Chapter 28 9.in the ring of fire

It was obvious that the front, cut off by the enemy's wedge-shaped assault, would find it increasingly difficult to hold the Dnieper defenses.They were to continue their defense in complete isolation from the rest of the Red Army.Colonel Zakhvatayev told me during the meeting that on the night of September 10 he had gone with General Tupikov to meet the commander of the Front.Military Council members Burmistenko and Lykov were with Kirponos at the time.The chief of staff reported the situation.His conclusion was that the army should be withdrawn as soon as possible to the line of the Pshol River where the rear defense area had been built.Tupikov's argument carries weight.After a comprehensive discussion, the Military Committee of the Front Army decided to send a telegram with the following contents to the base camp:

"A group of enemy tanks has rushed to Romny and Greyvoron. It is impossible for the 40th and 21st armies to destroy this group. It is necessary to immediately transfer troops from the Kyiv fortification area to the enemy's road. General retreat in Dao area①. Please approve by radio." -------- ① Refers to the rear area built on the Pushol River. While awaiting an answer from Base Camp, General Kirponos and his headquarters were busy restoring the front which had been severed in many sectors.The commanders of the 21st and 40th armies were ordered to organize as many troops as possible into their respective assault groups, and carry out a facing assault on Bachmach, so that the two sides' flanks would move closer.The commanders of the 21st, 5th, and 37th armies were ordered to close the gaps in their respective defense zones.The chief of the front paid special attention to consolidating the posture in the direction of Auster, in order to prevent the enemy from turning around Kyiv from the northeast along the left bank of the Dnieper. Colonel C. C. Potekhin's 147th Infantry Division was transferred from the fortified area of ​​Kyiv to Ostier.

"What other troops can be sent to this area?" To the commander's question, Tupikov replied that in order to deal with the saboteurs, a motorized battalion of the NKVD had been left in the Kyiv region, and two guerrilla groups had just been formed.Kirponos ordered them also to be thrown into battle.But that's just a drop in the ocean. "It's tantamount to blocking the breach of the Dnieper River dam with a shovel anyway," Tupikov said distressedly. At about one o'clock at night, the communications director of the Front Army, Dobekin, reported to Kirponos that a telegram had come from Moscow.Marshal K. M. Shaposhnikov, who headed the General Staff at that time, informed: "The headquarters of the Supreme Command believes that it is necessary to continue to fight on the positions occupied by the units of the Southwest Front in accordance with the regulations of our army." The chief of the general staff proposed Many proposals to smash the enemy's breakthrough group, but not a single division was allowed to be transferred from the fortified area of ​​​​Kyiv.

Kirponos contacted Budyonny and asked him to explain to the chief of staff that any delay in the retreat of the Front could have fatal consequences.A few hours later, Budyonny spoke to Shaposhnikov.The chief of the general staff insisted on his opinion.So Budyonny sent the following telegram to Base Camp: "The Military Council of the Southwest Front believes that under the current circumstances, the front must be allowed to retreat to the rear area. Comrade Shaposhnikov, the chief of the general staff, replied to this proposal in the name of the headquarters of the Supreme Command. Instructions from the 26th Army Two infantry divisions were mobilized to destroy the enemy intruding from the Bakhmachi and Konotop areas. At the same time, Comrade Shaposhnikov pointed out that the headquarters of the Supreme Command believed that it was too early to withdraw the troops of the Southwestern Front to the east. I think that the enemy's attempt to encircle and encircle the South-Western Front from the Novgorod-Seversky line to the south and from Kremenchug to the north is now quite evident. To counteract this attempt it is necessary to create a strong The army cluster. And the Southwest Front Army is unable to do this.

If it is impossible for the headquarters of the Supreme Command to concentrate such a powerful group at this time, then the retreat for the Southwest Front is completely inevitable.The measures to be taken by the Military Council of the Front, that is, to transfer two divisions from the 26th Army, can only be a means of support.Moreover, the 26th Army is being severely weakened.Only three infantry divisions remained on the 150-kilometer front.Delaying the retreat of the Southwest Front may result in the loss of troops and a large number of weapons.In the unlikely event that the question of retreat cannot be reconsidered, then I ask permission to withdraw troops and large quantities of technical equipment from the Kyiv fortification area, which will undoubtedly help the Southwest Front to fight against the encirclement. "

-------- ①C·M·Budyonny did not count the three divisions being formed. Judging from the narrations of Tupikov and Zahvatayev and the existing call records, C. M. Budyonny was concentrating on the development of the battle of our front army.From time to time he called Kirponos or Tupikov on the phone.Asked what happened in the Konotop area and the Romne area, before the arrival of Kostenko's two divisions, how did the head of the front army plan to stop Guderian and how to break through the 5th Army.On this day, Budyonny and Kirponos also had such a conversation. "How do you plan to organize the supply of the army if the enemy cuts off the supply line of the front army?" asked the commander-in-chief.

