When the two walked into the General Staff Headquarters, a major general immediately came up to them, saluted them, looked at Vasilevsky and asked respectfully: "Comrade Chief of General Staff, what can I do for you?" Are you here to help?"
"Comrade Zhukov," Vasilevskiy did not answer the other party's question immediately, but first introduced the general with a big beard to Zhukov: "This is Major General Shtemenko, director of the Direction Department of the Operation Department. He In June of this year, as a representative of the base camp, I was sent to the Caucasus. After returning from the Caucasus two days ago, I have been assisting me in sorting out intelligence on both the enemy and ourselves in the Stalingrad area."
"Hello, General Shtemenko." Zhukov stretched out his hand to shake hands with the other party and said politely: "According to the order of the Supreme Commander himself, Comrade Chief of General Staff and I are going to formulate a new counterattack plan. Can you help us prepare it?" Do you need the necessary information?”
After hearing Zhukov's instructions, Shtemenko nodded slightly and replied: "Yes, Comrade General, I will send the information to you as soon as possible."
Shtemenko worked very efficiently. Soon after Zhukov and Vasilevsky sat down, he came to them with a stack of documents and said respectfully: "Comrade General, these are what you need." Information." After saying that, he put the information on the table, turned around and walked out.
"Comrade Vasilevsky," Zhukov and Vasilevsky were the only two people in the room, so Zhukov did not address each other's position anymore, but asked straight to the point: "Our army's approach to Stalingrad and the city In the desperate struggle with the enemy, the losses of soldiers, technical equipment and various materials were extremely serious. With their current strength, it is simply impossible to crush the German attack. Tell me, how much do we need? How long will it take to replenish them with enough soldiers and technical equipment?"
"Judging from the current situation, it will take until mid-October at the earliest for the Supreme Command to organize a new battle reserve team." Vasilevsky knew in his heart that if he and Zhukov were to formulate a practical counterattack plan, they would have to He had to understand the real situation, so he said without any scruples: "But the mechanized corps and tank corps equipped with the most advanced T-34 tanks will not be able to attack positions until November at the earliest..."
"So, we can only choose to launch a new round of counterattack in November, and we must wait until the mechanized corps and tank corps are in place." After Zhukov said this, Vasilevsky nodded, Expressing agreement with his statement, he continued: "You are talking about the situation of the Germans."
Vasilevsky took out a few pieces of paper from the pile of information, looked at the numbers in the upper right corner, and then placed them in front of Zhukov: "Comrade Zhukov, according to the intelligence we have, the German army's most combat-effective guarantor The effective strength of Luce's 6th Army and Hoth's 4th Armored Army were severely weakened in the battle with our army in the Stalingrad area, and they simply did not have enough strength to complete the battle to capture the city."
"Comrade Vasilevsky." Upon hearing this, Zhukov interrupted: "In other words, the Germans will not be able to capture our city before the counterattack plan we have formulated is implemented. Am I right?"
"Yes, Comrade Zhukov, you are right." Vasilevsky replied briefly.
"Then go on."
"After a long battle, the German troops in the Stalingrad area have become exhausted. Judging from the current situation, they do not have more troops to invest in the Stalingrad area, so they may turn to defense." Vasilevsky continued: "The armies of slave countries such as Italy, Hungary and Romania, which cooperated with them in fighting, now have low morale and poor combat effectiveness, and cannot pose any threat to our army. ..."
After listening to Vasilevsky's analysis of the German army, Zhukov nodded and said: "Comrade Vasilevsky, so to speak, the German army is no longer able to complete their strategic plan in 1942, while our army has enough Strength, launch a powerful counterattack against them to seize the initiative in the war."
"Comrade Zhukov, I think we can study various possible plans all night and choose a more realistic plan." Vasilevsky waited for Zhukov to finish speaking, and immediately continued: "The defenders in the city continue We will use active defense to contain and exhaust the effective strength of the German army, and then we will launch a very large-scale counterattack and find ways to encircle and annihilate the enemy in the Stalingrad area, thus fundamentally changing the strategic shape of our southern part." The two reached an opinion. After they agreed, they began to lie down in front of the table, staring at the map in front of them, and began to study various combat plans.
After a night of repeated arguments, Zhukov was delighted to discover that the current battlefield situation was actually very favorable to the Soviet army. The Soviet army now occupies positions on both wings of the front, forming a vague encirclement of the German army; while the German army has only a few battle reserves between the Don River and the Volga River, with a total strength of no more than six divisions, scattered in a wide area. On the front, it cannot be used together in a short period of time.
Busy until noon, Zhukov finally formulated a practical counterattack plan. He threw the red and blue pencils on the table, looked at Vasilevsky opposite and asked: "Comrade Vasilevsky, from Until yesterday, I only ate a few pieces of bread in Comrade Stalin’s office. Do you have anything to eat here? I’m almost starving to death.”
"I'm sorry, Comrade Zhukov. It was my negligence. I will arrange for someone to prepare food." After Vasilevsky finished speaking, he turned around and shouted outside: "Come here, come here!"
Following Vasilevsky's shout, a major came in from outside. He came in front of the two men, straightened his body and asked: "Comrade Chief of General Staff, do you have any instructions?"
"Comrade Major," Vasilevsky said to the major, "go get us some food, we are almost starving. By the way, bring us a pot of hot tea, remember to add sugar."
After the major left, Vasilevsky immediately asked Zhukov: "Comrade Zhukov, now that our counterattack plan has been formulated, do you think you will report it to Comrade Stalin immediately?"
"Don't be anxious, Comrade Vasilevsky." Regarding Vasilevsky's proposal, Zhukov immediately rejected it: "The plan has just been drawn up. I think we need to review it again to see if there is any need. Modified or improved. In my opinion, it is not too late to report to him until the time specified by him."
