Big Time 1958

   A violent explosion, the fire turned the launch position into a fire-breathing hell. The concentric waves of the pillar of fire quickly spread from the launch center to the surroundings, devouring all life wherever they passed. The explosive combustion is like an avalanche, and it has spread to dozens of meters in less than a minute.

   The fuel in the fuel tank kept pouring into the nearby test personnel. People were instantly engulfed in flames. The air is filled with deadly poisonous gas. Terrified people ran around, trying to stay away from the burning missile. But the clothes on his body soon sparked under the scorching heat, and before he had time to run a few steps, the whole person burned. Those who were able to escape to safety tried to climb over the barbed wire for fear of being stabbed, while others jumped into trenches flowing with leaking fuel and were burned by the acid that had accumulated inside.

After    the fuel components burned out, the fire continued for several hours. Everything that could burn was reduced to ashes: components and facilities, equipment and cable lines... All missile fuel tanks were melted and burned, and only the primary and secondary engines made of special heat-strength steel survived.

Serov doesn't know how many people died in this explosion, but one thing is clear. Since Marshal Negerin is not dead, the Soviet experts who have security awareness around him will naturally not accompany him to stay by the missile. Show your bravery. Let Major General Kudryash command the Central Asian Frontier Corps to put out the fire. Now is the time to make achievements.

In order to show the courage and responsibility of the new first vice-chairman of the KGB, Serov pushed open the iron door of the bunker and plunged into the disaster relief, "Cough, fortunately, no nuclear bombs were placed in it, otherwise fools would come to rescue you, even if it was a Soviet rocket. The experts are all here. It's not worth my risk of a nuclear bomb explosion to pretend to be a savior." As soon as he exited the gate of the bunker, Serov choked on the violent smoke. The fuel in the missile will not burn out in a while, and the strange smell of some chemical fuel in the air is unbearable.

   Serov, who had been prepared, went directly to the control tower of the No. 5 test site. Of course, the glass here has been shattered, and some staff members may have their hearing temporarily affected, or their skin may be cut by the shattered glass. They were luckier than the maintenance crew who got burned alive on the launch pad. Stepping on broken glass on the ground and taking off his gas mask, Serov tried the broadcasting equipment and found that it was still working, "Comrades at the No. 5 test site, no matter whether you are safe or not, you must remain calm. The 29th Frontier Corps of Asian Frontier Defense is doing its best to put out the fire, whether you can hear my voice or not or are still injured. Stay where you are and don't let your wounds get worse, KGB security personnel will find you for treatment, here You have to save yourself before!"

   Thick smoke billowed over the entire No. 5 test site. It has been less than 20 minutes since the explosion, because the aviation fuel has not yet been burned, which brings certain difficulties to the fire fighting work. Serov, who had finished broadcasting to the entire No. 5 test site, looked back and saw the commander-in-chief of the missile launch. The commander-in-chief had a five-centimeter wound on his face, but obviously this person was not as ignorant as Marshal Negerin, which could be seen from the fact that the wound on his face had been stitched.

"Start the disaster emergency plan of the Baikonur Space Center immediately. The border guards are not professional firefighting teams, they can only play a role in treating the wounded! As for whether to report the matter to the Kazakh Soviet, I will discuss it with Marshal Negerin." Serov, who was holding a gas mask, looked at the launch pad that had been burned into scrap iron with a bit of disappointment, and said it with pity. "We lose steel and aviation fuel. But even if a famous aviation talent dies, it is an immeasurable loss to the Soviet Union. Steel can be recast, and the knowledge in the minds of comrades who can die can't be rescued. return…"

"I see. Vice-Chairman Serov!" The commander-in-chief of Launch Site 5 saluted, which is not surprising. Many experts in military development have military ranks. As the commander-in-chief of Launch Site 5, his rank is colonel. , It is completely possible to communicate with Shelov in the way of soldiers.

   Putting on a gas mask, Serov began to supervise the border guard soldiers to search for the wounded. Firefighters from the No. 5 launch site are also coming in a steady stream. I believe that other nearby launch sites will send people to support them soon.

   "How many people have died?" When he appeared in front of Major General Kudryash again, Serov changed his appearance. There were too many people wearing gas masks, which made him not feel like he stood out from the crowd. Comrade First Vice-Chairman, who risked his life to rescue the wounded, was wearing a goggle at this time.