"It can only be forwarded by the southern main line." Kirponos replied. "You don't understand me. I know the northern main line has been cut. What will you do if the southern main line is also cut?" "Then there's only one way left—by plane." "Aviation cannot support that many troops," retorted Semyon Mikhailovich. "So now we must practice strict economy in the consumption of ammunition and supplies." When the telegraph fell silent, Kirponos said to Burmistenko: "Exercise economy is easier said than done. The provisions are enough. We can reduce the rations to the maximum, and the soldiers will forgive us. However, when the fascists are running around like wolves that have smelled prey, how can people save money?" Where's the ammunition?!"

All the rest of the day was spent dealing with troublesome things like plugging countless gaps in the 800-kilometer front and calling some of the encircled corps of the 5th and 21st armies. On the evening of September 11, Moscow summoned Kirponos.The commander of the Front, accompanied by Burmistenko, Lykov, Tupikov, and Zakhvatayev, hurried into the telegraph room.This time it was the Supreme Commander himself who sent the report. After Stalin said hello, he said: "I think your suggestion of withdrawing the army to the line of the river you know is dangerous." He listed the setbacks encountered by the front army when they retreated across the Dnieper River. "What guarantees are there now that this situation will not be repeated again? This is the first point. Then comes the second point: in the current situation on the east bank of the Dnieper River, your proposal to withdraw the army will mean that our army will be encircled. For the enemy will attack you not only from the direction of Konotop, that is, from the north, but also from the south, that is, from the direction of Kremenchug, and from the west, because when our troops withdraw from the Dnieper, the enemy will immediately Occupy the east bank of the Dnieper and start the assault. If the enemy's Konotop group joins the Kremenchug group, you will be surrounded..."

Kirponos stared at the slowly stretching telegram. "It seems that your proposal for the immediate withdrawal of troops must meet the following two conditions: first, you should build a defensive area on the Pusol River in advance; second, cooperate with the Bryansk Front to attack the enemy Konotop group. Make a violent assault. Without these two conditions, I repeat, your proposal to withdraw your troops is dangerous and may lead to disastrous defeat. Where is the way out? The possible ways out are: First, immediately change the deployment of troops (even if it is to draw troops from the Kyiv fortification area and other troops), concentrate nine-tenths of the air force in the Konotop area, and cooperate with Yeremenko to attack the enemy Kono The top group carried out a violent impact.We have issued corresponding instructions to Yeremenko.Today we also ordered the Petrov Aviation Group to transfer to Kharkov and put it under command in the southwest direction.

Second, immediately establish a defensive area on the Pushol River or other points on this line, deploy large artillery groups facing north and west, and allocate five to six divisions to defend this area. Thirdly, after these two points have been accomplished, and only after these two points have been accomplished, that is, after the formation of a fist against the Konotop swarm and the establishment of a defensive area on the Pushol River, in a word, after the completion of this After everything, the evacuation of Kyiv began.Prepare carefully to blow up the bridge.No means of capture should be left on the Dnieper River, but should be destroyed. After the evacuation of Kyiv, the east bank of the Dnieper River should be firmly guarded to prevent the enemy from rushing to the east bank.

