Red Moscow.

Chapter 2814

After finishing his call with Rokosovsky, Zhukov immediately called the Kremlin switchboard.

When a sound came out of the earpiece, Zhukov said bluntly: "Operator, I am General Zhukov, the commander of the Western Front. Please pick me up Comrade Stalin's office. I have important things to report."

The sweet voice of the female operator came: "Comrade General, please wait for a moment, and I will help you connect to Comrade Stalin's office immediately."

After a moment, the female operator's voice came again, but was full of apology: "I'm sorry, comrade General, no one answered the phone from Stalin's office. Do you want to transfer other numbers?"

Zhukov thought for a while and then said, "Then transfer me to the General Staff and find Marshal Shaposhnikov!"

However, the operator said hesitantly: "Comrade General, the General Staff has left Moscow. Now there is only one staff team left. Do I need me to help you connect?"

Zhukov was shocked by the operator's words. He never dreamed that the General Staff, who had contacted during the day, had withdrawn from Moscow quietly, but he did not ask the operator about the specific situation because he was of the same level as her. The communication staff, who did not have the authority to understand many things, said casually: "Then please contact me for the contact group."

This time the phone was not connected, and a strange man's voice soon came from the receiver: "This is the left-behind team of the General Staff Department. Who are you?"

"I am Zhukov." Zhukov asked in a stern tone: "Who is your person in charge?"

The person who answered the phone replied in a stuttering manner, "Yes, it's Major General Huasilevsky!"

"Let him answer the phone!"

"Hello, Comrade General, I am Major General Huasilevsky!"

"Hello, Comrade Huasilevsky." Zhukov asked curiously: "I heard that the General Staff has left Moscow?"

"Yes, comrade General." Huasilevsky explained carefully: "In view of the current situation, Moscow is in danger, so the Supreme Command issued an evacuation order, and Marshal Shaposhnikov led the General Office with the General Office. The General Staff left Moscow and headed for Gubishev."

Zhukov's breathing became rapid. He did not expect that such a big change occurred in the city without contacting Moscow for only ten hours. After a moment of silence, he asked carefully: "Where is Comrade Stalin? Did he also transfer to Gubishev?"

"No." Huasilevsky replied without hesitation: "Comrade Stalin stayed!"

The sentence "Comrade Stalin stayed" made Zhukov's heart hanging in his throat put back in his stomach. Although the enemy approached Moscow step by step, threatening the entire city, as long as Stalin remains in Moscow, it can play a role in stabilizing the morale of the army and boosting morale.

Just when Zhukov was deeply moved, he heard Huasilevsky ask, "Comrade General, you call here at this moment. Is there anything important?" It's three o'clock in the morning. If there is no important thing, who will I won't make a rash call either.

"Wasilevsky, I want to ask you something." Zhukov asked straight to the point: "Who crossed the Front Command and issued an order to launch a counterattack against the German army to Rokosovsky's 1st Army? ”

This time it was Huasilevsky's turn to be stunned. He was stunned for a moment, then said, "Comrade General, I don't know much about this matter. But don't worry, I will call you after I understand the situation."

Zhukov put down the phone, stared at the map on the table in front of him, thinking in his heart that if it was a week ago, no, five days ago, if a full army launched a counterattack in the predetermined area, it might be able to break through the German army. The encirclement of the Yazima region rescued most of the hundreds of thousands of troops surrounded. But now everything is too late, and the troops in the encirclement are facing a situation of exhausting ammunition and food. Not to mention one army, even if two armies launch a counterattack in this area, they may not be able to rescue them. The 16th Army, which was seriously short of troops, launched a counterattack at this time, undoubtedly putting them in danger.

Soon, the phone ringing on the table rang, and Zhukov casually put the microphone in his ear, and said in his low voice: "I am Zhukov!"

