Burning Moscow

Chapter 1702: Zhukov’s Persuasion Tactics With the German forces in the Bomerania region eliminated, several divisions of our army had successfully advanced to the Baltic coast. At this juncture, seeing victory within his grasp, Stalin made a decisive decision: to swiftly capture the German capital of Berlin, he planned to deploy troops from three front armies to launch a simultaneous attack on Berlin. These three armies were the First Belorussian Front under Marshal Zhukov, the Second Belorussian Front under Marshal Rokossovsky, and the First Ukrainian Front under Marshal Koniev. In accordance with orders from the Supreme Command, these three armies—reinforced with substantial artillery and airpower—were to breach the defenses on three fronts. The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front were to break through German defenses in the sector south of Szczecin to the town of Schwedt; the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front were to operate in the area of Glitzen, Koschin, and Lebus; while the main breakthrough sector for Koniev’s First Ukrainian Front was Fost and Musko. February 18—only five days remained before the offensive was to begin. Zhukov, who had just returned from Moscow, immediately ordered Malinin upon his arrival at headquarters: “Chief of Staff, call the commanders of all the army groups under the Front and have them come to the Front headquarters immediately for an important military conference.” ” While Malinin was making the calls, I tentatively asked Zhukov, who looked troubled: “Comrade Marshal, did something happen in Moscow?” Upon hearing my question, Zhukov nodded and said to me, Sokolovsky, and Terekhin with a grave expression: “Koniev, Rokossovsky, and I were ordered to return to Moscow, where we met Comrade Stalin at the Kremlin. He showed us the latest intelligence from the Soviet Intelligence Agency: the Anglo-American high command is preparing an offensive against Berlin, with the objective of capturing the city before our forces can do so. At present, they have formed a main force under the command of Field Marshal Montgomery, planning to direct their main assault north of the Ruhr, choosing the shortest route between the British main force and Berlin.” “What did Comrade Stalin say?” As soon as Zhukov finished speaking, Teregin asked impatiently. Neither Sokolovsky nor I spoke; we simply stared at Zhukov, quietly waiting for his answer. “Comrade Stalin was very angry,” Zhukov replied. “He said that although the possibility of a secret armistice between the British, Americans, and Fascist Germany had been largely ruled out after the Yalta Conference, Germany, acting in its own interests, would very likely open a route to Berlin for the Allies.” ” He paused for a moment after saying this, then added, “Comrade Stalin sternly asked the three of us: ‘So who will occupy Berlin? Us, or the Allies?’ ” After listening to Zhukov’s brief account of the situation, everyone realized the gravity of the matter. If the German army were indeed to let the Allies through on the western front while concentrating its main forces to oppose us, it would become an unknown whether our forces or the Allies would enter Berlin first. Sokolovsky tentatively asked, “Should we bring forward the timing of our offensive?” Before Zhukov could speak, Malinin, who had just returned from a phone call, interjected: “No, some of our deployments aren’t fully in place yet. If we bring the offensive forward, it will disrupt our operational plans.” “That’s right; the Chief of Staff is correct.” No sooner had Malinin finished speaking than Zhukov agreed, “Our preparation time was already very tight. If we launch the offensive any sooner, it will inevitably disrupt our original campaign plans.” After hearing Zhukov’s statement, Telerkin asked in confusion, “Since we don’t plan to launch the offensive early, what is the purpose of this emergency military meeting today?” “To assign offensive combat missions to the troops,” Zhukov said slowly. “In five days, we will launch an assault on the Zelauf Heights, yet the operational orders for each army group have not yet been formally issued. I intend to use today’s meeting to issue detailed offensive orders to the commanders.” After speaking, Zhukov called Malinin aside and began speaking in a low voice, as if assigning him a task, while Malinin listened and nodded repeatedly. Sokolovsky nodded toward the two men who had just finished speaking and asked me: “Lida, what do you think Comrade Marshal and Chief of Staff Malinin were discussing?” I shook my head, indicating I didn’t know: “I’m not sure, but the answer should become clear once the operational meeting is over.” An hour later, the commanders of