Steel Soviet Union

The problem of selecting the battalion commander of the new self-propelled howitzer battalion has been solved, and there is nothing major left waiting for Malashenko.

The 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade was a newly formed unit hastily formed in the late stages of the Battle of Stalingrad.

As of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, the personnel of the 1st Staling Guards Heavy Tank Brigade were incomplete and the technical equipment was also incomplete. Many soldiers are new recruits who have just completed their recruit training. Although Zhukov is dedicated to taking care of Malashenko, the proportion of veterans in the entire brigade is still less than 30%.

As an ordinary army, this may be enough.

However, as an elite group under the direct command of the front army and always used at the blade position whenever a big war is imminent, this situation is obviously far from having everything ready and only relying on the east wind.

Therefore, for a considerable period of time in the next period, Malashenko received an order to stay on standby on the outskirts of Stalingrad and make good use of this time to increase the combat effectiveness of the 1st Staling Guards Heavy Tank Brigade to a level worthy of this supreme The extent of the glorious designation, this is Comrade Lao Zhu's special call to give Malashenko an order.

At the same time, the Soviet frontline groups, which had won the great victory of the Battle of Stalingrad, also began to pursue their victory and advance westward.

Without the Sixth Army, the main and elite force of the German army, they were completely out of breath at first. For the German army, the whole battle was like a mouse taking a big bite of the sweetest cream cake and tasting the delicious sweetness. The mouse wanted to eat more. If possible, it would be possible to swallow the entire cream cake.

Many German generals on the front line were very frightened by the Soviet counterattack. The atmosphere of pessimism and failure, just like what Paulus had experienced, spread like a virus throughout the entire German front line troops. Almost everyone Everyone believed that the German army was about to lose this battle completely and follow in the footsteps of Paulus.

But it was at this time that a man stepped forward in accordance with the will and responsibility of the head of state, conquered the German war god Manstein of Sevastopol, and was ordered to come to let the Soviet army taste defeat again.

Manstein, who was the commander of Army Group South, studied the battle situation on the front line and believed that continuing to defend a certain city or place would not help the war situation improve. What the German army really needs now is to voluntarily give up some territory, so that it can gain valuable breathing space, rest and replenish the remaining troops on the front line that were defeated by the Russians.

Secondly, Manstein, who was familiar with the Russian fighting style, expected that the group of Russians on the opposite side who were accustomed to screaming when charging would definitely not give up the opportunity to regain territory. Those Russian tanks could charge as fast as they could. We will never stop until the engine is turned on and scrapped, the gearbox gears are ground flat, and the track shoes are cracked.

"The head of state will not allow such a thing to happen! Taking the initiative to give up so much land is tantamount to betraying Germany and surrendering to the Russians!"

The chief of staff rarely got angry in the office and almost overturned the table, but the elegant Manstein still spoke slowly and methodically like a nobleman.

"If you have a better way, you might as well say it now, I'm here to listen."

"If you don't, and you just think that I am giving the wrong order and are quarreling with me, then you can go about your work. I am the commander of Army Group South, and you are just my assistant. Do you understand?"

""

The chief of staff couldn't catch his breath and was choked to the point of speechlessness. Manstein, who still had the initiative in speaking, decided to continue to strike.

"If the Führer agrees, I will do this. If the Führer does not agree, I will insist on doing this before the Führer removes me from my post, in order to save the lives of all German soldiers on the front line and our common destiny."

"You don't know enough about those Russians. Their greed for land is like flowing sewage, which will seep into every corner they can reach until they are exhausted. The Russians will never let go of any opportunity to expand their territory. "The concept of regaining territory is the same, and it's an irresistible temptation for them."

The chief of staff pouted and still planned to say something, but Manstein did not give him this chance.

"If you are familiar with history and have read books about the history of the Russians, you will know that those dirty Russians who are brothers of the workers and peasants have been carrying out their greed for land to the end since the generation of their ancestors. Unchanged.”

"One day we will capture Moscow and cross the Ural Mountains to the east of the Russians, which is called Siberia. But historically, the territory there does not belong to the Russians at all. It was taken from a feudal country called the Qing Empire. "

"Go and look at the map. The territory that was taken away is so vast that it's beyond your imagination. It's so big that it can fit in half of the continent of Europe. I'm not here to give you a history lesson. I'm here to ask you to understand and use it. The weakness of the Russians, use this weakness to defeat them!”

"When those Russians are exhausted and are complacent about the recovered territories, what awaits them will be an even greater defeat. This is the inevitable result of the lengthening of the front. For us, it is a grand victory that completely reverses the situation. victory!"

Perhaps the Chief of Staff's long-term strategic vision was indeed far from that of the German God of War Manstein, but he was right about one thing. The Führer was indeed furious at this operational plan that voluntarily abandoned a series of strategic locations.

Fortunately, the fuming head of state, who had just been angered by the great traitor Paulus, seemed not to have much anger to vent this time.

By a strange combination of circumstances, Manstein's audacious battle plan was finally approved. Manstein, who was already gearing up, could finally take advantage of the Holy Spirit and start a big fight.

In the following period, Manstein's wishful thinking succeeded.

The Soviet Red Army, which was advancing rapidly all the way, captured the city and captured several strategically important positions held by the German army that seemed unable to resist.

Under this ebb and flow, Manstein regrouped the troops that had been defeated on the front line and invested reserve forces as fresh blood, thus reintegrating a huge offensive energy.

In the ensuing collision of life and death, the battle progressed very smoothly and continued to develop according to the script written by Manstein.

The Southwest Front Army commanded by Vatutin suffered heavy losses. The Fifth Tank Army was divided and surrounded by Manstein's personal command and control until the entire army was annihilated. The important town of Kharkov, which was originally in the hands of the Soviet army, once again At stake.