Burning Moscow

During the defense of Moscow, I witnessed Konev handing over command of the Western Front to Zhukov. Now when Zhukov handed over the command of the Ukrainian First Front to Konev, I was there and witnessed this interesting historical cycle with my own eyes.

After Zhukov left, Sokolovsky respectfully asked Konev for instructions: "Comrade Marshal, do I need to gather the commanders of the various army groups and meet you?"

"It's not necessary for the time being." Konev waved his hand to this suggestion made by Sokolovsky and said: "According to the order of the Supreme Command, the units of the Ukrainian First and Second Front Army will officially start tomorrow. From offensive to defensive, all army groups should use this time to rest and replenish the soldiers, ammunition and various military materials lost in the battle.

After seeing Sokolovsky recorded his order, Konev suddenly asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what do you think about the merger of the two fronts?"

"Our two fronts are merged. This is a great thing." Sokolovsky didn't expect Konev to ask this question suddenly. He couldn't help but replied a little nervously: "After the merger, our strength will Become stronger."

After Konev listened, he frowned slightly, apparently dissatisfied with Sokolovsky’s panacea answer, and turned to ask me: "Leda, I want to hear about the merger of the two fronts. Your opinion."

I secretly wondered why Schenev would ask this question. As the biggest beneficiary of the merger of the two fronts, he asked us this question, whether we want us to talk to him about our views, or want us to flatter him. A few words?

I was so engrossed that I forgot to answer Konev's question. Seeing me sitting in a daze, he knocked a few times on the table in front of me with his fist, raised his voice and asked, "Lida, what are you thinking, did you hear me?"

"I heard, Comrade Marshal." I quickly settled, and replied anxiously: "I'm considering the question you just asked."

"Have you come up with any results?" Konev said cheerfully with a kind smile on his face, "Tell us all about your thoughts."

I stood up and said loudly: "Comrade Marshal, after the two front armies merged, they became the strongest front army in the Red Army. It has more than one million troops, thousands of tanks and self-propelled artillery, and the same number of aircraft. With the end of several offensive campaigns, our next stage of combat mission is to annihilate the remnants of the German army in Ukraine. Although they also have nearly one million troops, due to continuous attacks by our army, what they have The number of aircraft and tanks is far from comparable to our army.

If our next combat goal is to smash the last German heavy army group in Ukraine, then this will be the first time since the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War that our army will use a front army to fight against a German army group. This was unimaginable before. of. "

"Go on," Konev heard me say this, took a sip from the teacup on the table, and said to me in an encouraging tone: "Do you think we can defeat the remaining German troops in Ukraine?"

"Comrade Marshal, we are fully capable of crushing the heavy German army." I remember Konev launched the Battle of Lviv Sandomierz shortly after he became the commander of the Ukrainian First Front. It was the Soviet Union’s battle against the Germans in 1944. The sixth strike of ten Stalin assaults. The result of the battle naturally ended with the victory of the Soviet army. Therefore, I confidently said: "Our troops have been tempered in the three-year war, their combat effectiveness has been greatly improved, and we have also changed into our army. The new equipment can completely smash German defenses in complex areas, liberate western Ukraine from the hands of fascist invaders, and begin the offensive campaign to liberate Poland."

"Yes, Lida, you are right." After Konev waited for me to say this, he immediately went on to say: "We not only want to drive the enemy out of our land, but we will also attack them. Lao Lair. Only when fascism is completely destroyed can we lift the alarm."

"Comrade Marshal, I have a question." Since entering the headquarters, Zakharov has hardly said anything. After Konev finished speaking, he asked tentatively: "I don't know if you plan to locate the new headquarters. Where? Uman or Torquay?"

"The new headquarters is located here." Konev must have considered this issue a long time ago, so after hearing Zakharov's question, he immediately said: "We are going to launch an offensive to the west of Ukraine soon. Man is too far away from the battlefield, and Torquay is much closer to Lviv. Perhaps Marshal Zhukov set the headquarters here because of this consideration."

"But what about the members of the command of the Second Front?" Zakharov asked again: "Should they stay in Uman, or should they all rush to Torquay, and the two command members will be combined and commanded?"

"Chief of Staff, I think they should continue to stay in Uman." Seeing Zakharov's face with a confused expression, Konev quickly explained to him: "Although the first and second fronts The merger is an order issued by the Supreme Command, but I am worried that when the situation on the battlefield changes in the future, the superiors will readjust the troops or appoint new commanders, so it is better to maintain the status quo and continue to maintain the two sets of leadership teams. Well, you rush back to Uman early tomorrow morning to take charge of the daily work of the Second Front."

"Comrade Marshal," Zakharov looked down at his watch, and then said: "I think it's a bit too late to go back tomorrow. Let's hurry up tonight. When the day breaks, I will have returned to Uman." After that, he paused for a moment, stood up and asked politely, "Allow me to return to the army now?"

"Well, Comrade Chief of Staff." Seeing Zakharov's attitude so determined, Konev also stood up and put his hand on his shoulder, "I will send you out."

As soon as the two of them left the headquarters, the high-frequency telephone on Zhukov's desk rang. I thought the phone was from Moscow, so I jumped over and grabbed the receiver, pressed it to my ear, and said hurriedly: "Hey, this is Oshanina. Where are you?"

Khrushchev’s anxious voice came from the receiver: "Hey, Lida, is Zhukov in the headquarters?"

"No, Comrade Khrushchev." I quickly replied: "Comrade Zhukov has already returned to Moscow by plane."

"What, are you back to Moscow so soon?" Khrushchev asked nervously, "Will he have anything to do?"

