With the cooperation of the air force, the ground troops' attack was very smooth. The blocking troops left by the retreating German army were soon destroyed by Soviet tanks and infantry. If Sokov had not been worried about his insufficient troops and forced the enemy to get angry, it would have caused the opponent to jump over the wall and ordered the troops to stop the attack in time. It would have probably been a distance of five to ten kilometers deep in the German army.
After learning that the troops had built a defensive position overnight, Sokov sent a telegram to the two commands of the Front Army and the Army Group through telegrams.
As for the results achieved by Sokov's troops, Cuikov kept calling and inquiring during the counterattack, he knew very well about the progress of the entire battle. At this moment, when he saw the telegram sent by Sokov, he carefully read it, and handed it over to Krelov, and reminded the other party: "Comrade Chief of Staff, inform the entire army of the 41st Division of the Guards to the troops of the entire army."
However, after receiving the telegram from Sokov, the Front Command was in another situation. After reading the telegram several times, Khrushchev frowned and said, "I don't understand. Since the troops' counterattack is so smooth, why not continue to advance? You must know that their current location is only more than 30 kilometers away from the Don River, and the tanks will take up to two or three hours."
Hearing Khrushchev say this, Chief of Staff Major General Valenikov said bitterly: "Military Comrade, I think Colonel Sokov and others are very correct in time to stop the attack."
"Why?" Khrushchev asked briefly.
Instead of answering this difficult question immediately, Varennikov cast a look for help at Yelemenko. The latter looked at him for a moment and said to him in an encouraging tone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, report the actual situation to the military committee."
After obtaining Yelemenko's authorization, Varennikov said with confidence: "Military Committee Members, this is the case. Please look at the map. Before the friendly forces on the periphery launched a large counterattack, the defense line of Cuikov's 62nd Army in the city was in a thin line, with a defense depth of only 300 to 1 100 meters. Even if the German offensive was a little more powerful, this thin line could break at any time."
"I know this." Khrushchev urged impatiently: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please tell me the key points directly."
"The only exception is the Mamayev hill controlled by Colonel Sokov's 41st Guard Division. The defense depth of this area is three to five kilometers, ensuring that the central ferry in the city can be used normally." Varennikov continued: "Their two counterattacks have increased the defense depth of the division to more than ten kilometers. However, when the division carried out the counterattack, our troops on the left and right wings did not take corresponding actions, which led to the area controlled by the division becoming a prominent part."
Varennikov said this and deliberately paused to observe Khrushchev's expression. Seeing the other party's confused look, he added: "They were too far ahead and there was no strong army protection on both wings. Once the German army recovered and attacked from the left and right sides of the division, they would be in danger of being cut off and surrounded. However, this army was in danger of being destroyed, and even the commanding heights of the whole city, Mamayevgang, could be lost."
Sokov took the initiative to stop the attack on the German army when the offensive situation was very good, so that the German army that was retreating in a hurry had a chance to breathe. Khrushchev was originally very dissatisfied with Sokov for this matter. But after listening to Varennikov's analysis, he realized that he was a little too whimsical. Even if Sokov's troops could fight, he had only one division after all, and it would be nice to be able to defend the position, let alone attack.
"Comrade Commander." Khrushchev looked up at Yelemenko opposite and asked tentatively: "If we send enough reinforcements to Misha, can they continue to move forward?"
"It's very difficult, comrade of the military committee." Yelemenko sighed when he heard Khrushchev's question and said, "You should know that I sent him four fully-built infantry battalions and two tank battalions, which may be the only little mobile power in my hand. I'm afraid I can't send him new reinforcements until the superiors replenish us."
Yelemenko's words poured a basin of cold water on Khrushchev, making him wake up. He knew very well that in order to ensure victory in the counterattack, his superiors did not replenish the troops on the left bank, and even the troops that had originally gathered here were transferred to the south of Stalingrad to participate in the counterattack launched from that direction. Before the situation of the attack outside was clear, even if he called the Supreme Command in person, he would probably not receive reinforcements from one soldier.
Since they could not get new reinforcements from the Supreme Command, Khrushchev took the exam to consider whether the troops heading north could adjust their attack direction and let them send a unit to go north to meet with Sokov's troops. In this way, the left wing of the 41st Division of the Guards could be guaranteed and they could draw more troops to face the German attack head-on.
With such questions, Khrushchev asked: "Comrade Commander, can you order a certain unit of the 64th or 57th Army to change the direction of the attack and rush directly to the direction of Mamayevgang to join Sokov's Guard Division?"
"My military committee member, this situation you said is not easy to deal with." Yeliaumko replied with a wry smile: "Now, the Northbound Corps attacks the enemy according to the original route set, and they are facing great obstacles. If they are ordered to change the direction of the attack at this time, I am worried that it will cause unnecessary chaos. Moreover, the transfer of troops will also lead to the weakening of the frontal offensive force and affect our next combat operations."
As soon as Yelyemko finished speaking, Varennikov added: "Even if the left wing of the 41st Guard Division was strengthened, the right wing was still threatened by several German divisions. In short, if the superiors do not add new forces to us and allow us to strengthen the strength in the city, if they want Sokov's troops to continue to advance westward, they will be allowed to die."
Although his proposal was unanimously opposed by the commander and the chief of staff, Khrushchev still said unwillingly: "I think we should report this matter to our superiors immediately to see if the Supreme Command can make an exception to send reinforcements to us. As far as I know, in order to ensure that Moscow is no longer attacked by the German army, there are seventy elite infantry divisions stationed there. If two or three of them can be dispatched to us, the situation in the city will immediately become beneficial to our army."
