Chapter 405: Soldiers take risks

Chapter 405 Soldiers at risk

In fact, this cannot be said to be a new invention, because the German army has done this before... In 1939, Germany installed the 47MM anti-tank gun with excellent performance captured from the Czech Republic on the chassis of the "No. 1" tank, so it was made It became the world's first self-propelled anti-tank gun.

This is actually very easy to understand.

If the "No. 1" tank is strictly required to have a rotatable turret like a tank, it can only be equipped with two machine guns.

This is obviously only against enemy infantry on the battlefield, and it can only wait to die against enemy tanks or even light tanks.

But if a rotating turret is not required, or even an enclosed protective space, then a very penetrating anti-tank gun can be installed.

This obviously enhanced the combat capability of anti-tank guns to a considerable extent.

Anti-tank guns usually need to be towed by a car, so there will be problems such as poor off-road performance and too large targets.

What's worse is that it takes too long to react: if it encounters an enemy, the first thing the anti-tank has to do is stop, then turn the anti-tank around to find a suitable position to set up, and then prepare shells and so on.

This makes anti-tank guns usually only used for defense and not for offense, that is, to build anti-tank gun positions in advance to hide anti-tank guns, and to shoot at targets when enemy tanks pass by or attack.

This method of combat is very passive, but there is nothing you can do about it, because no one will use a car to tow anti-tank guns to attack the enemy's armored forces. This is no different from courting death.

Self-anti-tank solves these problems.

It has a fast reaction speed, because the anti-tank gun is always forward and ready to fire. There is also no need for a car to tow.

In some respects, it has many advantages over tanks. For example, anti-tank guns have better range, penetration, vision, and external perception than tanks.

The more important advantage is that it is cheap: it only needs to weld the tank gun to the tank chassis, and there is almost no technical difficulty.

Facts have proved that Manstein's approach is correct. It took only two hours for the 11th Army to break through the Kyiv defense line.

Shuerka also got relevant news from Mehrlis.

Since knowing that the German army has begun to attack the Kyiv defense line, Mechelis' command has quickly become busy.

But don't think that he is commanding the battle... Rzhev is thousands of miles away from Kyiv, and there is even the German Ninth Army in the middle, so it is impossible for Mechelis to command.

Mechlis is taking advantage of this time to show off to others, of course it is a hidden show.

For example, he sent a telegram to Admiral Kirponos, asking: "Are you ready? If I have accurately judged the enemy's attack intention and reminded you in time, you should be ready and send the enemy Beat back hard!"

In addition, he also sent a telegram to the Supreme Command: "Things are exactly as I thought, the Germans have attacked! However, because we have prepared in advance, I believe we will be able to defeat their attack!"

On the other side, Stalin and the staff who received the telegram couldn't help being stunned, because things were indeed as Mechelis said, and the Germans turned their main attack direction to the Kyiv defense line.

But the situation is not as optimistic as Mehlis said, because the Soviet army concentrated its forces in the Moscow area to launch a counterattack. Quick help.

"When did this Mechlis learn to analyze the enemy's situation?" Stalin said to himself.

Mechlis was dancing with excitement at the Rzhev headquarters. Sometimes he crossed his hips and gave lectures to his subordinates like a commander commanding thousands of horses, and sometimes he ordered his subordinates to understand the latest battle situation, as if he could It's like grasping everything on the battlefield.

This enabled Shulka to know the situation of Kyiv's defense line at the first time.

"Their air force is divided into two parts!" Mechlis said to Shulka, pointing to the map: "One part is used to bomb the railway line south of Gerlovka. This is obviously to prevent us from reinforcing the Crimea. area!"

Gerlovka is at the intersection of the Crimean railway network in the depths of the Soviet Union, and bombing its southern railway is of course the intention in this regard.

"The other part is used for offense!" Mehlis pointed to the Kyiv defense line and said: "They use fighter planes to destroy our tanks, and then break into the depth from the defense line and cross the Dnieper River to advance in depth!"

"They didn't attack Odessa?" Shulka was a little surprised.

"Of course there is!" Mechlis replied: "But they surrounded Odessa with the Romanian 3rd Army, and their main force, the 11th Army and the Italian Expeditionary Force, only attacked the Crimea!"

Manstein's bold approach surprised Shulka.

Because, as mentioned before, Odessa will be a more important place than Kyiv for the German army's plan, because it is backed by the Black Sea and cannot actually be surrounded.

Unless Germany has a navy that enters the Black Sea, the Soviet army in Odessa can advance, attack and retreat.

On the other hand, the main force of the German 11th Army went deep alone. Once there is another interspersion between Kyiv and Odessa like Shulka did before, the German 11th Army will be divided and surrounded.

But Shulka knew that Manstein would not be so simple, and he must have thought about it.

Shulka was right. Manstein did consider this, and was even opposed by his staff.

"General, let's take at least one of Kyiv or Odessa!" The staff officer said, "otherwise our rear will be exposed to the enemy's two sides, I mean... Although we can break through their defenses, we will not be able to attack them." They can fill that line up again!"

"No, Eric!" Manstein replied, "We don't have that much time!"

After a pause, Manstein went on to say: "How long will it take to capture Kyiv? Or how long will it take to capture Odessa? A week? A month? Even if we do it, and continue to attack the enemy's railway Bombing is carried out, but the Russians can still make preparations in the Crimea, and it will be difficult for us to even capture the Crimea, let alone enter the Caucasus and target the Baku oil fields!"

"But now..." the staff officer looked at the map worriedly.

"This attack is about time, understand?" Manstein pointed to the map and said: "Time, as long as we take the Crimea for a short time, then the Russians will not be able to provide supplies from the Crimea to Odessa." , if we quickly march into the Caucasus and occupy the ports there... the Russian Black Sea Fleet will be driven further and further away by us, and our danger will no longer exist!"

The staff officer couldn't help but nodded when he heard the words. This is "blitzkrieg", and it is also a dangerous move for soldiers.

(end of this chapter)