"Yes, Kursk region!" Marshal Manstein replied, smoking a cigarette: "I think the Soviets will attack before us......"

As he spoke, Manstein took out a map from his bosom, spread it out on the shell box next to him, and said: "Since we have disrupted the traffic and there is heavy snow cover, so that our troops cannot fight back along the original road, the Soviets do not need to defend the line of the Don River, which means that they are safe for the time being." This allowed the Soviets to transfer the main forces of the Don Front, the Stalingrad Front to the center. At the same time, we also know that the Soviets will be much faster than us in the mobilization and replenishment of troops and equipment, so we have reason to believe that the Soviets have an absolute superiority in troops around Kursk! ”

Qin Chuan nodded in agreement, this is for sure, not to mention that the main force of the German army is in Army Group South, even if Army Group South is transferred to Army Group Center, I am afraid that this will not be able to change.

Manstein continued: "As soon as the Soviets break through the line of Army Group Center, they will go south to capture Kirovgrad and then go straight to Odessa, do you know what will happen? ”

(Note: Kirovgrad, also known as Kirovograd, is a city in central Ukraine, not co-located with Fort Kirov in Transcaucasia)

Qin Chuan raised his head in shock and said, "We will be surrounded!" ”

"Yes!" Manstein nodded: "I believe this is the plan of the Soviets." It is true that we have built a strong line of defense in the south using the Crimean Peninsula and the Caucasus Mountains, but what if the Soviets encircle the Crimean Peninsula together? ”

Manstein was right, although the Transcaucus region could produce food, oil, and even a few arsenals to solve some of the ammunition supply, but the problem was that this was an army group, and if it was cut off from Germany, it would not be long before it would be unable to fight due to lack of ammunition.

"So!" Qin Chuan said: "The goal of the Soviets is still us!" ”

"Of course!" "Of course it is us, for the simple reason that we occupy Baku and control the lifeblood of the Soviet Union...... As a result, the Soviet industry was seriously affected, including the production of equipment, etc., and if it were not for the multiplied assistance of the Americans, the Soviet Union at this time would have been vulnerable! ”

"So the USSR wanted to go around such a big circle to recapture Baku!"

"That's what they're trying to do!" Manstein said: "By the way, get rid of us again!" ”

It is conceivable that if this strategy of the Soviet Union can succeed, then the German Eastern Front will undoubtedly collapse.

"What are we supposed to do?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Reinforcements of Army Group Center!" Manstein said: "Hold off the attack of the Soviets. Our intelligence indicates that the Soviets have concentrated a large number of tanks, planes, and troops around Kursk, and it is likely that they will attack in the winter. The reason was partly because the Don River was frozen in the winter to their advantage, and partly because they thought they were better at fighting in the winter! ”

This is, but it is a little different from the Battle of Kursk in history...... The historic Battle of Kursk did not start until July of the following year, and Germany was the attacker.

"The Soviets assembled almost all their tanks!" "New, old, American, British, Soviet, etc., our intelligence officers believe that there are at least four thousand tanks plus two thousand aircraft in the Kursk region," Manstein said. ”

The actual figure was actually more than Manstein had estimated, with the Soviets amassing more than 5,000 tanks and 3,000 aircraft.

And the German Army Group Center, even with the backward light tanks of the client countries, had only more than a thousand units, and of course could not stop the "steel torrent" of the Soviet army.

"That's why we need ME63?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Yes!" Manstein replied: "That's why we need the ME63, a tank for the Soviets." And be quick! ”

Qin Chuan has no opinion on this, after all, the bazooka has a serious flaw, the wind deflection rate is too short, and if there is an ME63 to match it, then the German infantry can form a powerful blow to the enemy's tank forces at a distance and near range.

Finally Marshal Manstein said, "I hope you can work with Colonel Conrad to further improve ME63, and Maginot plans to contact them over there, and Colonel Slain should also come back to lead his regiment." As for the military advisers, I am sure they already know what to do! ”

"Yes, Your Excellency Marshal!"

So that evening, Colonel Slain returned to Fort Kirov.

What made Qin Chuan a little ridiculous was that Colonel Slane said to Qin Chuan after getting off the plane: "Do you know? Lieutenant colonel, General Lu Manlin protested against this, he thinks that you are sneaking away! ”

"Why should I sneak away?" Qin Chuan was puzzled by this.

"Then you have to ask General Lu Manlin!" Colonel Slein said: "Before I got on the plane, General Lu Manlin told me again and again, don't forget the Maginot plan, there are still many flaws in that line of defense, and he told you to go back!" ”

Qin Chuan couldn't help laughing, he knew...... General Lu Manlin was worried that after Qin Chuan left, they would not be able to hold the defensive line.

Qin Chuan, of course, will not forget the Maginot Line.

Even for Qin Chuan, the Maginot Line was the focus, because in his opinion, the American army would be much more difficult to fight than the Soviet army.

This is not only because the U.S. military has been recuperating until this time, but also because of the terrible logistics and industrial capabilities of the U.S. military...... At the same time as one fighter plane was shot down, the United States had the means to take off two fighters, and the aircraft carrier could produce more than a dozen (Essex-class aircraft carriers) per year after entering standardized production, and such a production speed could not be matched even by the Soviet Union.

More importantly, those famous German generals cannot adapt to a battle without air supremacy, and in the fight against the United States and Britain, air supremacy must not belong to Germany, at least for the time being.

So even if the Battle of Kursk was imminent, Qin Chuan thought it was still necessary to discuss the issue of ME163 with Conrad.

"You said on the phone that ME163 has a problem that can't be solved?" Qin Chuan asked Conrad: "What's the problem?" ”

"Oh yes!" Conrad said: "This problem has happened in Africa, Lieutenant Colonel! ”

Conrad was bending over to observe ME63, and when he heard this, he straightened up: "Have you ever thought that ME163 is not the same as ME, it uses liquid fuel, and it takes time to refuel and prepare before launch, and all this is likely to be discovered by American reconnaissance planes and then ......"

Conrad spread his hands and said, "Can you imagine them bombing ME163?" Poisonous liquid splashes everywhere! ”

Qin Chuan's face couldn't help but change when he heard this: "What about Hannah? ”