From Moscow to Uman. Advance to the breach

This is an order received by the units of the Red Army of Soviet Russia

1Q2。 In May, Kirill, Afanasyevich Meretskov took part for the third time in the battles on the battlefields of the Civil War.

The second truce has come to an end. Not so long ago, the Soviet government had transformed the army groups at the front into labor armies for the purpose of repairing communications, mines, and timber, and now they were back in a state of combat readiness.

Soviet Russia was under new threat from the west and south.

In the Crimea, Baron Wrangel, who called himself the "Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of South Russia...... was co-opting the remnants of Denikin's forces. To the west, the troops of White Poland turned to the offensive and captured Kiev on 25 April.

On May 12, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic once again entered a state of war, appointed Tukhachevsky as commander of the Western Front, and decided that the 15th and 16th armies would carry out the main assault on the Polish army, while the Southwestern Front would be responsible for clearing the enemy in central Ukraine. So the commander of the Front, A. Egorov, urgently gathered forces along the Dnieper, and the newspapers reported the mobilization order of the Soviet government.

After arriving in Kharkov, the soldiers came to the headquarters of the Front.

The Chief of Staff of the Front, H.H. Peikin, did not hesitate to occupy precious time to personally meet with Thong Xiaotskov and his companions. He gave a detailed account of the situation and informed Meretskov to work in the 1st Cavalry Army. This army group was already very famous at that time.

Everyone has heard how it grew from a small Budyonny cavalry detachment to regiments, brigades, divisions, corps and even army groups.

Commander Egorov warmly addressed the young officers of the General Staff with a parting speech, after which Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin also wished to receive Meretskov and his companions.

In Stalin's room, Meretskov talked for a long time. Meretskov sat and answered questions, while the member of the Military Council of the Front ** paced around the room, turning his pipe with both hands, unhurriedly asking Meretskov questions, listening to Meretskov's answers, and then asking questions.

Stalin smiled for a long time while listening to Meretskov. Meretskov was amazed at the time, because the first question they asked Meretskov was: "Do you know how to ride horses?" ”

"We are all cavalry trained, Comrade Military Commissar."

"Do you know, then, which foot to use to get into the stirrups first?"

"It depends on how convenient it is! Eccentrics are everywhere. ”

"Before you saddle up, will you use your fists to expel the air from the horse's belly, so that the horse's belly will be deflated, so as not to deceive the rider who is fastening the horse's belly belt?"

"It seems like it's going to be a little bit."

"Attention, comrades, now we are talking about a serious issue, the need to immediately strengthen the command of the 1st Cavalry Army at all levels. Therefore send you there. Whoever does not know the temper of the horse will be able to accomplish nothing in the cavalry army! ”

"Yes, Comrade Military Commissar!"

At the command of the Front was told to Meretskov that the base command of the Cavalry Army Group was located in Yelisavetgrad.

Once there, it seems that it is not difficult to understand where the field command is.

It turned out that the chief of staff of the base command, HK Sholokov, had left, but without him Meretskov also figured out that there was no direct railway from Yelisavetgrad to Uman. And the horses promised by the superiors that they could only be allocated by the division. That is, it will not work along the stagecoach lane, passing through Novoukrainka, Tishkovka, Novoarkangelsk and Babanka. Along the railway, you need to go around in a big circle: one is to take the northern route, then you need to pass through Smera, Shpola, and Talinona, and the other is to take the southern route, passing through Pomosnaya and Gevoron. How can I get there as soon as possible?

Meretskov knew that the people were waiting for them, and they themselves did not want to be late: in two days the offensive would be launched.

Finally arrived in Uman!

Through the endless guard post, Tskov came to the residence of the head of the army group. A Red Army Cossack asked Meretskov why he was hanging out here. Meretskov told him that he was from the Military Academy of the General Staff.

"Is it a captive?" He smirked.

"Be careful, it's better that you don't get captured by us now!" …,

Coming to Meretskov were the first member of the ** Military Council of the Army, that is, the commander of the army group Budyonny, and the second member of the ** Military Council Voroshilov. Voroshilov looked at Meretskov from head to toe, and then said:

"The report we gave may not be right about your situation."

"Nope." Meretskov retorted: "We are really officers of the General Staff, this is our written order. ”

Meretskov was sent to Korotchaev's 4th Cavalry Division as a reconnaissance officer to the divisional chief of staff N.B. Kosogov

Among the duties of Meretskov was to draft a report to the division chief of staff to be submitted to the command of the army group, for which it was necessary to collect reconnaissance materials in advance. The reconnaissance work of the cavalry army was quite effective, but it was less aware of the new enemy situation. In vague terms, the command of the Front informed that on the front of the Red Army were several infantry units of the Polish 1st Army, Karnitsky's cavalry division and several detachments of the former tsarist officer Kurovsky.

