Therefore, if it is estimated according to the previous battles and the combat effectiveness of the German army, it is not to say that more than 600 German troops held the sandbar for a week, and even Yeremenko lost time to capture the sandbar, not to mention...... At that time, Stalingrad was only afraid that it should have been lost long ago.

At this time, Chuikov again called Yeremenko's phone: "Comrade Yeremenko, how is the situation of the attack on the sandbank?" ”

Yeremenko sighed and replied: "Comrade Chuikov, we failed!" ”

"Failed? What does failure mean? Chuikov couldn't believe what he had heard, he had expected to hear good news on the phone this time, but who would have thought that things would be completely opposite to what he had imagined.

"The Germans got reinforcements!" Yeremenko replied succinctly: "They put people and supplies in oil drums, put them down in Reynolds and drift to the sandbar...... We didn't expect them to do this, so the Germans gained a foothold on the sandbar! ”

Cui Kefu couldn't help but turn pale when he heard this, and he was stunned in place for a long time and couldn't speak.

"I think you should withdraw from Stalingrad, Comrade Chuikov!" Yeremenko said: "I will report this to Comrade Stalin, you have done your best!" ”

Yeremenko was right, Chuikov had done enough in Stalingrad. In fact, while everyone is shouting the slogan of defending Stalingrad to the death, few believe that it can be held, and Lopatin is a living example of this.

However, after Chuikov took over the 62nd Army and stationed it in Stalingrad, the tactics and tactics he implemented were refreshing to everyone, and he had the hope of holding Stalingrad.

However, as the saying goes, "it is up to man to do things and things are done in heaven", and the loss of the sandbar directly led to a serious deterioration of Stalingrad's logistics, and objectively speaking, this point has nothing to do with Chuikov, because the sandbar is a defense zone belonging to the Southeastern Front, and if we talk about the responsibility, it is more the responsibility of Yeremenko and Khrushchev.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while before Chuikov replied, "No, like I said, it's either hold here or die here!" ”

He hung up the phone.

Yeremenko sighed, then turned to Khrushchev and said: "I think we should report the whole thing to Comrade Stalin!" ”

Five o'clock in the morning, Moscow.

When the staff officer pushed the door into the office with a telegram, Stalin had just finished answering a phone call, and he angrily scolded: "Millions of Soviets gave their lives in the struggle against fascism, but Churchill bargained with us for 20 'Hurricane' fighters. What's more, those 'Hurricane' fighters of theirs are still useless things, and our pilots do not like such aircraft! ”

Stalin was right, the British army could compete with the German army was the "Spitfire" fighter, the speed of 300 to 500 kilometers per hour "Hurricane" can no longer achieve an advantage in air combat, the British have at this time modified it into a "fighter-bomber", that is, to cooperate with infantry to attack ground targets, such as loading 40mm cannons to attack tanks.

However, because the Soviet army was extremely short of resources and its fighters were very backward, they still needed these fighters to supplement their air power.

Seeing that Stalin was angry, the staff officer hesitated with the telegram in his hand.

Stalin immediately realized that this was bad news, lit his pipe, took a puff, and then reached out and signaled to him to telegraph to him.

The staff officer trembled and handed the telegram to Stalin, who read it for a while, and then fell into deep thought.

After a long while, Stalin raised his head and said: "Order Zhukov and Vasikovsky to come to Moscow at once!" ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin!" The staff officer could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when he turned around, as if glad that Stalin did not lash out.

Early the next morning, Zhukov and Vasilevsky rushed to Stalin's office.

It was normal for Stalin to ask Zhukov to report on it, because he was commanding two fronts in a fierce battle with the Germans at Stalingrad, and he was the one who knew the situation at the front best.

As for Vasilevsky, he was the chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army, a military thinker who was deeply trusted by Stalin.

Both of them actually knew why Stalin had summoned them, but they stood up in front of Stalin and did not dare to speak.

As if he hadn't seen the two men, Stalin held a smoking pipe in his hand and stared at the huge portraits of Soviet commanders Suvorov and Kutuzov hanging on the wall of his office, without saying a word.

(Note: Suvorov was the founder of Russian military scholarship and a victorious general.) Kutuzov was Suvorov's general, known as the first general of Tsarist Russia, who commanded the battle against Napoleon)

Suddenly, Stalin withdrew his gaze and, as soon as he opened his mouth, asked: "What do we need if we are to defeat the German army?" ”

Zhukov and Vasilevsky were surprised by this question, and they thought that Stalin was thinking about the imminent and unchangeable defeat of Stalingrad, but Stalin was thinking about how to win.

This also seems to be Stalin's specialty.

After a little thought, Zhukov replied: "We need an elite army group, two tank armies and more than 1,000 howitzers, and in addition, we must concentrate on replenishing at least one air force group!" ”

"Do you have any ideas?" Stalin asked Zhukov: "If I give you these troops you need!" ”

Hearing this, Zhukov couldn't help but be stunned, he just felt that only by obtaining these forces could he be equal to or overwhelm the German army, and he did not have a specific detailed plan.

Vasilevsky continued: "Comrade Stalin, I think that the current situation is very unfavorable for us, especially since the Baku oil fields were occupied by the Germans, which dealt a big blow to our industry, and in addition...... If Stalingrad is lost! ”

Stalin nodded his head to show that he understood what Vasilevsky meant.

The loss of Stalingrad was a much greater psychological and morale blow to the Soviet troops, and no one knows how bad its effects would be.

"So, let's get ready!" Stalin said: "I mean, in case Stalingrad is lost, what will we do next!" ”

"I think we have to get help from the British and the Americans, Comrade Stalin!" Vasilevsky replied: "Although they are indeed providing us with supplies, it is not enough, and their offensive in Africa is deadlocked, and it is completely impossible to threaten or contain the German army!" ”

"That's exactly what they need!" Stalin said: "They want to see us lose both sides with the Germans!" ”

"Then change it!" Vasilevsky replied.