Although the commander of the 64th Army was General Shumilov, Chuikov was only the deputy commander. But in my sense, Chuikov is more like a commander, most of the time he is giving orders, and Shumilov is almost a soy sauce character. The reason for this phenomenon may be that the group army has always been under the leadership of Chuikov before it was formed, when it was still a base camp reserve, so his prestige among the commanders and fighters was much higher than that of Shumilov.

Hearing Chuikov's talk about strengthening the defenses of the Reynold-Orlovka region, I couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade commander, does our army group have two or three divisions and brigades in each section of the above-mentioned region?" Could it be that so many of our troops cannot hold the existing defensive line? ”

Chuikov sighed lightly and said a little helplessly: "Although these troops have been strengthened to a certain extent, because they are supplemented by new recruits, the combat effectiveness of the troops has not only not increased, but has weakened. In the coming days, we will face even more brutal battles. I know that you have a lot of ideas, do you have any good ways to improve the combat effectiveness of your troops in a short period of time? ”

I stared at the number of the 229th Division in the Reynoch area on the map, and said thoughtfully: "Comrade commander, the day before I followed Colonel Sazhin to break through from the enemy's encirclement, I used a new tactic on the battlefield: wheel warfare!" ”

"Wheel War?!" When Chuikov heard this new term, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked: "It's the first time I've heard this statement." Hurry up and tell me more about it, what is going on? ”

Wheel warfare, this was created in Shangganling. And the tactics that were carried forward in the two-mountain round battle. At the current stage it is not yet known. In order for this tactic to be introduced and popularized in advance, I began to make every effort to publicize it to Chuikov: "At that time, I found that after a brutal battle, the units under Colonel Sazhin had many formations, and in order to avoid the confusion of command caused by the multiple formations, I suggested to Colonel Lu that wheel warfare be adopted, one company after another, and each company would only fight for one day, regardless of casualties. They were withdrawn to rest, and the company commander stayed behind as an adviser to the next company commander, and so on. In this way, not only can confusion in command be avoided, but all companies will be able to preserve a number of combat backbones. Once these companies are replenished with new recruits, their combat effectiveness will increase rapidly. ”

While recording it in a notebook with a pen, Chuikov asked lightly: "What is the effect of this tactic?" ”

I nodded vigorously and replied, "It works pretty well." Since we had to hold out on to that position for one day, each company was withdrawn to rest after only one battle. As for the combat effectiveness of Colonel Sazhin's troops. You've probably seen it all in this counter-assault. ”

Chuikov nodded in agreement and said, "Both the battle has improved the combat effectiveness of the troops. At the same time, it can also retain a number of valuable combat backbones. Yes, yes, this style of play is really pretty good! After he had finished writing the last stroke, he looked up at me and asked, "Is there any other way?" ”

I thought about it for a while, and then said: "Because the German army was too fast in the early offensive, their armored units are currently facing a situation where they are running out of fuel, ammunition, and soldiers are extremely tired, so they will not launch a large-scale attack on the defense area of our army group in two or three days. We can take advantage of this favorable opportunity to organize small detachments to launch non-stop night attacks on the enemy, so as to exhaust the exhausted enemy forces and buy time for the main force to adjust its deployment and prepare for a large-scale counterattack. ”

I thought that after I finished speaking, Chuikov would give his opinion and point out to me the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of battle, but he asked meaninglessly: "Is there anything else?" ”

It seems that the tactics I proposed aroused the interest of Chuikov, but it was not comprehensive enough, so he asked this question. Instead of answering his question right away, I looked down in contemplation, trying to remember what I had seen that afternoon.

Seeing that I didn't respond for a long time, Chuikov was a little anxious and urged: "In addition to the two methods of wheel warfare and night raids, do you have any other ideas?" ……”

In just a short period of time, I have drawn up a detailed plan in my mind based on the information I have in the afternoon. I smiled and said to Chuikov: "Comrade commander, I have a plan that I would like to report to you. ”

"Planning?!" Chuikov looked at me in surprise, stretched out his hand to make a gesture for me to sit down, and then asked, "What plan?" Let's hear it. ”

After I sat down next to him, I moved the map in front of him, pointed to the defense areas of the divisions, and introduced to him: "Comrade commander, please see, whether it is the Reynoch area defended by the 214th Infantry Division and the 229th Infantry Division, or the Orlovka area defended by the 70th Guards Division and the 157th Infantry Division, except for a few hilly areas, almost all of them are steppes, and it is impossible to build a solid fortification, and in order to hold back the German attack as long as possible, it is necessary to increase the depth of their defenses. The terrain of the Spardanovka region is much more complicated, and strong fortifications can be built on the two heights of 158 and 165 in this area. If we put the focus of the defense of the army group here, we will not only be able to consume a large number of enemy forces, but we will also be able to relieve the pressure on the troops defending Stalingrad. ”

Chuikov tilted his head and stared at Spaldanovka on the map, looking left and right for a long time without speaking. After waiting for a while, he took a cigarette, lit it, took a deep breath, and finally said, "Tell me your plan!" ”