"It will take as long as four or five days to mobilize troops from Moscow." Regarding Khrushchev's proposal, Varennikov said cautiously: "Maybe when reinforcements arrive, the situation in the city has undergone new changes..."
Sokov, who was far away in the Mamayev Division Command, naturally did not know what happened at the Front Command. At this moment, he was sitting at the table, staring at the map on the table, staring at the map on the table, thinking about Major General Wolsky's mechanized 4th Army, which would arrive by the Don River in the early morning tomorrow, and took advantage of the time when the German army had not come back to his senses, he occupied the bridge across the banks of the Don River in one fell swoop. At four o'clock that afternoon, he met with the 4th Army of the Southwest Front, commanded by Major General Kravchenko, who was heading south, completely cut off the German retreat, and completely trapped Paulus's 6th Army into the Soviet encirclement.
Ivanov saw Sokov staring at the map in a daze, guessing that he must be considering something important, so he sat quietly next to him without disturbing him. After finally seeing Sokov turned his eyes away from the map, and reached out to the teapot that was placed aside, he asked, "Comrade Commander, I see you have been thinking about it just now. Can you tell me, what are you thinking?"
Sokov pointed the map with his hand and said to Ivanov: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, based on the changes in the situation of the enemy and us on the map, I think the troops heading north and south will probably meet in one or two days."
"What, will our peripheral troops meet in one or two days?" Ivanov asked with surprise when he heard Sokov say this, "Is this true?"
"This is just my analysis." Sokov dared not say too much. After all, since his appearance, many of the original history have deviated. He dared not guarantee that the troops heading south and north will meet on time as in real history. He could only answer vaguely: "Based on all signs, this may be very large."
"I agree with the division commander." Sidolin, who had just finished his work, happened to hear Sokov's words and echoed: "According to the superior's notice, the troops heading north and troops heading south are only more than 20 kilometers apart. Even if the terrain is complex and the enemy has many defensive areas, it may be the first time they have to meet in the past two days."
…………
At 10 o'clock in the evening, a forest of more than ten kilometers away from Karachi, Wolsky, the commander of the 4th Mechanized Army, was summoning his subordinates to make the final mobilization of the battle: "Comrades, we are still more than ten kilometers away from Karachi. Just rush over in one breath, you can occupy the bridge on the river and rush to the other side to meet with friendly troops going south. I know that after two days of fighting, the commanders and soldiers were very tired, but for victory, I would like to ask you to go back and do a good job in publicity and agitation, and call on the soldiers to overcome fatigue and all difficulties to make contributions."
"Comrade Commander," as soon as Wolsky finished speaking, the tank brigade commander asked, "You intend to let that brigade serve as the vanguard to complete this glorious mission."
"It's your tank brigade." Volsky pointed at the tank brigade commander with his hand and said, "When at 1 a.m., your tank brigade will be in a marching formation and heading towards the Karachi Bridge. Be sure to control the bridge in the shortest time."
The tank brigade commander seemed very hesitant about the order issued by Wolsky: "Comrade Commander, are our brigade alone?"
"To prevent the target from being exposed, other brigades will be kept at a distance of more than five kilometers from you." In order to dispel the concerns of the tank brigade commander, Wolsky comforted them and said, "You are moving along the kilometer towards the bridge, and there are no infantry following behind. The Germans are likely to regard you as their own tanks, which is very beneficial for you to seize the bridge."
After the task was arranged, Wolsky ordered him directly without waiting for the other party to say more, "Okay, comrade Colonel, you should immediately return to your troops and be prepared to set off. There is not much time, so you must quickly and decisively occupy the Karachi Bridge before the Germans come to their senses."
The Tank Brigade was driving along the road towards Karachi for half an hour. The Tank Brigade Commander sat in one of the tanks and thought nervously: "I hope the commander's judgment is accurate, and the enemy who is standing by the bridge is not at all prepared for our arrival. Otherwise, our tank brigade will be in danger of the destruction of the entire army."
What happened next was indeed the same as Wolsky expected. When the German checkpoints along the way saw a tank column coming, they thought it was an armored division retreating from the front line, and they did not conduct any investigation at all, so they directly released it.
When he passed the first two levels, the tank brigade commander was still beating in his heart, fearing that the enemy would see through his identity. Once the enemy dispatched anti-tank hands to attack, he would have no power to fight back. Most of the tanks of the tank brigade would be reimbursed. However, after several levels in succession, he did not encounter any obstacles. The tank brigade commander was much more confident. He ordered all tanks through the on-board radio station: "Please pay attention to all tanks, all tanks pay attention to all tanks, speed up, speed up, and quickly occupy the Karachi Bridge on the Don River."
There was only one platoon of the German army who were guarding the bridge. When the sentry heard the roar of tank engines in the distance and saw countless headlights, they hurriedly reported to the platoon leader.
After receiving the report, the German platoon leader instinctively thought it was the armored troops withdrawn from the front line, and quickly ordered his men: "Immediately turn on the lights on the bridge and use searchlights to illuminate the armored divisions who arrived."
His order was quickly executed faithfully. The German platoon leader even came out of the warm hut and stood at the bridge to look at the tank column coming. When the tanks were more than 200 meters away from the bridge, the German platoon leader discovered that the tanks were not the No. 3 or No. 4 tanks he was familiar with, but the T-34, and was immediately shocked and sweated. He quickly turned his head and shouted to the back: "It's the Russian tank, turn off all the lights immediately, and prepare the machine gun to shoot."
Chapter completed!