Age of Rebirth

Zhukov's speech was still in the same style as before, concise and clear, and there was absolutely no redundant nonsense, "Comrades, everyone knows that the war against the Japanese Kwantung Army in the Far East has reached its final juncture, and our victory is coming soon. In order to ensure the smooth final attack on the Japanese Kwantung Army, and to reduce the casualties of our soldiers, Comrade Kilganin, Greg Garif, and I carefully formulated a general attack plan. Next, I will announce the deployment. . ...!"

Zhukov’s voice hadn’t finished yet. The communications director of the Far Eastern Front, Major General Shiregli, hurried in and interrupted Zhukov, “Comrade Commander, there is an urgent telegram from the General Staff. I must interrupt your meeting!” There was trembling and anxiety in his voice, as well as unspeakable fear.

Zhukov frowned, with a displeased expression on his face, and blamed: "Comrade Shiregri, what urgent order, won't you wait until the end of the meeting? Is there anything more important than the complete annihilation of the remaining troops of the Japanese Kwantung Army?" ?”

Major General Hillegry did not argue, his face was as ugly as a dead man, and he just passed the telegram to Zhukov.

Zhukov took the telegram, only glanced at it, his face turned "shua", and he became pale without a trace of blood. His tall body shook a few times, and the commander of the Baikal Front, General Gregarif, who was sitting on his left, looked Something strange happened, and he hurriedly asked: "Comrade Zhukov, what is the content of the telegram from the General Staff Headquarters? Why do you look so ugly? Could it be some bad news?"

Many senior Soviet generals below also saw his strangeness, and looked at the three giants with suspicious eyes. Zhukov handed him the telegram with a little panic in his eyes, and his voice was so dry that there was no moisture.Simply said, "The Germans invaded the Soviet Union, and the war broke out at dawn on April [-]!"

"What?" The Soviet military officers participating in the meeting, as if they heard the bad news like a thunderbolt, their brains went blank. They couldn't believe that the Germans would suddenly attack their country. "It has only been signed for a few years, and the ink is still dry, and the war broke out without warning?

But.General Gregarif, the commander of the Lake Baikal Front, ruthlessly shattered their disbelief, "Yes, Comrade Zhukov's words are correct. This is an order issued by the Chief of General Staff, Marshal Petroshilov himself All our troops in the Far East. Immediately return to the direction of Europe, this is the whole content of the telegram," General Gregarif's face was much uglier than Zhukov's.

Most of my own troops are at the southern foot of the plain between the Brea Mountains and the Kukan Mountains, blocking the retreat of the Kwantung Army.Although the blocking line was firmly held, it was also a situation of facing the enemy on both sides. The front was the desperate assault of the Japanese Kwantung Army, and the rear had to withstand the attack of Japanese reinforcements.Can an order to evacuate the battlefield be done easily?

General Kilganin, the commander of the Outer Xing'anling Front Army, took the telegram and read it carefully. His expression was numb, and the muscles on his cheeks trembled uncontrollably. The three military giants sat there like logs, their brains There was chaos everywhere, this telegram was too sudden, the news came shockingly, even the three military giants who had gone through the storm, for the time being, their thinking has not yet reacted.

The hundreds of senior Soviet officers below were even more stunned, their eyes full of confusion and confusion. In the temporary conference room, the air was almost frozen in silence, and everyone felt it was difficult to breathe. It was a kind of boundless depression, which made people breathless. angry.

I don't know it was the officer who couldn't bear the depression, stood up suddenly, threw the military cap in his hand to the ground fiercely, and shouted hysterically: "Impossible—how could such a thing happen? I don't know. Believe me, misrepresentation—it must be misrepresentation!"

His roar broke the frozen atmosphere. Hundreds of senior Soviet officers began to recover from the shock. They all looked excited and chatted, saying everything, "Could it be the general staff?" Did you make a mistake?" "One order, let us evacuate the battlefield, seeing the victory in hand, just give up like this, I am not reconciled!"

"It is an order to evacuate the battlefield and return to the direction of Europe. There is no specific regulation, which direction to reinforce, where the troops are assembled, and how do we assemble?" "We don't know anything about the situation on the front line. Where are the Germans fighting now?" , Are our troops still resisting? Don’t you know?”

The comments of the officers made Zhukov wake up from the boundless shock, and sighed in his heart, "The officers are right, what is the situation in the western battlefield, my more than 400 million troops should have specific reinforcements Direction? Not a single word was mentioned in the telegram from the General Staff Headquarters. It seems that in the face of the German attack, the troops in the western border area have completely lost their ability to resist."

