Then, all Shulka and the fighters had to do was wait in the dark warehouse for the time to come, and they weren't even allowed to talk, especially the troops who were watching over them...... Shulka later learned that the troops guarding them were also unaware of what was happening, and they were also ordered not to talk to each other, and to shoot anyone if they tried to escape from the warehouse.

This kind of life was like a vacation for the warriors, because they had not had such a leisurely day in a long time:

Bread and other foods, such as mashed potatoes and, if you're lucky, a small sausage, are brought to you at mealtimes...... This was definitely a rare benefit for Soviet soldiers.

Sleeping is done on the floor in the warehouse, and the problem of convenience is solved in a temporary row of toilets built in the corner of the warehouse.

On the other side, the commander of the 1st German Panzer Group, Admiral Kleist, also received relevant information.

The adjutant handed a telegram to Admiral Kleist, who reported: "Good news, General, the Russians have withdrawn their tanks to the east bank, which will give us a lot less trouble!" ”

The adjutant was right, although Kleist did not think that the tanks of the Russian army could prevent the Germans from breaking through the Kiev line, he still had to admit that the enemy's tanks were a problem...... This is especially true of the enemy's heavy tanks: KV1, KV2, etc.

THE KV2 TANK IN PARTICULAR, WITH ITS 110MM THICK FRONT ARMOR, MADE IT FEARLESS OF ANY ANTI-TANK GUNS: THE GERMAN 37MM ANTI-TANK GUN BECAME A "STEPPING STONE" IN FRONT OF IT, AND THE SHORT-BARRELED GUN OF TANK 4 WAS SCOLDED BY THE SOLDIERS AS "SHUZENMEIER" (WOODEN STAKE).

THE KV2 TANK'S 152MM CANNON CAN DESTROY EVERYTHING THAT STANDS IN ITS WAY...... If it weren't for the careuverability and failure rate of this thing, Kleist wouldn't even know how to face it.

Therefore, the withdrawal of Soviet tank units across the Dnieper was indeed good news for the German army.

But......

Admiral Kleist took the telegram and glanced at it, and asked suspiciously: "Why did they withdraw across the Dnieper?" Is it necessary to abandon Kyiv? But this is not what Moscow gave them! ”

If Moscow heard this, it would have been shocked: the German commander actually knew about the orders issued by Moscow to the front.

But this is not surprising at all, as I said before, with the support of partisans in Brandenburg and in Ukraine and elsewhere, coupled with the chaos within the Soviet Union...... Very little information could be concealed from the Germans.

"Garrison in Kyiv is Admiral Kirponos!" "He has already asked Moscow several times to retreat, but all of them have been refused," the adjutant said...... It is possible that Kirponos intends to disobey Moscow's orders! ”

Admiral Kleist did not speak.

Although what the adjutant said is very reasonable, and in the current situation, as long as anyone can see that the Southwestern Front stationed in Kyiv should retreat, at least to the east bank of the Dnieper, otherwise it will not be so easy to cross the river and break through after the bridge is blown up, especially tanks and cars.

In this regard, it is reasonable for the Russians to withdraw their mechanized forces across the Dnieper instead of defending Kyiv, and if the Russians intend to break through, then this mechanized force will be the vanguard and pillar of the breakthrough.

But......

At this time, Kleist was no longer so confident in the judgment of himself and his adjutant.

This was due to the war during this time.

The first is the "wooden house camouflage" that I don't even look down on.

Who would have thought that simply doing some camouflage could inflict such heavy losses on armored forces.

The second is the encirclement of the enemy on the "Stalin Line...... Kleist knew from intelligence that the Russian unit was the 333rd Regiment, and that it was said to be a sergeant known as the "escape hero" who was responsible for the plan.

This siege made Kleist feel frustrated, he originally thought that he had surrounded the 333rd Regiment and could not escape, but the truth was that they easily escaped through the defensive line.

Thinking of this, Admiral Kleist couldn't help but praise in his heart...... This is a worthy opponent.

First, the captured German tanks were used to camouflage German units to break through from the flanks, and then a small number of troops were used to attract the fire of the German troops on both flanks to cause them to "misunderstand", but their main forces quickly broke through in another position...... A series of plans can be said to be interlocking.

It was hard for Admiral Kleist to imagine that this was the work of a Russian whom he despised and who was especially a Russian sergeant.

To Admiral Kleist's surprise, the Germans were faced with a heavy defense of the Soviets: every ten kilometers, breakthrough after breakthrough, as if there was no end.

Although none of these lines could stop the advance of the German armored forces, many times the Soviet troops were even defeated all the way.

However, Admiral Kleist had to admit the fact that the momentum of the German advance was blocked, and it was only 160 kilometers from the "Stalin Line" to Kiev, which used to take only two days to arrive, but now it took eight days.

Time was only one thing, the Germans, including the 1st Panzer Group, arrived in Kyiv exhausted by the time they arrived at Kyiv, consuming more ammunition and supplies, which was a nightmare for the Germans who were struggling to replenish during the rainy season.

This series of miscalculations made Kleist even doubt himself.

"Could this be a trap for the Russians?" Admiral Kleist asked.

The adjutant hesitated, and then asked, "General, if it is a trap for the Russians, what is their purpose?" ”

This made Admiral Kleist stop asking, if the Soviet tanks stayed in Kyiv, in the eyes of the Germans, there was indeed only a dead end...... They may be better than the Germans on a single tank, but they can't be integrated into a single force, so they will eventually be defeated by the tracks of the German armored clusters.

This has been proven in previous battles.

"I don't know, David!" Admiral Kleist said: "I just know that we cannot easily believe what they tell us, and that these Russians we are going to face are not simple!" ”

"So, what are we to do, General?" The adjutant asked.

After thinking about it, Admiral Kleist said, "Rest! ”

"Rest?"

"Yes!" Admiral Kleist said: "Rest for the day, let the soldiers replenish their strength, and then ...... Attack Kyiv with all your might, I'm going to see if they really move tank units to the east bank! ”

So the adjutant understood that General Kleist wanted to use a powerful attack to find out the truth.