If the enemy's Army Group Center suddenly separates that front-line unit, they will no longer have the strategic purpose of capturing Moscow, but will participate in the encirclement of Ukraine, so that the Germans will have an advantage in terms of strength.

Moreover, the German offensive method was blitzkrieg, in which they would combine their forces to focus on the attack with superior forces, and tear the hole under the devastating attack of the air force and artillery units. Gaps in positions often lead to the collapse of the entire position.

So will Army Group Center go south? Kirponos prayed that none of this would happen. But what that Berekov said was very reasonable, in the frontal engagement, the rapid offensive of the German army was stubbornly thwarted, and large forces were widely distributed in right-bank Ukraine. The back is indeed a huge flaw in the entire front army!

The command of the Southwestern Front was anxious about how to defend, and they pinned their hopes on a steady stream of follow-up troops, as well as the desperate resistance of the front-line troops.

But it is not clear to him that everything has already happened as Yang Mingzhi, that is, Berekov said.

On 20 August, the main German forces reached the Dnieper, and the German Army Group South occupied the southern town of Kremenchug, from which the Germans began to cross the Dnieper. The German Army Group Center was 500 km to the north of them, and the German follow-up troops were 500 km from the two offensive fronts.

So this was an offensive triangle, in which the Germans surrounded Kiev in a pincer offensive, and the main forces of the Soviet Southwestern Front were in this triangle.

Therefore, Hitler seized the opportunity to issue a new directive the next day that the Germans must completely annihilate the Soviet Southwestern Front, and the Fifth Army under its command, thereby capturing the Crimea from the south and entering the Donbass region, cutting off the Caucasus from oil supplies to the USSR. In short, the core goal was to seize the Soviet Union's Baku oil fields.

Kirponos did not know this sinister purpose, but realized that the Germans were clearly surrounding him.

During this period, he also gave orders to the troops in the swampy area and on the periphery. He gave the order to defend two Soviet infantry divisions in situ, north of Kiev, in this place of Chernoby.

It was also proposed that the 284th Guards Division in the swampy area conduct a military operation, that is, to take the initiative to harass the enemy's transport lines.

"You'd better annihilate a German unit, attract their attention and relieve pressure on left-bank Ukraine."

"Is this an order?" Yevlov, who received the message, asked.

"Just take it as an order, you'd better harass or destroy a German army, even if it's a little less stressful."

It's more of an invitation than an order. At present, the situation of the 284th Division is still very bad, the remnants of the North-Western Front retreated in the direction of Moscow, a large number of routs remained on the battlefield, many were captured, and many hid in the forest to continue fighting. The 284th Division could not find an organization, they had already become a guest army of friendly neighboring troops.

The task was just that, to take the initiative to attack the Germans. The troops are faced with two options.

How exactly should we face this task? I'm afraid that the problem can only be solved by a military conference. In this way, high-ranking officers of the troops and representatives of the militia gathered at the division headquarters in the village of Catfish.

Because it was a meeting on military operations, there was silence in the room. If everyone agrees, it means war.

Yang Mingzhi looked at everyone and repeated Kirponos's words.

"Now our compatriots are fighting against the Germans, who are not far south of this swamp. Out of patriotism, we should immediately go into battle. But for the sake of reason, our superiors are the North-Western Front, not them. So whether to fight or refuse, everyone gives a decision. “

Everyone was silent for a while, and the head of the blacksmith village raised his right hand. "Let's fight! We always hide in the swamp, and this comfortable nest is not a place for long. We cannot depend on others for our security, and if the Germans win, we will die too. ”

"He has a point, we are the army, not the common people." Said the temporary commander of the newly promoted regiment, Grischen.

This man was very representative of the army, and Grischen was a junior officer, and this time he was promoted to the first regiment as a temporary commander, purely because there was no one with a higher rank. Of course, the strength of a regiment at the moment is only more than 600 people, including additional wounded soldiers, and he is only a battalion commander at best.

Speaking of which, there is no such thing as war cowardice. The more Yang Mingzhi thought about it, the more strange he felt, this group of people was like being beaten with chicken blood, could it be that they were all full of patriotism? After thinking about it, he suddenly realized that Yerenkina herself was also participating in the meeting.

If this comrade of the Internal Affairs Commissariat unifies her military operations and others oppose it, it is obviously an act of cowardice and a traitor to the great motherland.

Participating in the battle, of course, is what Yang Mingzhi dreamed of, the troops have been dormant for a month, and the troops have been resting very well. The embarrassment of the remnants of the defeated army is completely gone, and some fresh blood has been added to the team, so it's time to lead everyone to "do a vote".

Yang Mingzhi looked at everyone again: "You are sure that you all support military operations, right?" ”

"Yes!" Everyone replied in unison.

