Struggle in Soviet Russia

After a brief or even simple station reception ceremony, accompanied by a group of generals, Comrade Stalin took a ferry across the Volga River, ashore from the pier across the river, and entered the city of Stalingrad that had become a ruin.

Going ashore from the pier, climbing up to a bank that is more than ten meters high, the first thing that reflects all the eyelids is a four-story spire building. It used to be a citizen's apartment. Today, the apartment building’s The spire has been completely collapsed, and only three broken triangular vertical walls are still standing on the roof.

This is the first place Comrade Stalin will visit when he comes to Stalingrad this time. This building is the famous "Pavlov Building" in later generations. From September to November, 23 Soviet soldiers and their hiding places Thirty civilians here withstood hundreds of times the German attack and successfully held on for 58 days, creating a miracle in the history of human warfare.

Of course, with a dissatisfied Soviet force, it was possible to defend this building for many reasons.

For example, the terrain here is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The building happens to be at the intersection of the "January 9th" Square and Soviet Avenue, so it has a wide view, with nearly one thousand meters of vision in three directions, suitable for blocking.

For example, it is close to the river bank and can receive concentrated fire support from the Soviet artillery units on the other side of the river. In terms of firepower equipment, the defense here is not weaker than the German offensive force.

For another example, the defense of this building does not exist in isolation. It forms a relatively complete line of defense with neighboring defensive points such as flour mills and docks. , All concentrated on this building.

But in any case, the effective defense of this building will become a classic in the history of war. To describe it with a less kind comparison, the Germans have defeated even Paris in the same time, but they have not been able to. Lay down this building.

Comrade Stalin visited the riverside building, the central railway station, the Red Star Tractor Factory, and the Mamayev Hill, four important defensive strongholds in this nearly bombed city. He also visited the 13th Infantry Division camp in front of him. , Expressed condolences to the wounded officers and soldiers, and in the division’s camp, delivered a public speech demanding that the Soviet Red Army be unyielding and united in fighting, continue to inflict heavy losses on the German fascists, and advance to Berlin.

In addition to the officers and soldiers of the 13th Infantry Division, reporters from a total of 49 countries and diplomats in the Soviet Union from 13 countries attended the speech. After the speech, the General Political Department and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, It also opened prisoner-of-war camps to journalists from various countries, allowing them to enter the prisoner-of-war camp to interview the captured German generals and officers.

For reporters from all over the world who gathered in Stalingrad, this interview was definitely a feast. In just one battle, more than 20 German generals were captured. Since the outbreak of the war, such a result has never appeared. Too.

Located in the Bektovka district in the southern part of Stalingrad, because it is located on the east bank of the Volga River, this district has been well preserved during months of cruel wars and has hardly been affected much. Today, the captured German prisoners of war camps are set up in Here, German generals, including Paulus, can also be assigned to separate rooms.

In the October Auditorium, Victor’s jeep was parked on the stairs outside the auditorium. As soon as the car stopped, a major in the uniform of the National Security People’s Committee hurried over and straightened up while pulling the door open for him. Military salute.

The major was very young, he looked like he was in his early thirties, he had a good face, thick eyebrows and big eyes. Victor didn't know the full name of the major, only that his surname was Yavoronin. He was previously the head of the Stalingrad Bureau of the People's Committee of the Interior, and now he is the head of the Stalingrad Bureau of the People's Committee of National Security.

"How's the situation inside?" Victor asked when he got out of the car and paid the military salute to the major, looking up at the entrance of the auditorium.

"The atmosphere is very warm," Major Yavoronin smiled and said, "However, the Germans quarreled first and blamed each other. They all believed that the reason for the defeat was the responsibility of the other party. Of course, they received the most criticism. It's Paulus."

Victor nodded and walked up the steps.

The October Auditorium is an interview site specially arranged for journalists from all over the world. Today, more than 20 German generals who were captured in the entire battle were sent here for interviews. This is a show of Moscow to the world. , Is also a kind of humiliation to the Germans.

