The Soviet Union suddenly invaded Germany on all fronts, shocking the well-prepared German army.
Among the three fronts where the Soviet army focused its offensive, the southern front, where the Soviet armored and air force forces were most concentrated, was also the most exciting.
Due to the rapidly changing situation on the battlefield, the intelligence departments of both the Soviet Union and Germany were unable to keep up at this time. The generals of both sides were staring at the map and making decisions quickly.
Model, who commanded the SS defense forces on the southern front of the German army, and Zhukov, commander of the Soviet Southern Front, both focused on the same place on the map: Sarok City!
This is an ordinary small city located in the north of an important pass in the Korpathian Mountains. Due to the SS's previous emergency turn, a vacuum zone inevitably appeared on their northern flank.
The only thing the Germans could use to control this vacuum zone was Sarok City, a strategic key point where the 26th SS Infantry Division was stationed.
Since Model had previously shrunk and reinforced Sarok City's defense line, Zhukov's forward troops quickly and easily occupied the suburbs of Sarok City.
In the Soviet Southern Front headquarters, Zhukov was arranging the battle plan with a serious expression.
This battle plan called "Mars" reflected Zhukov's typical style. He used the entire front army's three armies and four independent armored brigades to attack Model's party in three directions with overwhelming momentum.
The Guards launched a concentric attack.
Among them, the most important offensive is the middle attack jointly launched by the 20th Soviet Army and two armored brigades.
The target is directly at Salok City!
By opening up the Salok, you can pierce the connection between the German SS and the Wehrmacht, and then encircle and suppress the German SS. While annihilating the effective strength of the German army, you can also destroy Germany's important SS troops to destroy Germany's morale.
"Report to Commander, no German troops were found outside Sarok City!" The Soviet staff officer's voice sounded a bit puzzled. He didn't understand why the Germans gave up their defense on the outside. Although shrinking their troops could increase the strength of their defense line,
With the combat quality of the German army, in the confrontation of peripheral offensive and defensive battles, the Soviet army would definitely suffer!
Zhukov smiled. He knew that what he met was an opponent different from the Japanese army at Nomenkan, an opponent worthy of his all-out efforts.
"Order the 6th Armored Brigade to turn around immediately and reach Sarok within 4 hours. It seems that our opponent this time needs to further concentrate our efforts to deal with it."
Subsequently, tank troops from the Soviet and German armies arrived one after another, followed by various heavy weapons such as howitzers and self-propelled artillery. The Soviet T26 tanks lined up one after another, under the cover of the Soviet infantry.
, taking turns to attack the German defensive forces.
The German army also did not show weakness. While defending, it sent the No. 3 assault gun to fight the Stalker. The tanks of both sides crossed and fell into the battle. The collision of various tanks, the explosion of artillery, and the click of submachine guns were intertwined.
Together, both sides suffered heavy casualties.
At dawn, a German reconnaissance plane flew in. The frightened pilot discovered that the two armies on the ground had twisted into a huge vortex nearly ten kilometers in length with Sarok as the center.
On the whole, the Soviet army has formed a semi-encirclement state against Sarok's 26th SS Infantry Division!
Although the strength of the new defense line of the 26th Infantry Division, which had shrunk its defense line, was able to withstand the Soviet attack, the casualties on both sides of the attack and defense were very high.
This was nothing to the Soviet army. But to the 26th Division, which had a numerical disadvantage, it was a fatal threat. It can be said that Zhukov used completely standard human sea tactics.
What this famous Soviet general who won the Battle of Nomonkan wanted was to use force to overwhelm others and use his absolute superiority in force to crush Salok's SS.
"The Soviet army is trying to fight us with this posture!" Major General Klaus, commander of the 26th SS Infantry Division, said anxiously to himself on the German defensive position.
"Yes, division commander. We had less than five hours to shrink our defense line. The attacking Soviet army launched five or six group charges against us like crazy. Although we resisted each charge, we continued to do so.
This is not a solution. Our troops have suffered heavy casualties. More than half of the 1st regiment has suffered casualties. All cadres above the battalion level have died. Now a company commander is acting as the regimental commander. The casualties of the 2nd and 3rd regiments are not much better.
Go, all personnel will be reduced by more than one-third." The division chief of staff said sadly to Klaus: "There are no reinforcements around, and we will definitely not be able to withstand this situation!"
"What? You said that the group has already lost more than half of its casualties?" Klaus asked in surprise.
"Yes, the First Regiment is at the forefront of the defensive position and has been bombarded by most of the tanks, artillery and aircraft. We have lost and captured the First Regiment's position, captured and lost it, and repeated it five times.
Already." The chief of staff explained in a low voice, but he obviously lacked confidence.
At this time, the chief of staff understood why Model had asked them to shrink their defense line before. According to the Soviet army's crazy human sea tactics that did not care about casualties, even if they wanted to hold the outer positions, it was completely futile.
Prior to this, the chief of staff had complained about the new commander Model, questioning whether he understood tactics.
After hearing this, Klaus thought for a while, nodded, and then said: "You are right, even if we have reduced the defense line once and strengthened the defense intensity, we still cannot fight the Soviet army. Once
As our troops continue to suffer losses, this line of defense will be in danger of being breached due to insufficient troops somewhere."
Once it is broken through, defeat is basically sealed!
"Pass my order, and the soldiers in the defensive position of the first group will retreat to the second line of defensive positions!" Klaus thought for a while, and finally made the decision to continue to shrink the defensive line.
And this decision was exactly what Model had already made once before the war started.
"Yes! Division commander! I'll do it right away!" The chief of staff took the order without hesitation this time.
At the same time, on the Soviet position, the Soviet political commissars were making the usual pre-war mobilization speeches and war supervision threats to the cannon fodder who were encouraged to charge...
"You are all great proletarian warriors! You place the hope of General Secretary Stalin! You must not retreat! You must continue to charge! Otherwise, the motherland will judge you for treason!"
After hearing the words of the Soviet political commissar in the loudspeaker, the SS soldiers on the opposite position stared at each other. Of course they did not understand what these Soviet soldiers meant. Some optimistic
The SS boys even jokingly said to their comrades, "Are the Soviets chanting sutras and asking for God's blessing?"
But then, they understood the meaning of what the Soviets said from the actions of the other party. Because the Soviets launched group charges against them again and again as if they were desperate.
"My God! The Soviet soldiers are simply crazy!" An SS soldier looked at the crazy Soviet soldiers in surprise, not believing what he saw with his own eyes.
Before that, the young men of the SS had always regarded risking their lives as their patent. But today, they discovered that they may not be the only ones who risk their lives in war.
Whether they were forced to flee or take the initiative, Soviet soldiers seemed to have common characteristics with the SS.
