"Comrade Chief of Staff, don't hold on to such unrealistic fantasies." Rokosovsky said bluntly: "I know Zhukov. He is very familiar with the situation on the battlefield. If he had a reserve team in his hand, 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 land, as long as the Germans are unable to take a step forward within three days, it is a victory." Malining said with a wry smile: "But from the current situation, our counterattack can be maintained until dark, which is an amazing victory."

Rokosovsky closed his eyes, tapped his fingers quickly on the table, thinking about what actions should be taken to break the deadlock in front of him.

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

Seeing his appearance, Malining asked curiously: "Comrade Deputy Commander, aren't you organizing a counterattack? Why did you suddenly come back?"

But Zaharov didn't say anything, just waved his hand and sat down at the table. He saw a cup of tea on the table. No matter who it belonged, he picked it up and drank it all.

After putting the dried teacup back on the table, Zaharov said to Rokosovsky: "Comrade Commander, the situation ahead is not good for us now. If reinforcements are not sent to strengthen the counterattack force in time, the counterattack we launched this time will end in failure before dark."

Hearing his deputy commander say this, Rokosovsky couldn't help but frown: "Comrade Deputy Commander, our counterattack is not very smooth in the initial stage? Why will it be in a stalemate with the enemy in just a few hours?"

"The reason is very simple." Zaharov replied with a bitter face: "At the beginning of the counterattack, we caught the Germans off guard. More importantly, the main forces of the enemy were concentrated in the direction of the defense zone of the 30th Army. But as time went by, the enemy who came back to his senses had left a few troops to monitor the enemy's 30th Army, but the rest of the main forces had turned around and launched an attack from the flank of our counterattack force, allowing the battlefield situation to develop in a direction that was rapidly unfavorable to our army."

"What? The German army left only a few troops to monitor the 30th Army, and transferred the main force to deal with you?" Rokosovsky asked.

"That's right, that's exactly that." Zaharov said with a grievance: "The main purpose of our counterattack this time is to reduce the defensive pressure of the 30th Army troops. If the enemy moves to our location, they can also take some actions, and the Germans dare not blatantly transfer so many troops to deal with us."

When Rokosovsky heard Zakharov's complaint, he suddenly had a bold idea in his mind: the German army, which was attacking the 30th Army, had turned around and attacked the counterattack. If the 30th Army's troops could seize the opportunity and launch a round of counterattacks at this moment, it might cause severe damage to the German army and disrupt the German offensive steps.

Thinking of this, Rokosovsky picked up the phone and asked the communications soldiers to help him connect to the Front Command.

When he heard Zhukov's familiar voice coming from the receiver, Rokosovsky immediately said, "Hello Zhukov! I am Rokosovsky!"

"Koschika, call me, are you going to tell me any good news?" Zhukov asked teasedly on the other end of the phone.

"I'm sorry, Georgi Konstantinovich, I'm afraid I'm going to let you down." Rokosovsky said: "I didn't bring you the good news you want to hear, but it wasn't very good news."

After hearing Rokosovsky say this, Zhukov lowered his face and asked, "Why, your counterattack is not going well?"

"Yes, it was not going well. An hour ago, the German army not only blocked our offensive, but also launched a counterattack in some areas." Rokosovsky reported to Zhukov: "My deputy commander General Zakharov just returned from the front. He said that the enemy who had attacked the defense zone of the 30th Army had turned his attention to our counterattack forces. If the current situation continues, we may not get dark and our counterattack will end in failure."

"What, what did you say?" Zhukov captured the key short sentence from Rokosovsky's words: "The enemy who attacked the 30th Army has turned the offensive target to your counterattack forces?"

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

Zhukov was a smart man and immediately understood the purpose of Rokosovsky calling himself: "Koschika, you called me just to contact the commander of the 30th Army and ask him to immediately order the troops to launch a counterattack and attack those enemies with you?"

"That's right, that's it." Rokosovsky told Zhukov his difficulties: "If the 30th Army was also a subordinate unit of the Western Front, I could call Major General Kormenko, the commander of the army. But that unit belongs to the Kalinin Front. Even if I contact the other party directly, he might not be able to make the decision. I considered that the commander of the Kalinin Front was General Konev, if you call him, he would definitely be able to cooperate with us."

