"The reason why we can still sleep peacefully in a comfortable bed at home today is because there is a group of strong soldiers standing guard for us outside the door." Preface to Su Tong's memoir.
The Chinese transport planes arrived. A total of 226 "Giant" transport planes carried more than 1,800 tons of food, clothing and medicines and flew to several field airports located in the suburbs of Moscow. They went forward with them.
Also accompanying the escort were more than 200 newly manufactured P51 "Mustang" fighter jets.
This freshly released new fighter plane was enthusiastically sought after by Air Force pilots as soon as it arrived on the Soviet front line. Originally, Sun Liren did not want to send this latest fighter plane out to show it to the Germans, but during the two days from Yekaterinburg to Moscow,
The distance of more than a thousand kilometers makes both BF109 and P47 sigh with excitement. After all calculations, only the newly commissioned P51 can have such a long range, so this latest Mustang is so popular among the Germans and Soviet Russians.
appeared in public.
Captain Rechkarov's scream did not last long, and six fighter planes were sent out from the front to intercept. Rechkalov was shocked as soon as he and the opponent fought. The performance of the opponent's fighter plane was simply beyond him.
Unexpectedly, the ability to hover and climb was the only one he had ever seen in his life. Moreover, the six 12.7-caliber heavy machine guns installed on the wings of the opponent were surprisingly powerful. As soon as the two sides met, his team was attacked by three
The fighter jet plummeted to the ground with black smoke.
"I am the Sixth Flying Snake Squadron. We were attacked by the Chinese. The enemy's new fighter planes are extremely fierce. Please ask for reinforcements. Please ask for reinforcements." Soon Colonel Pokryshkin received a distress message from Captain Rechkarov.
.However, Captain Rechkarov, who was in a hurry, made a big mistake. He did not report the number of the opponent's fighter planes to his captain in time, so that Colonel Pokryshkin's judgment on the number of Chinese fighters ahead was
He made a mistake. He did not order the Flying Snake Group to close in time, but only ordered the second squadron to step forward to connect. This mistake was fatal to him.
Not long after the Second Squadron went for reinforcements, Pokryshkin received another call from the Second Squadron: "Comrade Colonel, there are too many enemies in the sky. The sky is full of enemy planes. We have suffered heavy losses. We have suffered heavy losses. Ah."
"
With a loud "boom", Pokryshkin and the commander of the 2nd Squadron lost contact forever.
Only then did Pokryshkin realize the seriousness of the problem. At this time, it was too late to reorganize the formation. There were already dense numbers of aircraft in the sky, and they were heading straight towards the airspace where the Soviet Union and Germany were fighting fiercely.
Colonel Pokryshkin knew that if he retreated now, the opponent would definitely pursue and fight fiercely. It would be good if only a small number of his fighters could return. He gritted his teeth and led his remaining less than a hundred fighter planes to meet them.
"Da da da"
When Pokryshkin aimed at a fighter plane in front of him with a crocodile opening its bloody mouth on the nose and pulled the trigger, the opponent had already jumped up to the top of Pokryshkin's plane and disappeared immediately.
Lost traces.
"Comrade Colonel, the enemy is behind you," the wingman exclaimed through the headset.
Pokryshkin didn't have time to think and just relied on instinct to pull the joystick to the right with all his strength. The "P39" immediately rolled to the right, and several streaks of fire grazed his fighter plane and flew past.
"What a powerful fighter, what a skill." Pokeresh suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
The fight couldn't continue. The opponent had too many planes. Pokryshkin could predict what would happen to his side if he continued to fight without looking. The opponent's fighters relied on their superior quantity and quality, plus the opponent's pilots.
With skilled combat skills, our side has no chance of winning at all. The only solution for now is to slowly organize resistance and then retreat layer by layer.
I have to say that Pokryshkin is indeed an excellent commander. Under his decisive command, the remaining Soviet fighter planes alternately covered each other and retreated slowly but resolutely from the battlefield. The Chinese Air Force had to cover the huge aircraft in the air.
