Chapter 1001 Zhukov's Big Gamble

In April 1944, when the war between the Soviet Union and Germany was about to enter its third year, the old opponents who had fought bloody battles with each other for two years suddenly found that they had to get to know each other again.

The experience accumulated in the battles of 1942 and 1943 was now unreliable, if not completely invalid.

For the German army, the progress of the Soviet Red Army in anti-tank combat capabilities was beyond their expectations. In particular, the widespread equipment of cheap anti-tank weapons such as the "Red Iron Fist" 60, the "Bazooka" rocket launcher, and the RPG-43 anti-tank grenade, as well as the emergence and use of the SU-57 tank destroyer, which was low-profile and good at ambushing and also relatively cheap, and the "suicidal use" of a large number of ZIS-3 cannons. This made most of the German tanks/assault artillery, including the Tiger H tank, vulnerable to attack. Now the only German tanks that can be guaranteed to be difficult to destroy are probably the powerful E-50A and the Cheetah tank destroyer. However, the opponent of the Soviet Red Army has obviously made rapid progress and needs to be re-recognized!

For the Soviet army, the daytime bombing on April 22 and 23 also made them re-recognize the powerful German Air Force.

Although the Soviet ground forces were often bombed in 1942 and 1943, the Soviet Red Air Force had not completely lost the sky at that time. Especially before the British mainland surrendered, the German Air Force could not concentrate its forces on the Soviet-German battlefield. At that time, the Soviet Red Air Force could still compete with the German Air Force with its huge numerical advantage, and the air supremacy of the battlefield did not completely belong to the German army.

However, this situation has changed fundamentally because the British mainland has turned to Germany! Of course, this fundamental change did not happen overnight, but there was a gradual evolution process.

First, the number of German fighters on the Soviet-German battlefield increased greatly and the "survival time" of Soviet pilots decreased greatly. Throughout the second half of 1943, a large number of old pilots of the Soviet Red Air Force died or were captured, and the strength of the Red Air Force also quickly melted.

The second is the leap in the performance of German fighters! Because of the absorption of aviation technology from Britain, the performance of German fighter planes has experienced a rapid rise since the second half of 1943. Although on the surface, the main fighter plane of the German army on the Eastern Front is still Fw-190, the engine installed in the shell of Fw-190 has been fully upgraded. All of them are exquisite products that combine British high temperature resistance technology, British mechanical supercharging technology, German heat dissipation technology and German engine "drug-taking" technology!

And the fuel used is also a step up, all of which are high-quality aviation gasoline with higher octane number (the higher the octane number, the better, it also depends on the engine), which can maximize the performance of the engine.

So from the beginning of 1944, the air battle on the Soviet-German battlefield became one-sided, and the German Air Force completely suppressed the Red Air Force and became the overlord of the sky.

The third change is the rapid expansion of the scale of the German Air Force, especially the scale of the bombing aviation.

Before the British mainland surrendered in 1943, the German Air Force was mainly positioned as a tactical air force. In addition to fighters, most of the aircraft equipped were strictly speaking ground attack aircraft used for precision strikes, including dive bombers and anti-tank attack aircraft.

There were not many medium and heavy bombers used for tactical or strategic bombing of targets behind enemy lines (there were many Ju288s in the naval aviation, mainly for anti-ship purposes).

With the surrender of the British mainland and the gradual improvement of the oil supply situation - oil shortage is certain, but the amount of fuel available to the German Air Force is also increasing year by year - the German Air Force finally had the possibility of equipping a large number of four medium and heavy bombers, Do217, Ju188, Ju288 and Me264.

By April 1944, after the unremitting efforts of the German Air Force, the number of commonly used medium and heavy bombers under the jurisdiction of the newly established Bomber Command (excluding fighter-bombers, anti-tank attack aircraft and dive bombers) had exceeded 3,000, and all of them were new aircraft with superior performance. Enough to support the strategic bombing of the Volga-Urals industrial area, while also being able to bombard the roads and transportation hubs behind the Soviet front.

Therefore, while the German armored forces learned about the Soviet infantry's anti-tank combat power, the Soviet Red Army also learned for the first time how passive and helpless it was to fight under the enemy's overwhelming air superiority.

"What? The troops can't be withdrawn?"

In the Kremlin, Stalin felt dizzy after listening to Zhukov's report.

More than one million people and thousands of tanks have been thrown into the northern line. If they can't be withdrawn, how can the defense of Moscow be fought? Is the time for him to sacrifice himself for the cause of human liberation coming soon?

"No, it's not that we can't withdraw..." Zhukov shook his head and said, "It's very difficult to withdraw."

