In the warm spring dusk, the sunset sinks, and a gorgeous red glow reflects the sky. Standing on the ground and looking up at the sky, the flocks of war eagles flying westward seemed to be draped in red fire feathers. They are not the Grim Reaper but can bring death, and they are not the devil but they can turn the world into purgatory......

In this day when a hundred flowers bloom and everything flourishes, the flames of war are also rekindled from the ashes accumulated by the corpses. In order to weaken the German resistance, the Soviets carried out continuous air strikes at the cost of casualties, focusing on bombing ports and railway stations in northwestern Germany, as well as cities near the German-French border, and their ground forces were actively deployed. At night, the eastern side of the Lübeck-Hanover-Würzburg-Stuttgart war line is filled with the rumbling roar of machinery, some from tanks and some from tracked tractors hauling heavy artillery. In order to win this inevitable victory, the Soviets moved almost all their homes, even some heavy artillery that was originally fixed in coastal forts was also brought in, and the restored combat vehicles were replenished to the front-line troops along with new products that were manufactured day and night. The Soviets were secretive about the day of the offensive, but they were fighting on German territory after all, and the entire German nation was fighting against a strong enemy with unprecedented unity, and their every move was watched by countless hostile eyes, regardless of whether the Soviets resorted to soft-hearted or high-handed policies. By analyzing the Soviet army's troop mobilization and equipment allocation, the German army's top command organization is also constantly adjusting its own deployment, and only when the Soviet army takes the lead in launching an offensive, it will be able to use a rock-like stubborn defense to consume gas and energy, drag its spirit, and win this crucial battle with a weak enemy.

In contrast to the fact that the Soviets tightened their belts to support the front line, while the Germans received large amounts of aid from the Western Allies for free, the Soviets were clearly reluctant to postpone the offensive. On April 10, near the important towns of Lübeck, Hanover, and Stuttgart, chariots with steel bodies and knuckled tracks drove out of the woods, their turrets and bodies painted with the red five-star that the Soviets were proud of. Since World War II, these logos have become a symbol of invincibility. Although they failed to defeat the Germans in one fell swoop, they even lost some fronts in the enemy's winter counteroffensive. But the strength of the Soviet army remained unquestionable.

After night fell, under the guidance of soldiers armed with flashlights, kerosene lamps and signal batons, tanks, armored vehicles, cars of various types, and large trucks also gathered in the wilderness near the highway.

"All the ...... of the first battalion Let's go! Pay attention to order, cover each other. Stay vigilant! "On a T-54 tank with a communication antenna raised high, the commander of the armored corps, who was neat and energetic, issued instructions to his subordinate vehicles through a throat microphone. Thirty-one brand-new T-54s moved to the roar of engines, and a faint, oil-smelling green smoke suddenly spread around the armored column. This was followed by a convoy of combat infantry, and the Soviet officers and men had grim expressions on their faces at the impending battle and the German opponents rumored to be aided by the Allies, but there was little fear in their eyes.

Not far from the dirt road. A relatively complex armored column has also embarked on the journey, and there are not only the common vehicles of the Soviet army, but also the American-made "Sherman" tank, the M3A1 half-track armored vehicle, and even the six-wheeled M20 armored vehicle -- in the battle between the Eastern and Western camps of nearly 10 million soldiers, the Soviet army inflicted heavy blows on the Allies with several beautiful battles of annihilation, and also captured a large amount of trophies. The self-confident Soviet generals were reluctant to equip these weapons in the front-line units, and instead incorporated them into reserve forces and security units to deal with the weak resistance of the partisans and underground resistance groups in the occupied territories. By the late 1950s, the German battlefield attrition was finally stretched to the limit by Soviet commanders. Thereupon. Allied artillery, vehicles and ammunition were repurposed. …,

Amid the sound of "forward", more and more tanks and vehicles entered the road, but the congestion did not occur. With the well-prepared organization of the Soviet command, the vehicles marched westward in a very orderly manner. At night, a river with countless small points of light is surging. In order to ensure that this night march was not disturbed by German fighters, especially those of combat helicopters, the Soviets deployed radars to the front line and set up fixed and mobile anti-aircraft fire in advance in the marching area. However, here after all, it is "enemy planes!" Enemy! Beware of concealment! ”

The rapid shouting had barely been heard when two German helicopters were in sight, and no one knew whether these "treetop ghosts" were sneaking up or lurking in the woods with no path. Before the anti-aircraft guns could fire, they hovered, adjusted, and fired rockets in a dashing manner, and the columns of vehicles that had not had time to disperse were struck. A truck full of infantry was hit by a rocket. In an instant, it turned into a nightmare of flesh and blood; A fuel truck and a truck carrying ammunition were affected by the explosion, and flames rose into the sky, forming the most striking signal of the night. The barrage of guns tried to get the two dastardly sneak attackers to get the punishment they deserved, but they leapt deftly through the treetops and disappeared in an instant.

