For Admiral Jenek, the Führer's order was no less than a bolt from the blue, but even if he was reluctant, he could only accept it. It should be noted that Constanta is one of the most important military ports in Romania, and its level of defense is still very high, at least much higher than that of the half-hung Jakerman.

However, Jenek did not feel easy, because the troops at his disposal were too limited, and most of them had escaped with their armor thrown off their armor all the way, and they were seriously lacking in heavy weapons, and it was so panicked to expect a light infantry to resist the attack of the Red Army, which was mechanized to the teeth.

To make matters worse, Vasilevsky moved so fast that he almost did not stop chasing after the Germans to Constanta, and did not give the Germans and Romanians much time to build their positions. This forced Jenek to order the troops outside Constanta to engage in a fierce exchange of fire with the Red Army vanguard, and it took great effort to push the Red Army vanguard back.

By 18 May, when the main forces of Vasilevsky's 37th Army began shelling Constanta, the German and Romanian forces in Constanta at that time numbered 124,000 men (including a considerable number of second-line troops), while the Red Army's 37th Army arrived in Constanta with about 100,000 troops.

It seems that Vasilevsky performed a miracle, surrounding the majority with a minority, of course, in terms of numbers, it can be said that the German and Romanian armies were indeed more numerous than the Red Army, but fighting a war is never just about numbers. In terms of quality, the combined German and Romanian forces were very different from Vasilevsky's troops.

For a brief comparison, the Dro coalition forces in the encirclement only had a total of 70 tanks, most of which were Czech 35T tanks and the old tanks 2 and 3. The few tanks of No. 4 were still early models. And the 37th Army had hundreds of T-34s and T-35s. The two sides are not of the same magnitude.

Looking at the morale and physical strength of the army. Most of the German and Romanian armies were routed all the way, exhausted from their previous fugitives, and most of their heavy weapons were lost, and they were not worthy of the Red Army's shoes in terms of firepower.

It must also be noted that about 60% of the 120,000 men were Romanian troops, and the Germans actually only had about 50,000 troops. Let's hope the Romanians will be less brain-dead.

After a day's rest, Vasilevsky's 37th Army began its offensive on May 19. In the early morning, fierce fighting broke out on a 30-kilometre-long front, and the Red Army continued to use the usual tactics of forceful surprise attacks and penetrations by tanks, accompanied by infantry.

However, on this day, Vasilevsky's boys did not make much progress, and the wonderful performance of the German 336th Infantry Division made it difficult for them to find an opportunity, and the crowds of fortifications gave the Russian boys a headache.

The fierce fighting continued until sunset, and it was the Red Army that gave up first, for a somewhat surprising reason - the shells were gone!

Don't be surprised. This is not an excuse, let alone nonsense, the fact is that on the first day of the battle, the main attacking force of the 37th Army ran out of available shells. Belch. What do you mean by usable shells? Are there still unusable shells?

Yes, about 30% of the shells were unusable, mainly because Romania was too wet in the spring and a considerable number of shells were too wet to use. Moreover, it should be noted that in this section of the pursuit operation, the 37th Army's breakthrough speed was too fast, far exceeding the Red Army's logistical supply capacity. The last reason was that the resistance of the German army was extremely fierce, which exacerbated the consumption of ammunition in the Red Army, and naturally the ammunition was beyond its means.

And in the absence of strong artillery support, it was obviously impossible to take the enemy's heavily guarded fortifications. Vasilevsky soon discovered the problem and immediately stopped the offensive, and it can be said that the failure of the first round of the Red Army's attack was not due to the fact that the Red Army officers and men were unfavorable in combat, but only to blame the superiors for being too optimistic.

The initial defeat did not dampen Vasilevsky's spirits, and he quickly set the next attack for five days later, on May 25. It's just that the plan can never catch up with the change, just when Vasilevsky was preparing to take Constanta in one go, the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine changed significantly, Manstein's sudden escape caused an avalanche effect, and the entire German Army Group South fell into a circle of scrambling to escape, and almost fled to the border between Ukraine and Poland in one go.

Such a change is somewhat out of the ordinary. In anticipation of the committee, in order to catch up with the German army as soon as possible, the logistics priority of the first and second Ukrainian fronts was mentioned as the highest, and all supplies would be given priority to the supply of these two fronts, which naturally made Vasilevsky's side only stare dryly.

However, Vasilevsky was not particularly disappointed, he believed that with the strength of his troops, the problem of taking down the enemy should not be particularly big, and with the arrival of the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet on the battlefield, he could still get artillery support from the sea.

On May 25, Vasilevsky began the offensive as scheduled, and the 59th Tank Division, which had high hopes, was still on the front to take on the main attack. But the intensity of the battle again exceeded Vasilevsky's expectations, and the 59th Tank Division, together with the three main divisions of the 58th Tank Division and the 104th Mechanized Division, stormed for a day, and the farthest advance was less than 3 kilometers. Even the 59th Tank Division was blocked by the dense minefields on the way forward early, and before it could be launched, it was warmly "entertained" by the enemy's artillery, and it was not able to really engage in the battle for a whole day.

