Iron Cross

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Vasilevsky thought that Stalin would let him explain different combat plans and reasons. His combat plan was based on the experience of the first Battle of Rostov: Between November 17th and December 2nd last year, when Moscow The counterattack gradually reached its climax. The Red Army launched an attack on Army Group South in the form of a roundabout outflank, targeting Rostov. However, at that time, there were only one Southern Front and the Independent 56th Army responsible for the offensive task, and the main force of Army Group South was The troops were deployed to attack Moscow, and their strength was not strong. He also attacked the left wing and was the first to achieve victory. Faced with the unfavorable situation of outflanking the flanks and cutting off the rear route, Marshal Rundstadter, then commander of Army Group South, abandoned Rostov and led his troops to retreat. More than 80 kilometers away, Vasilevsky never forgot to attack the Huote Group on the left first.

However, since Stalin was more interested in the Manstein Group in the middle, he didn't want to say anything. He just glanced at Zhukov expressionlessly and then began to talk according to the script. For this kind of embarrassing scene, Zhukov didn't say anything. Expressed displeasure. He is certainly not a person who is so indifferent that he is indifferent. In fact, he has a tacit understanding with Vasilevsky. This level of tacit understanding existed from the beginning and became even deeper after he became deputy commander-in-chief. The two people should have some conflicts at work and "disagreements" on key decisions and directions - whether these differences are real or deliberately pretended, at least they cannot be consistent in everything on key issues.

This is a high-level summary of two smart people based on summarizing past successful experiences: If you don’t want to completely become the lapdog and favorite of the Supreme Leader - just like Marshal Voroshilov, you must stick to your own personal position, and fully express some distinct views that are different from Comrade Stalin. It would be too strange if no one expresses objections or questions in key decisions. If high-level officials at the level of Zhukov and Vasilevsky often have consistent opinions and good relations They were close to each other and had high prestige in the army, so the threat to the supreme leader was too great. Why Marshal Tukhachevsky was killed was because he had too high prestige in the army and had too many followers, and he responded to everything he said and done. And it violated Comrade Stalin's taboo. As for the charge of German espionage, no one with a brain would believe that Tukhachevsky, who was already a marshal, would gain anything by surrendering to the enemy and betraying his country? Is it possible that he still wants to be the general secretary?

The two also clearly realized that war decision-making is a very complex and difficult matter. The factors they considered and analyzed may not be comprehensive and sufficient. They must have different opinions for the supreme leader to refer to and make decisions to prevent the formation of a one-sided voice, and finally issued a decision. Strategic determination can only come from the supreme leader. When there are multiple options to choose from, no matter what Stalin chooses, if it fails in the end, it cannot be completely blamed on the person who raised the opinion, let alone the person who originally expressed opposition or doubted the opinion. In this way, the status and safety of other high-level officials are preserved. As for whether they only follow Comrade Stalin’s wishes, it depends on their character. Anyway, Zhukov and Vasilevsky are not blind enough. To the point where there is no principled obedience or agreement.

“Since August, Britain and the United States have reduced their support to us on the pretext that the war in North Africa is tense and the war on the Eastern Front has reached a stalemate and is not too intense. In the past two months, they have only given us 84 aircraft and 121 tanks. According to the original There is a plan to give us 800 aircraft and 1,500 tanks. Now that Guderian's offensive in North Africa has begun again, the Americans have used this as an excuse to cut off the supply of tanks to us in November and only plan to give us a batch. Howitzers, jeeps, trucks, and the British tanks themselves were not enough and they desperately reached out to the Americans. Churchill only agreed to give us 100 aircraft, and they were outdated Hurricanes. In addition, the supply of high-grade aviation fuel was also reduced. . Although jeeps and trucks are also urgently needed, they are not as important as tanks after all... The supplies imported into the Middle East are increasing significantly. We have received reliable news that Britain and the United States will have a large landing operation in North Africa in early November. If successful, they will directly "Working with the British Eighth Army to attack the German-Italian cluster in North Africa and strive to achieve a breakthrough in the North African battlefield first means that our supply will be further reduced in the next stage."

