After inspecting all the troops of the 27th Army, Zhukov agreed to Sokov's proposal that he would no longer spend a lot of manpower and material resources to build fortifications that were not suitable for use, but to concentrate on training in order to improve the combat effectiveness of the troops in a short period of time.
In the following days, Sokov concentrated on training and taught the tactics and training methods he knew to the division commanders without reservation. Sokov knew that it was very difficult for commanders and fighters to master these technical and tactical levels in such a short time, but in order to prevent his troops from being beaten by the Germans in the next Battle of Kursk, this was the limit he could do.
Just as the training in the Kosky area was in full swing, the German army began to use railways to assemble troops in the direction of Kharkov. One of the troops was the imperial division commander, who had just been rebuilt and was led by the flag captain Tansen as the division commander. Due to the strict confidentiality of the German army, the Soviet army only knew that there were a large number of German troops assembled, but did not know that there would be their own enemies among these German troops.
After Sokov was transferred from the Sixth Army, the Supreme Command appointed Lieutenant General Shireming to replace the position of commander. After receiving the appointment, Danishreming was suddenly infected with wind and cold and had been treating the military hospital in Moscow. The work within the army was temporarily handled by Vitkov.
While acting as commander of the army, Vitkov also received another order from the Supreme Command: to build complete and solid fortifications in the existing defensive zone to prevent possible attacks by the German army.
After receiving this order, Vitkov ordered the divisions to repair fortifications on their existing positions to prevent possible attacks by the German army. To repair fortifications, a large amount of manpower and material resources are naturally required. Therefore, Vitkov ordered the divisions to leave a few troops as a warning, and the rest of the troops were devoted to the construction of fortifications.
When he learned that his troops were about to start building fortifications, Merkulov, the commander of the 67th Division of the Guards, also asked him specifically: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the superiors ordered us to build fortifications in the existing defense zone. Do we still need to send a small team to the enemy's back to reconnaissance and sabotage?"
"Comrade General," he heard Merkulov's question, Vitkov immediately replied: "Since the three German SSs were hit hard by us, the remaining Germans have been hiding in the Balvinkovo ​​area and dared not move. Even if we send a small team deep behind enemy lines, it will probably be difficult to achieve any results. I think it's better to forget. The primary task of your division at present is to seize the time to repair fortifications to prevent possible attacks by the German army."
"Okay, Comrade Chief of Staff." Merkulov also felt that the victory some time ago had broken the Germans. I am afraid that they would not dare to act rashly before the summer came. "I will immediately arrange the construction of fortifications."
Since then, both Vitkov and Merkulov regretted their hasty decisions. If the 67th Guard Division still sent people behind enemy lines to reconnaissance and destruction at any time according to Sokov's original order, they would definitely find the Skeleton Division and the Flag Guard Division stationed in Balvinkovo, and quietly mobilized towards Kharkov.
Although the Soviet troops stationed in Kharkov had a lot of troops from the rear, they were all new recruits who had not undergone any military training. After arriving at the army, quite a few people did not even have weapons. However, the commanders in the army did not care about this. They thought that the German army had just suffered a severe blow not long ago and it was impossible to launch another attack in a short period of time. As for many soldiers without weapons, it would be just right for them to concentrate on repairing fortifications.
But when the Soviet army never dreamed, in the early morning of April 28, the German army stationed in the south and west of Kharkov suddenly bombarded the Soviet positions with fierce artillery fire. For a moment, all frontier positions were shrouded in smoke.
After the Soviet commanders and soldiers who were still sleeping were awakened, they immediately exposed their shortcomings of lack of training. If they were veterans who found that the position was bombarded by the enemy, they would definitely hide in the shelter and not come out; the soldiers on duty outside would definitely hide in the nearby anti-aircraft shelter. But now the soldiers on the position were all new recruits who had not received any training. When they heard the cannon, they were immediately panicked. They rushed out of the shelter and ran around in the trenches like headless flies until they were blown away by falling shells or were cut down from flying shrapnel.
