On November 11, at 6:10 a.m., the National Army entered the starting position of the attack as planned. At 6:30 a.m., the shore lookout post of the anti-aircraft battery of the international column in Malaga reported: "In the southwest direction, there is the sound of aircraft engines. ”

Following the orders of Tukhachevsky, the commander-in-chief of the international column, the international columns at the port and airport of Malaga quickly began to respond, and five minutes later, the pilots of the Malaga airport began to run to their cars, and then the anti-aircraft guns began to fire heavily.

The rumbling of artillery kicked off the German blitzkrieg, and the biggest battle before World War II broke out!

The vulture regiment had only 150 planes in the first air attack, not because the vulture regiment could not send more planes, but in order not to alarm the Russians too early, so the more skilled pilots were selected to fly 150 planes from the sea to invade Malaga and attack some important targets. For example, Malaga airport and oil depots.

When the few pilots of the international column who had hurriedly taken off were overwhelmed by the escorting German fighters, Ju87, Ju52 and He111 immediately pounced on them like jackals that had spotted their prey. The warplanes parked in the open at the Malaga airport were almost completely destroyed, and the ground crew and pilots could only watch the enemy wreak havoc.

Before the first wave of 150 German fighters had left, the second wave of nearly 300 enemy planes flew over Malaga and Córdoba, and once again launched a fierce air attack on the international column and the Republican Army airfield.

Although the Republican Army and the international column had ordered the emergency evacuation of the fighters, the order was given a little too late because the enemy was coming too quickly and fiercely. In the words of the German pilots who took part in the air raids: "Soviet planes lined up the airfields almost in a perfect parade formation. Let us shoot as we please! ”

The air force of the international column, awakened by the German air raids, only then began to counterattack. One after another, pilots flew fighter planes and forced them to take off. However, a considerable number of them were destroyed by German fighters in the air before they could fly off the runway, and the few fighters who were able to get away with it hastily launched an air battle with the Germans.

In Pokryshkin's words, each fighter of the Red Army was besieged by ten fascist bandit fighters, and during the day's battles, the future air ace was shot down twice, but each time he was lucky enough to parachute out.

After the end of the air raids. According to the IRA and the International Column, a total of 300 aircraft were lost, of which 220 were actually destroyed on the ground. The Vulture Legion, on the other hand, claimed to have destroyed a total of 500 enemy aircraft during the day's fighting.

Although the Germans had achieved an almost one-sided advantage, in the air battle that day, the pilots of the international column still showed unimaginable tenacity, and there were 17 reliable sightings of air collisions on this day! Germany shot down 32 fighters and damaged 41, in addition to Italy losing 12 fighters.

However, this little wreck record is not worth mentioning at all for the losses of the international column. Suffice it to say that on the first day of the war, the international column and the air power of the republic in the south were destroyed. In modern warfare. Everyone knows that without air power, the outcome of the ground battle can be said to be a sure thing.

Moreover, in order to achieve the suddenness and shock of the attack, the Germans used the German Volunteer Army to form an armored cluster of motorized and mechanized infantry as the vanguard, rather than the outdated model of the infantry opening a breakthrough, and even once the general adviser of the German Volunteer Army, Guderian, advocated that even the reserve should not be used, and the armored cluster should be used directly to carry out a surprise attack, but this extreme idea was not approved.

The reason why the Germans were so bold was that they found that most of the soldiers of the Republican Army did not have a strong sense of combat and lacked basic military literacy. The day before the attack broke out, most of them left the camp and positions to rest. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Germans!

The Germans were exceptionally well prepared, and before the attack was officially launched, they sent an assault force of snipers, sappers and scouts to take out the Republican outposts, destroy or mark the obstacles, and directly guide the armored forces to attack.

There were even a handful of paratroopers and special forces of the 800th Regiment in Brandenburg who infiltrated the rear of the Republican Army, destroying bridges, cutting roads and railways, and at one point attacking the Republican command. The most terrible thing was that the 800th Regiment of Brandenburg also selected some soldiers who knew Spanish to wear republican uniforms and mislead the republican army with wrong words and orders, causing great confusion.

On the outskirts of Córdoba, the IRA and some international columns were under heavy air and artillery fire, and communication was cut off and supplies were lost, making it difficult to organize effective resistance. But some of the posts, especially those garrisoned by international columns, were particularly strong.

For example, the A105 post on the outskirts of Córdoba, under the command of the platoon commander, faced with the siege of hordes of German and national troops, they insisted on fighting for 11 days! There is also the B53 outpost, which held out until the end of December, and if it were not for the running out of ammunition, they would have been able to continue to hold on!

Of course, a few limited flashes of light could not change the reality of the total passivity of the international column and the Republican Army, and the German assault tactics were a great success. Spreading out the map of Spain, we can see that the so-called volunteer army, mainly the elite national defense force, formed an armored assault spearhead, all the way to the north, successively captured Córdoba and Puertoriano, and its troops have been directed towards Ciudad Real. If the Germans are allowed to continue on such a furious advance, it is only a matter of time before Madrid falls.

