"He's back, isn't he?"

Five-star general of the Soviet army Georgi. Konstantinovich. Zhukov asked with a grim face.

"Yes, he's back." Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army, Alexander I. Mikhailovich. Vasilevsky nodded.

The two of them glanced at each other, their expressions unusually solemn.

He's back – Ernst. Brahm!

This skeleton baron has penetrated into the territory of Russia countless times, treating the Russian defense line as if there is nothing, coming and leaving whenever he wants, and even a dozen divisions of the Russians back then could not stop him.

Zhukov, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Ministry of Defense, Commander of the Western Front; Vasilevsky, Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army. These two people, who held the fate of life and death in Russia, were once defeated by one person:

Ernst. Alexon. Feng. Brahm!

They can come up with a myriad of excuses for themselves. At that time, they were still young, and their status was still very low, but a thousand and ten thousand reasons could not change the fact that the Skeleton Baron had easily defeated them!

This is a boulder that weighs on the hearts of Zhukov and Vasilevsky, a shadow that lingers no matter how many years have passed!

Now, he's back!

He didn't just come back alone, he also brought back Germany's sense of pride and honor! It brought back the sacred mission and confidence of the German soldiers!

Zhukov and Vasilevsky had to continue to face this most terrible enemy

"Comrade Commander, come and see." Vasilevsky perked up. Brought Zhukov to the map: "As soon as Ernst appeared, he resorted to a series of tricks and ordered the German 2nd Panzer Army to launch a fierce assault on Minsosk. And he deliberately let us intercept the telegram, and he deceived even his own people. The 2nd Panzer Army, with the full cooperation of the Luftwaffe, launched a full-scale and most violent assault on Minsosk. The commander of the Northern Front, Chuikov, was completely fooled, and the main forces were concentrated in Minsosk, but on the 15th, the Skeleton Division suddenly made a forced breakthrough in the Radev area, and quickly tore a hole in Ladev"

"And he. But there was no retreat," Zhukov looked at the map in a daze.

"Yes, the Skeleton Division did not retreat, and managed to rescue a large number of German soldiers and wounded." Vasilevsky looked very helpless: "We quickly closed the breakthrough in the Radev area. But the skeleton division then tore the gap for the second and third time, and the German SS troops on the outside line also seemed to be completely crazy, constantly attacking again and again, and constantly sending supplies to them. I even heard about a large number of SS troops. Once in the encirclement. Immediately took the initiative to join the Ernst battle group"

Zhukov sighed: "The personal charm of this man is too great I have heard more than once, all Germans are willing to die for him, all German soldiers are willing to fight for him." Comrade Chief of Staff, he had several chances to break through, but he gave up flatly. ”

"I know it," Vasilevsky said in a daze: "A slogan has begun to spread among the German army in Dmiyansk, Baron Skeleton will never give up the last German soldier"

"Never give up the last German soldier," Zhukov muttered, "he was willing to die for his soldiers, and his soldiers were willing to die for him." That's the scariest thing. We were replenished with a large number of legions, but none of them had combat experience. The German soldiers in the Dmiyansk encirclement were all veterans of a hundred battles. We had to trade a lot of casualties and a cold climate for the defeat of the Germans, but now the situation has changed. The appearance of the Skull Baron reinvigorated the fighting spirit of those Germans, and death and cold were no longer fearless in their eyes. And what I'm most worried about is not their breakthrough."

Zhukov was silent there: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I have a sentence that I hold back in my heart, please don't tell Comrade Stalin When the Skull Baron appeared, I always had a premonition that we would not be able to annihilate the German army." My greatest fear is that when spring comes, the Germans will launch a new large-scale offensive under the Skeleton Baron"

It is unbelievable that these words came from the mouth of the deputy commander of the Soviet army.