"Okay then," Vasilevsky also felt that the counterattack plan needed to be improved, so he agreed with Zhukov: "Then we will wait for the prescribed time and then report to Comrade Stalin."
…………
Stalin's reporting time was nine o'clock in the evening. With ten minutes to go before nine o'clock, Vasilevsky picked up the phone on the table and dialed Boskrebyshev's office. When he heard a voice coming from the receiver, he immediately asked politely: "Comrade Poskrebyshev, this is Vasilevsky. Is Comrade Stalin available? General Zhukov and I will report to him immediately the new situation." Counterattack plan formulated."
"I'm sorry, Comrade Vasilevsky." Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Poskrebyshev said coldly: "Comrade Stalin is temporarily unable to meet you."
"Why?" Vasilevsky asked in surprise.
"The Supreme Commander himself is on the phone with British Prime Minister Churchill." Boskrebyshev replied on the phone: "I don't know when he will finish the call, so I ask you to wait patiently for a while. Wait for him to call. After the phone call, I will inform you to come see him."
After Vasilevsky put down the phone, he said to Zhukov: "Comrade Zhukov, the Supreme Commander himself is talking to Churchill. We may have to wait a while before reporting the counterattack plan to him."
"Vasilevsky, tell me." Zhukov heard the conversation between the two and learned that Stalin was talking to Churchill on the phone. He couldn't help but curiously asked: "What were the talks between Comrade Stalin and Churchill?"
"What else could it be? It's just a matter of allowing the British and American troops to open a second battlefield." Vasilevsky said with some helplessness: "Shortly after the war broke out, we targeted the British and American troops to open a second battlefield behind the German army. Discussions were held. At that time, both Britain and the United States said they would open a second battlefield as soon as possible. However, it was almost 1943, and their second battlefield was still on paper."
The call between Stalin and Churchill lasted an hour. After putting down the phone, Stalin, full of anger, quickly walked to the door, opened the door suddenly, and asked Poskrebyshev who was sitting outside: "Where are Zhukov and Vasilevsky?" ?”
"Comrade Stalin," Poskrebyshev did not expect that Stalin would suddenly open the door and come out. He stood up in a hurry and replied: "Zhukov and Vasilevsky should still be at the General Staff."
Stalin raised his hand and glanced at his watch, and said dissatisfiedly: "Didn't I ask them to report at nine o'clock? It's already nine forty, why are they still at the General Staff Headquarters?"
"Excuse me, Comrade Stalin." Boskrebyshev replied nervously: "Before nine o'clock, Comrade Chief of General Staff called and asked if you had time to meet them. I saw that you were talking to Churchill. After the Prime Minister called, he asked them to stay at the General Staff Headquarters and planned to wait until you finished the call before notifying them to come to see you."
"Okay, let's call them all over now." After Stalin said this, he turned and walked into his office.
Zhukov and Vasilevsky, who received the notice from Boskrebyshev, immediately rushed to Stalin's office as quickly as possible. After Stalin saw the two of them, he asked angrily: "Guess who I was talking to just now?"
Upon hearing Stalin's question, Zhukov and Vasilevsky couldn't help but look at each other, and they both saw surprise in each other's eyes. After Zhukov withdrew his gaze, he took a step forward and replied: "Comrade Stalin, aren't you talking to Prime Minister Churchill? How about opening a second battlefield?"
"What second battlefield? This is still a thing that has disappeared." Stalin said impatiently: "Among the military supplies that the United States assisted us, there were originally 20 P-47 'Thunder' fighter jets, but unexpectedly they were replaced by Churchill on his own initiative. "Hurricane" fighter jet. I was bargaining with him just because of this. Our pilot doesn't like this fighter jet at all..."
The two of them were surprised when they learned that Stalin was actually bargaining with Churchill over the fighter jets aided by the United States. Just as the two were considering how to mention the counterattack plan to Stalin, Stalin asked in a calm tone: "I asked you two to formulate a counterattack plan last night. How did it go? Has the plan been drawn up?"
"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov nodded and replied affirmatively: "We have already formulated a plan to launch a counterattack in the Stalingrad area."
After Stalin stuffed the tobacco into his pipe, he did not light it immediately. Instead, he looked at the two people and asked with interest: "Then who will report to me next?"
Zhukov turned his head and glanced at Vasilevsky, and then replied: "You can let any one of us report, because the two of us have the same opinion."
Stalin pointed at Vasilevsky with his hand and said: "You are the Chief of General Staff of the Red Army. I think it is up to you to report." After saying that, he put the pipe in his mouth, lit a match and lit the tobacco. .
Vasilevsky took out the folder tucked under his arm, pulled out two pieces of paper, and handed it to Stalin. Stalin stared at the two papers, but did not reach out to take them. Instead, he asked expressionlessly: "What is this?"
"Comrade Stalin," Vasilevsky replied quickly and respectfully: "This is a preliminary draft of the counterattack plan for the Stalingrad area. Please take a look at what else needs to be modified and improved."
Stalin still did not reach out to take the document, but looked at Zhukov and asked: "Comrade Zhukov, do we have enough power in the Stalingrad area to carry out this counterattack?"
Seeing that Stalin did not read the draft plan and did not ask Vasilevsky, Zhukov could only take a step forward and said truthfully: "Comrade Stalin, with the current strength of our army, we will definitely not be able to launch a strong counterattack against the German army immediately. We need one and a half months to replenish the frontline troops with soldiers and technical equipment and prepare for launching an offensive campaign."
"One and a half months?" Stalin couldn't help but frowned when he heard the time Zhukov mentioned. After thinking for a while, he looked at Zhukov and asked: "If I ask to launch a comprehensive counterattack against the German army in the Stalingrad area in two weeks, do you think it can be done?" (https:)
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