I pointed to Spaldanovka and said: "Comrade commander, in order to strengthen the defense system of the region, I would like to organize a large number of manpower to dig tunnels on the basis of the existing fortifications on the two heights 158 and 165. The tunnel can not only be used to store materials, but also become a hiding place for commanders and fighters to defend against air defense and artillery. The garrison mainly relied on the tunnels and used the existing fortifications on the positions for defense. Due to the terrain, the enemy's tanks could only provide artillery cover for the attacking troops at the foot of the mountain, and without the direct participation of tanks in the attack, we could quickly eliminate the infantry who went up the mountain. ”

"If the enemy attacks the mountain with superior forces. Occupied our positions. So what should our troops do? It was to retreat into the tunnel and wait to be beaten passively. Will you be wiped out by the enemy little by little? "Chuikov is worthy of being an experienced commander in a hundred battles, and he pointed out the disadvantages of tunnel operations to the point.

After talking about his worries, Chuikov shouted outside: "Someone! Then he instructed the staff officers who came in at the call: "Comrade staff, you go and call Commander Shumilov, as well as military commissars Serdyuk and Abramov, and say that Chuikov has important matters to discuss with them." ”

After the staff officer left, he probably saw the disappointed expression on my face, and went out of his way to comfort me and say, "Comrade Oshanina. I think this plan of yours has a certain operability, and we will discuss it together when Commander Shumilov and them come. ”

The staff officer's movements were quite fast, and in less than five minutes, Shumilov, Serdyuk, and Abramov all arrived one after another. At this time, I definitely didn't dare to sit still in the big school, so I quickly got up and saluted the three of them.

Shumilov walked up to Chuikov and asked strangely: "Comrade Chuikov, you hurriedly called a few of us over at this time. Is there anything important? ”

After Chuikov and a few others sat down, he made a few suggestions that I had just made. In particular, the excavation of tunnels in the 158 and 165 heights of Spaldanovka has been emphatically mentioned.

After Chuikov finished speaking, the three people who had just arrived stared at the map for a long time, Serdyuk was the first to speak: "Comrade Oshanina, I would like to ask a question: what will our troops do if the enemy occupies our fortifications? Will you retreat into the tunnels or continue your retreat to Stalingrad? If you retreat into the tunnel, you may be blocked in the tunnel by the enemy, as General Chuikov feared, and wiped out little by little; If we withdraw to Stalingrad, wouldn't it be cheaper for the Germans to hoard the supplies we had hoarded in the tunnels? ”

"Yes, I also think that the worries of Comrade Military Commissar are very reasonable." Shumilov then echoed Serdyuk's claims.

Seeing that the four giants of the group army were all there, all impatiently waiting for my answer, I calmly said all my thoughts: "Commander, deputy commander, two comrades of the military commissar, I will now introduce my thoughts to you in detail.

I think so: in future battles, the garrison will rely mainly on the tunnels and use the existing fortifications on the positions for defense. As for the concern of Comrade Military Commissar about where our troops will withdraw after the enemy occupies our positions, I can answer you here very clearly, withdraw into the tunnels.

Of course, holding the tunnel was only a last resort in order to preserve vital strength, exhaust the enemy, and gain the time necessary to prepare for a counterattack in the event of a loss of surface positions. Moreover, to persist in the tunnel struggle, it is necessary to persist for a certain period of time when the personnel and material conditions in the tunnel permit and communication with the higher authorities is unimpeded, and it is necessary to seize the opportunity to replenish the fighters and the necessary materials in the tunnel in a timely manner, and it is also necessary to have the tactical, firepower, material, and spiritual support of the troops in depth.

At the same time, the tunnel troops should also actively organize small-scale sneak attacks, assaults, harassment, and other combat activities in which squads and platoons are used as units, so as to counterattack or contain the enemy who occupies the surface positions. The in-depth troops should organize snipers or artillery to suppress the enemy's possible damage to the mouth of the tunnel, and effectively protect the integrity of the tunnel.

As for the basic method of restoring the surface position, it is to organize a strong counterattack, and the specific way can be that the troops in the tunnels cooperate with the reinforcements we have sent, and cooperate with each other; It is also possible to move troops into the tunnel in advance, and then rely on the tunnel to launch a counterattack.

Of course, our counterattack on the surface position may not always be effective, so we must also educate the troops who persist in fighting in the tunnels to be fully mentally prepared and have sufficient materials to repeatedly fight for the position, so as to ensure that our position will become an impenetrable fortress. ”

After listening to my words, all four of them were stunned, and the four pairs of eyes stared at me intently, and I lowered my head a little embarrassed.