Finally, stop looking for areas of retreat and look for avenues of resistance. There was silence in the telegraph room.The supreme commander can make anyone irrefutable with his iron logic.Even Tupikov was at a loss.He later told me that, as he looked at the note, an idea came into his head: to take advantage of this suggestion and start withdrawing five or six divisions and a large artillery force to the area of ​​the Pshol River.This was the beginning of the withdrawal of the Front Army to the new area.Because Stalin was not actually opposed to the retreat, but only suggested the organization of defenses along the Psyl River as a reliable guarantee of the retreat...   But the Supreme Commander's last words stunned everyone: "Finally, the search for areas of retreat should stop and avenues of resistance should be found." A pale Kirponos read the words aloud twice, according to Zakhvatayev.He asked the members of the Military Council: "Hey, what are you talking about, comrades?" Lykov pulled his loose and thick hair silently.Burmistenko whispered: "Since we cannot retreat, we should not insist on leaving the Dnieper River." Time was ticking, and Stalin was still waiting for an answer at the other end of the line. Kirponos turned sharply and said to the Hakata pilot: "Let's shoot!" He spoke very slowly, as if to filter every word: "Before we got suggestions on the army's eastward withdrawal and specified the retreat area, we had no idea of ​​retreating the army, but only one request. Since our front has been widened to more than 800 kilometers, we hope that there will be reserves to strengthen our army... ..." Zakhvatayev later said that Tupikov threw his head in his arms when he heard what Kirponos said.Kirponos cast a surprised glance at him, and continued dictating in a not too loud voice: "According to the instructions received from the headquarters of the Supreme Command on the night of September 10, we are transferring two infantry divisions from the Kostenko Army Group, together with artillery, to Konotop by rail. The task is to cooperate with the Podlas Army and the Kuznetsov's Army, destroying the enemy's motorized mechanized group that penetrated from the direction of Romny. In our opinion, it is not appropriate to draw troops from the Kyiv fortification area for the time being, because two and a half divisions have been drawn from there to Chernigov Direction. Only part of the artillery weapons can be transferred from the Kyiv fortification area. The instructions received from the headquarters of the Supreme Command via telegraph just now will be implemented immediately. It's over." Kirponos himself didn't pay attention, he suddenly didn't recognize everything he had been asking for not long ago.Everyone standing next to him could see this immediately.Of course, this could not escape Stalin's attention anyway.The telegraph rang again.The words on the note are as heavy as steel ingots: "First, the suggestion for the withdrawal of the Southwest Front Army was made by you and Budyonny, the commander-in-chief of the Southwest Front. Here is a quote from Budyonny's report on the 11th..." Then there appeared the Budyonny telegram that readers already knew He quoted the request of the Military Council of the Front in his telegram, and insisted with his characteristic directness and firmness on the immediate withdrawal of the Southwest Front. The telegraph fell silent, as if the man on the other end of the line wanted his interlocutor to clear his mind at least.Then the note started to squirm again: "You see, Shaposhnikov is against the withdrawal of troops, and the commander-in-chief is in favor of retreat, because the Southwestern Front also favors the immediate withdrawal of troops..." At the end of the call, it was an irrefutable order: "... Permission, not to abandon Kyiv and bomb the bridge. Goodbye." Kirponos wiped his sweaty forehead and replied: "I understand your instructions. It's over. Goodbye." He waved his hand in frustration and ran out of the telegraph room. "What now?" Tupikov asked Burmistenko. "Think about it, Vasily Ivanovich. An order is always an order." "It would be great if you can think of troops! But if you don't have troops, no matter what you think, it won't help." The next day, we learned that the base camp had relieved Budyonny of the Southwest Commander-in-Chief and appointed Soviet Yuanshi C.C. Timoshenko to replace him. Since the 38th Army received an order to stop the offensive on September 12, It is meaningless for the representative of the head of the front army to stay here.General Parshegov, General Volsky, Colonel Lozovoi-Shevchenko, myself and the officers accompanying us gathered at the army command post.We discussed it and decided to ask Commander-in-Chief Xiang to transfer us to the Front Army Command.We then contacted Major General A. E. Pokrovski, Chief of Staff of the Direction