Reality forced Vasilevsky to once again abandon the immediate attempt to capture Konstanza, and the problem was still in the supply, this time not only ammunition, but also the front-line offensive units were not able to receive an adequate and timely supply of fuel. In addition, the coordination between the combat units of the various arms of the 37th Army also needs to be improved, and the mechanized troops, infantry and artillery of the attacking Chinese Silevsky often fight separately.

Two consecutive failed attacks made Vasilevsky realize that he had underestimated the opponent in front of him - this is a tough bone to gnaw!

Vasilevsky had a whole bunch of problems before him: the training of troops, coordination and, most importantly, the supply of ammunition and fuel. It all takes time to work out. This time Vasilevsky learned wisely. He scheduled his next attack for early June. And when reporting, he also used the words "depending on the situation", leaving enough room for himself.

As the days passed, and the defenders of Constanta knew that time was precious, Jenek was busy reinforcing the front lines and fortifications, and at the same time withdrew the Romanian troops that he considered unreliable from the front line and concentrated them in the city of Constanta. Hitler, who was extremely concerned about the war on the other side, issued two death orders in quick three days: "Constanta must be held!" Until the last man! ”

Not only in words, but also in his own practical deeds he expressed his determination -- not only did he send an additional regiment of about 2,000 men to Constanta. Of course, the number is a little less, but the Führer still fully expressed his attitude with this kind of action, but these soldiers who were sent to Constanta were really cannon fodder. Their future will be pitch black.

In addition to this, in order to raise morale, Hitler instructed that the heroes who fought in Constanta be paid double salaries, and promised that all those who participated in the defensive operations would receive the first Russian lands after the victory in the war. And those who deserted and escaped will be shot immediately!

But Jenek knows very well that the fall of Constanta can be said to be a certainty, and that is a matter of time. In the eyes of this old-fashioned German soldier, the lives of his soldiers were the most precious, and if he did not want to lose this entire army group (including Romanian units), then a massive retreat would have to be carried out, which meant that Hitler had to change his original intentions.

Although I know that I can't do it. But Admiral Jenek was determined to make a last-ditch attempt. On May 28, he flew to the wolf's den himself, trying to convince Hitler of the inevitable collapse with his incorruptible tongue. Retreat is the only way out for hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Jenek clearly did not know his Führer well enough, and the peculiarities of Constanta dictated that Hitler would never retreat without a fight, even if he had a whole army group. Not to mention the fact that the remnants of the German army in Constanta were, at best, a reinforced army, and even if withdrawn, it is unlikely to have a decisive impact on the situation in Ukraine and Romania.

On the contrary, if he stayed in Constanta, he could contain the two armies of the Red Army (after the battle of Yakerman, the Red Banner Independence Primorsky Army was strengthened in the direction of Vasilevsky, and Tolbukhin's 41st Army went to reinforce Konev), such a "cost-effective" deal Hitler would certainly not miss. What's more, once Constanta falls immediately, it will be a heavy blow to the morale of the Romanians, and the rest is difficult to say.

Instead of impressing his Führer, Yenek's "generous speech" angered Hitler, who angrily dismissed Janek from all his posts and announced that Janek would never be replaced, replaced by Lieutenant General Almendinger.

The Germans made a change, while Vasilevsky learned a lot from the first two hasty attacks. In late May, he and the newly appointed commander of the Red Banner Independent Primorsky Army, Semyon. Ilyich. In a general offensive plan for Constanta drawn up by Lieutenant General Bogdanov to the base camp, the date for the launch of the third offensive was set at June 5.

And for this date of the general attack, in fact, at the time was controversial, the army. The main leaders of the committee, such as Li Xiaofeng, thought that the time was still too rushed, and given that Constanta was a tough nut, Vasilevsky and Bogdanov had better prepare a little more thoroughly.

According to Li Xiaofeng's intentions, the general attack on Constanta should not be earlier than 15 June, but his proposal was met with resolute opposition from Trotsky, who strongly demanded that the attack should only be advanced and not postponed, preferably as soon as possible.

From a military point of view, Lao Tuo is just messing around, and it stands to reason that Lao Tuo's level should not be so low, so why is Lao Tuo so anxious?

There are two reasons for this: one is military and the other is political. Let's talk about military reasons first, the reason why Lao Tuo is so anxious to take Constanta is because he is still aiming at Bucharest! Lao Tuo is desperate to improve Vasilevsky's position in the military, how can he do it? Naturally, the greater the combat exploits, the better, and at this stage, Bucharest is undoubtedly the best copy of the combat exploits.

Trotsky, of course, hoped that Vasilevsky would settle Constanta as soon as possible, and then turn around and go west to Bucharest. He hoped that Vasilevsky would get ahead of Konev and take the capital of Romania.

