Amid the constant rumbling of artillery fire in the distance, there was already a tense and busy atmosphere inside and outside the train in the small Siberian city of Nizhne-Udinsk. White smoke from the passing locomotives enveloped the entire platform. Soviet soldiers in ugly khaki uniforms are busily unloading trucks. Nizhne-Udinsk is a small city in the western part of the Irkutsk Oblast in Siberia, the famous Trans-Siberian Railway passes through the center of this small city, and there is a long but not wide river in the east of the city, called the Uda River. It is precisely because of the existence of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Uda River that this small city, which was originally unknown, has become the focus of the war between the Chinese and Soviet armies.

After the end of the Battle of France, the offensive of the Chinese Siberian Front began to slow down, and by late June it had simply stopped 15 kilometers east of the Ouda River, and seemed ready to go on the defensive here and wait for the Soviet counterattack. The Eastern Front of the Soviet Red Army, which had been retreating steadily, became active on the contrary, and every day large groups of troops marched eastward from the fortified area of Krasnoyarsk. On the railway line to Nizhne-Uginsk, a fully loaded military train roars past every 10 minutes.

The Nizhny Udinsk railway station had been urgently expanded, with engineers from the People's Commissariat of the Soviet Railways laying dozens of tracks for trains to wait on the west side of the station, while Red Army sappers cut down large areas of primeval forest on both sides of the railway line and built a large number of warehouses, airfields and barracks on the vacated land, apparently turning Nizhny Udinsk into a hub for the entire front. But the constant bombing by the Chinese air force still made this Soviet front-line hub look chaotic.

A locomotive dragged a train of supplies into the railway station in the middle of the bombing by the Chinese Air Force, dropped the wagons as fast as possible, hung up another train and turned around and drove away. A large number of Soviet soldiers suddenly poured around the dropped wagon, and they began to unload the goods like crazy. These raffles were loaded with ammunition, some machine rifle bullets, some anti-aircraft machine gun/anti-tank rifle bullets, grenades, anti-aircraft artillery shells of various calibers, tungsten alloy armor-piercing shells used to deal with Chinese hunter tanks, as well as mines, grenades, anti-tank grenade launchers, explosives packs and other flammable and explosive materials unloaded from the train carriage like a stream of water. Even before it had time to count, it was hurriedly transported into the ammunition warehouse at the edge of the forest, which was closely protected by countless anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns. And the Red Army officers who were responsible for supervising the unloading kept looking up at the sky, for fear that the Chinese bombers that had just left would go and return. Now the Soviet troops on the Siberian front have really tasted the bitter fruit of losing air supremacy. Not only was Nizhne-Udinsk ravaged by hundreds of tons of bombs every day, but even the Trans-Siberian Railway, the lifeline behind the Soviet army, was endlessly harassed by Chinese bombers, and although the Soviet Air Force concentrated thousands of I-18 and I-16 fighters and thousands of anti-aircraft artillery/anti-aircraft machine guns, more than a third of the supplies were still destroyed in transit or in warehouses in Nizhne-Uginsk!

However, the great power of the Chinese air force did not shake the determination of the Soviet top brass to conduct the Battle of Nizhne-Udinsk, because they knew very well that if they could not give the Chinese a profound lesson that they would never forget before the German onslaught on the Western Front. Then next year they will have to face the dilemma of two fronts facing a fierce attack at the same time, even if they expand the Red Army to more than 20 million, I am afraid it will be difficult to guarantee that they will be able to maintain the situation.

By the afternoon of July 8, 1934, the sky around Nizhne-Udinsk was already full of black rain clouds, and the dull sound of thunder was already rolling in my ears. The Chinese bombers finally reluctantly left from the skies over Nizhny Udinsk. And the waiting line has not yet been unloaded, and suddenly after an order from the superior. All of them were pushed away and retreated, and everyone knew that this was to make room for the new military column to make a pit stop, and the new one must be the most powerful striking force of the Soviet Red Army! In order to prevent them from being discovered and severely damaged by the Chinese Air Force, they deliberately chose to enter Nizhny Udinsk at such a time.