Command.The answer came very late: the commander-in-chief ordered us to stay where we were and continue to help command the 38th Army.Fortunately, the headquarters of the same front army can still be in touch.It was with great difficulty that I got General Tupikov to the Morse telegraph.Communications were poor, but I explained the situation to the General.He promised to "press all the keys at once".I don't know how my chief did it, but on the morning of September 13, the commander-in-chief's headquarters informed us that we were allowed to return to the front army headquarters. Soon Volsky and his accompanying officers, myself and my assistant Major Savchuk and adjutant Captain Ilya Bokhorov got into the car and drove to Reshetilovka, where the Commander-in-Chief A forward liaison station for the Ministry.We want to find out how to get back to ourselves.Parshegov and Lozovoi-Shevchenko should join us later. Along the way, you can see scattered detachments, supply teams that have separated from their own troops, and logistics agencies.No one knew what was going on, as is often the case in retreats. Not far from Reshetilovka we encountered the train detachment of the 297th Rifle Division.I learned from one of the commanders that vehicles from the headquarters of the 38th Army had begun to approach Reshetilovka.This surprised me very much, because according to the information we have, the headquarters has been cut off by Kleist's army along with the right-wing divisions of the army group.How did it come here, to the left bank of the Pushol? At Reshetilovka we found with difficulty the headquarters liaison post of the Commander-in-Chief.We are in trouble here, because all the roads to the front headquarters have been cut off by the enemy.The liaison station conveyed to us the command of the commander-in-chief of the direction: stay in Reshetilovka until receiving a special order, reorganize the breakout army, and organize these forces to implement defense.We start executing orders immediately.General Volsky went to the area where the two tank brigades transferred from the left wing of the army should be concentrated, and I began to look for the headquarters of the 38th army.I was shown a farmhouse on the outskirts of Reshetilovka.Here I finally found Major General Vitaly Nikolaevich Simvolokov, chief of staff of the 38th Army.I studied with him at the Frunze Military Academy in the thirties.But now I have to forget about the past.I very sternly asked him why his headquarters was separated from his own troops.Simvolokov said that the command did not break out alone.Together with it, Colonel B.A. Afanasyev's 297th Infantry Division and Colonel B.M. Reutenberg's 37th Cavalry Division part.It was later found that the rest of the cavalry division and the 97th Rifle Division of Colonel O. B. Malitsev had retreated to the right bank of the Sula River and held the defense there.The commander of the front army transferred it to the command of the commander of the 26th Army on September 13. The general said that the most difficult part in breaking out was to cross the Pushol River. "There was no means of crossing the river, and the Germans held all the bridges. We had a long line of vehicles and wagons. What was to be done? We decided to make a night assault to seize the crossing. We took it. The enemy went mad. But we held the bridge until the last fighter walked across it. Then we blew it up." The army headquarters now organizes the defense along the Pusol River, but its strength is too small.Simvolokov could only send some small screen troops to the village of Big Bogachka, and the front line was interrupted any further.In this way, the direction towards Poltava from the northwest becomes exposed.The headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief and the commander of the 38th Army took all measures to repair the gap in the front. We had a discussion about how to best deploy the military.Then, with the permission of Marshal C. C. Timoshenko, I drove to the direction headquarters near Poltava.There I was shown the latest combat debrief.Reporting is worrisome.Only the basic forces of the 37th Army in the Kiev area and the 26th Army, which occupied the defense along the Dnieper River south and southeast of Kyiv, continued to hold on to the defensive areas.In the defensive zone of the 21st and 5th Army and the right-wing divisions of the 37th Army, our army is slowly retreating under the onslaught of the enemy's superior forces.The continuous front has disappeared, the gap between the various armies and between the armies has widened, and the enemy corps is advancing rapidly through the gap. The armies of the northern flank of the Front concentrated their efforts on stopping the enemy at the Ostier River.A fierce battle is going on for Nirvana.The front between Kozary and Kozelets to the west of the city had been breached, and the corps