One day a week later, the door of the ward was pushed open, and my mother walked in with tears in my eyes and my father's eyes red.

Qingqing's wife greeted her excitedly and shyly.

"Mom, Dad, you're here, and you've worked hard all the way. ”

"Ah, it's Shanshan's daughter-in-law, right? ”

Mom, she put away her tears, squeezed out a little smile, and said kindly.

"Is it Zhang Shan? Hello, hard work. Dad was behind his back, and replied solemnly.

"Well, I'm Zhang Shan, and I've been talking about it for a few days, but I'm looking forward to you. ”

Qingqing's wife smiled like a flower.

Gong Ping and his brothers smiled, said hello, "Hello uncle and aunt", and said goodbye.

Within half an hour, no one came in.

"Junjun, son, are you seriously injured? Are you better?" my mother held my hand and asked a series of questions, "You said you, okay, go and mess with those, officials, rich people, what are you doing?"

"Why am I so miserable, old woman!" My mother suddenly wailed and cried, "My son, grandson, and nephew are all about to be beaten to death! I don't want to live, Jun'er, my mother said that she won't let you come to the East China Sea, she won't let you come, you still want to come, now it's okay, right?

"Mom, you have to take care of your body, don't be too sad. Qingqing's wife also accompanied her to tears, "Now, grandpa has gone to the leader." ”

"Old woman, don't be sad!" Dad also choked up, "I believe that such a big international city, the level of the government!

"Old thing, you still have the face to say. "My mother has white hair, and I feel distressed when I see it, two months ago, the second brother also said on the phone that my mother added a few more silver threads, who knows, it's only been a few days, and it's all white.

In history, Wu Zixu passed the Zhao Pass and turned white overnight, it seems that it is not all romance!

"Three years ago, the military was about to resign, and he couldn't make up his mind, such a good unit, my son was sensible, saying that his parents were here, and he would not travel far", the mother gently patted his father's back, "You old thing is good! Ah, what do you say, a good man has ambitions in all directions." He also said that as big as a soldier, you have traveled all over the country. ”

"Mom, don't blame my dad, I'm leaving. "Seeing that my father was counted, I blamed the pitiful, I quickly persuaded my mother.

"Don't blame him, who is to blame?" "Mom burst into tears, "old thing." You're going to never stop in your life."

Mom's shoulders shrugged violently, and she cleared her wife and supported her with tears.

"From the beginning of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, to the fight against India and the Soviet Union, which time have you pulled down? My mother cried and counted, "Every time I say you, you're still not happy! Do you know how I got here? I don't know, I can't sleep well every day?"

Alas, my mother counts down my father, and it is better for our younger generations not to persuade, the more we persuade, the more we cry, and the more we persuade, the more we talk.

Sometimes, even the chronicle of how to take our three brothers will be recited.

It's a long time!

"Ahh I fought Vietnam that year, and I want to go back to the war. ”

"Well, that's true. I agreed.

"Yes, if it weren't for the persuasion of the army, I'm afraid I would have gone again. I also secretly called my old comrades-in-arms, do you think my wife and I are blind and deaf?

Mom continued to cry and complain that Daddy was irresponsible to the family.

"Mom, what did Junjun say?" Qingqing's wife is very interested in my past. She stopped her tears and asked curiously.

Later, I heard her say that for more than three weeks after her mother came, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted almost every day until the end of midnight. It mainly revolves around me, for example, my childhood, my hobbies, my joys and sorrows, etc.

"Oh, let me think. As if to say, yes, remembered,"

My mother suddenly realized and said kindly, "Junjun said that his father, the director, uses a knife to kill chickens." Well, our army, we have been good at language since childhood, and I memorized that at the age of 7, three hundred songs. ”

"Mom, is it 300 Tang poems?" Qingqing's wife, holding her mother, sat on the edge of my bed. Daddy was counted out, squirmed, and sat down in a chair a little farther away from us.

"Ah, that's right, it's 300 Tang poems. The old mother continued, "Junjun was still young at that time, but he would persuade him, he said, a small country, my cousin and cousin can clean up these young people." You don't need the old hero to come out! That's it, your dad just stopped. ”

"Oh, the army is very good at persuading! Yes, it's not a big country, that small country is still bragging, what is the third military power in the world. "Qingqing's wife, with a love star in her eyes, looked at me.

"Yes, his cousin, and his eldest cousin, let those people look for teeth all over the place. It's a pity that his cousin, seeing that he was about to win, still died. Poor me, poor Yongliang! Orphans and widows, finally Yongliang came to the East China Sea, and there is a hope, who knows, why didn't God accept them when there were five thunderstorms in those days! Open your eyes, God!"

Mom, I'm crying again.