Yang Mingzhi nodded with satisfaction, and then looked at Yevlov: "Comrade division commander, everyone is willing to accept the request of our friendly troops, Comrade Kirponos's order, do we want to take it as an order?" ”

Yevlov lifted his hat, he was thinking exactly the same as everyone else, he slapped the table and said loudly: "Go and fight!" ”

Suddenly, there was cheering in the conference room, and the battle order was given.

The troops urgently assembled, and nearly 2,000 people urgently assembled on the flat land of the airport. Yevlov's impromptu speech was a mobilization for war.

The soldiers were about to move, and the veterans were naturally uncomfortable, complaining one by one that they couldn't get over the strange peace in their hearts. As for the militia, some of them have a blood grudge against the German devils, while others are full of patriotic ideas. The militia was more excited than the veterans, and their morale was very good, and Yang Mingzhi was very satisfied.

After the soldiers were disbanded, they were ordered to straighten out their internal affairs, check their guns and ammunition, and the whole army entered a state of first-class combat readiness.

Yang Mingzhi ordered his direct subordinate troops, the special anti-tank battalion, to have a total strength of more than 600 people, which was the mainstay of the entire 284th Division. During the battle, Yang Mingzhi, deputy division commander and division staff officer, often took the lead. He was more of a commissar, a respectable commander.

The young soldiers were also managed by Yang Mingzhi, and these children did not know what first-class combat readiness was.

So before the military operation, Yang Mingzhi had to teach them a lesson. This group of dolls all stood in the barracks of the special anti-tank battalion and were inspected by Commander Yang Mingzhi.

"Most of you are Young Pioneers, and you don't need to participate in the brutal war. Now the country is in dire need of soldiers to defend it, this era needs doers, you must be armed to defend the USSR. So we are in the first level of combat readiness, and all of you, within five minutes of receiving the order, must wake up from your sleep, get dressed, pick up your gun, and be able to go into battle immediately. ”

This is always ready for the long-standing training to finally go into real combat, although even the commander himself does not know what the military mission is like.

Yang Mingzhi said a lot, he really didn't want this group of children to have even the slightest casualty after the first battle. However, they must participate in this operation in their entirety, which is the only way to become good soldiers. Yang Mingzhi deliberately made the matter more serious: "When the battle begins, you must not be afraid of cowardice, let alone run away. I will give you reasonable orders, and if you disobey them, you will be deserters. Even if you are children, if you become deserters, I can only hand you over to Yerentina. That sister will not hesitate to enforce battlefield discipline, and no one will save you at that time. ”

After speaking, the expressions of many girls changed significantly.

At this time, a boy raised his hand and said, "So, can we properly carry out your orders?" ”

"Of course! Soldier, tell me your name. ”

"My name is Kharkov. Nikita Ivanovich Kharkiv. Sixteen years old. ”

Yang Mingzhi nodded with satisfaction: "Okay Kharkiv, I remember you." You are now a young soldier, and when you are eighteen years old in 1943, you will be able to join the 284th Guards Division and become a regular soldier of this glorious unit. ”

The children were disbanded, and Yang Mingzhi felt that he had explained everything he should have explained, and then he had to go to the division headquarters for a meeting about the military task.

But he left one girl behind, Natasha, a girl with sniper potential. She was much better off than when she first found out, and the child's experience was pitiful. She is smaller than star fruit, but her experience is strikingly similar.

"Natasha, I've got you on a brand new mission. You will be by my side as a sniper, and I will give you orders directly during the battle. Yang Mingzhi patted her on the shoulder, which was a weight to her.

Of course, in order to avoid his wife's possible jealousy, Yang Mingzhi also turned his head to look at the star fruit. "My dear, it's still the old rules, you are the hygienist of our battalion, and it is your responsibility to help the wounded. Pick up a gun when the heat is necessary. ”

Star fruit nodded: "Can I be Natasha's observer when necessary?" I heard that snipers never fight alone, one shooter, one observer, so that they form a sniper system. ”

This girl still understands this, and it is estimated that this is taught by Yevgeny. "Okay." Yang Mingzhi satisfied the idea of a girl. "If you and Natasha act together when necessary, I see that you talk and laugh a lot during training, and obviously you have become very good friends, even sisters. Fight together, both of you. ”

Yang Mingzhi stroked his wife's shoulders and watched the girl leave. Natasha, she also has a younger brother, who is her last relative in the world.

Everything was silent, Yang Mingzhi took his wife back to the house and tidied up some bedding with her. Yang Mingzhi estimated that since it was an attack on the enemy's transport troops, it was an ambush war. Presumably, the time will have to spend the night in the wilderness.