Chapter 1330

After seeing my reply, chisjakov suddenly came close to my ear and whispered, "Comrade commander, what are you going to do? The Germans are attacking Zhitomir. Even if we know what we are looking for is in Lutsk, under the current situation, we can do nothing

I didn't answer him immediately. Instead, I waved to razumeyeva to leave. While eating, I thought quietly: the German army has launched a full-scale attack on Zhitomir. Whether we can stop them or how long we can hold on in Zhitomir is unknown. Once the German army has occupied Zhitomir, we can't get it back without a month or two. During this period, the Germans had plenty of time to transfer the cultural relics from Lutsk to other places.

If I could find the amber room a few days ago, I really don't care. I just need to think about how to defeat the Germans who are standing in front of me and liberate more cities from them. Now that the Supreme Commander himself has asked about the amber room, the situation is different. If I lost Zhitomir, maybe I will be reprimanded by my superiors or be demoted or demoted. But if the Amber Room disappears out of thin air, I guess I will be dismissed and sent to the military court.

Thinking of this, I looked around and saw that the staff officers had finished eating and went back to work. There were only a few insiders left at the table, such as me, chisjakov, kirilov and bezikov. So I said to them in a low voice: "comrades commander, although we don't know how long we can last in Zhitomir, we are looking for work in amber room, But it can't stop. Comrade military commissar, please call major travkin back and tell him that if the cultural relics stored in the vault are really amber rooms, he will try his best to keep an eye on them. Even if the Germans move things, he will also take people to track them and find out where the enemy has moved things. "

"Don't worry, Rita." Kirilov nodded and said gravely, "I'll tell major travkin what you mean. Amber room is our national treasure. If we can't find it back, we will become the sinners of history. "

While we were discussing the amber room in a low voice, akhromeyev came up to us and reported that the German army had launched another attack. The German troops of this attack came from the eighth armored division and the 208 infantry division in the direction of crosten in the north. In the process of advancing to the front of our army, their troops also sent out several groups of planes to bomb the defensive positions of the 67th guard and the 90th guard in the rear in turn.

Hearing such a report, chisjakov frowned and asked bezikov a little unhappily: "chief of staff, didn't we contact the headquarters of the front army and ask them to send air forces to provide air cover for us? How come there are only enemy planes on the battlefield, our fighters? "

"Comrade deputy commander," bzikov said with embarrassment in the face of chisjakov's criticism, "when I called, general krasovsky of the second air force group was also there. He told me that because the enemy was launching a fierce attack on Kiev, his air force was used in that direction and might not be able to provide air cover for us in a short time."

After hearing this, chisgakov slapped his hand on the table angrily and said, "Kiev is dangerous. Aren't we dangerous here? We use a group army to fight against the enemy twice as much as Kiev, but we still can't get air support. What's the matter? "

I was deeply afraid that chisgakov would say something taboo when he went on, so I quickly raised my hand to stop him, and then asked bzikov somewhat puzzled: "Comrade chief of staff, even if the war is fierce in the southwest of Kiev, the air force group army can't provide us with large-scale air support, but can one or two fighter squadrons always be sent out?"

Bizikov shook his head again and said, "Comrade commander, you don't know something. The chief of staff of the front army, lieutenant general Bogoliubov, hasn't been in office for a long time. He doesn't understand the situation of the whole front army and doesn't realize the importance of Zhitomir in protecting Kiev. Therefore, he focuses on the garrison of Kiev in terms of resource arrangement."

After listening to bzikov's words, I couldn't help sighing. In the past month or two, after the reorganization of the front army, a large-scale personnel adjustment has been carried out. Not only Khrushchev has been transferred, but also chief of staff Ivanov, who used to be very talkative, has been transferred. If it is in peacetime, such personnel changes have no impact, but now is the time of war emergency. After the new leader comes, it will take some time to run in with watujing. In this period, it will certainly have some bad effects on the whole front army, and even lead to the defeat of the army.

"What shall we do?" "If we don't get air support, it will be very difficult for our commanders and fighters to stop the German attack even if they are extremely brave," chisjakov said to me solemnly

I looked at several people around me, only kirilov and akhromeyev, who had participated in the defense war of Stalingrad with me, so I asked them, "comrades of the military commissar and major, both of you have fought with me in Stalingrad. Do you think Zhitomir can become the second Stalingrad?"

Hearing my question, they were shocked. Akhromeyev's rank is low. Before kirilov spoke, he could not freely express his opinions, so he looked at kirilov anxiously.

Kirilov noticed this little action of akhromeyev, coughed gently and said to me, "Rita, although we fought in Stalingrad for some time, I am mainly responsible for political work. In military affairs, I have no right to speak. I think major akhromeyev should answer this question."