the various armies arrived at headquarters one after another and, guided by Malinin, took their respective seats. Seeing that everyone was present, Zhukov stood up, scanned the room with his gaze, and said in a booming voice: “ "Comrades, Army Commanders, I have summoned you here today to assign you your operational tasks. As you all know, the Supreme Command has ordered us, together with the forces of Rokossovsky and Koniev, to launch an offensive against Berlin. Our initial assault on the Zehlendorf Heights is scheduled for February 23rd, Army Day. To ensure the attack begins on schedule, our logistics units have spared no effort, working around the clock to transport ammunition and fuel to the designated positions…” After briefly summarizing the intelligence, Zhukov turned to Malinin and said, “Next, Comrade Malinin, Chief of Staff of the Front, will assign the operational tasks to you all.” Malinin rose from his seat, picked up the folder on the table, opened it, and began reading from the documents inside: “... In order to create an overwhelming superiority in manpower and technical equipment at the critical juncture and on the decisive front—namely, the Berlin front—the three strongest Army Group forces have been concentrated on this front... We have 160 divisions against the Germans’ 60; 2 million men against 650,000; 39,000 artillery pieces and mortars against 700; 5,800 tanks and self-propelled guns against 1,100; 7,000 combat aircraft against 2,500…” Hearing the string of figures Malinin recited, the commanders in attendance broke into knowing smiles. But in my heart, I couldn’t help but wonder, “The campaign has been brought forward by two months, so the forces participating in the battle—whether Soviet or German—have been significantly reduced.” Malinin strode quickly to the map hanging on the wall, picked up the pointer, and drew a large circle around the area where our forces were massed, then announced: “General Tikhov’s 8th Guards Army will lead the breakthrough in the central sector. It is to breach enemy defenses in the area between the Holtsow railway station and the village of Saxendorf, and advance toward Sello, Trebnitz, Galtzei, the Darwitz-Silesia railway station, and Scharlettenburg. The unit responsible for the breakthrough on the right flank is... The unit responsible for the breakthrough on the left flank is...” After outlining the operational tasks for each army group, Malinin set down his pointer, turned to Zhukov—who was standing sideways—and nodded, signaling that he had finished. Seeing that Malinin had finished assigning tasks to the commanders of each army group, Zhukov stood up again and began his concluding remarks: “The campaign to capture Berlin that we are currently undertaking is an unparalleled campaign. We must annihilate their four army groups on the outskirts of Berlin, whose combined strength is no less than 650,000 troops. Since the outbreak of the war, we have never before captured a city as vast and as heavily fortified as Berlin. It covers a vast area, and every street, alley, building, waterway, bridge, and subway line is an integral part of Berlin’s overall city defenses. From the Oder River to Berlin lies a complete and dense system of fortifications. Therefore, the Front Headquarters has decided to launch a massive, overwhelming assault against the enemy to fundamentally shake and destroy their defenses. To achieve this goal, the Front has concentrated 18,000 artillery pieces and mortars of various calibers, 3,600 tanks and self-propelled guns, and 4,000 aircraft. I think everyone should understand just how powerful the impact of such a strike will be. ” Upon hearing this, the commanders, their faces beaming with excitement, began whispering to one another, quietly discussing this inspiring news. Zhukov did not interrupt them but, with a smile on his face, let them carry on with their private discussions. Once the conference room had fallen silent again, Zhukov continued, “But in order to thoroughly shake the enemy and overwhelm them psychologically, I have an idea: to launch a fierce assault on the enemy’s positions at night, two hours before dawn, under the illumination of 140 anti-aircraft searchlights.