"Bastard, do these damn East Asian gnomes think they can play with me with impunity?"

The mustache flipped over the desk in a rare move, throwing a table full of papers everywhere, and the whole wolf's den seemed to tremble, and no one dared to take half a step near the Führer's office. It was about half an hour before the mustache's anger calmed down a little.

At this time, Admiral Yodel and the Celtic Führer, who were standing in the mustache's office, were a little self-conscious. However, their obedience to Hitler came first, and even if the Führer did spit in their faces, the two would probably remain motionless.

"Do you estimate how many troops the Russians will be able to deploy to attack our army once Japan eases its pressure on the Russian Far East?"

On this issue, German intelligence work is really not good. Since the outbreak of the war, the German spy network has been uprooted in the Soviet Union, and there is not much valuable information at all. As for the size of the Red Army in the Far East, the Germans could only get second-hand information from the Japanese, and the Japanese news was also consistently unreliable.

So both Celtic and Yodel could only guess: "According to preliminary estimates, Russia has four armies in the Far East, and it is possible to draw one of them." ”

Hitler nodded with satisfaction, and if the Soviet Union could only draw one army group, he did not think that the pressure was great. When he estimated the comparison of the combat effectiveness between the German army and the Red Army, he always habitually believed that the German army's combat effectiveness was far stronger than that of the Red Army.

"Will this have a decisive impact on our operations in Kyiv?" The mustache asked angrily again.

Yodel and Celt looked at each other again, although these two were loyal ministers, they still had an account in their hearts, and the previous estimation method was not scientific, how could they draw conclusions casually?

So they both cautiously replied: "The available intelligence is not enough to support an accurate conclusion, after all, our intelligence system does not know much about the situation in the Soviet Far East." The General Staff needs more intelligence support. to make an accurate judgment? ”

"There is not so much time to waste," reprimanded Hitler dissatisfied, "and every minute and second of our life is precious, give me a rough and precise estimate, how much of an impact will it have?" ”

Yodel and Celt looked at each other again, and replied helplessly, "We think that if this army group rushes to the battlefield." will directly change the balance of forces between the enemy and us, and our operation to annihilate the main forces of the Russian army in Kyiv is likely to fail. The only suggestion we can give is one or two more break-through campaigns to tear apart the Russian defenses again before the enemy's reinforcements arrive in Kyiv. Force the enemy's reinforcements to be put into a longer line of defense......"

Hitler tapped his index finger on the table and waited for a long time before he replied, "Is it really impossible?" ”

It can be heard that the mustache is still unwilling to give up the attempt to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Red Army in Kiev, and he still hopes to fight a war of annihilation. However, Celtic advised: "Führer, the conditions for annihilation operations are very premature now, and we can only achieve another breakthrough and annihilate a part of the Russian army in the movement." In order to counteract the impact of the reinforcement of the Russian army in the Far East. ”

Jodel also said: "General Guderian's plan was good before, if he can break through to the Voronezh line, it will deal a heavy blow to Russia's industrial production and indirectly change the balance of forces between us and the enemy!" ”

At the end, he added: "What's more, with the capture of Oneshnya by the enemy's Bryansk Front, the supply of the main attacking force of our army is quite difficult, and it is no longer suitable to continue the war of annihilation." ”

Hitler hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. But he was still very unhappy and said: "Then let's make another breakthrough according to Heinz's intentions!" My request is that Voronezh must be captured and flanked back and forth behind the Russian army in an appropriate practical way. Be sure to encircle and annihilate the main forces of the Russian army in the Kyiv region! ”

With Hitler's nod, the military operation, codenamed Avalanche, began. The commander-in-chief of the operation was Guderian, and it was expected that the 47th and 48th Panzer Corps, as well as the 42nd, 53rd and 44th Mountain Armies, would be committed. The assault group, consisting of five corps, was to take Klotop and then follow the railway all the way east to capture Kursk and Belgorod.

A discerning person can quickly see it. Operation Avalanche was quite different from Guderian's original plan. For example, Shostka, which Guderian considered important, was abandoned during Operation Avalanche, and the spearhead of the German attack was shifted more than a hundred kilometers to the south.

Why did he deny Guderian's focus of attack? The reason is very simple, one is the supply trouble, there is no direct railway to Kursk in Shostka, and the Soviet Union is extremely muddy this winter. Originally, the supply of the German army was difficult, and without the support of the railway, the German armored forces were simply unable to move an inch.

It would be different to capture Konotop first, there was a railway. From here, you can take a train directly to Ligov, and Ligov is really not far from Kursk. In Jodel's and Celtic's opinion, it was easier and quicker to go this way.

So is this Guderian wrong? It should be said that no, how could Guderian's level not pay attention to traffic, especially important railway lines? Of course, he knew that it would be much easier to supply and transport on the Konotop line, but he chose to transport the troublesome Southka, it's not that he's stupid!

