In the spacious yet depressing meeting room of the Soviet General Staff, the atmosphere was so heavy that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it.

A group of senior Soviet generals stood in neat rows. Their leader, Stalin, stood tall at the head of the long table, his deep eyes revealing a chilling majesty.

At this moment, if a bomb fell from the sky, the entire Soviet command center on the Eastern Front would probably be destroyed in an instant, and the balance of war would tilt in an unpredictable way.

“Where is our air force? Why have the losses been so heavy in recent times? Can anyone tell me? What has the air force been doing during this period?” As soon as the meeting began, Stalin’s low and angry roar exploded in the conference room like thunder, causing pain in everyone’s eardrums.

His face was filled with anger and confusion, and under his tightly furrowed brows, his eyes were spewing anger, as if they wanted to set everything in front of him on fire.

Marshal Zhukov gritted his teeth and slowly stood up. He stood straight, and despite the leader’s rage, he still maintained the perseverance and composure that is unique to a soldier.

The Air Force was under his command at this time. The heavy burden was like a mountain pressing down on him, forcing him to face Stalin’s questioning directly.

“Leader, I’m sorry, the German fighter planes are too advanced. We are no match for them, so our air force suffered such heavy losses.” Zhukov’s voice was low and powerful, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

At this time, the Soviet Air Force had a relatively low status.

In the early stages of the war, the Air Force, as an important combat force, failed to grow and develop as rapidly as the Army and have an independent command system.

Only after the war is over will the Air Force be separated out and become an independent and powerful strategic force.

But at this moment, in this cruel war, it can only struggle forward in a difficult situation.

“Are our brave pilots completely powerless to fight back?” Stalin snorted coldly, his tone full of unwillingness and questioning.

In his memory, at the beginning of the war, the German fighter planes were indeed advanced, and the steel eagles that roared past had caused huge losses to the Soviet army.

However, the Soviet army, relying on its tenacious fighting spirit and astonishing numerical advantage, gradually reversed the situation of air supremacy and restrained the arrogance of the German fighter planes.

In his opinion, no matter how advanced the German army’s new fighter planes are, how advanced can they be?

It’s just a paper tiger.

Just like when the Leopard tank first appeared, it was invincible on the battlefield with its advanced performance, causing great trouble to the Soviet army.

However, Soviet military researchers and military industry departments did not give up. After unremitting efforts, they developed the T-34 tank. Since then, the loss ratio of both sides has dropped sharply, and the Soviet army has gradually gained the upper hand in the tank confrontation.

Therefore, in Stalin’s view, facing the German army’s new fighter planes, he can completely use the same old tactics again and consume the German fighter planes’ manpower regardless of the losses.

“Are we just going to watch the German fighter planes bomb our soldiers? Are we going to let our people live in dire straits?” Stalin’s voice became louder and louder, and the anger in his eyes burned more and more vigorously. His words were like heavy hammers, hitting every general’s heart hard.

Zhukov’s forehead was covered with sweat, and beads of sweat slid down his resolute cheeks. He knew the leader’s temper very well, and he also understood the severity of the situation at the moment.

Fortunately, he was well prepared. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm: “Your Excellency Leader, my suggestion is that we should produce new aircraft as soon as possible to fight against the German jet aircraft. Otherwise, even if our air force can defeat the German fighter planes in terms of numbers, we will face a situation where we will be seriously damaged, or even wiped out.” His words were full of worry and urgency, as if he had seen the tragic situation of the Soviet Air Force gradually being extinguished like a candle in the wind under the ravages of German jet fighters.

“In addition, we need to equip a large number of anti-aircraft weapons and train more soldiers for the next counterattack.” Zhukov continued, his eyes revealing a firm determination. In his view, relying solely on numbers to fight against the German army’s advanced fighters is undoubtedly a suicidal act.

Only by improving both equipment and personnel quality can we have a chance of survival in this brutal air battle.

After hearing Zhukov’s words, Stalin did not agree immediately.

