Knowing that the city of Yelnya had been recaptured, Stalin was so excited that he held the microphone and thought about it, and then ordered: "Comrade Zhukov, you immediately transfer the post to your deputy, and then immediately return to Moscow on the plane, I think we should have a good talk with you." Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info”

"Understood, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov replied with a blank face: "I will return to Moscow as soon as possible after the transfer of the post to the chief of staff, General Liapin." ”

Just as Zhukov was preparing to leave for Moscow, at the headquarters of the Western Front, Timoshenko and the chief of staff, Lieutenant General Sokolovsky, military commissar Bulganin, studied the current situation of the Front.

Bulganin pointed to the map and said: "Comrade Commander, thanks to the outstanding performance of Rokossovsky's troops, the German offensive on our defense zone has basically stopped, and our defense line is now stable. ”

"In addition to the fact that the Germans stopped their large-scale offensive against us, I think there is another important reason for the excellent performance of Rokossovsky's troops." Sokolovsky pointed to the map and said to the two: "The enemy is mobilizing forces to move south, trying to join forces with the enemy in Ukraine and encircle and annihilate our Southwestern Front. ”

Regarding Sokolovsky's analysis, Timoshenko said disapprovingly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you must know that our Southwestern Front has hundreds of thousands of people, and although the current situation is a bit bad, it is not so easy for the Germans to eat them. ”

"That's right, Comrade Marshal is right." Bulganin echoed Timoshenko's opinion, "Our troops along the Dnieper today, in addition to the Southwestern Front, also have a part of the Bryansk Front and the Southern Front, while the German army has only Marshal Rundstedt's Army Group South and Marshal Bock's Army Group Center. In terms of troops, we have the upper hand; Moreover, on the 80-kilometer-long defensive line in the Kyiv fortress area, there are about 250 fortifications, including 3 artillery bunkers, and the defensive belt is mainly distributed along the Ilpian River, which has become a natural anti-tank trench, and the German tank forces do not play much role here......

The command of the front and the military commissar were surprisingly unanimous in their opinions, and Sokolovsky, the chief of staff, could not say anything more. He hurriedly changed the topic and came up with a plan that he had been thinking about for several days: "Commander, military commissar, I have an idea, since the defense areas of the 16th, 19th, and 20th armies have not had any battles recently, why don't you let them adjust the defense area?" ”

"Adjust the zone?" When Timoshenko heard Sokolovsky say this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, and then asked in surprise: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't know how to adjust this defense zone?" ”

"Comrade Commander, please look." Pointing to the map, Sokolovsky said: "Judging by the current situation, the enemy, after repeated setbacks in the offensive, may change the direction of their main attack. I suspect that the enemy may make a detour to the north to attack our 30th Army, advancing from north to south after defeating them. So I intend to move General Konev's 20th Army south, while Rokossovsky's troops go north, connecting with the 19th Army's defenses. After this adjustment, the 16th Army, which had the strongest combat effectiveness, was in the middle of the three armies, and regardless of whether the Germans attacked the 19th Army in the north or the 20th Army in the south, Rokossovsky would be able to dispatch them in time to rescue them. ”

"I agree with Comrade Sokolovsky's proposal." Bulganin waited for Sokolovsky to finish speaking, and immediately expressed his opinion: "The combat effectiveness of Rokossovsky's troops, we all know in our hearts, if we can place his troops in the middle of the three army groups, so that in the next battle, no matter which direction the German army attacks, his troops can respond favorably, so that this will become a solid defensive area that the enemy cannot break through." ”

Timoshenko stared at the map for a while, then looked up at Sokolovsky and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, this is a good proposal. Since Comrade Military Commissar also believes that such an arrangement is feasible, then you should immediately draw up an order for the two armies to make corresponding adjustments to the defense zone in the near future. ”

- The Kremlin

Immediately, after ending the call with Zhukov, Stalin called the General Staff, Shaposhnikov. Hearing the voice of the old marshal, Stalin said politely: "Boris Mikhailovich, can you come to me?" ”

Shaposhnikov, infected with the wind chill, coughed lightly twice, and then replied: "Okay, Comrade Stalin, I will go to you right away." ”

A few minutes later, Shaposhnikov arrived at Stalin's office with ease. Before he could speak, Stalin asked with concern: "I heard that you have been sick these days, are you feeling better?" ”

