"Remember what I said before?" Shulka replied: "We should hide supplies and equipment underground instead of on the ground!"
"I told them, but no one listened to me!" Kalashnikov said: "They all thought I was worrying in vain. No one believed that the Germans would hit here!"
Shulka was a little helpless, because it was really hard for people to believe it, unless Shulka told them that he could predict the future.
However, Shulka also knew that when the German army reached Stalingrad and surrounded it, Stalingrad would be in an unprecedented dilemma. Even Chuikov, the commander of the group army who later took over the command, would rarely have a bowl of millet porridge.
Therefore, if you do not store a batch of ammunition or supplies for the troops at this time, you will be sorry for yourself and the 82nd Infantry Regiment.
After thinking about it, Shulka said to Kalashnikov: "I remember that the tractor factory's tank production workshop is in the East District, right?"
"Yes!" Kalashnikov replied: "Are there any free underground warehouses there?"
"Yes, and there are quite a few!" Kalashnikov replied: "But they are all basements, used to accumulate debris and old machines that are damaged beyond repair!"
Perhaps to facilitate the storage of food for the winter, the Soviets were accustomed to building basements, and this habit was even brought to factories.
"Find a way!" Shulka said: "Free up those machines in the basement and use them to store supplies!"
"I don't have that authority!" Kalashnikov cast his expectant eyes on Shulka: "Comrade Sisoy can do this, and he trusts you!"
So Shulka had no choice but to go find Sisoy.
But of course, Shulka was not talking about the possibility that the Germans would attack Stalingrad.
Otherwise, when the German army actually reaches Stalingrad one day, it will be difficult for him to explain why he was able to predict the outcome.
"Comrade Sisoy!" Shulka said: "I found a serious problem during the army's production operations, such as rifle production workshops and ammunition depots... They are easily bombed by the enemy! I once experienced the Bulletin
During the Battle of Sturt, the Germans would use their air force to bomb these workshops and warehouses as soon as possible, leaving us in a state of insufficient supplies! I even have reason to believe that they may have mastered the location of our warehouses."
Sisoy nodded and said: "This suggestion is very good, Comrade Shulka. But... it seems that it is too late to move now. Moving the workshop is not a trivial matter. It will waste a lot of manpower and time!"
After a pause, Sisoy continued: "What's more, we have no extra ammunition and supplies to store. Almost all our supplies are being sent to the front line. You know, the front line is in urgent need of these!"
"I don't mean now, Comrade Sisoy!" Shulka said: "I just think we should make some preparations first, such as vacating those basements first, so that when necessary, they can be used as warehouses for us to store supplies.
!”
With that said, Shulka handed Sisoy a drawing that marked the basement in the East District.
Shurka pointed to the drawings and said: "We can open a few exits here, here, and here, and then drag out the useless machines and debris from these exits, so that it can be easily transformed into a warehouse! Some
It’s a safe warehouse and you don’t have to worry about being bombed by the enemy. It’s not a bad idea to use it for transit!”
Sisoy quickly agreed. After all, this would not delay the production progress. In the final analysis, it was just to store the materials in a safer underground warehouse, so why not do it?
This matter was handed over to Kalashnikov and assisted by the 82nd Infantry Regiment. So the 82nd Infantry Regiment did nothing during the training period except emptying the warehouse.
Although it is true that as Sisoy said, the materials are transported to the train station and then to the front line almost as soon as they are produced, so there is not much stored in the warehouse.
But Shulka is not worried at all.
Because he knew that there would be a period of material shortage before Stalingrad fell into trouble: the troops fighting on the front line were surrounded by the German army and could not deliver supplies, but Stalingrad was still producing, so all kinds of ammunition, firearms, food
All will be backlogged in the warehouse.
Since no one thought that this would happen, most of these materials were stored in temporary warehouses with no security. As soon as the German fighter planes bombed... something like the Brest Fortress happened, and a large number of strategic personnel immediately arrived.
Materials were destroyed.
In addition, Shulka also considered several other aspects.
For example, the reason why he chose the East District where tanks were produced was because he knew that it was a place that had not been occupied by the Germans until the last moment... During the most difficult period of the Battle of Stalingrad, it was the workers who drove the tanks that had just come off the production line onto the battlefield.
.
Another meaning of this statement is that the Eastern District is the safest.
While Shulka was making preparations, the battle in the direction of Kharkov had already entered a fever pitch.
The German army was caught off guard.
Paulus, commander of the German 6th Army, never expected that the Soviet army would launch a counterattack at this time, and the focus of the offensive was Kharkov.
Because at the same time, the German army is also preparing for the battle code-named "Friedrich I". The goal of this battle is to capture the area west of the North Donets River and southeast of Kharkov to establish a reliable line of defense relying on the river...
...Everyone knows that the river is the best line of defense after the ice and snow melt, so occupying the west bank before then can ensure your own safety.
It can be seen from this that the German army's ambitions at this stage are actually not big. They even just want to stabilize their position. As for the 6th Army Paulus's thoughts at this time, this is what he thought.
However, the Soviet army's rash advance gave the German army an opportunity, an excellent opportunity... because as long as the German army surrounded and annihilated the rashly advancing Soviet army, it could drive straight into its empty rear.
As a result, the German army's appetite grew bigger and bigger, and even targeted Stalingrad.
If Hitler's appetite hadn't been so great that he thought he could capture Stalingrad and the Caucasus at the same time, so he divided the German army into two armies, A and B, it's still unclear who would win in this battle.
At this time, Paulus couldn't help but be ecstatic when he learned about the Soviet attack.
"General!" the adjutant reported: "The Soviets have torn through our right-wing defense line and advanced twenty kilometers. We should send reinforcements immediately!"
"No, Colonel Fischer!" Paulus replied: "Let them move on, this is our rare opportunity!"