At this time. The troops of Konev and Tolbukhin are storming Buzeu. It's been the last few days since the city was taken. Once Konev takes Buzeu, he will be able to take Ploiesti north of Bucharest. As I said before, Ploiesti is really very close to Bucharest, do you think Lao Tuo is not in a hurry?

Of course, Lao Tuo is not just thinking about the selfish interests of his own small group, and it is also of great political significance to solve Constanta as soon as possible. Since the Red Army invaded Romania in May, the dominance of the Romanian fascist regime had been dealt an unprecedented blow. As the Red Army advanced at high speed in Romania, its fascist regime was already teetering on the brink of collapse. Opponents within Romania had begun to make covert contacts with the Soviet Union. To find a peaceful solution to the Romanian problem.

If a large city as important as Constanta could be taken at this time, it would be an even heavier blow to the Romanian fascists, and Romania would be forced to change their choice more quickly. If Romania could be forced to surrender without blood, the Germans would open a huge skylight on the southern front, and the chain reaction would completely change the situation on the Soviet-German battlefield.

Naturally, for political reasons, Trotsky also hoped that Vasilevsky would be as soon as possible, preferably able to get Constanta by dividing five by two. In politics. Governance and Army. Intense discussions were held on this issue, and the final result was that the general offensive was neither postponed nor advanced. Follow the plan of Vasilevsky and Bogdanov.

After the timing of the general offensive was decided, the only problem that bothered Vasilevsky was the problem of supplies. After some bargaining with the logistics department, the Red Banner Separate Primorsky Army would receive no less than 1.5 base shells and mortar shells for the two days before the start of the offensive, while the 37th Army, which was mainly attacking, should receive no less than 2.5 base shells and mortar shells. In addition, the fuel reserve must be enough for half a month of use by mechanized troops.

By 4 June, the day before the battle, Vasilevsky and Bogdanov's troops were well prepared for the final decisive offensive. The Red Banner Independent Primorsky Army invested 8 infantry divisions, 1 cavalry division, and 4 artillery regiments. The 37th Army of the Red Army, on the other hand, invested six infantry divisions, two tank divisions, and one mechanized division, as well as six artillery regiments under the corps and two artillery brigades belonging to the group army, totaling about 20 divisions with a huge strength of more than 300,000 people.

In stark contrast to the meticulous preparations of the Red Army, despite Hitler's repeated claims that Constanta was a fortress that "could never be conquered", its garrison was generally only 120,000 men, and these 120,000 men were scattered over a vast area of 30 kilometers around Constanta, resulting in a very thin distribution of forces, so that the commander-in-chief, Lieutenant General Almendinger, had only three battalions of reserves at his disposal.

Many comrades may not help but ask: If this is the case, then where did Hitler get this self-confidence? Truth be told, it's an unsolved mystery.

Fast forward to four o'clock in the morning on June 5, when more than 330 heavy artillery, more than 400 rocket launchers, and countless heavy mortars began the Red Army's general offensive with a heavy bombardment of several hours.

At half past eight in the morning, the infantry of the Red Army's Red Banner Independent Primorsky Army jumped out of the trenches and, under the cover of a vast barrage, rushed to the northern defense line of the port of Constanta, which was guarded by the German 44th Mountain Army. It is worth mentioning that this mountain corps is now commanded by a lieutenant general Hartmann with only one arm and one leg left, a very tough Prussian general.

With smoke billowing from all sides of the battlefield, the four infantry divisions of the Red Army, which launched the first wave of the offensive, soon rushed to the front of the German forward positions. But to the surprise and disappointment of the officers and men of the Red Army, after being ravaged by such heavy artillery fire, the German grenadiers of the 336th Division did not collapse and were able to constantly jump out of the trenches and respond calmly.

On the other side, on the position of the German 50th Infantry Division, the Red Army, which had just achieved a breakthrough, was immediately met with a ferocious counterattack by the German reserves, and almost all the officers and men of the Red Army commando who had managed to break through the two German trenches were killed in the tragic hand-to-hand combat.

Obviously, the Red Army still underestimated the combat effectiveness of the German army, and although the Germans fled with great difficulty and embarrassment, they did not lack the courage to fight to the death.

However, the most important thing is the Red Army's seemingly ferocious but in fact very general artillery fire, look at those pillboxes that have been kissed by Red Army shells, can still spray tongues of fire, which shows that the Romanians' fortifications did not cut corners, it is quite powerful.

Since the infantry had not been able to make a real hole in the enemy's line of defense during the day's fighting, the armored units became spectators on the battlefield, which made Vasilevsky somewhat depressed and helpless, and he could only hope that the Red Banner Independent Primorsky Army would be a little more powerful in tomorrow's battle...... (To be continued.) )

PS: Bow and thank you for the storm, the evil sword, the glorious charter and Comrade Juventus!