Chapter 1694

Malining is worthy of being an excellent staff officer. It took only a few minutes to draft a report. While Zhukov was browsing, I looked over to see what was written on it.

"1. As the left wing of the second front army of Belarus is too far away from the right wing of the first front army of Belarus, by the end of January 13, the width of our front army has reached 500 km.

2. If marshal rokosovsky's left wing continues to stagnate, there is no doubt that the enemy will take positive action against the right wing of the Belarusian first front army, which has been stretched too long. Please order rokosovsky to send the 70th group army to attack the West immediately, even if it can be close to the rear echelon of the right wing of the first front army of Belarus.

3. Please instruct marshal konev to go out quickly to the Oder River

After reading it, Zhukov did not hesitate to sign his name at the back, and then handed it to sokolovsky for him to sign it.

I thought he would order malining to send out the report after sokolovsky signed. Who knows, after taking back the report from sokolovsky, he put it in front of me and said in an unquestionable tone, "Rita, sign your name, too."

"I'll sign, too?" I had never signed the report submitted to the supreme command before, so I thought Zhukov had made a mistake, so I pointed to my nose and asked in surprise, "Comrade marshal, do I want to sign this report, too?"

"That's right." Zhukov nodded and said impatiently, "you are the deputy commander of the front army. When such a report is submitted to the supreme command, you must sign it as long as you are present. Stop dawdling and sign your name quickly. "

I took the pen that malining had handed me and signed my name at the bottom of the report that I had just drafted. I didn't seem to notice someone rushing in from the outside.

I handed the signed report back to Zhukov, relieved. As soon as I turned around, I saw a major officer standing next to general Lu Duncan, muttering something in a low voice.

Zhukov handed the report to malining and said, "chief of staff, send this report to the supreme command immediately."

Malining took the document and immediately turned away from the headquarters, intending to send a telegram to the telegraph room next door. At this time, Zhukov found the uninvited guest standing beside Lu Duncan, and asked with a straight face, "who are you?"

Seeing that Zhukov had found him, the major stopped talking with Lu Duncan, straightened up in the same place, faced Zhukov and said nothing.

Seeing that the major did not answer his question, Zhukov was annoyed. He raised his voice and asked, "who are you? Why break into the room where the senior leaders are meeting without permission? "

I stared at the frightened young major and muttered to myself, "who is he? Don't you know that the head of the front army and several commanders of the group army are holding an important meeting? "

Fortunately, Lu Duncan helped the major out in time: "please forgive me, marshal. This is the operational staff officer of our air force. He has important intelligence to report to me. That's why he broke in as an exception. "

"Operational staff officer," Zhukov said softly after he looked up and down the major, "tell me what important information you've got that you dare to break into our conference room."

"Comrades marshal," the major stepped forward and said with full confidence, "according to the Air Force reconnaissance, a large number of German tanks and motorized troops have been found on the move in bermelania."

"What kind of forces does the enemy have?" Zhukov asked, motionless.

"According to the report of the reconnaissance plane, the enemy's armored column is ten kilometers long." The major straightened up and said, "I think it's necessary to report this information to the commander immediately, so I came here."

"I see, comrade major." Zhukov waved to the major. "It's none of your business here. Go out first."

After the staff officer went out, Zhukov walked back and forth in the room, thinking about the countermeasures. Malining, who had just come in, saw Zhukov pacing and did not dare to disturb him, so he stood beside him honestly.

Zhukov inadvertently raised his head and saw malining standing in front of him. He immediately stopped and said to him, "chief of staff, you've just come at the right time. The air force just reported that it found that the German army has a large number of tanks and motorized troops, which are being mobilized in the bermelania area. Do you have any relevant information there?"

"Marshal," malining replied slowly, "I have just received this information and am preparing to report it to you. Since the air force is unable to accurately understand the enemy's forces, I have ordered the reconnaissance units of the front army to send out and fly to that area for reconnaissance. I believe we can get general information by this evening at the latest. "

I am very clear that there is room for malining's remarks. Because rokosovsky's troops are too far away from us, in order to ensure the security of the right wing, the reconnaissance Department has long sent scouts to carry out uninterrupted reconnaissance missions in that area. With regard to the German troop movements in the region of bermelania, I estimate that as long as malining intervenes, he can get accurate information within an hour or two at most.

After listening to malining, Zhukov said to the rest of the commanders, "well, comrades general, that's it. I'll call you back when necessary. "

The three group commanders left, and so did ludduncan and garazav. There were only Zhukov, sokolovsky, malining and me in the room. At this time, Zhukov asked, "what are you going to do when the German forces gather a large number of troops in bermelania?"

"It's no use saying that," the first speaker was sokolovsky. "The enemy mustered so many tanks and motorized troops on the right wing of our army, certainly not to stop marshal rokolovsky's troops advancing westward, but to launch counter attacks from the north to severely attack the right wing of our army."

"That's how I think about it." Zhukov nodded his head and said, "we must first find out what kind of forces the enemy is, and then decide what way to smash their attack."