The transport fleet did not dare to pursue too much, and in the end Pokryshkin escaped with more than fifty fighter planes.
Located in the Sixth Army Headquarters of the Central Army Group on the Don River outside Moscow, officers come in and out from time to time to report on battlefield developments. On the surface, everything is the same as before. There are constant ringing of phones, typing sounds, the sound of radio receivers, and people walking around.
There was the sound of leather boots and voices issuing orders one after another, but anyone who enters here will find that there is a strange atmosphere permeating the place.
Marshal Paulus, commander of the Sixth Army, had a heavy look on his thin face. Now he has become more taciturn than in the past. In many cases, even when giving orders, he will inadvertently lose his mind and fall into deep thought. Not only
He and even the staff of the headquarters who did not have to endure the severe cold and hunger like frontline soldiers could not see a trace of joy in their eyes. At this time, they only showed the indescribable sadness.
sad.
Although the German army was still on the offensive on the surface at this time, they knew their own affairs. The German Army Group Center had used its last strength. The tanks were out of fuel, the artillery was out of shells, and even the soldiers were still wearing autumn clothes.
During the battle, they had to collect all the clothes that could keep out the cold to wrap themselves up. The originally elite German army now looked more like beggars than soldiers. And their own Sixth Army was in a worse situation than other armies. I heard that today
In the morning, a regiment was ordered to attack a train station on the opposite side. The fuel the entire regiment scraped together was only enough for one tank to launch an attack, and the artillery fire covering the attack was only a dozen mortars. They attacked one tank.
After the morning, nothing was found except dozens of corpses. When the leader reported the news to himself, the German man who had been with him for more than ten years and never knew what tears were, finally couldn't help but cry on the phone.
I burst into tears.
"Sir, we can't continue fighting like this. No matter how strong our soldiers are, they can't attack wearing single clothes and hungry. What's more, they don't even have enough ammunition now. These my men are the best soldiers. No more
We can't let them die in vain like this."
The commander's words undoubtedly stabbed Paulus hard in his heart. He didn't know how unfair and cruel it was to the soldiers, but he knew better that if he didn't continue to launch the offensive
If Zhukov senses that the German offensive momentum has weakened and is already extremely weak, that fox-like cunning guy will definitely devote all the reserves he has to launching a counterattack against the German army. Then the German army will be in catastrophe.
Paulus endured his grief and reprimanded the regimental commander on the phone and ordered him to continue to reorganize the troops and prepare to continue the attack tomorrow.
"Kobe, have our logistics supplies arrived?" Paulus collected his emotions and turned to ask Lieutenant General Kobe, the chief of staff who had been standing behind him.
"Sir, no." Kobe shook his head helplessly. "A railway bridge behind us was bombed just last week. Engineers are repairing it. It is expected to be repaired in another week. No supplies can be transported from the railway until it is repaired.
.”
"These damn guerrillas." Paulus got angry when he heard the word guerrillas. If these guerrillas hadn't been wreaking havoc in the rear, the German army's material supply wouldn't have been so difficult. Even the soldiers' winter clothes couldn't be shipped in time.
The point of coming up.
"What about the highway?" Paulus thought of another passage that he had usually forgotten.
"Sir, don't count on roads. Our heavy-duty trucks simply cannot meet the needs of more than five million soldiers, and trucks are more likely to be attacked by guerrillas."
After listening to Lieutenant General Kobe's words, Paulus became even more silent.
"Sir, didn't the head of state send a telegram a few days ago saying that he had invited the Chinese Air Force to help us transport supplies by air?"
Paulus smiled bitterly, "It's amazing how much supplies can be carried on a plane. One or two meals must be great. Have you ever been to school in Germany?"
"No." Xiao Feipeng shook his head, "I fought side by side with your air force in France for several months last year. It was at that time that I learned German with my German colleagues."
