In the current establishment of the Southwestern Front, Timoshenko also has the Second Guards Air Force at his disposal, which contains a large number of paratroopers. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

For the upcoming airdrop of supplies to the swamps, the large-scale use of cargo gliders came from this unit. After all, it is impossible for Tupikov to create these aircraft out of thin air, and dismantling and transferring gliders to Severodonetsk has become the main task of this airborne force at the moment.

An airborne regiment was ordered to escort the planes, and more than 300 professional pilots were responsible for assembling the planes.

There was no need for so many people to escort the transport plane, but Timoshenko came up with a bold plan - airborne.

His philosophy was that since the 284th Guards Division in the swamps had suffered two thousand casualties in recent battles, its combat effectiveness would inevitably fall anyway. The loss of so many troops is equivalent to a regiment, and considering that they are elite troops, it is best to replenish the personnel to the elite.

Therefore, the airborne troops wearing sea soul shirts are the best elite, and if a whole airborne regiment is scattered in the swamp, in addition to a huge increase in combat power for the local armed forces, it also has great political significance.

In addition, a group of telegraph operators will also be delivered there. Many of these people are women, who do not know how to parachute and rely on the assistance of professional paratroopers.

In the list of deliveries, Timoshenko planned to cram several tractors.

In his opinion, the military S65 tractor, which is currently widely used by the front army, is too slow as an artillery tractor, and it is its job as an agricultural tractor. Five more such tractors were added to the list, for which a batch of diesel fuel was to be prepared.

Because of these adjustments, the airdrop operation has become a large-scale airborne operation.

As far as the current situation is concerned, the Soviets have made a certain breakthrough in the campaign from Belgorod to Donetsk in the wide field from Belgorod to Donetsk, preventing the German onslaught on this front. Similarly, Germany took a defensive position for the time being, as their offensive was focused on the capture of Crimea.

Timoshenko had already given all the battle orders for the various army groups, and it was up to the fighters themselves to hold back a possible German attack in the future.

"If every army group, every division, could have the combat effectiveness of the 284th Guards Division, the current defense would have turned into a full-scale offensive long ago! I was even able to quickly regain Kyiv! "Of course, it's just a whining. Timoshenko was completely sure of the strength of the 284th Guards Division, and besides, his troops!

This force, which is trapped in the occupied area and continues to fight, is constantly trying to expand its strength, and they need all resources, including human resources!

If the airborne troops are sent there on a large scale and trained by Berekov into elite forest troops, they will be a wonder force in the current operation and even in the future counteroffensive!

Because of these considerations, Timoshenko immediately ordered a meeting, and this time he specially summoned the commander of the Second Air Force Army, Rechkalov.

The meeting was held in a small office, and Timoshenko deliberately explained the possibility of airborne operations to the gentlemen present.

"Originally, we planned to airdrop a batch of supplies to the Pripet Marsh, but considering that it was an infantry division with extremely strong combat effectiveness and the title of Guards, it was difficult to show the sincerity of the front army with only a little airdrop. We have to make a statement that even if that force is trapped in the swamp, it will not be isolated. So I decided to carry out a huge airborne operation on one side, Rechkalov, and I plan to send all the 233 brigades of the Airborne Forces under your command to the swamps. ”

"The entire infantry regiment?! It's a swamp there! I know the sir's intentions, but the environment there is terrible, just a lot of quagmire. "There is no general who wants his troops to survive in a treacherous natural environment, and even more so does not want to fight in an embattled environment, Rechkalov, of course, is not satisfied, but an order is an order, this is an order of the commander of the front, and it must be obeyed.

In the same way, the fact that Tupikov was not informed about this incident also made this man dare to worry, and he could not help asking: "Comrade Timoshenko, we rushed to send more than 2,000 paratroopers there, these young men have never had the experience of living and fighting in difficult conditions. Moreover, to parachute a large number of paratroopers, we need more transport aircraft, more gliders. ”

Timoshenko nodded: "That's right, only 720 tons of supplies is difficult for that force to use for a long time, since we can dispatch a total of sixty aircraft, we can dispatch more." Our army does not have many old-fashioned TB3 bombers, but also a large number of transport aircraft. Our Air Force fighters have been fighting with German fighters, and our Airborne Forces have been on standby, and this can no longer be the case! ”

In the end, these words were addressed to Bogdanov, and he asked himself that at the moment the Second Army of the Air Force had not received an order for a large-scale airborne landing, and the reason was precisely that it was unnecessary. It was Timoshenko who had always thought it was unnecessary, because it was a huge consumption to treat these warriors wearing sea soul shirts as ordinary infantry, and now the opportunity has finally come.

Timoshenko continued: "This airborne regiment of yours must land in the swamps, after which it will be under the command of the 284th Guards Division. In this regard, Comrade Rechkalov, you have to start preparing more planes, and I will prepare more supplies. Life and fighting in the swamps is tough, and I'm sure you'll be up to the task. ”

What else could Lechkalov say, he could only shake his head regretfully: "Who called the Air Force the life of the surrounded?!" Let me choose, I don't want them to fight positional warfare like ordinary infantry. Just like our navy, those sailors acting as infantry are purely a matter of no way. Now that our paratrooper boys are finally able to infiltrate behind enemy lines, I am afraid that it will be a pleasure for them. ”

"Very well, I am touched by your enlightenment, and now we should immediately plan this airdrop operation that will become larger again."

After systematic study, because one glider can transport 40 people, and the transport plane can squeeze 30 people, the airdrop operation will send 35 additional transport planes and 35 supporting transport planes, bringing the total number of planes in the entire operation to 125.

Parachuting a paratrooper regiment into a predetermined location was not a difficult problem, as the Soviets had done such experiments in the thirties, and at the beginning of the war, the Soviets had also carried out airborne operations. In addition to paratroopers, some of the heavy equipment they carry is also directly tied to parachutes and descended from the sky, because it also contains anti-aircraft guns, mortars and other equipment.

For the place of airborne, this aspect is the most important for airborne operations.

Rechkalov fully agreed with this bold action, and because his fighter jets could act in large groups of aircraft, blood surged in the blood of the middle-aged man. He couldn't help asking, "I want my people to land in a flat area, where there are better fewer trees and mud ponds, is there such an area in the treacherous environment of the swamp?" ”

"There were," Tupikov said, "but their airfield was blown up into a mud pond by the German Air Force. The location of their village is very clear, the vegetation is not particularly dense anymore, and there are all small empty spaces. At that time, our paratroopers will adjust and settle down on their own, and they will basically be able to land smoothly. ”

Let's think about it carefully, and make an airborne landing into the swamp, I'm afraid the Germans would never have dreamed of it. This was an unexpected action, and after overcoming all kinds of difficulties, the purpose of the action was naturally achieved.

After discussion, the airdrop operation turned into a large-scale airborne operation, and the scheduled time of the operation was postponed to a certain extent.

Timoshenko ordered: "We must act before April, unless heavy rain will force us to suspend our actions." ”