The Rise of the Third Reich

"Comrade Vlasov, you have to create some momentum outside Leningrad. Only in this way will the enemy believe that the goal of the Kalinin Front is only to encircle Leningrad."

On the evening of May 5, Zhukov, who had attended the meeting in Moscow, returned to Kalinin City (140 kilometers northeast of Moscow), where the Kalinin Front Army headquarters is located, and then summoned the commander and commander of the 1st Shock Army belonging to the Kalinin Front Army overnight. General Vlasov, deputy commander of the Kalinin Front.

Vlasov performed outstandingly in last year's Polish Campaign and the Battle of Minsk (Belarusian Campaign). He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and was promoted to the rank of general.

After the victory in the Battle of Minsk, he was regarded as a "strong general" by Pavlov and Shaposhnikov, and was given the important task of serving as the commander of the newly formed 1st Shock Army.

Although the 1st Assault Group Army now under his command is a newly built group army, the following troops are all veteran troops with rich combat experience. At present, the group army consists of the 11th and 14th Guards Infantry Divisions, the 29th, 44th, 50th, 55th and 71st Infantry Divisions, the 93rd, 94th and 95th independent tank brigades, and the independent tank brigades 93rd, 94th and 95th. The 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Tank Destroyer Brigades, the 1st Assault Artillery Division and some other auxiliary units.

Unlike other group armies, this assault group army has no corps-level units under it, only 7 infantry divisions/guards infantry divisions, 6 tanks/tank destroyer brigades, and 1 artillery division.

However, the strength and firepower of this assault group are not weak at all, because the 2 Guards Infantry Divisions and 5 Infantry Divisions under its jurisdiction are very sufficient (the number of Red Army infantry divisions is now not as large as before the war) , the full strength of the ordinary infantry division is more than 11,000 people, and the full strength of the Guards Infantry Division is more than 12,500 people), with a total strength of more than 90,000, and the number of equipped tanks/tank destroyers/assault guns exceeds 250.

"Comrade Commander, please rest assured, I promise to complete the tasks assigned by the organization." General Vlasov adjusted the big glasses on the bridge of his nose as he spoke, looking very calm.

Zhukov nodded. He and General Vlasov had attended the training class of the Leningrad Higher Cavalry School together, and he still knew something about the abilities of his old classmate. And he was also very optimistic about this general who always showed a calm atmosphere. During the Leningrad siege, Zhukov even appointed Vlasov as the commander-in-chief of the right-wing group, commanding as many as 4 assault groups (the 3rd). 1, 3rd, 4th and 5th Shock Army) forces were handed over to Vlasov.

By the way, in addition to 5 assault armies and 1 tank army, the current Kalinin Front also has the 20th Army, the 22nd Army, the 3rd Air Force Army and some artillery, cavalry and independent tank/anti-tank units.

"This mission is a bit complicated. It requires a feint attack first and then a strong attack." Zhukov said, "After breaking through the German encirclement, we need to transport the supplies stored in Veliky Novgorod to Leningrad in time and evacuate Leningrad." Le’s useless population... these tasks must be completed as soon as possible, do you understand? "

"As soon as possible?" Vlasov was stunned. What Zhukov said now was different from what he had planned before. The situation had obviously changed. "Comrade Commander, is it possible that Leningrad will be surrounded by enemies again?"

Zhukov was noncommittal... Vlasov asked questions that he had no way of answering. He could only tacitly agree on such things.

"In addition, you must be prepared to stay in Leningrad for a long period of struggle." Zhukov went on to say, "This is a very difficult task, and only you can do it."

What this actually means is that Zhukov is preparing to recommend Vlasov as the commander of the Leningrad Front. This position belonged to Zhukov not long ago, and after Zhukov left, the commander of the Leningrad Front was first acted by Lieutenant General Fedyuninsky (this person was a close confidant of Zhukov, and has now left Leningrad to serve as the 4th Tank Division). Army Group Commander), who was then replaced by Lieutenant General Hozin, the former Chief of Staff of the Leningrad Front (also a close confidant of Zhukov). And because Vlasov is a general, he will definitely replace Hozin as the commander of the front army after leading the troops into Leningrad.

After explaining the task to Vlasov, Zhukov then talked with Lieutenant General Fedyuninsky, the commander-in-chief of the left-wing group of the Front Army who was responsible for commanding the assault on Veliky Luki.

The left wing group of the Kalinin Front includes the 5th Tank Army, the 2nd Assault Army and the 20th Army. Although the total strength is not as good as the right wing group, it still has as many as 260,000 people, and it has more tanks/tank destroyers/assault guns. With more than 1,000 vehicles, it is definitely a strike force that cannot be underestimated.