Faced with this extremely unfavorable situation, the Second Republic could only urgently seek help from the Soviet Union, asking Tukhachevsky to revise the previous battle plan and transfer the main force of the international column used to recover Ferrol back to Madrid to carry out the defense of Madrid.

Tukhachevsky resolutely refused, Tukhachevsky said: "The enemy's progress is indeed amazing, and the sharpness of his attack is shocking." However, it must also be noted that this furious advance was unsustainable, and according to the results of battlefield reconnaissance, after the end of the initial five-day offensive, the speed of the enemy's mechanized troops was significantly reduced. The main reason for this is the attrition of the battlefield and the difficulty of logistical supply. Under this form shì. It is difficult for the enemy to continue to launch serial assaults. Even attacking Madrid is just the end of a strong crossbow! ”

Speaking of this, Tukhachevsky changed his words and continued to analyze: "And our troops to attack Ferrol in the north are ready, and in the previous assault battles, the northern forces did not suffer much losses, and the strength of both the air force and the ground forces remained intact. In this case, the previous plan should be continued, destroying Ferrol's enemies in one fell swoop. Completely get rid of the situation of fighting on two fronts! ”

Anyway, Tukhachevsky's meaning is very clear, that is, to fight Ferrol first, and after eradicating Ferrol's enemies, he will turn back to fight Franco. To be honest, this building is very difficult for the Second Republic to accept. Obviously, these people believe that Madrid is the political core of Spain, the most important thing, and that if Madrid loses, it will be a heavy blow to the revolution. And the Second Republic could no longer withstand such a blow, so they insisted. The Northern Army should be withdrawn and the hometown should be kept first.

So the question of whether to defend Madrid first or fight Ferrol first. A fierce quarrel broke out between the Second Republic and Tukhachevsky, neither side agreed with the other's opinion, and the back and forth became a stalemate.

In the end, the lawsuit went all the way to the Comintern, where the Second Republic strongly condemned the Soviet Volunteer Army, led by Tukhachevsky, for disobeying the command of the Republic and being typical of great power chauvinism. Tukhachevsky, on the other hand, accused the Second Republic of being cowardly, saying that they did not understand military affairs at all, and demanded that the cabinet of ministers of the Second Republic not interfere with the normal command of the front-line commanders.

"Tell me what you think about it."

In the face of the quarrels and sharp contradictions between the Second Republic and Tukhachevsky, Trotsky had a headache.

"I think the attitude of Comrade Tukhachevsky is very problematic!"

Of course, it was not the quarrel itself that gave Trotsky a headache, but the domestic controversy that erupted over their quarrel, such as Kamenev, who ate inside and out. It stands to reason that Tukhachevsky is a Trotskyist, and Kamenev is also a Trotskyist, and this thing should speak for his own people. But what makes people stunned is that this thing is an elbow turned out, helping the Second Republic to dismantle Tukhachevsky's platform, you name what it's called!

The reason why Kamenev wanted to dismantle the stage was obvious: Trotsky had not been able to fully satisfy his demands (or ambitions) in the past two years, so this goods wanted to blackmail Trotsky at every opportunity, trying to extort a little advantage.

And Kamenev knew very well that now in the party, he was not only crushed by Trotsky, but Stalin and Sverdlov were also riding on his head, and if he did not find a way to turn the tables, he would always be crushed. And this time the representative of the Spanish Popular Front in the Comintern contacted him privately, and as long as he was on the side of the Popular Front, then the Popular Front would buy him.

In order to win over more forces, Kamenev was immediately tempted, and naturally wanted to carry a gun in the nest, anyway, Tukhachevsky was not his person, and he was not distressed when he died.

"We must fully respect the Spanish comrades, the Spanish Civil War is first and foremost an internal affair of Spain, and our volunteers should obey the dispatch of the Spanish government. In the name of the Politburo and the Comintern, I sent a telegram to Tukhachevsky, telling him how to respect his comrades in other countries! ”

Trotsky is so angry that he can't hang his nose, Nima's, Kamenev, you white-eyed wolf, you're here to dismantle Lao Tzu's platform, right? At that time, he was angry: "The Spanish Civil War is indeed an internal affair of Spain, but we, the comrades who went to aid Spain, have no right to build a new one?" Judging from the performance of the People's Front in the previous year, their political and military expressions were unqualified, their guerrilla habits were strict, and their political practices were unprecedentedly naïve. Tukhachevsky, as an excellent commander of our army, has a lot of military experience, doesn't he know the importance of Madrid? Since he has made a scientific judgment, it should be respected! ”

Kamenev's eyes narrowed, and he sneered: "Then in case Madrid falls, the responsibility will be borne by Tukhachevsky, or you will bear it!" ”

This is a very insidious question, because no one can guarantee that Madrid will be able to hold it, in case the Second Republic is brain-dead? With their previous table, this possibility is not ordinarily large.

If Trotsky had been carried off his shoulders and finally put on the shoulders by this group of brain-dead people, he would have really been blown out by Stalin and Sverdlov.

