Chapter 109: Thunder

"You haven't looked closely enough, you should have noticed a large number of trucks moving on this main road, I counted them casually, and in just an hour's drive, I counted five hundred and eighty trucks, of which three hundred and sixty were tankers, and the other trucks should be loaded with ammunition. Judging by our speed, this section of the road is only 30 kilometers, and it takes an hour to stop and walk, so it is not difficult to calculate how many cars are passing on this road every hour. Marshall was not idle, as evidenced by the addition.

It's really, it's a fried scalp. To put it a little less, 500 vehicles travel on a 30-kilometer stretch of road in an hour, and according to 12 hours during the day, this is 6,000 trucks, which is still a conservative estimate.

In fact, Marshall, they came late, they came two days earlier, there were more cars on this road, and now they have entered the late stage of campaign preparations, and the troops have basically completed their assembly.

Marshall immediately called everyone to the crowd, and after talking about his and Patton's observations, the American officers were indeed not fuel-efficient lamps, and one by one they told what they had seen and written down. Dense footprints were found on both sides of the road, the one who said that the Chinese were very heavily guarded, and some found a large number of transport planes at the airport. The results of the discussion quickly sketched out that the Chinese were preparing for a large campaign, which would involve at least one mechanized corps and no less than thirty infantry divisions.

At dinner, Liu Mingzhao and Zhang Zhizhong finally came to this manor, and after a polite greeting, without waiting for a toast, Barton asked: "Your Excellency, General, according to our observations, we find that your army is preparing for a large-scale battle. I wonder if we can be allowed to follow the combat troops to move together, so that we can get a closer look. ”

Liu Mingzhao and Zhang Zhizhong both showed surprised eyes, and they were thinking in their hearts, Yankee is not simple. It seems that you really can't underestimate the heroes of the world, the Yankees were clumsy during World War I, and Liu Mingzhao didn't pay much attention to the capabilities of the U.S. military at first. Unexpectedly, the U.S. military who came this time only saw a little clue. This is the inference.

Both have played in Europe. I have also exchanged views on the US military before, but now they are looking at each other and smiling, and Zhang Zhizhong said with a tacit understanding: "This is not impossible, but I want to remind you." What we are about to launch is a large-scale campaign. The targets were powerful, with at least 1,500 large-caliber artillery pieces and 1,000 Soviet-made medium and light tanks. If you stay in the headquarters, you can observe the progress of the battlefield battle from the whole picture. We dare not guarantee your safety. ”

"Your Excellency, soldiers are born to face danger head-on, don't think about it, I decided to follow your mechanized troops." Patton was the first to stand up and express his position, and the other U.S. ** officers also stood up and expressed their positions according to their respective branches. To go to the infantry and air force. Thirty-five Observer Missions. As many as 28 people were asked to be sent to the troops, and the rest remained at the headquarters.

"In that case, it is not difficult for you to meet your request." Liu Mingzhao had no choice but to agree, the reason is very simple, the president explained it very clearly in the telegram. The relationship between China and the United States is very delicate. In a short period of time, China became more dependent on the United States, mainly for a large number of transport planes, bombers, and various types of engines imported from the United States. The United States wants to cut off these goods to China under the banner of neutrality, which will have a huge impact on the Sino-Soviet war.

It can be seen how helpless this is, and I am afraid that people will not be happy to sell you when you buy things with money. The United States, which had survived the economic crisis, caught up with the outbreak of World War II, and the whole mentality changed dramatically. What are allies? The British Concession had to exchange 50 destroyers for some naval bases in the Atlantic. China, half of its allies, if necessary, for the sake of national interests, should be stuck in your neck. In fact, the political system of the United States is not simple at all, and the internal struggle is also very fierce and bottomless.

The waning moon on the horizon is like a hook, and it is a silent early morning. The silence was broken by the distant roar of engines, as C-49 transport planes took off from the makeshift field airfield near Khujand, dragging gliders across the sky and heading west.

Barton was woken up by Fang Xianjue, sat up and heard the roar, and suddenly cheered up and said, "Have you started?" It's only three o'clock in the morning. ”

Fang Xianjue said with a smile: "This is a transport plane, we are also fast, aren't you going to get off the troops, I'll take you there." ”

"Okay, wait a minute, I need three minutes to freshen up."

