Chapter 155 Sounding the Horn

The person who was allowed to enter Stalin's private office to have a direct face-to-face conversation with the Supreme Leader was none other than Shaposhnikov, the Chief of General Staff named by Stalin to take over the post of Chief of General Staff of the Red Army from Zhukov.

Compared with Zhukov, who had a fiery temper and was as easy-going as a dynamite barrel and even dared to confront Stalin face to face, this knowledgeable and veteran Red Army marshal was obviously much gentler.

Shaposhnikov held the telegram that Stalin signaled to him in his hand and read it carefully. He filtered out the content that he should not read and only looked at Zhukov's combat plan and deployment. He quickly gave the waiting Stalin a message. Answer.

"Comrade Zhukov's offensive tactical deployment has always been unique and steadily advancing, and it is most suitable for him to serve as the commander of the Yelnya counterattack. This offensive plan and deployment is extremely offensive yet safe. I agree with you, Comrade Stalin."

After getting the satisfactory answer he wanted from Shaposhnikov, Stalin, who had never completely abandoned Zhukov, immediately nodded quietly behind his desk with his pipe in hand.

"Then send an order telegram to Zhukov in the name of the Supreme Command. Based on the battle plan he submitted, let him launch a counterattack against the Yelniya salient as soon as possible. The first task is to regain Yelniya. , As long as this salient can be recaptured and eliminated, the remaining elements do not need to be too restrictive and are left to Zhukov to perform according to the actual combat situation."

After hearing this, Chief of Staff Shaposhnikov nodded slowly, knowing that the supreme leader of the Red Soviet in front of him had not completely abandoned Zhukov.

"I understand, Comrade Stalin, we will make arrangements as soon as possible according to your wishes."

Also that night, Zhukov received the military training order for the reserves from the Supreme Command, and immediately realized that this was a test Stalin had given him.

The implicit meaning of this Supreme Command instruction, which represented Stalin's wishes, was very clear, that is, to allow Zhukov to fight as he pleased. As long as the Yelniya salient can be recovered and eliminated, Stalin can ignore the process and only care about the result.

Such a reply is undoubtedly the best result Zhukov expected.

With Stalin's approval, Zhukov, who was full of confidence, decided to immediately launch a counterattack against the Yelniya salient in accordance with the combat plan based on the principle of rapid military deployment.

It was early in the morning on August 30. Zhukov used the main force of the 24th and 43rd armies of the reserve front army, totaling 120,000 people, to gather together the Soviet army's new secret weapon "Katyusha" Heavy artillery forces, including rocket launchers, totaling thousands of large-caliber artillery pieces over 100 mm, began to launch counterattack and recovery operations against the Yelniya salient.

The combat style is very different from that of the Soviet troops who launched the first phase of counteroffensive operations against the Yelnya salient.

Zhukov, who has always adhered to the command concept of "concentrating superior forces and technical equipment several times that of the enemy on key areas," was uncharacteristically uncharacteristic at the beginning of the battle.

The Soviet Red Army's full-line offensive and counterattack tactics in the first phase of the battle in the Yelniya theater disappeared. Instead, there was a general influx of the main force of the Soviet army group at the weak key points of the German defense circle, as well as on the periphery of the German defense circle. There are only a few secondary combat points, but there are still a large number of Soviet secondary troops that can play a containment role.

Zhukov's command tactics, which were completely different from the combat styles of other Soviet commanders, were instantly caught off guard. At key points of the offensive, they were subjected to heavy artillery fire from the Germans who were several times or even ten times the size of previous battles. They were almost just During the preparation stage for the Soviet artillery attack, they suffered unbearable heavy losses.

In the previous first phase of the battle in the Yelniya theater, the SS Imperial Division and the Wehrmacht Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, which suffered heavy casualties, had been replaced. The two elite German units were replaced by some Wehrmacht forces with relatively mediocre combat capabilities. Ordinary division-level troops.

These newly arrived German divisions with numbers on their heads cannot be said to have poor combat effectiveness, but compared to the crazy SS Imperial Division and the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, one of the most elite units in the Wehrmacht, these relatively ordinary troops are facing The results of the Soviet Red Army's offensive, which was more powerful than before, were naturally conceivable.

The Independent First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion led by Malashenko, who was temporarily seconded by Zhukov, took the lead in this battle. As the leading sharp knife force of the 24th Group Army commanded by Major General Rakutin, it rushed towards Ye from the northeast attack direction. Linnian salient.

The enemy blocking Malashenko's attack is the joint defense position of the 268th Infantry Division and the 292nd Infantry Division of the German Wehrmacht.

With the leading armored units of Army Group Center moving south to support the Ukrainian theater, these flesh-and-blood German infantry had to face the onrushing Soviet heavy tanks after having just been baptized by heavy artillery.

"Major Malashenko, your mission is to tear open the main frontal defensive position of the German infantry division and open a gap. The army group is advancing simultaneously behind you. You must give the enemy the heaviest blow!"

"The order is received, Comrade Commander. My troops and I are launching an attack, and victory will definitely belong to us!"

After replying to the commander of the 24th Group Army, Major General Rakutin, Malashenko, who still held the communicator but still did not put it down, switched it to the battalion-level communication channel and spoke loudly.

"Go forward at full speed, comrades! Don't give these Germans a chance to breathe. Overwhelm their positions before their heads stunned by the shelling can completely recover, Ula!"

"Ula!"

"Ula!"

The shouts and shouts that echoed throughout the battalion-level communication channel sounded the attack horn of the red iron stream. The vehicle was fully loaded with a group of KV1 heavy tanks accompanying the Red Army infantry, and it was like a battering ram against the oncoming water. The incoming hail of bullets and anti-tank fire crashed directly into the German field defense positions.

The Soviet infantry who only wanted to synchronize the speed of advancement regardless of casualties. Before the tank could completely decelerate, they opened up the bodies of their dead comrades and jumped from the tank. They held the Tokarev TT33 pistol and used the tank plug-in method. The Soviet infantry battalion-level political commissar who rushed forward immediately raised his pistol and raised his arms.

"Crush the invaders! For the motherland! Attack!"

In terms of field position defense operations, they could not get any benefit from the heavy tank group with extremely strong offensive energy. The German army, which had a position defense force of two infantry divisions and was opened by Malashenko, soon faced disaster. Consequences of sex. A whole group of Soviet infantry groups with complete formations, rushing in from the gap cannot be resisted by just talking.