The meeting of the Panzer Division of the Reichsmarshal with the 17th Infantry Division of the 24th Army meant that the bridgeheads of Army Group South Ukraine and Army Group North Ukraine were connected together, carving a gap in the Dnieper defense line that was almost fifty kilometers wide. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

At this breach, a torrent of steel of tanks, armored vehicles, artillery trucks and infantry crossed the Dnieper and poured into the vast hinterland of eastern Ukraine.

With the arrival of a steady stream of follow-up troops, the breakthrough was further torn apart and rapidly expanded in both north and south directions.

To the east of the city of Lipriyaf, Rommel parted ways with Mandolfer.

Seeing Mandolfel's convoy leave, Rommel jumped into an armored vehicle and returned to the city of Zolotonosha, which had become an important supply base for the 11th Army.

Approaching the city of Zolotonosa, the convoy did not enter the city, but turned to the north of the city, entering a road that led due north.

The convoy stopped on the side of the road, and Rommel jumped out of the armored car and quietly watched the motorcade running on the road.

A convoy of Opel lightning heavy trucks drove north from the city of Zolotonosha, with the side doors of the trucks sprayed with the white division emblem, a side view of the M35 steel helmet outlined by white lines.

The owner of this division emblem is the essence of the German Army, the Greater German Motorized Rifle Division of the same name as Germany.

A general was seen standing on the side of the road, and the soldiers in the truck saluted Rommel one after another.

Under the watchful eyes of the soldiers of the Greater German Division, Rommel waited patiently for more than ten minutes, and finally saw the person he was waiting for.

Behind the truck column, the figure of armored vehicles of the SDKFZ251 series appeared, mixed with some VW82 barrel trucks in the middle.

Letting go of the truck and the armored car, when the VW82 barrel truck drove closer, Rommel suddenly stretched out his right hand and motioned for the barrel truck to lean over to the side of the road.

Seeing that it was an admiral who stopped him, the two officers on the barrel car jumped out of the car and saluted Rommel.

After returning the salute, Rommel said: "I am Admiral Erwin Rommel, what is your position?" Mr. Colonel. ”

After Rommel was identified, the colonel's expression became more and more respectful.

"I am Colonel Jurgen Gaski, commander of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Greater German Motorized Rifle Division, and it is an honor to meet you, General Rommel."

"Colonel Gaski, inform your division commander, General Holren, that from now on I will act together with the Greater German Division."

After a brief exchange, Rommel's convoy joined the march of the Greater German Division.

Sitting in an armored car, Rommel spread out a map on his knees.

In his plan, the Panzer Division of the Reichmarshal and the Großdeutsche Division, one on the left and one on the right, marched by two different roads and then met in Priluki.

After communicating with the command of the 17th Army, the 17th Army agreed to send the 52nd Infantry Corps to follow up in the rear.

"According to the plan, before we reach Priluki, we will first occupy a small town called Priti, which is here, forty kilometers directly south of Priluki. Once there, remember to send a telegram to the headquarters of the XXIV Panzer Corps asking about their operational progress. ”

Rommel pointed to the map and gave an order to the adjutant, Lieutenant Helmut.

Watching Helmut write down orders, Rommel suddenly sniffled, and a heavy burnt smell of burning rubber came from the air.

Rommel stood up and looked out of the armored car.

On the side of the road, a gas truck that overturned on its side burned brightly, and the pungent smell emanated from this truck.

From afar, more than a dozen trucks overturned in the field by the side of the road, six or seven of them covered in black smoke.

There were also several relatively intact gas trucks parked on the side of the road, each with soldiers from the Greater German Division in the back compartment, seemingly looking for trophies.

It is clear that this hapless convoy of transports has become what it is now, as soon as it crashes headlong into the Großdeutsche Division.

Rommel's gaze swept over the wreckage and corpses of the trucks on the side of the road, and silently thought that his troops were now deep in the empty rear of the Soviet army, and the Soviet army should not have time to organize a decent resistance.