"It's still the same," Shaposhnikov smiled at Stalin, and then said: "People are old, their body's resistance is weak, and if they are not careful, they will get sick." Thank you for your concern, Comrade Stalin. ”

Stalin nodded, and then turned to the topic: "Do you have any news about the reserve front?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Shaposhnikov replied with a blank face: "Just received a report from the reserve front that they managed to recapture the city of Yelnya. This was the first city we recaptured since the outbreak of war. ”

"Boris Mikhailovich, to be precise, this is the second city." With his right hand, holding the cigarette butt, Stalin pointed at Shaposhnikov and continued: "The first city is Yaltsevo, which Rokossovsky's troops have recaptured. Perhaps it was because the battle to retake the city was not fierce that you selectively ignored it. ”

Speaking of Rokossovsky, "Shaposhnikov had to read countless battle reports from the front every day in the General Staff, and the only one who repeatedly reported the results of the battle was Rokossovsky, so he had a deep impact, and since Stalin mentioned Rokossovsky at this time, he naturally wanted to say two good words: "This is a commander who has been trained in war and has rich combat experience." As a result of his successes, the Germans temporarily halted their all-out offensive on the Western Front and stabilized our defensive line. ”

"This is a great commander." When Stalin waited for Shaposhnikov to finish speaking, he also said approvingly: "Zhukov once recommended him to me, saying that he was fully capable of the post of commander of the Front. ”

"What, to put him in the post of commander of the Front?" Shaposhnikov, although he admired Rokossovsky, was resolutely opposed to making him the post of commander of the front at this time: "No, this will not work!" Rokossovsky was a very good commander, but he had just served as the commander of the group army, his qualifications were too shallow, and his prestige in the army was not enough, so he was rashly promoted to the post of commander of the front army, and I was afraid that the commanders below would not be convinced, and once they secretly resisted Rokossovsky's words, it would be very bad for us. ”

"That's right, you're right. That's what I thought, too. After Stalin's statement, he asked Shaposhnikov: "At the moment the situation in Kiev and Leningrad is very bad, do you have any good advice?" ”

"I think we should send two competent commanders, but I am responsible for commanding the troops in these two directions." Shaposhnikov said in a stark manner: "Once the Germans capture these two cities, it will have a negative impact on the morale of our army and the people, so we must immediately and decisively take countermeasures and send competent commanders to save this unfavorable situation." ”

"Do you think Zhukov should be allowed to go to Kyiv or to Leningrad?" Stalin consulted Shaposhnikov.

After listening to this question, the old marshal thought for a while, and then replied: "Comrade Stalin, at present there are in Kiev the commander of the South-Western Front, General Kirponos, and the commander-in-chief of the South-Western Front, Marshal Budyonny, and it is estimated that the work will not be carried out if Zhukov goes there, and I still suggest that he go to Leningrad and replace Marshal Voroshilov as commander of the Leningrad Front. ”

Stalin, having listened to Shaposhnikov's advice, suddenly fell silent, clutched his pipe tightly in his hand and walked back and forth in his spacious office. After walking for a while, he stopped and asked, "Why did you propose that Zhukov replace Voroshilov?" ”

"Comrade Stalin." Shaposhnikov took a step forward, straightened his back and said: "Voroshilov and I are old friends, and I know him very well both in terms of his personality and the tactics he is familiar with. He was an excellent soldier, but in this day and age, many of his strategic and tactical ideas are completely outdated, and if he continues to command the troops, I fear that the city named after Lenin will fall into the hands of the Germans, so I beg you to send Zhukov to Leningrad to take over the command of Voroshilov to defend this heroic city. ”

After listening to Shaposhnikov, Stalin put his pipe in his mouth, struck a match and lit it, took a deep breath, frowned and thought for a while, and then said: "Well, Boris Mikhailovich, after careful consideration, I feel that your proposal is quite correct. You go back at once and prepare an order, and as soon as Zhukov comes, I will announce the appointment to him. ”

"Comrade Stalin," Shaposhnikov still stood still at Stalin's command, and he tried to squeeze a smile on his face and said: "You also know that Voroshilov is very old, and perhaps he will find it difficult to accept my order when he sees it. Therefore, I think that the letter of appointment of Comrade Zhukov should be drafted by you personally. (To be continued.) )