Chapter 666: The Empire Strikes Back Part 5

"Most officers, soldiers and political workers of the 11th Tank Army and the 330th Infantry Division are loyal to their oaths and missions. For the liberation of all mankind and the Soviet motherland, they have adhered to their posts and fought to the last soldier and bullet. Now, the radio station of the 11th Tank Army and the 330th Infantry Division of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army is about to be shut down! The German tank cluster has appeared near the headquarters of the 11th Tank Army! Long live the world revolution! Long live the great Soviet motherland! Long live the great mentor and great leader Stalin! CL..."

Major General Rimoskik, Chief of Staff of the Western Front of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, read in a trembling tone the last telegram that Popov, commander of the 10th Army, had just received through the radio station of the 11th Tank Army!

Now, less than 24 hours after the Germans launched their counterattack, the Red Army's important stronghold of Radzimin in the northeast of Warsaw was captured by the Germans. The 100th Infantry Army suffered heavy losses, and the 11th Tank Army was almost wiped out (of course, many people ran away, but almost all tanks and vehicles were thrown away). Even the army commander Popov may have died for the cause of GCism.

This defeat is almost another Battle of Legionovo-Wolomin!

And the situation reflected is even worse than the Battle of Legionovo-Wolomin! Because the 4th Army was caught off guard by the German heavy armored group without any preparation, and now the 10th Army was defeated in less than 24 hours while relying on the defense line.

This shows that the combat effectiveness of the German armored forces is far beyond previous expectations!

After reading Popov's "last message", the Chief of Staff of the Western Front, Rimoskik, stood there in a daze. The entire operations room was also depressed. Commander Pavlov's big bald head was covered with fine beads of sweat, and he sat there motionless.

Military Commissar Ponomarenko was puffing on his cigarette. Now, comrades such as Popov, commander of the 10th Army, Bakharov, commander of the 22nd Tank Army, and Barons, commander of the 100th Infantry Army, have already sacrificed their lives for the cause of human liberation and are all martyrs. Of course, the martyrs could not have been sent by the enemy. The Bolshevik Party emphasized that martyrs are the greatest, so the crime of losing the war cannot be borne by the martyrs. Then this crime is...

"Comrade Commander, Comrade Political Commissar!" Rimoskik's voice suddenly rang again. Pavlov and Ponomarenko looked up at the same time, only to see that the front chief of staff was holding another telegram copy in his hand.

"Urgent telegram from Comrade Zhimachenko, commander of the 3rd Army..."

The 3rd Army also had an accident? Pavlov and Ponomarenko's hearts skipped a beat at the same time.

"The 7th Tank Army reported that they encountered a powerful German armored division near the small town of Zakrochim on the Vistula River!"

Another armored division? It seems that the Germans have really sent a large number of troops to Warsaw!

"What is the current situation?" Pavlov asked immediately, "Can we defeat them?"

The 3rd Army is the main force of the Northern Group, and it also has 55 powerful T-34/57 tanks. If it can't defeat another German armored division...

Pavlov wiped the cold sweat from his bald head and thought: If the 3rd Army can't win, then the "Big Thunderstorm Plan" will most likely fail. At that time, I will be the number one sinner of the GCist cause, and I will be shot!

Thinking of this, he looked at the military commissar Ponomarenko for help.

Ponomarenko sighed and said: "Comrade Pavlov, the battlefield of the Western Front is not in Belarus, but in Poland. The front headquarters should move forward so that we can grasp the first-hand situation and facilitate command!"

What does this mean? Pavlov was stunned. Did Ponomarenko mean to let him learn from Popov and others? If they were defeated, they would die on the battlefield, but at least they would be called revolutionary martyrs?

This is a solution! Pavlov gritted his teeth. If he was shot as a reactionary, his family would suffer. If he died on the battlefield... then his family would be the family of martyrs.

"Comrade Military Commissar, you are right. I should go to the Polish front to command." Pavlov said, "I will immediately ask the Supreme Command to relocate the headquarters."

"Okay, that's good. I will suggest that Comrade Stalin approve your request." Ponomarenko smiled easily. His current position was finally saved.

He was not actually considering the war situation and Pavlov, but to take advantage of the good situation on the front line to quickly throw away the hot potato of the Military Commissar of the Western Front. Because his main job is the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Belarusian Party. If the Western Front headquarters moves out of Belarus, then he will no longer serve as the Military Commissar of the Front. Otherwise, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Belarusian Party will have to go to Poland to work, which is too much to take care of.