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. According to Zhukov’s original plan, 150 searchlights were to be deployed, but during recent trials, ten of them had been written off, leaving only 140 available. No sooner had he finished speaking than Tkachev, sitting next to me, spoke up: “Comrade Marshal, please allow me to speak.” Seeing Zhukov nod at him, Tkachev stood up and said, “Throughout the entire war, we have never launched such a large-scale offensive operation at night, because doing so makes it very difficult to effectively command the troops. As for the searchlights…” At this point, he shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands, “The enemy only needs a single round of artillery fire to put them all out.” Seeing that Tkachev had taken the lead, Colpakchi, commander of the 69th Army, also stood up to request the floor. After receiving Zhukov’s permission, he spoke loudly: “I believe the use of searchlights in an offensive is not very effective; on the contrary, it will allow the enemy to see our attacking forces clearly…” After waiting for Kolpakch to finish, Zhukov withdrew his gaze, fixed his eyes on the table before him, and asked impassively, “Which of the commanders present shares this view?” No sooner had he finished speaking than hands shot up all around the conference table. I looked closely: with the exception of Kuznetsov, the newly appointed commander of the 3rd Shock Army, and Berzalin, commander of the 5th Shock Army, every single other army commander—without exception—had raised their hands. Seeing so many people opposing him, Zhukov did not lose his temper. Instead, he said calmly, “Very well, we will adjourn for now. In two hours, everyone is to report to the training ground, where we will continue our discussion on whether searchlights should be used during the offensive. The meeting is adjourned!” As the commanders began to leave one by one, Zhukov called Malinin over and asked with a serious expression, “Chief of Staff, is everything ready?” If anyone else had witnessed this scene, they would have been completely baffled, but I understood it perfectly well. I knew that when Zhukov asked Malinin if he was ready, he was undoubtedly referring to the searchlights set up on the training ground. Two hours later, it was completely dark. A group of army commanders, guided by the faint light of their flashlights, trudged forward, one foot sinking deeper than the other, across the uneven terrain of the training ground. I followed behind them, listening to their conversation. Tkachev was saying to someone—I didn’t know who—"Using searchlights during an offensive is an absolutely terrible idea. “For a commander to lack even the basic knowledge that cover on the battlefield absorbs searchlight beams—it’s simply ridiculous…” I remained silent in response to Tkachev’s comment and continued to listen to the others’ opinions. Another general said, “I agree with General Korpakchi. Using searchlights on the battlefield will expose our attacking forces to the enemy. Doing so…” Before he could finish, a blinding light suddenly appeared ahead of us, illuminating our surroundings as if it were broad daylight. I knew Zhukov had ordered this to let the commanders experience the power of the searchlights firsthand, so I quickly closed my eyes and turned away, facing away from the glaring beam. “ “Well, comrades, what do you think of the searchlight’s power?” Soon, as the surroundings plunged back into darkness, I heard Zhukov’s smug voice. After he finished speaking, seeing no one respond, he immediately added, “If anyone still doesn’t get my point, I can let you experience it again.” “No need, Comrade Marshal.” It was Tkachev who spoke up. Realizing that no matter how much they objected, Zhukov would stubbornly insist on using searchlights on the battlefield, he went with the flow and said, “You’re right. You’ve convinced us in your own way—searchlights can indeed serve as a deterrent against the enemy on the battlefield.” I opened my eyes and, guided by the dim light on the drill ground, walked over to Zhukov’s side. I heard him continue, “Since everyone agrees with my proposal, it’s settled. On the day of the offensive, we will use these 140 searchlights to illuminate the German positions and strike fear into the enemy hiding in their fortifications.” No one spoke. Though some might still harbor reservations, now that Zhukov had spoken so decisively, they had no choice but to obey unconditionally. After a long pause, Tkachev spoke on behalf of the group: “Comrade Marshal, may we return to our units to convey your operational orders?” Zhukov waved his hand at the commanders before him and said magnanimously, “All right, it’s getting late anyway. Everyone should return to their units as soon as possible to make the final preparations for the attack.” Chapter 1703: The Heights of Blood and Fire (Part 1) On February 23, 1945, at 3:00 a. m. local time, the roar of 18,000 artillery pieces of various calibers shattered the silence along the banks of the Oder River. Zhukov and I stood in the observation post of Tkachev’s unit, using binoculars to observe the German positions shrouded in flames and smoke, assessing the effectiveness of the bombardment. Faced with our overwhelming