After Vasilevsky finished speaking, everyone else made indignant voices. Only Stalin and Zhukov remained silent. At Stalin's signal, he pulled out a second report: "According to the reliable reports provided by comrades on the secret front, The production speed of the Germans has increased rapidly, which is also confirmed by our insider reports submitted by the working class and comrades sympathetic to the revolution in Germany and Italy. After the fascists fully transferred to the general mobilization system, the factory was transformed from the original one-shift system. It has become a three-shift system. The Germans also adopted the method of increasing the country's military industry and transferring civilian industry to occupied countries for tilted development. Germany's productivity in September and October was three times that of the same period in the past. Now Speer A large number of German engineers and technicians were sent to transform, integrate and upgrade Italian industry. If the integration was completed, Italy's production level would also increase by 3-4 times. Hitler proposed the so-called 'European Union' idea and publicly stated that it would be effectively utilized. After receiving industrial resources from various countries, capitalists, especially the big bourgeoisie, in developed industrial countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden responded enthusiastically. At present, Sweden's Bofors Company, Belgium's FN Company, and several major French aviation industry companies have all received Fascist orders, including small and medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns, infantry light weapons, sub-level aero engines and aircraft, are all produced by these companies. Germany also exports a large amount of technology and license production, hoping to use the production capabilities of various industrial countries to provide its own products. War machine services, not to mention trucks, locomotives, heavy chemicals, steel and other industries closely related to the military industry. This is a very dangerous signal. Although the absolute production volume of tanks and aircraft is still ahead of the fascists, the gap has widened. "The gap in equipment quality between us and the fascist army has not improved. If Italy's industrial capabilities also increase, this gap will be eliminated by next year. This is extremely intolerable."

"Where did the Germans get so much money to buy arms?"

"They only need to pay a small amount of cash." People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov knew more about the situation. "Three days ago, the Germans removed Pétain from Pétain on the condition of releasing prisoners of war and returning Paris and part of French land. This traitor got hundreds of thousands of tons of French warships. It is reported that there are also some economic requirements. There are prisoners of war in the hands of the Germans in the Netherlands and Belgium. Hitler can use these hostages to exchange for what he wants. In addition, during the attack and occupation When they invaded various countries, they plundered a large amount of resources, cash and precious metals, which can now be used to pay. Capitalists are the most shameless. As long as they can make money and cooperate with the devil, they will never refuse the olive branch offered by the Germans. If Hitler showed any hypocrisy, they would be as grateful as slaves."

“Territories directly occupied by the fascists have also been implementing policies of détente recently. For example, some concentration camps in Poland used to massacre Jews on a large scale, but now they have replaced them with more ‘moderate’ methods such as forced labor. A large number of companies, including Skoda, have While serving the occupation forces, our original T-34 factory in Kharkiv was dismantled and moved there for restorative production. Currently, many T-34s on the North African battlefield were rebuilt after the Germans destroyed our tanks. The Czech underground resistance organization told us that the factory is working around the clock and can repair at least 300 tanks every month. It may be able to directly produce complete vehicles next year. According to the battlefield report, the T-34 modified with German technology is even better than the one produced by our original factory. For example, it has installed a radio and improved the driving and suspension system. It was unable to withstand British and American tanks on the battlefield in North Africa..."

Although this statement sounded like a compliment to the T-34, everyone's faces were burning - no wonder Britain and the United States refused to vigorously assist the Red Army tanks. Those tanks that were supposed to assist the Red Army were killed by the T-34. If Hoffman heard these words, he would gasp. Facts have proved that the Soviet intelligence penetration was quite effective. The observed and analyzed situations were quite accurate. Except for the high-level military spies who were eliminated by him, The understanding of Soviet intelligence personnel in other secondary fields, especially in the field of industrial and agricultural production, is unparalleled.

Timoshenko interjected: "Can it be bombed or destroyed?"

"It's difficult. The Germans have strengthened their air defense, and the British and American strategic bombings have been greatly weakened. As for destruction, our strength in Germany is very weak and not suitable for such a task. The defense in the occupied areas is very tight, and those who come from the east The Italian, Romanian, and Hungarian troops who have retreated from the front line have a keen eye on the rear. Their ferocity and cunning are even greater than those of the Germans. A hasty attack will cause irreparable losses to the underground forces. "

"In addition..." Vasilevsky suddenly lowered his voice and said in a sad tone, "The fascists are liquidating and measuring land in the occupied areas such as Ukraine, the Baltic Sea, and Belarus they occupied, and are determined to complete all the land before spring sowing. At the same time, they are trying to find ways to sell the state-owned factories, infrastructure, buildings, real estate and other public-owned industries they occupy to domestic and foreign capitalists at auction to raise funds, while the urban poor associations and former workers will receive part of the shares. , this is a huge harm to the country and socialism. If we cannot stop it in time and effectively, the future will be unimaginable, because it may cause confrontation between the party and the people, and cause confrontation between the ethnic minority people and the Russian people..."