Alas, the old and the old, the young and the young, my mother, has done it for so many years.

"Alright, alright. My son's injuries haven't healed yet. Besides, in those years, I didn't send money home!"

Daddy can't stand it anymore.

"Oh, old thing, you are embarrassed to say it, and you don't blush. Let's just say that your father, father-in-law and mother-in-law, which one of them is not waiting for me to leave. Yes, you are busy, for the sake of the country, I admit it. However, if you want to talk about money, it's boring!"

Mom started a new round of nagging.

"Most of the money you sent back was used by my father-in-law and my father to help the families of the people who died in the war. Have you and I taken 10,000 steps back, I should also join the army, old things, I will send money, you will serve this big family, the old ones and the young ones, okay?"

"Hehe!" "Hey, hey!" the old man was exhausted, "The revolutionary division of labor is different!Ah, no, I mean, old woman, you are our old Liu family, the number one meritorious hero, okay? Didn't people say, military merit medals, there are half of yours? No, what I said today, military merit medals, I have to drop, all of them are yours!"

"Really, don't be reluctant," the mother stopped crying, "don't regret it." Every time I look at your military medals, they are like treasures, and they are put away at a glance. Hey, old man, where are you hiding? I can't find it. ”

My mother is 9 years younger than my father, and sometimes, she is still more childlike than my father.

"Hahaha," Daddy smiled slyly, "The secret of heaven must not be revealed! However, for the sake of your hard work for so many years, I will give it all to you when I go back this time." Just, don't lose it!"

"Yes, yes, thank goodness, it's mine. Mom burst out laughing.

"Look at you, you look carried away, hey, old woman, have you forgotten your business?"

Dad was a little distressed and covered his cheeks. But right away, a great reminder.

"Yes, good daughter-in-law, Shanshan, mom wants to give you a good thing. ”

With a smile on her face, the mother took out a sandalwood box tied with red silk from her jacket pocket, opened it carefully, and took out an object tied to purple silk with both hands.

After the slipknot of the rope is twisted, inside is a green jade pendant, which is translucent and shiny.

"Mom, it's too precious. I," Qingqing's wife was very moved.

"Silly boy, don't say anything. Come on, Mom will put it on for you. ”

The old mother lovingly was a clean wife, and she was surrounded by a neck as white and tender as mutton fat.

"Well, it's a good match!" the old mother smiled in her eyes, "From today on, you will be the third-generation daughter-in-law of our old Liu family." Thank you for taking care of them for us. ”

"Well, Mom, it's not supposed to be! Thank you Mom, thank you Dad! I love it!"

Qingqing's wife is modest.

"Hahaha, or my daughter-in-law is more beautiful!"

Mom laughed.

"Mom, don't boast, I'm sorry. ”

Qingqing's wife blushed.

In the evening, Mr. Qian, I don't know how to know, I had to go to the East China Sea Blue Dream Seafood Restaurant to have a banquet for my parents, Yongliang's mother, Qingqing's wife's grandparents, and parents.

During the banquet, Mr. Qian praised me and Qingqing's wife, I didn't go, and Qingqing's wife came back and said that she was embarrassed.

"I'm just a little secretary, where is the great contribution to the company?"

"The old people on both sides, please relax! Qian is not talented, after so many years, he still knows a few high-ranking officials. My fellow countryman's grievances will definitely be washed away! ”

After the dinner, Qingqing's wife drove to her parents and Yongliang's mother, a rural woman in her 30s who looked like she was in her 40s, to visit me in the ward, and then to the city hospital where my sister was, to see her son and nephew, and then to the famous hotel in Yuantan, the "Peace Hotel", to rest.

Qingqing's wife's parents have opened a suite and a double bed room.

In the evening, the conversation was rising, and Qingqing's wife was reluctant. My mother volunteered to help her ask for leave for me, saying that their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law should talk about revolutionary ideals and let me stop waiting.

The next day, my mother came to see me. Qingqing's wife, send it to her son and nephew early, and my mother told me with tears in her eyes that I must be good to Shanshan!

"I'm not very good on my hands and feet, I have rheumatoid arthritis, you know. Junjun, your daughter-in-law, she actually helped me take a bath and rub my back!

I'm ashamed to say that! At most, I only washed your mother-in-law's feet, well, the last time, the old man left, and I just bathed her old man with your second aunt!

Alas, my mother's life is worth it! Children and grandchildren are angry, and daughters-in-law are filial.

Well, you must be good to others! Otherwise, I will scold you when I go underground in the future! Do you believe it?"

Mom said solemnly.

Dad was also very touched and said, "Now I can rest assured." The small day should be prosperous, and everything is prosperous!"