"Comrade General, I am Huasilevsky!" Huasilevsky's voice came from the receiver: "I have already understood that the order to make the 1st Army counterattack against the frontal enemy is Shabosh Marshal Nikov personally issued it. "Maybe worried about what Zhukov said, he also emphasized specifically, "You should know the character of the marshal. Since he issued such an order, he must have been instructed by the Supreme Commander himself. That is to say, this order cannot be cancelled under any circumstances."

Although Zhukov had long understood that this wrong combat order must be implemented, he still felt disappointed when he heard Vasilevsky confirm his guess himself. He said lightly: "I understand, the counterattack will be launched at the prescribed time."

Putting down the phone, he stared at the map in front of him again, thinking in his mind how heavy losses he would suffer after implementing this wrong counterattack order. Does the 16th Army, which has lost a large amount of vital strength, still have the ability to defend its existing defense line?

After reading for a while, he picked up the phone on the table and called directly to the 16th Army Command.

After hearing Rokosovsky's voice, he asked with a serious expression: "Comrade Rokosovsky, tell me truthfully, are you confident of completing the counterattack mission deployed by your superiors?"

"Comrade General!" Hearing that Zhukov did not call his nickname but called his surname, Rokosovsky understood that the other party was going to have a serious conversation with him, and said seriously: "How strong is our army? , you know. If you have to perform such a task, you may consume the living force in our hands. Once the army's troops are seriously damaged, we will be in a disadvantageous situation in the next battle."

"Comrade Rokosovsky, I understand your current situation." Zhukov guessed that Rokosovsky would say something next, so he rushed in front of him and said, "I have already understood this. The order was issued by Marshal Shaboshnikov, the Chief of Staff, and there was no room for bargaining. Do you understand?”

Like Zhukov, Rokosovsky knew Shaposhnikov very well and knew that the old marshal was cautious. Before issuing some important combat orders, he would ask Stalin for instructions and obtain approval before formally sending him to the The troops issued an order. Since Zhukov said that the order was issued by Shaposhnikov himself, it was equivalent to telling Rokosovsky in disguise that this counterattack was arranged by Stalin himself and there was no possibility of any change.

Rokosovsky, who understood this truth, asked Zhukov tentatively: "Comrade General! You also know that if you want to fight back against the enemy, you cannot achieve it without sufficient material reserves, air cover and a certain amount of technical equipment. This is the purpose." Zhukov silently calculated the support he could provide in his heart and said slowly: "I can provide you with two infantry regiments, an artillery regiment and a tank brigade. As for air cover, it is not possible to provide it for the time being .”

Rokosovsky did not expect that Zhukov could not provide air support, so he couldn't help but hesitate: "Comrade General, if there is no air support, our counterattack troops will be defeated by the German bombing."

The National Patriotic War has been going on for almost four months. As the commander of the Front Army, Zhukov naturally understood the importance of air supremacy in the war, but it is hard to cook without rice. He has no air force in his hands. How can he do it for Luo Ke? Does Sovsky's troops provide air support?

"Comrade Rokosovsky," Zhukov said helplessly: "I reiterate that I cannot provide you with air cover. How to deal with the German bombing during the counterattack, you can find a way to solve it yourself."

After Rokosovsky finished calling, he said to the deputy officers surrounded by his wry face, "Comrades Commanders, Zhukov just said on the phone that the order to counterattack was issued by Marshal Shaposhnikov. It cannot be cancelled at all. And when attacking, it cannot provide us with air cover…”

When Malining heard this, she couldn't help but exclaim: "Comrade Commander, if we do not have air cover when we launch a counterattack, our offensive forces will collapse under the bombardment of enemy planes."

"I know, Zhukov knows it too." Rokosovsky's mouth twitched and said helplessly: "But Zhukov does not have an air force to use and cannot provide us with the necessary support, so we can only find a way to do so. , come to deal with the enemy's air force."

After hearing Rokosovsky say this, everyone began to frown and think about what measures should be taken to deal with the German air power.

After a while, Rokosovsky asked, "Do you have any good solutions?"

When everyone heard this, they shook their heads expressionlessly, indicating that they could not deal with the German air force.