But Guderian was well aware that the Red Army also knew the meaning of Konotop, and even more so the meaning of the railway. It was obvious that there must have been heavy Red Army forces in the Konotop area. From the very beginning, Guderian was opposed to continuing to fight hard, what he wanted to do was to break the bull, cut through the gap in the Red Army's defense, and poke a big hole in the Red Army's front with a surprise assault.

And now, Yodel and Celt are not cooking, but raising machetes to cut people's hard bones, this is not a surprise attack, but a strong attack!

In Guderian's view, the strength of the German armored cluster was limited, and it was still attacking and crushing all the way. And because a considerable number of troops had to be left to contain the Red Army on the front line in Kiev, the strength of the assault group was limited. Once the assault power is exhausted by going so deep behind enemy lines, I am afraid that there will be only one result - to be surrounded and annihilated!

So, when the wolf's den and the General Staff informed Guderian that his combat strategy had been revised and adopted, Guderian was cold at half-waist, and he didn't want this!

After reading the Avalanche Project after Yodel and Celt revised and polished it. Guderian did not mean to be happy at all, but said worriedly: "This is too dangerous! ”

And he, despite Celtic's advice and Jodel's hints (Yodel hinted to him that this was a plan approved by the Führer and could not be changed), he again wrote to Hitler, advising against the storming of Konoptop. Rather, it turns to where the Russian army is weak.

Guderian's suggestion unsurprisingly angered Hitler again, and the mustache was furious again: "It was Heinz who asked for a breakthrough before, and now he is the one who opposes a breakthrough!" What the hell is he trying to do? Look at his timid appearance, where is there still a little pride of the German soldiers! Alarmist, always overestimating the fighting power of the Bolsheviks, he is simply cowardly, and I think he is also the material of a general......"

Hitler's last sentence was a joke, because he still admired Guderian and performed brilliantly in Poland and France. Barbarossa's performance in the field is also remarkable, according to the mustache's thoughts, if there are no accidents, Guderian is definitely the material of the field marshal. At this time, complaining about Guderian, I am afraid that more of it is still the mustache that hates iron and steel.

However, what Hitler did not expect was that his joke finally became a reality, and Guderian never became a field marshal in his life, only a general. And the reason is also inextricably related to this avalanche operation.

Guderian's suggestion was dismissed, so Operation Avalanche had to do what the mustache wanted. According to his plan. At the first stage of the Avalanche operation, first of all, the connection between Chernihiv and Gomel was to be opened by the 1st and 2nd tank clusters, and the Bryansk Front, which had captured Oreshnia, had to be driven away. After opening the railway line, the newly formed Guderian assault group attacked Konotop.

It can be seen that the mustache is frightened by the supplies, so this time the preparation is for the army to go ahead without moving the grain. Once you're ready, let's fight. However, in Guderian's view, this is another out-and-out failure.

Because it will not be easy to recapture Oleshnia, and it is very likely that the Russians will not be stupid. Naturally, they thought: "The Germans are so eager to retake Oleshnia, I'm afraid this is a big operation, right?" ”

Even if the Soviet Union did not immediately guess the attempt of Operation Avalanche, as long as it stepped up reconnaissance, it would definitely be able to find clues. Once the avalanche operation is exposed, the Soviet Union will soon make targeted adjustments, and the avalanche operation will be more difficult at that time.

All in all, Guderian's heart was heavy, and every day he frowned at the battle map, and it was clear that he was losing confidence in Operation Avalanche.

Was it really as bad as he thought?

It should be said that Guderian was indeed a little overly worried. The Soviet side did not recognize the German attempts at first. Tukhachevsky still judged that the German army was still preparing to fight a war of annihilation in Kyiv, and the reason why they stormed Oleshnia was very simple, that is, it was just to dredge the logistics line.

So Tukhachevsky, in the name of the General Staff, ordered the Second Belorussian Front to continue to hold out on to Oleshnia. In addition, the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts were ordered to strengthen their defenses and prepare for a more fierce German attack.

As for Konotop, Tukhachevsky didn't even think about that side, so the defenses there still looked weak. On 5 April, with the arrival of the main forces of the 1st and 2nd German tank groups, Oleshnia was finally lost, but the commanders and fighters of the retreating Belorussian 2nd Front did not feel much frustration, because they had exceeded their task, and not only could not be blamed, but should also be rewarded for meritorious service.

At least at that time, Rokossovsky and Lukin were relatively happy, because because of their persistence, the Ukrainian Second Front in the Kiev area finally stabilized its position, and there was no possibility of being defeated by the German army. That is, their actions guaranteed a successful end to the battle to relieve the siege of Kyiv.

However, Rokossovsky and Lukin did not expect that the battle of Kiev was a victory, but the Germans did not give up and soon launched Operation Avalanche, which caught the Red Army by surprise.

On 15 April, the tenth day after the fall of Oleshnia again, Guderian's assault group, on Hitler's orders, suddenly captured Mena and followed the railway south to Bakhmachi.

This sudden change caught Shaposhnikov off guard, because the General Staff had been telling him until then that he needed to be vigilant against the continued assault of the Germans on Nizhin. It is necessary to be prepared to guard against death. But who knows, in the blink of an eye, the armored spearhead of the German army suddenly went around Bakhmachi, which is here to copy the back road?

