"Marshal, the report of the 1st Panzer Army, which encountered Soviet mechanized units of at least the corps level near Collective Farm No. 13 in the city of Klimovich on the territory of the Mogilev region. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info"

In the early morning of May 9th, Otto. Lieutenant General Weller briefed Manstein on the latest battle report just sent by the command of the 1st Panzer Army.

"Military level? So surely? Manstein stood beside the huge sand table, with his arms behind his back, watching as the staff officers placed a model symbolizing the Soviet tank army.

"To be sure," Otto said. Weller replied, "A divisional armored cavalry group under the command of Lieutenant General Lentsky has been blocked by this Soviet mechanized corps since yesterday afternoon, losing more than 30 tanks No. 4 and more than 20 armored vehicles, none of which has been able to successfully break through to Collective Farm No. 13, which is surrounded by Soviet troops. ”

To be able to withstand a division-level armored cavalry cluster for more than ten hours, that is at least a Soviet tank army or mechanized army!

Otto. Weller gave a second piece of evidence, "and, through the interrogation of the prisoners, it was learned that the troops fighting the Lentzky cluster were from the 5th Mechanized Army under the 5th Soviet Tank Army." "From this, the Soviet tank 5th Army is located in the south of Smolensk Oblast, near Klimovich." ”

Although the troops under the command of General Lukin arrived at the repeated attacks of the Lentsky cluster, they still paid a great price, especially on the afternoon of May 8, when German planes could be dispatched, Lukin's troops were broken through two lines of defense in succession, and of course many of them betrayed the Soviet Motherland with no firm will.

However, the Germans did not get much useful information from the mouths of these Soviet traitors, because what they caught was not a big traitor, but a small fish and shrimp, and they knew nothing about Lukin's combat deployment except for the number and affiliation of their unit.

Of course, several members of the captured tank crew confessed to the circumambulation of Collective Farm No. 13 last night, although others denied the existence of such a thing. So the Germans on the Klimovich front also did not understand the situation.

"What happened to PF No. 13?" Manstein asked again about the besieged collective farm.

"It's still resisting, but the losses of the troops are not small, and now there are less than 100 people left to hold on to the fight." Lieutenant General Weller said, "Because it was the Ukrainians who were defending, they fought particularly tenaciously and no one surrendered." ”

"Order the 1st Panzer Army, we must find a way to rescue those brave Ukrainians." Manstein gave an order that he himself did not know would be able to carry out - but it had to be given in order to appease the Ukrainian cannon fodder.

After giving the order to save Ukrainian cannon fodder, Manstein turned his attention to the Soviet tank 5th Army, which was blocking the Lentzky cluster.

"We need to destroy this Soviet tank army!" Manstein said, "If it's really there!" ”

Since the implementation of the "Purple Plan", it is the first time that the German army has encountered a Soviet tank unit at the level of the group army! Even if it's not so sure, Manstein doesn't let it go.

"General Mackensen thinks the same way as you." Lieutenant General Weller handed over a draft of the battle sent by telegram from General Mackensen to Manstein, "Marshal, General Mackensen plans to use the 11th Panzer Army to the north to seek a decisive battle, and at the same time ask the 3rd Panzer Army to send the 24th Panzer Army from Olyosha to Roslavl to outflank the Soviet tank 5th Army. ”

by Hans Karl. Feng. The 11th Panzer Corps under the command of General Ezebeck has three divisions, including the 6th Panzer Division, the 10th Panzer Division, and the 1st SS Panzergrenadier Division, with less than 50,000 people and more than 1,000 tanks/assault artillery.

And by Herman. The 24th Panzer Corps, commanded by General Balk, had the 9th Panzer Division, the 22nd Panzergrenadier Division, and the 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Division.

Now General Mackensen is ready to take out 2 armored armies to encircle and annihilate 1 Soviet tank army, which should be quite sure.

"I think so," Manstein nodded, "put the 24th Panzer Corps under the command of the 1st Panzer Army, and let General Mackensen command this battle." ”

It's certain that General Mackensen's abilities are not as good as those of the 3rd Panzer Army, but the man's dad is Augusta. Feng. Marshal Mackensen, that's an antique-level veteran from the Second Empire who has survived to the present.

Therefore, the credit for the destruction of the Soviet tank 5th Army can only be given to General Mackensen, and General Mackensen's ability is still there, and today's status does not depend entirely on fighting for his father.

