Steel Soviet Union

Two military parades in a row, one in Moscow and one in Berlin, the non-stop running back and forth was finally over.

But Malashenko did not have time to take a breath and take a rest. Time was still very tight for Malashenko, and the real big things to do were just beginning for Malashenko.

Early the next morning after the four-nation joint military parade, Malashenko received a call from Zhukov and was called to his office to talk face to face.

On the way there, Malashenko had a strong premonition that some long-awaited things would finally be settled in this trip, and now it was time for a final statement.

When Malashenko actually entered Zhukov's office and came to the Red Army God of War and his boss, the strong premonition he had along the way came true as Zhukov slowly opened his mouth.

"The final version of the combat deployment has been released. You were supposed to go to the General Staff Headquarters in Moscow to receive it in person. But considering that your army has a long march from Berlin to the Far East and a large amount of heavy equipment, it will inevitably cost a lot of money on the way. It takes a lot of time, so I will try my best to save you the processes that can be saved, focusing on military efficiency.”

"Vasilevsky found me before I left for Berlin and asked me to hand over the combat deployment to you. The detailed written documents are all in this file bag. You can take it back later and study it yourself. I'm here Let me tell you the general deployment situation first, so that you can at least have a basic understanding of what to do next.”

Suppressing the excitement and manic mood in his heart, the old leader is willing to reward him for "going to class", and Malashenko will definitely have to suffer. The marshal personally explains the combat deployment to you one-on-one. How much dignity does that mean? Others can't even ask for it.

He stood up from the chair behind his desk and, signaling to follow him, led Malashenko all the way to the combat map at the other end of the office.

The huge combat map hanging on the wall had been replaced by Zhukov's dignitaries in advance into a style that Malashenko felt was very familiar to him at first sight.

That was my homeland in my previous life, and the land I still think about day and night and dream about—Northeast China.

The obvious traces of drawing on the map can at least indicate that Zhukov has been studying this thing for a while.

Malashenko guessed what he should do next and how the leadership army would deploy its operations. Zhukov had already fully deduced it and understood it clearly. What happened next can only be said to be true.

"First of all, I am not commanding this Far East operation. I believe you should have heard the news.

"Moscow asked me to stay in Berlin and continue to deal with the next matters, so this military operation in the Far East will be personally directed by Marshal Vasilevsky."

"You know our relationship. We are in-laws. So even if you are under his command for the first time, you don't have to worry too much. I have already said hello to you in advance. All you need to do is Just treat Marshal Vasilevsky the same way you treat me, there is no difference.”

Malashenko and Zhukov are the only two people alone in the office at the moment, and it is only in this environment that it is convenient to say this in private.

This is indeed the first time that Malashenko has been directly ordered to participate in a major strategic military operation under the command of Vasilevsky. Zhukov will have many benefits if he takes care of what needs to be done in advance.

This is not only due to personal relationships and worldly sophistication, but also to allow the generals to better integrate and cooperate with each other, so as to better exert the leadership army's earth-shaking offensive energy.

Malashenko must be grateful for Zhukov's advance planning.

If a marshal can take the initiative to help you as a lieutenant general and use personal relationships to do this, it is no longer something that can be summarized in ordinary official business.

The grateful Comrade Ma was about to say something, at least to express his feelings to Zhukov, but he did not expect that there was a bigger surprise in what Zhukov said next.

"There is one more thing to tell you. You should be very interested in this. No, to be precise, you should be very happy to hear this news."

"The headquarters decided to appoint Marshal Vatutin as the commander of the First Far Eastern Front. In view of the fact that the two of you have a long-term tacit cooperation and have shown excellent combat experience in previous battles, and the First Far Eastern Front In the direction of the battle that the army is responsible for, we really need a force with great offensive energy like the Leader's Army."