There was a loud "pop", and when I looked up, it turned out that Shumilov was applauding my plan: "Genius, Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, you are simply a genius, if the plan you just said can be put into practice immediately, I believe that the enemy's offensive will be effectively suppressed by our troops in the area of Spardanovka." "Speaking of which. He turned his head and asked Chuikov: "Comrade Chuikov." What do you think? ”

"It sounds like an appealing idea. But it's not that easy to implement. Cui Kefu hesitated for a moment, but still poured a basin of cold water on all of us, "How big is the amount of work to excavate the tunnel, I believe everyone knows that if you dig on the two highlands of 158 and 165, it will not be completed in ten days and half a month." After the tunnel is completed, it will take another three to five days to transport materials inside. Do you think the enemy will give us such a long time? ”

Chuikov's words. Suddenly everyone fell silent, because they all understood that what he said was the truth. Although I also think that Chuikov has a point, I still don't want to give up easily, after all, I am copying a "Shangganling" for Stalingrad, and if it can be put into practice, it will become an impenetrable floodgate for a moral army.

After a long silence, Serdyuk was the first to speak and break the silence in the headquarters: "Although what Comrade Chuikov said is true, I think it is better to try Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina's plan, after all, such a defense system is far beyond our common understanding with the enemy. The enemy captures the surface positions of our troops. There will inevitably be a large number of troops pinned down in this area, in this case. It can greatly reduce the pressure on the defenders of Stalingrad. ”

After Serdyuk finished speaking, Abramov also said carefully: "Yes, I agree with Comrade Serdyuk's opinion. Although we have the current strength to complete two tunnels on high ground at the same time, we can choose one for construction. The rest of the place can be done in between battles. ”

After listening to the words of the two military commissars, Chuikov did not express his opinion again, but asked Shumilov: "Comrade commander, I wonder what instructions you have?" ”

Shumilov was sitting in his place, his eyes fixed on the map on the table, and he kept spinning a pencil in his hand. After hearing Chuikov's question, he threw the pen in his hand on the table, leaned back, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes in contemplation. Seeing that the commander was considering the problem, no one bothered him, just looked at him silently, patiently waiting for his reply.

After a while, Shumilov opened his eyes, sat up straight, swept his eyes over everyone, and said: "I think this matter should be reported to the front command immediately, and see the opinion of Commander Yeremenko and Deputy Commander Golikov." "Hearing Shumilov say this, my heart is half cold, it seems that he is an indecisive commander, and there is nothing famous under his subordinates, if I have the opportunity, I still find a way to change jobs.

Shumilov grabbed the phone on the table, dialed a number, and said politely: "I am General Shumilov, commander of the 64th Army, please transfer to me Comrade Commander of the South-Eastern Front, I have important matters to report to him immediately." ”

The operator also said politely: "General Shumilov, please wait a moment, I will connect you to the deputy commander of the front, General Glikov." ”

After a short wait, General Golikov's somewhat familiar and somewhat unfamiliar voice came through the microphone: "Is it General Shumilov?" I'm Glikov, is there anything important to call me so late? ”

"Yes, Comrade Deputy Commander of the Front Army." Shumilov replied quite politely: "We have just been studying how to strengthen the defenses along the Reynold-Spaldanovka-Orlovka line. ”

"Did you get any results?" Golikov asked coldly, perhaps a sign of displeasure that Shumilov had shown for disturbing him at such a time.

Shumilov did not heed his indifference, but told Golikov exactly what I had just proposed, and at the last point he repeatedly stressed the importance of digging tunnels in the existing defensive positions, adding: "...... Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina's plan was to use tunnel struggle and small detachment counterattacks as the main means to consume the exhausted enemy troops and gain time for the main force of the group army to adjust its deployment and prepare for a large-scale counterattack. ”

After hearing this, Golikov did not immediately express his position, but his attitude towards Shumilov was much more relaxed, and he said cautiously: "General Shumilov, please wait a while, I will immediately report this plan to Commander Yeremenko and ask for his opinion." I'll call you again when he has specific instructions. After speaking, without waiting for Shumilov to speak, he hung up the phone directly.

During the ten minutes of waiting, all five of us stared intently at the phone on the table. I was hoping that the phone would ring sooner, but I was afraid that the phone would ring. When the phone rings, I will be able to tell if my plan has been approved in the front command; I was afraid that the phone would ring, but I was worried that I would be directly vetoed by my superiors, and the Soviet army had no experience in relying on tunnels for defense at all, and it was really hard to say whether it could accept this style of play that only appeared more than ten years later.

So when the phone rang again, I was so nervous that I could barely breathe. I clutched one hand to my chest and the other to the edge of the table, gasping for air. Chuikov patted me gently on the back and asked with concern, "Oshanina, what's wrong with you?" ”

I tried to squeeze a smile on my face and replied with a forced composure: "Comrade commander, I'm nothing, I'm just a little nervous. ”

Golikov's reply on the phone was also quite succinct: "General Shumilov, Commander Yeremenko, after listening to your plan, said only two words: ridiculous, confused!" After saying that, he hung up the phone directly.

Shumilov put down the phone and said to me with a grim face: "Comrade Oshanina, I'm sorry, your plan was vetoed by the commander of the Front himself. (To be continued......)