"How can we do that?" General Hote said: "You must know that Kursk has gathered several fronts of the Soviets, and to do so is undoubtedly to plunge headlong into their encirclement!" ”

"Didn't we plan that way?" Qin Chuan replied.

"But the plan is that we only need to attack the next half of the distance!" Manstein replied: "And now there is only one of our troops, which means that we will attack this 100-kilometer-long depth alone!" ”

"Does it make a difference?" Qin Chuan asked rhetorically: "If we can break through to half the distance, which means that the back of the other half of the Soviet defense line is in front of us, then there will be no difficulty for us!" ”

Qin Chuan's words made Manstein and Hort stunned.

It is also said that the defense of the Soviet army was laid out in the shape of the Kursk salient, one after the other, and a total of three lines of defense were laid.

If the Germans broke through the triple line of defense in the south, it meant that the triple line of defense in the north was facing the German 4th Panzer Army with a weak back, then the German 4th Panzer Army could break through layer by layer with lightning speed to Orel.

After thinking about it, Manstein said: "There is still a difference, for example, our supply line is too long, and it is deep into the enemy's hinterland, and the supply line is easily cut off by the enemy!" ”

"We can implement an airdrop!" Qin Chuan said: "In addition, we have helicopters, and they will bring whatever our troops need, provided that we need air supremacy, or ...... At least when using helicopters, complete air supremacy is required. No, we can have a helicopter transport it at night! ”

Manstein nodded and said, "This may indeed be the solution!" ”

"But the marshal!" General Hoult said worriedly: "The Soviets have several times or even more than ten times our strength......

"It's not a matter of strength, General!" Manstein interrupted Hoth: "It's a question of whether it will succeed or not, if we can break through quickly, then the logistical supply of the Soviet Kursk salient will be cut off by us, and in the absence of fuel and ammunition, even more troops will not help, because they can only use bayonets to face the tracks of our tanks!" ”

After a pause, Manstein looked at the map and said, "So, what we have to do is to quickly break through the Soviets' defenses and get into the hinterland to cause them trouble before they react and get ready!" ”

Looking at the map and thinking for a while, Manstein pointed to the map and said, "So, I plan to let the 2nd SS Panzer Army carry out the first attack!" ”

The offensive plan of the 4th Panzer Army was originally the same as that of the 2nd Panzer Army, which was to attack with the Panzer Corps with weak combat effectiveness, and then the Panzer Army with strong combat effectiveness followed up and won the battle.

However, in order to quickly break through the Soviet lines, Manstein intended to make the combat-ready 2nd SS Panzer Corps the first attacking force.

This does make sense, because the 2nd SS Panzer Corps is much more effective than the 48th Panzer Corps, where Qin Chuan is located...... The 2nd SS Panzer Corps consisted of three powerful SS Panzer Divisions: the Guards Banner, the Dasreich and Totankopw, each armed with more than 100 tanks plus 11 Tigers.

The 48th Panzer Corps had only two armored divisions plus one infantry division, with only more than 200 tanks, and a considerable number of them were light tanks.

There was also a 52nd Infantry Corps with more than a hundred tanks, many more of which were light tanks.

This makes the total number of 951 tanks

There is no doubt that the 2nd SS Panzer Army is the main force of the 4th Panzer Army, and if it is to attack quickly, of course, it will have to be the first to invest.

But Qin Chuan didn't speak.

Seeing this, Manstein asked: "Lieutenant Colonel, are you worried that the 'Tiger' tank will not be able to take on this important task?" ”

"This is indeed one of the situations that I fear, Marshal!" Qin Chuan replied: "Because we all know what the maneuver of the 'Tiger Style' is!" ”

"I'll let them put in as little 'Tiger style' as possible in the early stage!" Manstein said: "What do you mean by 'one', and what else do you have to worry about?" ”

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Qin Chuan pointed to the map and said: "If we attack according to the original plan, our troops will inevitably be attacked from the three directions of the Soviet army, and at the same time, we still have the problem that the open area is too small and the airborne troops and helicopters cannot be reinforced!" ”

Although Qin Chuan didn't go into details, the officers present all understood.

Cut a gap in the Soviet line, and then follow the road of the gap, which is a narrow road or railway, which can be controlled for a width of only a few kilometers at most.

As a result, the Soviet anti-aircraft fire could control the airspace of the German army from the outside, which would not only make it difficult to carry out the airdrop of supplies, but also restrict the entry of helicopters everywhere, and they would be shot down by the surrounding enemy if they were not careful.

"But it's inevitable, isn't it?" Manstein said: "Of course, you have to take such risks when you go deep behind enemy lines!" ”

"Maybe we can reduce that risk!" Qin Chuan said.

"What do you mean?" Manstein asked, puzzled.

Qin Chuan pointed to the map and said: "There are two highways in front of us, one from Butovo to Cherkaskoye, and the other from Tomarovka to Bykovka, and then both can enter the Yakovlevo highway...... We chose Tomarovka as a starting point! ”

"You mean we should choose Butovo as a starting point?" Manstein said: "But that doesn't change anything, does it?" ”

"No, Your Excellency Marshal!" Qin Chuan said: "What I'm saying is that we should attack together on two roads!" ”

"Two roads attacking together?!" General Manstein and General Hoth exclaimed in surprise.

General Hult immediately objected: "No, Lieutenant Colonel! This will consume too much of our offensive energy! ”

"We can replenish this offensive energy in the future!" Qin Chuan pointed to the map and said: "Because, if we break through the two roads together and launch an attack, the Soviet army in the fifteen-kilometer-wide area between the roads will be cut by our army in an instant and surrounded by our army, and if we advance to the Yakovlevo road to rendezvous, we will complete the encirclement of the enemy in between!" ”

After a pause, Qin Chuan continued: "What's more important is ...... In times of need, we could easily annihilate the Soviet troops in this fifteen-kilometer middle zone, and they didn't even need us to attack, because they would voluntarily abandon their positions for fear of being surrounded by us. So we can carry out airdrops and even use helicopters in the middle ground! ”