The LZ military group, Zhang Zizhong, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, Tang Shengzhi and others gathered together, Li Zongren kept looking at his watch and said: "This Yankee, what is there to mix with him?" If I don't come, I'll have to delay my return to the army. ”

Zhang Zizhong said with a smile: "Why should you be in a hurry, Brother Delin, even if the armored cluster under your command fights, it will not be the turn to go into battle first, I estimate that it will take at least six or seven hours of fierce fighting to break through the direction of the Soviet army." Then put in the new force, widen the gap, and then the rapid advance of the mechanized army group. ”

As soon as the words fell, Barton followed Fang Xianjue in and said, "I'm not late, am I?" ”

Zhang Zizhong listened to the translator and smiled: "No, there is still an hour before the battle starts." There will then be two hours of artillery preparation, followed by a full-scale assault by infantry. Mechanized troops are estimated to wait ten hours before they can attack. ”

"Well, what should I do now?" Patton asked with a smile, and then six more American officers came in, a colonel and a lieutenant colonel, and not a major. "This is General Li Zongren, and you will follow his mechanized army group to act."

"Okay, there's no time to waste here, just follow me." Li Zongren didn't bother to say hello, and couldn't wait to rush out of the command headquarters, Tang Shengzhi stepped forward and said with a smile: "General Patton, don't care, he's an impatient." This is not true, in fact, Li Zongren does not look down on the US military, and the US army fought too badly during World War I, and he is deeply impressed.

Bai Chongxi stepped forward with a smile and shook hands and said: "If General Patton has no opinion, let's follow my 10th Mechanized Corps, my mechanized corps is equipped with the latest tanks, and it is fully manned, and there is one more self-propelled anti-tank artillery regiment than the ordinary mechanized army." ”

"Okay, I don't have an opinion, I'll follow Your Excellency, I haven't asked Your Excellency what to call it?"

"Hehe, Bai Chongxi. The word Jiansheng. The name of the Chinese was obviously not something Barton could understand, and after the translation, he said directly: "Oh, it turned out to be Jiansheng and Bai Chongxi, I am very happy to see you." Bai Chongxi rolled his eyes and went out with a smile.

There were armored vehicles waiting outside the headquarters, and when he came out, Barton found that the lights outside the headquarters were bright. Everywhere there were officers walking briskly. Standing in the yard, you can hear the dense ticking sound.

Five o'clock in the morning, the favorite time of the squadron to launch an attack. Patton, who had already arrived at Zafarabad, where the headquarters of the 10th Mechanized Corps was located, saw for the first time what the squadron's artillery preparations looked like. The moment the three red flares were launched, all the sounds of the whole world disappeared. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the cannons.

The sky is lit up one by one, and the sky is full of flying ballistics, and the feeling is really indescribable. Barton looked at the sky and thought it was a meteor shower.

More than 3,000 large-caliber artillery pieces, more than 5,000 other artillery pieces, and nine rocket artillery battalions firing together are splendor on the canvas of the night sky. At the end of the horizon with the naked eye, a sea of fire rose one after another.

At five o'clock in the morning on November 25, just after the Soviet troops thought they had seen the dawn of a counterattack. The Central Asian Front suddenly launched a large-scale campaign. The campaign is codenamed Thunder!

To this end, the Central Asian Front has assembled three mechanized corps, 65 infantry divisions, and more than 10,000 artillery pieces of various calibers, and the Air Force has invested 10 Mustang fighter wings and 8 bomber wings. There are more than 500 transport planes.

In Samarkand, Zhukov, who was awakened by the sound of artillery, didn't bother to wipe his face, so he drilled into the headquarters. The result of listening carefully was that his face became unusually pale, and there was no doubt that he had fallen for the Chinese, and the battle was entirely against the Soviet army in Samarkand.

"Quickly, use the fastest speed to figure out where the main direction of the Chinese attack is, notify the Third Mechanized Army, and prepare for the attack." Notice....... Zhukov kept giving orders, and the command headquarters was full of sleepy-eyed officers trotting.