From Khrushchev’s tone, I heard that he was worried about Zhukov’s future fate. But he seems to only know that Zhukov was removed from office and was urgently recalled to Moscow, but the specific situation is not clear. In order to ease his nervousness, I immediately explained to him: "Comrade Khrushchev, don't worry. Marshal Zhukov returned to Moscow. It is the Supreme Commander who thinks he has been too hard in the past few months and should take a good rest. "In order to completely dispel the other party's doubts, I also specially emphasized, "Comrade Marshal will receive the'Victory Medal' numbered one after returning to Moscow!"

"Victory Medal?" Khrushchev was shocked when I said this for a moment, then he laughed, and then said in a relaxed tone: "It turns out that he went back to Moscow to receive the Medal of Victory. It seems that I am blind. worry."

Khrushchev laughed dryly and said to me: "By the way, Lida, I have another good news to tell you."

"Good news?!" Hearing Khrushchev's words, I knew that this must be exciting good news, and urged: "Comrade Khrushchev, I don't know what the good news is. Tell me soon. Listen."

"According to the information we have just received, due to the breakout of Huber’s forces, which violated Hitler’s order to guard Ukraine, Manstein, who was directly responsible for this matter, was severely reprimanded by Hitler and was relieved of his duties. He was also fired with Marshal Kleist." Khrushchev said excitedly: "Manstein was dismissed by Hitler because of the most talented German marshal. For our army, it is equivalent to Just one strong opponent is missing."

"You are right. The removal of Mainstein is really great news for us." As I digested this sudden good news, I continued to ask: "I don't know who will succeed them. ?"

"Hitler renamed the two army groups in Ukraine to the North Ukrainian Army Group and the South Ukrainian Army Group, and appointed Marshal Model and Admiral Scherner as commanders respectively. It seems that Hitler placed great hopes on the two of them. , Think they are qualified for this post, they will more resolutely carry out their orders and conduct tenacious combat operations with our army." Khrushchev said here, hummed heavily, and then added in a disdainful tone. : "We will use our actions to prove to Hitler that his two commanders will fail more miserably than their predecessors."

"You are right." I agree with Khrushchev's statement. "The German army without Manstein is like a toothless tiger. In the face of our powerful offensive, whatever they do Resistance will be futile."

Just when I thought Khrushchev would hang up, I heard him say again: "By the way, Lida, I have one more thing I want to ask you."

"Please tell me, Comrade Khrushchev." Hearing him speak to me in this tone, I quickly said politely: "I can't ask for advice. As long as it is something I know, I will tell you the truth."

"When you and Zhukov came here today, I wanted to talk to you about this, but because of Vatutin's affairs, I was so upset that I forgot." Khrushchev said anxiously: " There was a problem with our recruitment work. Twenty recruitment points were set up in the city. As a result, no more than 50 people signed up every day. Do you have any good ways to solve this problem?"

The situation mentioned by Khrushchev, I secretly guessed that the Ukrainians had been ruled by the Germans for a few years, and there was some resistance to the Soviet army. Although I would not attack them directly, I would still make a small move in private. may. To resolve this contradiction, it is certainly not good to rely on instigating propaganda alone, and we can only find other ways to find other ways.

After thinking about it for a long time, I think that if we learn from some policies of Huaxia Kingdom for military personnel, we might be able to change the current unfavorable situation. Thinking of this, I said into the microphone: "Comrade Khrushchev, I think we can do a two-pronged approach. The first is to put the honor card of the'military family' on the homes of soldiers enlisted in the army; the second is to raise the military's food ration standard, for example, every day. Give an extra 100 grams of bread and the like. This should greatly increase the residents’ enthusiasm for joining the army."

The reason why I made these two suggestions is firstly because both Russians and Ukrainians pay great attention to honor. If the honor card of "military family" is hung up, there will be families with relatives serving as soldiers in the family. Appears extremely glorious. Secondly, after the liberation of Kiev, the ration certificate has been implemented. Each family rations food according to the population. Military members can increase the quota standard, which is also very attractive to young people of the right age. After I finished speaking, I waited quietly for Khrushchev's reply.

"Great, Lida, your suggestion is really great!" After thinking about it for a while, Khrushchev screamed at my proposal. He kept saying: "I will be at the recruiting station early tomorrow morning. Post a notice to advertise the two types of military benefits you mentioned. I don’t believe in such terms and I cannot recruit new recruits.”

As soon as I put down the phone on my side, Konev walked into the headquarters from outside. He saw that I was standing at my desk, talking with others on a high-frequency telephone, and he couldn't help but frown slightly, "Lida, where did the call come from?"

"Report to Comrade Marshal, it was Comrade Khrushchev's call from Kiev." I stood at attention and reported to Konev.

"What did Khrushchev say?" Konev walked quickly to my front ~www.wuxiaspot.com~ and asked nervously, "Did something accident happen?"

I did not understand what Konev was referring to by accident, but I still truthfully reported to him what Khrushchev said. When he heard that Manstein had been fired, he couldn’t help laughing, and then turned to Sokolovsky and they said: "Comrades commanders, although the doctor warned me not to drink, for the good news, I think it's worth a small drink."

"Comrade Marshal, there is good wine in the headquarters, I'll ask someone to deliver it." Sokolovsky said, shouting outside: "Come on!"

With the shout, a soldier walked in from outside the door and asked Sokolovsky: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what instructions do you have?"

"You go to my room at once." Sokolovsky walked to the soldier and told him: "Bring me the bottle of good wine I put in the cabinet. Do you understand?"

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