In fact, Shulka is not necessarily better than Manstein, in fact, Shulka is definitely much inferior to Manstein in terms of command art and psychological quality, after all, Manstein was born in a military family and graduated from a military academy.

Shulka's advantage, on the one hand, is that he has more knowledge, which is important because it leads directly to a lot of things or information that Manstein does not know or are not sure about, which is already certain in Shulka, which is equivalent to a clever calculation.

Secondly, it is Schulka who knows Manstein as an opponent, but Manstein does not know that his opponent is Shulka. Prior to this, Manstein had always thought that his opponent was a Russian general who could only fight to the death.

By the time Shulka returned to the troops, the 1st Guards Tank Brigade had already arrived at Dzhankoy and launched an offensive.

Shulka replied as soon as he reported to Katukov, an order he had received while he was still in Feodosia.

"Colonel!" Shulka saluted in front of Katukov, who was looking at the map.

"Oh, Comrade Shulka!" Katukov raised his head, and then a smile appeared on his face: "Well done, you managed to buy us about ten hours!" ”

"Our assault team has already arrived on the Xinzhan Highway, haven't they?"

"Yes!" Katukov nodded: "They also brought a batch of mines, and in addition, our air force also airdropped a batch of mines before dark, and they will lay these mines on the road!" Of course, these mines, most likely, will not be able to trap the enemy's 28th Infantry Division! ”

Shulka certainly knows this.

Just as it was difficult for the Germans to trap the Soviets with mines, it was also difficult for the Soviets to trap the Germans when they were frozen everywhere in the winter, because the troops were less dependent on roads, especially the infantry divisions with less heavy equipment.

But this would at least slow down the 28th Infantry Division's march, especially if the commandos planted a few mines on the side of the road from time to time.

In this way, the time of the two armies, which were originally about the same distance, was stretched.

"Now that's what we're aiming for!" Pointing to a point on the map, Katukov said: "Zhankoy! ”

The reason why Zhankoy is important is that it is the transportation hub of the Crimean Peninsula, and almost all the Crimean roads and railways need to pass through Zhankoy.

What's more, the Crimean Peninsula is more disconnected from mainland Ukraine, with a large area of either lakes or bays, with only a narrow strip of land connecting the two.

It is bordered by Lake Sivash to the east and the Gulf of Karkinit to the west, and is only 8 kilometers at its narrowest point, which means that as long as the 8-kilometer-wide isthmus is held, the Germans will not be able to enter the Crimea and threaten the safety of the Soviet troops stationed there.

And Zhankoy is located at the exit of the narrow ground...... The exit is only about 50 kilometers from Zhankoy, which can become an excellent base for logistical supply and troop mobilization for the blockade.

But it was such an important place that could not be opened, but it was easily knocked on the door by the troops of Debrandfenburg.

Now, as soon as the Soviets occupy Zhankoy, they can immediately threaten and blockade Perekopti, so that reinforcements from outside cannot come in, and the German troops inside cannot get out.

"They've built a line of defense outside the city!" Katukov said: "Two miles outside the city! ”

"Out of town?" Hearing this, Shulka was surprised.

The Germans should know that their opponent is the Soviet armored forces, and the advantage of the armored forces is field combat, so they should make use of their strengths and avoid their weaknesses and choose to fight in the streets of the city.

So from the beginning to the end, Shulka thought that the battle would be fought inside the city and was ready for street fighting.

But now the truth is the opposite, they actually choose to build a defense line outside the city.

"Is it because the terrain is good for defense?" Shulka asked.

"No!" Katukov casually took out a topographic map and put it in front of Shulka and said: "The average altitude of Zhankoy is only 20 meters, which can be said to be flat!" ”

Shulka couldn't help frowning when he heard this, which was even more strange.

"They dug an anti-tank trench!" Katukov made a mark on the topographic map: "Of course, there are mines, barbed wire, barricades, etc., but of course they know that this will not stop us!" ”

"They must have something to threaten us!" Shulka said.

"I thought so, too, but what could it be?" Katukov said: "PAK40? OR 88MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS? ”

"They can pose a threat to us, but they are not to the point where they can stop our attack!" Shulka said.

This is obvious, because the German army was also equipped with these two types of equipment before, and they were also unable to stop the attack of the T34 troops.

"Whatever it is!" Katukov was silent for a moment before he said: "We must attack immediately!" ”

Of course we have to attack, because time is running out and any hesitation is a waste of the time Schulka has gained.

Thus, a few minutes later, the battle for Zhankoy began.

The first thing that followed, of course, was a heavy bombardment.

It was Mehlis who carried out the bombing mission...... An artillery regiment and a rocket artillery battalion transferred from Feodosia by Shulka to be exact.

Otherwise, the size of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade, which had only one artillery battalion, would not be enough to launch a large-scale bombardment.

This is already a routine for Shulka.

Because it was the 2nd Tank Battalion and the 2nd Infantry Battalion that launched the attack, Shulka could lie down in the trench in front of the headquarters and hold a telescope to observe.

It's a rare leisure and experience, always in the danger and pressure of war, and occasionally I feel lucky to be a bystander...... Because at this time, you can't help but think that at least they are on the battlefield now, not yourself, at least you are safe now.

Shells flew into enemy positions, rockets slammed into the ground with bright lines and whistling sounds, and then exploded into fireballs with loud bangs and vibrations.

Barbed wire, barricades, and landmines were lifted into the air in patches.

The bombardment lasted twenty minutes.

Then Katukov gave the order, and the 2nd Tank Battalion, under the direction of flares and tracer shells, "rumbled" towards the enemy positions.

The T34 tank at this time was not only the pride and honor of the Soviet army, but also a kind of safety for the soldiers.

Of course, there is no such thing as absolute security on the battlefield, and accidents can happen at any time.

However, if you know that the enemy's tank must be within a hundred meters to penetrate you, you will naturally feel a sense of pride and peace of mind in your heart, because no matter what, you are always much better than the enemy's tank crew.

However, this battle was not the case.