It turned out that passing through Stalingrad was correct.
This is not only due to ammunition supply issues, but also the addition of more than a hundred half-track armored vehicles.
Kalashnikov rushed to the station to find Shulka.
"Comrade Shulka!" Kalashnikov handed Shulka a heavy kettle and stuffed two packs of cigarettes into Shulka's pocket, then hugged Shulka and said happily:
"I heard that you are going to Crimea through here, I will come right away!"
"Thank you, Kalashnikov!" Shulka replied, raising the kettle. Of course he knew that the kettle contained Votega.
Kalashnikov came from the grassroots army and knew that tobacco and alcohol were indispensable items in the army.
"You won't give me all your rations!" Shulka said with a smile.
"Of course not, Comrade Shulka!" Kalashnikov replied, then looked around and said in a low voice: "Don't let others know, we have endless amounts of Votaga!"
This is completely within Shulka's expectation. You must know that this is Stalingrad, a city named after Stalin, and it is still in the rear and has not been attacked by the German army. In addition, Kalashnikov and others have
In the tractor factory... The tractor factory was the largest state-owned enterprise in the Soviet Union. The workers there were all superior to others, not to mention the scientists.
However, Shulka knew these conditions were only temporary.
"Be prepared, Comrade Kalashnikov!" Shulka said.
"Prepare for what?" Kalashnikov asked doubtfully.
"What else can we prepare for? The enemy's attack!"
Kalashnikov was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly laughed: "Come on, Comrade Shulka, this is Stalingrad...and we are already counterattacking, aren't we?"
"Anything can happen, Comrade Kalashnikov!" Shulka replied.
"What do you mean?" Kalashnikov asked, "You mean the Germans will attack Stalingrad?"
At this time, the whistle sounded, and the conductor waved the red flag in his hand to signal everyone to get on the train.
Shulka did not answer Kalashnikov, just hugged him and returned to the train.
Kalashnikov waved to Shulka and watched blankly as the train slowly drove away.
If someone else had said this, Kalashnikov would have just regarded it as a joke. But it was Shulka who said this, and Shulka who almost missed it.
The train set off again, boarding the railway bound for the Caucasus in the dusk. Soon the surrounding sky darkened, leaving only the deliberately dimmed lights in front of the train.
Just as Shulka thought, it would be much safer if the train went around the rear. On the other hand, it was also because of the power in the hands of Mahlis, the representative of the Supreme Command. Of course, part of the reason was the military emergency... Shuulka
Erka believes that the former is more important, because if the military situation is urgent and other directions are also fighting, the military situation is also urgent at this time.
In any case, almost all the trains along the way were making way for the 1st Guards Tank Brigade. It was said that some had been waiting on the road for several hours for the train of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade to pass.
This made Shulka feel a little embarrassed, especially when they looked at the Soviet soldiers waiting in the ice and snow beside the railway.
The next day, when it was daylight, the 1st Guards Tank Brigade had already arrived at Demlyukski.
The person who came to greet Mahlis was a lieutenant general. He and a group of officers were waiting at the train station. When Mahlis got off the train, he hurriedly greeted him and stood up and saluted: "Nice to see you, Mahlis."
Comrade Liss, we have assembled our troops in accordance with the orders of the Supreme Command!"
When the 1st Guards Tank Brigade rushed to the Caucasus, the Supreme High Command had already formed a counterattack force in the Caucasus.
In fact, it cannot be said to be "formed", but the Crimean Front was formed by combining part of the Caucasus Front and the Coastal Army garrisoned in Crimea.
The lieutenant general who came to greet Mekhlis was Lieutenant General Kozlov, commander of the Crimean Front (originally the commander of the Caucasus Front).
Mahlis nodded, straightened his chest and asked confidently: "How are you preparing?"
"The 44th Group Army has been assembled, and the 51st Group Army is still preparing!" Lieutenant General Kozlov replied: "In addition, we have also contacted the Navy and Air Force according to your order!"
"Very good!" Mahlis replied, then got into the American jeep parked in front of him without looking back, and drove to the headquarters under the escort of front and rear guards.
This once again left Shulka speechless.
If he was an experienced commander, he would be most concerned about the battle situation on the front line at this time, and he should ride in the same car with Kozlov and immediately ask for details... But Maihelis has no generosity in this regard.
read.
But this seems to be normal. He who rose to the top by doing political work through snitching, of course would not know this.
Shulka noticed that Kozlov also frowned and his face became very ugly, then he raised his head and got into the car with his subordinates to follow.
Of course, Shulka and others did not receive such treatment. They were busy unloading the equipment from the train and then drove to the designated military camp.
The military camp was located in a factory west of Demluksky.
At this time, the Soviet army could no longer camp in the wild, especially the tank troops, because if this was the case, the German reconnaissance planes would immediately find them and even count the number of tanks.
Katukov is a little unaccustomed to this battle, because as usual he is very leisurely... It's not that he wants to be leisurely, but he doesn't know anything about the situation. He only knows that there are bursts of gunfire from the direction of Crimea, and occasionally...
Several German aircraft flew into the sky, causing a fierce battle between the air defense forces.
(Note: The Caucasus and Crimea are separated only by the Kerch Strait, which is several kilometers wide and the narrowest point is 4.5 kilometers)
This made Katukov anxious. He paced back and forth in the headquarters, and then he couldn't help but call Shulka.
"Didn't he contact you?" Katukov asked.
"No, no, Comrade Colonel!"
"This is wrong!" Katukov said anxiously: "He should know that he can't win this battle without you!"
"I don't know, Colonel!" Shulka replied.
"He will make a mess!" Katukov said in a low voice.
Shulka was also helpless. He couldn't just go find Mahlis when nothing happened.
Later Shulka learned that the reason why Mahlis didn't need him now was because he was doing what he was good at during this period...eliminating dissidents and installing his cronies.