The motorcade came and went in a hurry. When the commander of the troops stationed in the old school building went to the canteen to investigate the situation, Yang Mingzhi and others had already left in the car.
The group of people did not leave alone. Two trucks filled with baked bread followed them. After entering the mainland of the city, the truck turned towards an arsenal that specializes in the production of mortar shells.
After eating and drinking, Yang Mingzhi was in good spirits. He thought he had gone through this experience, and then the motorcade went straight to Moscow and finally stopped at the door of the Kremlin.
"Captain Larin, I will meet Comrade Stalin directly next. What do you think I should say when I see him?"
"Just like normal. Besides, we're not going directly to the Kremlin."
Yang Mingzhi was stunned, that's not what this guy said a few hours ago.
"Don't go directly? Do we have to turn around? Where to go?"
"Let's go to Lubyanka first. I want to report back to the headquarters first. You have just come back from the swamp. If you go to see the leader in a slovenly manner, it would be extremely disrespectful to him. Besides, you need to do some necessary things before you meet the leader.
You have to go through the process again."
Thinking about it, this direct meeting with the highest authority in the Soviet Union was an informal meeting, just wearing a shirt and no tie. Yang Mingzhi lowered his head and looked at his clothes. This military uniform was airdropped more than four months ago.
After many days of battlefield career, as a lieutenant general, he must go to the front line in person when necessary. The military uniform is full of patches for this purpose.
"Oh no, this is my only formal dress! Let's see what the Ministry of Internal Affairs will do with it."
Yang Mingzhi felt a little uneasy in his heart. He knew very well that one of the powers of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs was to protect Stalin himself. Anyone who met him would of course have to undergo cumbersome inspections.
On September 2, the weather in Moscow was not bad, and the city faced a great threat of air raids.
Also on this day, fierce fighting was still going on in Stalingrad and surrounding areas. From a macro perspective, the Soviet army was at a certain disadvantage, but the German army was also unable to make major breakthroughs on a front that was 400 kilometers wide in a short period of time.
Stalin has signed some orders, and he has transferred some important commanders to the most dangerous display, counting on these master tactics to command the troops to withstand the enemy's offensive.
He needs more outstanding military generals, and in the early morning of recent morning, three division commanders who were promoted by surprise have landed in Tula.
In his daily work, the most important task on September 2 was to meet with Lieutenant General Berekov, whom he had never met before. He needed time to freshen up, show the majesty of a leader, and ensure his absolute integrity.
Safety.
A man with an iron will, he has been staying in the Kremlin, which many senior Soviet officials dislike. He has been living here since the war broke out last year. Stalin was not afraid of bombings by German fighter planes at all, but was only worried about encountering assassinations.
Anyone who wants to see him must first be inspected by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and their identity must be confirmed before being disarmed. Stalin also found two stand-ins for himself, and he would be used by the stand-ins in some informal activities.
It was Stalin who wanted to see his beloved General Belekov by name, but this general's identity was extremely special, and his detailed information was limited.
Yang Mingzhi's pseudonym was Berekov, and there is currently only one photo handed down to the public. In addition, there is a large amount of information provided by Salinchkin.
He was indeed very good, and Stalin himself had reason to be wary when it came to meetings.
After the plane landed, the airport directly called the Kremlin's hotline, and Captain Larin made a call to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The plan was that Stalin would know about it when the plane landed.
He ignored his drowsiness and made his own arrangements overnight.
The meeting time was set for the afternoon, and he called Beria, who was currently stranded in Moscow, to explain the task: "Carefully examine everyone, check all clothes and luggage. Prepare a clean military uniform for the lieutenant general, and give them a
A hearty lunch to ensure the meeting is not awkward."
He called the Lenin Komsomol branch in Moscow: "You send people to the headquarters office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Lubyanka. You must meet the Speroskina siblings and the wife of Lieutenant General Belekov to ensure that
These kids are not frightened."
The leader of the alliance must have an iron will. If he is lax, the domestic and foreign enemies he secretly touches will attack. In order to ensure the stability of his power, Stalin insisted on staying in Moscow, the sacred and eternal capital of the Slavic nation, even though it is still here.
It's the front line of war.
From the 1930s to now, for ten years, he has not enjoyed a few stable days. He has just finished solving his domestic political opponents and gained a reputation as a butcher. The rising Germany has already revealed its bloody fangs, and the final battle will determine the Soviet Union.
The life-and-death war still broke out.
On June 22, 1941, Stalin sat alone in his office.
He felt that he was a sinner of the alliance because he believed the German lies because of his so-called wishful thinking. The elite troops did not enter the border as early as possible, and the country did not implement a wartime system. Many border troops were still at the third level of combat readiness with the separation of men and guns. The Supreme Soviet
At the secret meeting, everyone believed that the Soviet-German war was inevitable. There was a lot of intelligence that pointed out that Germany would launch an attack on the summer solstice, but he believed that the date of the war would be 194.