However, the German 4th Armored Group is still not enough. Even if it uses a "cut out" forest road for a sneak attack, it will definitely not be able to defeat the German 4th Armored Group, not to mention that the German troops on the front line of Leningrad will return for reinforcements.

Therefore, the conditions for success in the Great Lucki Battle are not only suddenness, but also accurate timing.

"Seizing the timing of the attack is key," Zhukov said. "The ideal time is when Smolensk is about to fall and the German North Route Group and the South Route Group are locked in a bitter battle. At that time, the enemy's defense in Velikiy Luki must be at its strongest. Weak. Moreover, capturing Smolensk first and defeating the Bryansk Front must be the first choice of the German commander. As long as we are determined enough, we can surround or capture Velikiy Luki. If the enemy is encircled, the Pskov-Smolensk railway line will be interrupted, and the German army's logistics will be difficult. In order to attack Moscow, the Germans will definitely counterattack with all their strength in Velikiy Luki, and most of them will be mobilized from around Leningrad. Army...this is our chance to relieve the siege of Leningrad."

Not to mention, Zhukov is indeed a famous coach of the generation, and his grasp of the timing of attack is extremely accurate. Fortunately, there are not many people like him in the great Soviet Red Army, and there are also many people who are not helpful. For example, Comrade Stalin's favorite general, General Andrei Ivanovich Yeremenko, who currently serves as the commander of the Reserve Front.

He, Zhukov, Vlasov, Rokossovsky and Bagramyan all graduated from the training class of the Leningrad Higher Cavalry School. And he is undoubtedly the hardest working, roughest and most confident person in this training class full of talented people.

According to the memories of his classmates: After rare efforts, Yeremenko mastered the extensive and rich knowledge stipulated in the syllabus - how difficult can the teaching materials of a short-term training class be? It takes a rare effort to master it, which shows how stupid this guy is.

As for his rudeness, he was also extremely rude in the Soviet Red Army, because when he served as deputy commander of the Western Front, he once beat up the Military Commissar of the 13th Army and Secretary of the Central Committee of the Belarusian Bolshevik Party, Ganenko. Among the Soviet Red Army, when the deputy commander of the front army beat the military commissar of the group army (who was also the secretary of the Central Committee of the Party of the Union Republic), probably only Yereomenko could do it. But his awesomeness lies not only in his daring to beat up the military commissar, but also in the fact that he was not punished in any way after beating him... This is the Soviet Red Army whose military commissar is as big as the sky!

As famous as Yeremenko's stupidity and rudeness, there is also his self-confidence - his self-confidence is in sharp contrast to the lack of confidence of Pavlov and Shaposhnikov. And this kind of unreasonable self-confidence is absolutely very harmful to the Soviet Red Army.

"Comrade Yeremenko, can you hold Smolensk?"

At noon on May 6, Stalin called the man he trusted most and would never say no to him to the Kremlin, preparing to give him a task that no one dared to take on. This man was always full of confidence. Yeromenko.

The task that Stalin prepared to give to Yeremenko was to encircle Smolensk.

The 5th Tank Army left Smolensk on May 4 and went to the "junction area" to block the German 1st Armored Army. The 16th Army, which was supposed to arrive soon, was blocked by a German armored force that detoured from the west of Smolensk. Therefore, by May 6, the Soviet troops defending Smolensk only had the 3rd Army, the 22nd Infantry Army, the 51st Fortification Area and 50,000 soldiers who had suffered heavy casualties from the Germans. The militiamen used also had some miscellaneous troops.

It was obvious that these people could not stop the powerful German 4th Armored Group. Therefore, Marshal Kulik, commander of the Western Front, called Stalin early in the morning on May 6 and requested that Smolensk be abandoned at the appropriate time.

Stalin then asked Kulik what was the right time?

Marshal Kulik told Stalin that Smolensk would be surrounded in 2-3 days and fall in 2 weeks.

Of course Stalin could not agree to abandon Smolensk, so he strictly ordered Kulik to hold on, but Kulik said he was powerless. Because the German armored group has now completed its detour from the west of Smolensk, and because the Western Front has no tank army to stop them, the German armored group will soon circle to the east of Smolensk. The city will be surrounded by then, and no one will be able to defend Smolensk with the help of more than 100,000 defeated generals and militiamen.

Stalin knew that Marshal Kulik could not bear the responsibility of defending Smolensk, so he prepared to hire someone else. But Pavlov, Shaposhnikov, Rokossovsky (now deputy chief of staff), and Chuikov (now deputy commander of the Reserve Front) did not dare to stand up and take responsibility. So in the end Stalin had no choice but to look for Yeremenko, and Yeremenko's answer did not disappoint.

Yeremenko said with his incomparable confidence: "Not only can I defend Smolensk, but I will also destroy the invading German gangsters!"