Chapter 1003 Let’s Bet
"Marshal Imperial, good news, the 48th Armored Corps has just captured Volokolamsk. Now they are only 80 kilometers away from Moscow's outer defense line."
On the evening of April 25, Hessmann, who was about to leave the General Staff Headquarters in Zossen and go home, received news from Guderian that the 48th Armored Corps commanded by General Balck had captured Volokolamsk.
But this is not particularly good news, because today is already the sixth day of the German attack in the center, but the assault groups closest to Moscow have only advanced to 70 or 80 kilometers west of Moscow—— The Soviet reserve front's defensive capabilities were still stronger than the German General Staff expected.
Moreover, what is even more unexpected than the expectations of the German General Staff is the Northern Front Cluster of the Soviet Central Front. That is, the Kalinin Front that has been established again is still motionless!
Investigation showed that this front army, which had at least 1 million soldiers and thousands of tanks/assault artillery, still made no move to move south to join the central front army when its rear route was seriously threatened. Instead, it continued to build fortifications on the spot. It was as if they had not noticed that the German armored group was marching towards Moscow from the west and would soon threaten their retreat.
Because of the "immobility" of the Soviet Kalinin Front, the coalition's Northern Army Group and Paulus Group did not launch a major attack on the Soviet army. They just continued to attack the Soviet army on the May Day Town-Valdai line. However, in order to give the Soviet Kalinin Front something to think about, the German army's attack was not sharp. At present, they have only solved the siege of Valdai and have not captured May Day Town.
"Perhaps we should let Model and Paulus work harder." Hessman said, "First capture May Day Town, and then attack in the direction of Kalinin City, forcing the Soviet Kalinin Front to flee towards Moscow. The 4th Armored Army carried out a flank attack and launched an attack along the Red October Railway Line."
Guderian rolled his eyes and suddenly asked: "Why didn't Holt's army attack in the direction of Klin? It's only more than 50 kilometers away, and it might be captured on the 26th or 27th. And in two days, the Kalinin Front's army More than 1 million people cannot leave at all."
"Surrounding the Kalinin Front?" Hessman shook his head, "It's unlikely to succeed, right? Even if Klin is captured, the Kalinin Front can still retreat in a detour. They can even retreat to Yaroslavl Oblast... This is not as good as Take them into Moscow."
Yaroslavl Oblast is in the northeast of Moscow Oblast and is also a place full of forests and swamps. As long as the Kalinin Front retreats there, it will be difficult to capture it. They (referring to the Kalinin Front) could even withdraw all the way to the Volga-Ural region.
This will make it very difficult to "recover" the Volga-Ural region in the future.
"It is possible to succeed in encircling the Kalinin Front," Guderian expressed a different opinion. "As long as the Soviets themselves do not escape, we can encircle them."
"Aren't you going to escape?" Hessman stared at Guderian.
Guderian shrugged, "In fact, most of the armies that were surrounded in history had the opportunity to escape... The biggest reason why they were surrounded by the enemy was not to escape. So I think it is possible to encircle the Kalinin Front." !”
Hessman nodded. He knew that Guderian was right - although Hessman was a "water-filled military god", it did not mean that he had not studied military affairs attentively for many years. In fact, he has spent a lot of time and energy conducting military research over the past two decades. He even wrote several military books!
His military god is filled with water, but his military experts are real. Therefore, he knew very well that among most of the wonderful battle cases that could be commented on in military books, one party must have made a huge mistake.
No great battle can be fought without someone making big mistakes.
And most of the commanders who made big mistakes wanted to achieve a great victory that was not commensurate with the military power they had.
"What do you think the Soviet Union wants to do?" Hersman asked Guderian.
"We want a decisive battle!" Guderian said, "In the six days since April 20, our people have not seen a few JS-2 heavy tanks on the battlefield... I think they must be quietly gathering and preparing. Give us a hard time somewhere."
"In Klin?"
Guderian said this, and Hessman couldn't think clearly, and his more than 20 years of military research would be in vain.
"There is a 90% possibility." Guderian made a strangulation gesture with both hands. "If I were the Soviet Chief of Staff, I would also lead General Huth's armored group to Klin, and then make a big gamble. A handful!”
Hessman thought for a while and asked: "So... shall we bet?"
"Bet!" Guderian said without hesitation, "No matter what the fight is, it will be better than encountering 1,000 or 2,000 JS-2 tanks in Moscow."
…
"Comrade Katukov, how is the situation of your troops? Can they undertake the glorious mission of attacking the Nazi armored clusters?"