"Even the General Staff, which is in charge of commanding the troops in the entire Soviet Union, can't grasp the specific situation on the battlefield, and can't designate a clear front for millions of troops returning to aid. Be at a loss, otherwise, it should not be just a simple order to evacuate the battlefield, but the specific assembly places of various fronts, Zhukov felt a burst of sadness in his heart!"

At the beginning, when the Politburo decided to use large-scale military forces in Outer Mongolia and the Far East, I didn't quite agree with it. I had no choice but to stay away from the center of power. I can't be regarded as a soft-spoken person, but I'm not someone who can influence the decision of the Politburo, especially this decision. , or Comrade Stalin strongly advocated, who can persuade him?

There was a sharp pain in Zhukov's heart. This pain prompted him to make arrangements as soon as possible, "Comrades, stop unnecessary discussions. What we have to do now is how to implement the orders of the General Staff as soon as possible, and it is not about complaining. When the matter is urgent and there is no time to hold a meeting with comrades to study it, I will act arbitrarily.”

"I order Comrade Gregarif's Baikal Front Army to immediately withdraw from Birobidzhan and Khabarovsk, and let the Eastern Army retreat through Kulun to the Ural Mountains. Comrade Kirganin The troops of the Outer Xing'anling Front Army immediately withdrew from the battlefield, passed through Chita and the Ural Mountains, and headed for the western battlefield. The Far East Front Army troops continued their offensive against the Japanese Kwantung Army. They left the battlefield on April [-] and returned to the west. !"

"As for the troops left behind in the Eastern battlefield stipulated by the General Staff, they will be drawn from the Far Eastern Front and withdraw from the battlefield. It will start tonight. After the meeting is over, comrades from all fronts will go back and arrange troops to move quickly. Do you have any opinions?" Zhukov's eyes were piercing, and his tone was as hard as a stone. Although the last sentence was asking for everyone's opinions, everyone could hear it, and there was no room for negotiation. Moreover, Zhukov's Deployment, flawless.

More than 400 million troops hastily withdrew from the battlefield, changing from a full-line attack to a full-line evacuation. The completely opposite approach is like a car speeding at full speed. If it suddenly turns around, it will inevitably overturn. The Kwantung Army must have thought that their round-the-clock attacks had worked, so they thought too much, seized the opportunity, and ran away desperately!

The troops of the two front armies withdrew from the battlefield without delay, and the troops of the Far Eastern Front continued to attack. There was no problem in terms of strength, and it also gave the Japanese Kwantung Army the illusion that it would not turn around and bite back. In fact, it was covering the evacuation of the other two front armies. The burden was not light. Zhukov did not rush around or behave in a hurry. His military quality and command ability can be seen in such a sophisticated and meticulous deployment.

All the officers who participated in the meeting, including the other two front army commanders, had no opinion. Under the circumstances of sudden changes, no one is impeccable and will not do better than Zhukov. The officers hurriedly got up, their hearts heavy, and they left nervously. This night, for them, was a shock and bewilderment they had never experienced before.

Before leaving, General Kilganin, the commander of the Outer Xing'anling Front Army, hesitated for a moment, and said to Zhukov: "Comrade Zhukov, do we need to inform Comrade Vasilevsky of the Outer Mongolian Front Army about the situation, perhaps, we They can act together, and he is facing the troops of the Chinese Tang Qiuli, which is a more difficult and cunning opponent!"

Zhukov smiled wryly and replied: "Comrade Kilganin, the Outer Mongolian Front Army is responsible for an independent offensive direction. The General Staff should send a special telegram to Comrade Vasilevsky. Moreover, the current situation of the Outer Mongolian Front Army , much better than us, at least, so far, they have not exchanged fire with Tang Qiuli's independent division troops, and the evacuation operation should not be difficult."

"Comrade Vasilevsky is an experienced commander. He should have his own arrangements and deployments. You have to trust him. If you need to cooperate, he will send a telegram. What do you think, Comrade Kilganin? "

Zhukov knew that Kilganin and Vasilevsky had a very good personal relationship. He was worried that the troops in the Far East had all withdrawn, and only the Outer Mongolian Front Army was left to face Tang Qiuli's independent division. And the Japanese Kwantung Army after the injury was a lone army, unable to support itself, and suffered a great loss. Zhukov's words made him suddenly enlightened. Yes, no matter how confused the General Staff is, it will not forget this basic common sense. It seems that we I worry too much!

"I was worrying too much, Comrade Zhukov!" General Kilganin said with a smile, "I only hope that the evacuation of the Outer Mongolian Front Army will go smoothly. That Chinese is a difficult character!"

However, General Kilganin did not see the worry that flashed away in Zhukov's eyes.

(to be continued) (to be continued..)