When the command of the army group received a report from Chernyshov that the troops had successfully captured Popkovo, the command was filled with cheers. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Rokossovsky didn't have long to be happy, and then he regained his calm expression. After Borisova, who was sitting next to her, saw the look on his face clearly, her eyebrows couldn't help but rise, she approached Rokossovsky and asked in a low voice: "Koschika, our troops have liberated Popkovo from the enemy, why are you not happy." ”

After Borisova came to the headquarters of the army group yesterday, her address to Rokossovsky also quietly changed, although in front of people, she still called "comrade commander" one by one, but in private, she secretly called each other by nicknames.

Rokossovsky pushed the received battle report in front of Borisova and said to her: "Look at this battle report, the enemy had more than 2,000 troops in the village of Popkovo, but our troops suffered less than 200 casualties and drove the enemy out. That's telling. ”

"What could be the problem?" Borisova said disapprehantly: "The main thing is that you used your tactics well, and as soon as the shelling began, you ordered tanks carrying infantry to launch a charge on the enemy's first line of positions. At this time, the enemy, in order to avoid the artillery fire of our army, withdrew to the second line of defense, so that our army could easily seize the first line of defense, which was completely undefended. After saying that, she also winked playfully at Rokossovsky, if it wasn't for the crowd here, she would definitely hug each other and kiss each other.

"Borisova, you are too optimistic." Although Rokossovsky's winking made Rokossovsky a little distracted, he still tried to control his emotions and said: "I estimate that although the enemy has withdrawn from the village, he will not run too far, and they will definitely look for a suitable position nearby to establish a defense against the next attack of our army." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Malinin hurried over with a telegram and said anxiously: "Comrade commander, General Chernyshov has called that the enemy has occupied a hillside near the village and has built a new defense in the cemetery. ”

Rokossovsky, after a quick glance at the contents of the telegram, called Kazakov over and admonished: "Comrade Artillery Commander, the enemy occupies a cemetery located on the hillside near the village, where a defense is being built to counter the offensive of our troops. You see, can one or two artillery companies be brought up to provide artillery support for our infantry. ”

"Where's the tank?" Kazakov did not immediately accept this order from Rokossovsky, but asked rhetorically: "They should be in the village, and they can completely suppress the enemy in the cemetery with artillery fire." ”

"No, Comrade General." Orel came over and cried bitterly and said: "I carefully checked the nearby terrain, the enemy is very cunning, and the position they occupy is exactly the dead end of our tank guns. If you want to suppress it with artillery fire, you can only use artillery. ”

"Well, I immediately called the artillery command below and asked them to transfer two artillery batteries to the village of Popkovo to support our infantry." When Kazakov heard Orel say this, he realized that the situation was more serious than he thought, and quickly turned to Malinin and said: "Chief of staff, please inform General Chernyshov and ask him to send a company of infantry to help our artillery and transfer the artillery to the village." ”

As soon as the arrangements were made here, Zhukov called from the headquarters of the Front. He did not greet him, and after hearing clearly that the person who answered the phone was Rokossovsky himself, he asked bluntly: "Comrade Rokossovsky, how is the situation with your attack on Popkovo?" ”

"Report to Comrade General." Since his troops had successfully entered Popkovo, Rokossovsky replied confidently: "Our troops have liberated the village of Popkovo at noon. ”

"What, you have already liberated the village of Popkovo at noon?" Zhukov was very surprised when he heard Rokossovsky's report: "Are the casualties of the troops large? ”

"Not much," Rokossovsky replied in a relaxed tone: "In the battle for the assault on the village of Popkovo, the casualties of the 11th Guards Division were less than two hundred, and the enemy paid several times the price. ”

"My God, it took less than two hundred casualties to capture a village held by two thousand German troops, which is simply incredible." After Zhukov said this, he paused for a moment, and then said excitedly: "If someone else told me so, I might still be suspicious. But as long as it is what you say, I am convinced, because you are a person who is good at creating miracles. ”

After praising Rokossovsky, Zhukov then asked: "Now that the village of Popkovo has been taken, are you sure that you will hold this place?" ”

"This ......" Rokossovsky hesitated to say to Zhukov's question: "Whether it can be held or not, I can't give you a positive answer for the time being." ”

"Why?" Zhukov asked puzzled.

