"Malenkov can stay in Stalingrad to assist you in your work, but Vasilevsky needs to return to Moscow immediately after handing over the work to you. There is still a lot of work waiting for him to complete here. When do you plan to set off?
?”
Faced with Stalin's direct gaze and question, Zhukov took a deep breath and responded without hesitation without much thought.
"I need a day and night to study the situation and understand the battle situation on the front line, and then I can leave for Stalingrad immediately."
"Very good. It seems that you have thought carefully and made preparations, Zhukov."
Zhukov is a rare general who is good at commanding large corps in combat and can consider and strategize thoroughly. He has extremely keen analysis and judgment of the battle situation and can make targeted adjustments immediately according to changes in the world on the frontline battlefield, whether it is offense or defense.
He could always fight brilliantly and achieve great strategic victories. This was the main reason why Stalin valued Zhukov.
Stalin, who had irregular work and rest hours due to the corrupt war situation on the front line, had always had the habit of eating late night snacks. This would provide him with enough energy for his body to work until two or three o'clock in the middle of the night or even four or five o'clock in the morning. As it approached ten o'clock
The clock is almost the time when Stalin had a late-night snack.
A few cups of tea and ten portions of meatloaf were tonight's late-night snack. Such a large amount of food was obviously not prepared for Stalin alone. Zhukov had the honor to have a late-night snack with his comrade, the Supreme Leader, again.
Stalin, who was chatting while eating, repeatedly emphasized to Zhukov in subsequent conversations that the only way to break the current predicament in Stalingrad was to attack and counterattack. Blindly defending would only lead to the Germans beating them in the city until they lost the war. Stalin
I hope Zhukov is a practitioner of his grand plan and not a submissive loser.
No matter what, the Battle of Stalingrad must be won.
Zhukov naturally understood the problem that once Stalingrad was lost, the German army would use it to divide the entire battlefield into two lines, the north and the south. This would undoubtedly be a disaster for his own side and would lead to catastrophic consequences.
The terrible consequences were irreversible, so Zhukov sided with Stalin this time and supported launching a strong counterattack in the direction of Stalingrad.
But as the saying goes, "A clever woman cannot make a meal without rice." No matter how Zhukov can fight, it is based on having soldiers at hand.
If the current force in the direction of Stalingrad can defend the city, it will be good. As for launching a counterattack and even eating up all the German enemy groups in front of them, this will require more and more powerful forces to be invested.
In action.
The last conversation between Stalin and Zhukov centered on the issue of reinforcements. Finally, they agreed to recruit and mobilize soldiers from the rear, newly graduated military academy cadets, as well as weapons and ammunition, aircraft, artillery, tanks and food produced by various arsenals.
The decision was made to prioritize the delivery of all medical supplies and other materials to the Stalingrad theater.
Stalin asked Zhukov if he needed to use the newly formed strategic reserve. Zhukov took into account that the German army was gaining momentum and the war situation in the second half of the year was still full of uncertainty, so he answered that it was not needed at the moment. This macro firefighting team needs to be reserved until the most critical moment.
If we use it again, for example, losing Stalingrad is far less dangerous than the Germans attacking Moscow again.
What is quite rare is that Stalin actually took the initiative to tell Zhukov this time that if the war situation changes and the strategic reserves need to be used, he must make the request without hesitation. Stalin's obsession with the city named after him is obviously beyond the ordinary.
Zhukov's prediction.
The next day it was dark and the sun had not fully risen. Zhukov, who had only slept for four hours, had already arrived at the General Staff Headquarters. Holding a compass and drawing tools in his hand, he lay on the war zone map spread out on his desk and drew it himself.
Study the current situation in the war zone in Stalingrad.
At Zhukov's hand are the latest telegrams and summary reports sent last night. Zhukov needs to refer to these telegrams and files to make his ideal theater map to understand the frontline battle situation from a macro perspective.
But the more Zhukov studied it, the more he frowned.
He originally thought that the current Stalingrad war situation had not deteriorated to the point of being completely hopeless, but now based on the latest intelligence and summary information, it seems that he was too optimistic before.
If we insist on describing it accurately, the current battle situation in Stalingrad is almost a dead game, and it is only a short distance away from complete destruction.
The supreme leader of the Soviet Union, the loving father Comrade Stalin, handed over supreme honor and great power to Zhukov. But at this moment, Zhukov felt that the courage on his shoulders had never been so heavy.
Relying on the Red Navy fleet to defend Leningrad was a relatively even battle, and it can even be said to be relatively easy now.
Although the situation in last year's Moscow battle was worse, at least there was the confidence and objective conditions to completely defeat the Germans.
But the current situation in Stalingrad, from the perspective of Zhukov, who has thoroughly studied it, is more like trying to pick out a war game that is almost like finding a needle in a haystack and winning miserably in a gambling game that has failed all over the place.
Defending this city in the name of the leader is the heaviest mountain-like responsibility currently on Zhukov's shoulders.
Zhukov boarded a special plane to Stalingrad with uneasiness and worries. Halfway through, sitting on the plane and thinking hard all the way, Zhukov strengthened his determination to defend this city named after his leader, just as Stalin did in this city.
A city created a miracle and turned the situation around.
The straight-line distance of more than 900 kilometers is not that long. Three hours later, Zhukov was able to step off the plane with a face that was inspiring and confident, and boarded an Aim off-road vehicle specially sent to pick him up to Stalingrad.
Front Army Headquarters.
The small off-road vehicle that was speeding along had just stopped in front of the front army headquarters. Vasilevsky, who stepped forward to greet Zhukov, said something bluntly that surprised Zhukov.
"When do we attack?"
Zhukov, who had not received any specific plans or news at all, looked surprised.
"Where did the news come from?"
Zhukov, who was smiling just like Vasilevsky, asked rhetorically, his resolute face shining with the radiance of victory that was convincing enough.
"Listening to what you said, I suddenly felt that the morale of our soldiers should be high now."
Talking and laughing all the way to the combat conference hall, Vasilevsky, whose smile did not diminish, then raised his right arm and pointed at a figure not far away and replied to Zhukov.
"When I heard the news that you were coming, our tank hero immediately whispered in my ear: The attack will begin as soon as General Zhukov arrives."
Look in the direction of Vasilevsky's finger.
What appeared in the focus of Zhukov's vision was a young face that he had not seen for several months but was extremely familiar.