Time flies, I've been in the operations department of the 54th Army for a week. In addition to sitting in the room and reading all kinds of war reports, his daily work is to occasionally send the latest war reports to Fedyuninsky for them when the other staff officers are too busy.

At noon on March 17, I sent the latest battle report to Fedyuninsky.

I was already familiar with the lieutenant on duty at the door of the office, and when he saw me coming with a folder in his hand, he didn't get up, but just nodded at me and said softly: "Comrade Major, the commander is inside, you can go in." ”

I smiled at him, walked over to the door, knocked lightly twice, and walked in with a twist of my hand.

In addition to Fedyuninsky, there was also a round-faced conductor sitting at the table. Since there was no stove in the house, the temperature was only slightly warmer than outside, so the collar of the unfamiliar commander's military coat was still tightly buttoned, and his rank could not be seen clearly, but as far as I could judge, he was at least a general.

Seeing me enter the door, Fedyuninsky stood up from the table and asked with a smile: "Dear Major Oshanina, I wonder what good news you have brought me today?" ”

I replied with a wry smile: "Unfortunately, Comrade General, I guess today's battle report will disappoint you." With that, I opened the folder, pulled out the battle report written on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

After the 301st Division captured Kirich, it had been engaged in repeated tug-of-war with the Germans in several villages west of the city. Usually in the morning the Soviets still occupied the village, and by the afternoon they were taken by the Germans. Even the information received in this hour was that the Soviets had recaptured the village, and before the latest battle report was handed over to Fedyuninsky, the village was returned to the Germans.

"Ivan Ivanovich," the unfamiliar commander suddenly spoke, affectionately calling Fedyuninsky's real and patronymic names, "are you confident that you will continue to advance the line to the west in the short term?" ”

Before Fedyuninsky could speak, I had already answered for him in my heart: "No." In the absence of air supremacy and the lack of sufficient technical equipment, it was absolutely impossible to defeat the German army, which had strong fortifications and strong firepower, with only a few lightly armed infantry. ”

Fedyuninsky threw the battle report on the table, stared at the map for a while, and then said slowly: "Judging from the current situation, if the troops are not replenished with personnel and technical equipment, it is impossible to continue to attack in the direction of Lyuban. He picked up the red and blue pencils on the table, clicked on the two place names of Kirich and Lyuban, and said with some reluctance: "Although we are only 30 kilometers away from the 2nd Assault Army in Lyuban, such a short distance may become an insurmountable barrier for us." ”

"You are too pessimistic, General Fedyuninsky." The commander said in a stern tone, "You are a defeatist argument, and you must know that the Red Army soldiers armed with Stalinist ideas are invincible." ”

When I heard this, I couldn't help but be stunned, isn't this a famous quote that I have tampered with? Although I have said it on different occasions, with my popularity, I definitely will not let the commanders of the generals in the troops far away in Leningrad know about it, right?!

Fedyuninsky did not answer, looked at me, and said: "Major Oshanina, you are from the combat department, you know the situation better, tell me your opinion." ”

I glanced at the commander sitting next to me, then looked at Fedyuninsky and asked: "Can I tell the truth?" ”

Fedyuninsky sat back in his place and said impatiently: "Let you say it, where did so much nonsense come from." We have to listen to the truth in order to have an accurate judgment of the situation. ”

"Yes." I said yes and began to show off my limited military knowledge. "I agree with the judgment of Comrade Commander that it would be unwise to continue to fight the Germans in their current position."

"Tell me more about it." The commander said.

My report in the Operations Division this week was not in vain, but at least I was very familiar with the current situation between the enemy and the enemy, and I was able to say it in the first place: "Our 54th Army and the Volkhov Front are currently facing an elite German heavy group. In the areas occupied by them, there were strong fortifications and a well-developed defense system. The organization and preparation of our army's offensive was very hasty, lacking the necessary technical equipment and material supplies to support the offensive. In the face of the strong fortifications and powerful firepower of the German army, our commanders and fighters, no matter how brave and tenacious they were, were still slaughtered and crushed. ……”

Speaking of which, I listened for a moment and looked at the expressions of Fedyuninsky and the commander. The commander muttered, "Go on." Fedyuninsky nodded at me and motioned for me to continue. Then I said, "...... If the attacking forces are unable to fight effectively, then our offensive will not only fail to succeed, but will even lead to the exhaustion of the troops being surrounded by the German counterattack, or even divided and annihilated. The 2nd Shock Army was counter-encircled by the Germans in the Lyuban area, and although our army, after stubborn fighting, broke the German encirclement and restored contact with the main forces of the Volkhov Front, the prospects were still not optimistic. ”

"Major Oshanina, why is the future not optimistic? Let's hear it. Listening to my analysis, Fedyuninsky did not express any opinion, but only asked lightly.

"At present, the Volkhov Front can only deliver the necessary supplies to the 2nd Shock Army through a narrow breakthrough. This is not only known to us, but the German commander ......"