"None of the staff inspected on the launch tower survived, and other experts who were not on the launch tower have been evacuated. We don't know how many staff members are on the launch tower!" The place where Mi is still burning with raging flames. In front of them are the firefighters of the No. 5 test site. Although the frontier guards are not professional firefighters, fortunately, the frontier corps has a large number of people who can help these firefighters.

  Because of the leakage of aviation fuel on the original sandy ground, it was like a fire dragon advancing on the ground. Within 100 meters around the launch tower, there were missile fragments everywhere, and beyond 100 meters, it was not without it, but there was only a little less. Serov does not know the value of this intercontinental missile, but he believes that the dead experts on the launch tower are no less valuable than the missile.

"All the injured launch site experts were immediately bandaged and sent to Almaty, and some troops were dispatched to **** them there. The seriously wounded should contact the Air Force for escort, and the speed must be fast." Shelov simply looked at a few burned personnel and quickly ordered. , "Power generation to Kazakh KGB chairman Kamiyakin, the wounded will be picked up by the KGB when they arrive in Almaty, remember, be sure to block the news!"

   Continuously issued orders in accordance with the secrecy regulations, and asked Major General Kudryash to follow them. Shelov's first decisive move was to block the news. Khrushchev is currently knocking shoes at the United Nations. If China tells him that the ICBM exploded on the launch pad at this time, wouldn't that be hitting the first secretary in the face?

  Who dares to do this? But Serov only blocked the news of the local party committee to prevent some rumors that were unfavorable to the country. Regarding the Moscow side, Serov still had to take the attitude of reporting. After the fire was under control, Serov wrote the news of the explosion of the intercontinental missile at the No. 5 test site of the Baikonur Space Center as material and sent it to Moscow by telegram, including his immediate boss Sherepin, as well as Brezhnev and Ust Nov.

   has returned to Serov at the Baikonur Space Center, and has taken a blockade of the launch site 5. The wounded have been treated and sent to Almaty for treatment. The death toll has been counted, and 22 people are missing. With the sky-high flames and aviation fuel flowing around at that time, these missing people knew when they thought about it that there must be no bones left, and even the bones were burnt clean.

Including the director of the second bureau of the proving ground, the operation leader, the engineer of the lieutenant colonel Pa Mi Grigoryantz, the deputy director of the proving ground, the colonel A. I. Nosov, the director of the first bureau of the proving ground, the engineer of the lieutenant colonel Ye I. Ostashev, this name after another proves that even if it is better than the Soviet space experts in history, they can accompany the commander of the Strategic Rocket Army Marshal Nederin. , one can imagine the status of these people in the Soviet aviation field. In history, he showed his bravery with Marshal Negerin, but he was wiped out as a whole. In the decades of the Cold War, who would have thought that the biggest blow to the Soviet aerospace industry came from its own intercontinental missiles.

In the lounge of the main launch site of the Baikonur Space Center, Serov held the list submitted by Major General Kudryash in his hand, and his eyes fell directly on Marshal Negerin. The atmosphere between the two was full of dignified. The report in his hand was deformed by Serov, and the ashtray beside it was full of cigarette butts. "Marshal Negerin, fourteen experts were burned to death, and eight KGB internal guard officers were killed in action. Do you think the person responsible is Who? Why do you violate the safety regulations, just because you are the marshal? I am the lieutenant general?" Shelov stood up and pressed his voice in a low voice, "You promised me to stay in a safe place, but in the end, you went into battle to supervise the missiles. It's less than 20 meters away, I will write this situation in the report..."

   "Yuri, I must express my gratitude to you, you saved my life!" The fact is that the missile exploded, and Marshal Negerin's own life was saved by Serov, otherwise he must be one of the dead.

"It's a pity that no more people were saved. I don't think it's suitable for a marshal to supervise the work on the front line in person. This will cause trouble for our scientific researchers. I hope that the strategic rocket army will not block our KGB's security work in the future." Shelov Pointing out a finger and pointing to himself, he said, "I am the director of the General Administration of Military Administration. As a weapon, missiles should be escorted by our KGB. From a scientific research point of view, ICBMs are the sixth General Administration of KGB, That is the scope of work of the General Administration of Defense Science, Technology and Defense. I happened to save the life of the marshal, but I will still write your overreaching behavior into the report..."

On the one hand, Serov reminded the other party that I saved the life of your marshal. Without me, the soldiers of the Internal Guard would take you back. You are not even carbohydrates now. On the other hand, Serov also told Marshal Negerin about this time. He still has the right to report your ultra vires and violations of safety regulations. (To be continued~^~)