During that time, I was still very moved, after Yangtze River and Xiaoguan came to see me, Xiaoguan was sent by his old classmates to be a full-time driver for my parents and my cousin's daughter-in-law.

He himself drove a small car he bought, picked up his daughter-in-law every day, went to record production and went to work.

"Hahaha, after a while, when the real estate project is launched, please come and check it for us. ”

Before leaving, the old classmate solemnly requested.

One day, my father's comrades-in-arms sent a company commander and instructor to invite my father back to his old unit.

In front of my bed, two of my peers, the company commander and the instructor, sat and I were talking and arguing affectionately about the main battles of the Second World War.

"Company commander, instructor, look. During World War II, although Germany caused great harm to the people of the world, from a military point of view alone, the tactics and combat effectiveness of the German army were amazing, especially the large number of outstanding generals who emerged in the German army, leading them to successive victories in the early stage.

The Prussian nation has an excellent military tradition, and it is often a general, eight generations of ancestors are soldiers, there is a taste of steel in the blood, and Germany also has a complete modern military education system, so there are many excellent German generals in the entire World War II, which is also a major reason why Germany can sweep Europe.

There are three recognized famous generals in Germany: Guderian, Manstein and Rommel. They were all top commanders at the time, and although their ending was not very good, this could not erase their military command ability.

The father of the Panzer Army - Guderian

Guderian is just an army general, and his rank is not very high, so he is also nicknamed "General Gu" by military fans. Guderian held the positions of commander of the armored group, director of the tank corps, etc., so he is also known as the "father of the armored army".

Guderian is definitely a pioneer of modern armored warfare, and is known as the "world's first armored general". After the outbreak of World War II, Guderian led a tank corps to quickly defeat Poland, and then marched westward, swept through France, and reached the English Channel. The tank force led by Guderian can be said to be a sharp sword, charging forward, always tearing through the enemy's defenses, it can be said that without Guderian and his tank troops, Germany's war in the early days of World War II would not have been so smooth.

Guderian was removed from office by Hitler due to his crushing defeat at the Battle of Moscow, but was later reinstated, but Guderian had a great disagreement with Hitler, so he was removed from office again. At the end of World War II, Guderian was captured by the U.S. Army, was released, and died in 1954.

Desert Fox – Rommel

Rommel was a controversial figure and the least famous of the three. At the beginning of World War II, Rommel was only a small division commander, but his troops rushed and fought fiercely, and they were called "the devil's division". Later, in order to save Italy, Hitler sent Rommel to the North African battlefield to help Italy.

Later, the situation on the battlefield in North Africa took a turn for the worse, and Rommel was defeated by the Allied commander Montgomery. In 1944, there was a shocking assassination of Hitler, because Rommel was related to it, and was later given death by Hitler.

Master of strategy – Manstein

Unlike Rommel, Manstein was a good strategist. He is good at making battle plans. The battle plan for the German blitzkrieg against Poland was drawn up by him. However, Manstein's most astonishing work was the battle plan for the invasion of France.

As for how to attack France, Hitler advocated a direct copy of the Schlieffen plan of the First World War, attacking head-on, and confronting the hard. Manstein objected. He said: The back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves, and the people of the present world are better than the ancients, so is our generation still inferior to the previous generation? Why should we follow the script? It is better to cross the Ardennes Mountains and make a detour behind the main force of the British and French forces.

Due to the leak of the Schlieffen Plan, Hitler finally approved the Manstein Plan. As a result, the Germans took the Germans by surprise and ventured into the Ardennes, turning the Maginot Line into an ornament. It took less than six weeks to defeat France, the once formidable European hegemon.

As a big fan of the Panzer Corps, Manstein believed that the best defense was offense. The biggest advantage of the tank division is that it is rampage, maneuverable, and constantly attacking, destroying the enemy, and making the enemy have no ability to counterattack. As soon as the advance is stopped, it is possible to get caught in the encirclement of the enemy. After the outbreak of the Soviet-German war, Manstein led the 56th Panzer Army to rush into the territory of the Soviet Union for 200 kilometers within four days of the war, which made Hitler applaud.

With such an outstanding general, why should Hitler worry about the uncertainty of the world? However, this general raised terrible questions about Hitler's command. On the Soviet-German battlefield, when it was time to attack, Hitler nervously stopped advancing. It was time to hit Moscow, but Hitler was going to turn around and go to **Klan. Capricious and unpredictable, as a result of which the Germans suffered heavy losses, and Manstein's son was killed.

British military historian Liddell Hart said that "Field Marshal Manstein had a unique eye for the possibilities of warfare, and he had proven to be the most capable military commander in the German Army, and everyone expected him to be competent for the post of Commander-in-Chief of the German Army." However, the commander-in-chief did not become commander-in-chief, and in March 1944, Manstein was dismissed by Hitler.