It is not even too much to say that he shook the morale of the army

However, Vasilevsky also said slowly: "Comrade commander, I also have a premonition in this regard. We can't stop the German breakout. ”

At this moment a telegram was delivered, and Vasilevsky hurriedly looked at it, and his face became gloomy: "Comrade commander, I have received unfortunate news. Just two hours ago, Lieutenant General Magfedruff of the 13th Panzer Army was killed"

Zhukov's body trembled

Lieutenant General Magfedruff killed? A bad premonition immediately rose in his heart: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please don't tell me that it was done by the Skull Baron. ”

"Unfortunately, he did it." Vasilevsky smiled bitterly: "He not only killed General Magfedrov, but also routed the Weishniak Panzer Regiment, and is now continuing to launch assaults on the 13th Panzer Army, which is struggling to support under the command of Chief of Staff Kirimaev, but has suffered extremely heavy casualties."

"Let's go, go to the Kremlin and see Comrade Stalin." Zhukov no longer hesitated, picked up his hat and put it on and walked out.

Vasilevsky hesitated for a moment, and followed closely behind him

"What? Georgi. Konstantinovich. Comrade Zhukov, you say let's abandon the operation of annihilation against the Germans in the Dmiyansk region? ”

In the Kremlin, Stalin, with a pipe in his mouth, looked at Zhukov with cold eyes.

"Yes, Comrade Stalin, I think so too." Vasilevsky hurriedly said: "Now the situation on the battlefield has changed, and the German army is carrying out a fierce breakthrough operation with Radev as the center. And in Minsosk, Comrade Chuikov's troops were held back by the German 2nd Panzer Army"

Zhukov also said: "Comrade Stalin, not only that, a large number of German troops are attacking outside the encirclement, but the 48th Panzer Army, which is very tenacious in German combat effectiveness, under the personal command of Guderian, is about to reach the area south of Radev, that is, all directions of Radev will face German attacks from the inside out"

"What's the problem, Georgi. Konstantinovich. Comrade Zhukov, are you afraid? Stalin continued to ask in his cold voice.

"No, Comrade Stalin, I am not afraid." Zhukov perked up: "But the most advantageous opportunity to annihilate the Germans has been lost, and the main breakthrough point chosen by the German army, Radev, has greatly exceeded our expectations, and it is difficult for us to carry out new reinforcements in a short period of time, and the German army has torn the encirclement one after another is the best proof of this." Under such circumstances, if we continue to stick to the previous plan, we will only suffer more casualties. Comrade Stalin, one more point that I must make is that although we have reorganized a large number of corps, the vast majority of the soldiers among them are untrained, and they can hardly be opponents of the battle-hardened Germans."

Stalin listened to him with the utmost patience, and then said slowly: "I'm afraid you still haven't said a little bit, Georgi. Konstantinovich. Comrade Zhukov. That skeleton baron is back, you are afraid, afraid, so you don't want to continue the war"

"Comrade Stalin!" As if greatly insulted, Zhukov raised his voice: "I deeply love my motherland and am willing to die for it, but not blindly sacrificed!" In the Dmiyansk region"

"Enough, Georgi. Konstantinovich. Comrade Zhukov! Stalin angrily interrupted his men: "I will never be a coward like you!" More than 200,000 German troops were under siege and would soon perish under the attack of the mighty Soviet Red Army! I will not change the course of the Great Patriotic War because of the appearance of one person, I will not bow to the Germans, I will carry this war to the end! The siege of Demyansk will never stop! I have given the order, attack, attack, attack again! Defeat our enemies with the most powerful attacks! ”

Seeing that Zhukov still wanted to argue, Vasilevsky hurriedly preemptively said: "Yes, Comrade Stalin, we will firmly carry out your order!" ”

Stalin's anger subsided a little at this time: "Georgi. Konstantinovich. Comrade Zhukov, my temper may have been a little bad just now, you have to understand. It is true that the war is going on very hard, but the more this time, the more we need the calm of our senior commanders, you know? ”

"Yes, I see." Zhukov said reluctantly.

But he knew very well that this was his own contrary to his will, and if the encirclement of Dmiyansk was continued, as Comrade Stalin said, how much strength would the Soviet army lose?

His idea was to end the encirclement immediately, then regroup his forces, reorganize his forces, and then fight a decisive battle with the Germans.

However, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief categorically rejected his own proposal.

Zhukov already sensed that the Germans, under the command of Baron Skeleton, had fought their way out of the Dmiyansk encirclement, and then the Germans, with high morale, were about to launch a new counteroffensive.

The battle situation will become more and more difficult to master! (To be continued.) )