Chapter 393

Old maozi is dull and tardy. If we don't set a deadline for the preparation of the warhoff front army, we have to wait for them to slowly replenish their troops and weapons before launching the battle of the sinavino bulge. I think it will be months or even half a year at least.

Although in the first day's headquarters of the front army, whether it was major general starikov, commander of the eighth group army, or general jaggyaliov, artillery commander of the front army, they were all crying for the troops to be assembled in a short time. When he learned that Stalin had issued a death order, which stipulated that the campaign of the sinavino bulge must be launched on July 17, if the delay affected the launch of the campaign on time, he would be sent to the military court regardless of his rank, which immediately showed unprecedented high efficiency. In just one day, more than a dozen infantry divisions, tank brigades and artillery regiments participating in the campaign all entered the designated positions at 11 p.m. on the 16th.

I always thought that general Gagan's fourth guard would serve as the first echelon of the campaign's attack. After the artillery preparation, it would first attack the German positions. However, after consulting the campaign plan, I was surprised to find that I had made a mistake: it turned out that the first echelon of attack was not the fourth guards, but general starikov himself commanding the sixth guards. General Gagan's troops, as the third echelon, are responsible for expanding the results of the war, strengthening the assault, completing the whole breakthrough and meeting the Leningrad front army.

At the same time, I also found from the plan reported by the artillery command that jaggyaliov was also an incompetent commander. He even made a mistake about the number and types of artillery units under his jurisdiction. Originally, the artillery units of the front army had not 24 artillery regiments, but 12 artillery regiments and 9 mortar regiments, 4 independent mortar battalions, 3 M-13 Katyusha artillery battalions and 7 M-30 Katyusha artillery battalions. Although the artillery commander is incompetent, his staff officers are not ambiguous. According to the plan, the artillery positions are arranged in an orderly manner, and the gun density per kilometer has reached the 180 guns I suggested.

I was looking at the battle plan when I heard someone calling me. I looked up and saw meletskov standing in front of me. It turned out that he was calling me. I quickly got up and saluted him: "Hello, comrade commander, I was just looking at the campaign plan and didn't notice your arrival. Please forgive me!"

Meletzkov raised his hand and pressed it down. He said politely, "Rita, don't be so outspoken. Sit down and talk."

Although I promised verbally, I stood still. I knew in my heart that although the leader asked me to sit down, before he sat down, I, as a subordinate, could not sit down first.

When meletskov sat down, I sat down again. I know that he suddenly came to say hello, there must be something to say to me, so he straightened his waist, looked at him, waiting for his inquiry.

My guess was right. He looked at the information in front of me, nodded, looked up and asked me, "Rita, I think you've been reading this campaign plan for two hours. I wonder if you have any different views on this plan? "

I picked up the plan, turned it over, took out a page of it, pushed it to meletskov, and politely said, "Comrade commander, I have a little different opinion on the way of participation of Leningrad's front army after the launching of the campaign."

Meletzkov picked up the page, scanned it with his eyes, put it on the table again, and asked curiously, "what's the difference? Let's hear it. "

"Comrade commander, please look here!" I stood up, leaned forward slightly, picked up the pencil on the table, lit a few lines, and said, "after the battle, the Neva group of Leningrad's front army will cooperate with the attack launched by the volhoff's front army with heavy artillery and aviation."

Meletzkov's eyes were fixed on the paper on the table, nodded and said: "I also mentioned this point yesterday. Because Comrade Stalin was worried that crossing the Neva River would be a difficult task, he cancelled the plan for the Leningrad front army to cross the river. Instead, he let them support our attack with long-range heavy guns, the naval guns of the Baltic Fleet and the air force. We didn't cross the Neva until the offensive troops of our front army approached it. " At this point, he raised his head, raised his eyebrows, and said in some surprise, "do you mean that your different views refer to this matter?"