"Oh, are you one of the batch of Chinese pilots who transported radar equipment to our country and participated in the bombing of Britain?" Paulus, who was in a good mood at this time, asked with interest.
"Yes, Your Excellency Marshal, but it is a pity that when I met my former German colleagues a few days ago, we no longer had the same rapport as before."
As soon as Xiao Feipeng said these words, Lieutenant General Paulus and Kobe couldn't help but look a little embarrassed. The senior generals like them had also heard about the unhappy things the German Air Force had with the Chinese Air Force in Yekaterinburg a few days ago. At this time, they were exposed in front of them.
The Chinese military officer who had sent them life-saving supplies said it to their faces, which made them a little embarrassed.
It took a long time for Paulus to say sincerely: "Unfortunately, I believe that was a misunderstanding and this was definitely not our intention. You and I are both soldiers, and you should also understand what a soldier's bounden duty is, but I can tell you that
Please believe me, I personally have no hostility towards you, China."
Seeing that this dignified German marshal could say such words to his little colonel, it was tantamount to subduing him in disguise. What else could Xiao Feipeng say? Xiao Feipeng also admired the marshal's aboveboardness.
He took out a list and handed it to Paulus: "Marshal Paulus, this is the list of goods we shipped this time. Please sign it after your people have counted it."
Paulus took a look at the list. The items written in German and Chinese on the list were all winter clothing, food and medicine. These were the most urgently needed items for the German troops. After looking at the total number on the list, Paulus was a little confused.
He asked in surprise, "Colonel, are you mistaken? You can transport 1,800 tons of supplies at one time."
"Yes, Your Excellency Marshal." Xiao Feipeng nodded: "The standard load capacity of our "Giant" transport aircraft is ten tons, but because the distance from Yekaterinburg to here is too long, we had to add a few more auxiliary fuel tanks to ensure that the aircraft
The battery life is very good, so we transported two less goods."
Paulus nodded, took out the pen from his pocket, signed it happily and handed it to Xiao Feipeng.
"Your Excellency, Marshal, won't you wait for the logistics officers to count the supplies before signing?" Xiao Feipeng asked in surprise. The actions of the German Marshal in front of him seemed not to be in line with the strict character of the Germans.
"Is there any difference between signing now and signing later?" Paulus asked rhetorically.
"Uh" Xiao Feipeng was a little stunned when he heard that. Yes, their lifeblood is now in the hands of the Chinese Air Force. Even if some German logistics officers count the goods later and there are some missing Germans, how can they dare to say anything? It's better to
I can happily sign it now and give the other party a good impression.
Thinking of this, Xiao Feipeng couldn't help but murmur to himself, who said that the Germans are old-fashioned and stupid? Isn't this person in front of him very smart and good at life? At this time, Xiao Feipeng suddenly remembered something and said one by one: "Your Majesty Marshal,
There is one more thing I want to tell you. The thing is this, this batch of winter clothes we shipped this time."
"Colonel, what is going on?" Seeing Xiao Feipeng's hesitant look, Paulus frowned and felt nervous. Is there something wrong with these winter clothes?
"That's right. Due to time constraints and we don't have winter clothes in your country's style, these winter clothes are all the standard winter clothes of our Chinese Army. Please forgive me."
"What are the Chinese Army winter clothes?" Paulus and Kobe's mouths were open enough to stuff a hard-boiled egg.
"Yes, due to time constraints, this batch of winter clothes and the winter clothes that will be shipped later are all our army's standard winter clothes. Please forgive me." Xiao Feipeng was also a little embarrassed. The Germans paid real money in advance for this batch of goods.
Yes, and the Germans were in a hurry, and the only military branch that could immediately produce so many sets of winter clothes was the Army, so the logistics officers sent over all the military uniforms in the warehouse.
At this time, Paulus and Chief of Staff Kobe felt a chill in their hearts when they thought about the sight of German soldiers all over the mountains and plains wearing Chinese army uniforms charging at the Soviet positions in the future. What the hell is this called?