"The situation is grim!" At the temporary command, Katukov said: "We have just received news that the Germans have brought in reinforcements from Europe and Africa, and the first troops may be on the front line in a few days!" The superiors have asked us to take Tver within tomorrow! ”

There was silence in Headquarters.

Although it was only a matter of time before Tver was taken, everyone knew that it was almost impossible to take Tver quickly under the sluggish tactics of the German army.

"We need time, Comrade Katukov!" Lieutenant Colonel Zakhakavich said.

"The problem is that we don't have time!" Katukov replied: "If German reinforcements arrive and consolidate the defensive line, Moscow will always be under their guns, which is very bad for us!" ”

Indeed, Moscow needs a buffer zone.

Otherwise, if the German defense line is only 100 kilometers away from Moscow, when the temperature rises in the spring of the next year, the German army will reach Moscow in a counterattack in one or two days, which is obviously unbearable for the Soviet army.

Worse still...... If the Germans received reinforcements and launched another onslaught on Moscow, it was feared that the situation on the battlefield would change.

At this time, both the Soviet and German armies were actually very dangerous.

On the surface, it seems that the Soviet army has the advantage for the time being, but this is a counteroffensive launched by the Soviet army after accumulating a certain period of time, if the counteroffensive does not have results, morale will soon be hit, and there will be a backlash, that is, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, and the German army because of the reinforcements, the situation may indeed be reversed.

Shulka knew that it was just that little, like two people who were evenly matched on a seesaw, and it only took a feather to float down to decide the winner.

But even by such a small amount, the Soviet army was unable to exert its strength because of the lack of follow-up.

Shulka looked at the map and knew that the feather was most likely Tver.

"Maybe!" After thinking about it, Shulka said: "We don't need to take Tver!" ”

"What do you mean?" Katukov asked.

"Our aim is to repel the Germans, not to occupy Tver!" Shulka said.

"Does it make a difference?" Katukov asked suspiciously.

The other officers in the command were puzzled that in order to occupy Tver it was necessary to repel the Germans, and to repel the Germans to occupy Tver, which did seem to be "indistinguishable" as Katukov said.

But that's not the case.

"The difference is that we don't need to fight like we do now!" Shulka said: "We can turn the target to the enemy north of Moscow, where the Germans have the 4th Tank Army and the 3rd Panzer Group!" ”

"What do you mean...... We outflank them? Katukov shook his head and said: "No, Captain, first of all, we have only one brigade, and this amount of tanks and strength is not worth mentioning at all for a tank army and an armored group of the enemy. Secondly, the Matilda tank is too slow, it is not at all suitable for the implementation of penetration and outflanking! ”

Katukov is right, driving the "Matilda" tank interspersed can only be said to be a brain in water, and when the tank is driven to the point where the war is over.

But that's certainly not what Shulka said.

"No, Colonel!" Shulka replied: "Tver is important because it is a transportation hub, and most of the supplies of the German army in the north are transported north from here, so ...... Why don't we cut off their lines of communication? It doesn't take long, it only takes a day, even a few hours, for the German army in the north to collapse because of this! ”

The German army in the north was dealing with the counteroffensive of the Kalinin Front, so Shulka was right, only a little threat on the supply line was needed, which could cause the entire German army in the north to lose the will to resist, which led to the collapse of the entire defense line.

"You're right, Captain!" "That's exactly why we're going to take Tver!" Katukov said. ”

"We don't have to take Tver!" Shulka pointed to the map and said: "There are three rivers in Tver that meet here, and the Tver River runs from north to south, what will happen if we attack along the river?" ”

The officers in the command couldn't help but be stunned.

After a long while, Lieutenant Colonel Gavrilov said: "Yes, why didn't we think of this? There are no buildings in the river, and it's very smooth! The enemy's transport lines will inevitably pass through the river! ”

"But the Germans may deploy fire on both sides of the river!" Lieutenant Colonel Zakhakavich said: "They will form a two-sided attack on our interspersed troops!" ”

"We don't need to worry too much about the enemy from both sides!" Katukov said: "Because we have 'Matilda'!" ”

Nothing could penetrate the thickened armor of the 'Matilda', if anything, it was the German 88 anti-aircraft guns.

However, at this time, the Soviet artillery and air force again had the upper hand, and under their cover, it was feasible for the tank units to carry out a bold penetration of the enemy's depths...... In fact, this is the consistent style of the German army's "blitzkrieg", which uses the defense, firepower and maneuver of tanks to intersperse with important enemy targets.

"Where are the transport lines of the Germans?" Katukov asked the staff officer behind him.

"I don't know, Comrade Colonel!" The staff officer replied blankly.

The task of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade was to occupy Tver, so the internal transport route to the German 4th Tank Army was less important.

"Then what are you doing in a daze?" Katukov said angrily: "Find out immediately!" ”

"Yes, Comrade Colonel!" The staff officer replied.

But after a long time there was no sound, Katukov couldn't help but cry: "Taras......"

"I need time, Comrade Colonel!" Taras replied, "I'll send someone to interrogate the captives, and I'm going to send a few men to reconnoitre!" ”

"You idiot!" Katukov roared and yelled at the staff officer: "Contact the Air Force, they will have the information you need!" ”

The staff officer was stunned for a moment, and then immediately ran to the phone.

Katukov shook his head helplessly and said: "We haven't coordinated with the Air Force for too long!" ”

Yes, it has been so long since there has been such a coordination with the Air Force that staff officers habitually do not consider the Air Force.

The information was quickly transmitted to Command.

"Just as we expected!" Katukov pointed to the map with a telegraph in one hand and the other and said: "Their transport line is on the Tver River, and after the river froze, they built a railway connecting the two banks, and two more roads!" ”

This was after the 1st Guards Tank Brigade blew up the Tver Bridge, and the Germans first used pontoon bridges to transport the railroad and the river froze on.

"We're going to do it!" Katukov said: "Just intersperse them and cut them off, and then hold them for a while!" ”