Steel Soviet Union

In the past few days, Shaposhnikov, who was always asked about Malashenko's condition by Comrade Stalin from time to time, naturally knew who Zhukov was talking about.

It is no exaggeration to say that this newly minted Red Army tank hero has almost become one of the most well-known Red Army soldiers in Moscow. Two days ago, Malashenko was invited to give a lecture to a group of newly graduated tank cadets. During the lecture, the young students looked up to Malashenko, who was their peer, as if they were looking at a hero.

"I understand what you mean, Comrade Zhukov, and I will convey your words to Comrade Malashenko as soon as possible!"

After leaving with peace of mind, Zhukov drove all night to the headquarters of the Western Front under the thick night sky above his head. Zhukov, who had no intention of sleeping tonight, immediately began to hold a combat meeting as soon as he entered the headquarters, focusing on inspections and emphasis. He personally supervises the situation of the defense deployment and urges the commander of the front army to go to the front line with him for inspection tomorrow.

Zhukov, who had just taken over the command of the Western Front on the front line, immediately began to gradually reverse the unfavorable situation of the battle. The positions that had been continuously broken through by the German army like paper punching through the window gradually began to gain a firm foothold. The enemy in front of him had a total of 12 Germans. The powerful offensive of the military advisor was forced to slow down the attack pace.

Through the deciphering results of the Soviet telegrams given by the intelligence department, it was determined that his opponent had been replaced by General Zhukov. Marshal Bock, the commander of the German Central Army, who had been resentful of the defeat since the Yelniya War, immediately He ignited his fighting spirit and vowed to kill the Soviet general who caused him to be scolded by the head of state.

"Increase the intensity of the forward attack and invest all the six prepared divisions! Before this time tomorrow afternoon, I want to hear the news that the Soviet Western Front has been defeated across the board!"

The participation of six fully-manned German infantry divisions in the battle is undoubtedly an extremely ferocious new force. No matter how hard General Zhukov, the God of War of the Red Army, could fight, he could not withstand the attacking force that was more than ten times our own, not to mention the entire army overhead. The sky also belonged to the Germans, and the inevitable defeat spread quickly like a plague among the Western Front under the command of Zhukov.

When the Western Front was forcibly defeated from the front by the German army's overwhelmingly superior offensive force, the danger faced by Moscow, which was like a lonely boat in the sea, began to increase day by day.

The German offensive group, which completed a frontal breakthrough from the center of the three Soviet fronts, immediately began to drive straight in, completing a strategic deep breakthrough in the three-point and one-line direction from Nalo to Fominsk and Bordosk.

The German Army Group Center, which holds three strategic locations in the west, north and south, has now completed its initial strategic intentions. Moscow, surrounded on three sides, is now almost within reach of Marshal Bock and the German Army Group Center. .

At this extremely critical moment, a letter to all soldiers of the Western Front Military Commission drafted by Zhukov personally began to spread rapidly throughout the demoralized Western Front like a shot in the arm.

"Comrades! At this critical moment when the Soviet Union is facing danger, the life of every soldier should belong to the motherland! The motherland requires each of us to contribute our greatest strength and carry forward the spirit of bravery, heroism and perseverance."

"The motherland calls on us to become an indestructible iron wall and block the path of the evil German Fascist gangs to Moscow! Now more than ever, we need to strengthen vigilance, iron discipline and organization, and take resolute and decisive actions , with the confidence to win and the fearless spirit of being ready for self-sacrifice!”

The complaint to all soldiers on the front, which was shouted out by the Soviet political commissars through loudspeakers, played a great role in boosting morale.

Zhukov, who knew that just talking about shouting with a loudspeaker was of little use, took it into his own practice. He went to the front line almost every day to inspect the defense situation and even went to the front line of battle in person.

The news that General Zhukov was with his comrades spread like wildfire throughout the entire Western Front. This tenacious force that has been fighting the German army since the beginning of the war has not been crushed by the powerful offensive, like a rock in the sea. The remaining troops of the Western Front, who stood proudly, were still fighting on the front line to block the German army, tenaciously defending Moscow behind them.

The German Air Force fighter planes that were constantly roaring in the sky had begun to drop tons of aerial bombs and incendiary bombs in the city of Moscow. The city of Moscow, which was in a serious situation, immediately declared total martial law on October 19. The National Defense Committee issued a call to the people, asking Moscow to The broad masses of the people must cooperate with the Red Army at all costs and defend Moscow, the capital of the motherland, to the death.

On the morning of the next day, October 20, the freshly released headline of today's Pravda newspaper published an editorial "Stop the Enemy's Advance to Moscow", mobilizing the people of the city to use their own blood and lives to stop these German Fascists before the enemy reaches the capital. Si was completely buried.

The Moscow Municipal Committee, which struck while the iron was hot, took advantage of Pravda's style and immediately held a city-wide meeting of activists and party members, calling on everyone to mobilize people to take action to turn the capital into an indestructible fortress.

The city of Moscow, which originally seemed peaceful and peaceful, turned into a red fortress with roaring mountains and tsunamis almost overnight.

Countless citizens spontaneously took to the streets and lined up in long lines to sign up for militia divisions and workers' camps. Women who were not suitable for the front line directly took over the jobs of men in military factories and other factories and shouldered the heavy burden. Young people and old people who were suitable for joining the army were not idle either. They carried hoes, shovels and other excavation tools and rushed to the outside of Moscow in groups. The magnificent scene of hundreds of thousands of citizens spontaneously building field fortifications was completely unprecedented.

In the midst of such a great and magnificent red wave, Malashenko was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot while doing nothing.

Since Chief of Staff Shaposhnikov conveyed General Zhukov's order to him, Malashenko, who has been patiently waiting for his return to the frontline troops and his reinstatement, has been unable to wait for any news.

When I think of my independent First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion still staying in Leningrad to continue fighting, I always feel that I wasted a lot of time because of this malaria, and since then I have been relegated to the sidelines. Malashenko couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

"Damn, I didn't want to get sick! You have to be reasonable in everything, right? If you really fired me because of the time lost due to this serious illness, I, I, I really have nothing to say. Damn it. !”