Chapter 457 Counterattack Plan (Part 2)

"This is simply impossible, Comrade Stalin." As soon as Stalin's voice fell, Zhukov retorted without hesitation: "We have calculated repeatedly that we need one and a half months of preparation before our troops can get enough Soldiers and technical equipment, and ready to launch an offensive campaign."

   Seeing that Zhukov rejected his proposal, Stalin was not angry, but continued to ask: "If our counteroffensive is only carried out along the Don River from north to south and from south to north, can the preparation time be shortened?"

"Comrade Stalin," Zhukov said without humility, "if we really do this, the Germans can quickly transfer their armored divisions from near Stalingrad to resist our assault. Counterattack, there is a danger of falling into a stalemate."

Stalin stared at the plan in Vasilevsky's hand, but he didn't pick it up for a long time, because since the beginning of the Stalingrad Defense War, he had read several plans with similar content, and the plan was quite thorough, but In the process of implementation, there will always be various unexpected accidents, resulting in repeated offensive attempts to break the siege of Stalingrad, and finally ended in failure.

  Thinking of this, Stalin turned his attention to Zhukov and asked: "Comrade Zhukov, tell me the details of your plan."

Seeing that Stalin had not reached out to accept the plan, Zhukov guessed that he might have lost confidence in the various counteroffensive plans made by the General Staff, so he hurriedly said: "Comrade Stalin, according to our plan, this time The counter-offensive will be divided into two phases: first, the offensive troops must break through the German defenses, join forces with the defenders in the city, encircle the Stalingrad Group of the German Army, and establish a solid frontal and outer frontal defense to isolate the group from external enemies. contact; and secondly, to prevent the enemy from attempting to break through the blockade and to annihilate them completely."

   After Zhukov finished talking about the content of the draft plan, Stalin reached out and took the plan in Vasilevsky's hand. While quickly browsing the above content, he said to Zhukov: "Your plan is good, let me see what needs to be improved first. By the way, the most important task at present is to prevent the Germans from continuing to march towards Stalingrad. advance in the direction."

   As soon as he finished speaking, the phone on the desk rang. Stalin frowned and looked at the phone for a while, then walked quickly to the table, put the plan in his hand on the table, picked up the microphone and pressed it to his ear and said, "I am Stalin."

   "Hello, Comrade Stalin." Yeremenko's voice came from the receiver: "I am Yeremenko. I have something important to report to you immediately."

Hearing Yeremenko say that there was an important situation to report, Stalin couldn't help but thumped. He thought to himself: Yeremenko called me, didn't he want to tell me that Stalingrad had been occupied by the Germans? ? Although flustered, he tried his best to ask in a calm tone, "Comrade Yelyomenko, is something wrong?"

"That's right, Comrade Stalin." Yeremenko said on the phone: "According to the reconnaissance of the Air Force, the German army is transferring a large number of tank troops to the direction of the factory area. It seems that they plan to launch a large-scale offensive in this area. .”

   "I see." Stalin learned that the German army was mobilizing a large number of tank troops in the direction of the factory area, so he said into the microphone: "Comrade Yeremenko, I will immediately send aviation to support you."

After putting down the microphone, he began to assign tasks to Zhukov and Vasilevsky: "Comrade Zhukov, you immediately fly back to the Stalingrad Front and study with Rokossovsky the defensive deployment in the Kretskaya area. And You, Comrade Vasilevsky, the day after tomorrow, as a representative of the Supreme Command, will fly to Yeremenko’s Southeastern Front Command and study with them how to defend the city.”

Before Zhukov and Vasilevsky were about to leave the office, Stalin also specifically told them: "With regard to your counter-offensive plan and the issues we have just discussed, besides the three of us, I do not hope that there will be a fourth Personally. Do you understand?"

   "Understood, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov and Vasilevsky replied in unison.

The situation in Stalingrad was critical. After Zhukov left Stalin’s office, he bid farewell to Vasilevsky and drove to the airport. After returning to the front line, Zhukov discussed with Rokossovsky to take necessary measures to Relieves pressure on city defenders.