After the defeat of Germany, Manstein surrendered to the British Field Marshal Montgomery. In 1949, Manstein was sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was released after 3 years. In 1956, due to his talent, Manstein was appointed military adviser to the Federal German Ministry of Defense and returned to his old career against the Soviet Union. In 1973, Manstein died of illness at the age of 86".

After I talked endlessly about the lives of these famous generals, I argued with the company commander, a veteran from 1993, about one of the most classic battles commanded by Manstein, the miracle of Severodonets.

"O great army, let me tell you about the course of the campaign: the Battle of Moscow at the end of 1941 gave the Soviets, who had suffered a series of heavy defeats at the beginning of the war, a little confidence that the Germans were not invincible, at least in winter. So in the winter of 1942, they repeated their old tricks. Compared to last year, the Soviets had more capital and at the same time launched a fierce attack on Army Group Center and Army Group B in the south. Army Group Center thwarted the Soviet Mars offensive with the activity of the "Lion of the Defense" Moder (which was one of Zhukov's few defeats), but Army Group B, which was a mixed group of fish and dragons in the south, was not so lucky. The iron flow of the Soviet army ran over the two flanks of the German 6th Army, which was covered by the troops of Italy, Romania and other countries that were "in charge of the army", and pocketed the entire 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army, a total of 22 divisions and 330,000 people.

The crisis caused by the huge salient and the long flanks created by the German breakthrough into the Caucasus finally erupted with the encirclement, continuous and powerful eruption of the 6th Army, and not only the 6th Army was in danger, but Army Group A, which had broken through into the Caucasus, could also be pocketed. It turned out that the Soviet army's campaign decision-makers did have such ambitions. The southern front of the German army on the Eastern Front was in danger of total collapse.

Faced with such a critical situation, Hitler's 11th Army Commander Erich von Manstein, who had been promoted to marshal in the middle of the year for the capture of the Crimean peninsula from the Leningrad Front in late November, was recalled to the Southern Front as commander of the newly formed Army Group "Don".

Manstein's main tasks at that time were twofold: 1. To break the encirclement, rescue the 6th Army, and restore its connection with Army Group A and the rest of Army Group B. 2. Protect the flanks and rear security of the entire Army Group A.

In fact, both of these tasks are undoubtedly difficult for the strongman. Because on the long front involved in these two tasks, Manstein had only two mobile forces at his disposal. If it is said that the rescue of the 6th Army relied on the concentration of forces and mobile assault to have some feasibility, the protection of the rear of Army Group A was completely out of touch with reality. If such a small number of troops were to resist the Soviet army's vigorous million-strong division in such a wide area, it was more likely that it would be a wasted battle. At the same time, the area was also filled with a large number of Italian and Romanian troops routed by the Soviets, and these "Allied" forces were disorganized, lacking in will to fight and heavy equipment, and spread panic of collapse and defeat on the front, which largely disrupted the German army's own position.

Faced with the dilemma of a huge shortage of troops and the critical battle situation, the only way Manstein could think of was to let the 6th Army break through and use the 6th Army itself to fill the gap in strength, and at the same time retreat and shorten the front and restore the density of troops on the front. This was the most feasible way to keep Army Group A at that time as a "bridgehead" for continuing its advance in the Caucasus.

You can look at the battlefield situation map at that time, the Soviet army at that time was like a noose around the neck of Army Group A, and the encircled 6th Army was desperate not to let the noose tighten like the hand between the neck and the noose, if this hand was cut off, the entire Army Group A could be strangled to death, so Manstein was determined to save this hand that was related to the fate of Army Group A.

But Manstein's suggestion to lead his troops to break out of the 6th Army was rejected by Hitler, and Manstein first encountered the Führer's notorious fetish: "reluctance to retreat". Perhaps for the field commanders of the German army on the Eastern Front at that time, Hitler's incomparably stubborn habit was their worst enemy.

Objectively, of course, Hitler was a man blinded by success – something that many German generals were reluctant to admit: it was largely Hitler's strict orders against retreat that saved the German army from the same avalanche of defeat in early 1942 as Napoleon's. This experience, combined with his paranoia, continued to create tragedy from the end of 1942.

Another successful experience that led Hitler to make a wrong judgment was the Battle of Dimyansk, which also took place in early 1942. At that time, the 16th Army, which was surrounded by Soviet troops in Dimyansk, had 120,000 men supported by air supplies for two months, and waited for other units to break the siege. It just so happened that the "fat man who always does bad things" Air Force Commander Goering jumped out at this time and took over the task of airlifting the 6th Army in a big way. However, at this time, the heavy losses suffered by the German transport aircraft in the Battle of Dymiyansk have not yet recovered, and there are more than 300,000 people in the encirclement this time, as well as armored troops, and the supply pressure is three times that of the previous one. Goering, ignorant of the specific needs of the task, took care of the task without serious mobilization of transport forces, and the situation was irreparable by the time the doer, Colonel-General Richthofen, commander of the 4th Air Army, was given the mobilization authority.

