red moscow

Chapter 2888

The troops of the 16th Army launched a counterattack against the Germans in the area north of the city of Volokolamsk.

The purpose of the counterattack was to reduce the pressure on the 30th Army on the right wing and prevent the collapse of the entire front. If the friendly forces were repelled by the German army, the 16th Army would become an isolated force in the salient and the battlefield situation would become extremely serious.

Because of this, Rokossovsky attached great importance to this counterattack. He not only mobilized half of the army's artillery to bombard the German positions, but also dispatched a tank brigade and an independent tank regiment after the artillery fire ended to cover the infantry and launch an attack on the German positions.

The Germans were caught off guard and were unable to organize effective resistance in a hurry, so the Soviet counterattack easily broke through their defense line.

In the first two hours of the counterattack, the German resistance was weak and disorganized. The Soviet army used this time to wedge into the German-occupied area 5 to 8 kilometers away. But as time went on, the German army gradually recovered and began to organize effective resistance, and the Soviet army's advance began to slow down.

By noon, the German army not only blocked the Soviet offensive, but even launched an offensive in some areas, and the battle between the two sides fell into a stalemate.

"Comrade Commander," Malinin seemed very anxious as he looked at the uninspiring telegrams sent back from the front line, "Now our counterattack has been blocked. If we don't send reinforcements as soon as possible and increase the intensity of the attack, I'm afraid the prospects for this counterattack are not optimistic."

Rokossovsky knew that if the current situation continued, the counterattack troops he sent would not only fail to achieve results, but might also be annihilated by the German army. However, when it came to deploying reinforcements, he was powerless. The number of troops in the army group was originally limited, and they were distributed on a defense front that was hundreds of kilometers wide. The troops participating in the counterattack were still pieced together, and he had no extra troops at hand for reinforcement.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Rokossovsky said to Malinin, gritting his teeth, "tell the commanders of the counterattack troops that I have no reinforcements to give them. They can only use the existing forces in their hands to find ways to expand their results."

As the army group's chief of staff, Malinin naturally knew the actual situation of the troops. He just said that he hoped that Rokossovsky would ask Zhukov for help and let the front headquarters send troops to participate in the counterattack. After hearing Rokossovsky's reply, he did not make a phone call, but said cautiously: "Comrade Commander, I think you should contact General Zhukov to see if he can send us some additional troops?"

"Call Zhukov?" Rokossovsky looked up at Malinin and asked, "Why call him?"

"You just said that we don't have any troops to reinforce the counterattack." Malinin replied: "Call General Zhukov and see if he has any extra troops to allocate to us."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, don't have such unrealistic fantasies." Rokossovsky said bluntly: "I know Zhukov. He is very familiar with the situation on the battlefield. If he had a reserve force, he would have sent it to me long ago."

"According to our original plan, this counterattack will take three days. Even if we cannot recover the lost territory, as long as we prevent the Germans from taking a single step forward within three days, we will win." Malinin said with a wry smile, "But judging from the current situation, if our counterattack can last until dark, it will be a great victory."

Rokossovsky closed his eyes and tapped his fingers rapidly on the table, thinking about what action to take to break the current deadlock.

Major General Zakharov, deputy commander of the army group, walked in quickly from outside at this moment.

Seeing him appear, Malinin asked curiously: "Comrade Deputy Commander, weren't you organizing a counterattack? Why did you suddenly come back?"

But Zakharov didn't say anything, just waved his hand, went straight to the table and sat down. Seeing a cup of tea on the table, he picked it up and drank it all without caring whose it was.

After putting the empty cup of tea back on the table, Zakharov said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, the situation ahead is not favorable to us. If we do not send reinforcements to strengthen the counterattack troops in time, our counterattack will end in failure before dark."

Hearing his deputy commander say this, Rokossovsky could not help but frown: "Comrade Deputy Commander, wasn't our counterattack going smoothly in the initial stage? How come we are in a stalemate with the enemy in just a few hours?"

