In the German winter offensive launched by the Soviet army, the fierce fighting in Ulm was only an ordinary microcosm of a long front. From north to south, in Dortmund, Siegen, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Kempten and other places, the Soviet-German soldiers all fought to the death at the same time. In order to cut off the German army in Baden-Württemberg from other areas, the Soviet army committed nearly 20 divisions in the direction of Mannheim-Karlsrull, and the forward offensive was round after round, like a tsunami, inexorably capturing the carefully laid positions of the German army, and the front soon approached the Franco-German border.

In this crucial battle, the Soviet and German armies did their best, and Western countries, unwilling to sit idly by and watch the Soviet Union win, repeatedly broke through the "bottom limit". In order to support the German army, the U.S. military almost emptied their stockpiles in France and protected the transportation lines in the border area with air force and ground air defense units; France not only provided the Germans with airfield facilities within their territory, but also directly sent hundreds of pilots to the war, and even allowed the Germans to maneuver across the border at night; Britain sent some Royal Air Force pilots to the battle in German livery fighters, and the mighty Royal Navy cruised the waters north of Germany with the American fleet, and the officers and men were ready to intervene in a war that would affect the fate of Europe......

Essen, the "industrial heart" of Germany, the source of strength for Germany's rich countries and strong soldiers in modern times, once had chimneys, groups of workers, and various industrial raw materials were transformed into steel and machines here, and its rise and fall directly determined the strength of Germany. Since the outbreak of the Second Soviet-German War, the Germans have tried to protect it, for which thousands of people have paid with their lives, and the wreckage of hundreds of Soviet bombers has been scattered in the fields around the city. With the Soviet front approaching, the presence of the MiG and Yak made the anti-aircraft operation here less suspenseful, and the Germans had to disperse industrial production, and to this day, only a few ordnance repair shops are still in operation in the huge Essen. The heavy artillery fire of the Soviet army fell from time to time, and the Germans who remained were undaunted, and they turned the crumbling factory buildings and desolate neighborhoods into defensive lines. and fortify it with what remains - to block fortifications with simple and effective tanks constructed of discarded steel, to turn fortified premises into independent fortresses in all directions; Steel plates were welded on the repaired guns to turn them into solid turrets, and the damaged armored vehicles were heavily armoured. Make them difficult to deal with as a hidden point of fire, with protective mounts attached to the machine-gun firing ports to make them difficult to destroy by ordinary fire. Even before the Soviet ground forces broke through into the city of Essen, hundreds of thousands of German residents were still working tirelessly to consolidate their defensive lines, stockpiling ammunition, food, and fresh water, ready to fight the enemy with perseverance, to their surprise and excitement. Just after the battle began, their head of state and army commander, Germany's youngest ever democratic leader and national hero, visited the front lines to inspect the battle.

Appearing in Essen at this point, Lynn's main purpose was not to put on a show. With the support of the entire Western world, the reborn Germans were more than capable of turning Essen into the Leningrad of Germany, but in order to confuse the Soviet army, the battle was launched. The Germans defending Essen had only two American defensive divisions, one German infantry division and some auxiliaries, and were at a significant disadvantage compared to the Soviet 17th Army on the opposite side. Under the strong cover of the air force, the Soviets broke through the first-line positions of the German army on the first day of the battle. Although they lost a lot of armored vehicles, the Soviet commanders were confident that they would eventually take Essen, judging from the leaflets and broadcasts.

In Essen, Lynn witnessed the heroic tenacity of the defending officers and men, and was satisfied with their strict obedience to battle orders, and the Soviet army's fighting style regardless of casualties strengthened his confidence in blowing the horn of counterattack. Taking advantage of the gap between the Soviets slowing down their offensive and consolidating their positions at night, the Germans secretly mobilized hidden and standby troops into Essen, doubling the strength of the defenders. After dawn, the Soviets really put on a posture to take Essen, but the German air defense forces, which had been hidden before, quickly gave the Soviets a dismount. Twelve sets of American-made surface-to-air guided rockets shot down 31 Soviet bombers in just half an hour, and self-propelled air defense systems that integrated radar fire control and proximity fuse technology also shot down nine Il-2 attack planes. In the face of such a strong anti-aircraft firepower, it was difficult for the Soviet aviation units to do anything, and the Soviet ground forces still pinned their hopes on artillery fire and onslaught to defeat their opponents. In the heart of Essen, the Soviet infantry, which had joined forces with the armoured forces in the attack, encountered a nightmare blow, with the defenders deploying a large number of machine guns and machine guns in dilapidated but well-fortified buildings. They weave a terrifying web of death fire on the battlefield of street fighting. Just as the British and French infantry stormed the German machine gun position 36 years ago, the Soviet infantry was powerless to resist and suffered huge casualties in a short period of time, and the blood of the warriors once again soaked the earth, and the ruined city suddenly became a shocking purgatory. As for the Soviet tanks that were unstoppable in the field, whether they were old and sturdy T-34s or new T-54s, it was difficult to change the situation with their steel armor and artillery fire, and Soviet-made self-propelled guns with 122 or 152 mm guns were known as sharp weapons in street fighting, but in Essen, most of them were destroyed by German officers and soldiers who deliberately hid around the fallen lines before they could use their functions - most German soldiers could not escape the fate of attacking targets with anti-tank rocket launchers, Such a feat of unhesitation demonstrates the fearless spirit of those who defend the homeland and the country! …,

