USSR 1941

  Chapter 775 Retreat

   Gunshots, shouts of killing, and explosions of grenades rang together.

   The moment the Soviet amphibious landing ship rushed ashore, the outcome was decided.

  If it is other troops, they are afraid that they will flee or surrender immediately.

  Because as the Europeans say, if you can't change the situation of the battle, it is not a shame to surrender or run away.

   This is the time when the situation of the battle cannot be changed: the German army has actually been surrounded by the Soviet army, and it is a small-scale and close-range encirclement.

  To be precise, it was the part of the German army near the Don River. At the beginning, there were not many German troops surrounded, about one regiment or so.

  The front of this circle is a tank regiment of the Soviet Army, the left flank is the Don River, and the rear is the 82nd Infantry Regiment that has just crossed the Don River.

   If there is any way out, it is only that the encirclement to the west has not been closed.

   But there is no gap at all.

  The reason is as mentioned before, this is a small-scale, close-range encirclement.

  Although the large-scale and long-distance siege is terrifying, at least it still has reaction time.

  For example, Paulus's 6th Army, whose entire army was surrounded in Stalingrad, could also use the Don River and the Volga River to open up an open space as a defensive depth and even build an airport for transportation.

   As for the small-scale and close-range encirclement, there is almost no chance to take a breath. Often, the enemy's bullets and bayonets have appeared in the rear before realizing what is going on.

  The encirclement of the 82nd Infantry Regiment on the German 273rd Regiment was like this.

So on the surface, there is still a way of life in the west, but this way of life is completely under the control and blockade of the firepower of the Soviet army and even the crossfire. Even if the encirclement circle has not been substantially completed, the encirclement has been closed in terms of firepower, not to mention that the German soldiers have no response at all. time.

  However, the 273rd Regiment of the German Army showed extraordinary combat effectiveness. They were still desperately resisting under the attack of the Soviet Army on both sides, relying on buildings, darkness, and hiding in the corpses to continuously attack the Soviet Army.

  Shuerka actually didn't pay attention to so much, he led the troops all the way to the west.

  Since the position of the 82nd Infantry Regiment is on the second line of the German army and the flank of the enemy's defense line, the penetration is very smooth... Attacking on the flank of the defense line and attacking the front of the defense line are two different things.

  Attacking from the front means that both the enemy and the enemy are fully deployed, one knife against one knife, one gun against one gun, and it is easy to fall into a tug-of-war.

  Attacking from the flank means that our forces are fully deployed while the enemy has only a small group of people on the edge in the same unit of time.

   In terms of close combat, it is obvious that the Soviet "Bobosha" submachine gun has the advantage.

   As a result, the German defense line fell one after another like dominoes.

It wasn't until the defense zone of the German 8th Airborne Division that they felt the pressure and the momentum of the attack slowed down... The German Airborne Division is usually a well-trained elite unit. At the same time, in order to better complete the airborne mission, they are equipped with many submachine guns , which gives it an advantage comparable to that of "Poposa" in close combat.

   Then the news reached Manstein.

  Major General Moritz reported to Manstein with a pale face: "I regret to tell you, Marshal, we can't hold it anymore!"

Manstein did not understand the meaning of Major General Moritz's words, and thought that Major General Moritz had just lost confidence, so he comforted him: "Cheer up, General! As long as we persist until dawn, our air force will soon... "

"No, Marshal!" Major General Moritz interrupted Manstein: "Our position has been lost, you must organize a retreat immediately, otherwise the entire Don Army will be surrounded, including you, Marshal! "

   "What? The position is lost?"

"Yes!" said Major General Moritz, "they're piercing our defenses from the Don, amphibious landing ships! We can't stop their attack, it's over! Karachi, Stalingrad! Retreat, Marshal. We lost!"

  Manstein was stunned for a moment, but only for a moment.

  He knew that if the battle situation was as Major General Moritz said, it would really be hopeless.

  So Manstein no longer hesitated, and immediately ordered the adjutant: "Order all units to retreat in the direction of Miloway!"

   Then Manstein said to Major General Moritz: "And you, general! Retreat!"

   "No, Your Excellency Marshal!" Major General Moritz replied: "If we also retreat, no one will be able to withdraw from Karachi!"

  Although Manstein was unwilling to admit it, the fact was true, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, General! I salute you, and I will take good care of your family!"

   "Thank you, Marshal!" Major General Moritz replied, "I am honored to fight with you!"

  The battle continues.

  Because the 8th Airborne Division temporarily blocked the attack of Shulka's 82nd Infantry Regiment, and Major General Moritz did not leave his command post until the last moment, the German army successfully organized a temporary defense line in the chaos.

   This temporary line of defense blocked the Soviet army for more than three hours until dawn.

  As soon as the sky was bright, the Soviet fighter jets were dispatched to intercept and intercept the German fighter planes... Don't think about it, the German army will definitely send fighter planes to provide cover for Karachi.

  The German air power may have the overall advantage, but the Soviet army concentrated all its hopes in Karachi, so the Supreme Command concentrated all the air power it could mobilize here, with a total of more than 200 fighter planes and more than 100 attack planes.

  The fighter plane was covered in darkness. When it flew over Karachi, the light of the entire sky was covered, as if returning to the night again.

   With such a large number of air forces intercepting, the German Air Force had no choice but to start a fierce air battle with the Soviet Air Force on the periphery.

  So, the Soviet army temporarily gained air supremacy in Karachi.

  What the Soviet army needs is only temporary air supremacy...

   This is the importance of first move.

  If the air supremacy fell to the German army first, then most of the tanks of the 51st Army would be destroyed by the German Air Force, so the deadlock would take a long time to break.

   But at this time, air supremacy was first in the hands of the Soviet army...

  So the Soviet tanks drove to the front of the infantry in a "crackling" manner. The artillery fire bombarded the front. The infantry used the armor of the tank as a cover and opened the way with the firepower of the tank. Only one charge broke through the German defense line.

   Sokolov led the second battalion to rush into the enemy's line of defense. They found a headquarters in a basement, where they found a German major general who committed suicide with a pistol.

  (end of this chapter)