"The reason is very simple." Zakharov replied with a bitter face: "When the counterattack just started, we caught the Germans off guard. More importantly, the enemy's main force was concentrated in the direction of the 30th Army's defense zone. But as time went on, the enemy came to their senses and left a small number of troops in the direction of the 30th Army for surveillance. The rest of the main force turned around and launched an attack from the flank of our counterattack force, causing the battlefield situation to develop rapidly in a direction that was unfavorable to our army."

"What? The German army only left a small number of troops for surveillance in the direction of the 30th Army, and transferred the main force to deal with you?" Rokossovsky asked.

"Yes, that's right." Zakharov said with a face full of grievance: "The main purpose of our counterattack this time is to relieve the defensive pressure of the 30th Army. If they can take some actions when the enemy moves to our position, the Germans will not dare to blatantly transfer so many troops to deal with us."

When Rokossovsky heard Zakharov's complaints, a bold idea suddenly came to his mind: the German troops attacking the 30th Army have now turned around to attack the counterattack troops. If the troops of the 30th Army can seize the opportunity and launch a counterattack at this moment, they may be able to inflict heavy damage to the German army and disrupt the German offensive steps.

Thinking of this, Rokossovsky picked up the phone and asked the signalman to help him connect to the front headquarters.

When he heard Zhukov's familiar voice coming from the receiver, Rokossovsky immediately said: "Zhukov, hello! I am Rokossovsky!"

"Koschka, you called me. Do you have any good news to tell me?" Zhukov asked jokingly on the other end of the phone.

"I'm sorry, Georgy Konstantinovich, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you," Rokossovsky said. "I didn't bring you the good news you wanted to hear, but a bad news."

Hearing what Rokossovsky said, Zhukov's face darkened and he asked, "Why, your counterattack is not going well?" "Yes, it is not going well. An hour ago, the German army not only blocked our offensive, but also launched a counterattack in some areas." Rokossovsky reported to Zhukov, "My deputy commander, General Zakharov, has just returned from the front line. He said that the enemy who originally attacked the 30th Army's defense zone has shifted its attention to our counterattack forces. If the current situation continues to develop, I am afraid that before dark, our counterattack will end in failure."

"What, what did you say?" Zhukov caught the key phrase from Rokossovsky's words: "The enemy attacking the 30th Army has turned its attack target to your counterattack troops?"

"Yes, that's right," Rokossovsky said. "According to my deputy commander, the enemy has stopped attacking the 30th Army and has transferred its main force to attack my counterattack force. If the 30th Army can launch a round of offensive against the enemy at this moment, the situation on the battlefield will develop in a direction that is favorable to us."

Zhukov was a smart man, and he immediately understood the purpose of Rokossovsky's call to him: "Koschka, you called me just to ask me to contact the commander of the 30th Army and ask him to immediately order the troops to launch a counterattack and join you in attacking those enemies?"

"Yes, that's right." Rokossovsky told Zhukov about his difficulties: "If the 30th Army was also a subordinate unit of the Western Front, I could directly call the commander of the army, Major General Khomenko. But that unit belongs to the Kalinin Front. Even if I contact him directly, I'm afraid he can't make the decision. I consider that the commander of the Kalinin Front is General Konev. If you call him, he will definitely cooperate with us with all his strength."

Zhukov thought about Rokossovsky's request for only a moment, and then agreed without hesitation: "Okay, Koschka, I will contact Konev immediately and ask him to order Khomenko's troops to launch a counterattack against the enemy and make the situation on the battlefield develop in a direction that is favorable to our army's defense line."

When Zhukov called Konev to discuss the coordinated operations of the two fronts, an unexpected sound occurred at the location of Sokov's infantry brigade.

Captain Bobrikov, who was standing guard at the door, ran into the tent and reported to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, we heard the roar of aircraft engines in the sky. Judging from the sound, a large flying formation is coming. The enemy may bomb us here. Do you think you should order the headquarters to move?"

