Burning Moscow

Chapter 1660 Zhukov takes office

Zhukov arrived in Lublin on November 19th. He accepted a brief welcome ceremony organized by me at the airport. After getting to know all the members of the headquarters, he hurried back to the headquarters. He was eager to make the shortest possible time. Inside, understand the actual situation of the Belarusian First Front Army.

When he listened to my detailed report, he ordered: “Lida, you can arrange for me. I plan to inspect the two landing sites of Magnusev and Puławy tomorrow to find out the actual situation there.”

As soon as Zhukov’s words were spoken, Terekin’s rebuttal was immediately met: “No, Comrade Marshal, you can’t go to the west bank of the Vistula River, it’s too dangerous.” In order to stop Zhukov’s adventure, he even pulled on. We, “Deputy commander, chief of staff, tell me, can we let the front commander use his life to take risks?”

“Yes, Comrade Marshal.” After Terekin finished speaking, Malinin immediately echoed him and said: “As far as I know, enemy artillery can hit the Magnusev landing site at any time. We have no right to let you take risks.”

“Lida,” Zhukov waited for the two to finish, then turned his eyes to me and asked with a smile: “What do you think?”

“Comrade Marshal, if you want to know the situation on the landing site, we can summon the two commanders Cuikov and Kolpakchi to the headquarters and let them report to you.” Although the landing site on the west bank of the Vistula River is currently over. It has become more and more stable, but I am also unwilling to let Zhukov take risks, so I still persuade him tactfully: “You really don’t have to take risks.”

“Honestly, are you really unwilling to let me go to the landing?” Zhukov asked, looking at us.

“Yes,” the three of us nodded and said in unison: “We have no right to let you take risks.”

“Okay,” seeing that the three of us agreed, Zhukov was no longer stubborn, but ordered: “Since you don’t let me go to the other side, then call Cuikov and the others to the headquarters as soon as possible. I need to talk to him. They have a good talk.”

As soon as Cuikov and Kolpakchi received our notice, they immediately drove towards Lublin from their respective landing sites. In the evening, the two commanders walked into the headquarters one after another.

After a brief greeting with the two of them, Zhukov asked: “Not much gossip. I want to understand the actual situation of the landing field as soon as possible. Who of you will report first?”

After the two looked at each other, Cui Kefu stood up first: “Comrade Marshal, let me report to you first.” After getting Zhukov’s permission, he went on to say, “According to the current signs: we The attack on the German army will first be launched from the Magnushev landing site. Therefore, when conducting defensive construction, I will take into account the needs of future offensive operations by large forces.

There are many swamps and quicksand areas in the landing site. In order to facilitate the troops’ future attacks, General Tkachenko, the engineering officer, has carefully planned and built about 200 kilometers of roads in the swamps and quicksands. Among them are 130 kilometers rut ​​road and 30 kilometers narrow road.

In order to save troops and maintain a high level of combat readiness, we regularly replace the front-line troops. The first shift was changed on the night of September 8th: 4 of the 9 divisions remained in the first echelon; the remaining divisions were assigned to the second echelon, and these divisions were replenished there and conducted combat training and training. rest.

Now, I can say with confidence that after joining the Belarusian First Front Army, the Eighth Guardian Army has successfully withstood the current battle test under new conditions, and is fully prepared mentally and ready at any time. To accomplish more difficult and important tasks…”

I never knew that Cui Kefu, who was always short-spoken when giving orders before, could actually speak so well. It took him more than an hour to introduce Zhukov to the specific situation of Magnusev’s landing site. Zhukov could not help but nod his head again and again, and his face also showed a gratified smile.

When Trikov sat down to drink water, Zhukov turned his gaze to Kolpakchi, who was aside: “Comrade Kolpakchi, now it is up to you to report on the situation of Puławy’s landing.”

Kolpakchi heard Zhukov click his name, and quickly stood up, opened the notebook in his hand, and began to report: “… troops, technical equipment, weapons and ammunition are continuously being transported to the Puławy landing site. The field hospital has also been fully deployed on the landing site….At the same time, we have also built a new pontoon bridge across the Vistula River, which can allow more troops and materials to cross the Vistula River at the same time…”

After listening to the report, Zhukov turned his head and said to Malinin: “Chief of Staff, our logistics agency has done a good job. In such a short period of time, tens of thousands of tons of materials have been transported to the landing site.” Then, he nodded at Lieutenant General An Ji Penko, who was sitting behind us, “General An Ji Penko, you did a good job. I thank you!”

