Stalin did not answer immediately, but took a puff of his pipe in his mouth before he said slowly: "Since Leda is only working with you temporarily, there is no need to assign any specific duties." Let her go to the defense areas of Rokossovsky and Vatutin, in the capacity of a special commissioner, to supervise and inspect the construction of fortifications. We did not know when the Germans would launch a surprise attack on us, so the construction of fortifications was the first priority at the moment. ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov hurriedly replied. "I'll make it official to Rokossovsky and them later."

Stalin nodded slowly, looked at me, and asked, "Leda, you have no objection to such an arrangement, right?" ”

Objection?! It's strange that I dare to have objections to his old man's arrangement. I hurriedly pretended to be ecstatic and replied: "No objection, Comrade Stalin, I resolutely obey your arrangement!" ”

Stalin was very satisfied with my respectful attitude, and he turned his head to Khrulev and said to him: "Comrade Minister of Logistics, you must come up with a plan for the distribution of materials for US aid as soon as possible. ”

Khrulev nodded in agreement when he heard this, suddenly remembered something, and quickly stood up again and said: "Comrade Stalin, there is one more important thing that I want to report to you. ”

"What's important?" Stalin, a little confused, retorted: "Didn't you inform me in the telegram beforehand?" ”

"No, Comrade Stalin." Khrulev replied truthfully: "What I said has something to do with the Pacific Fleet. ”

"Pacific Fleet?" When Zhukov heard Khrulev say this, he couldn't help frowning and asked dissatisfiedly: "Comrade Minister of Logistics, I don't know what kind of complaint the commander of the fleet, Admiral Yumashev, has made to you?" ”

"Comrade Zhukov," Khrulev heard Zhukov speak and quickly turned his gaze away from Stalin. Looking at the other party, he said: "Admiral Yumashev did not complain to me, but mentioned some of the difficulties faced by the Pacific Fleet. Then he reported everything he had learned in Vladivostok to Stalin and Zhukov.

After listening to this, Ustinov, who was an observer, said in amazement: "General Khrulev." Is everything you say true? How could the Pacific Fleet lose most of its combat effectiveness due to a lack of supplies? ”

"Yes, Comrade People's Commissar, what I said is the truth." Khrulev replied affirmatively to Ustinov's question: "When our planes were shot down by Japanese fighters, the marines who came to our rescue were considered to be one of the elite of the Pacific Fleet, but they still held the old weapons used in the First World War. It is okay to use it to deter White Russia in the Far East, once it goes to war with the Japanese state. Our poorly equipped troops will not be able to stop the enemy's onslaught. ”

Hearing that the matter was so serious, Ustinov's face became particularly ugly, and he turned his head to look at Stalin and said: "Comrade Stalin, if this is really the case, we will have to make corresponding adjustments to the distribution plan of weapons and ammunition. Just because the troops in the Far East are strategic reserves should not be reduced in their due supplies. ”

"Comrade Ustinov. You have a good point, our current war with the Germans. We have entered a critical moment, and there must be no problems in the Far East. By the way, the Japanese ambassador came to visit me last night and expressed his formal apologies to us for the incident in which they accidentally hit your landline. ”

"What, our plane was finally shot down by a Japanese fighter plane. They actually wanted to use a simple apology to perfunctory the matter. "If the previous words had not been uttered by Stalin, perhaps Khrulev would have been furious, but even so, his tone was full of gunpowder." That's not to say. After our bombers went to bomb the Japanese mainland, they apologized to them, saying that the pilot was drunk and threw the bomb in the wrong place, so it could be gone? ”

"Comrade Khrulev, don't be so angry. At present, we still have a treaty of friendship with the Japanese countries, and we cannot easily tear our faces, lest we fall into the danger of fighting on two fronts. But don't worry, I have this matter in mind, and we will settle this account with them sooner or later. After Stalin comforted Khrulev, he turned to Zhukov and said: "Comrade Zhukov, there is nothing to do here, you should take Lida back to your headquarters first, if I am not mistaken, Rokossovsky and Vatutin should still be waiting for you there." ”

Zhukov took me out of the Kremlin and came to his command. Really, as Stalin had guessed, Rokossovsky and Vatutin, the commanders of the Front, were sitting in their offices and drinking tea with the two generals. Seeing Zhukov enter the door, the two hurriedly stood up, straightened their waists and greeted Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, you are back." ”

"You're all still there?!" Zhukov took off his military coat and said to the two: "I happen to have something to do with you, since you are all here, then there is no need to call you again." ”

When I took Zhukov's coat and hung it on the coat rack, I heard Rokossovsky asking Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, I don't know what important instructions there are?" ”