At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I saw a heavy-duty military train dragged by the head of a gravity locomotive on the railway line coming from Arzamai in the northwest, spitting smoke and roaring into the Nizhny Udinsk railway station! On top of the flatbed cars. They were all huge armored vehicles covered in tarpaulin, and Soviet tank crews in godlike grass-green uniforms and boat-shaped military caps stood by their tanks and hurried all the way. Such a heavy train of troops is not just one column, but a steady stream of them, as if endless! Seeing this scene, the Red Army logistics officers and soldiers in the station invariably broke out with a burst of "Ula" that resounded in the sky, and the powerful red tank soldiers finally came up! This means that the great counteroffensive to regain the lost ground is about to begin!

The Chief of Staff of the Eastern Front of the USSR Kamenev was at the moment in the office of the stationmaster at the Nizhny Udinsk railway station. Looking through the glass window with rice-shaped tape, I watched these heavy-duty trains full of tanks and armored vehicles enter the station one after another, and my hanging heart finally relaxed. When the last heavy-haul train entered the station, the corner of the lips of this high-ranking Red Army general, who was known for his strictness, couldn't help but show a smile. Both hands clenched into fists and waved vigorously: "All 45 heavy-duty military columns have arrived!" This rain came at a very timely time! If it were to be completed in a few days, when the defense line of the Chinese imperialist army had been consolidated, it would be somewhat troublesome! He turned back to the chief of staff of the Eastern Front, Meretskov: "How many days does the meteorological department predict that this rain will last?" ”

"Up to 7 days, Comrade Commander." Meretskov replied. "Today is the first day,reported the commander of the tank group, Comrade Khalepsky. It will take at least 3 days for the 15 tank armies to complete the deployment, which means that we have 4 days to defeat the Chinese army cluster in the area east of the Ura River. ”

"Very good, 4 days is enough time to defeat the Chinese invaders!" Although he said that he was full of confidence, Kamenev was not sure in his heart. In his opinion. The planned Nizhne-Uginsk counterattack was an adventure in no compromise. It was a last resort taken by the Soviet Union after France's unexpected quick defeat; because of France's defeat, the Soviet Union is now in a completely passive position, and the further it drags on, the more passive it becomes; if it does not start a decisive battle on the eastern front with China this year, in the coming year, I am afraid that the Soviet Union will have no chance to fight a decisive battle.

Although the High Command was determined to expand the size of the Red Army to more than 22 million, the number of infantry was not proportional to the attack power in this world war where mechanized weapons were dominant. Only the coordinated operation of tanks, aircraft, infantry, artillery, and other arms can produce a truly sharp attack. If by the time the German army launches a major offensive on the Western Front, the Eastern Front battlefield can at most get enough infantry, tanks and aircraft may have to give priority to the Western Front, and if the Eastern Front cannot beat the Chinese in this counterattack, I am afraid that the coming year will be very difficult.

"Comrade Commander, Comrade Tukhachevsky has arrived." A staff officer pushed the door open and reported in a low voice.

"Tukhachevsky? How did he get here? ”

"Maybe you're not worried about the war in Siberia, right?" Meretskov said: "Something has gone wrong in Central Asia. If there is another accident on the Siberian battlefield, the entire Eastern Front will probably be eroded. ”

Kamenev nodded and beckoned: "Go, go and meet Comrade Tukhachevsky!" ”

The train slowly stopped, and Tukhachevsky, who had been guarding the door of the carriage for a long time, jumped down first, and it was his favorite general who got off the train behind him. Pavlov, who had just come down from the Middle East theater, the Soviet general who had been shot dead by Stalin in his previous life for losing the battle, was now the No. 1 tank warfare expert in the Soviet Red Army. Tukhachevsky brought him to Siberia in order to use him to command 15 tank corps transferred from the west to Siberia. As soon as the two of them stepped on the land of Udinsk, their ears heard the constant sound of artillery from the east, and the waves of cheers from the railway station. The hearts they are carrying are truly let go. It seems that the morale of the Eastern Front is high, and it is not intimidated by the series of setbacks suffered by the recent world revolution, at least the officers and men of the lower ranks are eager to fight. This is for the war back that is about to unfold. Undoubtedly very advantageous.

