newbobooks Chapter 178 A Heart-to-Heart Talk with General Liu
Chapter 178 A Heart-to-Heart Talk with General Liu
Fifteen days later, at the Northern Command of the Third Expeditionary Force in a nondescript village west of Ubezinsk, General Liu, commander of the 15th Army, rushed from the front to meet with the newly arrived Huang Wei. According to the plan agreed upon by the expeditionary force, representatives of Soviet High Command, and the Southern Front, the expeditionary force would advance westward from the Pararovka, Ubezinsk, and Yershov directions, encircling the German 129th Army in the Krasnaya Kut salient and opening a path toward Engels. The expeditionary force was commanded by Huang Wei, Chief of Staff and Commander of the 11th Army. The troops involved included the 200th Army in the Pararovka direction, the 129th Army in the Ubezinsk direction, the 200th Army in the Yershov direction, and the Soviet 4rd Infantry Corps.
General Liu rushed to meet Huang Wei, perplexed by the Soviet Union's bizarre deployment. The German 11th Army consisted of only two corps, primarily the 241st Panzergrenadier Division and the 81st Tank Division, totaling only about 10 men. Most of these troops were non-Germans, including Romanian, Hungarian, Finnish, Polish, and even Soviet rebels from the Ukrainian division. Three heavy expeditionary force groups plus a Soviet infantry corps of over 20 men were deployed against a single German division. Wasn't it a waste of resources? Even if they succeeded, it would expose the main force of the expeditionary force, greatly hindering subsequent operations.
To be honest, General Liu is actually the most suitable candidate for the Chief of Staff of the Expeditionary Force. However, the current composition of the Expeditionary Force determines that only Huang Wei can best integrate the combat capabilities of the troops as Chief of Staff.
Huang Wei showed great respect to General Liu, a famous military strategist and Confucian general in history. When he met General Liu, Huang Wei did not act like a superior, but asked questions humbly like a humble student.
黄伟说道：“刘将军，您的疑虑是对的。我与卫总指挥和朱副总指挥拟定了一个偷梁换柱的计划，并已通知115 的彭司令。我期望您能代我指挥对红库特突出部方向的作战。我们的规划是: 让 129 集团军、200 集团军的一个坦克师、第 4 集团军的两个师以及苏军 153 步兵师依照原计划发起进攻。”
刘上将道：“黄参谋长的意思是，129 军全体、200 军、新 4 军的一部分、苏军 153 军，依照苏方的计划对德军第 11 集团军形成合围之势，而 200 军的大部分和新 4 军的一部分则要秘密从战线调离？”
Huang Wei said, "Not only that, the 129th Army doesn't need to be fully deployed. At least one division should be retained in Pararovka, which will be our future supply hub. Including the 115th Army, the 35th Army, and the 2nd Cavalry Army, all march south!"
General Liu immediately understood Huang Wei's intention and said in astonishment, "Are we planning to attack Stalingrad?"
Huang Wei nodded and shook his head. He would not hide anything from General Liu. He explained, "Our primary target is not Stalingrad. The German 6th and 8th Armies are heavily guarding there, and our limited forces are not enough to make a dent. Our initial plan is to suddenly appear in Akhtubinsk, break the siege of the Soviet 17th Army, and then continue south, cross the Volga River, and attack Kotelnikovo, a key railway crossing on the southern line. We will cut off the German southern railway artery, force the German 6th or 8th Army to move south, and then suddenly move north with the Soviet southern armies to launch a surprise attack on Stalingrad."
"Of course, General Liu, you must not only quickly defeat the German 11th Army and then secretly march south, but also immediately appear in Volzhsky, across from Stalingrad, when we begin our northward offensive to ensure the smooth flow of our western route. I believe that the US military's airlifted supplies will arrive directly here, and the 4th, 35th, and 129th Armies will re-equip themselves while fighting here. A new tank cluster must be established here, and our attack on the Ukrainian plains must be fully mechanized."
"What should we do with the 115th Army? Don't we change our equipment?" General Liu asked.
Huang Wei smiled and said, "Marshal Zhukov and I have reached an agreement. Lieutenant General Lin is already receiving the equipment of two Soviet tank divisions. He will secretly lead a group of elite soldiers from the Left Army who have been tempered by blood and fire to join the 115th Army. When he arrives, he will take over as commander of the 115th Army, and General Peng will take over as deputy commander-in-chief of the Third Expeditionary Army."
Liu was very surprised and asked, "What about General Zhu?"
Huang Wei said: "General Zhu will still be the first deputy commander-in-chief, but he will return to China and serve as the commander of the rear headquarters."
"You mean General Fu will return to the 35th Army?" A hint of surprise flashed in General Liu's eyes.
"Yes, this is General Fu's initiative to request the commander-in-chief. He feels that the Third Expeditionary Force does not need too many commanders to balance the forces. We are fighting for the fate of our country, regardless of faction, and he has already arrived."
General Liu couldn't help but sigh: "What is patriotism? What is a soldier? Only at this moment can I deeply understand!"
Huang Wei nodded slightly and continued, "General Bai has also taken the initiative to propose leading the 17th and 21st Group Armies to join the Third Expeditionary Force. However, if General Bai comes, he should at least take over my position as Chief of Staff. In fact, I think the most suitable Chief of Staff should be you, General Liu."
General Liu was shocked by Huang Wei's idea and quickly waved his hand, saying, "I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it. When it comes to large-scale swarm warfare and modern warfare, I'm ashamed to be inferior. In the future battlefield, we will still need young, promising, courageous and resolute generals like you, General Huang."
Huang Wei shook his head repeatedly and said with emotion, "I, along with Kuang Zhengqi in North Africa and Yang Hong in the Pacific, can become commanders of a campaign. In terms of large-scale troop mobilization, planning, and grand strategic direction, there will always be a certain gap between us and you, General Liu, and people like General Bai. In the future, when the fate of the Flower Clan is decided, Peng, Lin, Zheng, Liao, Kuang Yang, and I will only be frontline commanders, incapable of being the strategists and decision makers. You are the one with the greatest potential to be one of the strategic planners!"
General Liu was deeply moved by Huang Wei's words. He knew Huang Wei's words weren't flattery, but rather recognition of his abilities. He looked at Huang Wei, his eyes gleaming with determination, and said, "General Huang, you flatter me. We are all fighting for the good of our country. No matter what position we hold, we must do our utmost. I believe that with our combined efforts, we will surely achieve victory!"
Huang Wei nodded. He sensed General Liu's determination and confidence. He knew that in this battle for the nation's destiny, everyone shouldered a significant responsibility. Only by uniting as one could they defeat the powerful enemy.