USSR 1941

The next day, when the sky was bright, the situation became even more serious...

The entire Volga River and even the sky over Stalingrad were full of German fighters and bombers.

The planes over the Volga River were mainly aimed at transport ships and Soviet anti-aircraft firepower... As I said before, there are two long sandbars in the middle of the Volga River, and the Soviet army deployed a large number of antiaircraft firepower on the sandbars.

The purpose of doing this is obvious.

On the one hand, it saves ammunition while protecting river transportation.

The so-called saving ammunition is relative to deploying anti-aircraft firepower on the banks of the Stalingrad River... If you want to deploy firepower in Stalingrad, you must transport anti-aircraft machine guns, anti-aircraft gun bullets and shells to Stalingrad, and then Piece by piece hit the air.

Obviously, deploying these firepower on the sandbar will save much trouble, and the pressure on logistical supplies will be much less.

On the other hand, the anti-aircraft fire on the sandbar will relieve the pressure on the transport ship to a certain extent... Sometimes the enemy planes will let the transport ship go to attack the anti-aircraft fire.

After all, German pilots are not stupid. They know that anti-aircraft firepower should be preferred between anti-aircraft firepower and transport ships.

Because as long as the anti-aircraft firepower is eliminated, the transport ship is just a lamb to be slaughtered.

The planes over Stalingrad provided fire cover for German attacks in other directions.

This is what Golikov predicted last night. The enemy will exert pressure from two directions at the same time: increase the blockade while accelerating the pace of attack, so Stalingrad will soon fall into a supply dilemma.

The situation in Stalingrad is indeed not optimistic.

This can be seen from the serious shrinkage of the supplies... It was still a finger-thick piece of brown bread at mealtime last night.

Although the taste of this black bread is not very good, especially the Soviets added grass seeds and indigestible mineral powder to the black bread to save food (note: the indigestible mineral powder makes the stomach less hungry).

But when you are hungry, you will not be picky eaters.

Today, there is nothing after breakfast time, and still nothing after lunch time...

The soldiers were so hungry that their chests stuck to their backs, but they only replenished a few boxes of bullets in company units.

"What's the matter?" Valery asked, "Are we going to use bullets as bread? Even if my teeth are hard enough to chew it,

I am also worried that there will not be enough ammunition to go to the battlefield by then! "

"Shut your mouth, Valery!" Major Mikhailevich responded, "That's all they gave us!"

"But Comrade Major!" Valery said, "We can't go to the battlefield with these bullets without eating anything!"

"Did you see the dirt at your feet?" Major Mikhailvich replied, "It must be much softer than bullets. I believe your teeth can chew it, and it may smell of fried noodles. In this way, You can fill your stomach again without worrying about running out of bullets! Voila, problem solved!"

There was laughter from among the troops, amused by Major Mikhailevich's words.

The Soviets had their own sense of humor, and it could come across as crude and even crude.

For example, Major Mikhailvich's answer, he didn't explain the reason at all, maybe he didn't know the reason himself.

But these words did make his subordinates shut up.

But of course, this is not a long-term solution, and problems will arise over time.

So Shulka added.

"Don't think too much, Valery!" Shulka said: "I think you have seen how crazy the German planes are. This is the root cause of our reduced supplies."

"But we have to eat too, Comrade Captain!" Valery replied.

"Of course there will be!" Shulka said: "You must know that we are the 82nd Infantry Regiment. The 82nd Infantry Regiment successfully repelled the German attack on Mamayev Hill. Do you think they will easily let us starve to death?"

The soldiers nodded with proud smiles on their faces, including Valery... The 82nd Infantry Regiment at this time is no longer the same as the previous 82nd Infantry Regiment. It is no longer a "punishment" force. Rather, it should be the hero unit that should prioritize the distribution of supplies.

"I think the reason why we haven't got food yet!" Shulka continued: "Probably because the front line is fighting fiercely..."

Speaking of Shulka, he raised his head towards the sound of gunfire and artillery from the west, and then continued: "We must give priority to the distribution of food to the troops fighting on the front line, what do you think?"

"That's right!" Andrianka gave an assist at the right time: "At least we are still lying here chatting, sleeping, and drinking the leftover vodka from yesterday. But the troops on the front line, what they have to face is bullets, Shells, planes, and the German charge, do you think we should take the food from them?"

The soldiers nodded one after another.

"Yeah, we shouldn't be doing that!"

"Of course they should get the food first!"

"If one day we are fighting the enemy on the front line, we don't want to be hungry!"

...

So the troops quickly reached a consensus, and in the end even Valery, who first proposed this, felt a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, Comrade Captain!" Valery sat next to Shulka and said, "I didn't think of this!"

"I know, Comrade Valery!" Shulka nodded.

The ideas of the Soviets are often simple and direct. For example, Valery, he only thinks about being hungry, needing food, and not being able to fight without food... that's all.

"In principle, you are not wrong!" Shulka continued: "Because what you said is what a normal soldier would think of and would like to say... You are just expressing the feelings of others!"

Valery nodded. What Shulka said was the truth, which convinced him, because other people often said some metaphysical truths.

"But!" As Shulka said, he changed the subject: "There is nothing wrong with being a soldier, the problem is that you are not just a soldier, you are also an officer, a second lieutenant battalion commander, and you command more than two hundred soldiers. Soldier, and all your words and deeds will cause similar reactions from your subordinates, then there is something wrong with what you say!"

"But, Comrade Captain!" Valery was a little confused: "That is to say, I did it wrong?"

"Yes!" Shulka nodded, "Especially as an officer of the 82nd Infantry Regiment!"

"So... what should I do?" Valery asked, "I mean, if I encounter a problem like this next time!"

"You don't need to do anything!" Shulka replied: "The words you said should be said by your subordinates!"

Valery said "Oh", "Then, I will answer with your words, shall I?"

Shulka nodded.

Valery's understanding is good, and this is also the only way for the 82nd Infantry Regiment to transform from a "punishment" unit to a "heroic" unit... First of all, officers can no longer whine or blame others, which will directly affect the morale of the troops and affect their combat effectiveness .