Priluki, when he and the 24th Panzer Army were chased by the steppe front, had swept once, there should be no decent resistance, and it seemed a bit wasteful to use the strength of two divisions.

Especially since these two divisions are ace divisions with special status, it is really a great waste to attack a city with empty defenses.

In his thoughts, the sun in the sky turned to the west, and as the sun sank into the horizon, Rommel followed the convoy into the city of Priti.

Along the way, the Großdeutsche Division did not encounter decent resistance, and even in the city of Priti, the Soviet garrison was less than a battalion, and the Großdeutsche Division occupied the small city almost on the march.

"We're staying here tonight, and I'll inform General Holren to come and see me."

About half an hour later, Rommel waited for Major General Holrennes in a small hotel in his makeshift quarters.

Major General Holren's rugged appearance with a wide chin and a meaty face.

After the two men exchanged pleasantries, Rommel and Holren walked to the table for dinner.

Rommel was very curious about the Greater German Division, he had only heard that the Greater German Division was a model unit in the German Army, but he did not know where this unit was strong.

During the conversation, Major General Holren answered the questions in his mind.

Starting with the armored forces, the Greater German Division had a heavily armored company equipped with E-40s and a tank battalion No. 4, while the average motorized division was armed with only one assault gun battalion No. 3.

The Großdeutsche Division also had a battalion of tank destroyers No. 4, while the standard motorized rifle division was a battalion of 75mm anti-aircraft guns.

The two motorized infantry regiments in the Großdeutsches Division, which were the core strength, each had three motorized infantry battalions and one heavy equipment battalion, and what was even more outrageous was that each motorized infantry battalion had five companies under its command, namely three motorized infantry companies, one armored infantry company, and one heavy equipment company.

The reconnaissance battalion of Greater Germany was also composed of five companies.

The artillery regiment is slightly different and is also five units, two battalions of light howitzers, one battalion of heavy howitzers, one company of 105-mm cannons, and one battalion of 150-mm rocket artillery.

The Großdeutsche anti-aircraft artillery battalion also has five companies, three heavy anti-aircraft artillery companies equipped with 88-mm anti-aircraft guns, and two light anti-aircraft artillery batteries equipped with Dongfeng self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.

The total number of the division is 18,000 men, which is nearly 6,000 more than the standard armored division.

This was an armored division dressed in the "vest" of a motorized division, and Rommel saw through the Greater German division at a glance as it was.

With such a strong force, it seems that what should you do? In this way, it is worthy of the resounding name of Großdeutschland.

While Rommel was calculating, Lieutenant Helmut returned to the table.

"Mr. Admiral, I have just contacted General Schwebenburg, the offensive of the Twenty-fourth Panzer Army is not very smooth, they have suffered heavy losses in the previous battle, and the casualties of the three divisions are all more than half."

Holrenne asked, "General Schwebenburg is counterattacking the steppe front?" The same Soviet army that hunted you down in the first place? ”

"Yes, some time ago, this front army chased us very hard." Rommel said.

"There is also a telegram from General Mandolfer, saying that the Imperial Marshal's Panzer Division has arrived near Priluki, that they have blocked the roads and railways near Priluki, that they are now attacking the city, and that the enemy's resistance is weak." Helmut said.

"Since the enemy resistance in Priluki is weak, I don't think it's necessary for us to go there again, we should go in a different direction." Rommel said.

"Where are you going?" Hallren asked.

Rommel asked Helmut to bring the map, pointed to the map and said: "We are now in Priti, just over thirty kilometers from the 24th Panzer Corps in Luble, and we can launch a flank attack to assist the 24th Panzer Corps in breaking the defense line of the steppe front." ”

Holren stared at the map and was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Mr. General, since this steppe front army chased you very hard at the beginning, we must always repay them. ”

"I think the best reward is for us to go after him." Rommel said.

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PS: I haven't written for a long time, it's a bit handy, and I'm going to find the state these days.