Upon hearing the news of the all-out German attack, Stalin had a splitting headache. When he calmed down, he sat alone in the office. He sat quietly, waiting for the arrest order from the Supreme Soviet.
However, Beria was the first to walk into his office and said calmly: "Comrade leader, the war has broken out. Only you can organize all the work."
Because of this unexpected war, Stalin's power was consolidated. He became a symbol of the national spirit. His unswerving attitude reminded people of Peter the Great. Only a leader like Peter the Great could once again save Russia and the Soviet Union.
Today, Stalin has clearly realized after many defeats in battles that as the leader of the alliance, he should not interfere too much with the generals' campaign plans. Since the disastrous defeat in May, he has only set rough guidelines for the commanders of various front armies.
How to accomplish the campaign objectives is the responsibility of the generals.
Facts have proved that as the generals gained great autonomy, the Soviet army became more flexible in operations. On the Rzhev-Sychovka line, which had been stuck for a whole year, the Soviet army achieved a successful battle breakthrough.
And Berekov, who was given great autonomy, created a series of military miracles.
Stalin had too many things to say to Yang Mingzhi. He was really eager to meet him, but the necessary procedures had to be followed. He stayed in his humble office, waiting for the desk to go directly to the headquarters building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
phone ringtone.
...
If you tell Yang Mingzhi that you are being cared about by Stalin right now and he has a lot of questions to ask you, he would like to talk to you all night long.
Will Yang Mingzhi believe it?
He believes it, of course he will believe it! After all, the military rank reaches lieutenant general, then general, and finally marshal. There are only a handful of people who can reach the rank of lieutenant general in the military system, not to mention that he was promoted by Stalin in an unusual way.
Think about it, a foreigner who suddenly became a Soviet citizen in 1944 was given the rank of lieutenant general when he became a citizen. If he refused to naturalize, he would be dismissed from all military positions. He would either be a guest or be imprisoned. Such a strict order is
"If it cannot be used by me, it is considered waste."
The convoy continued to drive towards Moscow. After quickly passing through Podolsk, the group walked on the road that the German army dreamed of.
"Comrade General, we will arrive in Moscow soon! Please don't be frightened by what you see when you look at the scenery."
"Comrade Captain, how could I be frightened? Even in the face of Comrade Stalin, I will remain calm."
"Okay! Please get out of the car window and look at the blue sky. You will see a wonderful sight soon."
What’s so good about the blue sky? Could there be a rainbow in the sky here?
Yang Mingzhi opened his eyes wide, but his mild myopia was not enough for him to see objects in the distance.
He rolled down the bed just to see more clearly. The cold wind poured into the car, and the already curled up star fruit shrank into a ball.
"Honey, is it too cold?"
"Um."
"How about I close the window?"
"No need, the captain said there is something special in the sky, and I want to see it too."
Compared to Yang Mingzhi, Yang Tao was extremely curious about Moscow. It was the center of the Soviet Union, a very huge city, and was given wonderful titles such as civilization and grandeur. When working in the hospital, everyone was boasting about Moscow.
Its long history, its beauty before the outbreak of war, and its unyielding character during the defense war.
The convoy continued to move forward, and soon military installations began to appear on both sides of the road.
Star Tao wrapped her head in a blanket and stuck her little face out of the lathe, ignoring the cold wind. Her eyes were completely attracted by the anti-aircraft gun positions. The narrow barrels pointed to the sky. An anti-aircraft gun position was not far away from the road.
In the distance, they are arranged in a matrix. Look at that mighty formation. Can the German planes still pass through here safely?
"Brother! The anti-aircraft artillery positions over there are much more powerful than the anti-aircraft battalions we have in the swamps. Look, they are better than the eight-unit anti-aircraft machine guns you have."
"Of course, they are anti-aircraft guns!" Yang Mingzhi put his fingers against his wife's smiling face, feeling only the cold skin: "Silly girl, I'd better close the glass, if you continue like this you will get frostbite."
"I don't."
Yang Mingzhi doesn't talk nonsense. As a husband, how can he let his wife do whatever she wants?
The glass was pulled up by surprise. Captain Larin, who was planning to introduce some air defense conditions in the suburbs of Moscow, immediately changed his tone: "Comrade General, maybe you should open the glass again."
"No need, you obviously don't know that Comrade Berekova is very curious. This is her first time in Moscow, and I don't want her to get frostbite on her cheeks or get sick from a cold."
"Okay." Captain Larin shrugged, "This is the suburbs of Moscow. There are currently more than ten air defense regiments deployed outside the city, and hundreds of anti-aircraft guns of various calibers protect air security. Now look at what's right in front of us.
