Valery emerged from his bunker and ran forward with his gun in hand...... At this time, he didn't really need to do this, but because he had become accustomed to this movement naturally.

After a while, Valery came out of the smoke and shouted excitedly: "Comrade Shulka, blow it up, it can blow up the enemy tank!" ”

The soldiers immediately burst into cheers.

German tanks have always been a thorn in the throat of the Soviet army, especially the infantry...... In previous battles, the Soviet air force and tank crews were incompetent, and the infantry was severely lacking in anti-tank weapons, and the infantry was often pressed by German armor.

Now with anti-tank grenades, anti-tank grenades that can blow through tank No. 3 to be exact, there is at least something to defend yourself against enemy tanks.

This is not only equipment for them, but more importantly, it increases the confidence and courage to defeat the enemy.

But in fact, the anti-tank grenade can play much more than that, especially in the future Battle of Stalingrad.

In Moscow at this time, Stalin was in deep thought in the smoke with his pipe in his mouth, and Zhukov stood tall at his desk and did not dare to move.

After a long time, Stalin asked: "In other words, do you think that at this time we should not launch a counteroffensive against the enemy?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin!" Zhukov replied.

"Do you have any basis for this?" Stalin asked without hurry.

"This is my judgment based on the performance of the Germans in the frontal battlefield!" Zhukov replied: "The enemy's Army Group Center has stabilized its position, which shows that their morale is not declining, and even the Germans are still gathering forces, and I think they are trying to attack again......

"That's why we're going to counterattack, don't you think?" Stalin interrupted Zhukov's words, he stood up and walked to the window, looked at the white snow outside, and said thoughtfully: "We should learn from the Germans, Comrade Zhukov!" From the offensive tactics of the Germans, we saw the terrible energy of the enemy, and they won more with less time and time again, and I think it was because they took the initiative to attack, at least partially, so we could not let them succeed! ”

Zhukov did not know how to answer, because what Stalin said was correct in principle, and this understanding could even be said to be very profound and thorough.

As mentioned before, the German army is an offensive superiority theory, they always attack, attack and attack on the battlefield, so they can concentrate superior forces to find the weakness of the enemy's defensive circle and break it, and finally achieve the goal of winning more with less.

Stalin recognized this, and at the same time knew that the Germans were gathering forces for the next offensive...... Stalin, who had been knocked out of the shadow in the Battle of Moscow, did not want another Battle of Moscow, so he decided to strike first, that is, to attack before the Germans launched a new offensive.

In this way, it can boost morale and recover the homeland, and on the other hand, it can disrupt the deployment of the German army and make it impossible to launch an offensive, and it is also a process for the Soviet army to learn the strategy and tactics of the German army.

Of course, this can only be said at the top, especially by studying the strategy and tactics of the German army.

"But we weren't ready, Comrade Stalin!" Zhukov replied: "We are not ready to attack!" ”

Zhukov didn't say this too clearly, strategically Stalin may have been right, the problem was that the Soviet Union did not have an army that could work closely with each other like the German army...... The air force, artillery, tank corps, and infantry almost all fought on their own, and the air force, in particular, was still at a disadvantage against the German air force, and without air supremacy, there would be many problems.

Zhukov didn't say it too clearly, because he didn't want to offend everyone in one go.

"But they weren't prepared either!" Stalin replied: "What's more, we still have Kiev ......"

As he spoke, Stalin turned around, pointed to a point on the map and said: "Kharkiv, only 520 kilometers from Kyiv, attacking from here, we can use the nail of Kyiv to encircle the German army in the area from Kyiv to Kharkiv, and at the same time we can get in touch with Kyiv to lift its encirclement!" ”

"Comrade Stalin......"

Stalin waved Zhukov with his pipe-holding hand and motioned for him not to go any further.

"Let's put it this way, Comrade Zhukov!" Stalin said: "Let you come this time, I just wanted to hear your opinion on the timing of the offensive!" ”

Zhukov's heart sank.

That is to say, whether to attack or not was no longer in Stalin's consideration, and now it was a matter of when.

"Well, I hope to wait until May when the snow melts before attacking!" Zhukov said that he now has the mentality that he can drag on for a while.

"Why?" Stalin asked rhetorically: "At that time the roads were muddy, but I am afraid that it will be even more unfavorable for the offensive!" ”

"Just because it's bad for the offensive, Comrade Stalin!" Zhukov replied: "I am afraid that the Germans will launch a counteroffensive, so that at least we will have more time to react!" ”

Stalin was silent for a while, then said: "I think your worries are unnecessary!" ”

A few days later, Kalashnikov ran to Shulka in a panic and said: "Comrade Shulka, they are on the offensive!" ”

"What? Who? Germans or us? ”

"We, in Kharkov!"

Shulka couldn't help but be stunned, he thought he had two months left, because historically the Battle of Kharkov had started in May, and it had already been June by the time it reached Stalingrad.

But now, it is clear that the situation has changed.

Looking at the map, Shulka seemed to understand.

Because Kyiv, Kyiv still has hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops and are holding out there.

This made the Soviet high command think that the time was ripe for an attack, because at this time the German army in Kharkov was actually being attacked from two sides.

As a matter of fact, the German Sixth Army stationed in Kharkov was attacked from three sides, and the Soviet Union was divided into two parts on the front line, breaking through the two flanks of Kharkov from the Barvenkovo salient and the Volchansk area from the Balvenkovo salient and the Volchansk area, and there was a great momentum of encircling the German army with Kiev as the base point.

This tactic is too aggressive, it seems that the Soviet army is indeed encircling the German army, but because the German army has also accumulated considerable strength in the south, and at the same time the air force, tanks, etc. still have the upper hand, so in fact, the Soviet army is a lone army to drill deep into the German encirclement.

Of course, this doesn't require Shulka to care.

"We're running out of time!" Shulka said: "We have to be ready within a month! ”