In fact, Katukov also knew what to do, but he just let everything happen.
The reason is that Katukov knew that it would be too late to report it now.
First of all, this is just a guess, and Rokossovsky does not necessarily believe that this guess will become a fact.
Secondly, there is only ten minutes until the launch of the general attack.
The command system of the Soviet army was cumbersome and inefficient. Even if Rokossovsky believed it immediately and made a decision immediately... it would be difficult for the order to be conveyed to all departments, and it might even be caused by temporary changes in plans.
confusion.
So Katukov could only let it go.
Time jumped forward little by little, and then, three red signal flares rose slowly.
Almost at that moment, intensive artillery fire started, making a "rumbling" sound.
On the front line of Moscow, from Tver in the north to Yelets in the south, a front of more than 1,000 kilometers, the Soviet army assembled a total of 1 million troops, prepared 1,000 aircraft, and invested 7,652 artillery pieces and 774 tanks.
These troops' large and small caliber artillery fired in the direction of the German army almost at the same time. The dense artillery shells hit the German position like hail and exploded a wall of fire. The entire direction of the German army was blown red, just like the afterglow of sunset cast on the German position.
of.
Ten minutes later, the sky gradually became brighter...Shurka and others did not feel the dawn at all, because the sky was completely covered by the smoke of gunfire.
The reason we knew it was dawn was because the sound of fighter jet engines sounded in the air, and then Soviet fighter planes dropped bombs on the German positions and swooped down to straf fiercely with their cannons.
The bombing lasted for half an hour before starting to extend back.
Several red flares rose in the sky again, and Katukov waved his pistol and shouted: "Comrades, for the people, for the army, for the great Soviet Union, go for it!"
"Come on!" the soldiers shouted and jumped out of the trench with their rifles in hand.
At the same time, the tank also rushed out of the trench along the slope with a "rumbling" sound and "jumped" to the ground.
But in fact, everyone soon discovered that this was unnecessary, because the "Matilda" tank... its maximum cross-country speed is only 15 kilometers per hour, and one thing that is certain is that this maximum speed is not tested in the snow.
For the running warriors quickly overtook it and had to slow down and wait.
Some soldiers even looked back while running forward, and occasionally waved their hands back a few times, as if to tell "Matilda" to go faster.
But "Matilda" was also full of ambition and strength, and she still drove slowly behind, like a heavy turtle or an elephant walking by the river.
Shulka believes that the most anxious people at this time should be the tank crew.
This was indeed the case. Fedosiev was so anxious behind him that he cursed his mother, even though it was driving an American M3 medium tank.
The speed of the M3 medium tank is not slow, but because it must maintain the second echelon sequence, it can only slow down and follow behind.
As a result, Shulka and others watched helplessly as the 2nd Guards Tank Brigade in front of them walked farther and farther amidst the sound of gunfire, explosions and shouts of death... and finally disappeared in the morning light.
What was left to the 1st Guards Tank Brigade were rows of craters in front and corpses in different postures.
From a purely profit perspective, Shulka prefers the current state, because this way he does not need to rush to the most dangerous front to directly contact the enemy.
To be precise, they would also come into contact with the enemy, but they would only come into contact with German soldiers who were injured or pretending to be dead... The soldiers raised their guns and shot these German soldiers to death without hesitation.
"They didn't surrender!" the actor explained: "I didn't see them raising their hands, so this doesn't count as killing prisoners!"
This is true.
It's just that most of the injured couldn't raise their hands. They either had injured hands or were busy covering their wounds with their hands.
However, being so far behind the Second Guards Tank Brigade like now, I still feel a little discouraged for no reason.
"I don't understand!" Soon the soldiers started chatting, and the actor said: "Why did the British build such slow tanks? To fight a war?"
"They call it an 'infantry tank', Okunev!" the veteran replied: "That is, a tank that can allow infantry to keep up, so..."
As he spoke, the veteran raised his head towards the tank not far ahead.
"Unbelievable!" The actor shook his head: "In other words... the British usually advance at this speed when fighting?"
The Soviet soldiers really couldn't believe this, because they usually rushed forward as fast as possible.
"Otherwise?" the veteran asked, "Do you think the British would rush in front of the tank?"
"Oh, yes!" The actor imitated Stephen's tone and demeanor and shouted: "Follow the tank, you idiots... you are finished!"
The actor did have some acting talent, and he looked very similar to Stephen, which made the soldiers burst into laughter.
"They are already veterans!" the instructor walking beside Shulka sighed.
Shulka knew what the instructor meant.
If it were in the past, even if they were fighting behind friendly forces to pick up scraps, they would still be nervous.
But now, they can joke around while fighting, and occasionally turn over corpses on the roadside and kill the wounded enemy with a "bang" shot. All of this is as natural as it should be.
Shulka didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Because, as they become veterans, their reverence for life is also disappearing little by little.
Even Shulka is no exception.
"I knew I was right, Comrade Shulka!" the instructor said as he panted and stepped forward.
"What is right?" Shulka didn't understand what the instructor meant.
"Do you remember what I told you in Kiev?" the instructor asked.
Shulka looked confused, he had forgotten all about it a long time ago.
"You were investigated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs!" the instructor reminded.
Shulka said "Oh", but still didn't understand: "But what does that have to do with today?"
"You completely forgot!" the instructor couldn't help laughing: "I said at that time that the reason why I would stand firmly on your side and speak for you is because I think a change is needed. I think the country and the army need you, and the Soviet Union needs you.
You... look at it now, Shulka! We were counterattacking, we defeated the Germans! We did it!"
Shulka shook his head and replied: "No, comrade instructor! We are still far from defeating the Germans!"