Still, Manstein did not give up his efforts – at least Hitler did not intend to sacrifice the 6th Army, and the two men reached a rare agreement on this point – although this did not help Manstein in the current crisis. Hitler's agreement to send more troops to the southern front was a mere lack of thirst, and the Allied armies were useless—in fact they would not have been able to add to the confusion at this juncture. Manstein could only rely on the two Panzer Corps at hand to start a rescue operation - the 6th Army left it aside, first break through the encirclement!

Manstein organized his mobile forces into two battle groups, namely, the "Hollitt" battle group with the 48th Panzer Corps as the core and the "Hoth" battle group with the 57th Panzer Corps as the core. Manstein planned to form a pincer offensive with two battle groups to break through the Soviet encirclement, but before the attack began, the "Hollitt" battle group was overwhelmed by the Soviet troops attacking from the northeast, and the "Hoult" battle group had to brave the heavy snow on December 12 to make a solo assault. This is where the "race against death" begins.

Manstein's attack was very fierce, and the lone "Holt" battle group broke through to a distance of only 45 kilometers from the encircled German troops on the 19th in just one week, and the German troops in and outside the encirclement could already see the signal flares fired by the other side. However, on the 16th, the Soviets put into strategic reserves and stormed the "Hollitt" battle group and the Italian 8th Army on Manstein's left flank, and at the same time, the "Hoth" battle group was also blocked by the new Soviet forces, and it became very difficult to continue the breakthrough. Manstein felt the increasing pressure from the Soviet army, and he was well aware that the rescue route he had worked so hard to open was becoming more and more difficult to hold, and that he could only do so with his own strength - in other words, this was the last chance to save the 6th Army. Manstein then summoned great courage and openly disobeyed Hitler's orders and sent a telegram to the commander of the 6th Army, General Paulus, ordering him to lead his troops to break out of the encirclement (although the 6th Army had always been under Hitler's personal command, it was nominally part of Manstein's Army Group Don at the time).

The distance of 45 kilometers was not insurmountable for the 6th Army, which at that time had more than 200,000 men at the time – especially when this huge combat group was fighting for its own survival. However, Admiral Paulus, who had long served as chief of staff rather than commander of field forces, did not have such courage – in stark contrast to Manstein's consciousness that he was responsible for disobedience for saving his troops. His response undoubtedly frustrated the rest of Army Group Don, which had fought bloodily to save the 6th Army. Both Manstein and Guderian regretted this in their memoirs later in their memoirs, but both expressed understanding of Paulus's choice, believing that Paulus had made the decision based on the weakness of his own troops and doubts about the feasibility of the breakout. Of course, no matter how you look at this, it is more of a scene of words, probably because Manstein, who still adheres to the military reserve, thinks that it is not appropriate to publicly criticize Paulus, and he cannot say it explicitly, especially Guderian, who is an old friend of Paulus.

In this way, the fate of the 6th Army was completely out of Manstein's hands, but Manstein still led his troops to fight fiercely around the encirclement, waiting for changes, hoping that Paulus would change his mind. However, the Soviets would not give Manstein any more time, and the Italian 8th Army had already begun to retreat as early as the 18th, and the "Hollitt" battle group, supported by all the aviation under Manstein's command, was still unable to stop the Soviet offensive with all its might. On the 23rd, the vanguard of the Soviet army under the command of General Vadudin had moved 180 kilometers south, tearing a 100-kilometer-wide gap on the German front, and the city of Rostov-on-Don, the "lifeline" of Army Group Don and Army Group A, was suddenly opened.

In the face of such a major crisis, Manstein, who had no reserves in his hands, had to draw the elite 6th Panzer Division from the "Hoult" battle group to resist the Soviet troops rushing south in the northwest. On the 24th, the Soviet army launched a counteroffensive against the "Hoth" battle group, and the exhausted "Hult" battle group was forced to retreat after two days of resistance. On the 29th, the "Hoth" battle group had been pushed back to an area 200 kilometers away from Stalingrad, and the hope of rescuing the 6th Army was finally completely dashed.

In fact, Manstein had no time to care about the life or death of the 6th Army, and he was facing a crisis a thousand times more serious than the destruction of the 6th Army - in any case, he had to block the Soviet troops that broke through to Rostov, otherwise Army Group Don and Army Group A would be in his pocket. At this point in the battle, Manstein decisively abandoned the 6th Army, and now he could only hope that the 6th Army could resist for as long as possible, hold back some Soviet troops, and allow Army Group A and Army Group Don to have enough time and space to withdraw from the Caucasus salient.