artillery fire, the German-held Zelauf Heights remained silent. I wondered to myself: What were the Germans on the heights doing? Were they, as usual, withdrawing their main forces to the relatively safe second line of defenses, only to return to the first line of fortifications to hold us back when we launched our assault? Blocking our advance was the German Vistula Army Group, comprising the 3rd Panzer Army and the 9th Army, totaling 16 divisions. Along the 30-kilometer stretch where we planned to break through, they had deployed and deployed 10 divisions: the 9th, 303rd, 309th, 169th, and 712th Infantry Divisions; the Kullmann Division; the 20th, the 25th Division, as well as the Minkeburg Division and the Hitler Panzer Division. Because the Germans could overlook the Oder River valley from the Seelow Heights, all of our forces’ movements were within their line of sight, making it impossible for us to launch a surprise attack on the heights. Coupled with the continuous fortified positions, this meant that our assault on the Seelow Heights could only be carried out through a frontal assault. The artillery barrage continued as more than 700 of our bombers flew through the smoke created by exploding shells and dropped 3,000 tons of bombs on the defensive positions on the Zelauf Heights. At 3:30 a. m. , Zhukov picked up the phone and issued an order to Malinin: “Chief of Staff, order all searchlights to be turned on to illuminate the path of advance for the troops.” The order had been given, but a long time passed without the expected columns of light appearing. Zukov, growing somewhat irritated, picked up the phone again and demanded of Malinin: “Chief of Staff, didn’t I order you to turn on all the searchlights? Why, after all this time, do I still not see any light?” “Comrade Marshal,” Malinin replied, sounding aggrieved at Zhukov’s reproach. “The searchlights were turned on long ago. It’s likely that the flashes from the explosions on the battlefield are so bright that they’re overshadowing our searchlights.” After hearing Malinin’s explanation, Zhukov realized he might have been unfair to him. He quickly covered the receiver with his hand and ordered an aide to go out and check. The aide ran to the door, looked out for a moment, then ran back to report: “That’s right, Comrade Marshal. The searchlights are all on. It’s just that the flashes from the exploding shells up ahead are so blinding that we couldn’t see our own searchlights.” ” As soon as the shelling ceased, a series of red signal flares rose into the sky—the signal to attack. The officers and soldiers of the 23 divisions spread across the 30-kilometer front line leapt out of their trenches and communication trenches with a roar, rushing swiftly toward the German positions on the Zelauf Heights. I raised my binoculars to watch the charging troops. I saw the soldiers running upright, following behind the tanks and self-propelled guns, striving to break through the enemy’s defensive positions in the shortest possible time. The machine gunners, dragging their heavy machine guns, brought up the rear of the entire assault column. working in pairs to drag Maxim machine guns as they ran forward at a brisk pace, with several soldiers carrying ammunition boxes close behind. The German fortifications on the heights remained silent until our soldiers were within 100 meters, at which point sporadic fire broke out from isolated sections. Facing these firepoints that had survived the artillery barrage, the tanks accompanying the infantry charge simply had to stop, fire a single shell at these positions, and instantly the whole world fell silent. After clearing the German strongholds, the tanks continued their rapid advance. Seeing the attacking force making such smooth progress, everyone in the observation post who could see the troops’ movements in real time wore knowing smiles. General Prokhorov even remarked with a smile, “If the troops keep advancing at this pace, there’s no doubt we’ll capture the Zelauf Heights before noon.” Although everyone simply smiled without comment after hearing his words, judging by the expressions on their faces, I sensed they shared his optimism. However, joy turned to sorrow: after advancing smoothly for two kilometers, Tkachev’s forces finally ran into serious trouble. The advancing column was blocked by a small river and ravines. The tanks and self-propelled guns that had been leading the charge were forced to slow down, allowing the infantry to pass over them and continue the assault. The pre-planned coordination between artillery and infantry, as well as between infantry and tanks, was disrupted. Even the precise, phased barrage fire had to be halted, and they were forced to switch to concentrated