USSR 1941

"Nice to meet you, Comrade Shulka!" Zhukov immediately stepped forward to give Shulka a big hug when he saw Shulka, and then he said to Khrushchev with some embarrassment: "Sorry, political commissar Comrade, Comrade Shulka and I are old comrades in arms!"

"Understandable, Comrade Zhukov!" Khrushchev shook hands with Zhukov.

There were only a few generals in the meeting room, and Shulka immediately recognized Air Force Admiral Novikov who was sitting by the window while drinking tea and looking at others coldly... He seemed to be thinking about what to do. How to deal with the offensive of these "enemies", this meeting is like a debate between the Air Force and the Army for him, and its outcome will determine the fate of the Air Force.

Of course, Novikov believed that the decision was always his own... No one could persuade him to change his mind, unless the Supreme Command removed him from his post.

"Nice to meet you, Comrade Novikov!" Khrushchev stepped forward to shake hands with Novikov, and then introduced: "This is the Comrade Shulka I told you about!"

Novikov nodded, glanced at Shulka, and said calmly: "Sorry, Comrade Khrushchev, I didn't know that the Army needed a captain to make an attack plan, and this attack plan even included the Air Force !"

"The military rank means nothing!" Khrushchev replied. "What we need is a useful plan, don't you think so, Comrade Novikov?"

"It's just that you think it's useful!" Novikov replied coldly.

Zhukov, who was standing next to him, interjected: "Comrade Novikov thinks this plan is unrealistic. Even if the Air Force has a tactical advantage, that is, we can lay traps first, but it is very likely that we will still be repelled by the enemy's Air Force! "

Obviously, Zhukov and others had already argued with Novikov before, and Zhukov was on Shulka's side, while Novikov was on the opposite side.

"What I want to say is..." Novikov stared at Shulka, and he decided to strike first: "You don't understand air combat, Captain! You think air combat is like ground infantry or tanks, a simple ambush or something more As far as I know, the Germans have even installed radar on the aircraft, and they can detect the position of our fighter planes from dozens of kilometers away, even if We hide behind the clouds!"

Shulka knew that what Novikov said was true. For example, the German night fighters were equipped with radars.

But of course, radar in this era is not reliable, and the signal is easily jammed, so it is not as exaggerated as Novikov said.

"We always have a counterattack, Comrade Novikov!" Khrushchev expressed dissatisfaction with Novikov's words: "I think that at no time should we assume that the enemy will defeat us, we should believe Own!"

"I believe in myself, and I believe that we will win!" Novikov replied: "But not now, our pilots need time to grow!"

"But the current war situation does not allow us to wait any longer!" Khrushchev retorted: "You have to know that we are talking about Stalingrad now. If this city is lost, Moscow's rear will also be exposed to the enemy's attack." Under the hood... At that time, I wonder what's the use of keeping the air force? I mean, if Moscow is surrounded by enemies, can you still say that our pilots need time to grow?"

"The problem is, even if I am willing to put the air force into this plan, we may not win!" Novikov said: "The price of failure is, as you said, Comrade Political Commissar, we may lose the air force completely." barrier, and the Soviet Union will be in danger!"

"So what do you think we should do? Let Stalingrad be occupied by the enemy?"

"We can make another battle plan!"

"We have no other plan, only this way!"

...

The two sides are not giving in to each other, and what they say makes sense.

Sometimes things on the battlefield are so ironic: both sides argue with each other for the same purpose,

Both defeated the enemy to defend the Soviet Union, and at the same time, both sides believed that if they did not follow their own ideas, they would all lead to the same result...the collapse of the Soviet Union.

They argued so violently that Shulka was sidelined and unable to intervene.

In fact, Shulka didn't want to interrupt, he just listened quietly.

Until Khrushchev said a little angrily: "Comrade Shulka, don't you say something? The plan you proposed, if the Air Force is missing, is it possible to implement this plan?"

"No, Comrade Political Commissar!" Shulka replied: "We must have the cover of the Air Force, otherwise we cannot win the war!"

"So what if we win the war?" Novikov said: "If the pilots lose a lot in this battle, it may take us two years or more to recover, and then we will have more Stalinist fighters." Guller's problem! You don't understand what it's going to do!"

"Comrade Novikov, I agree with you!" said Shulka.

Khrushchev looked at Shulka in astonishment, and Zhukov and Novikov were no exception.

"You are crazy, Comrade Shulka!" Khrushchev still couldn't believe that Shulka would say such a thing.

"No, Comrade Novikov is right!" Shulka said: "We cannot allow the Air Force to suffer serious damage, because it takes a long time to train pilots, especially good pilots, and it is different from the infantry for months or even several months." It’s not the same as building an army in just one day!”

Novikov cast an unexpected look at Shulka again. He realized that the captain in front of him was not simple. He seemed to know some knowledge of air combat.

Moreover, Novikov believes that Shulka will never be so simple.

Sure enough, Shulka changed the subject and said, "But Comrade Novikov, why can't we win the Battle of Stalingrad and preserve the strength of the Air Force?"

Novikov couldn't help laughing: "Is it just based on your so-called tactical advantages? I have already said that although they are useful, they will not be useful to the point of defeating the enemy's air force!"

"No, not only this!" Shulka said: "If we use the ground troops as bait, do you think this advantage is enough?"

"What do you mean?" Novikov asked.

"I mean... the ground troops are in front, waiting for the enemy to attack!" Shulka said: "When the enemy fighters and bombers attack our army, our fighters will go into battle again!"