The outnumbered German army tried their best to resist and delay the Soviet army, but the situation of the war continued to deteriorate. On 7 January, the Soviet advance had advanced only 60 kilometers from Rostov-on-Don, but Hitler still did not approve the retreat of Army Group A from the Caucasus. In the face of Hitler's "reluctance to retreat," Manstein, who could not bear it, unceremoniously pointed out that if Army Group A was not withdrawn, both Army Group Don and Army Group A would suffer the same fate as the 6th Army, and it would be a "second Stalingrad." In mid-January, the rest of Army Group B collapsed on all fronts during the offensive of the Voronezh Front under the command of Vasilevsky, and the Army Group was withdrawn and its units were grouped into Army Group Don and Army Group Center, respectively. Perhaps it was the successive heavy blows that made Hitler somewhat sober, or perhaps it was the desperate fate of the 6th Army and Manstein's "second Stalingrad" rhetoric that touched Hitler's nerves, and Hitler finally approved the withdrawal of Army Group A from the Caucasus under General Kleist on 27 January. The 1st Panzer Army was to march 400 kilometers to the Rostov bridgehead, which Manstein's troops were desperately defending, and the 17th Army was to retreat to the Taman Peninsula and withdraw to Crimea by sea.

This retreat was easier said than done from any point of view, and it was not easy for the 1st Panzer Army to carry out such a long-distance strategic maneuver to "leapfrog" east of Rostov-on-Don, and it was even more difficult to carry out an organized retreat under the heavy pressure of the enemy forces today. In fact, this retreat "did not go a day without stormy seas". On 2 February, the encirclement of the 6th Army was finally annihilated, and the Soviets were rolling south with a great victory, but Manstein once again showed his incredible resilience and held the treacherous Rostov bridgehead, allowing the 1st Panzer Army to retreat in an organized manner with a large amount of technical equipment. Later, Manstein himself was almost surrounded, and the 1st Panzer Army had to turn back and drive away the Soviet interspersed forces to re-establish contact. To tell the truth, in addition to the strong will to never give up and the correct judgment and decision, it depends on luck. Manstein's troops overcame several such crises in succession in the face of such broken organization and connections, and finally succeeded in rescuing Army Group Don and Army Group A from the danger of being encircled, and miraculously retreating 400,000 German troops. It was only on February 14 that the Germans abandoned Rostov-on-Don. On 13 February, Army Group "Don" was officially renamed Army Group "South", under the jurisdiction of the 1st Panzer Army, the 4th Panzer Army, and the two battle groups "Hollitt" and "Kempf".

Although the successful withdrawal of Army Group A has unloaded a large stone weighing on Manstein's heart, the current crisis of the war situation is still intensifying. Since Army Group A, which had just withdrawn, could not immediately become a combat force, and the front and combat effectiveness of the "Allied forces" were in shambles, the shortening of the front was not enough to reverse the situation of insufficient troops. The gap left by the defeat of Army Group B had not yet been sealed, and the 2nd SS Panzer Corps, which Hitler had transferred from Western Europe, was unable to stand alone on a broad front and was surrounded by Soviet troops in Kharkov, but fortunately, General Paul Hausser, the "godfather of the SS", withstood the pressure of disobedience and led his troops to break through on February 15, preserving this new assault force for Manstein. At this time, the strategic force density of the German army was still unbearably low, and the German army on the front under Manstein's responsibility was at an absolute disadvantage of 1:8.

The experienced Manstein was not swayed by the unfavorable battlefield situation, and he keenly observed that various factors in favor of the German army were accumulating, and the opportunity to turn defeat into victory was hidden at the apex of the crisis. In the past two months, although the German army units were exhausted and almost collapsed, they still inflicted great losses on the Soviet army. As a matter of fact, apart from annihilating the 6th Army and almost encircling the two army groups in Stalingrad, the Soviet army did not change the previous victory pattern of "killing 800 enemies and losing 1,000 themselves" in Stalingrad. Moreover, although the Soviet army was far stronger than the German army in terms of strategic mobilization and replenishment capabilities, its supply and support capabilities at the campaign level were still very insufficient at this time. The Soviet high command, somewhat carried away by the huge victory, invested huge forces to expand the results of the battle on an extremely wide front, gradually making combat operations exceed the limits that logistics could support, and at the same time, the continuous breakthrough and pursuit also greatly reduced the density of Soviet troops, forming many weak flanks. The Red Iron Stream of the Soviet Army seems to be still rushing forward, but in fact it is already at the end of its powerful crossbow.

