Burning Moscow

After the news of the capture of the Sinyavino Heights, Meretskov, after ending the call with Leningrad Front Commander Govorov, notified Stelimach and Zaporozhets of the left-behind Front Command by telephone. And asked them to report this good news to the Supreme Command.

Soon after the report was reported, a communications staff officer came to Meretskov with a telegram, stood at attention and saluted and handed the telegram to him.

Meretskov took the telegram and glanced at it. He smiled on his tight face. He happily said to the three of us: "It is a telegram of commendation from Comrade Stalin himself. I will read to you: In recognition of the 19th Infantry Division of the Guards, for the outstanding merits established in the battle against the heavily fortified Signavino Highlands by fascist bandits, the division was awarded the Red Flag Medal and awarded the honorary title of the Signavino Division. At the same time, he was awarded the Red Banner Medal to the Chief of Staff of the 8th Army, Colonel Golovchiner, and was promoted to the rank of major general."

After reading the telegram, he said to Starikov with some excitement: "Comrade Starikov, we should tell the army the good news immediately, so that it can boost the morale of our army."

Starikov agreed, picked up the phone in front of him, shook the handle a few times, and said into the microphone: "I am the commander of the group army, Starikov. Bring me close to the headquarters of the 19th Division of Defense. Go to the Chief of Staff Golovchiner."

After a short wait, the voice of Chief of Staff Golovchiner came from the microphone: "Hello, Comrade Commander of the Army Group, is there any latest order?"

Starikov glanced at Meretskov, and when he nodded at himself with a smile on his face, he raised his voice and said, "I congratulate you, General Golovchiner."

"Comrade Commander, what kind of joke are you opening? I'm all confused by you. Everyone knows that I'm just a colonel, not a general."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, I have good news for you. Comrade Stalin has just sent a commendation telegram in recognition of the 19th Guards Division that captured the Signavino Heights. The division was awarded the Red Banner Medal, and the division was also awarded Honorary title of the Signavino division."

"Is this true? Comrade Commander." Although Starikov said this, Golovchiner obviously couldn't believe it, so he asked specifically.

"Of course it is true. This is a commendation telegram from Comrade Stalin himself...."

"Great, Comrade Commander." Before Starikov was finished, Golovchiner said rushingly. "I'll let the staff officer go and inform the commanders of the 19th Guards Infantry Division of the good news."

"Wait a minute, my chief of staff, comrade." Starikov stopped the chief of staff who wanted to hang up, and finished what hadn't been said just now. "In the commendation telegram, Comrade Stalin decided to award you the Red Flag Medal. And was promoted to the rank of major general."

Golovchiner was stunned by the news. There was no sound for a long time, so much so that Starikov thought he had hung up the phone and fed several times. After hearing a response from the other person, he asked with concern: "Comrade Chief of Staff, How do you deploy troops on the high ground?"

"Report to Comrade Commander. After the 19th Guards Division captured the high ground, due to heavy casualties, only one battalion remained in the division. I asked them to withdraw and rest. The 140th Infantry Brigade, Hean, currently defends the high ground. An incomplete regiment of Colonel Chufeyev."

"I know, let them seize the time to repair the fortifications immediately to prevent possible counterattacks from the Germans." Starikov hung up. The situation reported by Golovchiner was briefly reported to Meletskov again.

After listening to the report, Meletskov did not speak, but went straight to the wall, standing in front of the map with his hands folded, looking at the situation of friend and foe on the map, and thinking quietly.

He stood in front of the map for nearly five minutes. Then he turned around and asked Gargan, who was standing side by side with Starikov: "General Gargan, are your troops in place?"

Gagan hesitated for a moment, and then replied cautiously: "Comrade Commander. You know, the south of Signavino is full of forests and swamps, and there are no roads suitable for marching, so our troops have to pave roads during the march. As a result, the speed of the march was inevitably affected."

Meretskov waved to me, and I trot over quickly and asked: "Comrade Commander, what do you want to say?"

