The Rise of the Third Reich

Rumble, rumble...

The convoy commanded by Armored Meier advanced on a road through the Tuhola Forest. The eight-wheeled heavy armored vehicle was in front, the six-wheeled heavy armored vehicle that Meier was riding in was behind, and the half-track personnel carrier followed at the rear. Half of Meier's body was exposed, holding a telescope and looking around.

A roar like rolling thunder came from behind him - this was Polish artillery bombarding several intersections on the border.

The Polish army guarding the Tuhola Forest seems to have come directly from the battlefield of World War I, and all fighting methods are World War I-style.

For example, they did not deploy heavy troops in the forest. According to Panzer Meyer, the Polish commanders had no common sense in the era of mechanized warfare. If they deployed dozens of 37mm guns in the forest, it would take the 3rd Armored Division at least several days to break through.

But the Poles only deployed some small teams equipped with machine guns and mortars in the forest. How could such a force deal with an armored division? It’s just nonsense!

What's even more ridiculous is that the Poles are firing cannons behind Meier's armored reconnaissance company.

Meier thought to himself: "The Polish commander must have known that German armored forces were crossing the border, so he wanted to bombard them with artillery, but he did not know where the target was (the armored forces' assault speed was too fast, and the traditional artillery response was too slow. "

"Ta-ta-ta-ta..."

The sound of the Polish WZ30 heavy machine gun rang again, and the convoy immediately stopped moving forward. Meier raised his binoculars and looked toward where the gunfire rang out.

There is a small village there, just next to the road. Like several Polish strongholds that were previously attacked by Panzer Meier's company, it has been bombed and there are ruins everywhere. However, the artillery bombardment certainly did not completely wipe out the Polish troops stationed there. They were still carrying out a meaningless resistance. He vaguely saw continuous muzzle flashes spurting out from behind a broken earth wall.

"map."

Gunner Gustav Schwarzenegger quickly handed a map to Meier, and Meier quickly found the village on the map - it was the target code-named "A26".

"Call artillery support, target A26." Armored Meyer ordered the operator on the car, then picked up the intercom and said loudly: "Our artillery is about to fire, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 , Car No. 5 retreats to the back of the queue, while other vehicles remain motionless.”

At this time, the roar of the aircraft motor came from the sky. Armored Meyer looked up into the sky and saw dozens of Ju.87 dive bombers passing through the sky, flying east.

They were supposed to destroy the Polish artillery positions exposed by the fire!

…

The headquarters of Major General Przedemirski, commander of the Polish Maritime Army, was now moved to a sturdy basement. Because German planes had air raided the headquarters 45 minutes ago, blowing up dozens of cars, two warehouses stocking supplies, and also blasting the two surrounding roads into craters. It also blew up a nearby airport of the 4th Fighter Regiment in Torun into rubble. Dozens of PZL aircraft were blown up at the airport before they had time to take off...

In addition, the Germans' indiscriminate bombing also interrupted the communications between the army headquarters and the following divisions and brigades. It took nearly an hour to restore.

"General, the 9th Division, the 15th Division, the 27th Division and the Eastern Tactical Group all reported being subjected to violent bombing and artillery fire, and all artillery units suffered heavy losses..."

Colonel Grodsky, chief of staff of the group army, held a copy of the telegram he had just received, and could not help but break out in a cold sweat when reporting the losses. However, the commander of the army group, Major General Przedemirski, was relatively calm and just listened expressionlessly.

"General, the Coastal Civil Defense Brigade and the 15th Infantry Division also reported that German tanks were passing through the Tuhola Forest and advancing at a high speed."

"Tanks? Are the German tanks passing through the Tuhola Forest?" Major General Przetemirski muttered, "The Germans' main attack direction is the Tuhola Forest?"

"General, the 9th Infantry Division on the southern front also reported the discovery of enemy tanks and infantry." Colonel Grodsky, chief of staff of the Primorsky Army, said, "That is the junction of our army and the Poznan Army. Once it is broken through , our army group may be surrounded by the enemy."

As he spoke, Colonel Grodsky couldn't help but sigh. The Coastal Army was placed in a very dangerous position - between the German mainland and East Prussia, with the main German army in Pomerania in front and the German army in East Prussia behind it. Once the German army in Pomerania breaks through the defenses of the 9th Infantry Division and crosses the Brasi River (located east of the Tuhola Forest, where the Polish army's second line of defense is located), then the entire Coastal Army's 5 An infantry division, a cavalry brigade and two civil defense brigades may be surrounded by the German army.

