Chapter 417 Caucasus (5)

Hoffman nodded. Since the successful imitation of Motorola walkie-talkies and the introduction of German-made small walkie-talkies into the field command system, the efficiency of troop command has improved a lot. He continued to subtly use the military systems of later generations to transform the army during World War II as much as possible. Keitel, Zeitzler, Rommel, Guderian, etc. had heard his "vision" for future military changes, although the head of state always said that A "fantastic idea" still seems difficult now, but it does not prevent them from understanding, transforming and absorbing it - if someone proposed that future wars should be mechanized and blitzkrieg 10-15 years ago, it would definitely be the same situation.

Based on his request and "technical information", German experts quickly developed a special radio system for the command headquarters mounted on a half-track armored vehicle. This is not to say that Germany did not have a vehicle-mounted command radio system before. In fact, German radio equipment is the best in the world. The range is considered first-rate, and the reason for the "special" prefix is ​​that this radio system is unique and uses standard laboratory products - transistors.

After the transistor was invented in 1929, it has not been put into practical use due to the difficulty of purification, cost factors, reliability, etc. All radios use electron tubes, which limits the power of the radio station. However, Hoffman proposed that transistors must be used to develop new radio systems. , experts worked very hard to build this system and installed it on an Sdk251 command vehicle like an ordinary vehicle radio system. Although the production process was time-consuming and laborious, the effect far exceeded the times. When it pulled out a 10-meter-high vehicle When a Yagi antenna is mounted and telegraph signals are sent, point-to-point communication can be achieved anywhere in the world. When transmitting voice signals, the distance can reach up to 400 kilometers (it becomes less clear for ordinary car radios exceeding 50 kilometers).

Speaking of which, both the Yagi antenna and the magnetron were the first to be developed in Japan, but they were not taken seriously in Japan. The Yagi antenna had been relatively popular in Europe and the United States before the war, while the magnetron was developed after Japan and Germany carried out technical exchanges. It was accidentally discovered by German radar experts - it worked very well when used to transform maritime rhythm radars. The entire combined fleet admired German radar and communication technology, and they never thought that the source of some key technologies was actually in Japan.

Only two such command vehicles were produced, each costing more than a Tiger tank. They were all given to Army Group South. Manstein was not stingy either. Hube and Dietrich, the two division commanders who were responsible for the main attack tasks, each had their own. We were assigned a car, and now this call was made by Hubei with the attitude of trying it out to report to the headquarters. When he heard that the head of state was also at the headquarters and talking to him, he was obviously very excited.

Through communication with Hube, Hoffman promptly grasped the dynamics of the front line: Hube first used a Tiger heavy armor battalion as a bait to launch an attack, luring Rokossovsky to send tanks to contain it. When the Red Army deployed two tank corps When trying to encircle and annihilate this heavy armored battalion, the 16th Armored Division quickly attacked and surrounded the two tank corps with a pincer offensive. When the other side anxiously sent the last two tank corps to the field, Dietrich's Guards Corps Division and two other heavy armored battalions appeared, and an unprecedented tank battle broke out between the two sides in the Morozovsk area.

There were 1,500 or more armored vehicles (tanks, assault guns, self-propelled artillery) engaged in combat at the scene. The German Army invested more than 800 vehicles, and the Red Army invested more than 600 vehicles. Hube and Dietrich each had one in hand. The tank battalion serves as a reserve unit, ready to enter the battlefield at the last moment. Of course, it is said that 1,500 armored vehicles are engaged in the battle. In fact, there may only be 500-600 tanks fighting directly face-to-face. The rest are either outflanking or providing support. Judging from Hubei's hearty laughter, it seemed that the battle was progressing smoothly.

After listening to the introduction, Hoffman suddenly remembered the tank battle that took place in Prokhorovka during the Battle of Kursk in history: the protagonists of that tank battle were three SS armored divisions, namely the Guardsmen. , Reich and Skeleton Divisions, and their opponent was the 5th Tank Army of the Red Army. This time the protagonists were replaced by the 16th Armored Division and the 4th Tank Army. Compared with the comparison of the number of tanks between Germany and the Soviet Union in that battle, the current situation is undoubtedly much more favorable - the German army is not only superior in tank performance, but also in terms of quantity. Overwhelm the opponent.

He did not want to interfere with the decision-making of the frontline commander, but when he thought of the situation in the Battle of Prokhorovka where the tank crews of both sides were still fighting each other after the tank was destroyed, he immediately warned: "After the tank is destroyed, we must do our best to save the crews." , They must not be allowed to do the work of ordinary infantry - if the tanks are gone, they can be rebuilt, but if the people are gone, they must not be allowed to do so.”

Hubei was stunned for a moment and immediately agreed.

While speaking, the phone receiver was accompanied by the roar of shelling and bomb explosions in the distance. Between the explosions, Hoffman could clearly hear the sounds of a large number of "Ula"s ringing out from the front, and then followed immediately. Another burst of "Ula".