Yes, Shaposhnikov's first thought was that this was the enemy's preparation for interspersed encirclement. After the capture of Bakhmachi, it is very likely that the Germans will continue to move south, pointing at Ichnia and Priluki, so as to achieve the goal of encircling the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts from the rear.

At that time, Shaposhnikov did not think that the German target was Konotop, so he did not order the local troops to increase their vigilance. At that time, the garrison near Konotop was Panfilov. Ivan. Major General Vasilyevich, he was the commander of the 316th Infantry Division.

The 316th Infantry Division originally belonged to the Leningrad Military District, and later after the restructuring of the system, it was transferred to the Moscow Central Military District after the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. Join the battle as part of the Central Front. At the time of Tukhachevsky's second major counterattack, it was allocated to the Belarusian Front.

In the second counterattack, the division suffered heavy losses, and as the main forces of the front retreated, it remained in the rear for rearmament. After the outbreak of the siege of Kiev, the division had just completed replenishment and training and was reassigned to the Kiev Military District as a reserve.

In late March, the division had just been transferred from Smolensk to Konotop. Shaposhnikov gave the division the task of stationing in place to prevent the Germans from breaking through in depth to Russia. So the division actually did not take part in the battle for the relief of Kiev.

April 17. Guderian captured Bakhmachi without much effort, and then, with the 46th Panzer Corps in the vanguard, he took the lead in crushing Kono.

Note that at this time the defense around Konotop was relatively empty, and in addition to Panfilov's 316th Infantry Division, only part of the NKVD border guards remained. Overall, the strength was less than two divisions. And rushing towards them was a whole Panzer Corps, and behind this Panzer Corps there was another Panzer Corps and three Infantry Corps. Speaking from the heart, if you are a little more timid, you can be scared to pee directly, because the comparison of strength is too disproportionate.

But Panfilov was not scared to pee. He was calm, as if it were not five German soldiers rushing towards him, but five pigs. He calmly put on the locomotive hat and calmly ordered: "Let the regiments be ready for battle and hold the defensive line!" ”

You read that right, Panfilov's orders were so bland that they made his men a little crazy. Nima, hold the line? It's easy to say, it's five armies! How can one of our divisions withstand it?

Panfilov glanced at them very calmly, and said lightly: "If you can't hold it, you have to defend it, behind us is Russia!" ”

After saying that, Panfilov got into the car on his own and ordered: "Go to a group!" ”

When the German 46th Panzer Army arrived in Konotop, there was not much Red Army in sight, which made Guderian a little puzzled, he really couldn't understand why the Russian army's defense was so lax? In front of the 46th Panzer Army was at best a division, and what about the rest of the Russian army?

The rest of the Red Army was still in Nezhin, and Shaposhnikov carried out the instructions of the General Staff and piled up heavy troop clusters near Nezhin, which was naturally beyond the reach of the whip at this time.

"Panfilov said that the enemy's 46th Panzer Army was found? Is this possible? ”

Shaposhnikov was skeptical of this information, what did the German devils run to Konotop for? Lao Tzu's main force is not in that direction! Therefore, he immediately suspected that Panfilov's intelligence was wrong.

Shaposhnikov emphasized, very seriously: "Let him confirm again, it must be the 46th Panzer Army!" ”

Panfilov stayed in the command post at the front, and the overwhelming German artillery fire shook the ceiling with dust, and in a short time he was covered with a layer of dust. But he didn't have time to bother with the dust, because the five phones in front of him were ringing non-stop, and all kinds of bad information were constantly coming back.

He had just hung up the phone call from the commander of the third regiment asking for reinforcements, where did he still have reserves at this time, and even the guards in the division headquarters who played soy sauce were sent up, could it be that he, the division commander, would carry a gun and go up in person?

The phone rang again, and it might have sounded the same to others, but Panfilov clearly felt that this time the ringing was even more urgent.

"I'm Panfilov, hello, Boris. Comrade Mikhailovich. Yes, our division was besieged by the enemy's 46th Panzer Corps, and now Konotop is surrounded by regiments. I swear with the honor of the party and the military that I am absolutely not lying. After preliminary reconnaissance, opposite our division, there were two armored corps and three infantry corps of the enemy......"

Cold sweat broke out on Shaposhnikov's head in an instant, two armored corps and three infantry corps, what is this concept? He didn't have to look at the map to know that the Germans were going to play a big ticket this time. Are they targeting Kharkov or Belgorod?

Yes, Shaposhnikov's first thought was that Kharkov was dangerous, after all, this is an important military-industrial base, and if it is lost, it will affect the entire occupation. He instantly became nervous, and ordered sternly: "Comrade Panfilov, I order you to hold Konotop, even if you are the only one left, you will not be able to let the German devils cross through Konotop!" (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank you to the little monk Nengzhi, Zeng Yan, hzwangdd and Comrade Juventus!