"Marshal, General Hoth sent a telegram that the 56th Panzer Army had just completed its detour south of Smolensk and occupied Talashkino, and now Smolensk was surrounded on three sides by our troops. Admiral Hoult asked for instructions, do you want to close the encirclement? ”

"No, I don't." Manstein shook his head, "Leave a way for the defenders of Smolensk to escape." ”

Smolensk was a "must-take" city because it was the hub of the railway, and by taking Smolensk, the German army's logistics line in the western Russian theater would be able to rely on railways instead of roads (in fact, dirt roads). Therefore, Manstein decided to adopt the tactic of encircling three and one to seize the city as soon as possible.

"In addition, General Hort reported the discovery of a number of mass graves in the Katyn Forest area west of Smolensk."

"Found a mass grave?" Manstein didn't have a look of surprise, but asked, "Who is buried this time?" ”

"All Poles captured by the Soviets," replied Lieutenant General Weller, with a blank face, "probably killed a few months to a year ago, and now the bodies are all highly decomposed, and some are reduced to bones." ”

"They're all prisoners of war, aren't they?" Manstein had an indifferent expression - he was not really prejudiced against the Poles, but like his German contemporaries, he hated the soldiers of the Second Polish Republic with great absence!

"Not all prisoners of war, but also some civilians." Lieutenant General Weller said, "At least they look like civilians in their clothes." ”

"Oh, that's supposed to be a capitalist or a landlord in Western Belarus, right?" Manstein shook his head, "Report it." ”

This is not the first time that a similar situation has happened, as the Germans dug mass graves a few months ago when they attacked right-bank Ukraine. At that time, there were many civilians in the bodies that were dug up, and after investigation, it was known that they were all kinds of bad elements in right-bank Ukraine or something. At this time, Dr. Goebbels, the propaganda minister who never told nonsense, was spreading the word all over Europe.

Of course, the Soviet Union flatly denied it, and even bit Germany back. However, no one in the world will believe the Soviet Union's claims, because according to the 1926 Criminal Code published by the Soviet Union itself, it is perfectly legal to shoot more than 100,000 people in right-bank Ukraine, and if you don't shoot so many, it will be a dereliction of duty by Comrade Khrushchev.

And in the years of the Soviet Russian Revolution, Cheka fighters did not kill less in Russia itself!

"There is one more important circumstance," Lieutenant General Weller handed Manstein another telegram, "the report from the command of Army Group North that last night the Soviets launched a heavy artillery bombardment of Lyuban, southeast of the city of Leningrad, using at least 2,000 suppressive guns!" ”

"2,000 cannons?" Manstein smiled slightly, "The Soviets want to take the opportunity to relieve Leningrad, right?" ”

Weller smiled and said: "It should be, the city has been besieged for almost a year, and the food in the city is close to running out, and if the siege is not lifted, I am afraid that it will become Petrograd!" ”

……

"Comrade General Secretary, good news!"

On the afternoon of May 9, the long-lost good news finally appeared in the Kremlin in the Red Army High Command.

Marshal Pavlov said: "The Air Force found an unusually large convoy of armored vehicles appearing on the road from Lechtsa to Kremovich...... Most likely, there are thousands of tanks, artillery pieces and cars of all kinds! This is, we estimate, an armored cluster of army group size! ”

"Is it the main force of the German South Road cluster?" Stalin, with his pipe in his mouth and a relaxed expression on his face, asked.

"At least half of the main force." Pavlov replied, "According to the reports of the Southwestern Front, they also found armored clusters of the Germans in the north of the Cherninov region, one of which also seized a crossing on the Desna River, and pontoon bridges are currently being built." ”

"What?" Stalin's face became solemn again, "Are they going to cross the Desna River to outflank the back of the Southwestern Front?" ”

"They can't do it," said Shaposhnikov, the general chief, "and the 4th Tank Army has now reached the vicinity of the Desna River, and as soon as the Germans cross the river in a big way, the 4th Tank Army will drive them back." ”

Pavlov saw that Stalin's brows were still furrowed, and hurriedly added: "Now the German army is divided into two lines in the center, and both roads are the main forces, so the middle road must be empty, at most 1-2 panzer divisions plus some panzergrenadier divisions, it is impossible to block the huge strength of the 1st and 2nd tank armies." ”

Stalin finally smiled, "That is, in the upcoming battle of the junction, the Red Army is sure of victory?" ”

"Yes, we are sure!" Pavlov replied that "it is very certain not only in the battle of the Junction, but also in the battle of Velikiye Luki-Leningrad." Because as soon as our army gains the upper hand in the battle of the junction, then the German armored clusters that are currently around Smolensk will definitely divide their forces to the south, and then the surprise attack on Velikiye Luki will be sure of success. (To be continued.) )