On the German side, on the other hand, Manstein further shrank the front and adjusted the position of the "Hollitt" battle group and the 4th Panzer Army after continuous struggle, the 2nd SS Panzer Army that broke through from Kharkov joined his command, and the troops withdrawn from the Caucasus were reorganized and joined the front one after another, and he now had more mobile assault forces in his hands as reserves. The conditions for a counterattack are becoming more and more complete.

On 17 February, Manstein made a proposal for a counterattack to Hitler, who was inspecting Army Group South's command, and it was approved. On 19 February, Manstein deployed 11 divisions (including 7 divisions) of the 1st and 4th Panzer Armies, supported by 750 aircraft, to counterattack the weak flanks of Vadutin's intruding troops. In just two weeks, 8 corps, 10 infantry divisions, and 5 special brigades of the Soviet army were routed in the Manstein counterattack, and the Popov group, which was conducting an adventurous assault, was basically annihilated by the Germans. Because the Germans were not strong enough to encircle, many Soviet troops were able to escape. Despite this, the Germans still annihilated more than 30,000 Soviet troops and captured 615 tanks and 354 artillery pieces.

Manstein took advantage of the victory in pursuit, inflicting heavy losses on the Voronezh Front and pushing it back more than 100 kilometers. On March 15, Manstein recaptured the city of Kharkov. The Voronezh Front, which had completely defeated Army Group B, was now facing a precarious situation. Manstein was eager to take advantage of this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Kursk with Army Group "Center" to the north, encircle and annihilate the heavy Soviet group in the salient and shorten the German front. However, in the face of the strong Soviet forces, the German army was limited, and the ground had thawed, the "mud general" began to exert its might again, and Manstein had to stop the offensive on the 27th, and the offensive and defense of the two sides came to an end temporarily.

Manstein gained great prestige through this battle, and his series of actions to turn the tide became known as the "miracle of the Severodonets River". Ironically, however, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on both sides at this time was not much different from the beginning of Operation Blue, which had been the German assault on the Caucasus a year earlier, and all the heroic sacrifices and the great art of command seemed to be of no avail in the face of this outcome."

"So, guys, what do you think was the reason for the eventual defeat of the battle?"

After the company commander finished speaking, I asked calmly.

"I think it was the late stage of the campaign, the disunity within the German army, and the fact that the Soviet army received a large number of advanced weapons from the United States because of the Lend-Lease Act. ”

The instructor came interested.

"Haha, I don't think so. "I took a different path.

"I think that the fundamental reason is that Hitler's hand was stretched too long, and in the later Soviet-German battlefield, he often directly crossed the command level to the division commander level.

Look, after a painful experience, Manstein made a proposition. He held that Hitler, as the supreme commander-in-chief, only needed to care about politics and diplomacy, only needed to plan the overall strategy, did not have to do everything himself, did not have to ask about the specific military command of the front, did not interfere in the work of the front-line generals, and let the front-line generals fight their own battles well. Manstein also proposed that regardless of the gains and losses of one city or one place, the key is to destroy the main force of the Soviet army. Hitler, on the other hand, stubbornly demanded that every inch of ground be fought for, and every position must be defended to the last man.

There is an old Chinese saying, "If you are outside, you will not be subject to military orders."

Hitler not only rejected Manstein's proposal, but also hated Manstein. If you don't listen to good people, you will suffer in front of you. Hitler was soon defeated and lost all his money. ”

"Hahaha, keep your point of view! Just think about it, if he can personally lead the troops in person, can he learn from it and create miracles?"

When I finished my opinion, the company commander said very fascinated.

"I also have this ambition, I feel that your brother is quite angry with me"!

Buddy has the feeling of discovering a soulmate.

"Well, the door is out of the tiger! Before I came, I heard our chief say that your father is also very capable of fighting, with a brave style, full of wisdom, and a mysterious one! If you don't change jobs, I'm afraid you will also be a military commander!

By the way, did you go to military school?

The company commander sympathizes with each other!

"Hey, hey, no. When I was in college, I was interested and just watched a little bit of military affairs. However, I don't have any experience with you!

My dad said, soldiers, treacherous! I'm afraid I'm a modern Zhao Kuo!

Hey, we're amateurs, so don't get involved. As a last resort, let's stand up again and realize our heroic dream!"

I laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Hahaha, you're quite modest! However, I think you have a talent for military affairs! I feel like I've been comrades-in-arms with you for many years! Actually, using the history of war, the history of warfare in ancient and modern times, and the military theories of our great Sun Wu and other theorists to summarize and sublimate, it is estimated that it is the way to the success of a well-known commander in history, right?"

The company commander praised me.

Just to be humble and win a second compliment.

"Hello sister-in-law!

The soldiers outside the door saluted. It can clear the wife's blushing face.