Zhukov only thought for a moment of thought, and then agreed simply: "Okay, Koschika, I will contact Konev immediately and ask him to order Koneko's troops to launch a counterattack against the enemy, so that the situation on the battlefield will develop towards a line of defense that is conducive to our army."

When Zhukov called Konev to discuss the coordinated combat between the two fronts, unexpected sounds occurred at Sokov's infantry brigade.

Captain Bobricov, who was standing guard at the door, ran into the tent and reported to Sokov: "The roar of the aircraft engine came from the sky with the brigade commander. Judging from the sound, a large flight formation is coming. The enemy may have to bomb us. Do you see if you order the command to transfer?"

Sokov couldn't help but be surprised when he heard Bobricov say this. He quickly walked out of the tent, raised his telescope and looked in the direction where the sound of the plane engine came.

Through the telescope, he saw a large number of black spots appearing in the air and was heading towards the location of the brigade command.

He thought it was bombers, and the bombs dropped by so many bombers were enough to turn over the soil on the position.

Sokov put down his telescope, rushed to the door of the tent, and said to Karsokov inside: "Comrade Chief of Staff, immediately call several battalion commanders and said that a large number of enemy aircraft were approaching, so that the troops would be prepared for air defense and avoid unnecessary casualties."

Seeing Karsokov pick up the phone on the table and start calling the battalion commanders of each battalion, Sokov came to the open space again, raised his telescope again, and observed the movements of the enemy's mobile phones in the air.

As the roar became louder and louder, enemy planes, which were originally like black dots, gradually became clearer. Sokov then saw clearly that it was not a bomber, but a transport plane. There were also many fighter planes above the transport plane.

Seeing this, Sokov began to think in his mind, what did the German army want to do when dispatching so many transport planes? If it was to implement airdrop materials, there was no need to fly towards his defense zone. After all, there was no German isolated army in the rear who went deep into the defense zone.

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

"Transportation plane?" Karsokov asked in surprise after hearing this: "Even if the enemy wants to airdrop materials, they will not fly to our place to release them? You know, we have no enemies here at all. If we airdrop the materials, wouldn't it be a waste of money?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, have you ever thought that the Germans were going to airdrop, maybe it wasn't any supplies at all."

"If they don't airdrop materials, what else can they airdrop? Can they drop the troops from the air?" Karsokov originally said casually, but when he said it, he immediately startled him. He stared at Sokov with shock and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, are the Germans planning to carry out airdrops here?"

"This possibility is not ruled out." Sokov asked back: "If the Germans carried out airdrops near the brigade, how many troops could we use?"

"Not much." Karsokov said with a complicated expression: "Originally, there was a reserve team of more than 2,000 people near the brigade command. But two days ago, because the direction of the fourth battalion was tight, the troops followed the deputy brigade commander to the rear of the fourth battalion's position. Now there is only one guard company and a special company that can be used near the brigade command."

Sokov just saw clearly that the model of the transport aircraft that appeared in the air was Ju-52, and each aircraft could carry up to 18 paratroopers. There were about 30 to 40 transport aircraft, which means that the number of enemy paratroopers was about 540 to 720. Even if he used all the guard company and special company, he might not be able to deal with so many paratroopers.

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

"We are very calm here, and the enemy has no movement at all." Berkin knew very well that Sokov would not call himself for no reason and told him something must have happened. He asked quickly: "Comrade Brigade Commander, is there something wrong there?"

"Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, you probably heard the roar of the plane engines in the air." The situation was urgent, and Sokov said directly without going around. "The German army dispatched 30 to 40 Ju-52 transport aircraft, and it seems that they are planning to carry out airdrops here. I have limited troops now, and if the enemy really airdrops in my defense zone, they will not be able to deal with them at all. Since there is no enemy situation in the direction of the Fourth Battalion at this moment, please immediately bring the remaining reserves back to the brigade headquarters and prepare to deal with the German paratroopers."
Chapter completed!