No mistakes, one song, one content, one in 6, one book, one bar, one reading!

"Since we can't think of a solution, then our counterattack has no chance of winning at all." Rokosovsky sighed and said unwillingly: "What a pity that the only little vitality in our hands has been consumed in vain. It fell off."

"Comrade Commander, I think you can ask Major Sokov." Malinin reminded Rokosovsky: "Maybe he has a solution or maybe."

Rokosovsky heard that Malining actually pushed Sokov out, and he was displeased at first, but then he thought, judging from Sokov's various behaviors, he was a resourceful person, so he asked him. Opinions may lead to unexpected gains.

Thinking of this, Rokosovsky hurriedly said to Malining: "Chief of Staff, I agree with your proposal. You should ask the radio operator to send a telegram to the infantry brigade and ask Sokov for his opinion to see if he has any. What method can be used to deal with the German air force."

The telegram was sent to the infantry brigade. After receiving the telegram, the radio operator Morozova woke up Sokov who was sleeping and said anxiously: "Comrade Brigade Commander, Comrade Brigade Commander, wake up quickly!"

Sokov opened his eyes and looked at the female soldier in front of him with a blank expression. He had not come back to his senses for a while, not knowing whether he was in a dream or in reality.

Seeing Sokov staring at her in a daze, Morozova became a little anxious. After shaking her hard twice, she said anxiously: "Telecome, comrade commander, your telegram is from the Army Command. Sent here.”

When he heard that it was a telegram from the Army Command, Sokov shivered and then he woke up. He suddenly sat up from the floor, snatched the telegram from Morozova, and quickly browsed with the candlelight in the tent.

The deputy brigade commander Berkin, who was sleeping next to him, was also awakened by the voice of Morozova. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, and asked sleepily: "Comrade Brigade Commander, who sent the telegram?"

"It was a telegram sent by Chief of Staff Malining." After reading the telegram, Sokov handed the telegram to Belkin and said solemnly: "It is said that the army will go to the German army in more than 20 hours later. Launch a comprehensive counterattack. However, due to lack of air support, I was worried that the counterattack troops would be bombarded by German aircraft during the attack, so I specially sent a telegram to ask me if there is any good way to reduce the casualties of the troops during the attack. .”

Berkin asked Sokov a little strangely: "Comrade Brigade Commander, why did they ask you?"

"God knows." Sokov scratched the back of his head, "If there is no air cover, he will fight back against the enemy. Isn't this going to die by himself? To be honest, I have no good way to deal with the German air power."

"Comrade Brigade Commander, since he is the Chief of Staff of the Group Army personally sent you a telegram, which means that this is the commander's meaning." As a senior commander, Belkin can naturally understand the essence of many things. He carefully reminded Suo. Koff: "If you can't provide a good solution, I'm worried that it will leave a bad impression on the commander."

Sokov also understood this truth, but he is a human being, not a god. Without aircraft and sufficient number of anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns, it would be a dream to deal with the Luftwaffe that has mastered the air superiority of the battlefield. But as Belkin said, since Rokosovsky asked Malining to come forward and ask him for advice, if his answers did not satisfy the other party, he would probably leave a bad impression on the other party.

It was precisely because of this that Sokov began to think hard about what method could be used to deal with the German air power.

He once read a time travel novel, which mentioned that the way to deal with the enemy air force was to burn fires on the ground to form smoke to interfere with the sight of enemy pilots; or release the captured birds or hydrogen balloons to make the enemy's The plane dared not lower the high ground.

These methods look good, but if you think about it carefully, it will be nonsense. When the battle is in progress, is the smoke generated on the battlefield not as good as the smoke generated by several fires? The smoke of gunpowder cannot interfere with the pilot's field of vision, not to mention the small smoke produced by several fires. As for releasing birds and hydrogen balloons, it is even more impossible. I really think these things are everywhere, and when you want to use them, just use them at will?

(End of this chapter)