USSR 1941

  Chapter 661 Novikov

   Shulka knew what this meant.

   That is to say, no matter at any time, even if Stalingrad is occupied by the German army, these people will go back.

   This gave Shulka the idea that "he was born in Stalingrad, and died as a ghost of Stalingrad".

However, Shulka is somewhat skeptical of Khrushchev's words... These words are more of an attitude. At the last moment, it is impossible and unnecessary for a high-ranking "political commissar" like Khrushchev Stay and die with Stalingrad.

  Then, Khrushchev handed Shulka a stack of documents and said, "He is the one you need to convince at this meeting!"

  Shuerka took it and looked at it. It was a profile of a general, and there was a photo on the first page.

   After a closer look, I couldn't help being shocked. This information clearly belonged to Novikov, the first Soviet Air Force Marshal, but he was still an admiral at this time.

   "I think you should know why it is him!" Khrushchev said.

   "Yes, Comrade Political Commissar!" Shulka replied in the rickety carriage while flipping through the documents in the dim light of dusk: "Is it because Comrade Novikov disagrees with our plan?"

   "Yes!" Khrushchev said: "He thinks this combat plan is too risky, and will lose a large number of aircraft and pilots, and our pilots cannot be replenished!"

   This is one of the problems of the Soviet Air Force, the pilots are not well trained and there is no room for growth.

  Under normal circumstances, the length of training for pilots should be several years... After three years of training, Japanese military pilots can only reach the level of entering the kamikaze squad to drive a plane into a US warship.

The average training time for Soviet pilots is only ten months, that is, less than a year. Some pilots even used to fly pesticide spraying machines or civilian aircraft. After a few hours of training and flying to familiarize them with their weapons and equipment, they will be dispatched. The battlefield is over.

   This is not a joke. The air force is different from the infantry. The infantry may also use the advantage of numbers to "beat the master to death". The air force basically plays with technology, and the advantage of pure numbers is almost useless.

Therefore, you must first master the piloting of the aircraft, and then learn air combat tactics step by step to do various actions. Otherwise, flying in the sky will not even guarantee your own life, let alone fight with the enemy plane and shoot it down. Send rookie pilots and planes to the enemy to score points.

  So, objectively speaking, Novikov's relatively conservative idea is correct.

   Now a large-scale counterattack, the result is that a large number of pilots fly into the air to kill people before they grow up, and all previous efforts are wasted.

   On the contrary, if pilots are allowed to "hide their strengths and bide their time", and train for a year or so under the intense pressure of the battlefield, rookie pilots will grow into air elites one by one, and the situation will be completely different when they fully counterattack.

   (Note: The Soviet Air Force did not compete with the Germans for strategic air supremacy until April 1943 in the Kuban Air Battle)

   "I think you must have told him about our tactical initiative!" Shulka said.

"Yes, of course!" Khrushchev replied: "He agrees with you, but he still thinks we can't win. He is a stubborn and stupid guy. Likely to win the battle in the end, and he will never know how important this battle is to us!"

Shulka didn't speak. In fact, he knew in his heart that Novikov was not stupid. Not only was he not stupid, but he was also very shrewd. He probably guessed that the Air Force might be used as a victim in this battle, so he decided to Refuse without hesitation.

   Immediately, Shulka looked at Khrushchev with some puzzlement... He remembered that Khrushchev once said that the Air Force must make sacrifices even if it is not willing, but this is not the case now.

Khrushchev seemed to understand the meaning in Shulka's eyes, so he said with a little embarrassment: "Although, I can choose to report to Comrade Stalin and then order the Air Force to follow the plan, but I think it is best not to do this, because Novi Comrade Kov is an expert in air combat!"

   "Yes, Comrade Political Commissar!" Shulka replied.

Although Shulka knew that this was probably an excuse, because Shulka believed that Khrushchev might have reported it to Stalin long ago, Novikov did not give in, and even Novikov probably used his Expertise convinced Stalin that this meeting was possible.

  However, Shulka had to admit that Khrushchev's excuse was reasonable.

This matter should indeed be discussed with the Air Force rather than enforced by order. The main reason is that Khrushchev, Stalin, and even Shulka are laymen in air combat, while Novikov is an air combat expert and commander-in-chief. Considerations of operational planning rigor should also be discussed with the Air Force.

  The car drove in the dark on the highway all night, and then crossed the Volga River to the Stalingrad Front Army Command before dawn.

  In order to save time, the group, including Khrushchev, hurriedly filled their stomachs with canned food before crossing the river... canned beef from the US reinforcements.

  This canned beef may not be a big deal to Khrushchev and others, but it is a solid meal for Shulka.

You must know that it is not bad for him to be able to eat enough in Stalingrad, usually a little bit of black bread, and occasionally a little millet porridge, but now he can eat rich and juicy canned beef... Shulka can't wait to eat the meat in the can The sauce was licked clean.

   But Khrushchev told him there was no need to do so.

   "It doesn't matter how much you want, Comrade Shulka!" Khrushchev handed Shulka two more tines and said, "But be careful, don't push yourself to death!"

  The guard beside him couldn't help laughing.

   This made Shulka realize that he was already outside the German blockade... If it was inside the blockade, even Khrushchev would not be able to say "you can have as much as you want."

   There was consideration for setting the meeting at the Stalingrad Front: The main direction of German attack and blockade was Stalingrad and the east bank of the Volga River, and the Stalingrad Front in the north was "left out" by them, so it was very safe here.

  The car drove into the forest, and then stopped in front of a two-story villa...it was carefully camouflaged, the roof was covered with green turf, and the walls were covered with camouflage canvas. From a little distance, you can only see rows of shrub forests and birch trees, some of which are even camouflaged with anti-aircraft guns.

   In this way, it will be difficult for German pilots to find this place, unless they have enough bombs to blow up the entire forest.

  (end of this chapter)