PS: PS: Typing with one hand is so damn painful. That's it for today.
Chapter 207
Tashkent has become a city of death. 400,000 Soviet troops are surrounded. The nearest friendly forces are 800 kilometers away and have no intention of moving forward to rescue. The Chinese army did not fight, and Lu Jin had no intention of breaking out. With the arrival of winter, hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops were trapped in a radius of less than fifty kilometers and struggled.
Moscow¡¯s meaning is very clear. Even if Lukin dies, he will die in Tashkent. Holding on is the only option. Moscow needs time more than ever at this time. Winter is a test for the Chinese army. Isn't it a difficult and difficult period for the Soviet army? It takes time to train new troops, time to manufacture weapons and equipment, and time to transport supplies. All of this can only be completed before the end of winter. The originally planned winter counterattack was now impossible. Chuikov suffered heavy casualties from the sudden attack launched by the Chinese at the beginning of the severe winter. Especially the two mechanized armies were completely lost in the battle with the Chinese mechanized troops. Siberia The front army suffered numerous losses in heavy weapons and equipment. The most critical thing is that the Chinese army took the initiative to retreat after the victory. Chuikov remembered that it was too late to pursue the pursuit, so he could only carefully send a small force to follow, and finally stopped on the bank of the Ob River. The Soviet Union claimed that after the Siberian Front withstood the fierce attack of the Chinese army, it launched a powerful counterattack and regained the territory west of the Ob River.
For the Defense Forces. It is inevitable to give up the territory on the west bank of the Ob River, from Novosibirsk to Omsk. More than 600 kilometers are inaccessible. In most areas, there is only a lonely Siberian Railway. The road is covered with heavy snow and cannot be seen. In addition, the casualties of the troops are not small, and they are tired from long-term battles, so it is necessary to retire to rest and recuperate.
Zhukov's life after retreating across the Amu Darya River was even more difficult. The winter in Central Asia is not as brutal as that in Siberia. The Chinese Air Force will come out for a walk as long as the weather is fine. When I see a valuable goal, I will pursue it. Zhukov, who had almost finished all the air force battles in the past, could only stare blankly and repeatedly asked Moscow to provide new fighter units and ground air defense units.
Winter is not a good time for Lukin in Tashkent. The daily consumption of supplies during the heavy siege is not a small figure. Now Lu Jin has limited supplies. Lu Jin even hopes that the Chinese army's attack will be launched as soon as possible. Speaking of which, Zhukov was defeated too quickly, otherwise the two heavily armed groups would have echoed each other. The battle doesn't stop there.
Boom boom boom, explosions sounded. You didn¡¯t even need to look to know that it was the Chinese heavy artillery going on a routine. After lunch every day, you would definitely come here for an hour. The big guys with 410 and 305 calibers target buildings that look very conspicuous.
?In Lu Jin¡¯s opinion. There is no problem with Tashkent's fortifications, the problem is that there are too many people eating. Tashkent, which was originally operated as a fortress, maintained food reserves for 100,000 people for half a year. Now, 400,000 people are eating, and it cannot last long. The food in local people's homes has long been plundered. The elderly and children were driven out of the city, and young adults were forced to build fortifications. After the work was completed, there was no extra food for them to eat. Most of them were shot directly in the back and buried on the spot. The most unlucky ones are young women in urban areas. Rape has become so common in the past two months.
The war horse was walking slowly on a certain street in the city. Lu Jin would walk around the city every afternoon to let the soldiers see that he was still there. A woman was lying naked in the corner, her body already cold. Lu Jin's face was expressionless when he saw it, and he sighed secretly in his heart. Such things are very common, and the soldiers need to vent, otherwise other problems will definitely arise. Cruelly, Lu Jin pretended not to notice and continued to move forward. The air raid siren sounded. The guard beside him pulled his bridle, looked up at the sky and said: "Comrade Commander, air raid! Take cover quickly."
Lu Jin said without changing his expression: "It's okay, the Chinese bombs will not be wasted on such deserted streets." After walking forward for a while, there were indeed dense explosions in the bunkers outside the city. Judging by the noise, there were no less than twenty bombers.
¡°In recent times, the Chinese Air Force¡¯s bombing has mainly targeted some forts and bunker groups outside the city, and the targets of shelling have mainly been these buildings. Lu Jin could feel that the Chinese attack would not last long. The winter will not be too long, and the continued retention of the Tashkent heavy army will always be a hidden danger for the Chinese. The 400,000 Soviet troops will hold back at least 800,000 Chinese troops.
At this time, Liu Mingzhao and the others happened to be observing the terrain of Tashkent on a hilltop. Looking at the dense fortifications, Liu Mingzhao's scalp was also a little numb. Zhang Zhizhong's expression was also very serious. After the abolition of the group army establishment, Zhang Zhizhong's current position is deputy chief of general staff, and he has a team of three.
"This?The turtle shell is not easy to fight! The Soviet army relied on the favorable terrain to set up many solid fortifications on the periphery. Judging from the interrogation materials, many forts are just holes dug in the mountains. They have been in operation for many years and are very difficult to build. If you're not pressed for time, it's not a big deal to gather around slowly. "Zhang Zizhong means that if you can fill it without taking human lives, then don't fill it.
"What do you mean by Wen Bai?" Liu Mingzhao asked with a smile. Zhang Zhizhong shook his head and said, "I don't advocate hard hitting either."
"I heard the President mentioned that Lu Jin is very good at defensive warfare. If we continue to encircle without attacking, we need the approval of the General Staff. During the summary meeting, we have to decide what the President wants. What I mean is to let go of the west, block the north, south, and east sides, and let the local cavalry clear the field in the west. This way the Soviet army will not be able to hold on for long. The president asked me, in terms of the current war situation, does Tashkent look like a hug? A bomb in your arms?" Liu Mingzhao said this to the two of them. Neither of them understood it very well, but the president's tendency came out.
"Without solving Tashkent, our army will not be able to cross the Amu Darya River with peace of mind. Make up your mind!" Although Zhang Zhizhong was reluctant, he finally obeyed.
"Specifically how to fight, the staff office will prepare a combat plan as soon as possible. Wenbai has to work hard and keep a close eye on logistics and material reserves. Let Yang Zui withdraw to the east appropriately. The main target is to target Zhukov's cluster on the other side of the Amu Darya River. "That's about it. How much time is needed to prepare and how many troops are needed are all the work of the staff.
Just as the Central Asian Front was planning how to attack Tashkent, the Japanese army had a fierce dispute over whether to attack India or Australia first. The navy and army insisted on their own opinions and refused to give in to each other.