But if Trotsky did not respond to this question. Then Kamenev will naturally be able to use this to give full account to Khachevsky's opinion - you yourself are not sure. Why not come back and defend Madrid?

It seems that no matter what Trotsky answered. will fall into the pit, anyway, Kamenev is secretly complacent, applauding his wisdom. However, the stone really underestimated Trotsky, and the reason why Trotsky was able to become two teachers was that there were definitely two brushes.

Because Trotsky's answer was: "If the Second Republic has all-round trust in Comrade Tukhachevsky and our advisory group, it is necessary to transfer military command to them in its entirety, so that Comrade Tukhachevsky and our advisory group can play a real role." If this is achieved, Comrade Tukhachevsky and I have the heart to defend Madrid and at the same time recover Ferrol! ”

As soon as these words came out. Kamenev was dumbfounded, because he could not agree to Trotsky's demands at all, how could the Second Republic be willing to hand over military command? Without handing over military command, Trotsky naturally did not have to resist hard, no matter how you look at it, Trotsky rebelled against his army.

After a moment of silence, Kamenev muttered back: "This is not the time to argue about military command, but to discuss how to defend Madrid......"

Before he could finish speaking, he was mercilessly interrupted by Trotsky: "The defense of Madrid is a military matter, and if Tukhachevsky and the advisory group are not allowed to command the troops, why should Tukhachevsky and the advisory group be responsible for the defense of Madrid?" Comrade Kamenev. You must have been kicked in the head by a donkey! ”

At that moment, Kamenev's face was blue and white. Trotsky's last sentence really didn't save him any face, so he barely said: "You are a big fool!" "That's it.

Why, then, did Trotsky suddenly become so mean? The reason is obvious: after these two years, Trotsky's patience with Kamenev has finally reached a critical point, he is tired of being constantly blackmailed, and when Kamenev chooses to open fire on Tukhachevsky today, Trotsky has made a decision - he can no longer endure it, he can no longer be led by the nose!

Isn't it just the breakdown of the alliance? Didn't you Kamenev just rely on the pressure of Stalin and Sverdlov to do whatever you wanted? Well, even if Lao Tzu is cheaper, Stalin and Sverdlov can't be cheap you! When the time comes, I want to see what kind of bird you can mix!

Yes, Trotsky had already made up his mind to drive Kamenev out of the Trotskyist coalition. Not long after the meeting ended, he approached Ulitsky and Zinoviev and asked for their opinions.

"Then we will be completely passive!" Zinoviev said hesitantly.

"That's better than being coerced all the time!" Ulitsky interjected.

"No!" Zinoviev shook his head again and again, "In this case, I will do the work of Comrade Kamenev again, presumably he should take the overall situation into account." ”

Zinoviev hurried away, but a sneer appeared at the corner of Trotsky's mouth: "Fake, pretend!" ”

Why did Trotsky say this about Zinoviev? The reason is very simple, because in the past two years, not only Kamenev has been blackmailing, but Zinoviev is not much better than that, these two goods are simply the same thing!

Even Trotsky guessed that the two men might have been in a treachery, and that they were blackmailing him, which had been discussed all along. Now that he wants to get rid of Kamenev, who will sing duets with Zinoviev in the future?

As Trotsky guessed, Zinoviev did have a gentleman's agreement with Kamenev, and the two of them partnered to pit Lao To, and this time Lao To, who flipped the table, naturally couldn't play the trick.

"You say Trotsky is playing for real this time?" When Kamenev heard the news, he was also taken aback.

In the past two years, he has been very happy, but to tell the truth, he and Zinoviev have never been restored to the position they were before the October Revolution. Even if they are the great elders of the Politburo, they always feel a head lower compared to the others, and these two always feel a little weak anyway.

According to their original plan, they were prepared to suck Trotsky's blood as a parasite until the last bit of value was squeezed out of the old Trotsky. Presumably, by that time, their waists will be able to stand up.

But who would have thought that Trotsky would not play if he said that if he did not play, he would not play, and he would just flip the table. How do you get it?

"Why don't you admit your mistake to Lao Tuo first?" Zinoviev came up with an idea.

Kamenev, however, scoffed at this suggestion, and if he made him admit his mistake, he would not admit that he had lowered Trotsky, which would not be good for him to stand up. And Kamenev guessed that maybe this was Trotsky's ploy? It was by flipping the table to put pressure on him that he did not trust Lotsky to be so cheap to Stalin and Sverdlov.

"Leave him alone! Keep calm! ”

Kamenev was going to wait and see, to dry Trotsky, and he wanted to see who could not hold his breath in the end.

But to tell you the truth, Kamenev's political choices, tsk, let's put it this way, since the victory of the February Revolution, every political choice of Kamenev has been wrong, and it is more and more wrong every time.

For example, this time he was very wrong! Trotsky didn't exert any pressure, Lao Tuo really broke his wrist by a strong man, and a rabbit bit when he was in a hurry! (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank you for holding the Po Lunzi, Pig Chic 2, agz00025, hzwangdd, Spike Potato and Juventus Comrade!