I nodded my head and said with certainty: "Comrade commander, I personally think that if the Leningrad front army, with the 55th group army and the Neva campaign as a group, launched an opposite attack at the same time after the attack of our front army, the result would be much greater. But now if they don't cross the river to cooperate in the battle, it means that our front army has to break through the whole German defense zone independently. To break through an area as deep as 16 kilometers is by no means an easy task. Can you call Comrade Stalin and ask Leningrad's front army to revise its operational plan and send troops across the river to cooperate with our front army's attack? "

After listening to what I said, meletzkov almost immediately waved his hand and denied my proposal: "no, this campaign deployment is made by the supreme command, and Comrade Stalin's orders are not allowed to be discussed, and can only be implemented unconditionally." Then he got up and left.

Looking at his back, I can't help thinking of the conversation I overheard last night when I was eating in the restaurant. They said that meletskov served as chief of the general staff, and later, for various reasons, he was arrested and examined by the Ministry of the interior. Almost all the people arrested with him were executed or exiled, and he was the only one who returned to the army unharmed. Perhaps it was this unspeakable experience that filled his heart with fear of Stalin, so when he carried out Stalin's orders, no matter how unreasonable they seemed, he would carry them out unconditionally. Thinking of this, I couldn't help sighing, saying that the upcoming battle seems to be more or less dangerous.

The time of the offensive campaign was finally set at two o'clock in the morning of the 17th. First, the artillery units of the front army carried out heavy shelling on the enemy's defensive positions. When the shelling was over, the infantry charged again.

The attack time is communicated by me to the commanders of each echelon one by one. After listening to my announcement of the attack time, general starikov suddenly asked, "major oshanina, do I need to send engineers in advance to sneak into the enemy's minefield to clear mine?"

Engineer mine?! At yesterday's meeting, it was agreed that the tank troops would go to mine. Why did it suddenly mention the issue of sending engineers to mine?

When meletzkov, who was giving orders in the headquarters, saw me holding the microphone in a daze, he quickly came over and asked with concern, "Rita, what's the matter? Who are you talking to? "

I covered the microphone and reported in a low voice: "Comrade commander, general starikov of the eighth group army, asked if he would send engineers to sneak into the enemy's position to clear up a passage for the attacking troops."

"Isn't it easy to use tanks for mine clearance? This starikov is such a fool. Give me the phone Then he took the call and raised his voice and said, "is that starikov? I'm meletskov. I said, what's the matter with you? Don't you know that with the current gun density, after the heavy artillery bombardment of the enemy, almost all the mines in the minefield can be reimbursed? Even if there are some left, we can clear all the tanks when we drive over. Well, you don't need to say that. Just according to what was said at the meeting that day, when the shelling went on for an hour and a half, that is, at 3:30 in the morning, let the two tank brigades of your group army attack quickly. As soon as the shelling stopped, they immediately rushed to the station occupied by the Germans, and quickly captured and destroyed all the defenders. At the same time, let the troops occupying the station quickly repair the fortifications and turn it into our starting position for attacking the heights of sinavino. "

Putting down the phone, meletskov saw that the commanders who participated in the campaign command were walking into the headquarters one by one. He didn't care to talk to me and went straight to them. Then a group of generals surrounded the wooden table and began to study the map.

When the clock was about to point to two o'clock, the chief of operations, Colonel semunov, picked up a telephone beside the wall, dialed it, held it and said to artillery commander jaggyaliov, "Comrade General, the telephone of the artillery has been connected."

Jaggyaliov, who had been sitting, glanced at meletskov. Seeing the latter, he nodded to him with a smile. Then he stood up with the table, walked quickly to semunov's side and took the microphone. He put the microphone to his ear and said, "I'm general jaggyaliov, artillery commander of the front army." At this point, he stopped and looked up at the watch on his wrist. When the time was just two o'clock, he suddenly raised his voice and cried out: "all artillery, fire!"

About ten seconds later, the sound of guns came from outside.

When he heard the roar of the guns outside, meletskov became calm. He called to the generals in the room: "the shelling will continue for another two hours. Let's sit down and have a rest. After general starikov's infantry attack, we will study the next deployment. "

Waiting is very boring. The atmosphere in the headquarters is very dull. A large group of generals are sitting around the table. Some of them are looking at the map, some of them are leaning against the back of the chair, looking at the big log on the roof in a daze. No one speaks.