"So, you will command the leading army under the First Far East Front Army assigned to Vatugin. It will be directly under the command of the front army. It will be responsible for attacking from east to west, and break through all the Japanese defense lines encountered along the way, and quickly advance to Harbin. Cut off the Kwantung Army's northern group's retreat route to the south and complete the division of the Kwantung Army's northern group from the south. "

"After the follow-up troops arrive and take over your defense area, they will continue south to Changchun and meet up with the Transbaikal Front here. In this way, we will have control of the core area of ​​the entire Northeast region and also intercept the Kwantung Army. The possibility of the group fleeing toward the peninsula.”

“The entire Kwantung Army Group will be unable to connect the north and south, and will not be able to look at each other from east to west, and will be forced to be divided and surrounded into several independent blocks that are not connected to each other, and will be annihilated one by one by the Red Army with absolutely superior strength.

Following the direction of Zhukov's finger, he clearly understood on the map what he was going to do next and how to do it. Malashenko, who still had questions, quietly spoke.

"Then what happens after we arrive in Changchun? Comrade Marshal, I don't think that the moment we arrive in Changchun, the entire Kwantung Army Group will surrender and immediately surrender. This group of stubborn militarists will fight to the end and must be resolute and thorough. Destroy them."

Zhukov nodded when he heard Malashenko's question. When it comes to specific combat plans, Malashenko's guess was indeed correct.

"That's a good question. The headquarters does have high expectations for the performance of the leadership army in this operation. Of course, your combat mission planning does not stop at arriving in Changchun."

"If you complete the encirclement after arriving in Changchun and rendezvousing with the Transbaikal Front, and the situation at that time still requires you to continue fighting and complete further combat missions. Continue south, pass through Shenyang all the way to Dalian, and smash all Japanese obstructions along the way. , and then complete all combat missions.”

The baton in Zhukov's hand started from Changchun and continued down, all the way to Dalian, the southernmost tip of Northeast China.

If the Leader's Army is indeed capable of completing such additional mission objectives, it will mean that the Leader's Army's assault route runs through the entire Northeast, literally splitting the Kwantung Army in half with one sword.

Of course, according to Zhukov's additional explanation, the mission objectives after Changchun are not actually mandatory.

This was supposed to be the combat operation that the Transbaikal Front was responsible for, but for the purpose of testing the combat capabilities of the Leader Army, an experimental synthetic mechanized army with various arms, the Supreme High Command decided to prioritize the allocation if the actual situation permitted. To the leader army.

In other words, it's a competition.

The comparison is whether the leading army has the ability to get ahead of the Transbaikal Front and prepare for the subsequent southward attack using Changchun as the starting point.

If so, you can just accept the combat mission and take it. Every step you take to the south will be considered an additional mission. You can fight wherever you go until you eliminate the little Japs entrenched in the direction of Dalian.

If not, it will still be considered that the leadership army has completed its set combat mission. As the military chief of the leadership army, Malashenko will not be punished in any way for stopping in Changchun.

No one knows what the current combat strength of the leading army is, and how far such ultra-long-distance and high-intensity mechanized march operations can go. A blank test paper has been handed over to Malashenko. It depends on what happens next. How many points can you answer?

A preliminary combat plan has begun to take shape in Malashenko's mind. As for whether it can be implemented, it depends on the actual situation encountered after arriving at the place.

It's hard to tell just by talking on paper about the map at the moment.

After all, the "harsh job" of completely splitting the Kwantung Army in half sounds awesome, but if it is actually executed, even if it is a 100% fully mechanized leader's army, it is really hard to say that it will be able to do this. The work can be done.

"How's it going? Do you feel too stressed to speak?"

""

Looking at Zhukov's obviously joking expression and these words, Malashenko, who couldn't help but laugh, immediately responded with his usual firm answer.

"If it were still the previous leader's division, then what you said is indeed the reality; but now it is not the leader's division but the leader's army. What those Japanese devils will face is several times the devastating blow suffered by the Nazi defenders of Berlin. so"

"Malashenko is confident to complete combat missions, Comrade Marshal, including established combat missions and additional combat missions."

