In fact, this propaganda operation basically does not require planning, because it does not have the same risks as other combat operations.
If there was any risk, it was that the German soldiers did not believe that the propaganda was not effective.
However, this can really be regarded as a risk, because if the propaganda effect is not satisfactory, it means that the Soviet army will have to consume troops, equipment, and supplies as usual to fight against the German troops who fight to the end.
For this reason, Zolotarev also showed Shulka the map of the enemy's and our defense lines used for propaganda... The Supreme Command directly handed over this propaganda task to Zolotarev, although Mrs. Zolotarev was not in Stalingrad.
, but this does not affect his command of the propaganda units in Stalingrad.
The reason is that propaganda units are often not on the front line. Those on the front line are low-level officers who use loudspeakers to directly shout to the enemy, or to promote their own troops and boost morale. Senior officers are on the second line or even in the rear. They make decisions and then command.
Frontline propagandists perform.
Because he was not on the front line, communication was guaranteed, and Zolotarev could easily remotely control the work of the Propaganda Department.
Shulka took a look at the defense map, then frowned and handed it back to Zolotarev: "I don't know about other places, at least the Miloway defense line is wrong!"
Trufanov took a look at the defense line map and laughed loudly: "They must have confused the German defense line with ours. The defense line has advanced a full ten kilometers! If so,
I think we can storm into the city tonight and bring that guy Manstein before us for interrogation!"
Zolotarev took the defense map and compared it, then cursed: "These bastards, I already told them to follow the actual defense map!"
Usually "tell" is useless.
This is not only because the Soviet people are very arrogant, but also because the Propaganda Department is very exaggerated.
At the same time, the superiors and the Propaganda Department had already formed a tacit understanding: when the superiors asked for actual publicity, the Propaganda Department would comply but would exaggerate several times.
This is considered normal range for them.
Therefore, Zolotarev's simple "telling" will of course have no effect.
This made Zolotarev so angry that he yelled on the phone: "Reality, do you understand what reality is? It's just not bad at all!"
"Yes, Comrade Political Commissar!" Only then did the Propaganda Department truly understand what Zolotarev meant.
Then Zolotarev was still worried. He bypassed the Propaganda Department and contacted the troops directly to obtain the defense map. He then verified it with the defense map given by the Propaganda Department. If there was any inconsistency, he revised it repeatedly. In the end, it took more than seven hours.
Only then was it finally completed.
This made Zolotarev a little angry.
"Originally I thought it was an easy thing!" Zolotarev said: "But it was a waste of seven hours!"
Shulka knew why Zolotarev used the word "waste".
The deadline given by Stalin for surrender was ten days.
According to Shulka's plan, it would be more effective to first release a defense map and then give a surrender deadline, which is an "amnesty order".
There is no need to say more about the reason for this.
If an amnesty order is given first, the German army will probably dismiss it.
But if the defense map is given first and the German army realizes that it is almost impossible for them to win this battle and break through, then suddenly the "amnesty order" appears in front of them when they are upset and worrying about their own lives and future...
Damn it, this was like dew after a long drought. At that moment, I was determined to surrender.
However, the time given by Stalin was counted from the moment he issued the order, so these more than seven hours were a waste.
However, Shulka felt it didn't matter, because he believed that ten days was enough, and the more critical thing during this period was actually the countdown time.
For example, if the Germans are given ten days, they will usually persist until the last few days, and finally choose to surrender when they know there is no hope and no improvement.
If you give the Germans three days, it will be almost the same.
However, Zolotarev and others felt that time is life, and the longer the time, the greater the results may be, so after confirming the defense line map, they immediately sent it to Znamensk for printing... Znamensk is
The Soviet army supports the forward base of Stalingrad. Almost all supplies are sent here first and then sent across the Volga River to Stalingrad, even the troops.
Of course, the Propaganda Department will also prepare printing equipment here to provide propaganda materials to the front line... This is of course, because if there is no printing equipment in Znamensk, it will need to be printed elsewhere and then sent to the front line.
This will not only cause a time delay, but also waste precious transportation capacity... These transportation capacities could have been used to transport food, equipment and ammunition, but they have to be used to transport leaflets, and they are also large quantities of leaflets. This is obviously extremely
not worth it.
Therefore, the Soviet army always followed its printing equipment wherever the front line was... The Soviet army always attached great importance to propaganda, and printing equipment was a weapon for political workers on another battlefield.
Then, the paper is produced on-site, and after the leaflets are printed, they can be delivered to enemy-occupied areas in batches or distributed to one's own troops.
This time was no exception. The pocket-sized defense maps were quickly printed out in batches, and then truckloads of them were shipped to the front line and the airport.
Most of them were transported to the airport, because the Battle of Stalingrad had entered a fierce stage at this time, and the German army even launched a counterattack against the Soviet army in order to stabilize its own living space.
It should be said that this approach is very correct, at least for Paulus.
Because at this time, the defense line of the German 6th Army seemed to have carved out a piece of land in the center of the Soviet army, and the defense line of this land was very stable. It was bounded by the Don River to the west, the Volga River to the east, and the two rivers to the north and south.
In the narrow passages between them, the Germans built complete fortifications in these directions.
However, Stalingrad was in the middle of the German defense area, stuck in it like a nail, and troops and equipment were continuously transported across the river.
If the German 6th Army can completely capture Stalingrad, it will be able to integrate the eastern Volga River defense line, thereby reducing the defense pressure to a great extent, and more importantly, it can boost morale.
The problem is that the 6th Army is still nailed to Stalingrad, and no matter how the German army attacks, it just stands in the ruins without retreating a step.
Under such circumstances, transporting the printed matter across the Volga River and then to the German positions would be a huge waste of transportation capacity. On the contrary, it is more realistic and cheaper to release the printed matter in large quantities by transport plane at night (to be continued).