USSR 1941

  Chapter 73 Kirponos

  From private to sergeant, Shulka didn't know how many ranks he had been promoted at once.

But soon Shulka knew that this was actually because he wanted him to be a platoon leader before he could be promoted to a sergeant... Other armies needed a second lieutenant to be a platoon leader, but the Soviet army only needed a sergeant or a sergeant. From this we can see the extent of the shortage of Soviet officers.

  This is a series of deployments made when 333 was transferred to the third line of defense for rest:

The former platoon leader Pukarev was promoted to deputy company commander. After Shulka became the platoon leader of the second platoon, the vacant squad leader was undoubtedly a veteran. After all, he is a person with combat experience. What should be done, this will save Shulka a lot of trouble.

  After Shulka was promoted to platoon leader, he called his subordinates for a meeting... This meeting was not actually called by Shulka, but an order from the company's second lieutenant Davydov.

   "You should let your subordinates get to know you!" Second Lieutenant Davydov said, "Otherwise they won't know you are the platoon leader in the next battle!"

   "Yes, Comrade Ensign!"

   In desperation, Shulka called this meeting, and he didn't even know what to say.

   On the contrary, the actors and thieves were extremely excited, and laughed and booed below:

   "Say a few words, Comrade Platoon Leader!"

   "Or sing a song!"

   "Tell me some of your story, I think Comrade Platoon Leader has a different past!"

  …

   Shulka said helplessly: "Sorry, comrades, we can't sing or tell stories. Because the purpose of the company commander asking me to hold this meeting is to let you get to know me!"

  The soldiers laughed after "coaxing".

   "Nobody doesn't know you, Comrade Platoon Leader!"

   "You are our hero!"

   "We are honored that you can become the platoon leader to command us to fight!"

  …

   Obviously, Shulka won the support of most soldiers, except for the third squad of Cossacks.

  To be exact, the Cossack subordinates also agree with Shurka as the platoon leader, but the Cossacks and Shurka have a bit of a festival, so the Cossacks in Nabang dare not express themselves under his "excessive power".

   "I don't want to say more, comrades!" Shulka said: "Let's work together and go home alive!"

  The soldiers suddenly became quiet.

It was a normal sentence, but then Shulka realized that he should not have said it, because it was negative, cowardly, because the goal was to come home alive... He should have said "to the last drop of blood" , "Don't be afraid of sacrifice and vow to drive out the invaders to the death" and the like.

   But these are just slogans.

   It is Shulka's simple and true words that can really speak to the hearts of the soldiers.

   So, after a while, the veteran applauded first, and soon the others followed suit, even the Cossack led his soldiers to do the same.

   Being able to go home alive is actually the voice of every soldier. Whoever can do this will firmly follow him.

  Shuerka has proved that he has this ability in previous battles.

  So, as long as you are not a fool, you are willing to obey Shulka's command, at least not to make trouble.

  But the gap between Shulka and the Cossacks was not resolved because of this, of course, that is a later story.

   At this time, Shulka was very busy after becoming the platoon leader.

  First of all, it is the issue of the defense tactics of the Southwest Front Army.

  After Colonel Ovich was arrested, the "cabin camouflage" tactic was extended to the entire army.

  Shuerka is the initiator of this tactic, so he wants to introduce his experience to other troops.

  The participants were all officers such as colonels and major generals. They were the staff officers of the various armies. Under the order of the commander of the front army, they rushed to a village called Polynia to participate in the study meeting.

   There was a wide auditorium there, which was mostly used to watch revolutionary movies. The officers sat together on the stage, and Shulka pointed to the pictures on the screen with a loudspeaker to explain.

  Obviously, they are going to bring this "log cabin camouflage" tactic to the entire defense line after learning.

   This made Shulka a little embarrassed. After all, he was only a sergeant, not even an officer.

   "The 'camouflage wooden house' tactic is not complicated!" Shulka said: "It is actually disguising a bunker as a wooden house..."

   "So!" A major general with two stars on his collar insignia interrupted Shulka: "You called us here from the battlefield for a meeting, and what you were talking about was nailing a few boards on the bunker?"

   There was a burst of laughter in the meeting room.

   Shulka should have expected this situation long ago.

  One: The military ranks of the participants are all higher than Shuerka, and much higher, so they don't take Shuerka seriously at all.

  Second: These people are staff officers... This is because the army is still fighting on the front line, and the commander must stay on the front line to command. The job of a staff officer, in addition to helping the commander command, is to make suggestions.

   To some extent, this is an insult to them. As a staff officer who "advises and advises", he needs to learn tactics from a sergeant.

   "A question for you, Sergeant!" Another colonel continued: "Which military academy did you graduate from? Shaposhnikov Infantry Academy? Oranienbaum Military Academy? Or Motorized Military Academy?"

   "No, Colonel!" Shulka replied: "I never went to military school!"

   There was another burst of laughter in the conference room.

   "So!" the major general continued: "You think you can teach us how to fight?"

  Major Gavrilov, who came to introduce combat experience with Shulka, wanted to stand up and speak for Shulka, but Shulka refused.

   "No, Major!" Shulka said, "I can handle it!"

   Then Shulka turned to the officers in the audience and replied: "I think so, sir! You should learn from me!"

   "Why?" The audience still laughed disdainfully.

"Because the battlefield is a realistic place, sir!" Shulka replied: "The enemy will not ask which military academy you graduated from before killing you; They won't look at the medals on your chests...they'll just stick bayonets in your chests, put bullets in your heads, or crush your pride with the treads of tanks!"

  The conference room fell silent in an instant. They understood Shulka's words, what military rank, honor or academic qualifications, these are **** on the battlefield, especially those obtained in peacetime, they are simply incompatible with war.

   "That's right!" At this time, a young military officer came from outside the meeting room, with four stars on his collar badge and the rank of general.

   "General!"

   "Comrade Kirponos!"

  …

  The military officers in the conference room stood up one after another to pay tribute.

  So Shulka knew that this young general was Kirponos, commander of the Southwest Front Army.

  (end of this chapter)