"Go and call Lieutenant Turchinov." After he gave me instructions, he turned his head to Starikov and said, "General Starikov, now you can order the troops on both sides of the high ground to face the enemy. The defensive depth of the attack was launched, and at the same time, the tank troops on the high ground were ordered to use artillery fire to destroy those threatening firepower points on the enemy’s position as much as possible to reduce the casualties of the offensive troops."

I walked out of the headquarters, and Turchnov and a few Secret Service fighters were standing outside the door. I walked up to him and said politely: "Lieutenant Turchinov, Comrade General invites you to come in."

Turchinov looked back at the soldier next to him, and then asked, "Should I be called alone, or should I bring the soldier in?"

"Comrade General did not say, I think it is enough for you to go in alone."

Turchinov followed me into the headquarters and came to Meretskov. He stepped over me, took a step forward, and saluted Meletskov: "Comrade General, Lieutenant Turchinov, Chief of Secret Service, was ordered to come and wait for your order."

Meletskov pointed to Gargan and said, "Because General Gargan missed the battle, I have relieved his position as the commander of the 4th Infantry Corps of Guards. Now you take him down and find someone to take care of him. After the battle is over, he will be sent to Moscow and submitted to the military court."

As soon as Meletskov said what he said, not only Turchinov was stunned, I was stunned, and even the staff officers who had been busy were stunned, and the room suddenly became silent.

However, Turchinov guessed that he often did this kind of arresting job. He quickly recovered his calm, walked in front of Gargan, bent down slightly, stretched out his hand in a gesture of invitation, and said politely: General Root, please, let's get out of here."

General Gagan looked at Starikov for help, but the commander of the group army just shrugged helplessly, spread his hands out, and made a helpless posture. Gagan sighed. He had to follow Turchinov out with his head down. When he reached the door, he stopped, looked back at the command post with infinite nostalgia, and then as if made up a lot of determination, he straightened his back and walked out of the command post.

Meletskov then called Stelimach and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, General Gargan has missed the battle. It affected the course of the battle and I have dismissed him on the spot. Commander of the 4th Guards Infantry Corps. The position will be replaced by Major General Rogensky, the deputy commander, and you will immediately assign this appointment to him."

I have to say that Meretskov's trick to kill the chicken and the monkey, the effect is still very obvious, two hours later. General Rogensky, the commander of the newly appointed 4th Guards Infantry Corps, called himself and reported to him that the entire army had entered the designated position.

Since it was late at this time, both the Volkhov Front and the Leningrad Front’s offensive came to an end for the time being. According to the reported battle report, the 3rd and 24th Guards Divisions and the 265th Infantry Division belonging to the 8th Army attacked from both sides of the high ground. Both were wedged into the German defense about two kilometers deep, leaving only three kilometers away from the Neva River.

The Leningrad Front’s offensive was not smooth. Although the troops of the two divisions and the German troops defending the Dubrovka area fought a desperate battle after the successful crossing of the Neva River, the Germans had a solid defense. Fortifications, with powerful artillery and aviation, our army, lacking heavy weapons, barely seized the first line of defense of the German army after making great sacrifices. However, they were not firmly established and were repelled by the German counterattacks. In the end, thousands of commanders and fighters from the two divisions could only retreat into the valley by the Neva River.

At midnight, the Supreme Commander in Moscow called himself. On the phone, he spoke to Meretskov sternly: "Comrade Meretskov, the situation of the Leningrad Front is very bad now. If the situation is allowed to develop, thousands of people who have crossed the Neva River The commanders were either driven down the river by the Germans or completely wiped out by artillery fire, so you must be tomorrow, in the early morning of July 20. The Volkhov Front should not hesitate to launch an offensive against the depths of the German defense. After your offensive begins, the forces of the Neva cluster will also cooperate with your actions and launch an attack from behind the Germans."

After answering the phone, Meletskov began to deploy tomorrow’s offensive operations. He ordered General Starikov to issue an order immediately. The units of the 8th Army launched a fierce attack on the enemy in front of him at 4 am The friendly forces of the Neva cluster trapped in the valley by the river.

