Novikov seemed to know those incompetent people very well. When reorganizing an aviation division, he picked up the list and made a lot of deletions and deletions.
There is nothing wrong with this in itself. The problem is that those who are kicked out have some backstage, and the backstage will contact the reform headquarters through their channels and try to intercede.
So there is a little episode:
"Comrade Novikov!" A staff officer said to Novikov holding the phone: "Comrade Maslov's phone!"
While looking at the documents in his hand, Novikov took the phone and identified himself: "I'm Novikov!"
"Comrade Novikov, I heard that Comrade Tanashishin was dismissed from his post..."
Before he could finish speaking, Novikov interrupted him: "Yes, is there any problem?"
"But we need him..."
"If I remember correctly, he is your nephew!" Novikov said: "And he has no experience in flying fighter planes!"
"But he has command experience and has learned a lot of theoretical knowledge in school!"
"Oh, really?" Novikov took the information handed over by the staff, flipped through it, and then replied: "He graduated from the Infantry Academy, he should be commanding the infantry!"
"No, Comrade Novikov..." The voice on the other end of the phone was a little panicked, because he knew what it meant to command infantry.
But Novikov hung up the phone without talking to him any longer. Then he waved the document in his hand to the staff officer and said: "Remove Comrade Maslov from all posts and throw him and his nephew into the 'punishment'
camp'!"
"Yes, Comrade Novikov!" the staff officer responded and immediately conveyed the order.
Novikov's approach is right, especially at this time, when the fate of the country is at a critical moment, when the reform command is racing against time, and it can even be said that the whole country is mobilizing to do everything possible to complete the air force reform as soon as possible and form combat effectiveness, there is actually someone who can
He took advantage of his position to call the reform command and take up Novikov's time for the removal of an irrelevant person.
Later I heard that these two people were not thrown into the "punishment camp" because for some unknown reason this matter reached Stalin's ears, and he directly ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take these two people away... As for what happened after they were taken away, no one
Can know.
"No way!" Novikov said to Shulka with some embarrassment: "This is one of the reasons why it is difficult for the Air Force to reform... You know, before this, I originally wanted to implement it on the basis of the original system
Reform, but no matter what plan we use or which force we start with, it will always be strong. Therefore, your ideas can be said to be just in time, and I believe it will make our air force stronger!"
Shulka not only believed it, he should be convinced.
Since then, no one has dared to call the reform headquarters to intercede. If there is, it can only be said that he is too stupid to live in this world.
After the headquarters reorganization was completed, things became relatively simple. Send a list to the headquarters and ask them to transfer certain units to the airport for their command, and use the same method to organize their own logistics troops and maintenance troops.
The fastest among them is the fighter plane itself. They only need to fly from this airport to that airport.
The slowest thing is maintenance equipment, including some large equipment, and batches of parts, tools, etc. that need to be loaded and transported.
However, by this time, even if the reform command has completed the first phase of its mission, it can move its target to the next aviation division, because this series of issues, including training integration, can be completed by the newly formed command.
Of course, all the original establishments were overthrown, and the front aviation and group army aviation... were all gone.
To be precise, it still exists at this time, but it is only temporary.
The air force is organized into a group army, and an air force group usually includes several aviation divisions depending on the situation.
The reason for "several" is because the overall integration is still based on the aviation forces of the front armies, and the remaining aviation forces of each front army are different, so the quantities are also different.
In addition to the fighter aviation division and the attack aircraft aviation division, the Air Force Group has at least one night bombing aviation division and one short-range bombing aviation division.
The night bombing aviation division and the short-range bombing aviation division were prepared based on the imminent Battle of Stalingrad, because it was foreseeable that the Soviet Union would need bombers to fly out at night to bomb German airports or supply lines. The short-range aviation division was
This is because the Soviet army's bombing of the German army will not go too far... Without seizing air superiority, long-range bombers are unlikely to penetrate the enemy's air defense zone for long-range bombing.
Novikov organized a total of four air force armies, namely the 8th, 16th, and 17th Air Force Groups.
Among them, the Air Force and the 17th Army were assigned to the Southwest Front.
This configuration is normal, because the Southwest Front has a natural advantage due to its geographical location behind the German army. In addition to being responsible for the insertion mission, it is also responsible for bombing the German supply lines and opening up another air combat battlefield to disperse the German air power.
The 8th Air Force Army was assigned to the Stalingrad Front.
It's just that the Stalingrad Front at this time is no longer the original Stalingrad Front... While the air force is implementing reforms, the infantry is also making corresponding reforms in response to this encirclement plan.
For combat needs, the Southeastern Front was changed to the Stalingrad Front, and the original Stalingrad Front was renamed the Don Front.
The 16th Air Force Group was assigned to the Don Front, the former Stalingrad Front.
Different from Shulka's original suggestion, these air group armies were not used to replace the unreformed front air force on the front line after reform.
"We need enough fighters!" Zhukov suggested to Novikov: "And those front aviation forces are originally fighters and pilots belonging to the frontline combat forces. They are familiar with their own teams and have a considerable level of coordination with the infantry!"
This is true. Although the Soviet Air Force was chaotic in organization and command, the soldiers would naturally "evolve" some survival rules under the pressure of death.
"But they have not been reformed!" Novikov said: "We have no time and space to reform them!"
"We may be able to organize them together!" Shulka said: "With a few more mixed divisions, their collaborative operations and battlefield experience may even be better than the reformed troops! We can allow the Air Force to adapt.
!”
Novikov thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
As a result, the front aviation force joined the Air Force Group in the form of a mixed division... This was a rare period when the Soviet Air Force used two forms of operations at the same time. (To be continued)