Late at night on April 25, Zhukov had already driven from Volokolamsk to Klin, which had been almost destroyed by German bombers. He met Kalinin at the headquarters of a collective farm outside the city. General Mikhail Yefimovich Katukov, commander of the 1st Guards Tank Army, came from the city.
A man who can become the commander of the 1st Guards Tank Army must be very proficient in tank warfare. Admiral Katukov can be said to be the most intelligent tank commander in the Soviet Union! When the world revolution broke out, he was only a tank brigade commander. He first led his troops to participate in the Battle of Lviv (which was almost carried out at the same time as the Battle of Warsaw, but the intensity was much less). Later, he was transferred to the commander of the 1st Tank Army. In January 1943, he was promoted to the commander of the 2nd Tank Army and participated in the Battle of the Junction that year.
Although his tank army suffered a disastrous defeat in the Battle of the Junction, the losses of the troops were still less than those of the other armies that participated in the battle. In addition, in previous battles, he always performed better than other officers of the same level, and even if he lost, he did not lose very badly. So he was ordered to replace General Vatutin to command the defeated tank group and join the Southwestern Front.
After that, he led his troops to fight in Ukraine, and did not retreat to Stalingrad until the late autumn of 1943. At this time, the troops under his command actually had more than 30,000 people and more than 100 tanks that could be driven!
Because of such a record, he was valued by Marshal Pavlov after leaving the Ukrainian battlefield and was appointed as the commander of the newly formed 1st Guards Tank Army.
In the upcoming "Klin Tank Battle", Katukov was appointed by Marshal Pavlov and served as the commander-in-chief of the "Northern Line Tank Group" (also known as the Katukov Group). He will be responsible for commanding a large number of elite troops selected from the 1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th Guards Tank Army to attack the left wing of the German army.
"The situation of the troops is not very good," Admiral Katukov told Zhukov the truth in response to his question. "The four heavy tank armies of the Kalinin Front have suffered certain losses in the continuous fighting for many days. Currently, there are less than 800 JS-2 heavy tanks that can be driven, and less than 900 T-34/85 tanks that can be driven."
"There are 1,700..." Zhukov nodded, "It should be enough."
Unlike the four heavy tank armies of the Kalinin Front, the 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies left in Moscow are fresh troops, and Zhukov has also drawn many tank brigades from other combined armies to strengthen these two armies. Now they can also produce about 1,700 JS-2 and T-34/85.
That is to say, in the upcoming Klin tank battle, the Soviet army can deploy up to 3,400 JS-2 and T-34/85 tanks - of course, the Soviet tank integrity rate has always been low. Now that 3,400 tanks can be used, it is common to get an 80% discount when they really get to the battlefield. However, more than 2,700 JS-2 and T-34/85 are not a small number...
...
"How many E-50s and 'Cheetahs' can be used now?"
Guderian, who had agreed with Hessmann to gamble with the Soviets in the evening, was on the phone with Marshal Manstein at the front.
"There are more than 670 E-50s," Manstein replied, "and more than 160 Jagdpanther tank destroyers."
The E-50A tank and the Jagdpanther tank destroyer are the two trump cards in Manstein's hand. However, from the launch of the offensive on April 20 to today, no matter how fierce the fighting on the front line is, he has not put the E-50A and the "Jagdpanther" into the battlefield.
Because the trump cards are to be used at the most critical moment!
"How many can join the 48th Armored Corps immediately?" Guderian asked.
"Join the 48th Armored Corps?" Manstein asked back on the phone, "Should Balke (the commander of the 48th Armored Corps) fight Kling?"
Manstein immediately guessed Guderian's intention.
"Is it okay?" Guderian asked on the phone.
"There are only 11 heavy armored battalions and 3 heavy tank destroyer battalions that can join the 48th Armored Corps immediately." Manstein did not give a direct answer, but talked about the situation of the troops. "There are definitely less than 400 E-50s that can be used (the full complement is 440, and the intact rate is also impossible to reach 100%), and the maximum number of "Cheetahs" can be used is 110.
The 48th Armored Corps can concentrate at most 2 armored divisions and 2 armored grenadier divisions for the assault on Klin. These troops have been consumed, and the total number of tanks/assault artillery/tank destroyers that can be used is definitely less than 1,500, and the total number of troops is less than 60,000.
In addition, because the roads are muddy, it is difficult for the troops to keep up with the oil supply, and it is a bit difficult to support a large-scale tank battle."
........
Finally, let me explain Luo Luo's update plan, because Luo Luo has to prepare two plans for the new book, one is to write a realistic life article in the early Tang Dynasty; the other is a backup, preparing to write William II of the Second German Empire, so it takes more time. So starting from the end of this month, I will update twice a day. I hope readers can understand. Thank you for your support.