"No," Zhukov said to me, who had just hung up my clothes, "Comrade Stalin has appointed Leda as a special commissioner of the base camp to go to the defensive zone of your two fronts to supervise and inspect the construction of your fortifications. ”

"Welcome, what a welcome!" When Rokossovsky heard Zhukov say this, he immediately said with joy on his face: "Lida knows many commanders of our Central Front, and I believe that she will not encounter any obstacles in carrying out her work. ”

"Comrade Marshal, the same is true of our Voronezh Front." Vatutin continued: "You must know that General Oshanina's original 79th Infantry Corps was previously under my command. When she inspects the military districts of our front, I will certainly ask the commanders and fighters below to provide her with sufficient convenience. ”

Zhukov stood in front of the map hanging on the wall, turned around and beckoned to me, "Leda, come to me and tell us how you think about it." ”

I stood in front of the map and quickly looked at the names of many places near Kursk. Look at the familiar place names. Little by little, the vague memory of the Battle of Kursk became clearer in my mind.

Probably seeing the smile on my face, Zhukov was the first to ask: "Leda, I look at you so happy, have you already thought of what area to focus on for defense?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." I politely replied to Zhukov. He casually pointed to the place where the largest tank battle broke out, and confidently said: "Right here, Prokhorovka." ”

"What, Prokhorovka?!" Without waiting for Zhukov or Rokossovsky to speak, Vatutin preemptively said: "Comrade Oshanina, the place you are talking about is in the defensive zone of the Voronezh Front. ”

"Yes, Comrade General." I smiled and said to Vatutin: "In my judgment, if the Germans are going to launch a new offensive against our lines. Then the Prokhorovka area will become the primary target of the German army. ”

After listening to my words, not to mention that Vatutin was puzzled, even Rokossovsky frowned, and couldn't help asking: "Lida, I think you may have made a mistake this time." To the south are Manstein's troops, who have been greatly weakened by a series of battles with our troops, and I don't think it is likely that they will attack first. On the contrary, in the west of our Central Front. It is quite possible that the German Army Group Center, entrenched in Orel, will be the first to attack us. ”

"Comrade Vatutin." Zhukov clasped his hands in front of his chest, stared at the map in front of him, and said dryly to Vatutin: "Tell Lida about the situation in the Prokhorovka region. ”

Vatutin nodded, and then introduced me to the situation in Prokhorovka: "Prokhorovka is a combination of mountains, flats, rivers and forests, and our defensive zone is 30 kilometers wide and 35 kilometers deep. It is not convenient for us to maneuver with firepower. There are railways and highways in the middle, so it is impossible to form a complete defensive position, and it is easy to be surrounded by the German army with a divided defense system and a roundabout. ”

After Vatutin, Zhukov continued: "Yes, the terrain of Prokhorovka is an open hilly terrain. Divided in two by an important railway is not conducive to our construction of a complete defense system, and it may become the primary target of the German army. Comrade Vatutin, I think that Lida is absolutely right in saying that once the battle starts, this will become the main point of attack of the German army. After saying this, he turned to me and asked, "Do you have any good ideas?" ”

"Comrade Marshal," although I already had a plan for defensive deployment in my mind, I did not say it immediately at this moment, but said carefully and carefully: "The specific defensive deployment will not be formulated in a targeted manner until I arrive in Prokhorovka and continue to carefully survey the local terrain." ”

"Well, early tomorrow morning, you and General Vatutin will return to the headquarters of the Voronezh Front, complete the survey of the Prokhorovka area as soon as possible, and work out the corresponding defensive deployment." After saying these few words to me, he said to Vatutin: "Comrade Vatutin, you still have a lot of things to deal with in the headquarters, and the matter of accompanying Lida to survey Prokhorovka will be left to the chief of staff or other staff officers. ”

"Comrade Marshal," Vatutin said to Zhukov with a smile on his face, "I don't think it would be appropriate to send only one or several staff officers to accompany General Oshanina to survey the Prokhorovka region. I plan to send her with the deputy commander, General Apanashchenko, who will be of great help in commanding troops in the future after getting acquainted with the terrain. ”

"That's right," said Zhukov as soon as Vatutin's words came out: "Comrade Stalin transferred General Apanashchenko from the post of commander of the Far Eastern Front to the post of deputy commander of the Voronezh Front, just to familiarize him with the environment on the Western Front as soon as possible, so that he could be entrusted with important tasks in the future. ”

"Yes, yes, General Apanashchenko was already a general long before the outbreak of the war." Vatutin continued with a smile on his face: "And it will only be a month or two before I get the rank of general. I felt a lot of pressure on myself to be the superior of such a veteran general. So I also hope that he can continue to be familiar with the environment here and the way we are fighting now, so that he can take charge of himself as soon as possible. ”

"Do you still have any difficulties?" Zhukov waited for Vatutin to finish speaking, then looked up and asked the two again.

