USSR 1941

  Chapter 718 Kicking the ball

"Comrade Yeremenko!" Vasilevsky said to Yeremenko on the phone: "The National Defense Committee has decided to entrust Comrade Rokossovsky with the final elimination of the enemy Stalingrad Group, so you should Transfer of command of the 57th, 64th and 62nd Armies of the Stalingrad Front to the Don Front.”

   There was silence on the other end of the phone, obviously Yeremenko was stunned by the sudden order.

   After a while, Yeremenko's unbelievable voice came from the other end of the phone: "Why do you want to do this?"

  Vasilevsky repeated what Stalin told him, but it obviously failed to convince Yeremenko.

"But our plan is progressing steadily, isn't it?" Yelymenko was a little excited: "Everything is going smoothly, we have won several battles, and although there were some minor problems, they were quickly resolved! Why divide the Stalingrad Front, at this time?!"

  Vasilevsky didn't know how to persuade Yeremenko, because he didn't think it was right to do so.

So he could only suggest: "You need to control your emotions, Comrade Yeremenko! We made this decision not because your command is not good enough, nor is it because the Stalingrad Front Army is not brave enough to fight! This is a combat need... "

"But I don't think there will be any problems if we fight like this!" Yeremenko retorted: "Although I don't know why the Germans didn't retreat, maybe it's because the Germans didn't want to give up Stalingrad, or they thought Reinforcements can easily push us back! I want these arrogant Germans to know that they were wrong and they will pay for this mistake..."

   Yelymenko is a pun. On the surface, it seems to be talking about the Germans, but in fact he is talking about the Supreme Command.

  Vasilevsky realized that such a conversation could not continue, otherwise Yeremenko might be convicted, so he hurriedly interrupted Yeremenko.

   "You are very emotional, Comrade Yeremenko!" Vasilevsky said: "I suggest you call me later, after you think it through!"

   After 15 minutes, the phone rang.

Yeremenko's frustrated voice sounded on the other end of the phone: "Comrade Vasilevsky, I still don't understand why the troops of the Stalingrad Front were suddenly assigned to the Don Front? I ask you to report to Comrade Stalin! I Request that this battle continue to be fought like this until the enemy is wiped out!"

  Vasilev was a little helpless, so he could only answer: "About this question, I suggest you call the Supreme Commander yourself!"

   "I have already called!" Yeremenko replied.

  It turns out that in the 15 minutes just now, Yeremenko did not use it to "calm down" as Vasilevsky said, but directly called Stalin.

   "How did Comrade Stalin respond to you?" Vasilevsky asked curiously.

   "He told me that I just need to talk to you about this kind of problem!" Yeremenko replied.

  So Vasilevsky knew that there was no room for change in this matter.

This is actually playing football, Stalin asked Vasilevsky to give an order, Vasilevsky had to do it, Yeremenko asked Stalin, Stalin pushed the question to Vasilevsky...so it became a solution Unbreakable knot.

   Unless Yelymenko submits.

  So Vasilevsky's tone became tough: "Let's put it this way, Comrade Yeremenko! It is an unwise choice to disobey orders, and the situation will be very unfavorable to you, understand?"

   Yelymenko could only answer helplessly: "Yes, Comrade Vasilevsky!"

  So, the command was quickly executed:

  1: The Stalingrad Front Command shall lead the troops operating in the direction of Kotelnikovo and continue to annihilate the enemy forces in the Kotelnikovo area.

  2: The Stalingrad Front was renamed the Southern Front.

  Three: The 62nd, 64th and 57th Army Groups were transferred from the Stalingrad Front Army to the Don River Front Army.

  The execution of these orders immediately caused quite a commotion among the troops, especially the 51st Army.

  Army Commander Trufanov even thought it was a rumor, and contacted the Front Army several times to confirm, but all the answers he got disappointed him.

   "It's confirmed!" Trufanov looked at the map and said distressedly: "The order is true. The Stalingrad Front changed the Southern Front. There are only the 51st Army, the 28th Army and the Aviation Eighth Army!"

In fact, this is only superficial data. As a reserve, a considerable part of the tank troops of the 28th Army has been transferred to the command of the 57th Army to outflank Karachi. The River Front was used to siege Stalingrad.

  The Stalingrad Front... At this time, it should be called the Southern Front, with only a few mixed aviation regiments left before the reform.

"The point is... when our strength has been weakened to this extent, our offensive plan has not changed!" Trufanov said angrily: "We have no troops to cover the flanks, no reserves, and not enough The air force is covering, but it is still the main force?"

   Shulka knew what was going on.

  Although overall the units do not seem to have changed much after the plan change, the 51st Army was isolated.

   Simply put, the 51st Army actually became a bait, a bait to attract German reinforcements.

   Only when the 51st Army continues to intersperse can the German reinforcements have to deal with the 51st Army first.

  As a result, the German reinforcements were unable to reinforce Stalingrad, so the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad was like a double insurance.

  In order to keep the city named after him, Stalin worked hard, even at the expense of an elite army.

   Trufanov is not a fool, and he quickly understood this.

   What is even more uncomfortable is that even though everyone understands this but cannot say it, the meeting room is dead for a while, and everyone has a feeling that disaster is imminent.

   After a while, Trufanov turned his eyes to Shulka and asked with a glimmer of hope: "Can I contact Comrade Khrushchev?"

   Shulka understood what Trufanov meant, and he hoped that Shulka could use Khrushchev's relationship to make some changes.

  But Shulka shook his head and rejected the plan without even thinking about it.

   It's not that Shulka doesn't help, but Khrushchev is a shrewd politician, and he knows that he should disappear at this time.

   Otherwise, Khrushchev would have contacted them long ago.

  (end of this chapter)