First of all, Meretskov did not understand why the Red Army was fighting with the Poles, and everywhere they met Kurovsky's men. It was only later that Meretskov figured out that the Poles were placing the Russians as a barrier along the entire front.

At the end of May, the 4th Division broke through the barrier formed by the White Guards and came into fire with Yusuf Pilsudski's soldiers. At this point, the pace of progress immediately slowed down.

"Listen, Scout," said the chief of staff, "where are your eyes?" We are cavalry, and our task is to rush through the enemy's flanks, attack the enemy's rear, maneuver over the vast battlefield, and charge the enemy with fire and swords and guns. And not to pull the whole division towards the barbed wire barrier. Go ahead and look for places where you can go around! ”

Meretskov himself saw that cavalry armies often fought in the manner of cavalry. Often there was a rush to break through barbed wire and trenches. You can't break through the line of defense! But where to find this nasty route that can be detoured to the past?

The few captives all said in unison, "It's the same everywhere." Wherever the reconnaissance team was sent, it was met with dense artillery fire, machine-gun and rifle fire, as well as defense in depth and echelons. Maybe the brigade commanders know something.

So Meretskov began to ask the brigade commanders. The commander of the 3rd brigade, A.A. Chebotalev, was willing to answer questions, but he himself did not know where to find a detour route. He said that last winter, near Tysk, the brigades had suddenly encountered Denikin's strong defenses in the swamps, and had failed to win. Therefore, in this case it was necessary to change tactics and seek a new method of warfare.

In response to Meretskov's question, the commander of the 1st brigade, Liton, complained:

"Who of us are scouts? Is it you or me? Tell me about the enemy's configuration, it's your business. And my job is to fight. ”

Meretskov gradually learned that his friendly neighbors were facing the same difficulties, and even Timoshenko's 6th Division, Morozov's 11th Division, and Parkhomenko's 14th Division could not overcome the enemy's defenses and could not find a place to break through.

Now Meretskov understands that the conditions here are completely different from those of Eastern Ukraine, the Don and the Caucasian steppes.

The 4th Division launched an assault near Ozelnaya. The 6th Division followed. The flanks were supported by the 14th and 11th divisions. The Red Army's immediate enemy was several corps of the former Polish 2nd Army, which had just disintegrated.

The task of Budyonny's cavalry was to break through to Berdichev and destroy the enemy rear.

After a long and fierce battle, the Poles could not stand out.

The 4th Division, having forced its way across the Rostovica River, broke through the enemy's defenses at Agniatin.

The 14th and 11th divisions also rushed from the right and left flanks, respectively.

And the 6th division broke through from Ozelnaya. appear

The entire cavalry army group was wedged into the enemy's deployment. The enemy tried to compress the Red Army from both sides, with Karnitsky's cavalry division from the north, and Savitsky's cavalry brigade and infantry flanking the Red Army cavalry army from the south.

However, Budyonny did not return fire on both flanks, but brought the army group forward to the north-western hinterland for an attack. The Poles closed the encirclement from the rear of the Red Army. Thus began the famous Berdichev breakout.

Three days later, the 4th Cavalry Division rushed to Zhytomyr, conquering the city in one fell swoop, and then, moving eastward, not far from the town of Brusilov, made contact with the Fastovsky group headed by Yakil.

This means that a red strip has actually been established between Kyiv and Vinnytsia.

Now the Russian Red Army could already carry out a surprise attack on the Polish 3rd Army from the rear and attack Kyiv.

However, the Fastovsky cluster had begun to move towards Kiev from the south instead, so the cavalry army group moved west again.

This was due to the fact that it was necessary to continue the assault on the rear of the enemy.

The 4th Division again drove the Polish garrison from Zhytomyr and captured the city.

The chief of staff assigned a new set of tasks to Meretskov, with the requirement to reconnoiter the Kyiv direction, the Radomeshli direction, the Korosjian direction, the Volynsky Nova direction, the Shepetovka direction and the Berdichev direction.

In other words, reconnaissance of enemy intelligence in all directions.

Meretskov's troops, on the other hand, stood still. It turned out that it was this Russian unit that had temporarily cut off contact with the command of the Front! ）