USSR 1941

  Chapter 90 Program

Major Gavrilov was choked by the vodka and coughed violently. While coughing, he spit out something that was either wine or saliva. It took him a long time to calm down, and then he laughed and said, "Surround? You actually want to surround German? Well done, Shulka!"

"Yes, I just want to surround the Germans!" Shulka replied: "The German Army Group South is driving straight in, and the front is always advancing, which will leave their rear extremely empty, because they think we only have defense and no defense. The ability to counterattack. Just at this time, we give them a counterattack!"

   Shulka set his sights on General Kirponos, which of course requires his approval, otherwise there is no need to go on.

Admiral Kirponos, who had been silent for a while, said, "Why not? If we can't prevent the enemy from outflanking from the rear, then we should find a way to defeat the enemy in front, I mean if possible. This way Come on, Germany will not be able to complete our outflanking in the end!"

   "Yes, that's exactly what I thought, Comrade General!" Shulka said.

"But..." Major Gavrilov said: "That is our logistics supply line. I mean, if the enemy outflanks our rear, they will cut off the railway and road, and we will not be able to get supplies. We are still surrounded by the enemy. middle!"

   "If this plan is successful, we don't need to worry about this, Comrade Major!" Shulka said: "Because we can get supplies from the Black Sea!"

   "Black Sea?" Major Gavrilov obviously didn't expect this.

"Yes, the Black Sea!" Shulka said: "Our army goes south from Kyiv into the Vinnytsia District, then enters the Odessa District and occupies the coastal cities to join forces with the Southern Front, and then we can get the Southern Front and the Black Sea. Fleet support and supplies!"

   "If we can surround and annihilate all the German troops entering the east of the Uman area!" Admiral Kirponos added: "We can even use the Dnieper River to transport supplies!"

  The Dnieper River turned a ">"-shaped bend downstream of Kyiv and then entered the Black Sea.

  So, if there is an armored force penetrating and encircling from Kyiv to the south, it will form a perfect encirclement circle with the Dnieper River where the Southern Front Army is stationed.

At this time, Major Gavrilov even forgot to drink. He stared at the map for a while, then raised his head and said: "Great, Shulka, great! This plan is settled All problems! Not only have the problems been solved, we can at least encircle a few divisions of the Germans to the east of Uman!"

   "But..." Admiral Kirponos found a location on the map, and then turned his eyes to Shulka: "We probably only have a few days, because the Germans are only 80 kilometers away from us!"

Shulka knew what Admiral Kirbonos meant. 80 kilometers meant that the Germans only needed eight days at most, and it was probably shorter, because the Germans put their fighter planes into bombing again after the rain decreased. The Panzer III was also in normal use, so it was rare for a line of defense to last for a day.

   After a pause, Admiral Kirponos said: "But we have no other choice, because I just received news that Comrade Zhukov has been dismissed as chief of the general staff!"

  Major Gavrilov couldn't help being stunned. You must know that General Zhukov had just won the Battle of Nomonhan against the Japanese a year ago.

  Admiral Kirponos explained: "Because he proposed to abandon Kyiv retreat!"

   Then Major Gavrilo understood.

  Of course, Shulka also pretended to be enlightened.

   Later, many people believed that the failure of the Kyiv campaign could not be completely attributed to the high-level Soviet army, because the high-level Soviet army did not give an order to defend Kyiv.

   Shulka thinks this is not objective.

  It is true that they have not issued such an order, but whoever says to retreat will be dismissed, even Zhukov is no exception. What is the difference between this and the order to stick to it?

   And this once again made General Kirponos understand that it is impossible to abandon Kyiv and retreat.

  So, they seem to have only one choice, and that is Shulka's anti-siege plan.

   "Tell me about the detailed plan, Shulka!" Admiral Kirponos said: "I believe you have already made up your mind!"

   "I'm just a little generous, General!" Shulka replied.

   "Your generosity is enough to scare us!" Major Gavrilov said with a smile: "At first I thought you were crazy, or just joking!"

  Major Gavrilov said that everyone, including Admiral Kirponos, was thinking about how to defend and how to break through. Unexpectedly, Shulka was thinking about counterattack and anti-encirclement.

  For Shulka, this is actually not surprising, because he knows that defense and follow-up suddenness will not work, so he can only find another way.

"I think we should proceed in three steps, General!" Shulka said: "First of all, of course, it is to form a mechanized army and incorporate as many light tanks and medium tanks as possible into this team. The infantry must also be Elite."

   "No need for heavy tanks?" Major Gavrilov asked suspiciously.

   "We need speed, Comrade Major!" Shulka replied: "Heavy tanks are slow and have many malfunctions. They will become a burden for this army!"

  Admiral Kirponos nodded in agreement: "I will build this force in the shortest possible time. What about the second question?"

   "Follow-up of logistics and follow-up troops, general!" Shulka said: "Tanks need fuel, soldiers need food, ammunition, and every time we occupy a station, we need troops to garrison..."

This is a big problem.

   In comparison, the supply of defensive operations in Kyiv will be much simpler than this, and the demand will be much smaller.

   Now it is offensive, especially outflanking the enemy's rear, ammunition, fuel and supplies will increase in series, and a large number of cars will also be needed.

   "No problem!" General Kirponos replied: "Before the enemy outflanks our army and cuts off the railway, I will ask for more supplies. As for the cars... they can be requisitioned from Kyiv!"

   It is a good choice to requisition civilian vehicles, and even the driver can be requisitioned.

   "The last point!" Shulka said: "We must consciously protect the railway from Kyiv to Ovidiopoli and prepare for repairs, that is, maintenance workers, and trains if possible!"

   This is why it goes without saying that the train can be used to provide supplies and reinforcements to the attacking troops along the way.

  (end of this chapter)