22nd of June 1941 01:10 Chief of Staff Georgiy K. Zhukov’s office
Zhukov walked to the map table, and took another good look at the maps of all the different fronts he formed two months ago. General Zhukov gave this order to the military districts in peacetime, while a order to form fronts normally only happened in wartime. There were three different military districts when he took command, Zhukov ordered these districts to form fronts: in the Ukraine and Byelorussia there would be three fronts each in case of war, 2 would be added to the existing front when the war started. He expected a war with Germany (he thought was inescapable) would be fought and decided in these two areas. There was also a Baltic, Leningrad, Krim, Karelian and Caucasus front.
Each front have multiple armies and their own air force organization, if needed the front could use its own reserves. Stavka high command could allocate al other reserves.
245 divisions where in the European part of the Soviet Union.
156 where allocated to different front sectors.
89 divisions were under the control of Stavka as a reserve.
49 divisions were momentarily being redeployed.
While hanging over maps of the Soviet European Theater, he began thinking what the situation would be in the case of war with Germany at this moment:
First he looked at the Karelian Front: “only important in case of a Finnish attack”! He turned the page.
The Leningrad Front: “These troops should be able to hold out in case of a attack on the city and it’s vital port”
The Baltic Front: “Needs to be strengthened, in case of defeat fall back on Riga and the river Daugava”
The Belorussian Front: “Field Marshall Timoshenko’s career could be made or broken in case of a German attack in this sector. Very important… very important front..!!”
The first Ukrainian Front: “The city of Kiev relies on this front, heavily defended sector but also the best place for the Germans to use their Panzer”.
The second Ukrainian Front: “Has two rivers it can fall back on: the Dniester and the Prut, in case of a breakthrough at the first Ukrainian front they also have to retreat”
The Crimean Front: “We need to hold on to Sevastopol at any price, this is the home of the Black seas fleet!!”
The Caucasus Front: “Only in case of a German/Turkish alliance, which is very unlikely. They will properly lose a lot of divisions to other fronts in case of war”
Asian Fronts: “These damn Japanese, glad they are bogged down in China, but still we need a guarantee they won’t attack us in case of a war in Europe!”
Stalin always talked about a massive armored counterattack after a week of an invasion, but Stalin believed in a war in 1942. Zhukov knew a counter offensive in a war with Germany this summer would end disastrous. The new T-34 was only added to a few mechanized formations, Zhukov knew that these tanks could make a difference in a war with Germany. If he could he would switch al the 20.000 outdated tanks for 2.000 T-34’s in an instance. Stalin believed in numbers, the thought of a large counter attack with all these vehicles brought a big smile on the face of the Boss.
T34/76 column in Riga on the move to the border April 1941.
Zhukov also knew the red army infantry could not match the German infantry, insufficient weaponry, training and ammunition made the infantry divisions only capable to slow down the Whermacht. The will to fight to the last man under any circumstance was needed from the red army soldiers. A strict system of rules and regulations need to be created by soviet high command.
Soviet infantry on the move in a forests Byelorussia April 1941
A fighting retreat to the line Riga – Smolensk, Smolensk – Odessa became his plan.
“Fighting on the plains of the Ukraine should be avoided by any means as the German Panzers would be in their ideal situation”. “The Ukrainian Front should be strengthened by enough divisions to avoid a breakthrough at this front”.
“If we could avoid a total collapse until the winter, we would be save to start thinking about countering the invasion” Zhukov thought!
Zhukov: “I’ll try to get some sleep, I got a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day!”