Kamenev and Meretskov, who were in straight uniforms on the platform, were already waiting there, and when they saw Tukhachevsky and Pavlov jumping out of the car, they hurriedly greeted them: "Comrade Tukhachevsky, Comrade Pavlov, welcome to the Siberian front to inspect the work. ”

"We're not here to inspect, Commander Kamenev, we're here to assist you in commanding the counterattack in Lower Uginsk." With the big war just around the corner, Tukhachevsky didn't have that much time to greet Kamenev. directly explained his intention.

"That's really good, with you and Comrade Pavlov guiding us, the victory of the Nizhny Udinsk counterattack is assured." Kamenev is telling the truth, the responsibility for this counterattack in Lower Udinsk is heavy, and if he wins, he is certainly a hero of the world revolution, and if he loses, he will be a scapegoat. Now that Tukhachevsky, the chief of the General Staff, has personally come to the front to command or supervise the battle, he certainly cannot ask for it.

"What is the situation at the front? Do you know the specific location and situation of the Chinese armored cluster? Pavlov on the side was even more anxious. As soon as he opened his mouth, he asked about the enemy.

"The Chinese's armored cluster is about 15 kilometers east of the Wuda River, and a total of three armored armies are lined up from north to south, fighting flat." Meretskov explained.

"Their armored clusters are on the front line? Or is it a flat push? Pavlov was stunned for a moment, he had been fighting in the Middle East and the Near East for the past two years. I don't know much about the situation on the Eastern Front. In the Middle and Near East, armored clusters have always been used cautiously as a decisive assault force, and I have never heard of anyone putting armored forces on the front line, isn't this the use of tanks as infantry?

"In Siberia, the Chinese use armored units as infantry." Meretskov smiled bitterly: "But they also have such capital, their Siberian Front has 3 armored armies, each armored army has three armored corps/armored cavalry corps, and each armored corps/armored cavalry corps has 3 armored divisions/armored grenadier divisions/armored cavalry divisions." And their Panzer Divisions, Panzergrenadier Divisions and Panzer Cavalry Divisions are not much different in terms of formation and equipment, with Panzer Divisions and Panzer Cavalry Divisions having 3 armored battalions and Panzergrenadier Divisions having 2 armored battalions. One of their armoured battalions usually has 65 Stalker tank destroyers or Type C tanks, and an armoured regiment often consists of an armoured battalion, a motorized infantry battalion, and a self-propelled artillery battalion. This method of formation of armored forces of the Chinese seems to be more scientific than ours, especially when attacking positions, it is extremely powerful, and it is almost impossible for us to stop their attack without paying several times the enemy's casualties! ”

Pavlov shook his head slightly, seemingly disdainful of the way the Chinese used armored forces. He has long known that the Chinese have 27 divisions with armored heads on the Siberian front. These divisions have about the same number of tanks and artillery as the Soviet tank armies, and they also have overwhelming air superiority support, if they had allowed themselves to command so many armored forces, they would have hit Krasnoyarsk by now! Will it just climb to the Uda River like it is now?

As he spoke, Kamenev had already led Tukhachevsky and Pavlov into the headquarters of the former enemy of the Eastern Front, which was located at the Nizhne-Uginsk railway station. Huge military maps have been hung there, and telephone contacts have been established with the military headquarters of various army groups on the east bank of the Uda River. He pointed to the map and said: "Comrade Tukhachevsky, Comrade Pavlov, time is pressing, now let's briefly introduce the military situation at the front."