He slowly looked around the conference room, his eyes like a sharp dagger, sweeping across the faces of every general.

After a long while, he slowly spoke: “What do you think of Marshal Zhukov’s opinion?” Stalin had always trusted Zhukov, his confidant among his confidants. Therefore, he did not scold Zhukov too much, but wanted to hear the opinions of other generals.

“I agree with Marshal Zhukov’s point of view.” A white-haired veteran was the first to stand up. His voice was a little hoarse, but full of power. The veteran had fought on the battlefield for many years and experienced countless battles. He had a deep insight into the war situation. He knew that although the plan proposed by Zhukov was difficult, it was the only feasible way at present.

“I agree!” Then, another younger general stood up and said firmly. His eyes were full of hope for the future. Although he knew that the road ahead was full of thorns, he believed that as long as the Soviet army was united, there would be no difficulties that could not be overcome.

A minute passed, and only the voices of these two people could be heard in the conference room. Stalin’s expression became increasingly grim, and his sharp eyes swept over the others again, as if he wanted to see through those generals who were still hesitating. In this suffocating silence, every second seemed extremely long.

“I agree.” Finally, another general mustered up the courage and whispered. His voice trembled slightly, and there seemed to be a hint of fear. Under Stalin’s majestic gaze, few people could remain calm.

“We agree too.” As if they had received some kind of signal, the others all lowered their heads and whispered in agreement. They did not dare to look directly into Stalin’s eyes, as if that was an abyss that could swallow them up.

“Very good, I will let the Air Force develop new aircraft as soon as possible, but I hope that by then, new weapons will not be used as an excuse, otherwise I don’t mind sending a few people to the military court.” Stalin looked at everything in front of him with cold eyes, and his cold words carried a trace of unquestionable determination. His eyes revealed his desire for victory and his disgust for those incompetent people. In his heart, war is a life-and-death contest, which does not allow for any slackness or excuses.

“Yes!” Everyone was shocked and responded in unison. Their voices were uniform and loud, as if to dispel the fear and anxiety in their hearts. At this moment, they knew that they were not only responsible for the victory or defeat of the war, but also the fate of the entire country and nation.

“Comrade Zhukov, do you think we can launch a counterattack?” Seeing that everyone had expressed their opinions, Stalin nodded with satisfaction, then turned his eyes to Zhukov and asked solemnly. In his mind, the timing of the counterattack was crucial, and launching a counterattack too early or too late could have an adverse impact on the war situation.

“Yes, I can’t let the German army strengthen its strength. According to intelligence, they have already transferred troops from the Western Front to the Eastern Front, and their supplies are also being transported to the Eastern Front. Over time, their strength will increase, and it will be difficult for us to win.” Zhukov said loudly, his voice full of confidence and determination. In his opinion, launching a counterattack at this time, although it is difficult, is the best time to turn the tide of the war. If the German army is given enough time to consolidate its defenses and strengthen its strength, the Soviet army will pay a heavier price to win.

“Very good, tell me about your plan.” Stalin nodded slightly, with a glimmer of expectation in his eyes. He knew Zhukov’s military talent very well and believed that he would be able to come up with a practical counterattack plan.

“Your Excellency, first we must quickly eliminate the enemies in Ukraine and Donbass on the left bank and seize the landing sites on the right bank of the Dnieper River.” Zhukov cleared his throat and began to elaborate on his plan. His eyes revealed a wisdom of planning and strategizing, as if he had already seen the dawn of victory.

“General Vatutin’s Voronezh Front and General Konev’s Steppe Front will quickly advance to the middle reaches of the Dnieper River to seize the landing site.” Zhukov said as he gestured on the map with his fingers. His movements were steady and powerful, and each gesture seemed to contain a great force.

“Once our army occupies the landing site, we can attack Kiev under the surprise attack of the armored forces, and then advance westward to pursue the fleeing enemy. Konev’s troops will take this opportunity to capture Poltava and seize the landing site on the right bank of the Dnieper River. At this point, our battle objectives will be fully achieved.” Zhukov’s voice became more and more excited, and his words were full of desire for victory. In his plan, every step was closely linked and interlocked, like a carefully planned chess game.