  ...

Just when Zhukov’s plane took off from Moscow’s military airport, Cuikov also received a call from Yeremenko, who learned that the German army had assembled a large number of armored troops to the west of the factory area, trying to attack the factory area. Carry out the assault.

  After hearing the news, he immediately discussed with Chief of Staff Krylov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the Front Army Command has just informed us that the German army has assembled a large number of armored troops and is trying to carry out an assault on the factory area."

Located in the factory area north of Stalingrad, there are many factories such as the Red October Factory, the Tractor Factory, the Barricade Factory and the Dzerzhinsky Factory. When the German army approached the city, these factories began to switch to tanks and artillery. Our products are continuously delivered to troops on all fronts through various channels.

  Chuikov knew very well that once these factories were occupied by the German army, the troops on all fronts would lose a way to replenish tanks and artillery. Therefore, he must find a way to hold here. He stared at the map and asked Krylov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what is our defense in these factories?"

"Not too good, Comrade Commander." Krylov shook his head and said, "The divisions originally stationed in the factory area have been exhausted in the battle. Today's defense tasks are almost all carried out by the factories. A strike battalion of militiamen will be in charge."

"The main defensive force in the factory area is the militia?" Chuikov couldn't help frowning when he heard this, and he said to Krylov worriedly: "The terrain in the factory area is flat, which is conducive to the deployment of the German armored forces. The area is being defended by militias, and I'm afraid they won't be able to hold it."

   Regarding the current situation, Krylov is also very worried. Some time ago, several divisions finally crossed the river and entered the factory area. Before they had time to catch their breath, they all went into the counterattack, and they were completely lost in the battle. Krylov stared at the map for a while, sighed softly, and said, "It would be great if Lieutenant Colonel Bachuk's 284th Infantry Division could enter the city as soon as possible."

"What? The 284th Infantry Division of Lieutenant Colonel Baqiuk hasn't entered the city yet?" Chuikov couldn't help asking in surprise when he heard what Krylov said: "According to our battle plan, shouldn't they fight with the 284th Infantry Division?" Should the 95th Division and the 112th Division carry out a counterattack against the enemy?"

"Comrade Commander, you don't know something." Seeing that Chuikov didn't know the situation of Batyuk's troops, Krylov quickly explained to him: "According to the plan, the 284th Infantry Division should have entered the city long ago, but just When they were about to cross the river, for some unknown reason, the Front Army Command suddenly called a stop and let them stay on the left bank, so no single soldier has entered the city of Stalingrad until now."

"Damn, what's going on here?" Chuikov heard Krylov finished, took off his military cap, threw it heavily on the table, and said angrily: "It's clearly assigned to our troops, why did you hold it?" No?"

   "Comrade Commander, I think the superiors may have their own considerations for doing this..."

"What are you thinking about?" Chuikov said angrily without waiting for Krylov to finish: "Don't they know that the defenders in the city are dying every minute? The defenders in the city are seriously insufficient, and a full-man The infantry division of the army was detained by the front army headquarters on the left bank and refused to give it to us, what is this called?"

  Just when Chuikov was going to strengthen the defense of the factory area because he had no reserve team, his adjutant Klimov hurried in from the outside and reported to Chuikov emotionally: "Comrade Commander, our reinforcements have arrived!"

   "The reinforcements have arrived?" Hearing what Klimov said, Chuikov couldn't help being taken aback, and then asked, "Where did the reinforcements come from?"

   "Where else can it come from? Of course it is from the other side of the Volga River, Comrade Commander." Klimov said excitedly: "It is Lieutenant Colonel Batyuk's 284th Infantry Division."

   "What, the 284th Infantry Division has arrived?" After hearing clearly what Klimov said about the unit number, he hurriedly asked, "Where is their division commander?"

