Tolbukhin

Of course, before the war Tolbukhin would not have called the understrength regiment he led a front.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

The planes — Tolbukhin recognized the silhouettes of Focke-Wulf 190s — zoomed away.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

Tolbukhin said to the young soldier who carried the flag of the Eighth Guards Army, which bore the images of Marx and Lenin and Stalin.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

Along with the soldiers in the first ranks, Tolbukhin threw himself flat.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

When Tolbukhin did not reply, the political commissar added, “A million rubles for your thoughts, Comrade General.”

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

As Tolbukhin got into the outskirts of the Ukrainian city, he saw the gaps bombs and shellfire had torn in the buildings.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

Tolbukhin hoped his men wiped out the patrol before the Nazis could use their wireless set.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

Tolbukhin wished they were less able; that would have spared the USSR endless grief.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

“Anatoly Pavlovich, we have been over the plan a great many times,” Tolbukhin said, almost pleadingly.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002

In earlier days — in happier days, though Tolbukhin would not have thought so at the time — upbraiding a political commissar would surely have caused a denunciation to go winging its way up through the Party hierarchy, perhaps all the way up to Stalin himself.

Counting Up, Counting Down Turtledove, Harry 2002