Chapter 226: counterattack

Chapter 226 Counterattack

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Actually, it’s not that Shulka is unwilling to join the R&D department.

How good is the R&D department. Occasionally, an idea or suggestion is raised. There is no danger in not having to fight or go to the battlefield to stay away from the hustle and bustle.

But Shulka can no longer affect the situation on the front line.

If everything goes according to history, that's okay. Although there are dangers all around, the Soviet army will still win in the end.

The problem is that... Shulka isn't sure if her change will have some kind of effect, and the effect that appears to be positive on the surface is actually negative.

For example, Kalashnikov was saved, but the result may have prevented him from leaving the position of tank driver and thus unable to develop the AK47. Another example is to defend Kyiv, but the result is that Moscow is surrounded in advance.

This is especially the latter. The early encirclement of Moscow is not only a matter of an extra month for the German army, but also a matter of the Soviet Union deploying reinforcements from the Far Eastern Front... The Soviet army has never dared to send reinforcements from the Far East to reinforce Moscow because they are worried about the Japanese army. It would launch an offensive until mid-October when the Supreme Command learned from intelligence personnel that the Japanese would not participate in the war against the Soviet Union before the autumn of 1942, so it was transferred back to 11 divisions with a total of 250,000 people and a large amount of equipment.

But now, because the German army launched an offensive in advance, there was a gap of more than a month between the defense of Moscow and the reinforcements from the Far East.

Therefore, Shulka could not and did not dare to transfer to the R&D department at the same time, although it was very tempting for him.

"You can consider Comrade Kalashnikov!" Shulka said: "You know, he has designed other things before that, he is better at designing things than tank drivers, and more importantly, I think the R&D department lacks people like him who have field experience and understand the actual situation..."

Hisoi nodded, and then turned his gaze to Katukov.

"No problem!" Katukov agreed immediately: "But this is not an example. The Fourth Tank Brigade is also in short supply of tank soldiers with maintenance skills!"

"Of course, Comrade Katukov!" Sissoy replied, with a look of disappointment on his face... It can be seen that he has no great interest in Kalashnikov, otherwise Kalashnikov was in Stalinger He should have asked for it when he was working at Le Tractor Works.

But Shulka knew that Hisoy had misjudged.

Ten minutes later, Kalashnikov came to say goodbye to Shulka.

"I don't know what to say, Comrade Shulka!" Kalashnikov said: "I don't even know if it's right or wrong!"

Shulka can understand Kalashnikov's mood at this time. He is not sure whether he can achieve anything after being transferred to the R&D department. If not, he might as well be a driver in the 4th Tank Brigade...After all, this is a tank The 4th Brigade, Kling has gained fame after defeating a German armored division head-on in the First World War. Others who want to join this unit have to go through layers of selection.

"Have faith in yourself, Comrade Kalashnikov!" Shulka said: "You can do it for sure! At worst... just come back to be a tank soldier!"

Kalashnikov laughed, hugged Shulka and left.

At this moment, Shulka breathed a sigh of relief.

Everything seems to be moving in Moscow's favor, Kalashnikov's problem is solved, and the gap for reinforcements from the Far East is filled...as long as the 4th Tank Brigade continues to fight like this.

However, what Shulka didn't expect was that things were not as simple as he thought.

At the Western Front Headquarters, Zhukov's phone rang.

Zhukov took the phone, and Stalin's voice came from the other end of the microphone: "How is the enemy's situation now?"

"The concentration of the enemy assault group seems to be complete!" Zhukov replied: "It seems that they want to encircle the north and south again and break through the second line of defense!"

"Where will they make their main attack?"

"It is expected that the north will be in the Volokolamsk area, and Guderian's army is likely to bypass Tula from the south and attack Kashila!"

"Comrade Shaposhnikov and I believe that our army should launch a pre-emptive counter-assault to smash the enemy's offensive that is being organized!" Stalin said.

Zhukov couldn't help being surprised when he heard this.

"Comrade Stalin!" Zhukov asked: "Is there any change in the situation on other fronts that made it possible to realize the counter-assault you mentioned?"

Zhukov thought that the battle in the direction of Kyiv or Leningrad had won but he didn't know, so Stalin wanted to counterattack.

But Stalin's answer denied this speculation.

"No, the situation on all fronts is still very tense!" Stalin said: "The enemy is still approaching!"

"Then..." Zhukov asked suspiciously: "What kind of force should we use to counterattack? Our current force can only defend!"

"We can't sit still, Comrade Zhukov!" Stalin said: "If we continue to defend like this, the second line of defense will be broken by the enemy just like the first line of defense! We need to take the initiative to disrupt their deployment, and we It is not that there are no redundant troops. We also have the newly formed 4th Tank Brigade, as well as the Cavalry Corps commanded by Dovator, as well as Belov's Cavalry Corps, Guttman's Tank Division and part of the 49th Army !"

"Comrade Stalin!" Zhukov objected: "These troops are our mobile force and the last bit of reserve force. If we invest in this unsure counterattack... Once it fails, we will no longer have the strength to consolidate the defense and cannot implement mobile defense. Already! We will be extremely passive by then..."

"You have 6 armies under your command, isn't that still small?" Stalin interrupted Zhukov: "And the fourth tank brigade can easily defeat an armored division of the enemy, which proves that we have the ability to counterattack!"

"Comrade Stalin!" Zhukov felt helpless: "Our defense line is more than 600 kilometers long, and the six army groups are scattered on these defense lines. The strength of each position in the defense line is actually pitifully small!"

But Stalin did not give Zhukov room to argue: "The matter of the counter-offensive has been decided in this way, you immediately formulate a counter-offensive plan!"

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Zhukov was stunned on the spot, and it took a while before he hung up the phone.

Just when Zhukov was looking at the map and didn't know what to do, Bulganin, a member of the Military Council, appeared in front of Zhukov.

"Comrade Zhukov!" Bulganin said: "Comrade Stalin said you were proud, and asked me to come over and organize a counterattack with you immediately!"

(end of this chapter)