With the courage to see death as home, the Germans successfully resisted the Soviet offensive at Essen. After turning the tide, the Germans used the night battle to recapture some of the previously lost positions, but did not completely expel the Soviets from the city, making Essen a stalk in the throat of the Soviets. In the following days, the Soviet army continued to send more troops to Essen, and the fighting between the two sides in the city also reached a stalemate, and around Essen, the German army abandoned Dortmund, Vupertal and other cities east of the Rhine after making the opponent pay a heavy price, and instead relied on the Rhine defense line to block the Soviet army, and Essen gradually became a "salient" on the northern front of the two sides.

On January 17, 1951, after more than a week of hard fighting, the Soviet army finally captured Karlsruhr, which is located on the western border of Germany, thus dividing the German forces in western Germany into two parts: north and south. Compared with the battlefield situation in early January, the area of the German army has been reduced by nearly half, and the loss of troops is no less than that of the Soviet army. From the perspective of the strategic situation, it seems that the Soviet army only needs to exert a little more effort to extinguish the Germans' hope of turning over, but the German team that has contracted the defense is like a spring pressed to the bottom at this time. Under the cover of the "appeal for peace," seven German divisions secretly boarded ships in the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk, and the huge convoy arrived at the East Frisian Islands accompanied by the US and British fleets. Receiving this information, the Soviets had to transfer reserve troops to the line of Willem-Bremen-Hamburg. At the same time, 77 German divisions were assembled on the line from Duisburg to Cologne, and their vanguard entered Essen under cover of night, making the first subversive reversal of the balance of forces between the two sides on the battlefield in Essen.

The fateful counteroffensive was about to begin, and at the German Joint Staff, the military minds and command elite of the German armed forces gathered. Even the most arrogant people are not 100 percent confident that this battle will follow in the footsteps of the "Ardennes counterattack" or become a turnaround victory, but judging from the expressions of the Führer, Rommel, Manstein, and every senior general and "super brain" present, everyone has no doubt about the necessity of this counterattack, just as the Reich Führer said: "Germany has reached the edge of the precipice, and only by moving forward can it find life!" ”

In the absence of the Führer, Lynn was the rightful head of state and spiritual leader, and his performance in the war was worthy of that position. Facing the prestigious, talented and charismatic German generals, he said in a categorical tone: "More than a thousand years ago, we defeated the invincible Roman legions, and more than a thousand years later, we will once again defeat the enemy that the whole world fears!" Sixty million Germanic people are waiting for the trumpet of attack, and I believe that most of them would rather die with dignity than become slaves of the Slavs! ”

As the supreme commander of the Imperial Army, the de facto head of the German Joint Staff, Rommel, who was skilled in tactics, had sublimated his comprehensive qualities in the twists and turns of history, and he exhorted: "Your wisdom and courage are beyond doubt, and you must remember that this battle was a Jedi counterattack launched by 60 million Germans in order to fight for a chance to survive, and there is no objection to the glory and disgrace of any army compared with the final victory or defeat." No matter what misunderstandings you have in the past, how different your styles and characteristics are, you must work closely together for this common goal. Even if you lose something personally, the whole of Germany praises you for your tolerance and justice. ”

Field Marshal Manstein, the chief staff of the Joint Staff and the most comprehensive, consistent and convincing of the German generals, will be the commander-in-chief of the counterattack. With the trust and expectation of the soldiers, the marshal issued a call: "In this battle, we may not be able to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop, but at least let the whole world see that Germany is unconquerable." Ladies and gentlemen, the coming days will be very difficult for us, and every judgment we make will have a bearing on the situation of the front-line troops and on the success or failure of this war. When a real opportunity is presented in front of us, we should seize it in time, but if it is deceptive, we must think calmly so as not to leave regrets in our military career that can never be remedied! (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly passes, and your support is my biggest motivation. )