USSR 1941

Veniamenko couldn't help being overjoyed when he heard the words, and immediately ordered: "Deploy these anti-aircraft guns to the positions immediately, and pay attention to concealment!"

"yes!"

Shulka added: "Build anti-tank trenches outside the village to lay mines, and if possible build two ..."

"yes!"

However, it is estimated that there is not so much time, and it may not be enough for an anti-tank trench.

But this is not very important, as long as a few anti-tank trenches can be successfully built, it is also beneficial to the battle, because this will force the tank to attack from a limited number of directions, thus giving the anti-tank gun a chance to destroy it.

After this matter came to an end, Veniaminco immediately called the air force base, requesting to organize at least one batch of airdrops against Butur... especially rocket launchers and rockets.

Veniamenco saw very clearly that in the battle in Butur Village, the 88mm anti-aircraft guns or anti-tank guns were just good-looking but useless gadgets.

Not that the gear is bad.

In fact, the performance of these equipment is very good, especially the 88MM anti-aircraft gun, whether it is used to fight infantry or tanks, it is a hit.

But these equipment are actually not suitable for the defense of the Soviet army, especially the Soviet army in Butur village.

There is no other reason, it is because the air supremacy is not in the hands of the Soviet army... If you have the air supremacy, then the 88MM anti-aircraft gun can easily control the enemy thousands of miles away, but if not, the huge barrel of the 88MM anti-aircraft gun is an excellent weapon for the enemy aircraft target.

Even if the Soviet military had done a good job of camouflaging first, the coordination of various arms of the German army was very close. The infantry on the ground would guide the artillery and even the air force to bomb the exposed positions.

Therefore, the survivability of these artillery is insufficient, and they can only be used to delay time.

What can really stop the German army is the ruins of Butur Village and individual bazookas.

The air force base didn't say anything, and immediately organized an airdrop... Of course, this airdrop was carried out under the cover of fighter jets, and another fierce air battle was inevitable.

News of the fall of Butur village quickly reached Manstein.

Manstein couldn't believe that Butur village would fall so quickly,

He even asked, "Are you sure? Not long ago, I got a guarantee from Colonel Adrian, who told me that it is impossible for the Russians to occupy Butur!"

"I'm sure, Your Excellency the Marshal!" The adjutant replied helplessly: "Colonel Adrian is dead, he can't keep his promise!"

Manstein narrowed his eyes, and then asked: "How did they do it? I mean, there is one of our brigades in Butur, and they have enough ammunition!"

"They bombed Butur with planes..."

"But we have blocked the airspace there!"

"It's not enough, Your Excellency the Marshal!" The adjutant replied: "They sent a large number of 'Il 2', and these attack planes fired a large number of rockets towards Butur Village. These rockets almost blew up the entire Butur Village. God!"

After a pause, the adjutant said: "We may be able to block the Russian planes, but we cannot block these rockets flying from all directions!"

Manstein nodded silently, then stared at the map for a while, gritted his teeth and ordered: "Order all troops to blow up their equipment and retreat at full speed!"

"Your Excellency, Marshal..." the adjutant couldn't help being stunned: "It's not like we don't have a chance. Our reinforcements have already arrived at Butur Village, and they can launch an attack on Butur Village in ten minutes!"

"And then?" Manstein asked back.

"Then...we can break out of the encirclement smoothly!" The adjutant replied: "I mean, if we occupy Butur Village!"

"What if we can't occupy it?" Manstein asked rhetorically.

The adjutant choked at once. As a German officer, he hardly considered this issue at this time.

This can be said to be the habit of most German officers. As long as reinforcements arrive and it is daytime, there are tanks and planes, there is no reason why they cannot occupy them.

"Let me tell you!" Manstein replied while looking at the map: "If the village of Butur cannot be captured, but the Russian Southwest Front Army and the Southern Front Army launch a fierce attack on Butur Village. , then our way of retreat will be completely blocked! That is to say, while we wait to recapture Butur Village, our chances of breaking out are also disappearing little by little, and then we will become another 'protector' Luce'!"

"But Your Excellency the Marshal!" said the adjutant, "we should at least try..."

Manstein shook his head in pain, and said: "There is no need to try. For the Russians, it is not just a village of Butur, it is whether they can encircle the Don Army! Therefore, they will do everything Work hard and concentrate all your forces to defend Butur Village, just like they would send a large number of 'Il-2' attack planes to bomb Butur Village at the risk of their complete annihilation!"

Speaking of this, Manstein stood up straight, as if he had made up his mind, and said: "So, abandon the fantasy! We can't keep the soldiers here because of those equipment... We still have time, light vehicles and simple equipment, Bypass Highland No. 7 from the small path, bypass Butur Village, and get out before they close the encirclement!"

The adjutant hesitated for a while, and then replied: "Yes, Your Excellency the Marshal!"

But of course, the retreat of the German army will not be as simple as Manstein said.

Manstein actually left the equipment for the troops in charge of the rear, and many of them were even infantry who changed roles to use these equipment...

The unit that Manstein left behind cover was an infantry division, the 71st Infantry Division.

And all the tanks, artillery, and even cars in the large army cannot be taken away... The German army took a small road. If they want to take these away, they must take the road. Taking the road means being blocked at the No. 7 Heights, and being blocked again at Butur Village. In the end, as Manstein said, you may never be able to get out.

Manstein did not order these tanks and cannons to be blown up, but left all these equipment to the 71st Infantry Division, and those that could not be sent to the 71st Infantry Division in time were blown up covertly.

This is not only because he wants to make full use of this batch of equipment to let them play their last remaining heat, but also because Manstein does not want the enemy to know that the Don Army has given up its equipment to break through... If the enemy knows, it will obviously be another battle Nightmare, the enemy will definitely organize guerrillas to intercept along the way.

Therefore, the destruction of equipment cannot be seen by the enemy, even the common people... No one can guarantee whether there are Russian spies among these common people.

The result is that tanks, artillery, etc. are all in the hands of infantry who don't know how to operate them.