"No, I want to be calm, I must be calm." After admonishing himself, Zhukov picked up a glass of water on the table, wiped his face vigorously with a wet towel, calmed himself down, and rushed to the map, trying to find some clues from the map. After nearly half an hour passed, Zhukov, who kept coming back with intelligence and constantly sketching on the map, finally saw some clues, and threw away the pen in his hand and said: "Order the Third Mechanized Army,......。 As soon as the words came out, a staff officer rushed in and shouted: "A large number of Chinese transport planes flew over Vonai and Bukhara, and here, here, there are all discoveries." ”

Zhukov quickly grabbed the pencil in his hand, and after quickly drawing two circles on the map, his face suddenly changed drastically. This is to cut off his own back road, this trick is too vicious. At the same time, Zhukov was also secretly glad that he had been very cautious in deploying the Third Mechanized Army near Bukhara.

"Inform me that all defensive lines must be defended to me, the Third Mechanized Corps will stand by in place, and all departments along the railways will be stationed in various places to find the landing place of the Chinese paratroopers and report in time. The transfer of an infantry corps from Bukhara and reinforcements to the west along the railway line must give me the fastest possible and clean destruction of these airborne troops. ”

By the time the artillery fire extended, the sky was already bright, and millions of shells had crushed the Soviet defensive line, and everywhere there were blown up barbed wire, and everywhere there were broken trenches after the baptism of bomb craters.

Kill! An earth-shattering shout of killing rang out in the sky, covering the sound of the cannon that was stretching. On the long horizon, countless steel helmets lined up in a skirmish line shimmered in the morning sun. Regardless of the unit, it was the officers who jumped out of the trenches first, and countless red flags fluttered on the battlefield, guiding the heroic Wehrmacht officers and men to move forward.

In Samarkand, Zhukov's command was full of slaughter, and the officers and soldiers who walked paid attention to their feet, not daring to alarm General Zhukov, who was erected in front of the huge map. On the sand table behind him, the battlefield situation is gradually clear, the squadron is attacking the east and west lines, and the pressure on the central defense line is not very great.

Combined with previous intelligence, this is a clear two-flank breakthrough, armored assault depth tactics. Zhukov sighed, knowing the tactics of the Chinese, but he had no way at all, and could only order the troops to defend to the death. The key now is still the airborne troops, as long as the Chinese airborne troops are eliminated and the Soviet army's rear road is guaranteed, it is not afraid of the breakthrough of the Chinese on the eastern front, and it is a big deal to retreat back to the west. With the current strength, Zhukov is still very confident in holding Vonay and Bukhara. The key now is that the squadron was unaware of the move of the squadron to hit Samarkand first. By the time the battle began, the outcome was largely decided. But Zhukov did not dare to withdraw first, he had to wait for Moscow's answer.

At this time, the Kremlin was still in session, and according to the information constantly coming back, the tactics of the Chinese were clear, the east and west concentrated on attacking the east and west sides, and the paratroopers landed behind the western front. This is to encircle the two wings and eat the posture of the Samarkand army group.

Whether to let Zhukov hold on, or let him retreat, no one dared to open the question. Repeatedly, it's all a change in the tide of battle, that is, no one says a word about what to do. Stalin, who had been silent, couldn't hold it back, and said in a deep voice: "According to the plan in advance, the Central Asian Front dragged on until winter, and then accumulated strength for a counterattack. Although winter is coming now, the winter in Central Asia cannot be compared with Siberia. The squadron is still engaged in hard street battles in Novosibirsk, and we have enough strategic depth in Central Asia, can we consider letting Zhukov move westward, defend step by step, and consume the enemy. At the same time, troops were urgently transferred from various localities to reinforce the Central Asian Military District. What do you think about this building? ”

To tell the truth, Stalin was frightened by the squadron, for fear that there would be another counterattack in Central Asia, and then nearly 100 divisions would be involved, even if he had great ability, it would be difficult for him to form enough troops to put into the battlefield in a short period of time. If nothing else, equipment is the biggest problem. The Soviet Union in this time and space did not receive assistance from the US imperialists.

Voroshilov, who knew the bearded mind the most, was the first to stand up and said: "I think the Chinese are in a hurry to fight a decisive battle, and it is precisely because Tashkent is a fortress-type defense system that the Chinese turn their heads and fight Samarkand, which is farther away." In this case, we should not follow China's attack, let Zhukov take the initiative to retreat westward, transfer the Third Mechanized Army to move westward rapidly, and after eating up China's airborne troops, the main forces will resist step by step, if we can stabilize the front on the Urgench line, it will be a heavy blow to the conspiracy of the squadron to try to eat the main force group of our southern front in one bite. ”