artillery fire in successive waves to support the infantry and tanks. Along both banks of the Haupt Canal, which encircles the Zelauf Heights, the Germans had established strong defensive positions. Unable to cross the river directly, the tanks and self-propelled guns had no choice but to follow the road toward the few bridges spanning the river, attempting to break through the German defenses there. Along the way, they encountered fierce resistance from German anti-tank fire; many tanks were destroyed by German 88mm anti-aircraft guns the moment they drove onto the bridges; they were destroyed by German 88mm anti-aircraft guns; the remaining tanks that managed to reach the narrow passages and anti-tank trenches were destroyed by anti-tank grenades fired at close range by German anti-tank troops. The infantry, deprived of tank and self-propelled artillery cover, became sitting ducks for German machine-gun fire. Within a mere half-hour, the eastern bank of the Haupt Canal was littered with burning Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns, along with vast numbers of corpses and dying wounded. Seeing that the troops’ advance had been halted by the Germans, Tkachev couldn’t help but frown. He turned to ask Tkachev, “Tkachev, the Germans are putting up fierce resistance. When will your forces be able to break through their defenses?” Faced with Zhukov’s questioning, Tikhov gave a wry smile and replied, “Comrade Marshal, as you can see, the enemy’s resistance along the Haupt Canal is exceptionally fierce. The German artillery deployed on the Zelauf Heights can directly block our advance. If we continue to launch assaults like this, we will only incur unnecessary casualties without achieving any significant results.” Surprisingly, Zhukov did not lose his temper. Instead, he asked in a conciliatory tone, “Then tell me, what should we do?” “Comrade Marshal, I request that we deploy the Air Force to suppress the German artillery positions on the Zelauf Heights,” Tsekhov explained to Zhukov. “As long as the artillery fire from the heights is suppressed, our attacking forces will be able to force a breakthrough through the German defenses along the Haupt Canal.” Zhukov stared at Tkachev for a moment, then finally nodded and said, “All right, Comrade Tkachev, I’ll call the Air Force right away and have them dispatch a bomber squadron to suppress the German artillery on the Zelauf Heights.” While Zhukov was on the phone with the Air Force, Tkachev wasn’t idle either. He ordered his chief of engineers, Tkachenko: “Comrade General, I’m giving you one hour. You must order the engineers to construct at least three to five pontoon bridges across the Haupt Canal that are passable by tanks. Do you understand?” “Comrade Commander.” Faced with Trokhov’s order, Tekachenko replied hesitantly, “We don’t have enough engineers…” “If you don’t have enough men, have the infantry send reinforcements.” Tkachev ordered in a tone that brooked no argument: “The road to the Zelauf Heights is already blocked, and the surrounding area is full of marshy river bends, low-lying swamps, and minefields. Our tanks, self-propelled guns, and vehicles simply cannot maneuver at all. If you don’t act quickly, they’ll be wiped out one by one by German artillery fire.” Just as Tikhov’s forces were being held up, the 5th Shock Army on the right flank was making steady progress, finally restoring some of our prestige. After studying the map for a long time, Zhukov finally made a decision: he ordered Katukov’s 1st Guards Tank Army to immediately cross the Oder River, enter the battlefield through the breach opened by Tikhov’s forces, and prepare to capture the Zelauf Heights. Upon arriving at the battlefield, our bomber squadrons carried out bombing raids on the enemy’s artillery positions deep within the defensive line on the Zelauf Heights. Seeing that the enemy’s artillery had been suppressed, Tekachenko ordered the engineers to speed up the construction of a bridge across the canal. At the same time, he organized men to drag away the tank wrecks blocking several bridges so that the infantry could cross the river as quickly as possible. With the pontoon bridges across the canal in place and the tank wrecks cleared from the bridges, the troops of the 8th Guards Army launched another assault on the opposite bank. After more than two hours of fierce fighting and suffering heavy casualties, the attacking forces finally cleared the German defensive positions on both sides of the canal and continued their advance toward the Zelauf Heights. However, when the attacking forces, braving intense enemy artillery fire, reached the Zelauf Heights, they encountered a new problem: the slopes were too steep for our tanks and self-propelled