The Chinese have based their advance base in Tulum, they have repaired the railway from Tulum to Irkutsk, and they have deployed heavy troops along the line to prevent sabotage by our partisans. Therefore, their forces west of Tulum are not too many, mainly the 27 mechanized divisions belonging to the three armored armies. In addition, there are 10-12 infantry divisions, and the total strength will not exceed 40 divisions. ”

Tukhachevsky and Pavlov walked to the front of the map, and because of the extremely open terrain of Siberia, this military map of 1/50,000 was also surprisingly large, more than two people tall. However, the area of engagement between the two sides on the map is very small, and only the areas along the Trans-Siberian Railway are marked with dense red and blue symbols. On the front of the fierce confrontation between the two sides. The maximum width is only forty or fifty kilometers, and it is already on the edge of the Great Siberian Forest, and some of the fighting areas have even been cut down by the troops of both sides.

"The Chinese army defended on the front of Nizhny Uginsk, about 15 kilometers west of the Uda River, forming a dense defensive line. However, their line of defense was not a World War I-style line defense, but a series of ring fortifications connected by trenches and communication trenches. On the northern flank were the 1st and 6th Panzer Corps of the 1st Panzer Army, as well as two divisions of the 22nd Infantry Corps. In which the armored units were placed on the front, two infantry divisions were used to cover the flanks. Another Panzer Corps may be in reserve. ”

Kamenev pointed to the southern flank of the Chinese front and said: "The situation here is similar to the north, where the two armored corps of the Fourth Panzer Army and the two divisions of the 24th Infantry Corps are stationed, and the same armored corps is responsible for the front, the infantry is responsible for covering the flanks, and there may be an armored corps as a reserve.

In the center of the opposing front was the 6th Panzer Army, and no coordinated infantry divisions were found. However, along the railway to Tulum, China has placed at least nine infantry divisions, and these infantry divisions are still exchanging fire with our guerrillas deployed in the forest.

That is, the Chinese forces that are really deployed on the front line are only 31 divisions. It can be said that it is quite weak. But their air power is very strong, according to intelligence, the Chinese have built 15 temporary airfields around Tulum, deployed more than 800 Fokkers, what they call J-2, and about 1,200 HS-123s, which they call Attack 2, as well as about 120 BF-109s, 150 J-3 fighters and 100 J-4 fighters. There are also an unknown number of He-111 bombers, bombers and BF-110 night fighters. ”

Tukhachevsky nodded silently, looking at the map for a moment. Pavlov beside him showed a surprised expression and said: "Fokker and HS-123 are obsolete models, and their performance is not as good as our I-18 and Il-1." The Luftwaffe on the Western Front had already begun to eliminate them. He turned to Tukhachevsky and said: "Comrade Chief of the General Staff, we should mobilize more Il-18 and Il-1 to Krasnoyarsk, so that we can continue to fight the Chinese during the day when the weather is good!" ”

Tukhachevsky nodded noncommittally, suddenly pointed to the forest north of the Trans-Siberian railway line, and asked in a low voice: "Is it possible for our armored forces to pass from there?" You should know about the Battle of France, right? One of the German armies was from the Ardennes Forest in southern Belgium to Guò, copying the French rear. If the Germans could do it, then we, the Soviet Red Army, should also be able to do it! You say, don't you? ”

Let the armored units go through the forest!? Kamenev and Meretskov glanced at each other, both looking worried. Armored forces, of course, can pass through the forest, the forests of Siberia are not tropical rainforests, and tanks can theoretically pass through guò. But the dense forest is by no means a convenient place for tanks to enter and exit, and it only takes a small number of anti-tank troops to inflict heavy losses in the forest! So the solution that Tukhachevsky is proposing now is a gamble, and in order to deploy this gamble, the Soviet offensive must be postponed, so that there is no way to take advantage of the attack for the next few rainy days.