of the German 6th Army wedged into the gap, cutting off the railway line linking Nezhin and Kiev in the Kobezhicha area.The right-wing corps of our 37th Army are fighting the onslaught of enemy infantry divisions advancing along the Kozelets-Kyiv road.The enemy tried to outflank the exposed flanks of the 5th and 37th armies.Some corps of the 5th and 21st armies have been encircled several times.Lieutenant General B.A. Kuznetsov, commander of the 21st Army, reported that his three divisions, the 187th, 219th, and 117th divisions, had struggled out of the encirclement.The Corps of our army was severely reduced in the fierce battle.The front armies were effectively divided.The armies, which had not been replenished for a long time, were losing their last strength.For example, the 40th Army currently has only about 5,000 infantry capable of fighting, 100 artillery pieces, and 10 tanks.The Fifth Army was no better off.The army continued to consist of the divisions of the 31st Infantry Corps under the command of General H. B. Kalinin, with a total of less than 2,500 combatable infantry left.However, these exhausted corps can still miraculously guard the frontal section of almost 70 kilometers. I was shown Kirponos' report to the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief.The end of the report reads: "The Front entered the battle under the conditions of being encircled and the supply lines completely cut off. I am going to transfer the command post to Kyiv, which is the only place where the army can be commanded. I request that the necessary measures be taken to use air transport to the armies of the Front. Carry out ammunition supply." I feel very sad.The possibility of returning to the front headquarters was getting smaller and smaller. On the morning of September 16, I was called to the Commander-in-Chief.In the office were C. C. Timoshenko and H. C. Khrushchev, a member of the Direction Military Committee. "How about it, are you still in a hurry to go back?" the marshal asked. "Exactly. I should be at Front headquarters at such a difficult time. Since all roads have been cut off, I ask permission to go by air." The commander-in-chief looked at me with obvious approval and talked about the situation in the direction of Kyiv.The battle situation of the Front was deteriorating hour by hour.Yesterday the enemy was only 20 to 30 kilometers away from the headquarters of the Front Army.The command of the army seemed to be completely interrupted. The marshal rubbed his temples slowly, as if to relieve the pain, and said: "Now we are doing everything we can to help the Front: we are sending all we can to Romny and Lubne, including Belov's cavalry corps reinforced with tanks and three separate tank brigades. In a few days Luciano The divisions of the German and Lidzukov will also come to us. With these forces we intend to confront the besieged army of the Front from inside and outside. We know that we will not be able to smash the two fascist tank armies that are breaking in, but we will open some gaps through which the besieged army could protrude. This is the purpose of our assault. We believe that, in the circumstances at hand, the Supreme Commander will authorize the withdrawal of the Southwestern Front to the Pusol River, and we have therefore decided to issue organizational Order to break out." -------- ① 1st Guards Infantry Division and 1st Guards Motorized Rifle Division. The Commander-in-Chief walked about the room in silence for about a minute. "Today we are also planning to talk to Moscow. I hope we can convince the base camp. While we talk, Kirponos and his command will take advantage of the fact that the enemy has not yet closed the encirclement front." It seemed to me that after these few words the Marshal seemed to shake off his last doubts.His expressive face softened, and the deep lines on his forehead unrolled.He continued clearly: "You report to General Kirponos, Comrade Baghramyan, that in the circumstances at hand, the Military Council of the Southwest Front considers that the only appropriate resolution for the Southwest Front is an organized retreat. You convey to the Commander of the Front My dictated order: Abandon the fortified area of ​​Kyiv, and cover along the Dnieper River with a small force. Begin to withdraw the main force to the rear defense area without delay. The basic task is: with the cooperation of our reserve team, smash the enemy behind the front army , and then turn to the defense along the Pusol. Let Kirponos exert the greatest enthusiasm for more resolute assaults in the direction of Romny and Lubne, instead of waiting for us to pull him out of the encirclement." I breathed a sigh of relief.Now there is hope, not all is lost. After giving instructions on the procedure for the retreat and the organization of the command of the army under conditions of breakout, the commander-in-chief said