"Well, the Coastal Cavalry Brigade will not move for the time being." Major General Przetemirsky said, "Tell Major General Przeyakovsky that we must defend firmly and not waver at all, at least on the front line of the Tuhola Forest. Keep it up for 1 week.”

When the major general of the Coastal Army issued this order, he certainly would not have imagined that his 15th Infantry Division and Coastal Civil Defense Brigade were facing the powerful German 19th Armored Corps! This is a powerful armored assault force with 2 armored divisions (3rd Armored Division and 10th Armored Division). There are as many as 711 tanks alone (belonging to 27 companies, including 55 Panzer III tanks and 55 Panzer IV tanks. 36 tanks, the rest are No. 2 tanks and 38t tanks) - this is a force that the entire Coastal Army cannot resist!

…

"Your Excellency, General." Air Force General Kesselring, Commander-in-Chief of the German Air Force and Commander of the Eastern Front Air Force, saw General Hersmann walking into his combat command room - the Eastern Front Air Force Command and the Eastern Front Headquarters are both located in Stuttgart. Inside the Ding Haijun Fortress - he immediately put down what he was doing and raised his hands in salute.

"How is the situation?" Hessman came on time. It was now 7 a.m. on September 1, 1939, and the war had already broken out for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

In World War I, this time was not even enough time to prepare artillery fire - the artillery preparation for a battle usually lasted for several days.

But in World War II, where mechanization was king, 2 hours and 15 minutes could sometimes determine fate, because the results of the first wave of air strikes had basically come out.

As for the reports from the frontline army groups, it will take another hour or two before they are sent to the headquarters. Therefore, Hessmann could only ask about the situation of the air force and navy during this period-but the German Baltic Fleet is now blockading Danzi Port, and there is nothing to report.

The historical scene of the "Schleswig-Holstein" training ship firing bombardments at the Polish military base did not happen because of Hessmann's objections.

"We dispatched 1,998 aircraft and bombed all known frontline airports, frontline artillery positions, transportation hubs, command centers, and troop assembly areas. The enemy's losses were very heavy, and the specific data are still being analyzed (analyzing photos). And Our losses are very slight. According to current statistics, 26 aircraft have not returned and another 38 aircraft have been damaged to varying degrees.”

According to later statistics, more than 600 Polish aircraft were blown up on the ground or shot down in air battles in the first wave of air strikes. The German losses were only 24 crashed, 41 damaged, and a total of 40 pilots were killed, missing, or captured. It can be said to be a great victory!

"When can the second wave of air strikes begin?" Hersman asked. He is not worried about the attack on the ground now, because the factor that determines whether the ground attack goes well is in the sky.

"Preparations are being made and will be launched in at most one hour." Kesselring reported, "In addition, all Ju.87s, Hs-123s and artillery reconnaissance aircraft are now assigned to the deployment of each group army."

It is impossible to fight a blitzkrieg without air superiority. After achieving absolute air superiority, with the current ground attack capabilities of the German Air Force, it is difficult for the Polish army to even move during the day. They could only watch as the two German army groups (North and South) launched a pincer offensive.

If all goes well, by tomorrow morning, several armored corps serving as sharp swords (19th Army, 22nd Army, 15th Army, 16th Army, 8th Army, etc.) should have broken through dozens of kilometers and rushed to the Polish Army. Went behind the frontline troops.

…

At 7:45 a.m. on September 1, 1939, three hours after the war broke out, Panzer Meier's company, the vanguard of the 3rd Armored Division, had rushed to the edge of the Tuhola Forest.

Most of the half-tracks and three 8-wheel armored vehicles were left behind in the three villages behind them - they were the forward strongholds of the Polish army and were used to cover the main defense line. The Poles established their first main line of defense east of the forest, with the Brasi River at their back.

"Attention, pay attention to search for the target directly ahead! If you find anything, fire immediately." Armored Meyer held the intercom and ordered loudly. This is close to the enemy's main line of defense, so be careful.

"Pengpengpeng!" Just after Meyer's order was given, he heard the sound of the 20mm gun firing. He knew that the armored vehicle in front was firing. "Car No. 2! Max! What happened? Were you firing?"

"Tank! Found a Polish tank!" came the answer from the commander of the No. 2 car, Max, in the earphone. "It's a TKS tank. There are at least 10, no, 15, and a lot of cavalry. We seem to have encountered the enemy's main force. …”