Rokossovsky thought for a moment and replied: "Comrade Marshal, at the moment the roads are muddy, and our transportation is inconvenient. If the road is not repaired as soon as possible, then the speed of our troop build-up and the accumulation of weapons and ammunition. will be affected. ”

I have a lot of affection for what Rokossovsky said, not to mention now, even sixty or seventy years later, many roads outside Moscow are still covered in mud on sunny days and rainy days. Some sections of the road have experienced heavy rain for several days. It will become a quagmire that is difficult to pass.

After listening to Rokossovsky's words, Zhukov's brows tightened, and after a while, he said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Rokossovsky, I can't help you with the road. However, when you return to the army, you can organize the hand-cutting of trees and lay timber roads in impassable areas. ”

"Oh my God, Comrade Marshal." To this proposal of Zhukov. Rokossovsky's face showed a tearless expression, and he said with a sad face: "In such a wide area, if I have to mobilize troops to pave the road, there is no guarantee that there will be enough men to build fortifications." ”

Seeing that Zhukov was helpless against this difficulty, Vatutin turned his eyes to me for help, and he asked in a friendly tone: "Comrade Oshanina, I heard Marshal Zhukov say that you can always be resourceful. Is there any good way to solve this problem for us? ”

Zhukov and the two of them heard Vatutin say this. They also turned their attention to me and made me feel Alexander. I scratched the back of my head, and was about to push the problem back to Rokossovsky, when I stumbled upon the heating stove in the corner of the office, in front of which a staff officer crouched and shoved the basket of coals into the mouth of the stove one after another.

See this. I immediately thought of a good idea, and I pointed to the stove and asked Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, is it all coal for heating in the city?" ”

Zhukov glanced back at the staff officer who was adding coal to the stove, nodded, and said, "Yes." Coal is used for heating in the city. This burnt leftover cinder is the most troublesome, and it is difficult to find a suitable place to stack it. The leaders of Moscow's municipal departments need a new place to deal with these pesky cinders every winter...... Well?! cinders, cinders? ”

When he said this, he stopped suddenly, looked at me with his eyes and asked, "Leda, are you trying to make a fuss about this cinder?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Marshal." When I saw that Zhukov had guessed my intentions, I smiled and said, "Instead of letting the comrades in the municipal department worry about the piling up of these cinders, it is better to use them as waste and use them to pave the way." I estimate that there will be fewer people to use than it would be to cut down trees, and the cinder road is definitely more suitable for tanks and trucks than the timber road. ”

"Genius, genius!" After hearing this, Vatutin slapped himself on the thigh, gave me a thumbs up, and praised me repeatedly: "Comrade Oshanina, you are simply a genius. In this way, not only the problems of the municipal department have been solved, but the road conditions in our defense area have also been greatly improved. ”

Speaking of this, he turned to Zhukov and said: "Comrade Marshal, I intend to rush back to the front headquarters with General Oshanina overnight and strive to complete the survey of the Prokhorovka region as soon as possible, is it okay?" ”

"I agree with your proposal." Zhukov agreed with a wave of his hand to Vatutin's proposal, and then announced to me: "Lida, you will take up your post and go to the Voronezh Front with General Vatutin overnight." ”

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." I said yes loudly. (To be continued.) )

PS: I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the book friends who support this book, I can't afford to lose, Fixed Rate of Fire, I Love Off-Road Vehicles, Luoxia's Lonely Bird, kjs12, Chaowendao Soy Sauce Party, June Flying Snow 1021, Stupid 1967, Pikeral, Gabewell, Book Friends 111018224708442, Drifting with the Wind の Yiye Xiaozhou, houxd, pickeral, Chaowendao Soy Sauce Party, zhoudw0714, Children's shoes for two votes! Thanks to the book friend for the ultimate complaint, the rabbit of Siberia, zheng1360, the old godfather, the world has no groan, the pirated little pill, God. Help Me, Soar to the Ground, wzzhnag68, Yikui, Haochuan, Ererxi, wzzhnag68, lksos, Ghost Man1, l599xl, prazj, love to be frank, Lonely, Smalldonkey, Xinhujj, SASD; A valuable vote from LKJH! Thank you for the book friends drifting in the wind の一叶小舟、hypp1014、l599XL、trance fish children's shoes for the reward!