farewell: "Come on, Comrade Baghramyan. Let Kirponos not delay either. General Faraleyev will guarantee your flight from Poltava to the Piryatin region." I went without delay to the Commander of Air Forces to the Southwest. General O. F. Faraleyev said that a high-speed bomber piloted by an experienced crew had been dispatched for me. All seems to be going well.But there is one circumstance that puzzles me: the Military Council of the Southwest has given me such important carte blanche without papers to prove it.Yes, at that time it was necessary to consider that the plane might be shot down, and it would be very bad for such documents to fall into the enemy's hands. ... Due to the bad weather, we could only take off again the next day.I was arranged to sit in the transparent turret shooting the communicator, which has a wide field of vision.Two fighter planes escorted us.They turned us around and flew back after sending us across the line.Just then, four white dots appeared on the horizon.The pilot did not make a turn and flew west at full speed.We were lucky and flew past the sniper net of enemy fighter planes.The following is the designated location Grebenka Airport.The airport greeted us with inhospitable attitudes, and anti-aircraft guns fired from the ground.The anti-aircraft guns did not stop firing until the plane fired a series of signal flares indicating "I am one of my own".The crew landed the plane safely.As soon as we got off the plane, we saw a person running towards us desperately. "What did you do?" he yelled from afar. A captain with a sky-blue collar badge ran close, panting heavily. "What did you do?! The airport has been mined!" We can only be thankful that Reb at the airport is not doing well. The captain turned out to be the commander of the airport service battalion.I asked him for a car to go to the front headquarters.Many commanders and Red Army soldiers surrounded us.Surprised expressions appeared on the young faces roughened by the wind: where did a general come from and why did he fly to our airport? (This was one of many field meetings, and I certainly can't recall any of the airport talkers. But after the publication of my book "The Military City on the Dnieper", readers who responded to the book Among them was a reserve captain Anatoly Fyodorovich Mykov, who had received many combat medals. He mentioned the meeting in his letter.) Everyone asked me questions one after another: "Comrade General, are we really surrounded?" "What should we do? Retreat or fight?" You can see that it's the lack of knowledge that's tormenting people, not the fear.They looked quite calm, and they made little defiant jokes with each other, made wisecracks that were appropriate or inappropriate, and in general behaved as young people usually behave when they are gathered together in great numbers. I try to answer their questions briefly.I explained to them that our High Command is well aware of the situation of the Front and is doing everything to help us. Soon the car came, and I bid my interlocutors a warm farewell. It was not without difficulty that I found the headquarters of the Front Army, which was located in a village in the town of Upper Yarovka, north of Piryatin.General Tupikov hugged me. "Ah! Our prodigal son has finally returned!" Looking at his thin face and those deep-set, still merry eyes, I thought: How nice it was for me to be so close to this intelligent, sincere man! Tupikov recounted his ordeal.When the headquarters banned the withdrawal of troops, he decided to issue a detailed report on the state of the front and concluded that it was impossible to continue to hold Kyiv.Kirponos refused to sign the telegram.It was signed by the Chief of Staff of the Front and sent to Moscow.The next day, the General Staff sent a reply.The telegram accused Tupikov of being flustered and not objective in judging the war.He has always felt bad about it.When I presented him with the Commander-in-Chief's new orders, he said in good spirits: "That is to say, I was right!" He hurriedly said, "Let's see the commander! Hurry up. If we delay, the encirclement will be too strong to break through." The head of the front army is in a grove a few kilometers away from the headquarters.We go by car.On the way, General Tupikov told me why they hadn't been able to transfer the command post of the Front to Kyiv.Enemy regiments intruding at the junction of the 5th and 37th armies in the Kobeřica area cut off all roads.Several detachments sent forward by the signal regiment were killed.So the command post had to be transferred here, Piryatin, and not to Kyiv. We walked for a long time.The roads were crowded with cars, trains of supplies and logistical units, transfer columns of agencies. With General Kirponos we find Burmistenko and Lykov in the presence.I reported the commander-in-chief's order.Kirponos thought for a long time. "Mikhail