When akhromeyev saw that everyone turned their eyes to him, he quickly straightened up and replied, "Comrade commander, please forgive me for saying that Zhitomir can not become the second Stalingrad. Although the Sixth Army of Paulus was fierce at the beginning, because the city was backed by the Volga River, they could only attack us from three directions, and we could continuously transport the required troops, weapons, ammunition and various material resources into the city through the Volga river behind us. Zhitomir is a city on the plain of Ukraine. Although there are forests on both sides of the city, the Germans can encircle us and completely cut off our transportation lines. If our troops lose their logistic supplies, we will not be able to support them for several days in the enemy's encirclement. "

Although akhromeyev's words did not clearly state the outcome of the siege, we all know that the southwest front army was completely annihilated by the German army in Kiev in 1941. More than 700000 Soviet officers and soldiers were killed, missing or captured in the battle. Even the commander, military commissar and chief of staff were all killed, and the senior commanders were all killed, so that the whole front army was later rebuilt.

"Major, are you too alarmist?" After listening to akhromeyev's remarks, bzikov said a little unconvinced: "Zhitomir is more than 100 kilometers away from Kiev. If you start from korostev, it will be even closer. Even if the German army cut off our transportation line, Kiev's troops can get it through in a short time... "

As soon as his voice fell, razumeyeva rushed in from the outside. From the anxious expression on her face, I knew that something must have happened, so I quickly stopped bzikov and asked aloud, "Captain razumeyeva, what's the matter?"

Razumeyeva put a telegram in front of me and said with some breath: "Comrade commander, the urgent telegram from the 77th division of the guards, the German army has occupied kanevka."

As soon as her words came out, the whole room became quiet, and everyone focused on her. Even if I don't look at the map, I know what kanevka's fall means. Although it is only a small town with only a few hundred residents, it is not too much to say that it is the throat leading to Kiev because it is located in the middle of Kiev Zhitomir highway. Now that the enemy has occupied this place, it is tantamount to completely cutting off the connection between Kiev and us.

After reading the telegram quickly, chisjakov looked up and said to bezikov, "chief of staff, please contact the 77th division of the guards in person and ask them to send troops immediately to take kanevka back from the enemy."

Bezikov said, but his foot didn't move. Seeing that the other party did not immediately carry out his orders, chisjakov was about to get angry when he found that bzikov was looking at me and immediately said, "Comrade commander, if you don't take back kanevka as soon as possible, wait for the enemy to build a solid defense here, Then it will completely cut off the connection between us and Kiev. "

"Comrade deputy commander, it is necessary to recapture kanevka." As for his opinion, I agreed with Gasol a little bit, "in order to ensure that our back road is not cut off by the German army, we must control the town in our hands."

"I understand," bzikov said hastily, "I'm going to send a telegram to general askarepov and ask him to send troops immediately to capture kanevka." When he walked out, he stood razumeyeva in the same place and said, "Captain, come with me to the telegraph room."

After bezikov and razumeyeva left, I went to the wall and looked up at the map. The effect of a map on the wall is different from that of a map on the table. Although there were forests to the north and south of Zhitomir, and the German army could only attack from the East and West, we were surrounded on all sides. In the cold winter, to let troops through the snow forest to retreat to a safe area, the non combat casualties are no less than a fierce battle.

Looking at me staring at the map in a daze, chisjakov came up to me and said, "if the German army only attacks from the west, our troops can still rely on the existing fortifications to resist until they retreat into the city and fight with them in the street. But judging from today's actions of the German army in the fastif area, it is entirely possible for them to cooperate with the enemy in the west to launch an attack from our rear and move from east to West in order to achieve the goal of seizing Zhitomir. "

"Zhitomir can't lose it." Staring at the map on the wall, I said, "once the enemy has occupied Zhitomir, they will have a bridgehead to attack Kiev. When they bring in more troops and attack Kiev again, I fear that the tragedy of 41 years will happen again. "

Chisgakov agreed with me. He added: "although the strength of our army has made great progress compared with that in 41 years, it must be difficult for us to attack Kiev." I raised my hand in the position of Zhitomir, slapped heavily, and then said firmly: "because of this, even if we have exhausted the sixth group army, we can never let the enemy occupy Zhitomir."“ What about our supplies? " Asked chisgakov. I pointed to the position below Zhitomir and said: "from the current situation, we can only transport the weapons, ammunition and materials we need from the direction of cherkaser according to the original plan. Because of the road, there is less material to be supplied, but it's better than not getting it at all. " Chisjakov raised his hand and looked at his watch. Then he said, "the 225th regiment of Jinwei has not started yet. I'll go to them to have a look. By the way, I'll talk with lieutenant colonel yershov and tell him the importance of protecting this traffic line." I nodded and added: "Comrade deputy commander, please tell Comrade yershov that their defense is not just a traffic line, but the way of life of our group army. As long as there are goods and materials that can be continuously delivered to korostwev and Zhitomir through this road, we can persist in the siege of the enemy until we win the final victory. "“ I see, comrade commander. " When I finished, chisgakov immediately said, "I'll pass on your message to lieutenant colonel yershov." With that, he nodded at me, then turned and walked out of the headquarters. In the evening, tavartkilaze called and brought us bad news. He told us that due to the continuous fierce attack of the enemy, the defense lines of the 67th division of the guards were broken through in many places, and the troops of the first armored division of the German army wedged into our defensive position, two to five kilometers deep.