As long as he was not the Military Commissioner of the Western Front when the Western Front lost the battle, he would not be the one to take the blame...

Just when Ponomarenko was about to sell the big bargaining chip of the Military Commissioner of the Western Front to stop the loss, the "market" of his Western Front was rebounding.

...

Dozens of strong lights suddenly flashed on the battlefield shrouded in the night, like sharp arrows shot from a bow, shooting at the tanks of the fascist army in the darkness in the distance.

"Oh my God, this is... a searchlight?"

Major General Manteuffel, who was sitting in a half-track armored command vehicle, was also blinded by the light in front of him, but he immediately knew what it was? This is the searchlight of the anti-aircraft artillery unit, which is used to scare enemy planes at night. The German infantry divisions and armored divisions also have this thing, but they are generally not used for lighting in night battles.

"Quick, shoot down those damn searchlights!" Manteuffel shouted. As a tactical expert, he could think of the Soviets setting an ambush for him with his heels. These searchlights are for anti-tank guns!

Now rushing in front is the Hungarian Turang Type 1 tank, which does not have the frontal armor like the No. 3 assault gun, and it looks like it can't even stop the ZIS-3 cannon.

"Quickly give the Hungarians an order to retreat immediately..." As soon as Manteuffel's second order came out, dense artillery sounds came from the front, followed by a group of fireballs rising suddenly.

This is the unlucky Hungarian Turang Type 1 tank that was blown up!

It was unknown whether the tank driver was blinded by the sudden light or the Hungarian tank soldiers were a little slow. The Hungarian tank group that was suddenly attacked did not react for a while and rushed forward stupidly.

This was a good opportunity for the lurking Soviet Red Army T-34/57 tanks and ZIS-2 anti-tank guns. The shells hit the Hungarian tanks like hail, and they hit them accurately! These medium tanks with thin skin and large fillings were hit and caught fire one after another, turning into a burning pile of fire in the night.

Looking at the fireballs rising one after another in front of him, the political commissar of the 7th Tank Army, Oktyabrski, almost jumped up and shouted "Ura".

Although the 11th Tank Brigade suffered a lot of losses in order to lure the enemy, now this attack is successful, and it can get all back!

Moreover, this ambush also proved the value of the 57mm anti-tank gun, which is a weapon that should be mass-produced and equipped.

Boom boom...

When he was happy, the German No. 3 assault gun finally opened fire! Just as Major General Rotmistrov, commander of the 7th Tank Army, expected, the German assault guns really fired searchlights first.

The searchlight being hit was a signal!

All the ZIS-2 anti-tank guns that were firing immediately began to move their positions. Only more than 40 T-34/57s continued to fire. They were tanks and were not afraid of being covered by grenades fired by assault guns.

The half-track armored command vehicle of the 8th SS Cavalry Division, Fegelein, drove to Manteuffel's side. Fegelein stood in the open compartment of the command vehicle and asked Manteuffel loudly: "General, the Hungarian tanks have suffered heavy losses. Should we let our assault guns take over?"

"That won't work. Assault guns are not tanks." Manteuffel shook his head and immediately rejected Fegelein's suggestion.

Although the No. 3 assault gun has powerful firepower and very strong frontal defense, it is not a tank after all. It does not have a turret that can rotate and fire, and the side armor is not strong enough. This weapon can be used to support tanks, but it cannot be used to replace tanks.

"Then what should we do? Just give victory to the Bolsheviks?" Fegelein seemed unwilling.

"No, the Bolsheviks did not win. They were blocked by us." Manteuffel looked calm, not annoyed by the setbacks tonight. He said to Fegelein calmly, "The 48th Armored Corps will arrive tomorrow morning. By then, we will have an absolute advantage. We can completely destroy the Soviet armored group in front of us. And we have found out the Soviets' trump card!"

"Trumpet card?"

Manteuffel pointed to the front. Most of the searchlights had been extinguished by the 75mm gun of the No. 3 assault gun. Now the muzzle flame of the 57mm gun could be seen clearly in the night.

"This is not a 76.2mm cannon," Fegelein also discovered the problem, "This is a Soviet 57mm anti-tank gun."

"Height!" Manteuffel said, "Pay attention to the height of these guns. These guns are not placed on the ground, but are installed on the tanks... The Soviets installed the ZIS-2 57mm anti-tank gun on the T-34 tank! Now they have a tank that can threaten the Tiger tank!"

"It is true!" Fegelein nodded, "These Bolsheviks are making rapid progress and are smarter than expected."