Time is waiting, minute by minute. When a telephone placed against the wall suddenly rang, all the people's attention was attracted in the past. I was nearest to the phone. I quickly went to pick up the phone and politely said, "this is the headquarters of the front army. If you have something to say, please speak!"

"Is it major o'shanina?" General starikov's voice came from the microphone.

"Yes, I'm o'shanina." After I showed my identity to the general, I asked tentatively, "Comrade commander of the group army, do you have any information to report to the general?"

"Yes, comrade major. Please give the microphone to the senior general. I have good news for him. " There was an irrepressible joy in starikov's voice.

I covered the receiver and looked up at meletskov, surprised to find that everyone was staring at me. I was a little embarrassed, so I coughed to make myself feel a little more stable, and then I reported to you, "Comrade General, it's general starikov who called. He said that he wanted to report the good news to you in person."

On hearing the good news, the impatient generals all came and surrounded me in the middle. Meletzkov, a short man, pushed aside the generals who were standing in front of him, came up to me, took the microphone, and then said nervously, "starikov? I'm general meletzkov. "

When meletzkov and starikov talked, all the people were staring at him, trying to know what the good news of starikov was for the first time? I was standing next to meletzkov, and I could hear his conversation with starikov very clearly. As soon as he heard that meletskov was answering the phone, starikov on the other side of the receiver immediately said excitedly, "Comrade report commander, I have good news for you. Five minutes ago, my close guard 19th infantry division, under the cover of the tank brigade, seized the station from the German hands, and now the troops are cleaning up the remnant enemy. "“ what? I didn't catch you. Please say it again After listening to starikov's report, meletzkov couldn't believe it, so he asked again“ Comrade general, the 19th guard infantry division of our group army has captured the railway station and is in the process of eliminating the remaining enemy. "“ That is great! General starikov. " It was so good news that meletzkov got excited. He said loudly to the microphone, "I congratulate you, general starikov. Congratulations I was not the only one with sharp ears beside me. Seeing meletskov put down the phone, chief of staff stilimach took a step forward and asked in disbelief, "Comrade commander, are they all true? Has general starikov's forces captured the station occupied by the Germans? " Meletzkov turned to look at him, nodded hard, and said softly, "yes, the 19th infantry division of the guards has captured the station, and the troops are cleaning up the enemy."“ Wula I don't know who took the lead in shouting a slogan, which made people blood boiling, so the whole room all cried out: "Wula! Wula!! Wula After shouting a few slogans with you, I looked down at my watch. It was only four o'clock two minutes away. According to the plan, this time should be shelling time. How could the Sixth Army of general starikov's close guard attack ahead of time? However, seeing that everyone is in the mood, I am not good at throwing cold water on it, so I have to hide this speculation in my heart. When you have a chance to see general starikov, ask him about it. However, some people soon found out what I was thinking. General jaggyaliov, the artillery commander, walked up to meletskov, lit the watch on his wrist and said, "Comrade General, what's the matter? According to the plan, the artillery will carry out two hours of artillery preparation, but you see, it's only two hours now, and starikov's troops have occupied the station area. " After listening to what jaggyaliov said, everyone discovered the problem one after another, so they began to talk about it. Seeing the chaos in the room, meletskov slapped the table and said in a loud voice, "comrades commander, please keep quiet." After everyone calmed down, he continued, "I'll call starikov and ask what's going on." With that, he went back to the phone, picked up the phone and began to dial. After receiving the phone call from meletskov, starikov was also stunned. It took quite a long time for him to reply, "Comrade commander, my troops only launched the attack on the whole line after the shelling was over. As the tanks and infantry moved to the German position ahead of time, the troops launched an attack as soon as the shelling stopped. The German who was dazed by our artillery fire had not recovered before the position had been occupied by us. " Meletzkov put down the phone, turned and told jaggyaliov about it. The general also felt that something was wrong, so he called his artillery headquarters and asked them what was going on. It turned out that the campaign was launched too hastily and many artillery regiments did not have enough ammunition in reserve. As a result, the shelling had to be stopped after only a little more than an hour and a half.