Hearing what Bobrikov said, Sokov was secretly surprised. He quickly walked out of the tent, raised his telescope and looked in the direction where the sound of the plane engine came from.

Through the telescope, he saw a large number of black spots appearing in the sky, and they were heading towards the location of the brigade headquarters.

He thought that the bombers were coming, and the bombs dropped by such a large number of bombers would be enough to turn over the soil on the position.

Sokov put down the binoculars, rushed to the door of the tent, and said to Karsokov inside: "Comrade Chief of Staff, call several battalion commanders immediately and tell them that a large number of enemy planes are approaching. Let the troops prepare for air defense to avoid unnecessary casualties."

Seeing Karsokov pick up the phone on the table and start calling the battalion commanders, Sokov returned to the open space and raised the telescope again to observe the enemy's movements in the air.

As the roar became louder and louder, the enemy plane, which was originally the size of a black dot, gradually became clearer. Sokov could see clearly that it was not a bomber, but a transport plane. There were also many fighter planes following the transport plane.

Seeing this, Sokov began to wonder what the Germans wanted to do by sending out so many transport planes. If they wanted to airdrop supplies, there was no need to fly towards his defense zone. After all, there were no isolated German troops deep in his defense zone behind him.

The next moment, Sokov figured out what these transport planes were doing. He rushed into the tent and said to Karsokov, who was still on the phone, "Comrade Chief of Staff, I have seen clearly that the enemy planes in the sky are not bombers, but transport planes and a small number of escort fighters."

"Transport plane?" Karsokov asked in surprise, "Even if the enemy wants to airdrop supplies, they won't fly to our place to drop them, right? You know, there are no enemies here at all. If they airdrop supplies, wouldn't it be a waste for us?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, have you ever thought that what the Germans are going to drop may not be any supplies at all?"

"If not airdropping supplies, what else can they airdrop? Are they going to drop troops from the air?" Karsokov was just saying this casually, but as soon as he said it, he was immediately shocked. He stared at Sokov with a shocked face and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, are the Germans planning to airdrop here?"

"We can't rule out this possibility." Sokov asked in return: "If the Germans carry out airdrops near the brigade headquarters, how many troops can we use?"

"Not many." Karsokov said with a complicated expression, "Originally, there was a reserve force of more than 2,000 people stationed near the brigade headquarters. But two days ago, because the Fourth Battalion was in a tight spot, this force followed the deputy brigade commander to the rear of the Fourth Battalion's position. Now, the only troops that can be mobilized near the brigade headquarters are a guard company and a special company to protect the field hospital."

Sokov had just seen clearly that the transport planes that appeared in the sky were Ju-52s, and each plane could carry up to 18 paratroopers. There were about 30 to 40 transport planes coming, which meant that the enemy's paratroopers numbered about 540 to 720. Even if he used all the guard companies and special companies, he might not be able to deal with so many paratroopers.

Thinking of this, he quickly grabbed the phone in front of him and called Belkin: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, what is the situation over there? Is there any movement from the enemy?"

"It's very peaceful here, the enemy is not making any movement." Belkin knew that Sokov would not call him to tell him about this for no reason. Something must have happened. He asked quickly, "Comrade Brigade Commander, is there anything wrong with you?"

"Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, you probably heard the roar of the aircraft engines in the sky." The situation was urgent, and Sokov didn't beat around the bush and said directly: "The German army dispatched 30 to 40 Ju-52 transport planes, and it seems that they are planning to carry out airdrops here. I have limited troops at hand now. If the enemy really airdrops in my defense zone, I have no ability to deal with them. Since there is no enemy situation in the direction of the Fourth Battalion at the moment, please take the remaining reserves back to the brigade headquarters immediately and prepare to deal with the German paratroopers."

"Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander," Belkin replied straightforwardly, "I will lead the troops back to the brigade headquarters as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)