"Comrade General, this is the case." Rokossovsky Senzhukov explained: "Although we drove the enemy out of the village, they built a new defense in the cemetery on the hillside outside the village. Since the enemy's position is exactly the dead end of our tanks' shooting, I am arranging for manpower to send the artillery over. As soon as the artillery is in place, an attack on the enemy is launched. ”

Hearing that there were still remnants of the German army outside the village, Zhukov's brows furrowed, and he said sternly into the microphone: "Comrade Rokossovsky, Popkovo is an important stronghold of the German army, as long as we succeed in capturing here, it is equivalent to pulling out a nail wedged by the German army into our defense line, understand?" ”

"Understood, Comrade General." For the importance of Popkovo, even if Zhukov does not say it, Rokossovsky knows it. In order to reassure Zhukov, he hurriedly said: "We will definitely destroy this group of enemies entrenched in the cemetery before dark." ”

Immediately after the artillery company entered the village with their artillery, artillery positions were set up on the edge of the village and, according to the figures provided by the artillery observers, decisive fire was opened at the cemetery where the enemy was entrenched.

In the deafening explosion, the cemetery occupied by the Germans was torn into pieces by the flames and gunsmoke, and the German soldiers were lifted into the air by the blast of the explosion, and the shrapnel and rubble intertwined into a web were like an invisible beast, tearing them to pieces and throwing them heavily on the surrounding land.

At the end of the five-minute shelling, the commanders and fighters, who had been hiding in the fortifications on the edge of the village, shouted slogans with their weapons in hand, and rushed to the opposite hillside where black smoke was still billowing out.

Although the Germans suffered huge casualties in the Soviet artillery bombardment due to the lack of strong fortifications, when they saw the groups of Soviet commanders and fighters, stepping on knee-high snow and moving slowly, they still quickly entered their respective combat positions and opened heavy fire on the rushing Soviet troops.

For the distance from the fortifications on the edge of the village to the cemetery on the hillside, if there had not been deep snow, the Soviet charge would have undoubtedly achieved great results. However, the knee-high snow greatly depleted the physical strength of the Soviet commanders and fighters and reduced their speed of movement, and as a result, when they were still more than 200 meters away from the cemetery, they were blocked by the dense fire of the German army. After paying hundreds of casualties, they were forced to retreat to the starting point of the attack.

When the offensive failed, it happened that Cherneshov came to the village of Popkovo. Standing in the high church bell tower, he looked at the battle in the distance, called the commander of the regiment over and scolded him fiercely: "Comrade Colonel, look at your troops, what kind of battle is this fighting?" He was still two hundred meters away from the enemy, and he was beaten by the enemy and crawled back. Before I came here, Comrade Commander had already given me a death order, before dark, the enemy who occupied the cemetery must be destroyed, can you do it? ”

"Comrade division commander, although I also want to settle the battle as soon as possible." After the regiment commander waited for Chernyshov to finish speaking, he said with a sad face: "But the terrain is not good for us, you see, that section of about 800 meters covered with snow and flat without cover is very unfavorable to our army, if the number of the enemy is a little larger, they will become a target for shooting." ”

Chernyshov was not a stubborn person, and after listening to the difficulties that the regiment commander had said, he raised his binoculars and looked at them for a while, and then ordered: "Comrade Colonel, do you dare to take a risk?" ”

"As long as I can destroy the enemies in the cemetery, I am willing to take any risk." After expressing his attitude, the regiment commander asked curiously: "Comrade division commander, I don't know what the adventure you are talking about, what is worth it?" ”

"When the artillery bombards the cemetery again, you order the troops to attack." Chernyshov remembered the tactics taught to him by the commander before the attack, and wanted to take them out to test whether they were correct, so he directly ordered the regiment commander: "When our troops are close to the range of two hundred meters, the artillery will stop shelling." ”