However, the plan couldn't keep up with the changes. As soon as it was light, there was a rumble of cannons outside. Hearing this movement, I couldn't help being stunned, asking where the artillery was firing? The artillery of the Volkhov Front has no shells, and it is impossible to provide artillery cover for our attacking troops. Was it because the Leningrad Front’s heavy artillery and the Baltic Fleet’s naval guns were firing in order to cooperate with the two-sided attack?

Just as I was thinking about it, the phone on the desk rang. Because I was so close, I grabbed the microphone at any time and said politely: "Hello, this is the headquarters of the 8th Army."

The panicked voice of Chief of Staff Golovchiner came from the microphone: "Is it Major Oshanina? Please let General Starikov answer the phone."

I handed the phone to Starikov and said at the same time: "Comrade General, your phone number is from General Golovchiner, Chief of Staff of the Group Army."

Starikov thanked him, answered the phone, and after only a few words, he asked in shock, "Comrade Chief of Staff, what did you say? Say it again." After the Chief of Staff repeated it, Star Rikov's face darkened. After he hung up the phone, he walked to Meletkov and reported with a serious expression: "Comrade Commander, the situation has changed. My chief of staff just called and said that the German army was bombarding tin with heavy artillery fire. On the Niavino Heights, our commanders and fighters were suppressed by artillery and unable to move in the trenches. It seems that today’s offensive plan has to be cancelled.

After listening to Meletskov, his face became cloudy and uncertain. After a long time, he said: "Comrade Starikov, you can call Comrade Golovchiner again and ask about the current situation. How's it going?"

Starikov agreed, reached out to grab the phone on the table, and was about to call his chief of staff. Unexpectedly, the phone rang first. He grabbed the microphone and put it to his ear, and said loudly, "This is Starikov, am I the chief of staff? How is the situation with you?"

The voice in the microphone was very loud, and I could hear clearly even when I was standing a few steps away: "Comrade Commander, the situation is very bad. While the Germans were bombarding, they sent out planes to attack the high ground. The enemy The bombers used blasting rounds to blow up the KV tank, which was a fixed turret, and the heavy artillery bombarded the area where our army was assembled. At present, my command post has lost contact with the high ground."

"Continue to contact Gaodi. If you have any new information, report to me immediately." Starikov put down the phone and just wanted to report to Meretskov. The latter waved his hand and said, "I heard it all. Look. When the German army wanted to regain the high ground, it sent out the air force and artillery to carry out raids in an attempt to wipe out all our troops on the ground with powerful firepower."

"Comrade General," Starikov asked cautiously: "You see, the German artillery and air strikes are so fierce, do you think it is necessary to withdraw the troops on the high ground first, so as not to cause more casualties?"

Meletskov immediately shook his head and denied his proposal: "No~www.wuxiaspot.com~ The enemy’s artillery fire is too fierce. At this time, the troops will be withdrawn from the position. The troops without strong fortifications may be The whole army was wiped out."

The battle reports that came one after another were all bad news. Although the commanders of the Neva Group were very brave, they attacked again and again, only leaving mountains of corpses in front of the German defensive positions, and they were unable to make more progress. At noon, in order to strengthen the attack and break through the strong defense line of the German army, the Leningrad Front Army ordered the 86th Infantry Division and the 11th Infantry Brigade, which served as the reserve, to cross the river and put into battle. However, the dense offensive formation, under the fierce German artillery fire, the number of casualties of our army skyrocketed, and the troops finally had to retreat to the valley again.

The Germans poured thousands of bombs and shells on the Signavino Heights, seeming to want to wipe this place from the earth and turn all living creatures into ashes. Under such powerful firepower, the temporarily reinforced fortifications were torn to pieces one after another by artillery fire like toys, and the commanders and fighters hiding in them suffered heavy casualties.

The Neva group's offensive failed, and the Signavino Heights was also at stake. The two fronts joined forces to break the German plan of siege of the city, bursting like a beautiful soap bubble. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to the starting point to vote for recommended votes, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. For mobile phone users, please go to m. to read.)