After the intensive shelling ended, the German army attacked the Soviet positions under the cover of tanks. The three German SS soldiers rushed to the front. The imperial division first broke through the Soviet army's defense in the west direction and rushed towards the city with the defeated troops.
The flag guard division and the skeleton division attacking from the south were stubbornly resisted by the Soviet army, and the battle was in a stalemate. If it were a month ago, the Soviet troops standing south of Kharkov would definitely not be able to resist the attack of the two German SS divisions. However, because the Skeleton Division suffered heavy damage not long ago, Hauser reduced the original officers and soldiers of the division into one regiment, and added the two infantry regiments of the National Defense Army into the army, forming an inappropriate Skeleton Division.
Although the Flag Guard Division did not suffer heavy blows from the Sokov troops, they also severely reduced their troops after a long battle, which affected the combat effectiveness of the troops. It is precisely for various reasons that the troops that were standing in the south of the city could barely withstand the German attack.
The German army launched another attack in the direction of Kharkov. Sokov, who is far away in the Kosky area east of Moscow, naturally could not know that he was chatting with Chief of Staff Sameko at this moment.
"Comrade Commander," Sameko asked Sokov with a smile: "I wonder if you have seen the Red Square military parade?"
"No." Sokov shook his head and said with regret: "When the Red Square parade on November 7, 1941, I was still a corporal. I was stationed in Shimki town with a squad of soldiers and was not qualified to participate in the parade; during the 1942 parade, I was commanding my troops to fight Paulus' troops in Mamayevgang, and it was even more impossible to participate in the parade. There is still half a year left, and a new round of parade will begin. I wonder if I will have the opportunity to participate in the parade at that time."
"No need to wait for another half a year," Sameko said: "In two days, it will be May Day. The Red Square military parades are twice a year, once in the May Day parade on May 1, and the other is the October Day parade on November 7. I heard that some commanders may be drawn from our Front Army to watch the parade on the viewing platform."
Hearing Sameko say this, Sokov's face showed a surprised expression: "Really?"
"Of course it's true." Sameko nodded and said, "This is what I went to the Front Command for a meeting yesterday and heard a friend secretly tell me."
Sokov had some expectations at first, wondering if he would be invited to the viewing platform to watch the ceremony, but then he thought that the military parade would be coming the day after tomorrow, but he had no news at all, and it seemed that there was no hope.
Sokov had no hope of attending the military parade, but Sameko was not giving up. He asked Sokov tentatively: "Comrade Commander, do you need to call General Konev and ask who will be transferred this time to attend the Red Square parade the day after tomorrow?"
Sokov seemed very hesitant about Sameko's proposal. He felt that if his superiors really planned to let him go to Red Square to watch the ceremony, he would have called him to notify him early, why would he have definitely not been moving so far? Thinking of this, he had already held the microphone's hand and shrank back again.
Just as Sokov was undecided, the phone ringing on the table rang. He grabbed the microphone, put it in his ear, and said nervously: "I am Sokov."
"Major General Sokov, I am Konev." Konev's serious voice came from the receiver: "I have something urgent to tell you."
When Sokov heard this, his heart beat faster with some sturdyness. He thought to himself: Could it be that Konev informed him to attend the Red Square Tour to prepare himself in advance? Thinking of this, he pretended to be calm and asked: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, do you have any instructions?"
"I just received the battle report transferred from the General Staff." Konev said in a stern tone: "The German army suddenly launched an attack on Kharkov. After more than five hours of fighting, the German army, which attacked from the west, had broken through our defense zone and rushed into the city to fight with our army. The troops standing in the south are now struggling to hold on, and I believe they can't hold on for much time."
Sokov, who was originally smiling, suddenly became furious after hearing the bad news. She kicked a chair in front of her and directly kicked a chair to the ground, cursing: "Idiots, they are all a group of idiots. I have bought them so long, but the fortifications built can't even stop the enemy's attack."
