PS: Regarding the map, it is recommended that readers who are not clear use the computer to open the google-earth map to view, not only the name of the place but also the distance and the approximate terrain, as for the mobile phone, this, I can't do anything......

While Zhukov was anxious about the precarious situation of the Red Army on the southern flank, Spruance in the Indian Ocean was equally anxious. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

On the afternoon of 25 May, Tsukahara 243, who was marching rapidly, led the main fleet to Ceylon Island, and flew a large number of reconnaissance planes to reconnoiter the enemy situation while carrying out emergency fuel replenishment. At this moment, Spruance was leading his fleet around the waters enclosed by the Seychelles, the Maldives, and the Indies, anxiously awaiting the return of the escort warships -- mainly four important escort aircraft carriers and six cutting-edge destroyers, and the auxiliary cruisers, frigates, old destroyers, and slow freighters were completely out of content.

According to his arrangement, he is going to bring these 10 warships to Australia together, and in particular, four of them are escort aircraft carriers, which are of great significance to his new tactics -- now for escort operations, the carrier-based aircraft formations that were originally crossed and transposed have been restored to their original state.

At first, the news was good, the whole convoy arrived safely in Karachi late at night on the 23rd, two British divisions quickly landed, supplies began to be unloaded, and along the way there were neither German submarines nor German air raids - he did not know about the secret deal between London and Berlin, and only considered himself lucky.

In the early hours of May 24, the escort ships quietly left Karachi and returned as fast as they could, preparing to rendezvous with Spruance as soon as possible.

On the 24th, it was safe and sound; On the 25th, it was business as usual.

But on the 26th, an accident occurred, and an Atlantic Condor and 2 Caiyun reconnaissance planes found the TF44 fleet.

Being found by the Atlantic vulture was still within Spruance's expectations, but after seeing Caiyun Gai staring at him, his hairs all stood up, and it felt like a rabbit was being targeted by a vulture, cold sweat broke out, and his heart beat faster - the combined fleet has arrived! Not 3 days as he expected, not 5 days, but 1 day!

Spruance immediately decided to let the fleet retreat southwest through the sea between the Seychelles and the Indies, and he knew that he could no longer continue to meet the escort fleet in this area, so he reluctantly issued an order to disband the formation, requiring the 10 warships to disperse and break through in the darkness of the night and flee separately.

At this time, the Tsukahara fleet had pounced on the Maldives only 250 kilometers, and at noon that day, the Maldives was recaptured by the Japanese army, and the distance between the Tsukahara fleet and the TF44 fleet was reduced to 1,200 kilometers. Spruance continued to retreat southeast with TF44 in order to escape from the pursuit that night.

In the early morning of the 27th, Tsukahara again flew a large number of reconnaissance planes, but this time the Atlantic Condors found two escort carriers and three destroyers first. After careful consideration, Tsukahara ordered the fleet to continue to counterattack the Indies while dispatching carrier-based aircraft to carry out bombing missions.

How can only 2 escort aircraft carriers be the opponent of the main fleet of the combined fleet? At noon that day, all the warships were sunk; In the afternoon, the Tsukahara fleet spotted the second group of escaping escort fleets, and the carrier-based aircraft went out again, blowing up 1 aircraft carrier and 1 destroyer. The last 1 escort aircraft carrier and 2 destroyers were all British officers and soldiers, knowing that there was no escape, they did not dare to join the TF44 formation when the formation was disbanded at the beginning, and returned to Karachi directly. As a result, he received a farewell call from his companion on the way, and he accelerated the pace of escape.

But luckily, they received a secret telegram from Karachi in the afternoon of the same day, informing them that if there was no way back, they could surrender to the Germans, and the captain turned around and went to Socotra.

On the evening of the 27th, just as Zhukov's plane was about to land, the 10 warships of the escort formation died and fled, leaving only the warships of the TF44 formation to seize the road to Australia, which mainly included the USS Bunker Hill, the USS Iowa, 2 light cruisers, and 6 Fletcher-class destroyers.

Relying on the gecko's broken tail to escape, Spruance took advantage of the darkness to rush into the heart of the Indian Ocean (there is a two-and-a-half-hour time difference between the Indian Ocean and Moscow), 1,200 kilometers east-northeast of Reunion Island and about 1,500 kilometers from the Indies. It is a full 5,500 kilometres from Perth Harbour in Western Australia.

Although he didn't get any information about the Japanese fleet, and the sad SBD he had at hand failed to find the Tsukahara fleet, from the analysis of the escort warships that were constantly in distress, the strength of the Japanese fleet pursuing behind him was not small. But he never expected that the Tsukahara fleet chasing behind him was only part of the fleet sent by the Japanese army, and there was still the Tsunoda fleet waiting for him on the way to Perth in front - the main force of the entire combined fleet gathered in the Indian Ocean for the third time!

The TF44 and the Tsunoda fleet are no more than 1,000 nautical miles away from each other, and after this night, both sides will be able to enter the distance where the reconnaissance planes will survey each other!