Entering the auditorium from the main entrance, as soon as he entered the door, Victor heard the stroboscopic sound of flashing lights, and in the direction facing the entrance of the auditorium, there were two rows of generals who were still wearing German military uniforms. In the center of the man was Paulus, who was haggard and unshaven.

After being captured for so many days, these pampered generals did not even get the opportunity to take a bath or change their clothes. Anyone can see their embarrassment at a glance.

At this time, a reporter is asking Paulus. The general content of the question is why he did not order his troops to attack the central ferry directly during the battle, instead splitting his troops to attack the Soviet defense's strong north. The factory area and the barn area in the south.

This question seems to be "professional", but in fact it is an out-and-out layman, and even Victor can give him an answer.

The urban landscape of Stalingrad is a long and narrow belt-like structure from north to south. During the battle, the Soviet army has been using the central ferry to provide supplies to the troops fighting in the city, and even a large number of soldiers are constantly replenished from this ferry. .

Therefore, according to laymen’s views, it seems that the German army only needs to concentrate its forces and carry out an assault in the direction of the central ferry, intercepting the logistics supply of the Soviet army, and the battle is over.

But the reality is that the German army did not want to do this, but they could not advance at all, because without taking the two Soviet control areas in the north and south, the German army only proceeded from the middle road, and the entire road of advancement will be taken from Covered by Soviet artillery fire in three directions: east, south, and north.

Such an offensive would easily evolve into a massacre by the Soviet artillery on the German offensive forces, even the mechanized regiment could not withstand such a blow.

Why did the German army spend so much effort to attack Mamayev Hill? Isn’t it because it’s the most important highland. If you seize this highland, the Germans can deploy artillery on the top of the **** to bombard all the dead spots in the city and eliminate those hidden in the northern factory area and the southern part. The Soviet barracks in the barn area belonged to artillery.

It is a pity that they have not been able to shoot down Mamayev Hill. At least, the resistance of the Soviet army prevented them from deploying the artillery to the best position.

Victor found a place to sit down in the back row, and Javoronen quickly sent a document in front of him.

Victor lit a cigarette, and then began to look through the documents.

This document was written and submitted by Yavoronin himself, and it involved two contents.

The first is about the safety of these captured German generals. According to Javoronin, the inner guard battalion under his command has been attacked by six German infiltration squads in just the last four days.

These German infiltration squads should have all come by airborne at night, and their mission must be to resolve or resolve these captured German generals.

For this reason, Javoronen suggested that these important prisoners be moved to a safe place as soon as possible, because he was worried that the German army should have grasped the location of these people, and in the next step, they might launch a large-scale operation here. bombing.

As for the second item in the report, it is some requests made by these captured German generals. These requirements are varied and varied. Some require a hot bath every day; some require dry white wine; some require daily newspapers; even more, they also propose to eat two breakfasts a day. , Because they Germans are used to eating two breakfasts.

"Comrade Yavoroning Shaoxia," after reading the document, Victor raised his head. He frowned and looked at the German generals who were answering questions from the reporters. "For the first suggestion you made, the highest The High Command has given clear instructions. In the next two days, these people will be transferred to Moscow and the Prisoners of War Administration of the NKVD will take over."

The tone paused, and Victor poked his finger on the document lightly, and said: "As for these requirements, those who are in a mess, don't care. These guys must understand that they are now prisoners and they are trying to destroy and enslave the Soviet people. In the process, I became our prisoner of war instead of coming here as a tourist for vacation."

"Yes, comrade committee member," Yavoronin said respectfully.

"They can have the right to take a bath, and if they can, they can even provide them with some change of clothes," Victor continued, "but don't think about getting hot baths every day. That's a waste of resources. We don’t have dry white wine. Tell them that the place where we can produce dry white wine is in Crimea, which is still occupied by fascist invaders, and those invaders are their accomplices."

After a pause, he continued: "Newspapers can be given to them, but we only provide Soviet newspapers. If they like to read them, we can even provide them with translations. As for two breakfasts, you can tell them clearly, we The soldiers of the Soviet Red Army defeated them by relying on the nutrition provided by a breakfast every day. This fact proves that the nutrition they absorb by eating a breakfast is more conducive to their health."