I listened quietly to Zhukov and his two colleagues talking about the situation in bermelania. I didn't interrupt because I found that the history I knew was inevitably deviated again because of me. Whether the German army, which was still inseparable from the allies in Arden, could still assemble 16 infantry divisions and 7 tank divisions in bermelania, as in history, has become an unknown number.

By 4 p.m., marinin had received a report from the direction of bermelania. He immediately reported to Zhukov: "marshal, according to our scout's report, the enemy's 2nd and 11th armies in the region of bermelania have increased to ten infantry divisions and three tank divisions, ready to attack our right wing at any time."

When I heard that the German army had only 13 divisions, and there were four fewer tank divisions than in history, my mood suddenly relaxed. To deal with such an enemy, as long as the first group army of katukov's close guard tanks is transferred, the enemy can be easily defeated.

After listening to the report, Zhukov immediately told malining: "call general katukov, and I will give him the order to fight."

Malining agreed, went to the phone behind Zhukov, picked up the receiver and called katukov.

Zhukov looked at me and sokolovsky and asked, "how do you think we should deal with the enemy?"

As soon as suokovsky and Zhukov finished talking, he immediately replied, "I suggest that the first group army of general katukov's close guard tanks and the fifth assault group army of berzalin be transferred to the region of bomerania to smash the German counter assault."

Zhukov nodded, looked back at me and asked, "what do you think, Rita?"

"If we move a tank group army and a shock group army from the Oder River area, our strength in this area will become weak." In response to sokolovsky's proposal, I expressed my own opinion: "if the German army launches a counter assault from the west at this time, then the defensive positions we have established along the Oder River are likely to be lost. You know, capturing Berlin is our priority. "

"Tell me what you think, Rita," said Zhukov, a little displeased at my account of the situation. "How do you think we should deal with the enemies of bermania?"

"At present, the 61st and 69th army of our army and the 1st army of Poland are advancing towards the Oder River. We can ask general katukov to hand over his defensive zone on the Oder River to the newly arrived troops, and then the whole army will turn north and go to bermelania to smash the German counter attack. "

"Marshal, I think Rita has a point." As soon as I finished, marinin echoed: "the strength of the German army today can't be compared with that of 41 years. One tank group army of ours is enough to crush the anti assault launched by their 13 divisions."

Zhukov opened his mouth. Just as he wanted to speak, he saw katukov come in with a big stride.

Katukov walked up to Zhukov, straightened up and asked, "marshal, are you calling me here to attack Berlin? Don't worry, 70 kilometers. It only takes two days and nights for my troops to arrive. "

"We will not attack Berlin for the time being." Zhukov looked up at katukov and said, "in the morning meeting, we decided not to attack Berlin for the time being. Have you forgotten? "

"I didn't forget." After giving Zhukov a negative answer, katukov tentatively asked, "did you call me here for the sake of bomelania?"

"Yes, comrade katukov, you are right." Zhukov nodded his head and said, "according to our latest intelligence, the German army has assembled 13 divisions in bermelania, three of which are tank divisions. If you were goodrian, what measures would you take against our army? "

Katukov tilted his head and thought for a moment, then replied, "if I were to command this army, I would attack the weak right wing of the first front army of Belarus from the north, so as to cut off the troops going out to the Oder River and delay your attack on Berlin indefinitely."

"The analysis is correct, and I think goodrian is thinking the same way." After Zhukov finished his sentence, he began to give an order to katukov: "Comrade katukov, you will immediately hand over the tristring landing site on the left bank of the Oder River to the neighboring troops, and then immediately turn north and march towards antsvad in bermelania by means of a rapid march!"“ Yes Katukov, with a loud promise, turned and walked out of the headquarters. Looking at katukov's back, sokolovsky said with some worry: "Comrade marshal, is it a bit too risky just to send general katukov's tank army northward to meet the thirteen German divisions?"“ No, comrade sokolovsky. " As for sokolovsky's worry, Zhukov waved his hand and said confidently: "general katukov is a very excellent commander. As early as during the Moscow defense war, he once severely damaged the German armour troops in the msensk area with an incomplete tank brigade. Now he is commanding an elite tank group army. It should not be a big problem to smash the attack of more than ten German divisions. Moreover, rokosovsky's troops are just to the east of bermelania, and they are ready to provide necessary support for katukov. "“ Well, the enemy of the right wing, we have arranged for people to deal with it. " Zhukov sat down at the table again, patted the map in front of him with his hand, and said to us, "next, we should study how to solve the enemy between the Oder River and Berlin. Blocking our way forward is the German army's zelauf highland, where the enemy has established a perfect defense in depth. Facing this continuous fortification area, we can only take the way of strong attack to eliminate the enemy in this area and open the way to Berlin. " After waiting patiently for Zhukov to finish, I asked tentatively, "Comrade marshal, when do you plan to launch an attack on zelauf heights?"“ As we have to wait for the follow-up troops to arrive and replenish our troops and military supplies, it will take a lot of time. " Zhukov said slowly: "the attack will start in late February."“ Marshal, "as for Zhukov's plan, I euphemistically put forward my own view:" at the end of February, Germany is in the season of snow melting, and the muddy road is a big problem for our army, which needs a lot of technical equipment to participate in the war. If we are met with tenacious resistance from the German army, our offensive forces may be trapped in this area. "