The suburbs on the north and south flanks of Kyiv are crowded with people sweating like rain. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

In order to keep the largest city in Ukraine, Kiev, Khrushchev got in touch with the Bolshevik party branch in Kiev and recruited 130,000 citizens to devote themselves to the construction of the outer fortifications of Kiev.

130,000 citizens, waving shovels and pickaxes in their hands, carried explosives to assist in the construction of difficult areas.

With the joint efforts of the military and civilians of Kyiv, the depth of the Soviet army's positions on the north and south flanks of Kyiv increased from zero kilometers to five kilometers, followed by ten, twenty and even thirty kilometers.

To the west of Kyiv, the Germans were held back by a much more fortified area.

The construction of these fortified areas began in the thirties of the twentieth century, and all the construction was completed before the start of the war in 42 years.

Fifteen kilometers west of Kiev, the two fortified areas are under the responsibility of two fortified units, each of which is standardly organized into: the command organ of the fortified area, three independent machine-gun battalions, one independent communications company and one engineer company.

In addition, there is 1 artillery regiment (3 battalions) and 6 bunker artillery platoons.

With the outbreak of war and the approach of the German army, all units and detachments in the fortified area were transferred to wartime establishment, and two independent machine gun battalions and one machine gun company were additionally strengthened, and the independent engineer company and communication company were expanded into battalions, and the artillery platoons of each bunker were expanded into artillery companies.

As the first defenders outside Kyiv to be tested by German artillery fire, the two fortified areas were reinforced by an infantry division, four anti-aircraft battalions and two anti-tank battalions, and the air force navigation team also stayed in the two fortified areas, ready to contact the airfields in the rear and obtain air support.

After inspecting the two fortified areas, Khrushchev was convinced that the Germans would not be able to break through the fortified areas without dropping one or two thousand corpses, plus three times the number of wounded.

Leaving the fortified area, Khrushchev was about to board a car and leave, when he suddenly heard the roar of an airplane engine overhead.

Looking up at the sky, I saw two small planes hovering in the sky.

"It's a German plane with an iron cross on the wing." Khrushchev's adjutant said.

"Ignore them, they're just reconnaissance planes, let's go." Khrushchev said contemptuously.

As Khrushchev judged, the two German reconnaissance planes did not launch any attacks, but simply circled in the airspace near the city of Kyiv.

Soon, a continuous sound of artillery shelling sounded on the ground, anti-aircraft shells burst into the sky with countless gray-black gunsmoke, and the two reconnaissance planes were suddenly frightened, turned their noses and staggered away from the city of Kyiv.

On the ground, the citizens who were working hard seemed to be unaware of what had just happened, and for them, the scene just now had become commonplace in recent days.

When Khrushchev's sedan entered the city of Kiev and crossed the city from west to east, Khrushchev saw that on both sides of the street outside the car window, there were many citizens in all kinds of civilian clothes, carrying rifles, and lining up in long lines, following the officers, especially the majority of workers.

In the Central Stadium, where Khrushchev could not see, in the Red Star Park and other places, there were even more gass trucks full of ammunition, and citizens from all over the city lined up in front of the desks of the military.

After the statistics, every citizen who took the initiative to sign up for the army took the weapon handed by the soldier at the desk.

One Mosinagan rifle, 60 rounds, two Type 1914-30 grenades.

Armed with these weapons, the volunteers were then organized into militia battalions.

All the militia battalions, the total number of soldiers exceeded 60,000.

Of the volunteers, more than 4,000 women are individually trained as nurses, operators or radios.

Khrushchev could not see all this, but he clearly knew the figures that came up.

Crossing the bridge across the Dnieper, Khrushchev returned to his command.

As soon as he entered the command, Khrushchev extended his hand to a young major general.

"Hello, Comrade Potapov, you came at the right time, the city of Kiev needs you, the great Soviet needs you."

Potapov shook Khrushchev's hand and said: "Hello, Comrade Political Commissar. ”

"You have suffered in the Pripyat swamps, how many of you are left?" Khrushchev asked.

"The Fifth Army has the 15th and 27th Infantry Corps, and a paratrooper corps, but their current combat effectiveness can barely make up for four infantry divisions, and the three divisions of the 19th Mechanized Corps in the group army, less than half of the tanks remain, and most of them are light tanks and medium tanks, the total number is about 240 units, and I need fuel, spare parts and ammunition."

"You will get everything you need, and the task given to you by the front is to defend the outskirts of Kyiv to the north and delay the enemy's entry into the city as long as possible." Khrushchev said.

"My troops are already taking over positions. There is only one thing I must remind you, Comrade Commissar. Potapov said.

"You say."

"Behind us, the German unit was following us and was also approaching the city of Kyiv. They have paratroopers, cavalry, and heavy tanks, and their total number is no less than that of the Fifth Army, and their combat capability is even stronger than ours. Comrade Political Commissar, we must pay attention to this situation. Potapov said.

"Thanks for the reminder, I'll be careful." Khrushchev said.

After sending Potapov off, Khrushchev stared at the Pripyat swamps on the map.

"The Germans have increased their troops again, and they are really full of malice."

West of Kiev, one hundred and thirty kilometers, Zhytomyr.

The newly appointed commander of the Sixth Army, Senior General Friedrich Paulus, and his newly acquired subordinates were having dinner.

The troops of the 46th Panzer Corps, General Fitinhoff-Sher, and the Fifth Army, which was chasing Potapov, had just broken out of the Pripyat marsh, and the troops of the two generals had been placed under his command for the time being, and the goal was directly aimed at the city of Kiev.

Admiral Scheer frowned and asked, "Are we the only troops attacking the city of Kyiv?" ”

"Yes, it's enough to have us." Paulus said.

"On the east bank of the Dnieper, are there no troops to fight with us? Encirclement of Kyiv? ”

"At present, the offensive of General Kleist's troops is blocked, and I am afraid that they will not be able to complete the task of outflanking the city of Kyiv. So, it is only us who will attack Kyiv. Paulus said.

The two old acquaintances, Spudent and Scheer, glanced at each other, and invariably remembered the exchange experience with Chen Dao.

When attacking a large city with a population of more than a million, it is necessary to surround it first and then attack it as much as possible.

Student spoke his mind.

"It would be ideal to be able to surround Kyiv, but the reality doesn't allow us to do that," Paulus said. It doesn't matter if you can't encircle it, with the combat effectiveness that the Russians have shown in previous battles, I don't think they can cause us any trouble? Moreover, what Mr. Governor said is not necessarily true. ”

Student and Admiral Scheer looked at each other again, and then said: "What kind of conditions there are, what kind of war to fight, let's prepare to do it." ”

After the meal, Spudent and Admiral Scheer left Paulus's headquarters, and when they parted ways at the headquarters, Admiral Scheer said: "Mr. Governor has said that practice is the only criterion for testing truth, and whether he is right or not, our General Paulus will know it once in practice." ”

"If the test fails, it will cost many soldiers' lives." Student said.

"I don't know why, but I felt a deep malice." Admiral Scheer said. (To be continued.) )