Petrovich," Tupikov couldn't help it, "this order is so appropriate to the circumstances that there is no reason to hesitate. Will you allow draft orders for the army?" "Did you bring a written retreat order?" The commander didn't answer him, but asked me. "No, the Marshal's order was communicated verbally." Kirponos frowned, walked up the room, and said: "I can't do anything until I get the papers. The problem is too big." He smacked the table with the palm of his hand. "Okay, let's talk about this!" There was silence.Tupikov wanted to say something more, but Kirponos interrupted him: "Vassily Ivanovich! Please prepare a telegram to headquarters. Report the Commander-in-Chief's order and ask us what to do." On the evening of September 17, we sent a telegram to Moscow containing the following: "Commander-in-Chief Timoshenko delivered verbal instructions through the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Front: Our basic task is to withdraw the armies belonging to the Front to the Pusol River and smash the enemy's rapid formations in the direction of Romny and Lubne. Leave behind Minimal forces cover the Dnieper and Kyiv. The Commander-in-Chief's written order gave absolutely no indication of a retreat to the Pusol, and only permitted a partial withdrawal of troops from the fortified area of ​​Kyiv.There is already a contradiction.How to implement it?In my opinion, it was correct to withdraw the troops belonging to the Front to the Pusol River.Under these conditions the Kyiv fortification area, Kyiv and the Dnieper must be completely abandoned.Urgently requesting your instructions. "① -------- ① Archives of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. After sending this wireless telegram with difficulty, I, together with General Tupikov, looked thoughtfully at the map on which the latest situation was marked.This map provides a lot of information to me, an operational staff officer who has accumulated some experience.Our army is fighting in an oval extending from north to south, and there is no continuous front.There were huge gaps everywhere, like many wounds on a living body.These gaps indicate that there are no troops in these areas to block the enemy's approach.Where is the red line of our army stretched?What is the situation there?The latest battle report shows that there is a life-and-death battle going on there. "I can't figure out why the base camp is so stubborn," Tupikov said. "Although..." he scratched on the map with a pencil, "it is difficult even for us to judge what happened in a certain area. From the map, there is a group army with corps and divisions under its jurisdiction. Think about it: How many troops! In fact, some divisions have nothing but designation numbers... But we still consider them to be a division and assign them corresponding tasks. The chief of the general staff is in front of a frontal broad The map with a length of 2,000 kilometers shows not dozens of divisions like ours, but hundreds of divisions. It is even more difficult for Moscow to determine the real strength of troops in a certain area. Maybe Moscow also knows all this, but some of them are very important. The reason why it requires our front army to do something that cannot be done..." Yes, there are those very important reasons.We were only speculating about these reasons at the time, but not fully imagining them.These reasons are determined by the overall military and political situation in our country.At that time, our country continued to stand alone against the onslaught of the invaders.Prior to this, the Hitlerites had blocked Leningrad and were approaching Moscow.There are not many large, combat-ready campaign reserves left in our High Command.We have to keep a considerable part of the army in the Caucasus (Turkey's behavior is too suspicious) and the Far East where the Japanese militarists are about to move.Under such circumstances, the tenacious defense of the Southwest Front in the Dnieper River area could contain the huge force of the fascist German army, including two German tank groups, thus slightly easing the situation in the other strategic directions of the Soviet-German battlefield, especially in the direction of Moscow.It is very important to keep these forces in the southwest direction for as long as possible. The complex international political climate also has an impact.The Anti-Fascist National League was just beginning to organize.The countries that had not long ago instigated Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union, now themselves fighting fascist Germany, were increasingly convinced that only Soviet Russia was a reliable ally in this struggle.But now the entire strength of the fascist military machine is directed against Soviet Russia.Can the Soviet Union survive this terrible blow?In the United States, there was a heated debate on whether it was worthwhile to implement arms