USSR 1941

Shulka only slept for about five hours before being awoken by Major Mikhailevich.

"Comrade Golikov told us to go to the headquarters!" Major Mikhailevich said.

Shuerka opened his mouth, rubbed his still sore eyes and got up, looked at the soldiers around him who were still lying on the ground and snoring everywhere, and couldn't help feeling a little envious of them.

The advantages of being an officer are obvious, but there are also many disadvantages. For example, Shulka now has to report to Golikov.

The Army Group Command has already moved.

This is due to the fact that the previous command was located too close to the front line... While the 82nd Infantry Regiment was fighting the enemy for Mamayev Post, the Germans were advancing in other directions.

The new headquarters was set up in the basement of a bungalow, and Shulka, who arrived in a jeep, even took a nap in the car.

This is often the case with people. If you stay awake all the time, your head seems to be awake, and sometimes it is even a little difficult to fall asleep.

However, once someone wakes you up at the beginning of sleep, the drowsiness will flow in like a torrential river.

Then Major Mikhailvich had to wake Shulka again.

"Shulka!" Major Mikhailvich reminded in a low voice: "That's Comrade Golikov, Commander of the Army Group!"

Shulka knew what Major Mikhailvich meant... Golikov wanted to see them, so he had to take it seriously anyway. How could he fall asleep so casually?

Shulka was a little helpless.

It's not that he looked down on Golikov. In fact, although Golikov's performance on the battlefield was not very good. Taking office and ultimately holding Stalingrad proved him wrong.

But Golikov was a celebrity in the Khrushchev era.

The reason why Shulka behaves like this is because he cares more about war, the battlefield, and life, rather than going to the headquarters to report the results of the battle... If he does this, Shulka would rather continue to lie in the warehouse Get some more sleep.

Shulka soon learned, however, that Golikov had called them to headquarters for more than just a report.

"Comrade Shulka,

Comrade Mikhailvich! "Golikov shook hands with them enthusiastically when he saw the two: "Thank you, and the 82nd Infantry Regiment, you saved Mamayev Gang from falling into enemy hands, which almost saved Stalingrad!" "

"That's what we have to do, Comrade Golikov!" Major Mikhailevich answered boldly.

"Of course, your contribution is not limited to this!" Golikov said, patting Shulka on the shoulder, and said: "We have fully extended your tactics to the entire Stalingrad, and it has been proved to be effective. The speed of the enemy's advance is measured in meters, and we will take it back at night! Thank you, Comrade Shulka, for giving Stalingrad the hope of surviving!"

"This is the effort of our entire army, Comrade Golikov!" Shulka replied.

Then Golikov invited the two of them to walk to the map. Akimovich was standing beside him holding a baton. Seeing Shulka and Mikhailvich, they nodded slightly in greeting.

As the staff officer of the army group, Akimovich should of course return to the army at this time and apply what he learned from the 82nd Infantry Regiment to the battlefield.

"Tell us about our problems, Comrade Akimovich!" Golikov shook his head at Akimovich.

"The Stalingrad Front's attack on Kotluban is not ideal!" Akimovich pointed to the position north of Stalingrad, and said: "In fact, they suffered heavy casualties, and it is expected that they will not be able to maintain the offensive soon! "

It was Shulka who actually came up with the plan.

The Stalingrad Front Army was blocked north of Stalingrad and could not enter the battlefield, while the Southeastern Front Army was struggling to support in Stalingrad.

Therefore, using the Stalingrad Front to attack the German army can share the pressure of the Southeastern Front in Stalingrad.

"So fast?" Shulka asked suspiciously when he heard the words: "The Stalingrad Front seems to have only attacked for a dozen days!"

Akimovich nodded and replied: "It's been twelve days so far!"

Shulka frowned.

Twelve days later, the elite Stalingrad Front lost its energy to attack, which is unbelievable.

And what they have to do is to share the pressure of Stalingrad, that is, they only need to feign an attack, and they are only facing a part of the German army.

Akimovich seemed to see Shulka's doubts, so he explained: "They changed their strategic goals!"

"What?" Shulka raised his head in shock.

Akimovich didn't dare to say any more when he said this, and he cast his eyes on Golikov.

Golikov took over the words and said: "The strategic goal of the Stalingrad Front is not to reduce the pressure on Stalingrad, Comrade Shulka, they are breaking through the German defense line and getting in touch with Stalingrad!"

Then Shulka understood.

This is different from his previous comments.

Because if the strategic goal is to share the pressure for Stalingrad, then it is enough to carry out a feint attack and transfer the German troops and air power to the north.

But if their goal was to make contact with Stalingrad, they would have to break through and occupy the German lines and towns north of Stalingrad.

This is indeed very tempting, because in this way Stalingrad will be relieved, it does not even need to transport supplies and troops from the east bank of the Volga River, it can be transported directly from the Stalingrad Front in the north, and it can even repair the railway line with trains Transportation, obviously, can greatly improve the situation in Stalingrad.

However, attacking the German defense line without air superiority is terrible, especially when the German army is in a good position.

Because this first of all means that the Soviet tanks can hardly get close to the German defense line... They will be destroyed by German fighters and bombers one by one on the way forward.

Then the artillery of the German army cannot play its due role, and they will be completely suppressed by German fighter planes.

Then, the Soviet infantry will face the enemy's aircraft, artillery, tanks and complete fortifications alone.

Shulka could almost imagine the scene where the infantry charged meaninglessly under artillery fire and then fell down in batches.

"How many enemies are stationed in the north?" Shulka asked.

"Six divisions..." After a pause, Golikov replied, "Actually, five divisions!"

Six divisions are the number Zhukov reported to Moscow, and the actual strength of the German army is five divisions.