The Rise of the Third Reich

"Marshal Reich, the current deployment of Army Group Center in the Polish-Western Ukraine battlefield is as follows. The 6th Army is firmly stationed in Warsaw, the 4th Army is stationed in Lviv, the 17th Army is stationed in Krakow, and the 16th Group Army is stationed in Sohachev. - Boulogne-Pruskov, the 11th Army is stationed in Zakrochim-Vishogrud, the 12th Army is stationed in Plock-Torun, and the 9th Army is deployed in Posen, Germany. Reserves of the Army Group..."

Just as the war on the Polish frontline suddenly heated up, Reichsmarschall Hersmann, the Minister of Defense of the German Empire, was listening to the report of General Halder, the First Director of Munitions, in the Ministry of Defense building in Berlin.

The content of the report is about the latest deployment of Army Group Center. This Army Group, commanded by Marshal Rundstadter, now oversees a total of 7 armies, as well as the Polish Defense Forces and the Ukrainian Defense Forces, with a total strength of nearly 1.8 million. The number of people is also the largest among the three army groups on the Eastern Front.

Among the seven armies under the jurisdiction of Army Group Center, the 6th Army stationed in Warsaw and the 4th Group Army stationed in Lviv are undoubtedly the main forces. Among them, the number of the 6th Army now reaches as many as 300,000.

The 4th Army, which has jurisdiction over a large number of Ukrainian defense forces, has more than 600,000 troops (of which only more than 100,000 are German troops).

Although the 4th Army stationed in Lviv is the largest army under Army Group Center, Army Group Center and even the entire Eastern Front battlefield are currently arranged around the Battle of Warsaw, so the 11th Army, the 12th Army and the 16th Army The armies are all deployed along the Vistula and Butzula rivers east of Warsaw - these three armies with a small number of people (each has only 2 German troops and 1 Polish Defense Force cluster) are actually responsible for the security of Warsaw's rear route. of.

In addition, as the general reserve of Army Group Center, the 9th Army also has the 48th Armored Corps (12th Armored Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 3rd Armored Grenadier Division). The purpose of this Armored Corps is first of all to protect Warsaw's back line is safe, followed by committing to counterattacks at the appropriate time.

General Halder paused for a while, then continued: "According to the judgment of the Eastern Front Command, the Battle of Warsaw will revolve around two key points. The first is the Warsaw offensive and defensive battle. The Warsaw offensive and defensive battle has already begun. The Soviet army's The Central Route Army has begun to attack Warsaw on the east bank of the Vistula River; the second is the battle for Warsaw's back route... It is estimated that the two sides will start repeated battles in the Vistula River-Butula River area east of Warsaw."

Hersman stood in front of the map table with his arms folded, frowning as he considered the current situation in his mind. At first glance, the current Polish battlefield looks somewhat similar to the historical Battle of Stalingrad. It's just that the relationship between offense and defense was reversed. The German army became the defensive side, and the Soviet army became the offensive side.

However, the specific situation is still quite different. The historical defense of Stalingrad was launched when the German army's vitality had been greatly depleted. However, Stalingrad was too far away from the German rear and it took a long time. The supply lines and harsh climate were weakening the attacking German army.

The current Battle of Warsaw is being fought between two fresh armies. According to the report of the 6th Army, which was engaged in a fierce battle with the Soviet army, the morale of the Soviet Red Army was very high, supplies and equipment were very sufficient, and they were far from exhausted.

Of course, the German army, which has been fighting the world war for three years, is now getting stronger and braver. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is in its best condition. With the current state of the German army, it is not difficult to defeat the Soviet offensive, but it is not easy to win a decisive victory that wipes out hundreds of thousands or millions of enemies under the city of Warsaw.

Hessmann touched his clean chin and asked thoughtfully: "When does Marshal Guderian think that Army Group North can launch a counterattack?"

The commander of Army Group North is Manstein. The number of people in this Army Group is definitely not as large as that of Army Group Center (Army Group Center is now responsible for commanding the Polish Defense Forces and Ukrainian Defense Forces, and the number of people is naturally large), but it has concentrated 12 armored divisions And 8 Panzergrenadier Divisions! In the "Blue Plan", it was the main force of the German counterattack.

“We still need to wait and see,” Halder said. “The Battle of Warsaw has just begun, and the Soviet armored force has not been greatly depleted. The Soviet Western Front still maintains a strong armored group as a reserve force. In addition, the Soviet Union is currently mobilizing and is expected to form more troops within a few months."