aid to the Soviet Union.Some assert that there is no point in sending arms and technical equipment because Russia will collapse before winter and the war will end in the victory of fascist Germany. Roosevelt wanted to be sure that the weapons supplied to Russia would not fall into the hands of fascists, so in August 1941 he sent his close aide H. Hopkins to test it out.The president's personal representative carefully inspected the situation in our country and the Soviet-German battlefield.In his farewell talk with Stalin before returning to the United States, he asked a straightforward question: Where will the front be before the winter of 1941?He was to convey the answer to this question to Roosevelt. Stalin replied that by the end of 1941 the front would be west of Leningrad, Moscow and Kyiv. Hopkins walked away with that answer. From the second half of August, the Soviet High Command took all measures to help the defenders of Kyiv.The main step is the formation of a new Bryansk direction army, whose task is to crush Guderian's army and prevent it from moving south to the rear of the Southwest Front.For this reason, the base camp did not hesitate to use the reserve team.Our front has also received some supplementary strength. However, less than two weeks after Hopkins' departure (he may not have returned to Washington), the head of the Southwestern Front suddenly asked the headquarters for permission to withdraw troops from the Dnieper River line. It is not difficult to imagine the repercussions that news of the fall of Kyiv would have in the United States and around the world, an event that would greatly weaken Roosevelt's position in the debate with those who opposed political and material aid to the Soviet Union. The National Defense Committee is well aware that the future establishment of an anti-Hitler coalition of European countries with the participation of the United States will depend to a large extent on the smooth operation of the Red Army at this stage of the war. This is why the base camp demanded that Kyiv be held at all costs.Moreover, the base camp also believes that we have enough strength. With such strength, the encirclement is not so terrible, because we can break through the enemy's encirclement circle. 正是在这些日子里，乌克兰共产党中央委员会和政府发表了告人民书，其中谈到了乌克兰人民要承受严重考验的全部真相，热烈号召人民与法西斯侵略者进行毫不留情的斗争。 告人民书中写道： “阴险进犯我国的德国法西斯分子已暂时侵占了我们亲爱的乌克兰的一些地区。现在，我们的国土正在法西斯恶魔的铁蹄下呻吟。希特勒吃人魔王正在大摆血腥的酒宴。在法西斯分子侵占的地方，没有一天不发生暴行，在这些暴行面前，人类历史上发生过的一切惨祸都要显得逊色。 ……法西斯当局在其侵占的乡村和城市对居民散发通告，法西斯恶魔在通告里用死亡吓唬你们，用残酷迫害威胁你们，企图迫使你们俯首听命。同志们，他们企图迫使你们用自己的双手给你们自己和你们的孩子套上血腥的奴役枷锁。 我们伟大的苏联人民过去进行争取自由的斗争，并不是为了今天成为法西斯野兽的奴隶。 每一个乌克兰人，我国每一个公民都认为，与其忍辱偷生，还不如死去。 Comrades!不要执行法西斯当局的任何一个命令。 ……怠工、破坏一切工作，是我国人民每一个儿女的神圣职责。不要服从法西斯的劳役！用一切力量、一切手段毁坏德军的物资、武器、装备和弹药！记住：法西斯匪徒没有通信联络就无法作战。破坏他们的通信设施、通信工具、电话线、电报线、电话机、电报机和无线电台！炸毁桥梁和道路。不给法西斯分子运送任何物资，不执行修路命令。破坏铁路线。 农民们！法西斯强盗想用暴力强迫你们收割，并把全部粮食运往德国。不要服从法西斯的命令。养活你们一家要多少粮食，你们就收割多少粮食。不要给敌人粮食和肉类。饿死胆敢踏上我国土的法西斯掠夺者。 ……全体乌克兰人民，苏联各族人民都已奋起与法西斯主义斗争。成千上万的红色游击队员——工人和农民，同红军手携手反抗希特勒吃人魔王。用你们能够做到的一切手段帮助游击队员。去参加游击队吧，毫不留情地消灭法西斯。 红军正向敌人实施越来越猛烈的突击。法西斯闪电般战胜我们伟大苏联的计划破产了。他们已经把自己的许多精锐师断送在我们田野上。希特勒规定了几十次攻取莫斯科、列宁格勒和基辅的期限，但是直到今日，苏联人民的红旗还在这些城市的上空飘扬。 战胜希特勒匪徒的时刻即将来到。那就更狠地打击敌人吧！ ……谁也不应袖手旁观。每个人都应做力所能及的事。每个人都应帮助战胜法西斯。 我们的事业是正义的，胜利一定属于我们，敌人必败。消灭血腥的希特勒豺狼！自由的苏维埃乌克兰万岁！ " 英雄的乌克兰人民热烈响应共产党充满激情的号召。他们用游击战的千钧棒更猛烈地打击占领者。大地真正在他们脚底下燃烧起来了。当时在敌人后方已有五百八十三支游击队和一千七百个破坏组和歼击组在活动。成千上万的人民复仇者一批又一批地加入了反对敌人的神圣斗争。党的优秀儿子走在这些英雄的前头。 但是敌人还是很强。在我们西南战线，一切优势都在它那一边。我和方面军参谋长一次又一次地研究地图，估量着我们的能力，得出了结论：如果在近斯内不下退却命令，军队将濒于绝境。 莫斯科终于在9月17日夜间对我们的无线电报作了反 answer.总参谋长简明地通知：大本营准许放弃基辅筑垒地域和将第37集团军转移到第聂伯河左岸。 对于方面军主力撤至后方地区一事，仍然只字未提。不过，事物的逻辑也能使人想到解决办法。假如连基辅和有坚固防御工事的基辅筑垒地域都放弃了，那就不能指望军队在基辅以东没有工事构筑的地区站得住脚。在司令员召开的会上，连在此之间对放弃基辅想也不让想的布尔米斯坚科也说： “我认为，在此情况下，我们除执行总司令的号令外没有任何出路了。” 接到对基辅进行疏散的命令后，方面军首长所要关心的只是尽量援救陷入敌人合围圈内的兵力，使其免于被消灭。这回基尔波诺斯将军不再犹豫了。他立即要来了标明军队最近态势的地图。图上有许多“空白”——最近两昼夜我们没有收到许多地段的报告。摆在基尔波诺斯面前的地图表明，第40集团军在普季夫利和罗姆内间的某处作战，两翼暴露，并遭到敌人迂回。第21集团军在普里卢基地域抗击敌军冲击。这两个集团军之间八十公里的缺口挤满了古德里安的军队。第5集团军遭到极度削弱的军队目前仍在第21集团军左面、皮里亚京西北二十五至三十五公里处撑持。第37集团军坚守着基辅。在该集团军与方面军其余军队之间是德军第6集团军庞大兵力，其主要集团集中于亚戈京地域。第26集团军在自己左翼第聂伯河与苏拉河之间地带抗击德军野战第17集团军和克莱斯特坦克第1集群各兵团的冲击，以不大的兵力由卢布内方面实施掩护。敌人由东西两面发动进攻。方面军司令部所在的皮里亚京地域，仅由步兵第289师部队进行掩护。 总之，这一切说明，我各集团军要向普肖尔河防御地区实施退却是极为困难的。但是又没有其他出路。 基尔波诺斯将军还从来没有在那样困难的情况下执行战役任务。但是，司令员和我们所有在方面军司令部工作的人，在定下突围决心时都对我指战员经过战斗考验的坚定性和大无畏精神十分信赖。 司令员与图皮科夫、布尔米斯坚科、雷科夫商量后，命令给各集团军赋予以下任务：第21集团军9月18日凌晨集中于布拉金齐、格涅金齐（普里卢基东南）一线，以主力向罗姆内实施突击，与骑兵第2军对进；第5集团军以一部兵力从西面掩护第21集团军退却，以其余兵力向洛赫维察实施突击；第26集团军用两个师组成突击集群，向卢布内进攻；第37集团军把军队由基辅筑垒地域撤至第聂伯河左岸，用以组成突击集群，突向皮里亚京，接着再东进，该集团军担任方面军的后卫；第40、38集团军由东面向罗姆内方向和卢布内方向实施突击，与方面军主力对进。 图皮科夫将军在图上大致标出了军队退却计划，命令我对司令部预先拟好的战斗号令作些必要的修改。但是将这些文书发给收件人已经不容易了。我们费了很大周折，仅将其传送到第5、26、40集团军司令员那里。同第21、37集团军司令部甚至用无线电也联络不上。我们派两名校官乘汽车去基辅。他们未能到达市内，看来是在路上牺牲了。我们只是在晚些时候通过总司令的司令部才使第37集团军获悉必须向东突围。 派到第21集团军的是我的副部长扎赫瓦塔耶夫上校，他应将命令面交B·A·库兹涅佐夫中将，并同他的司令部一起退却。 我们庆幸的是，方面军航空兵几乎全部和方面军后勤大部队都已及时转移到普肖尔河以东，因此，我们在这困难的时刻不必再分神去组织它们突围。 这样，几乎全部集团军都在9月17日夜间知道了退却程序。当然，所定下的决心远远不是最理想的。因为定下这一决心时，情况是那样复杂，而且远未弄清楚。