The impact of such a small-scale air raid was clearly much greater than the destructive power of the bomb itself, and the otherwise orderly queue of Soviet troops was thrown into disarray. The road was blocked by the wreckage of burning vehicles, and officers and men were scrambling to rescue the wounded while anxiously waiting for the engineering troops to clear the road again.

The Germans' way of harassing certainly caused great trouble to the Soviet attacking forces, but on a long front, not all Soviet units were helpless. At Lübeck, at the northern end of the front, the Soviet officers and men were well prepared to contain the German attack. After the rainstorm of artillery preparations, they launched an attack led by nearly 100 IS-3 heavy tanks and powerful SU-152 self-propelled guns, quickly putting heavy pressure on the German front.

"Sir, the enemy's attack is fierce, their strength is unusually strong, and Nark's troops have suffered heavy casualties...... It can be seen that the soldiers all have the belief of fighting to the death, but with our current strength, it is simply unrealistic to want to put the enemy here! ”

In a field fortification on the eastern outskirts of Lübeck, a German lieutenant colonel who had just returned from a front-line inspection reported the current battle situation with a helpless expression. In front of them, the two generals had very different reactions, the older ones did not see the slightest hint of panic in their eyes, while the younger lieutenant general was a burly man with a pair of large binoculars around his neck, his sword brows furrowed and his eyes worried. Looking out through the shooting hole, the dark position was already shrouded in the rising firelight, and the sound of gunfire was in my ears.

No one said withdraw, and no one said no, and the awkward atmosphere made people feel very depressed. At this moment, the phone in the command rang, and a senior lieutenant picked up the microphone: "Hey...... Yes, what? What the? Hold on...... General, Colonel Vogel has asked to speak to you......"

The slightly young general walked quickly to the phone, and he grabbed the microphone: "Hey...... I'm Ernst. Hepp ...... Colonel, I understand your situation, the Russians have always been like this, we are not new recruits for the first time on the battlefield, we must firmly hold our positions and repel the enemy with iron and blood will! ”

After hanging up the phone, the burly general paced back and forth anxiously like a lion trapped in a cage.

"Although the order given to us by our superiors is to hold out for at least three days, since the enemy has chosen Lübeck as the main point of attack, we should adapt to the situation and let the first-line troops withdraw to the Trava River position if we can't resist it." The older general was not the chief officer here, but his words were clearly echoed by the other staff officers. After a moment, the burly general stopped, and he spoke proudly: "It is reasonable to be forced to retreat when the enemy is unusually strong, but we are now engaged in a war that is related to the survival of Germany, and if everyone feels that the world is in our favor, and therefore loses the most precious spirit of sacrifice, it is difficult to say how the war situation will develop." Once the loss of Lübeck affects the whole situation, everyone here, including the soldiers who are gritting their teeth and holding on to the positions ahead, will feel extremely remorseful. Instead of this, how about turning regret into the courage to face death calmly, and exchange our lives for the eternal existence of Germany? ”…,

The resounding words immediately shook everyone, and the fact that a few months ago the German officers and soldiers burst out with astonishing energy in a desperate situation, and now the continuous arrival of Allied material resources in Germany is a positive factor, but the negative psychological effects of it are rarely noticed.

Half an hour later, the sound of intense gunfire in the distance became fainter and fainter like a burning candle, and on one of the outermost defensive positions of the German army, Soviet infantry with bayonets were clearing the positions they had just occupied. Unlike the brutal warfare of the Fusilier era, the German officers and soldiers who survived were able to save their lives as long as they did not make obvious resistance, but even so, very few German soldiers chose to surrender.

On the south side of the position, an armored command vehicle equipped with a circular antenna, accompanied by several tanks, came to a halt, and from it stepped a Soviet general, his weather-beaten face looking very calm, and the Medal of Honor on his chest felt inviolable in the sparse light.

Soon, a Soviet colonel came running, and he reported with his head held high: "Chief, the 47th Infantry Brigade lived up to expectations and took positions 3-09!" Although our unit suffered heavy losses, the morale of the comrades was high, and after a little rest, they were able to plunge into a new offensive! ”

The gray-eyed general looked up at the still smoking position and asked, "How many German soldiers have been killed and captured?" ”

The colonel paused: "It is estimated that more than four hundred people were killed, and the prisoners ...... About twenty people. ”

The general didn't say much, and before leaving, he looked up at the position again: "The battle behind will be more and more difficult." ”

(To be continued) [Vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support is my biggest motivation.] ）