Qingqing's wife is very sensible.

During the day, after arranging our meals, we drove to accompany my father, mother and cousins to the East China Sea.

What the Bund, Waibaidu Bridge, Yu Garden, anyway, not too far away, is to go all over.

Eat local snacks, climb the Oriental Pearl Tower, and go to Hang Lung Plaza to buy two sets of high-end clothes for my parents-in-law, cousins, sons and Yongliang.

Sometimes, I go to my grandparents' house with my guests to learn cooking techniques.

Whenever this happens, my mother-in-law, my mother-in-law, my grandmother and her, several women play together, roll out the dough together, make dumplings, and praise my mother for the good adjustment of the dumpling filling.

My mother was very proud, so she patiently taught her.

Some people say that a person's eating habits are basically determined by the taste that your mother brought to you when you were a child.

"Well, dumpling filling, the meat should be chopped, the vegetables should be stirred evenly, and some oil should be added appropriately, rapeseed oil or sesame oil, oh, it should be wrapped into a petal shape. ”

It's not hard for my clever girl!

She quickly got to grips with it. I learned from my mother again, green pepper shredded pork, Lianshan back pot meat, boiled beef and meatball soup, and several other traditional Sichuan dishes.

Although, the chili pepper and peppercorns, down into the oil pot, the choking taste stimulated her tears, but she insisted on studying.

A spatula of ingredients went down, sizzling and exploding, like a little white rabbit, jumping away, and then, not afraid of not afraid of silent recitation, one hand holding the shovel, one hand blocking the eyes, stirring a few times, to see that there is no oil spilled, become confident, decent.

Grandma was distressed and said, "Good granddaughter, I'll come." ”

"No, grandma, you rest, this is Sichuan cuisine, I don't know how yet." ”

My mother and mother-in-law stood next to me cheering up, smiling while instructing.

By the time I was discharged from the hospital, I could already eat the dishes fried by Qingqing's wife herself, and drink the Donghai Sichuan vegetable soup that she reformed and invented.

Not to mention, my mother's soup base, with some seafood, well, the flavor is delicious.

Sometimes, she also brings a little more for my friends in the ward, fair to taste.

As soon as people praised her, they smiled proudly at me.

One day, I discussed with me and went to Laomiao Gold and bought a gold necklace for my mother, saying that wearing it for the elderly can prevent stroke. I bought a big diamond ring and asked my mother to give it to my sister, Nurse Xiaoshu.

I also thank their mother and daughter for taking care of their son and nephew.

The mother smiled from ear to ear and praised her daughter-in-law for her filial piety.

Dad is the happiest. When my sister shyly called her father and mother, she laughed.

The second-generation head of the old Liu family also has a daughter.

finally fulfilled his dream of being a grandfather.

Aunt Shu was also moved to tears.

After shopping for a few days, my father said that he was tired and stopped accompanying them. So, my father-in-law, my father-in-law, and Gong Ping, the four company commanders, began to compete for hegemony between Chu and Han in my ward.

Daddy plays chess well, but he loves to regret chess. He also said, "Ah, soldiers, the land of death and life, the way of survival, must not be overlooked." ”

Amused the little company commander, and smiled proudly.

Playing chess, my father was much more accommodating, and said, "Don't call the old revolutionary, call the veteran." ”

"Veterans never die, they only slowly wither", the famous words of American General MacArthur.

My father-in-law, but I won't let my father.

Whenever four people change opponents, the two in-laws often fight for a move.

Then, under my fair referee, the two sides "took a step back and opened the sky", "Hey, you can't retreat anymore, what's the difference between that and the next game?"

"Hahaha", but the two shook hands and made peace, starting all over again!

The son's injuries healed quickly, and the doctor said that he could be discharged from the hospital after a few more days of observation.

He didn't care anymore, and Uncle Xiaoguan came to the hospital where I lived, hahaha, a third generation was added to the ward, and the atmosphere was more harmonious.

"Well, this game of chess, you lost again, it's all you! grandson, your move, stinky chess!"

The old man can be regarded as having found a high-sounding reason.

"Hmph! Grandpa is cheating. That's what I'm going to do. ”

The son did not admit that he had misled his grandfather.

"Hahaha, you kid don't know the truth that if you are not careful, you will lose everything?"

Grandpa kindly touched his grandson's head.

"Alright, alright, this one, I'll let you have a horse, how about it?"

The father-in-law swallowed the mountains and rivers angrily, pulled out the mountains and rivers, and covered the world with anger.

"Then I'll have to let you car!"

Daddy sprinkled beans into soldiers, wisely retreated from water, and bravely championed.

"Hahaha", and then, two and a half pounds and eight taels, shook hands again.

The days, just like this, slipped away for a long time.