occupied the landing fields into the Vistula." Rokossovsky said into the microphone: "The 47th Guards Division, which was holding on to the Magnushev landing site, suffered heavy casualties in the face of the fierce offensive of the German forces several times their size due to the lack of heavy weapons. Therefore, the division commander, Colonel Shugaev, begged us to provide him with heavy weapons. ”

When Bellinger heard Rokossovsky say this, he felt quite puzzled in his heart, the landing field occupied by his troops was far away from the Magnushev landing site, and even if he had to send troops to reinforce him, he would not be able to save the fire from far water. Puzzled, he asked: "Comrade Marshal, what can we do?" ”

"That's right, General Behringer." Rokossovsky organized the words in his head, and then said: "We are going to build a pontoon bridge at the location of the Magnushev landing site. However, due to the constant attacks of the Luftwaffe on our ground forces in this area, our bridge-building operations were greatly hampered. ”

Behringer was also a smart man, and without waiting for Rokossovsky to finish, he guessed what the other party meant. He smiled and said: "Comrade Marshal, I understand what you mean, you want our anti-aircraft artillery division to cover the engineering troops to build bridges, right?" ”

"That's right, that's right." Rokossovsky nodded and said: "The task of the anti-aircraft artillery division is not only to cover our engineers to build the bridge, but their next task is to continue to protect the bridge from being blown up by the Luftwaffe." ”

"I see," Behringer immediately nodded and said, "I immediately gave Colonel Prokopovich an order to drive the anti-aircraft artillery division to the place where the bridge was built." ”

As soon as he ended the call with Rokossovsky, Bellinger grabbed the phone and said into the microphone: "I'm Behringer, pick up the anti-aircraft artillery division for me, find the division commander, Colonel Prokopovich." ”

…………

An hour later, when Colonel Prokopovich arrived at the Vistula River with his anti-aircraft artillery division, he saw that it had become a busy construction site, and the engineers were braving the bombardment of enemy planes to prepare for the construction of bridges along the river.

Seeing Prokopovich's troops coming, a Soviet lieutenant colonel immediately walked up to him, raised his hand and saluted, and said politely to him: "Comrade Colonel, please deploy the anti-aircraft artillery division on the spot and drive away the enemy planes in the air." ”

"Understood." Colonel Prokopovich agreed, and then ordered his chief of staff to give orders to the commanders of several anti-aircraft artillery regiments below, asking them to choose suitable positions, build anti-aircraft artillery positions, and drive away the enemy planes in the air as soon as possible.

When the anti-aircraft artillery division was constructing an air defense position, a Soviet fighter regiment arrived and engaged in a fierce battle with enemy aircraft in the air. Seeing this, Colonel Prokopovich immediately shouted at the top of his voice: "Comrades, speed up the time, build an air defense position as soon as possible, and beat down all the German planes." ”

After more than half an hour of air fighting, nine German dive bombers were shot down by the Soviet Air Force, and the rest turned around and flew back. The Polish anti-aircraft gunners, who had just established an air defense position, saw the enemy planes fleeing in a hurry, cheering and regretting that they had not been able to achieve any results.

The temporary headquarters of General Proshlyakov, chief of the engineering corps, was located just 300 meters from the Vistula River, and when enemy planes were bombing, many bombs fell near his headquarters, and the violent explosions made it difficult to hear the loud voices in the headquarters.

When the explosion was over, a staff officer suggested to him with trepidation: "General Proshlyakov, let's set up our headquarters somewhere else, it's too dangerous here." ”

"Danger here?!" Proshlyakov pointed to the engineers who were preparing to build a bridge at the bombing of enemy planes by the river, and said to the staff officer: "No matter how dangerous it is, can it be more dangerous than those soldiers who brave the bombing of enemy planes and do not care for their lives?" ”

Hearing Proshlyakov say this, the staff officer was speechless, and he could only obediently close his preparations and command the preparations for building bridges by the river with others.

"I see," Behringer immediately nodded and said, "I immediately gave Colonel Prokopovich an order to drive the anti-aircraft artillery division to the place where the bridge was built." ”

As soon as he ended the call with Rokossovsky, Bellinger grabbed the phone and said into the microphone: "I'm Behringer, pick up the anti-aircraft artillery division for me, find the division commander, Colonel Prokopovich." ”

…………

An hour later, when Colonel Prokopovich arrived at the Vistula River with his anti-aircraft artillery division, he saw that it had become a busy construction site, and the engineers were braving the bombardment of enemy planes to prepare for the construction of bridges along the river.

Seeing Prokopovich's troops coming, a Soviet lieutenant colonel immediately walked up to him, raised his hand and saluted, and said politely to him: "Comrade Colonel, please deploy the anti-aircraft artillery division on the spot and drive away the enemy planes in the air." ”

"Understood." Colonel Prokopovich agreed, and then ordered his chief of staff to give orders to the commanders of several anti-aircraft artillery regiments below, asking them to choose suitable positions, build anti-aircraft artillery positions, and drive away the enemy planes in the air as soon as possible.

When the anti-aircraft artillery division was constructing an air defense position, a Soviet fighter regiment arrived and engaged in a fierce battle with enemy aircraft in the air. Seeing this, Colonel Prokopovich immediately shouted at the top of his voice: "Comrades, speed up the time, build an air defense position as soon as possible, and beat down all the German planes." ”

After more than half an hour of air fighting, nine German dive bombers were shot down by the Soviet Air Force, and the rest turned around and flew back. The Polish anti-aircraft gunners, who had just established an air defense position, saw the enemy planes fleeing in a hurry, cheering and regretting that they had not been able to achieve any results.

The temporary headquarters of General Proshlyakov, chief of the engineering corps, was located just 300 meters from the Vistula River, and when enemy planes were bombing, many bombs fell near his headquarters, and the violent explosions made it difficult to hear the loud voices in the headquarters.

When the explosion was over, a staff officer suggested to him with trepidation: "General Proshlyakov, let's set up our headquarters somewhere else, it's too dangerous here." ”

"Danger here?!" Proshlyakov pointed to the engineers who were preparing to build a bridge at the bombing of enemy planes by the river, and said to the staff officer: "No matter how dangerous it is, can it be more dangerous than those soldiers who brave the bombing of enemy planes and do not care for their lives?" ”

Hearing Proshlyakov say this, the staff officer was speechless, and he could only obediently close his preparations and command the preparations for building bridges by the river with others.