“If we achieve these goals, we will be able to recover all the lost territory and create favorable conditions for the next step of driving the German army out of the country.” Zhukov said a lot in one breath, his face flushed with excitement. His purpose of coming to Moscow this time was to present this carefully prepared counterattack plan to Stalin. In his view, once this plan was successfully implemented, the war would likely end early and the Soviet Union would usher in long-lost peace and tranquility.

The counterattack plan mentioned by Zhukov can be described as a grand strategic layout.

The operation will mobilize the Central Front, Voronezh Front, Steppe Front, Southwestern Front and Southern Front. These five fronts are like five sharp swords, pointing directly at the heart of the German army.

The total force is more than 260 million. They are like a surging steel torrent, with full of passion and firm belief, ready to fight a desperate battle with the German army on this vast land.

There are more than 50,000 artillery pieces, which will become the steel roar of the Soviet army, using deafening artillery fire to open up a way forward for the infantry and armored forces.

There are more than 5,000 tanks and self-propelled artillery, which will be like steel monsters, rampaging on the battlefield and crushing the German defenses. There are more than 5,000 aircraft, and these steel eagles will engage in fierce air battles with German fighters in the sky, providing strong air support for ground forces. In addition, there are guerrillas active behind enemy lines and the coordinated operations of the Azov Sea Fleet.

The guerrillas will be like daggers hidden in the darkness, ready to deal a fatal blow to the German army at any time; the Azov Fleet will harass and attack the German army from the sea, making it impossible for the German army to defend itself.

After listening to the battle plan, Stalin fell into deep thought. He stared at the map intently, and kept simulating every detail of the plan in his mind. After a long time, he nodded slowly and said, “The plan is perfect, there are no loopholes, I agree in principle.” There was a hint of relief in his voice, and he was very satisfied with Zhukov’s plan.

“How confident are you in this counterattack?” Stalin added. There was a hint of worry in his eyes. After all, this counterattack was related to the fate of the entire Soviet Union. Any negligence could lead to a complete loss.

“Seventy percent. We have an absolute advantage in manpower and artillery. If we also have jet planes, our chances of winning will be even higher.” Zhukov thought for a moment and said, with a hint of regret in his voice. In his opinion, although the Soviet army has an advantage in manpower and artillery, the German jet planes are undoubtedly a huge threat. If the Soviet army can have equally advanced jet planes, then the chances of winning this counterattack will be greatly improved.

“According to intelligence, the United States has produced a batch of new jet aircraft and has already entered service.” Zhukov continued, with a hint of worry in his eyes. In this war era where information spreads rapidly, the importance of intelligence is self-evident. The service of the new American jet aircraft has undoubtedly added more variables to this war.

Hearing this, the officer in charge of intelligence broke out in a cold sweat. To be honest, this intelligence was still being confirmed, and he had no idea how Zhukov was so sure. However, he also knew that the Soviet Army had its own independent intelligence agency, and perhaps Zhukov got the information through that channel. He did not dare to hesitate and immediately said, “Your Excellency the Leader, we have just received this intelligence and it is still being confirmed.” There was a hint of nervousness and fear in his voice, fearing that he would be scolded by Stalin for his mistakes in his work.

Hearing that it was still under confirmation, Stalin’s face looked a little better. However, he was still full of surprise that the United States had already installed jet aircraft. This news was like a huge rock, weighing heavily on his heart. In his opinion, the speed of development of the United States’ military technology was too fast, which was undoubtedly a huge challenge for the Soviet Union.

“Why doesn’t our military industry have any clues yet?” Stalin stared coldly at the official in charge of the military industry, his eyes full of anger and doubt. In his mind, the military industry is responsible for providing advanced weapons and equipment for the Soviet army, but now it lags far behind the United States and Germany in the development of jet aircraft, which makes him feel extremely disappointed and angry. (End of this chapter)