USSR 1941

"Air power will play a role after we break through the enemy's defenses!" Shulka said: "They will fight for local air supremacy for us, allowing us to quickly approach the Southwest Front Army, while providing us with cover and performing reconnaissance missions. But this A line of defense..."

Shulka shook his head: "I have to admit that it is very difficult. It was originally the defense line built by our army in Surovikino. The Germans transformed them, many of which were underground fortifications and permanent fortifications. There are forts!"

Rokossovsky stared at Surovikino's fortification map in silence for a while, then raised his head and said, "Maybe we can target them! I mean, if we know the location of these fortifications, we can use Artillery destroys them!"

To put it bluntly, it is actually hitting the fort one after another until they are blown up.

Shulka shook his head: "We don't have that many shells, and at the same time, it is impossible to blow up these fortifications one by one with so many shells, let alone this is the fortification map left by our army..."

Speaking of which, Shulka raised his head towards the fortification plans on the table, and then said: "Let's not talk about whether these fortification plans are accurate. After the Germans remodeled it, it may be very different from before!"

"I can give you more tanks!" Rokossovsky said. "I know you lost many tanks!"

"It's not about the tank!"

"I can also give you more artillery!"

"The artillery can't do much for this line of defense!"

"There are also infantry, cars... After all, you will be the main attack!"

Shulka said no more, knowing that Rokossovsky was pretending not to understand.

"But!" Rokossovsky continued: "The issue of breaking through the defense seems to have nothing to do with me!"

"Karachi's problem has nothing to do with me!" Shulka replied.

"Who made you willing to tell me the solution?" Rokossovsky spread his hands helplessly.

Shulka was speechless for a moment, and ten thousand grass and mud horses galloped past in his heart.

Rokossovsky laughed, patted Shulka on the shoulder, and said: "I'm not worried about that at all, Comrade Shulka! I'm sure 'Breakout Heroes' won't take long to fix it ,

Do you agree? "

I'll go, it's the same as not saying it, and Shulka should solve it by himself.

"I should go!" Rokossovsky looked at his watch and said, "You know, I'm going to arrange Karachi! Well, I remember the underwater transportation of supplies!"

"Next time if you have any questions!" Shulka said, "I will remember to negotiate terms with you!"

"Of course!" Rokossovsky laughed triumphantly: "But that's next time!"

After Rokossovsky went back, he really used Shulkati's suggestion.

What Shulka said seems to be a small thing, but it is actually using the river channel for concealed transportation, but it can change the entire strategic direction of Karachi.

Because if Karachi does not have a long-term, relatively stable mode of transportation, then Karachi will run out of ammunition and food sooner or later... Karachi can't wait for the day when the German 6th Army runs out of ammunition and food. transportation.

Therefore, the 57th Army stationed in Karachi can only take the initiative to attack to avoid being surrounded by the enemy.

However, if Karachi can get long-term and stable supplies, then the Soviet army does not need to take the initiative to attack at all. They only need to defend Karachi to occupy this point. Even if Manstein's Don River Army hits the Don River It is not to rescue the 6th Army, because the 6th Army cannot cross the river safely, orderly, and on a large scale.

As a result, the Soviet army changed its previous rash advance, but shrunk its forces to the outer defense line of Karachi and the city, and waited for the German army to come in to fight street battles.

Encountered such a problem, Manstein was a little confused.

"What's the matter?" Manstein said to himself: "They gave up the counterattack?"

"Maybe they gave up because they realized they couldn't stop us!" said the adjutant.

"Maybe!" Manstein replied: "But Karachi, whose supplies have been cut off, can only die. Do they have other supplies?"

Manstein's first reaction was to think that the Soviet army would supply airdrops.

Because if the ground is surrounded, the only possibility is airdrop.

As a result, Manstein immediately ordered the Air Force to replenish night reconnaissance planes and fighter jets around Karachi... There is no need to worry about it during the day. The German Air Force has fully grasped the air supremacy of Stalingrad while transporting the 6th Army.

Therefore, Manstein believes that the Soviet army must be planning to use the night to carry out airdrops.

Rokossovsky indeed did this. He let several teams of transport planes operate around Stalingrad under the cover of night fighters that were still in the experimental stage... The Soviet army actually began to develop night fighters in 1941. This night fighter is equipped with "gneiss" airborne radar for night positioning. In addition, the cockpit uses ultraviolet light and an instrument panel using fluorescent materials, which allows the pilot to see the instruments and control the aircraft in the dark.

However, the Soviet research and development personnel misunderstood the direction of air combat. They believed that future battles would mainly be large-scale operations during the day, so it was more important to improve the speed, protection and firepower of aircraft.

Therefore, research on this night fighter was stopped during the industrial transfer after the Soviet-German war.

It was not until the German night fighters were raging everywhere on the battlefield that the Soviet army put night fighters on the agenda again.

At this time, this tentatively designated "PE-2" night fighter just needed to be tested, so it was sent to the battlefield by Rokossovsky. (Note: This type of fighter was finalized and mass-produced in 1943, named "Gneiss 2")

However, these transport planes and night fighters turned around and turned back just after meeting the German reconnaissance plane. If the Luftwaffe wanted to pursue them, they were illuminated by a large number of searchlights from the ground, and then they were bombarded by anti-aircraft artillery.

This made Manstein feel relieved, because he was sure that the Soviets really wanted to use airdrops to provide supplies for Karachi.

This is where Rokossovsky is clever... He actually considered this problem early on: If the 57th Army is suddenly turned from offensive to defensive and surrounded by the Germans, the enemy will definitely be suspicious.

Manstein to be exact.

Of course Rokossovsky knew that his opponent was Manstein.

If Manstein was suspicious, he would have to find out why this was happening in Karachi.

In order to prevent Manstein from prematurely discovering that the Soviet army used the Don River for transportation, Rokossovsky let the transport plane and the night fighter perform a play.

Among them is the new night fighter... This fighter has never appeared before, so Manstein believed it even more.