guns to climb. After a thorough search, the dispatched reconnaissance units finally discovered a relatively gentle incline along the road leading to Zelauf, Fredersdorf, and Duschlin. However, the enemy had established strong defensive strongpoints there, and suppressing and capturing these positions required accurate and powerful artillery support. Therefore, Tikhov made a decisive decision, ordering Artillery Commander Pozharsky to quickly redeploy the army group’s artillery units to the vicinity of the Zelauf Heights to establish new artillery positions. Although Zhukov was observing the battle alongside Tikhov, he was concerned that Stalin might need to reach him urgently and could not find him, so he specifically had a high-frequency telephone installed in the observation post by a signalman. At noon, Stalin called from Moscow to inquire about the troops’ advance on the Zelauf Heights. He also specifically emphasized over the phone: “The units on your left and right flanks are making very smooth progress.” Zhukov reported to Stalin with a serious expression: “Comrade Stalin, our forces have already captured the Germans’ main defensive line and have halted before the Zelauf Heights, where the second defensive line is located. There are many reasons for our delay: the German forces we are facing here are the strongest, and their fortifications are particularly robust. In particular, the fortifications on the Zelauf Heights are not only sturdy but also occupy a commanding, strategic vantage point, forcing us to fight under extremely complex conditions.” After ending the call with Stalin, Zhukov’s face turned ashen. He spoke bluntly to Tikhov: “Comrade Tikhov, you are moving far too slowly. During this morning’s offensive, the two armies on our left and right flanks both advanced at least ten to twelve kilometers into the depth of the German defenses. And us? Five kilometers—after suffering enormous casualties, we have advanced only five kilometers.” After being reprimanded by Zhukov, Tykhov’s facial muscles twitched several times before he replied, “Comrade Marshal, we did not anticipate that the terrain here would be so complex, to the point where our tanks and self-propelled guns suffered heavy losses due to their limited mobility. However, rest assured, we will certainly capture the Zelauf Heights within the specified timeframe.” In response to Tykhov’s assurance, Zhukov merely gave a soft snort and said nothing more. He then picked up the phone to call Malinin and inquire about the progress of the other units. After the artillery of the 8th Guards Army established firing positions in the new sector, they unleashed a furious barrage on the Zelauf Heights. Once the shelling ceased, the troops pinned down below the Zelauf Heights launched a renewed offensive. By 2:00 p. m. , in the sector of the 4th Guards Infantry Army on the army group’s right flank, they had achieved some success. The 47th Guards Infantry Division, commanded by General Shugayev, advanced north of the Koschin–Berlin highway, crushing enemy resistance, capturing several strategic high ground positions north of Zelauf, and cutting off a railway line and two highways leading from Zelauf to Bogdov and Guzov. By evening, the 57th Guards Infantry Division, commanded by General Zalyuk, stormed the railway station in Zelauf and engaged in fierce combat with the garrison inside. The 28th and 29th Guards Infantry Armies launched an attack on the southern flank of Zelauf; their forces had advanced to the Zelauf Heights but were unable to muster all their strength to launch a simultaneous assault on the enemy’s strongpoints. As night fell, the attack on the Zelauf Heights came to a halt. Tikhov’s forces had captured only a portion of the Zelauf Heights and failed to complete that day’s mission. At this outcome, Zhukov snorted, pointed at Tikhov several times, and then stormed off in a huff. Seeing Zhukov’s retreating figure and the dejected Tikhov, I quickly whispered to him in a soothing tone: “General Tikhov, don’t worry. Victory and defeat are common in warfare. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t achieve the campaign objective today; we’ll make up for it tomorrow.” Having said that, I hurried to catch up with Zhukov as he left. Back at the Army Group headquarters, I asked Malinin for the latest battle report and learned that the 1st Guards Tank Army, which had been committed to the battle, was temporarily unable to deploy and was forced to remain on the roads in the Odra River bend’s lowlands. On our right flank, the 5th Shock Army, commanded by General Berzalin, had advanced to the Old Odra River before day’s end. The 69th Army on the left flank, commanded by General Korpakchi, had made no progress.