"You are crazy, Comrade Shulka!" Several staff officers exclaimed almost at the same time:
"We cannot organize such a huge counterattack!"
"Even if we have enough manpower, we don't have that much supplies and fuel!"
"This will only lead to the meaningless death of our soldiers!"
…
But Zhukov remained silent. He seemed to understand what Shulka meant.
"Other directions are just feint attacks!" Shurka said: "But of course, they should all have a counterattack plan. I mean, if the Germans choose not to respond or reinforce, they can convert it into a real attack at any time!
"
"This will consume all the vitality of the Germans!" Khrushchev's eyes flashed with excitement, and he found that this battle was getting bigger and bigger.
"Yes, including air power!" Shurka said: "A feint attack like ours does not require much supplies, or even only requires a small-scale fire reconnaissance. Once the enemy's weak position is detected, we will launch an attack and achieve a certain victory.
Turning to defense... This will force the Germans to respond, otherwise the holes in their defense will become bigger and bigger. If the German troops in other directions are repulsed by us, then even if they have achieved victory in Stalingrad
Victory is useless!"
Shulka actually took advantage of the large number of people.
Just like Shulka used the air force to open up another battlefield to distract the strength of the German air force, the Soviet infantry also had an absolute numerical advantage.
This advantage must be exploited as much as possible. Just like now, randomly selecting a few troops from other directions to launch a few demonstration charges is enough to make the under-strength German army nervous for a while.
"What a great idea!" Khrushchev immediately agreed.
Soviet commanders are usually very generous in sending troops to fight, and Khrushchev, a political commissar, is even less generous.
stingy.
There was silence in the headquarters, and everyone turned their attention to Zhukov.
After thinking for a while, Zhukov said: "Can the Germans be deceived in this way?"
"I don't know!" Shulka replied: "But I believe that the Germans may know that these are feints, but they will not think that the feints are to drain their reserve forces and reserves!"
"Why?" Zhukov asked.
"Because Stalingrad is in crisis!" Shulka replied: "At the same time, the Stalingrad Front launched several large-scale attacks in order to disperse the enemy's forces!"
Novikov nodded: "So, because of their previous experience, the Germans will take it for granted that our feint attacks in other directions are to indirectly reinforce Stalingrad! That is to prevent their reinforcements from reinforcing Stalingrad!"
"But what difference does it make?" Zhukov said: "If the Germans knew this, they would still focus on Stalingrad!"
"The difference is..." Shulka replied: "If they think that victory in Stalingrad is in sight, or that they do not need so many troops to win the Battle of Stalingrad, then they will feel free to use their reserve forces to reinforce other countries.
direction!"
"The Germans are not that easy to fool!" Zhukov said: "And the battle in Stalingrad has always been in crisis. As long as you take a step back, you may be fully occupied by the enemy. How can we make the Germans believe that they are in sight of victory?"
Shulka thought for a moment, then pointed to the center of Stalingrad and said: "Mamaev Hill!"
"Are you going to give Mamayev Heights to the Germans?" Zhukov's eyes widened in surprise: "That will block the river transportation channel in Stalingrad, and heavy equipment will not be transported to Stalingrad.
Le's fight will get worse fast!"
"As long as we are prepared, we can control the losses to a minimum!" Shulka said: "And only in this way can the Germans believe that they are in sight of victory. At the same time, they will not be able to deploy more troops for the urban street fighting in Stalingrad and send additional reinforcements.
It doesn’t make much sense!”
"But what about Stalingrad?" a staff officer asked.
"As long as our counterattack can be launched before Stalingrad falls!" Shulka said: "Or we are ready to retake Mamayev Heights, then Stalingrad will always be in our hands!"
In fact, it doesn't matter much even if Stalingrad is occupied by the German army. If the Soviet army surrounds Stalingrad from the outside, the German army will occupy a ruins, and it will not even be able to control and block the Baku oil fields.
Khrushchev asked: "How is it, Comrade Zhukov? Do you agree with Comrade Shulka's plan?"
After a long silence, Zhukov nodded and said: "You win, Comrade Shulka, I think this plan is feasible!"
People in the headquarters immediately started talking. Some of them thought this plan was too risky, especially using Stalingrad as bait.
But with a glance from Khrushchev, they immediately shut up.
"But in this case..." Zhukov turned his attention to Novikov: "The air force will be much more important than we imagined!"
Shulka understood what Zhukov meant.
If the original plan was to encircle Stalingrad in a small area with the Stalingrad Front and Don River Front to the south and the North to the north, the intersecting troops would only need to break through the Don River defense line stationed by the Romanian army and then advance more than 100 kilometers to outflank Karachi.
Can.
Therefore, the air support required to intersperse the troops is not long, and the air force can concentrate its strength for a few days, which is almost enough.
But now, the northern pincer is held by the Southwest Front Army located behind the German army. The penetration distance has increased several times in an instant, so the time and intensity of the required air support will increase exponentially.
"No problem?" Zhukov asked Novikov.
"No problem!" Novikov replied: "The second-line air force is still undergoing reforms, and it is expected that the reorganization of three group armies will be completed, and they can become the reserve force of the air force!"
"Very good!" Zhukov nodded, then turned his attention to Shulka: "So, we should transfer the main force to the Southwest Front?"
"Yes!" Shulka replied: "The Don River Front is responsible for covering the flanks of the Southwest Front and holding back the German 6th Army. If our army completes the encirclement, the Don River Front will also be responsible for cooperating with the Stalingrad defenders to annihilate the encirclement.
enemy!"
Zhukov touched his chin habitually, and then said: "It seems that I need to replace a few people to command these troops!"
Shulka fully agrees. It’s not that the current commanders are not good, but that under such a plan, commanders who are flexible and good at attacking should be needed. (To be continued)