"I'm here, Comrade Commander." Before Klimov could reply, a medium-sized officer with a darkened face strode in from the door, raised his hand and saluted Chuikov and Krylov. After the ring ceremony, report according to the regulations: "Comrade Commander, Baqiuk, commander of the 284th Infantry Division, reports to you that our division is ordered to come to defend Stalingrad. I obey your orders, please instruct!"

   "Welcome, Colonel Patyuk." Chuikov stepped forward to hold the other party's hand, and said emotionally; "It's really timely that you arrived at this time."

  Batyuk heard that when Chuikov called his military rank, he said "colonel" instead of "lieutenant colonel", he quickly and carefully reminded him: "Comrade commander, I am a lieutenant colonel, not a colonel..."

Before he finished speaking, Chuikov interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and said in an unquestionable tone: "Colonel Batyuk, I said you are a colonel, and you are a colonel. Don't argue with me on these details. Wait Remember to add a stripe to the collar badge later, understand?"

Hearing what Chuikov said, no matter how slow his reaction was, Batyuk knew that the other party had temporarily promoted his rank, so he hurriedly replied: "Understood, Comrade Commander." When he said this, he didn't realize that he was a little emotional , with a tremolo in his voice.

"Colonel Batyuk, come here." Now that a full-staffed division has come, Chuikov suddenly gained confidence. After calling Batyuk to him, he pointed to the factory area on the map and said, "According to our According to the information we have, the German army will soon use armored forces to attack the factory area. The task of your division is to strengthen the defense of the Red October Factory and the Tractor Factory, and the Germans must not let the Germans occupy our factory.”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Batyuk waited for Chuikov to finish speaking, and quickly replied loudly, and then tentatively made a request to Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, we are all coming to Stalingrad for the first time. I am not familiar with the city, look, can you send us a guide?"

"No problem." Chuikov said straightforwardly: "I will let my adjutant Klimov take you to the Red October factory and the tractor factory. Klimov," Klimov who stood aside, listened When Chuikov called him, he hurriedly took two steps forward, straightened his body and waited for Chuikov's order. Chuikov pointed at him with his hand, and said: "Klimov, you will act as a guide for Colonel Baqiuk and the others, immediately take them to the designated defensive area, and hurry up to build fortifications to resist the German attack after dawn. .”

After Klimov left with Batyuk, Chuikov let out a long sigh and said to Krylov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, now that the 284th Infantry Division has joined us, we are even more sure of holding the factory area." big."

"It's a pity that the only unit we can use today is the 284th Infantry Division." Krylov waited for Chuikov to finish speaking, and said with a serious expression: "The defense of the Barricade Factory and the Dzerzhinsky Factory is still very important. The militia destroyer battalion is in charge, we need to transfer some regular troops from other places to strengthen them."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, we have just discussed this issue." Cuikov asked with a straight face: "We can't even get a platoon-level reserve team in our hands, where else can we draw regular troops to strengthen other troops?" What about the defense of the two factories?"

"If it really doesn't work, do you think it's possible to mobilize the 73rd Infantry Brigade?" Krylov is now a clever woman who can't do without rice, so he can only play the idea of ​​Sokov's troops again: "In any case, they still have There are more than 3,000 people, and we only need to transfer 1,000 to 1,500 people to the factory area, and we can ensure that the defense line will not be breached by the Germans."

"No, absolutely not." Regarding Krylov's proposal, Chuikov only thought for a moment before vetoing it: "If the troops of the 73rd Infantry Brigade are transferred, the Mamayev Post will be occupied by the Germans due to its weak strength. If we do so, the enemy can seize the opportunity to occupy the ferry of the Volga River and cut off our connection with the other side. Comrade Chief of Staff, how long do you think we can hold out in this city after being cut off by the Germans?"

   What Chuikov said made Krylov speechless.

Seeing that Krylov remained silent for a long time, Chuikov felt that his tone might be too harsh, so he slowed down and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, let's find a way to mobilize forces from other areas to strengthen the defense of the factory area. "

  (end of this chapter)