"What? After entering the range of two hundred meters, the artillery stopped shelling? Chernyshov's words frightened the regiment commander, and he hurriedly persuaded: "Comrade division commander, at such a close distance, we will accidentally injure our own people." ”

"Comrade Colonel, in order to quickly seize the cemetery, I feel the need to try." Chernyshev said unmoved: "I would also like to remind you that after the last round of shelling, the snow in front of the cemetery for more than 100 meters has melted almost to the point of high temperature, and if our troops can approach this position before the shelling stops, then the soldiers will be able to storm the cemetery occupied by the Germans in the shortest possible time." Do you understand? ”

"Understood, comrade division commander, now I understand everything." When the regiment commander heard Chernyshov say this, he realized that he had really ignored the snow in front of the cemetery, which had melted in a large area after the last round of shelling. Therefore, he hurriedly chimed in: "I think it is very appropriate to wait for our troops to get close to the 200-meter range of the cemetery before stopping the shelling." ”

For the distance from the fortifications on the edge of the village to the cemetery on the hillside, if there had not been deep snow, the Soviet charge would have undoubtedly achieved great results. However, the knee-high snow greatly depleted the physical strength of the Soviet commanders and fighters and reduced their speed of movement, and as a result, when they were still more than 200 meters away from the cemetery, they were blocked by the dense fire of the German army. After paying hundreds of casualties, they were forced to retreat to the starting point of the attack.

When the offensive failed, it happened that Cherneshov came to the village of Popkovo. Standing in the high church bell tower, he looked at the battle in the distance, called the commander of the regiment over and scolded him fiercely: "Comrade Colonel, look at your troops, what kind of battle is this fighting?" He was still two hundred meters away from the enemy, and he was beaten by the enemy and crawled back. Before I came here, Comrade Commander had already given me a death order, before dark, the enemy who occupied the cemetery must be destroyed, can you do it? ”

"Comrade division commander, although I also want to settle the battle as soon as possible." After the regiment commander waited for Chernyshov to finish speaking, he said with a sad face: "But the terrain is not good for us, you see, that section of about 800 meters covered with snow and flat without cover is very unfavorable to our army, if the number of the enemy is a little larger, they will become a target for shooting." ”

Chernyshov was not a stubborn person, and after listening to the difficulties that the regiment commander had said, he raised his binoculars and looked at them for a while, and then ordered: "Comrade Colonel, do you dare to take a risk?" ”

"As long as I can destroy the enemies in the cemetery, I am willing to take any risk." After expressing his attitude, the regiment commander asked curiously: "Comrade division commander, I don't know what the adventure you are talking about, what is worth it?" ”

"When the artillery bombards the cemetery again, you order the troops to attack." Chernyshov remembered the tactics taught to him by the commander before the attack, and wanted to take them out to test whether they were correct, so he directly ordered the regiment commander: "When our troops are close to the range of two hundred meters, the artillery will stop shelling." ”

"What? After entering the range of two hundred meters, the artillery stopped shelling? Chernyshov's words frightened the regiment commander, and he hurriedly persuaded: "Comrade division commander, at such a close distance, we will accidentally injure our own people." ”

"Comrade Colonel, in order to quickly seize the cemetery, I feel the need to try." Chernyshev said unmoved: "I would also like to remind you that after the last round of shelling, the snow in front of the cemetery for more than 100 meters has melted almost to the point of high temperature, and if our troops can approach this position before the shelling stops, then the soldiers will be able to storm the cemetery occupied by the Germans in the shortest possible time." Do you understand? ”

"Understood, comrade division commander, now I understand everything." When the regiment commander heard Chernyshov say this, he realized that he had really ignored the snow in front of the cemetery, which had melted in a large area after the last round of shelling. Therefore, he hurriedly chimed in: "I think it is very appropriate to wait for our troops to get close to the 200-meter range of the cemetery before stopping the shelling." ”