"Comrade Major, von Leib has long been removed from his post by Hitler, and Qu Hillel, who is now taking his place." The commander reminded in a sullen voice.

Hearing the commander say this, I couldn't help but blush, I couldn't imagine that I could make such a low-level mistake, even remembering the name of the commander of the German Army Group North. “…… The German commander Quchler also knew that once he was replenished, he would inevitably attack both sides of the breach, "Speaking of which, I point to the two place names on the map, "Spasskayapolisti in the east and Zamohiye in the west, and the Germans will take advantage of the superiority in personnel and technical equipment to rush the troops of the 52nd and 59th armies guarding the breach." Based on intelligence analysis, I boldly judged that in the face of the fierce offensive of the German army, our army could not withstand it. In two days at most, it would be possible for the German troops advancing from east to west to meet in the area west of Myasnoybor. In this way, the breakthrough that marked the great cost of sterility would be completely closed by the Germans, and the lines of communication on which the assault 2nd Army would survive and fight would be cut off. ”

After listening to my analysis, neither the commander nor Fedyuninsky spoke, but both stood up, holding their hands on the edge of the table, head to head, and carefully studied the map.

The two of them were so engrossed in studying the map that neither of them paid any attention to me, which made me extremely embarrassed, and I didn't leave or stay.

After a long time, the two raised their heads and glanced at each other. Then the commander asked Fedyuninsky: "Comrade General, do you have a phone here that allows you to talk directly to my headquarters?" ”

"Yes," Fedyuninsky said, pushing a black phone in front of him.

The commander picked up the microphone, dialed a number, and said to the operator inside: "Give me the Volkhov Front Command." Less than a minute later, the phone rang through, and he spoke into the microphone again, "Is the chief of staff there?" I'm Meretskov, let him answer the phone. Soon, I heard him say into the microphone again: "Chief of Staff, I'm at the headquarters of Fedyuninsky's 54th Army." I order you to find out at once if there are any signs of movement of the German troops in the areas of Spaskayapolisti and Veliko Zamohiye. As soon as there was a situation, I immediately called the command of Fedyuninsky's army group to report to me. ”

After putting down the microphone, Meretskov (I learned that he was the commander of the Volkhov Front, General Meretskov) paced around the room without saying a word.

Fedyuninsky looked at Meretskov, who was pacing around the room, and asked me in a low voice: "Major Oshanina, why are you so sure that the Germans will launch an offensive in the short term and cut off the supply lines of the 2nd Shock Army?" ”

"Comrade commander," I hastened to reply, "this is all my analysis on the basis of battle reports, and for a long time to come, an offensive in the direction of Lyuban will be the core of the offensive campaign of the Volkhov Front. The 2nd Assault Army, which was the main attack force, would inevitably become the target of the German army's priority attack. ”

At this moment, the phone on the table rang, and Meretskov walked over first, picked up the microphone, and said: "I'm Meretskov." He didn't say a word the whole time he answered the phone, and his face became more and more ugly. Judging from the change in his expression, I guess what I just said was unfortunately true.

Meretskov put down the microphone, took out a cigarette from his coat pocket, took out a cigarette, took a few puffs, and then said in a slow and low tone: "Major Oshanina's analysis is correct, according to reconnaissance, the two areas of Spasskayapolisti and Veliko Zamohiye, yesterday and today, the German army has successively increased its strength, at least two or three fully equipped divisions. With that, he snuffed out the cigarette in the ashtray on the table, then stretched out his hand to me, and said, "Hello, Comrade Major, let's get to know you officially." Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov, commander of the Volkhov Front. ”

I held his outstretched hand tightly and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Comrade General. I am Lida Mushidakova Oshanina, staff officer of the Operations Department of the 54th Army. ”

Meretskov held my hand, turned to Fedyuninsky and said: "Comrade commander, give me Comrade Major, I am in short supply of grassroots commanders like her. ”

"I beg your pardon, Comrade Commander of the Volkhov Front." Fedyuninsky politely, but at the same time firmly, said, "The major is working in the headquarters of the 54th Army, you can't dig into the wall so blatantly." ”

"Well, well, commander of the army group!" Meretskov smiled and said, "Let Major Oshanina work with you for the time being, anyway, it won't be long before she says that she will be transferred to our front." ”

"For what?" Fedyuninsky helped me with the questions I wanted to ask.

"You still don't know the way?" Meretskov's address to Fedyuninsky has changed from you to you again," General Vlasov, deputy commander of the Volkhov Front, named Major Oshanina to assist him in the 2nd Shock Army. The appointment is issued through the High Command, and it is estimated that you will see it soon. ”

High Command?! Hearing this word startled me, isn't it, my little major transfer is also worth alarming Stalin and his old man?

"Understood, Comrade General." After a moment of silence, Fedyuninsky said: "I obey orders. As soon as the order arrived, I immediately sent Major Oshanina to take up his post on the Volkhov Front. ”