With a moustache, fejiuningsky stood up from the table and said with a smile, "major oshanina, I'm glad to see you here safely." After shaking hands with me, he pointed to the bench beside the table and said, "don't mention it. Please sit down."
I looked in the direction of his fingers, and then sat down with some formality, just opposite his position. After he sat down, aware of my nervousness, he took the initiative to start a dialogue with me. He said, "major oshanina, if I remember correctly, we have dealt with each other before."
I quickly stood up and said, "yes, comrade commander. In September 1941, I fought in the defense of the Pulkovo highlands. At the end of a battle, you once visited the position with general Zhukov and commander Huojin. And soon after you became the commander of the 42nd army, the 21st division of the Ministry of internal affairs where I work will be under your command. "
"Sit down and talk. You're old acquaintances. Don't be so formal." On hearing my reply, ferjiuningsky's neatly trimmed moustache suddenly shook and his face began to smile. He raised his hand, pressed it down, and said, "major oshanina, I can't believe you are familiar with my resume. But you are not simple. After you went to Moscow with general Zhukov, you made a name for yourself and even became a general for a time, commanding tens of thousands of troops to take part in the counter offensive under the city of Moscow. "
I heard him mention my past history with a smile and no words.
"I heard that you were transferred back to Leningrad's front army and just went to the ice transportation line and served as the commander of an ordinary antiaircraft artillery battalion. It's very humble," he said Then he pointed to the map on the desk with a red and blue pencil and said to me, "I'll tell you about the current situation of the enemy and ourselves. This is the volhof River, the main outlet of Lake irmen. It flows through Novgorod, passes northeast through a flat basin with marshes, and flows into Lake Ladoga. The 54th army under my command is now deployed on the East Bank of the volhof river.
At the same time as the group army, the warhoff front army was deployed on the east coast. It was formed on December 17, 1941 on the basis of Leningrad's left wing forces and the reserve forces of the headquarters of the supreme command, with the purpose of giving more accurate campaign command to the fighting forces east of the volhof river. It has the 4th, 52nd and 59th army groups; The second group army (adapted from the 26th group army) and the aviation corps were attacked. The commander of the front army was under the command of general meletzkov, the former chief of the general staff of the Red Army. The task of the front army is to annihilate the German forces on the West Bank of the volhof River, and then to develop an attack in the northwest direction, and cooperate with the Leningrad front army to lift the blockade of the hostile Leningrad. "
It's the first time I've heard of the Volkhov's front army, whether it's the formation of the army or the name of the commander of the front army, general meletzkov. Because a lot of information is confidential, it would not have been possible for a junior officer of my level to know if it had not been for fejiuningsky to tell me. To tell you the truth, before I came here, I thought that all the troops outside Leningrad were under the command of fejiuningsky.
After a brief introduction of the deployment of the warhof River, fejiuningsky looked at me and said with a kind smile, "major oshanina, you have also commanded the battles of tens of thousands of people. If you give the warhof front army or the 54th army to you, how will you command it?"
When he asked me this question, I was immediately dumbfounded: other people are all generalists. They can strategize and win thousands of miles. They can make use of the convenience of being familiar with history to turn the tide. Even if they are bound to lose, they can turn defeat into victory. However, as a trailblazer, I know little about the history of the war of defending the country. I'm even a rookie in military affairs. Some of my achievements in the past were just due to some people and good luck. If you really want me to talk about how to fight, I'm crazy. I didn't dare to look at fejiuningsky's eyes. I could only stare at the map and pretend to be thinking hard. In fact, I was so confused that I didn't know how to answer his question.
"Major oshanina," said fejiuningsky, who hesitated to speak. "What are you thinking? Why don't you answer me?"
I shrugged my shoulders and answered with a bitter smile, "Comrade commander, I don't know how to answer you. You know, although I've been a general and commanded tens of thousands of people to fight, in the final analysis, I'm a high-level dragon in soy sauce. Everything is carried out according to the strategy arranged by the superior, just fine-tuning the details. "
"Soy sauce?" Fejaninski repeated the word and asked in surprise, "what does it mean?"
When I heard him ask this question, I would like to slap myself in the face and say something bad. I have to say "make soy sauce". It's no wonder that Russia doesn't have soy sauce at all. I explained awkwardly: "how to say, this is a mantra I heard from soldiers from East Asia. The general meaning is: the Red Army soldier is a brick, where needs to move
Fejaninski opened his mouth, gave a silent smile, and said, "this metaphor is very interesting. It's the first time I've heard of it. However, in the past half a year or so, my position has also changed rapidly, first as deputy to general Zhukov, commander of the front army, and then as commander of the 42nd army. After Zhukov was transferred, I also served as commander of Leningrad's front army for a period of time. Later, he exchanged with general Huojin and became the commander of the 54th army. It may not be long before I am transferred to command other troops. "
"Comrades commander," I was afraid that feijiuningsky was asking me some embarrassing questions, so I quickly cut off the topic: "can I know what position I am going to hold in the 54th army?"“ I plan to put you in the combat Office of the headquarters of the group army as a combat staff officer first. " Said fejiuningsky vaguely“ However, comrade commander, I prefer to go to the combat forces. " To tell you the truth, I have no interest in serving as a staff officer in the headquarters. I prefer to stay in the front-line combat forces, "even if you let me command a battalion or a company."“ This is not a question you should consider. "When it comes to my work arrangement, feijiuningsky seems to have changed his mind. He impatiently interrupted me." you just said that the Red Army soldier is a brick. Where do you need to move it? Why did you forget so soon? "“ But I've never worked in the war office before? "“ No one is born with it. You can learn it if you don't understand it. " He interrupted me again and said firmly, "I'm very optimistic about your ability to command troops, but you still have a lot to learn to be an excellent senior commander. That's why you're in the war office. It's not my opinion, it's general Zhukov himself. " Hearing Zhukov's meaning, I can only accept this reality reluctantly. I stood up, saluted him and asked, "Comrade commander, I obey the organization's arrangement. Who should I go to report to?" Feijiuninsky went to the door, opened the door, and said to the lieutenant on duty outside: "Comrade lieutenant, you lead major oshanina to the combat department to report, and arrange her accommodation by the way."“ Yes, "the lieutenant said decisively. I saluted fejaninski again and was about to leave. He suddenly stopped me and said, "major oshanina, maybe you will be transferred again soon after you stay in the combat department. I hope you will be ready in advance." Just came to a new place to report, not waiting to go to work formally, soon to be transferred away? I was stunned for a moment, and then I couldn't help asking fejiuningsky curiously: "Comrade commander, can I ask where I was transferred?" Instead of answering my question directly, fejiuningsky said, "someone has been calling me these two days, hoping to transfer you to his army." I'm very curious about the person who asked me to go. You know, I don't seem to be well-known here in Leningrad. Otherwise, I would not have been able to fight with soldiers at the checkpoint of the ice transportation line twice. So I asked softly, "Comrade commander, can I ask who it is?"“ Your old superior, lieutenant general Vlasov. " Fejiuningsky also said softly: "he is now the deputy commander of the volhoff front army. At present, he is commanding the second shock group army of the front army to launch an offensive against the German army in the liuban area in order to coordinate the breakthrough of the Leningrad front army."