!"
Captain Lalin pointed with his finger. Yang Mingzhi looked along and saw a white cloud appearing in the sky in the distance.
What's so special about white clouds? On cloudy days, white clouds like cotton candy float by the wind, forming various strange shapes.
But wait, those clouds are very special.
Yang Mingzhi just regretted that he didn't have a telescope now. Even though his vision was a little blurry, he could still see that it was a frozen cloud, which actually reflected bright light under the sunlight.
Those things are not clouds at all.
If not the cloud, what is it?
Yang Mingzhi held his chin and thought for a moment, then he suddenly became enlightened.
"Captain Larin, the wonders of the blue sky you call are not balloons, are they?"
"Haha! You guessed it right!"
"I see, the city of Moscow is right below the balloon? The balloon forms a huge air defense formation, it looks like a huge white cloud. I really admire it."
"Well, your admiration is actually our helplessness." Captain Lalin smiled bitterly and took advantage of the last moment before entering the city to explain to Yang Mingzhi the situation of the air raid in late August.
No matter how many anti-aircraft guns and aircraft are set up, or how many air defense balloons are raised, if the Germans intend to carry out air strikes at any cost, these air defense measures cannot make the city immune. However, those air defense balloons simply cover the sky and form a big white cloud.
Like a protective umbrella, Goering would only attack Moscow again if he was crazy.
Besides, at this critical time, shouldn't all the German fighter planes on the Eastern Front be transferred to Stalingrad? Moscow's extreme air defense posture is simply overkill.
After all, a tight air defense formation can bring peace of mind to the citizens. If it is to protect Stalin, no matter how large the formation is, there is nothing wrong with it.
Yang Mingzhi learned from Captain Larin that the factories that have not been relocated in the city are still producing weapons and ammunition, and the old factories of relocated companies have also been transformed into warehouses or new arsenals.
Like Podolsk, more than 600,000 civilians are still stranded in Moscow. Citizens are actively joining the army and contributing their property. They are determined not to join the army retreating eastward, especially a large number of young female citizens, who have many husbands.
Sacrificed on the front line, with the hatred of their country and family and the sorrow that they could not meet the qualifications for conscription, they became the main production force of the arsenal.
The Moscow City Soviet promoted citizens' patriotic enthusiasm, but this was not the case.
My home is here. Should I leave my hometown just because the Germans came? The enemy has not captured Moscow. Should I continue to work in the city or go to the rear and receive the same amount of rationed food? Then I will stay
Work is the best priority. As for the German air raids, everyone is destined to die, so what can I do?
Most of the civilians who stayed behind actually had this idea. They were not that radical or well thought out. They were just small people drifting with the tide of history.
However, Moscow still further diverted civilians. Even a large number of arsenal workers were sent to Podolsk and Tula, a hundred kilometers away.
Due to the pressure of the war, women in the Soviet Union were responsible for half of the weapons production capacity, and agricultural production almost became women's work.
As of September 1944, various Soviet arsenals produced as many as 50 million artillery shells of various types during the war, of which more than 20 million were made entirely by female workers, and production capacity is still increasing rapidly. Today, the Soviet Union continues to relax conscription standards,
The lower age limit has been lowered, and men in their forties have begun to enter the recruitment scope. Faced with the growing gap in the military industry, more women will go to the arsenal.
Of course, for the majority of Soviet women, working in the arsenal was not only about supporting the country in winning the war, it also had great practical significance - the arsenal provided daily working meals.
There are not many arsenals in Moscow, and most of them were built by surprise. Not only are the factories used simple and rudimentary, they are mainly responsible for the final assembly of small-caliber artillery shells, as well as the loading of the most basic bullets. For example, the manufacturing of bullets, shells, warheads and pyrotechnics.
Medicines are produced in rear arsenals. Their output is large, but final assembly requires labor-intensive workshops.
Workers stranded in Moscow and other places were organized and engaged in uncomplicated and relatively safe work such as bullet assembly.
They themselves are citizens of Moscow, and their homes are in the city. They only need to supply enough food to ensure stable material output.
Moreover, Moscow itself is a large military camp, with more than 100,000 troops stationed in the city, and as many as 200,000 wounded people being treated in the city. The weapons and ammunition produced by the factories in the city can be supplied to Zhukov's Western Front almost instantly, and its material supply line is not even
One hundred kilometers.
On the other hand, Germany's Model's 9th Army needs all the supplies it needs to be shipped from the mainland. It is a long supply line that must pass through Poland and Belarus. So far, many columns have been bombed during the Battle of Gomel.
The Chicha Railway Bridge has not yet been repaired, and half of the supplies Model needs must temporarily rely on the only railway transportation from Warsaw-Minsk-Mogilev. (To be continued)