"Comrade Khrushchev, what is the most virtuous thing?" Konev asked rhetorically, somewhat stunned.

Khrushchev pointed to the map and said to Konev: "Counterattack in all directions!" Fight the enemy to the end! Counterattack! Only by fighting back can we prove that we have not given in! Nor will it ever give in! ”

You're crazy! Konev really wanted to scold like that. He still has hundreds of thousands of regular and irregular troops in his hands, so that in the futile counterattack, it may collapse in a few days.

What is a crash? That is, they would lose most of their forces and then be unable to maintain the defensive line, leaving Moscow a German occupation in a matter of days.

"Let Zhukov fight back in the south, perhaps, more in line with the current situation than we fight back ourselves." Konev swallowed what he wanted to say and chose another one to say.

Khrushchev accepted this suggestion, but Stalin, who was far away in Stalingrad, was unwilling to accept this request.

So Khrushchev shook his head helplessly, opened his mouth and sighed: "Comrade Stalin vetoed this proposal, he said that Zhukov's troops were insufficient. ”

In fact, Stalin's trip to Stalingrad was not without benefits, at least the high-ranking Soviet ruler finally understood the difficulties of some front-line soldiers.

He saw with his own eyes how Zhukov's army of 2 million was stretched thin when defending the entire Ukrainian region.

If it had been placed in the past, he would have thought that Zhukov was unwilling to go north to rescue Moscow. But now, he knows that it is not easy for Zhukov to hold on to Ukraine.

The battle for the Odessa region has now become bloody. Italy and Romania have invested at least 300,000 troops to attack the city, and the Soviets have been fighting for almost a week.

"We have fewer troops, and the hold is already insufficient, where will the troops come from to fight back?" With this topic, Konev spoke out about his difficulties.

Khrushchev was dissatisfied in his heart, and he also had a very disgusted expression on his face, and said sarcastically: "You are unwilling to fight back, there are civilians who are willing to fight back, willing to sacrifice their lives for the motherland, what else do you have to blame?" ”

Konev knew that he couldn't stop Khrushchev's madness, so he could only retreat and say: "Then, I hope that the next counterattack, I will choose the direction of the counterattack, and there is time to counterattack." ”

This was already the biggest compromise he could have strived for, and as long as Khrushchev nodded, he could restrain the endless wastefulness of civilian armament.

If it is up to him to choose, he can choose to counterattack at night, and with the elite Soviet troops, he may also achieve a certain degree of results, which is much more cost-effective than wasting in vain.

Hearing Konev's compromise, Khrushchev no longer insisted, and said calmly: "Yes, as long as you allow the civilians to continue to fight back, the time and place can be determined by you!" ”

"Report!" Outside the door, a voice sounded suddenly, and after receiving permission, an officer walked into the office, stood up and saluted and reported: "The Germans have launched a fierce attack in the north, and our positions have been broken through. ”

"North? Damn it! Where did they hit? Otradnoye? Konev asked nervously.

"Yes! Comrade General! Otradnoye is now a battlefield. The officer replied bitterly.

The Soviet troops in the north lacked weapons and equipment, and the Germans slightly increased their attacks, and their defenses collapsed.

The last thing Konev wanted to see finally happened - the Germans found a weakness in the Soviet defense and began an onslaught against it.

"How's the defense line of the Lihoborka River being reinforced?" He hurriedly asked the chief of staff, who had not spoken.

The Chief of Staff has been busy lately building a line of defense along the Lihoborka River. Now the only thing the Soviet army can do is to defend the river.

If the Lihoborka line is lost, then there will be no dangerous terrain between Army Group North and Moscow's Red Square.

Hearing Konev's question, the chief of staff hurriedly spoke: "The defense line is quite solid, there are our soldiers in all the buildings along the coast, we are reinforcing the barricades, there is no threat of German armor, and it should be able to block the German attack." ”

Konev was reluctant to immediately retreat to the Lihoborka River defense line, for the simple reason that the line along the river and the lack of a buffer zone were not very safe.

To put it bluntly, it is actually very dangerous to arrange a defensive line along the river, and if there are conditions, bridgeheads should be established on the other side of the river to support each other and form a defense system in depth.

This is the same as the triangle of the Shetong River and the Lamenka River, once the Germans have completely occupied the other side of the river, and the Soviets are trying to counterattack, it will be impossible.

"Let the troops retreat to the Lihoborka River line...... There's nothing too good to do now. Konev reluctantly gave the order to retreat.

"What? Giving up so many urban areas? Don't even fight, and give it to the Germans? Khrushchev, who was on the side, was reluctant to get up.

"We don't have enough troops over there, and if you insist, I can transfer the position to the civilian forces to defend......" Konev explained, giving Khrushchev another option by the way.

"Alright! Let the civilians defend those areas with arms! It must not be given to the Germans! Khrushchev thought about it and decided that it would be more in line with his philosophy not to give up those outlying urban areas.

"The Levo Beleg railway station must be the next target for the Germans to occupy, and this place cannot be ceded to the Germans in any case!" Konev thought for a moment, pointed to the location of a train station on the map, and said to himself.

His remarks were very much in line with Khrushchev's wishes. So Khrushchev did not speak, waiting for Konev's order later.

"Let the 5th Guards Division go there! It is not allowed to retreat, even if it is in ruins, it is not allowed to take a step back! "Konev did not live up to Khrushchev's waiting, giving a death order.

In fact, Konev had no choice, because if the Germans were allowed to control a railway station outside Moscow, the German army's material mobilization would be faster.

No Soviet commander wanted the Germans to take control of a railway station in the north-west and at the same time supply Army Group Center and Army Group North.

"Hopefully, there will be some turnaround ......in July," Konev prayed with some despair, looking at the calendar hanging on the wall.