Is there a difference?

Stalin looked at Zhukov, who explained: "It's just that the troops' retreat speed is slower than planned, and the loss of personnel and equipment will suffer considerable losses during the retreat."

Zhukov frowned even more when he said this, "And... and, in the next battle, the Red Army's heavy troops will probably be mobilized and fought under the enemy's overwhelming air superiority."

"Georgy Konstantinovich," Stalin didn't fully understand what Zhukov meant. He frowned and asked, "You can tell me directly if you have anything to say. Is the Battle of Moscow going to fail?"

"No, no, no..." Zhukov shook his head quickly, "It's not that we can't fight anymore. On the contrary, today we successfully defeated the German attack in May Day Town on the Red October Railway Line. The 8th Guards Infantry Division fought very well, very well!"

Although it lost the perimeter on the morning of the 24th, the 8th Guards Infantry Division was obviously able to hold on in May Day Town. In the eyes of the Soviet army, it is still possible to hold on for another 7-10 days to delay the actions of the German Northern Army Group.

And these 7-10 days will be a key to the Battle of Moscow.

Stalin knew that Zhukov still had something to say, so he looked at his favorite general with burning eyes.

Zhukov added: "The Germans have now suspended their bombing of Ufa and Kuibyshev, and have concentrated their bombers in the northern part of Moscow and Kalinin, mainly bombing the traffic lines, probably to prevent our northern group from quickly withdrawing to Moscow."

"Prevent the northern group from quickly withdrawing?" Stalin was stunned. In fact, the Red Army Command did not intend to withdraw all the northern groups to Moscow. Currently, only a few tank armies were withdrawing.

"They want to encircle our northern cluster!" Zhukov further analyzed, "The Germans' indiscriminate bombing is to delay the retreat of the northern cluster, and their offensive on the western front should be aimed at inserting the armored cluster between Moscow and Kalinin."

"The Germans want to annihilate our northern cluster?" Stalin sneered, "Their appetite is not small!"

Zhukov nodded and said, "Yes, the Germans have a big appetite, but as long as we find out their intentions, we have a chance to defeat them."

"Oh?" Stalin asked, "Set a trap for the Germans?"

"Yes!" Zhukov said, "The General Staff believes that it is possible to allow part of the German armored cluster to break into the Klin area between Moscow and Kalinin, and then concentrate a powerful tank assault cluster to flank it and cut off their contact with the rear."

Klin belongs to Moscow Oblast, located between Kalin and Moscow in Kalin Oblast, on the Red October Railway Line, more than 60 kilometers away from Moscow city and more than 70 kilometers away from Kalin.

If the German army occupied Klin, the main traffic line between Kalinin and Moscow would be cut off, and the Central Front's northern group would be caught in a dilemma of being attacked from both sides.

However, the German group that broke into Klin was also attacked from both sides, because there were large areas of fortifications around Kalinin and Moscow that were painstakingly built by the Soviet army. Starting from the autumn of 1943, millions of people worked hard for more than half a year to build countless fortifications. No matter how strong the German army's offensive capabilities were, it would take a long time to clear them.

"If we want to implement this plan," Zhukov said, "there is no need to withdraw the 1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th Guards Tank Armies on the northern front back to Moscow. We only need to concentrate them in the Kalin fortification zone. At the same time, we will concentrate the 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies and other mechanized groups in the Moscow fortification zone. Then, after the German army breaks into Klin, we will launch a pincer attack from the north and south, and strive to annihilate the German armored group! Considering the threat of the German Air Force, we can arrange the tank army's assault at night, and use night battles and close combat to defeat the German armored group in one fell swoop!"

This plan seems to have set a trap for Germany, but in fact it is a gamble by Zhukov - it is a gamble with the last bit of luck of the Soviet Union.

However, this is also a last resort. As the muddy season is about to end, the German armored group will soon regain its vitality, and then it may be the end of the Soviet Union.

After listening to Zhukov's latest plan, Stalin also showed a long-lost smile on his face. Zhukov's plan... sounds completely feasible! How powerful can a German armored group that goes deep into the muddy season alone be? How can it withstand the attack of 6 tank armies? Maybe it will be completely wiped out by the joint attack of 6 tank groups!

"Very good!" Stalin nodded to Zhukov approvingly, "This plan can be implemented." He thought for a while and said, "In order to better implement the operation of pincer attack on the German army, we can now re-establish the Kalinin Front to unify the command of the Red Army on the battlefield north of Moscow Oblast. Let General Chuikov be the commander of the front!"