In the spacious but depressing conference room of the General Staff of the Soviet Army, the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if it could be twisted out of water. A group of senior Soviet generals stood neatly and solemnly. Their leader Stalin stood tall at the top of the long table, with a terrifying majesty in his deep eyes. At this time, if a bomb descends from the sky, the command center of the entire Eastern Front of the Soviet Army may be wiped out instantly, and the balance of the war will also tilt unpredictably. "Where is our Air Force? Why have the losses been so heavy in recent times? Who can tell me? What is the Air Force doing during this period?" As soon as the meeting began, Stalin's low and angry roar exploded in the conference room like thunder, shaking everyone's eardrums. His face was full of anger and confusion, and under his tightly frown brows, his eyes were filled with anger, as if he wanted to ignite everything in front of him. Marshal Zhukov gritted his teeth and slowly stood up. He was straight and even in the face of the leader's anger, he still maintained the unique perseverance and calmness of the soldiers. At this time, the Air Force was under his command, and the burden was like a mountain that forced him to face Stalin's questioning. "Leader, sorry, the German fighter jets are too advanced. We are no match for them at all, so our air force suffered such heavy losses." Zhukov's voice was low and powerful, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the gaps of his teeth. At this time, the Soviet Air Force had a relatively low status. In the early stages of the war, the Air Force, as an important combat force, failed to grow rapidly and have an independent command system like the Army.
Only after the war is over will the Air Force be divided separately and become an independent and powerful strategic force. But at this moment, in this cruel war, it can only struggle in difficult situations. "Does our heroic pilots have no power to fight back?" Stalin snorted coldly, his tone full of reluctance and doubt. In his memory, at the beginning of the war, the German fighter jets were indeed advanced, and the whistling steel eagle once caused huge losses to the Soviet army. However, with its tenacious fighting spirit and amazing number advantage, the Soviet army gradually reversed the situation of air supremacy, which allowed the German fighter jets to restrain their arrogance. In his understanding, where can the German army's new fighter jets be advanced? It's just a paper tiger. Just like when the Leopard tank first appeared, it was arrogant on the battlefield with its advanced performance, causing great trouble to the Soviet army. However, the Soviet military researchers and military industrial departments were not discouraged. After unremitting efforts, they developed the T-34 tank. Since then, the war loss ratio between the two sides has dropped sharply, and the Soviet army has gradually gained the upper hand in tank confrontation. Therefore, in Stalin's view, facing the German new fighter jets, we can use the same trick again and consume the vitality of the German fighter jets regardless of losses. "Are we just watching German fighter jets bomb our soldiers? Will we let our people live in dire straits?" Stalin's voice became louder and the anger in his eyes burned even more vigorously. His words were like heavy hammers, hitting every general's heart hard. Zhukov's forehead was sweating coldly, and beads of sweat were falling down his firm cheeks. He knew the leader's temper well and also understood the severity of the situation at this moment. Fortunately, he was prepared, so he took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm: "Hisser Leader, my suggestion is that we should produce new aircraft as soon as possible to fight against German jets. Otherwise, even if our air force can defeat German fighters in terms of number, we will face a situation of severe damage, and it is possible to be wiped out in the air." His words were full of worries and urgency, as if we had seen the tragic situation of the Soviet Air Force gradually extinguishing like a candle in the wind under the rampage of German jets. "In addition, we also need to equip a large number of air defense weapons, train more soldiers, and invest in the next counterattack." Zhukov continued to add, with a firm determination revealing his eyes. In his opinion, relying solely on quantity to fight against the advanced fighter jets of the German army is undoubtedly a suicide act. Only by starting from the two aspects of equipment and personnel quality can we find a glimmer of hope in this cruel air battle. After hearing Zhukov's words, Stalin did not agree immediately. He slowly looked around the conference room, his eyes swept across the faces of each general like a sharp dagger. After a long time, he slowly spoke: "What do you think of Marshal Zhukov's opinion?" Stalin had always trusted Zhukov's confidant. Therefore, he did not scold Zhukov too much, but hoped to hear the opinions of other generals. "I agree with Marshal Zhukov's point of view." A gray-haired veteran stood up first, his voice slightly hoarse, but full of power. This veteran has been struggling on the battlefield for many years, and has experienced countless baptisms, and has a profound insight into the situation of the war. He knew very well that although the plan proposed by Zhukov was difficult, it was the only feasible solution at present.
