Bait? Lu Kaiping frowned and couldn't help but scream.

Qian Lan stretched out his finger and "shh ”

Although Lu Kaiping had doubts, it was inconvenient to ask, so he took the initiative to divert the topic: "This is natural-the general attack will be launched tomorrow morning, Brother Ji Yun is okay, right?" ”

Qian Lan wrung his eyebrows and glanced at the turbulent Irtysh River under the slope, and replied with a little worry: "It's all arranged, and when the time comes, make sure to draw the attention of the defenders - it's your armored group army, it's not easy to cross the river in two ways." ”

"It's not easy to go over, but fortunately, I left enough cars to transport the boat bridge, and the boat bridge on your side is also given to us, adding up to 4 bridges at the same time, two on each road, almost, my chief of staff is in charge of this matter, and he is still busy crossing the river in the west."

After Lu Kaiping finished speaking, he lowered his head and smiled bitterly: "Let's take one step at a time, a soldier is a chess piece on the chessboard, even if he really becomes an outcast, he must be a valuable outcast." ”

"No one can beat us, except ourselves." Qian Lan concluded meaningfully.

Novosibirsk, the headquarters of the Russian Post-Baikal Front.

"Based on reliable information, the enemy's 5th Regiment and the 2nd Panzer Army, with a total of 6 infantry divisions, 5 to 7 armored brigades and 6 to 7 cavalry brigades, have been deployed south of Semipalatinsk along the line of the Irtysh River, and they are confronted by the main forces of our 12th Siberian Division, the Siberian Brigade, and the Semipalatinsk Fortress Garrison Regiment......"

With his back to the huge operational map, the chief of staff, Lieutenant General Nakasidze, was briefing the commander of the Front, Brusilov, and the commanders of the main operational groups.

"This little force can't stop the enemy." The commander of the 51 Army, Hovlin, said in a hurry.

"I didn't want them to stop the enemy." The lanky Admiral Brusilov smiled and said.

"But we're not done yet. Half of our army group is still not in place. The round-faced Houfflin protested angrily.

"There is no hurry, there is no hurry," Brusilov's index finger drew a circle in the air, "and by the time the enemy reaches Barnaul, it will be time to arrive." Semipalatinsk is 400 miles from Barnaul, and in between, we can rely on the two existing positions of Rubtsovsk and Aleysk to block the attack, and the Cossack partisans will continue to sabotage the railway, and the enemy will feel like he is stuck in a quagmire and cannot move an inch. There is no way to advance or retreat. In short, you just have to wait for the enemy in Barnaul, General Hovlin. ”

"I know it, but I reserve my personal opinion that we don't have enough troops." Houfflin muttered.

Brusilov crossed his waist and approached him, close to his protruding forehead, squinted: "Whatever you think, you have to hold Barnaul and turn it into our impregnable chopping block, on which the enemy's neck rests." It is convenient for us to smash down our hammers and cut down with knives. Hovlin, I sincerely hope. I'll never hear in my life that you've been pressed to the chopping board by the neck. ”

Cold sweat suddenly oozed from Hovlin's fat forehead: "Yes...... Yes, of course not. ”

Brusilov raised his head and let him go.

"Semipalatinsk must be given up, and it must be recaptured. General Panlyotsev, this is the task of your 53 Army. ”

The sturdy and sturdy Pelyotsev stood up and saluted: "This is my honor, and it is also the honor of all the officers and men of the 53rd Group Army. ”

Brusilov nodded appreciatively and walked over to him. Patted on the shoulder: "That's what you want!" I will assign to you the 1st Tank Brigade and the 10th Armored Tank Brigade, and when the main force of the enemy forces has penetrated deep into the vicinity of Barnaul, you will move south from Pavlodar up the Irtysh River. Recapture Semipalatinsk and cut off the enemy's supply lines. Next, the 54th Army, which was assembled in the area of Korchino between Pavlodar and Barnaul. The 27th and 21st armies will be assembled along the Ob River south of Barnaul with all their might, and the right flank of the enemy will be pressed and the line of Aleysk and Rubtsovsk will be recovered, so as to form a complete encirclement of the enemy, and then divide and annihilate! ”

"What if the enemy, having captured Semipalatinsk, immediately goes down the river and attacks Pavlodar first?" Panlyotsev did not hesitate to ask questions.

"If this is the case, then your 53rd Army will automatically become a chopping block, and the Group Army, the 54th Army, plus the 21st Army and the 27th Army, use these six armies to form a sledgehammer and launch a counteroffensive along the railway line from Barnaul to Semipalatinsk, or to regain Semipalatinsk, cut off the enemy's supply line, and then surround and divide the enemy, and eat it in one bite!"

Panlyotsev straightened up and was excited: "Thank you again to the commander for giving the 53rd Regiment such a critical task!" I don't have a problem anymore. ”

"The question is, will the enemy really take the bait?" The elderly commander of the 54th Army, Lieutenant General, was still a little worried, "What should we do if they stop after getting Semipalatinsk and wait for the reinforcement to be replenished and then slowly advance?" ”

"They don't have time. The Combined Entente Indian Ocean Fleet, consisting mainly of Britain and France, was threatening the Southeast Asian region they had just seized; The recent British operation in the Netherlands diverted parts of the German forces on the Eastern European front; The United States has entered a wartime system and will soon send troops to land on the European continent, and in the end the Germans will not have time to 'take care' of us, and dragging it out will only give us more time to organize our defenses - remember! Kranoyarsk is still in our hands, the Irkutsk fortress has not yet fallen, and it will take some time for the Baikal squadron to solve the problem of their lines of communication. On the other hand, the British fleet and cargo convoys from Persia, the Anglo-American fleet from Murmansk, are giving us a steady stream of blood transfusions, planes, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns and anti-tank guns, what the enemy has, we will all have, and we have never lacked heroic soldiers, especially in the war to defend the homeland! ”

"Yes, defend the Motherland - long live Kutuzov! Long live Russia! The little white-bearded old man didn't know that he had been poked in that tendon, and he waved his fist and shouted slogans passionately.

"Of course, if they really stop in Semipalatinsk," Brusilov said, "we must not let these puppies have a good time, on the one hand, we must seize the time to consolidate the defense of Krasnoyarsk, and on the other hand...... Semipalatinsk will be their cemetery. ”