There is a reason for Sokov to get angry. In real history, Kharkov was lost in mid-March. However, Sokov's initiative shattered the German attempt to seize Kharkov, and even severely damaged the three SS soldiers who seized Kharkov. He originally thought that this new enemy-to-me situation could last until the outbreak of the Battle of Kursk, but now it seems that he is too naive and thinks too simple about the problem.
When Konev heard Sokov getting angry, he could only smile bitterly, "Yes, I feel that sticking to the Kharkiv troops is a group of idiots. During the past two months, the base camp has been constantly replenishing their troops and supplies, but in the face of the powerful German offensive, their resistance seems unsatisfactory. I call you this and want to ask if there is any way to remedy it?"
"Remedy, what else can I do to remedy?" The German army was at the city. Even if they wanted to send reinforcements at this moment, they would not be able to relieve their near thirst. He said angrily: "The only way is to let the Sixth Army attack decisively and take a stance to attack Balvinkovo ​​to attract the attention of the German army."
Konev really listened to Sokov's proposal: "Major General Sokov, what you said is a good idea. As long as the Sixth Army moves, the German army attacking Kharkov will definitely be worried that their rear will be attacked and will temporarily stop the attack on Kharkov. I will report your method to the General Staff immediately."
"Comrade Commander of the Front Army," Sokov felt that it was very inappropriate to let the Sixth Army launch an attack without understanding the enemy's strength, so he continued to ask: "I want to ask, the number of the German troops attacking Kharkov?"
"The one who launched the attack from the west was the Imperial Master..."
"What, what did you say?" Sokov was shocked when he heard the Imperial Master's number: "Didn't the Imperial Master be wiped out by us? Now, an Imperial Master emerged from where?"
"According to General Golikov's report, they interrogated the captives and learned that this was a new imperial division that was reorganized not long ago. The division commander was Tansen, the captain of the flag. He was previously a regiment commander of the Imperial Division. He was sent to Berlin for treatment due to injury." In order to let Sokov figure out what was going on, Konev explained to him one by one what he knew: "Since you wiped out the Imperial Division, in order to save face, the Germans appointed Tansen, who had just recovered from the injury, as the new division commander, and drew personnel from the Berlin SS, and some of the original Imperial Division wounded soldiers who had just recovered from injury, and rebuilt the Imperial Division."
"So that's how it is," Sokov learned that the German army had rebuilt the Imperial Division, so the German troops attacking from the south must be the other two SS soldiers who were severely injured by him. He asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, if I'm not wrong, the enemy attacking Kharkov from the south should be the Skeleton Division and the Flag Guard Division?"
"Major General Sokov, you guessed it right." Konev nodded and said, "The enemy who is attacking the defense line on the south side of Kharkov is indeed the Flag Guard Division and the Skeleton Division that has just been supplemented. However, when they attacked, they were stubbornly resisted by our army. So far, they have not yet broken through our army's defense..."
Sokov remembers that in real history, when the German army attacked from the south of the city, it was stubbornly resisted by an infantry division of the Soviet army. It was impossible for the entire 48 hours to go further. If the division had not lost all its troops and had no ammunition, the German army attacking from the south would have paid a heavier price to break through their defense.
He bought a precious month and a half for his friendly troops, and he didn't know whether General Golikov had given priority supplies to the infantry divisions in the south of the city. If they were given enough ammunition and soldiers, it was possible to keep the German army south of Kharkov for two days or even longer with the bravery and tenacity of the commanders and fighters.
"Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I think it is far from enough to just take an offensive in the rear of the enemy." Sokov was also the commander of the Sixth Army not long ago, so he naturally knew how to fight to pose a greater threat to the German army. He said to Konev in a tactful manner: "They also need the cooperation of friendly forces, such as the 64th Army on their right wing and the southwestern frontiers further north. If these troops pose an attack on Balvinkovo ​​and Ijium, it will definitely cause panic among the German army."
Chapter completed!