"I agree!" Immediately afterwards, another younger general also stood up and said firmly. His eyes flashed with expectations for the future. Although he knew that the road ahead was full of thorns, he believed that as long as the Soviet army united, there would be no difficulties that could not be overcome. A minute passed, and there were only the voices of these two people in the conference room. Stalin's face became increasingly ugly, and his sharp eyes swept to the others again, as if he wanted to see through the generals who were still hesitating. In this suffocating silence, every second seems extremely long. "I agree, too." Finally, another general mustered up his courage and said in a low voice. His voice trembled slightly, as if there was a hint of fear. Under Stalin's majestic gaze, few people can remain calm. "We agree, too." The rest of the people seemed to have received some signal, and they all lowered their heads and echoed in a low voice. They dared not look directly into Stalin's eyes, as if it was an abyss that could swallow them. "Very good. I will let the Air Force develop a new aircraft as soon as possible, but I hope that at that time, I will not use new weapons as an excuse, otherwise I would not mind sending a few people to the military court." Stalin looked at everything in front of him with a cold look, with a hint of unquestionable determination in his cold words. His eyes revealed his desire for victory and his disgust for those incompetent people. In his heart, war is a life-and-death battle, and there is no room for slackness or excuses. "Yes!" Everyone was shocked and responded in unison. Their voices were neat and loud, as if they wanted to dispel all the fear and anxiety in their hearts. At this moment, they knew very well that what they shouldered was not only the outcome of the war, but also the fate of the entire country and nation. "Comrade Zhukov, do you think you can launch a counterattack?" Seeing everyone's statement, Stalin nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Zhukov and asked with a serious expression. In his mind, the timing of a counterattack is crucial, and it may have an adverse effect on the situation of the war too early or too late. "Yes, I can't let the German army strengthen their strength anymore. According to the intelligence, they have already drawn troops from the Western Front to the Eastern Front, and their respective materials are also being continuously transported to the Eastern Front. Over time, their strength has increased, and it will be difficult for us to win." Zhukov said loudly, his voice full of confidence and determination. In his opinion, although it is difficult to launch a counterattack at this time, it is the best time to turn the situation around. If the German army is given enough time to consolidate the defense line and strengthen its strength, then the Soviet army will pay a heavier price to win. "Very good, tell me your plan." Stalin nodded slightly, a trace of expectation flashed in his eyes. He knew Zhukov's military talent well and believed that he would definitely come up with a practical counterattack plan. "His Excellency, first of all, we must quickly resolve the enemy of Ukraine and Donbas on the left bank, and seize the landing grounds on the right bank of the Dnieper River." Zhukov cleared his throat and began to elaborate on his plan in detail. His eyes revealed a kind of wisdom to plan, as if he had seen the dawn of victory. The newest ⊥Xiao⊥Speak⊥Send⊥Six⊥9⊥Book⊥⊥⊥⊥Back⊥⊥⊥⊥! "The Voronezh Front of General Vatukin and the Grassland Front of General Konev quickly advanced to the middle Dnieper River to seize the landing ground." Zhukov said as he gestured on the map with his fingers. His movements were steady and powerful, and every gesture seemed to contain a thousand pounds of force. "Once our army occupied the landing ground, we can attack Kiev under the raid of armored troops, and then take advantage of the victory to advance westward and pursue the fugitive enemy. Konev's troops took this opportunity to capture Poltava and seize the landing ground on the right bank of the Dnieper River. At this point, our battle goals are all completed." Zhukov's voice became more and more excited, and his words were filled with the desire for victory. In his plan, every step is closely linked and connected, like a carefully planned chess game. "If we know to accomplish these goals, we can recover all the lost land and create favorable conditions for the next step to drive the German army out