In our headquarters, Lieutenant General Anji Pianke has always been a part of the soy sauce role that has been ignored by everyone. Hearing Zhukov’s praise to him at this moment, he quickly stood up from his seat and replied with some excitement: “Comrade Marshal, this is all It’s my job.” After a quick glance at me, he added, “Fortunately, Comrade Deputy Commander opened up the air supply line so that we can transport tens of thousands of tons of materials to Two landing sites.”

Unexpectedly, after hearing what he said, Zhukov couldn’t help but frown. After a long silence, he asked Cui Kefu: “Comrade Cui Kefu, has the enemy’s plane ever appeared over your landing field?”

“No,” Cui Kefu said, shaking his head. “Since we have deployed strong air defense firepower on the landing site and the Air Force has increased air patrols, it has been difficult to see enemy planes appear.”

Seeing Zhukov turned his gaze to him, Kolpakci quickly replied: “The enemy’s planes are no longer visible in the sky above the Puławy landing site, and the enemy’s shelling of the river has basically stopped.”

Zhukov tapped the desk lightly with a pencil in his hand and said: “Since the enemy has no longer bombed the Vistula River, we can build more pontoon bridges on the river. In this way, we no longer have to rely on transport planes. Come to deliver supplies for the troops. You must know that during this period of time, there have been several flight accidents, resulting in the crash of three transport planes, the death of five pilots, and the consumption of fuel is also an astronomical figure.”

When I heard Zhukov say this, I couldn’t help but sigh: “Comrade Marshal, the cold winter is coming soon. If air transportation is cancelled, once a lot of ice floes appear on the river, we will build all the pontoon bridges on the river. If it’s washed away, then all the links between our two sides of the strait will be cut off.”

“Yes, Comrade Marshal, Lida is right.” During the Defence of Stalingrad, Cuikov had suffered from the floes that caused transportation on the Volga River to be interrupted. So when I said this, he immediately agreed: ” When we defended Stalingrad, because of too much ice floes on the Volga River, our contact with the East Bank was interrupted for several days, and the troops almost ran out of ammunition and food.”

“Comrade Marshal, you can think about it again.” Terekin said softly to Zhukov: “In order to ensure that the troops can hoard enough supplies as soon as possible, I suggest that the air supply line should not be stopped.”

“Comrades, I understand your feelings.” Zhukov glanced over our body and said, “I know that the air supply line has contributed to the fact that our army can hoard so many supplies in such a short period of time. But have you ever thought that in order to maintain our air supply line, the Supreme Command gave two-thirds of the fuel provided by the United States to our front army, thus affecting the fuel supply of other military and air forces.

To defeat the Germans, it is far from enough to rely on our front army alone. It requires cooperation from all sides. Therefore, we must have a holistic view, and we can’t just think about ourselves without thinking about others. We can’t let our superiors give us all the fuel, and the result is that the friendly aircraft can’t fly into the air because there is no fuel, right? …”

After Zhukov gave us some basic principles, he instructed the Chief of Engineers of the Front Army: “…I will give you three days to build at least five pontoon bridges on the Vistula River that can pass tanks and artillery.”

“Comrade Marshal,” the director of the engineering team said embarrassingly about this order: “We lack enough materials to build a bridge. I am worried that we will not be able to complete the order you have given within the specified time.”

Zhukov glanced at each other and stretched out three fingers, and said faintly: “I will give you three days, in addition to erecting five pontoon bridges, but also repairing at least two Weiss near the landing site. One of the bridges on the Wa River. If you can’t complete the task by the end of the day, I will replace you with someone who can complete my order. Understand?”

Seeing Zhukov gave the director of the engineering force a death order, we all cast sympathetic glances at him. The director of the engineering forces replied with a crying face: “Understood, Comrade Marshal, I must complete the task.” After a pause, he asked carefully, “Allow me to return to the army now to deliver your orders?”

“Go, Comrade Director of the Engineering Forces.” Zhu Kefu waved at him and said in a relaxed tone: “Remember, I only give you three days. After three days, you will wait for your dismissal.”

After the director of the engineering force left, Zhukov said to me again: “Lida, please tell the Air Force Commander General Porenin, three days later, the air supply line can end its mission!”

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