According to the information available to the German General Staff, the Western Front of the Soviet Red Army currently has approximately 10-15 army groups concentrated on the front line in Warsaw. There is a group army in Lublin to cooperate with the Soviet Southwest Front. The 2-3 Army Group was also placed on the northern front facing Baltic Lithuania to cooperate with the Northwest Front.

There is also a powerful tank army around Minsk as a reserve for the entire front.

In addition, there is a reserve front with 7-8 army groups in Smolensk and Moscow, which can support the Western Front at any time.

Halder went on to say: "According to the estimates of the General Staff, from June 1 to the present, the Soviet Red Army has lost between 150,000 and 200,000 personnel in combat with us, and the tanks lost have been less than 150,000-200,000. 1,000 vehicles, and about 2,000 aircraft were lost. Such losses may be very heavy if they occur to small and medium-sized countries, but they are not a problem at all for the Soviet Union.

If we want to fully implement the Blue Plan, we must annihilate 1.5-2 million Red Army troops in the first stage after the war. "

It is not easy to annihilate 1.5-2 million Red Army troops now!

Because it is June 1942 and not June 1941. The Red Army has completed its reorganization and expansion, its tanks and aircraft have also been upgraded, and the German army has also lost the opportunity to launch a surprise attack - this is the price Hessman paid for choosing to solve the Mediterranean battlefield first!

Although Germany obtained enough oil and non-ferrous metals and successfully promoted the integration of Europe (provided that there was oil and materials, European countries could prosper and become stronger), it also allowed Stalin to spend a very weak window of time.

Therefore, the chance of quickly solving the Soviet Union does not exist now.

"How is the situation in Ireland?" Hersman turned the topic to the West. The Soviet Union could not win quickly, but Britain could win quickly.

"The British launched another weak attack starting on the 20th," Halder said in a mocking tone, "approximately 30 divisions were invested."

The British counterattack in Ireland was to cooperate with the Soviet Union, but to be honest, the British's current offensive power is too weak compared with the Soviet Union, and it is simply not enough to transfer the German troops on the Eastern Front to the Western Front.

However, the German military strength in Ireland has been strengthened compared to May. The SS "Adolf Hitler" Brigade and the "German Reich" Brigade have both been expanded into divisions, and the Spanish 250th "Blue" Division and the French Foreign Legion have been put in place. In addition, the French also provided an artillery group to support the European coalition operations on the island of Ireland.

"Now we have 10 divisions, a French Foreign Legion equivalent to two infantry divisions, and a powerful French artillery group on the island." Halder also looked relaxed when talking about the war situation in Ireland, "Britain The attack was useless, but Lieutenant General Paulus proposed that it could be appropriately retracted to create conditions for another landing behind the British army. "

Paulus' pneumonia finally recovered, but the position of commander of the 1st Marine Division was lost. Colonel Wenke was promoted to major general because of his outstanding military exploits, and the division commander was also promoted.

However, Paulus did not return to Berlin, but was left in Brest by Schleicher, because Schleicher's original chief of staff, Hermann Balck, was promoted to lieutenant general and was replaced by Lundstedt. He became the commander of the 48th Armored Corps.

So Schleicher asked Paulus to take over from Lieutenant General Balck, and Paulus, who took office as a new officer, proposed a new landing operation plan, hoping to completely defeat the enemy through a risky landing operation in the north of Ireland. Disrupt the deployment of British troops in Ireland and create conditions for annihilating the British troops in Ireland.

"Paulus' plan can be considered," Hessmann thought for a while and said, "I am no longer the chief of staff. You and Marshal Kesselring should decide this matter."

He pondered for a moment and then said: "I will leave Berlin for Peenemünde recently and accompany the French Minister of Defense, General Weygand, to see the A-5 rocket. The French should be able to join us. If this goal can be achieved, The Battle of Warsaw will be easy to fight, the French air force and artillery will come to help us."

"Relying on A-5 rockets?" Halder was a little unconvinced.

It is difficult to say whether the A-5 will be put into actual combat. As for the larger A-6 and A-7 rockets, the projects have just begun. It is not known whether they can be completed before the end of the war. Why was Wei Gang convinced by this kind of future weapon?

"We also have sarin gas!" Hessman said with a smile. "French chemists should have studied sarin gas. Sarin gas plus A5 rockets will be an amazing weapon."

"Marshal of the Empire," Halder's brows were still furrowed, "the effectiveness of weapons like poison gas in actual combat is always not as good as imagined, and usually the difference is very large... Admiral Wei Gang should be very aware of this."

"I will convince him, because we still have a big card," Hessmann waved his hand and said, "so the General Staff can consider the use of French artillery groups in formulating the plan for the decisive battle in Warsaw."