Chapter 113 Withered Rose

While the flames of war on the ground battlefield were still raging and had not yet been completely burned out, the fight in the sky was still a life-and-death struggle with no clear winner.

The German air commander who received a clear order from the commander when taking off from the airport naturally understood the importance of today's air battle.

The troops mobilized by the Soviet army to besiege the city of Yelnya were not as simple as a dozen divisions. According to the results of aerial reconnaissance, more than half of the troops of the entire Soviet Western Front commanded by Marshal Timoshenko had gathered here, and at least three Soviet army groups were attacking the city of Yelnya or on their way.

On the other hand, the German army on the defensive had a long front line because of the rapid offensive. Most of the large forces of the German Central Army Group, including Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group, were far behind. Both the supply lines for troops and the transportation lines for baggage and materials were now stretched to the limit.

The German troops responsible for defending Yelnya City only had two complete division-level units, the 10th Armored Division of the Wehrmacht and the "Empire" Division of the SS, plus the Wehrmacht Großdeutschland Infantry Regiment with 14 combat battalions.

The German troops trapped in Yelnya City and its surrounding suburbs by the Soviet Army on three sides not only had limited supplies and shortage of supplies, but also had a number of troops and ground firepower density that were not at the same level as the Soviet Army.

So although the German troops defending Yelnya City were three ace divisions that Guderian valued and trusted, facing such a large number of Soviet attacking forces, even the commander of the Imperial Division, Hausser, who was also leading his troops into a bitter battle, felt uneasy.

The German Army, whose mechanization level was far lower than that of the US Army at the same time, was known as a blitzkrieg, but most of its grassroots troops under the current system relied on walking or even mule and horse transportation.

Under such conditions, it was obviously unrealistic for the German army to support the front line in time before the Soviet army completely crushed Yelnya.

When the overall situation had deteriorated to the most critical moment, the German Air Force, which had been invincible since the outbreak of the blitzkrieg against Europe, obviously became the last hope for the German troops stationed in Yelnya.

The air commander of the German fleet who led the team to the battlefield at the airport did not expect that today's mission would encounter a powerful ambush and interception by the Soviet Air Force.

It stands to reason that facing such a large number of Soviet air superiority fighters that even exceeded the number of their own fighters by more than twice, the commander of the German fleet who led the team could completely order a retreat to temporarily avoid the Soviet fleet.

After all, the BF109E3 fighters used by the German Air Force at this time were only slightly better than the MiG-3 and LaGG-3 fighters in the hands of the Soviet Air Force, and there was definitely no quality gap that could produce a crushing effect. Moreover, the Soviet pilots who drove these fighters were still affiliated with the elite aviation regiment that had just been transferred from Moscow.

However, after deliberately glancing at the ground battlefield scene while diving at low altitude, the German air commander couldn't help but feel nervous. These Soviet heavy tanks that broke through the first line of defense of the Great German Infantry Regiment were simply unstoppable like a flood, and the Soviet infantry following them were rushing into the gap torn open by the German positions like a dam-breaking flood. The number of them was almost enough to reproduce the human sea tactics cluster charge wave during World War I.

Under such circumstances, if the German fighter units responsible for fighting for air supremacy in the sky were defeated or retreated, then the Stuka dive bombers that were still hovering in the distance waiting for the opportunity would have no choice but to turn around and go home.

At that time, even if the Soviet aviation units that were pursuing the victory did not carry ground attack mounts and only had air combat capabilities, dozens of Soviet fighters would only need to dive and strafe the positions of the Great German Infantry Regiment. At the same time, the Great German Infantry Regiment, which was hit by the Soviet air-ground integrated coordinated offensive, would not be able to command and defend even if Moltke was alive again.

Realizing that the war situation had deteriorated to such an extent, the German air commander simply made up his mind. The various humiliating scenes that the German motherland suffered after the defeat in World War I appeared in front of him like a slide show in an instant. The head of state stood in front of the podium and raised his arms and shouted "Germany will never surrender before fighting again" as if his loud shouts echoed in his ears again.

"Lilith, my love, please bless me"

The powerful Daimler-Benz DB601 fuel direct injection engine roared out the extremely powerful engine thrust. The BF109E3 fighter with bullet holes on its wings trembled the smiling black and white photo on the dashboard. The scarred war eagle immediately climbed straight into the sky again under the control of the German Air Force major.

The ancient Chinese understood the true meaning of war. "When encountering an enemy, you must draw your sword, and those who die in battle are still honored even if they are defeated" is the true interpretation of the strong in war.

When the BF109E3 fighter with black roses and 21 shot-down marks on its fuselage was broken by a Soviet MiG-3 and two LaGG-3 fighters, it immediately fell into a stall roll, dragging thick black smoke and flames symbolizing death and falling headfirst into the ground.

The German fighter unit, which had been besieged and beaten by the Soviet Air Force, which had an absolute numerical advantage, and had only 8 bullet-riddled BF109E3s left, could no longer hold on. The loss of the battlefield commander was the last straw that broke the camel's back, and finally forced these German pilots, who had already been seriously exhausted, to retreat in the same direction they came from.

The Soviet Air Force, which won the air battle with its numerical advantage and fearless spirit of sacrifice, also suffered heavy losses. The "truth of the Patriotic War" that the losses were greater than those of the Germans after winning the battle was once again fulfilled. The 23 Soviet fighter wreckages scattered in various locations on the battlefield, which were burning fiercely, silently told the blood and hard-won victory.

When the remaining BF109E3 fighters of the German army, which had lost their battlefield commander, retreated with the Stuka group circling and waiting in the distance,

At this moment, a powerful engine roar suddenly sounded again from the direction of the Soviet Air Force's attack. The broad and strong wings immediately controlled the streamlined fuselage and dived straight down towards the ground battlefield where the fierce fighting was in full swing.