When Zhukov arrived in Moscow, Stalin was furious in the High Command, and the situation in the center was greatly dire because of the blockage of the Ural Mountains and the fall of Orenburg, and even if he did not understand military affairs, he knew the danger of the Ural access and the blockade of the Ural River: the southern flank would lose the supply channel of supplies, which had always been the main channel for supplying Central Asia.

"Do you know how much passivity this brings to the operations on the southern flank? Forcing Comrade Konstantin to also distract himself from the battle on the road, he had to take out valuable reserves to block the enemy forces in this direction. Stalin only knew about Zhukov's transfer of the Malinovsky Independent Front to the Uralsk front, and did not know the movement of enemy troops at noon or even in the afternoon, and emphasized, "Uralsk must be held, and it must be fought to the last man with the principle of party spirit!" Communists, the working class, the Communist Youth League and even the Young Pioneers must actively build barricades! The enemy must be stopped! ”

Kuznetsov couldn't say a word, but suddenly his eyes widened because he saw Zhukov standing at the door.

Stalin noticed his strange appearance, and was about to scold him for being distracted, when he suddenly felt that something was not quite right, and turned his head to see that it was Zhukov who came, seeing that the other party flew to Moscow to meet him under such an urgent military situation, Stalin knew that the situation was not trivial, Zhukov is now the deputy commander with 2 million heavy troops, what can make him desperate to run back?

He "chuckled" in his heart, and immediately a bad feeling swelled up, but many years of being in charge of the huge Soviet made him develop a pampered temperament, and said slowly: "Comrade Konstantin, you have come just in time, we are discussing......"

Zhukov waved his hands in disappointment, and then said in a hoarse voice: "Comrade Stalin, I have an urgent military report, let the other comrades step down." ”

With doubts and incomprehension, everyone retreated in twos and threes, and the embarrassed Kuznetsov just wanted to leave, but was stopped by Zhukov: "You stay." ”

As soon as everyone left, before Zhukov could speak, tears had already flowed down: "I'm sorry Comrade Stalin, I messed up the task you gave me. ”

"What?" Kuznetsov was shocked, how could he have seen Zhukov's gaffe expression?

At this point, Stalin had no choice but to calm down and comfort his subordinates: "Comrade Konstantin, what is happening at the front?" Don't worry, let's figure it out together. ”

"I've thought of all the ways I can, but I really can't do anything." Zhukov succinctly reported the news of the three SS armies and the drastic changes on the battlefield, and then put on the sand table of the high command the rhythm of the German army encircled on seven sides and blossomed in the center.

Hearing that such an elite Panzer Army as the 5th Guards Tank Army had suffered heavy losses in just two days, Rao even Stalin felt unbearable - such an SS army The Germans took out three in one go.

Zhukov calmed down and said: "Judging from the current situation on the battlefield, the Germans have long prepared powerful reserves, both in strength and equipment, they have new heavy tanks and medium tanks, there is a new Panzer Army - there is not a single No. 4 at all, we greatly underestimate the enemy's strength, and the retreat of the enemy in the direction of the Caucasus is not repulsed by our troops at all, but the Germans took the initiative to retreat and lure us to the Caucasus plain, A conspiracy to use the superiority of its tank forces to wipe us out. In addition, the Germans beat the disobedient Turks with our hands. ”

"So, what now?" There was a hint of panic in Stalin's tone, and he was a little flustered when he saw the posture of encircling on all sides, and then heard the powerful Thor's Hammer Army. Especially Guderian's department, where there were simply no troops to stop him.

"Ask the Germans for an armistice." Zhukov stood up, his eyes red and said, "If we don't stop fighting, the Red Army on the southern flank is in danger of completely collapsing, even if we retreat or hold on, we will lose at least 80-1 million troops, and now it's only May, and the southern flank can't survive this winter." ”

"Truce?" Stalin was dumbfounded, he thought that Zhukov would propose to abandon the Mercury program and re-shrink, and even lose the Caucasus again, he also admitted, but he never expected that it would be the word "armistice", and two days ago he also spoke to encourage a counterattack.

"This ......"

"We can't hesitate any longer, we would have said that we would stop fighting after this battle." Zhukov raised his head, his eyes sparkling, "While the posture of the Germans has not yet been formed, and the main force of our army has not yet suffered painful losses, please agree to an armistice immediately." ”

"Is there nothing you can do?" Stalin asked unwillingly, "I can get Meretskov to draw another one from Moscow, no!" Two fronts support you! ”

Zhukov shook his head: "In this way, Moscow will not be able to hold it, and if it is necessary to defend the southern front, then the salient of Moscow must be abandoned; There is also the abandonment of the Caucasus and Stalingrad to the Astrakhan line, concentrating forces in the direction of Uralsk while fighting and retreating, and considering the middle route, so that the banks of the Ural can be saved. ”

The faces of the two people on the other side changed suddenly.