"It is a good thing to set up a new combat cluster." After reading the telegram, Huasilevsky showed a relaxed expression on his face: "In this way, our army can force the enemy to fight in two directions, which is very helpful for us to defend Stalingrad."
"I don't agree to establish a combat cluster." Zhukov said with a clear attitude: "Have you ever thought about where the troops that form combat clusters come from? How can these troops replenish the weapons, ammunition and various materials needed after entering the city?"
"Now there are five infantry divisions and seven infantry brigades, heading to Stalingrad day and night." Huaseylevsky said dissatisfiedly: "We can completely let these troops enter the city and form the combat cluster mentioned by Cuikov. As for supplies, we can issue mobilization orders to the Volga region fleet, allowing them to dispatch more ships to transport troops and supplies to the city."
"Now the German air force has mastered the air supremacy over Stalingrad. They used bombing and shelling to impose a strict blockade on the Volga River, trying to cut off the connection between the east bank and the city." Zhukov slapped the table and said: "In the absence of air supremacy, sending a large number of ships across the river will make them targets for enemy bombing and shelling."
Stalin did not express any comment on the dispute between Zhukov and Vasilevsky. Instead, he lit his pipe and listened to the debate between the two with interest, hoping to obtain useful information from it.
"Even if the Luftwaffe gained air supremacy over Stalingrad, we can still dispatch planes and drive enemy planes away from the Volga River." Huasilevsky knocked a few times with the location of the Volga River on the map on the red and blue pencil table, and continued: "We can also arrange anti-aircraft artillery along the river bank to assist the Air Force in driving away enemy planes."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, have you ever thought that the use of the troops heading to Stalingrad will affect the counter-offensive plan we just formulated." Zhukov slapped several times on the map with his palm, "In this way, the counter-offensive plan we finally formulated must be modified..."
…………
After the two of them had almost had a quarrel, Stalin finished smoking cigarettes. He knocked the ash from his pipe into the ashtray, and then said slowly: "I listened to the debate between you and I think you all make sense. Cui Kov's colleagues opposed it because they were worried that his superiors would not allocate more troops to them; they were worried that even if the superiors gave new troops, the logistics supply of these troops would be a big problem.
Zhukov objected because the troops that Huasilevsky was preparing to use were all used by us to participate in the Stalingrad counterattack.
Comrade Vasilevsky and Comrade Gurov, who proposed this plan, wanted to set up a new combat cluster in the city to disperse the enemy's strength and allow them to fight in two directions at the same time, thereby reducing the pressure on the defenders in the factory."
"Comrade Stalin," Zhukov asked with a lucky heart when he saw that Stalin was not leaning towards either side, "What do you mean? Should this new combat cluster be formed or shouldn't be formed?"
"I think we should take any effective measures to defend Stalingrad. Therefore, it is completely necessary to form a new combat cluster." Stalin said this, deliberately paused and observed the expressions of the two. When Vasilevsky saw Stalin agreeing with his opinion, he couldn't help but be furious; while Zhukov, when he heard that his opinion was denied, he looked frustrated.
"Comrade Zhukov, don't worry." Stalin saw Zhukov's disappointed look and felt that he should comfort him: "Although forming a new combat cluster will mobilize the troops heading to Stalingrad, we can completely think of a compromise solution to this problem."
Zhukov looked up at Stalin and asked in surprise: "Comrade Stalin, I don't know what kind of compromise is there?"
"We can give priority to those incompletely established troops withdrawn from Stalingrad City and allow them to replace those troops to participate in the large counterattack." Stalin said confidently: "These troops have fought in Stalingrad and are very familiar with the situation in the city. If they can participate in the counterattack, I think the role they play will be far greater than the original troops."
Since Stalin had already put it to this point, Zhukov knew that even if he opposed it, it would be useless, so he simply asked: "Okay, Comrade Stalin, since you agree to form a new combat cluster, I will firmly obey your orders. But I want to ask, who are the candidates for combat cluster commanders?"
Stalin turned his head and looked at Antonov who was standing aside and asked, "Comrade Minister of Operations, did Yelemenko only send you one telegram?" The purpose of his question was because the telegram only mentioned the formation of a combat cluster, but he did not mention who would serve as the commander.
Antonov shook his head quickly and said, "Comrade Stalin, there is only this telegram. I don't know who General Cuikov intends to recommend to serve as the commander of the combat cluster."
Stalin pointed at Ivanov with his hand and said, "Then call Yelemenko now and say that I have agreed to form a combat cluster in Stalingrad City and ask him to report the candidates for commanders immediately."
Antonov walked to the desk, picked up the phone on the table, and asked the Kremlin switchboard to contact the Stalingrad Front Command. Hearing Yelemenko's voice coming from the receiver, Antonov quickly and politely said: "Gen. Yelemenko, Hello! I am the Minister of Operations. Comrade Stalin asked me to tell you that he has agreed to establish a new combat cluster in the city of Stalingrad. I would like to ask, who are the commanders of the combat cluster?...What, he is the only one? Is it recommended by General Cuikov?...I understand, I will pass on your words to Comrade Stalin, I wish you good luck! Goodbye!"
After putting down the phone, Antonov walked to Stalin, straightened his body and replied: "Report to Comrade Stalin, I have asked General Yelemenko, and he said that the commander recommended by General Choikov was Colonel Sokov, the commander of the 41st Division of the Guards."
"Who, who do you say?" Stalin, who was putting tobacco in his pipe, couldn't help but tremble when he heard Antonov say this, and he spread a lot of tobacco on the table. He didn't care about continuing to put the tobacco on the table, put the pipe on the table, looked at Antonov and said, "Who are you talking about? Say it again."
"Col. Sokov, commander of the 41st Division of the Guards." Antonov replied quickly.
"Ah, it's him?" After hearing Sokov's name clearly, Vasilevsky couldn't help but say in surprise: "He is too young, can he be competent for this position?"
Chapter completed!