Steel Soviet Union

As the frontline representative of the base camp, Zhukov will command Rokossovsky's Central Front. The German and Soviet forces in this direction are both the strongest. The German Army Group Center on the opposite side is a very difficult target to mess with. Strictly speaking, the situation in this direction is the most critical.

Logically speaking, the 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade, which holds the title of the most elite heavy tank unit in the Red Army, should be dispatched in the direction of Zhukov to be responsible for responding to the impact of the powerful armored units of the German Army Group Center. Such The result is a matter of course.

But if the problem was really so easy to solve, Vasilevsky would not have to beat around the bush and talk to Zhukov.

The commander of the Voronezh Front, Vatutin, who was facing the equally powerful German Army Group South, had just made a personal call to the Red Army General Staff Headquarters.

On the phone, Vatutin made a face-to-face plea to Vasilevsky, requesting that the 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade, which was on standby on the outskirts of Stalingrad, be sent to the Voronezh Front under his command to participate in the next battle. action.

The reason given by Vatutin is simple and also very sufficient.

The enemy he faced was Manstein, who had just made a furious advance, dug a big hole for the Red Army and won a huge victory. To deal with such a fierce opponent who was taking advantage of victory, he must be fully prepared and have plenty of strength to deal with it. The main problem he faces now is the lack of tank power.

Vatutin gave detailed examples on the phone, saying that his Voronezh Front Army not only had fewer technical equipment and artillery than the Central Front Army, but also lacked quality.

The newly produced IS1 heavy tanks have basically been allocated to the Central Front Army to strengthen its strength. The Voronezh Front Army only has those old KV1s and groups of T34s, and even a large number of light tanks that can only be used for reconnaissance and guerrilla warfare to make up the numbers. .

More importantly, these two main tanks have been proven to be insufficient to deal with the German tanks in the previous battle in Kharkov. Both in terms of firepower and armor protection, it is completely lagging behind. This situation must be effectively improved to solve the problem.

Vatutin did not ask to compete with the Central Front Army for quotas in the allocation of new tanks. Instead, he identified key points and named Malashenko's troops under his command.

Vatutin even bluntly told Vasilevsky on the phone that Malashenko's brigade is worth three hundred brand-new IS1 heavy tanks. If the 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade is assigned to him, he will have no requirements and will ensure that he can complete every task assigned by his superiors.

Vatutin said this, leaving little room for Vasilevskiy to maneuver.

Vasilevskiy, who felt that the matter was difficult to handle, in the end just promised Vatutin on the phone that he would fight for him, but the result could not be guaranteed. This was not something he could just decide by himself. If Vatutin really wants to get the 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade under his command, he will have to wait for a call back that can bring good news.

Why is this so difficult to handle?

Vasilevskiy, who only responded with hints, did not say anything clearly on the phone, and Vatutin on the other end of the phone did not pursue the question, so he naturally understood that the biggest problem was that it lay with Marshal Zhukov, the God of War of the Red Army.

Malashenko is a popular tank hero who was single-handedly promoted by Marshal Zhukov and trained with all his efforts. This has long been known to everyone in the Red Army's senior leadership and is not really a secret.

It can be foreseen that Marshal Zhukov will most likely summon Malashenko's troops to fight on the Central Front. The order to put the 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade in Stalingrad and stand still was almost entirely Zhukov's. issued.

Vasilevsky could probably guess that Zhukov did this because he wanted to keep a trump card until the most critical moment. Even from the strategic perspective of the entire Red Army, he wanted to keep a strong elite reserve team in his hands. It is understandable to prepare for critical moments and then use them again. After all, the current battlefield situation is that the Red Army is at a disadvantage.

But the question is, can Zhukov, who has always had a bad temper and dared to slam the table at the top of his voice in Comrade Stalin's office, really tolerate his ace being seconded to others?

Vasilevsky, who secretly shook his head, felt that it would be okay if Zhukov stopped banging the table and yelling with him after a while, but it was better not to expect too much about miracles.

But what Vasilevsky didn't expect was that Zhukov, who was lying on the table with a pencil in his hand and stretching out his hand to measure and draw marks on the war zone map, spoke slowly and his tone was extremely bland, without any fluctuations. Waves.

"You are the Chief of General Staff of the Red Army. The dispatch of the troops is your job. I have no objection to this."

? ? ?

If there were emoticons during the Great Patriotic War, I am afraid that Vasilevsky at the moment would not hesitate to throw out a three question mark panda head emoticon.

The deep surprise brought about by Zhukov's unexpected and abnormal attitude was no less astonishing to Vasilevsky at this moment than the Germans retreating their troops and abandoning their positions.

Before Vasilevsky, whose mouth was half-opened, could speak next, Zhukov, holding a pencil between his fingertips, straightened up from the table and spoke again.

"Vatutin also contacted me specifically. He said that this was a difficult decision that he made after careful consideration."

"I listened completely to his explanation and situation, and finally decided to respect his opinion. This is the opinion I want to express. I have finished answering. Is there anything else you want to know? I can tell you in detail."

""

Vasilevskiy was still struggling with how to deal with the second level problem, but he didn't expect that Vatutin had already taken the lead and completed the third level.

Although all this happened suddenly, it was ultimately a good thing for Vasilevsky, as it could save him a lot of irritating trouble in the subsequent conversation with Zhukov.

"In that case, I immediately arranged for someone to draft an order, and the 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade set off immediately to report to the Voronezh Front."

"It may be a bit redundant, but let me ask one last time, is it really okay to do this?"

The first half of the sentence is from a business perspective, while the last half of the sentence is purely a personal matter.

To say that Zhukov planned to give up the 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade from the beginning, such a thing does not exist at all.

However, after considering the current situation and the overall battle situation, Zhukov's final answer is still firm.

"You're talking too much right now, Comrade Vasilevsky, do you want me to regret it?"