Shulka guessed correctly. This was a regiment-level coordination meeting, discussing how the 316th Division and the 4th Tank Brigade could coordinate with the 4th Tank Brigade to defend Volokolamsk.
There was no problem with what was originally discussed. It was just as planned before, the 316th Division would guard the front line, and the 4th Tank Brigade would be deployed on the second line. The Germans would counterattack wherever they broke through the 4th Tank Brigade... that is, using the 3rd Tank Brigade to attack.
The powerful combat effectiveness of the Fourth Brigade even exceeded that of the German armored divisions to push the enemy back and fill the gap.
But while they were discussing further details, the Germans launched an attack.
Then just as Shulka thought, they suddenly discovered that this tactic did not work because the weather became better and visibility increased, and German fighter planes could block the path forward of the Soviet tanks.
"We now only have 51 tanks!" Colonel Zahakavich said: "Although it has excellent performance and the ability to repel enemy armored forces, it still cannot withstand attacks from enemy fighters and bombers!"
After a pause, Colonel Zahakavich added: "In addition, enemy artillery is also a threat to us!"
"What's going on with our artillery?" Rokossovsky turned his attention to Panfilov.
"We have a serious shortage of artillery!" Panfilov answered in detail: "17 76mm cannons, 9 45mm cannons, 5 122mm howitzers, 12 82mm mortars... The total number is only 43. In addition,
In addition to the 30 anti-tank guns of different calibers captured from the Germans, there are 73 guns in total. And our army should have had 144 guns!"
Rokossovsky nodded, sighed and said: "A considerable part of the artillery of the 316th Division has been used to distribute to the counterattack troops!"
Therefore, the counterattack is not only a strategic mistake, but also creates tactical difficulties for various defense forces, such as the defensive weapon "Katyusha" rocket launcher, and other types of artillery... In fact, they are all launched from the second line of defense.
Drawn from the defense forces.
In the silence, Major Gavrilov made a suggestion: "Can I get someone to participate in our meeting?"
"Who?" Panfilov was confused.
"'Breakout Hero'?" Rokossovsky guessed the answer.
"Yes!" Major Gavrilov said: "He is not just a 'breakout hero'... I don't know how to describe him. There are many questions that seem to have no answers for us, but he always does it easily.
It’s solved!”
"Yeah?"
"Yes!" Major Gavrilov replied with some distress: "I have become accustomed to meetings with him there. It can even be said that I feel that I can't think anymore, as if thinking is his problem..."
The officers in the headquarters all laughed.
"So!" Rokossovsky said: "Let us meet this 'breakout hero'!"
Of course Shulka didn't know this. Before that, he thought it was just Major Gavrilov who asked him for something. How could he have thought that this was the formulation of the entire Volokolamsk defense strategy!"
"We are in trouble!" Rokossovsky threw the question out like a challenge: "I think you know what the trouble is, Comrade Shulka!"
Rokossovsky considered himself extremely smart, and even refused to obey Zhukov's command on the battlefield... He and Zhukov were classmates, so he was a little unwilling to be inferior to him.
Therefore, Rokossovsky did not believe that Shulka was as good as Major Gavrilov said. At this time, it was a bit challenging or it could be said to be difficult for Shulka's mentality.
Shulka saw something in Rokossovsky's eyes.
From an official point of view, Shulka should pretend not to know and then show weakness in front of Rokossovsky... and even make his own idea Rokossovsky's in a roundabout way, so that he can
Make him comfortable and then Shulka can have a prosperous career.
But this is war time.
Many things in wartime are much simpler than in peacetime. What it requires is talented people and methods to defeat the enemy...
Even Rokossovsky himself was like this. Because he was handsome, he had many lovers in the army, so he was also reported.
Unexpectedly, the superiors didn't care about this at all... If you can defeat the enemy on the battlefield, what does having a few more lovers mean to you?!
So Shulka answered directly: "Yes, Comrade Rokossovsky! Our trouble lies with the German planes!"
The officers laughed knowingly.
"Yes, Comrade Shulka!" Rokossovsky asked: "What can you do?"
"The best way is to seize air supremacy with the enemy!" Shulka said: "I mean, if we have enough strength, at least at some point when our tanks attack, we can seize control of Volokolam.
The air superiority over Sksk provides cover for our tanks!”
Rokossovsky shook his head and replied: "No, we cannot seize air supremacy with the enemy!"
This is normal. In the early days of the war, if the Soviet army had any equipment that was seriously weaker than the German army, it was probably fighter planes... At this time, the Soviet army even equipped a large number of biplanes, so it was overwhelmed by the German army as soon as the war started.
In addition to being caught off guard and having clumsy command, another important reason for destroying most of them was that the fighter planes were almost an era behind.
Shulka even believed that the reason why the fighter planes were lagging behind was the most important reason.
Being caught off guard and being clumsy in command are just external factors. No matter how clumsy the command is, there will always be a few batches of planes that can take off. If these planes can fight with the Germans, they will buy more time for other fighters, so batches of
The plane can take off and fight the enemy.
The problem was that even if a few batches of aircraft were able to take off, they were shot down by the Germans within a few rounds. Therefore, the German fighter planes were like entering a no-man's land, killing gods and Buddhas all the way, and destroyed most of the Soviet Air Force.
Objectively speaking, even if the Soviet army is prepared, these annihilated Soviet air forces will not have much effect... unless they are in some special terrains, such as the Caucasus, which is full of mountains and territories, and the speed is slow.
Only the Soviet fighter jets can be effective.
"If we cannot seize air superiority!" Shulka said, "then at least we will be better than the enemy in artillery..."
"Our artillery is weaker than the enemy!" Rokossovsky interrupted Shulka.
"And much weaker!" Panfilov added: "In fact, except for anti-tank guns, our artillery is almost worthless in front of the enemy!"
What Panmolov did not say is that the reason why there is no shortage of anti-tank guns is because the 316th Division took advantage of the victory and counterattacked to capture a batch of German anti-tank guns after the 4th Tank Brigade won the battle.