of the border." Zhukov said a lot in one breath, his face filled with an excited blush. This time he came to Moscow, his purpose was to present Stalin with this carefully prepared counterattack plan. In his opinion, once this plan is successfully implemented, the war will likely end early and the Soviet Union will usher in long-lost peace and tranquility. The counterattack plan mentioned by Zhukov can be regarded as a grand strategic layout. This operation will dispatch the Central Front, Voronezh Front, Grassland Front, Southwest Front and Southern Front. These five major fronts are like five sharp swords, pointing directly to the heart of the German army. The total force of the troops exceeded million. They were like surging torrents of steel, full of passion and firm belief, ready to fight the German army on this vast land. There were more than 50,000 artillery pieces, and these artillery would become the Soviet army's steel roar, using the deafening artillery fire to open up the way forward for infantry and armored troops. There were more than 5,000 tanks and self-propelled artillery, and they would be like giant steel beasts, rushing around the battlefield and crushing the German defense line. With more than five thousand aircraft, these steel eagles will engage in fierce air combat with German fighter jets in the sky to provide strong air support to ground forces. In addition, there are guerrillas active behind enemy lines and the Azov Fleet. The guerrillas will be like daggers hidden in the dark, giving the German army a fatal blow at any time; the Azov fleet will harass and attack the German army from the sea, making it difficult for the German army to defend. After listening to the combat plan, Stalin fell into deep thought. His eyes focused on the map, and his mind was constantly simulating every detail of the plan's implementation. After a long time, he nodded slowly and said, "The plan is perfect, there are no loopholes, and in principle, agree." There was a hint of relief in his voice, and he was very satisfied with Zhukov's plan. "How sure are you of this counterattack?" Stalin added. A hint of worry was revealed in his eyes. After all, this counterattack was related to the fate of the entire Soviet Union, and any negligence could lead to a loss. "70% of them, we have an absolute advantage in terms of troops and artillery. If we also have jets, the winning rate will be higher." Zhukov thought for a while and said, with a hint of regret in his voice. In his opinion, although the Soviet army had the advantage in terms of military strength and artillery, the German jets were undoubtedly a huge threat. If the Soviet army could have the same advanced jet aircraft, the winning rate of this counterattack would be greatly improved. "According to intelligence, the United States has produced a batch of new jets and has been put into service." Zhukov continued, with a hint of worry in his eyes. In this era of war where information is spreading rapidly, the importance of intelligence is self-evident. The service of new American jets undoubtedly added more variables to this war. Hearing this, the officer in charge of the intelligence broke out in a cold sweat. To be honest, this information is still being confirmed, and he has no idea how Zhukov was so sure. However, he also knew that the Soviet Army had its own independent intelligence agency, and perhaps Zhukov obtained the information through that channel. He did not hesitate and immediately said, "Leader, we have just received this information and are still confirming it." There was a hint of nervousness and fear in his voice, for fear of being scolded by Stalin for his mistake in his work. When he heard that he was still confirming, Stalin's face looked a little better. However, he was still full of surprise that the United States had already installed jets. This news was like a huge rock, pressing heavily on his heart. In his opinion, the development of the United States' military technology is really too fast, which is undoubtedly a huge challenge for the Soviet Union. "Why does our military industry department have no clue yet?" Stalin stared at the officials in charge of military industry coldly, his eyes full of anger and doubt. In his heart, the military industry department was responsible for providing advanced weapons and equipment to the Soviet army, but now it lags far behind the United States and Germany in the research and development of jets, which made him feel extremely disappointed and angry. (End of this chapter)