"You once defeated the Japanese devils in the Far East. This time you are unable to go in person, so I will do it on your behalf. Malashenko will definitely make those Japanese devils remember the intense fear even more than in 1939. "

The combat order has been officially issued, and Malashenko will immediately lead his troops to the Far East for final battle preparations.

Stationed in the outskirts of Moscow and having been on standby since the end of the military parade, the Kurbalov 1st Division has officially set off for deployment in the Far East as the vanguard of the leadership army.

On the Berlin side, Malashenko will set off with the military organs of the leading army and return home via Poland with the Varosha Second Division troops who have just participated in the Berlin military parade. And across the entire Soviet Union from west to east, it arrived in the Far East, and finally met up with the Kulbalov Division that arrived first, and then completed all battle preparations, just waiting for the attack.

There were so many pots and pans of belongings that it would take several days just to prepare for departure.

It is impossible for the leading army to just drive tanks all the way back home. It is necessary to use railway lines for strategic maneuvers, and mobilizing railway transportation capacity on such a large scale is not easy. It is just a matter of coordinating various units to formulate railway transportation schedules. Busy work.

Fortunately, Zhukov gave the green light and assisted throughout the process. Although Malashenko was busy in the office every day and had to read telegrams on the phone and use both hands and eyes, at any rate, the efficiency and actual progress of the work were indeed excellent. Faster than ever before.

The time has come and all preparations have been completed. More than half of the troops and heavy equipment of the Second Varosha Division have also boarded the train. The leader's area in Berlin has basically been transferred to friendly forces for defense. The important things were basically busy, and it was time for Malashenko to get on the plane and leave Berlin.

That is to say, on the morning when Malashenko was about to take the flight to leave Berlin, Malashenko, who had gotten up early, welcomed a man who said it was unexpected, not that unexpected, but reasonable, but he seemed to be there. some sudden guests.

It was Major General Jack Morrison, commander of the U.S. Army's Fourth Armored Division stationed in the same city as the leader's army, Malashenko's apprentice and old friend.

"This day has finally come. Ever since the banquet when we met in Berlin, I have always had a premonition that one day you would march eastward and teach those Japanese devils a harsh lesson."

"For the last battle of the anti-Fascist war, I hope you can accept it. I commissioned Colt's top gunsmith to make it specially for you. It is the most advanced private customization. It is the only one in the world. A limited edition one symbolizes your uniqueness in the field of armored combat. You deserve it, and I hope it will bear witness to our friendship.”

""

Jack made a special trip to visit him to say goodbye and give him gifts. Malashenko, who was holding a delicate wooden box in his hand, must say that he did not expect it.

Opening the lid of the wooden box, Malashenko could suddenly see a Colt M1911A1 pistol decorated with exquisite silver reliefs and supported by carved solid wood grips, lying quietly in the box. On top of the red cloth, waiting for acceptance.

“In fact, at first I wanted to make it with gold and silver, but the gunsmith persuaded me to give up this idea because I said it would be a gift to a general with outstanding military exploits, and I hope it can become his sidearm. From a practical perspective, gold inlaid with silver is not a good choice. I hope you like it.”

""

Malashenko once gave Jack a commemorative Tokarev TT33 pistol as a reward for outstanding students in the first "Tank Biathlon" competition, but it was done in an official name.

Now Jack reciprocates the favor and uses his identity, status, and financial resources to find the best gunsmiths from the best firearms companies in the United States to tailor-make this pistol, the only one in the world, for Malashenko. Return gift.

"Dmitri Drukovich Malashenko, 3."

What Malashenko slowly read out was his own name. Together with the date of completion of the gun, it was typed in two rows, engraved on the silver sleeve, neat and magnificent. The English handwriting of seems to have been written by a woman.

And Jack's next words indeed confirmed Malashenko's guess.

"It was not easy to invite Mrs. Goldstein to take on this job. She is known as the ".45 caliber artist." Every .45 caliber pistol made by her is a unique and rare treasure. One of them belongs to you, old friend."