Putting down the phone, he frowned and asked: "The Russians' counterattack is very powerful? Why is it always 'Ula'? There is no cry from our soldiers."

"Führer, in fact, not all of the 'Ula' belongs to the enemy, at least half of it belongs to our army, and our army's voice is louder."

After Weller's explanation, others understood: the first wave of "Ula" was the cry of the Russian Liberation Army, and the slogan they followed was "For New Russia!" The second wave of "Ula" was the Red Army, and they followed closely The slogan was "For Stalin!"

"Did you drag the Russian People's Liberation Army to attack the fortress?" Hoffman asked doubtfully, "Didn't you always say that it would be tasked with defense?"

Manstein turned his head to Keitel, his look was very clear: You repeatedly said that fewer people should die, so of course I pulled the Russian People's Liberation Army to fight!

Keitel shrugged and gave a helpless look, as if to say: "Don't look at me, the casualty target of 50,000 people is set by the head of state."

Manstein explained: "Before you came, wasn't I worried about advancing too fast? Pulling the Russian People's Liberation Army up was a strategy to reduce the speed while not arousing the suspicion of the Red Army. Now it seems that the effect is not bad."

In the initial strategy of Army Group South, the Russian People's Liberation Army wearing German military uniforms was the second echelon, preparing to follow and expand the occupied area after opening a gap with the front-line troops. However, under occasional circumstances, it was found that the Russian People's Liberation Army was particularly "promoting hatred". It is effective. Most of the time, when ordinary Red Army troops face such a violent German attack, they only make a cursory resistance and then retreat. But if the Russian People's Liberation Army comes to attack, usually both sides will fight to the end. The battle will not end unless one side fails as a sign. The Russian Liberation Army is like a flesh and blood magnet, firmly attracting the attention of the Red Army.

Manstein was overjoyed and immediately took this characteristic to its extreme: He instructed the Russian People's Liberation Army to send 1-2 divisions to attract the attention of the Red Army, and then sent other troops to outflank the Don Army in an attempt to prepare for the Don Army. An encirclement, and Morozovsk is an important node on the encirclement. Manstein's heart was not dark. He didn't want to kill the Don Front in one go. He just wanted to eat 1-2 of the opponent's armies. It would be better if he could add a tank army.

"What are you going to do next?"

"Continue to attack, push the Russians across the meander of the Don River, and return the front to the level it was last September." Lieutenant General Weiler pointed at the sand table with his pointer, "On the left flank of our army, General Hott is clustering to contain the enemy. The Bryansk Front and the Southwest Front, on the right wing of our army, General Kleist's group is containing the Stalingrad Front and the Caucasus Front. The main goal of our Southern Army Group's center is to assault the enemy's Don Front. The total strength is 700,000 to 500,000. In terms of technical weapons, the ratio of tanks to self-propelled artillery in the central area is 1,500:900, and the ratio of aircraft is 1,500:600. In the main breakthrough areas, the ratio is 2-3 times. advantages.”

"Considering that the spring thaw is coming, the overall campaign window is only a little over three weeks. The main forces will stop attacking around April 15 and then use a week to retreat," Manstein asked. , "I wonder if this arrangement is enough to support the second phase of the 'Spring Awakening' campaign?"

Hoffman nodded: "In terms of time, it is enough. I would like to hear in detail your plan and arrangements for the second phase of the operation."

"The enemy forces confronting our army group have a total of 5 front armies, with a total of about 2.3-2.5 million people. The first phase goal is to contain the 4 front armies and focus on assaulting the enemy Don River Front Army. According to the tactical plan and war chess deduction results, The results of the remaining four fronts are 150,000-200,000 people. The Don River Front also has 150,000-200,000 people. The tanks and aircraft are expected to be 1,000 and 800. The permanent losses our army plans to pay are..." Manstein After a pause, he said, "The permanent losses of the German troops will not exceed 40,000, the Russian Liberation Army will not exceed 30,000, the remaining Allied troops will not exceed 20,000, and the losses of tanks and aircraft will not exceed 300."

"As for the detailed plan for the second phase of the operation, it has not yet been finalized, but the goal is clear." Manstein drew a circle on the sand table, "annihilate Tyulenev's Caucasus Front by the end of May, and then eat the enemy 500,000-600,000, reducing the total number of enemy troops on the southern flank of the Eastern Front to less than 1.5 million, and integrating our army's Don River Theater and the Inner and Outer Caucasus Theater into one. If possible, we can occupy the entire Caucasus region by then. At present, Army Group South has 1.5 million troops, plus 1 million Turkish troops and 150,000 Iranian troops. We will gather 2.65 million troops on the southern flank - Stalin needs to mobilize at least 1.5 million troops from the north and center to cope with it. By then, Model. Then you can let go and do something big.”