Just because the headquarters moves back, it doesn't mean that the large troops also have to move back.
Timoshenko decided to withdraw to Luhansk, an important town southeast of Severodonesk, and the next focus of defense will be placed here. Of course, the premise is that Severodonesk is occupied by the German army.
As far as the current situation is concerned, Severodonesk, which is an important frontline material and the center of military operations, is in danger!
Therefore, part of the Soviet 9th Army was urgently transferred to the south of the city. Are these newly withdrawn troops capable of completing a perfect interception? Timoshenko seriously lacked confidence. He not only doubted the fighting spirit of his troops, but also had doubts about the fighting spirit of his troops.
They lacked confidence in the crude weapons and equipment they had on hand.
The German tanks and armored vehicles drove on a smooth road after crossing the river. Their maneuvering speed was very fast.
After all, the Soviet army abandoned a large amount of heavy equipment, and the remaining anti-tank guns were too few. Anti-tank guns have become excellent long-range anti-tank weapons. The most suitable weapon for individual anti-tank weapons is rocket-propelled grenades.
Street fighting inside the city is great. What's terrible is that there are too few launchers!
Furthermore, the fences welded on the enemy's armored vehicles largely offset the destructive power of this weapon.
If the enemy tanks are allowed to go north around the forest area, the fall of Severodonesk will occur within twenty-four hours! If the Soviet army wants to stop the Germans, they may only use cruel methods and bundle a large number of anti-tank grenades together
, paying huge sacrifices to get closer and throw!
In the view of Timoshenko and Chief of Staff Tupikov, the 9th Army had the ability to stop the first round of the enemy's offensive from the south. However, as the tide of enemy infantry was pushed away by the tank troops,
In the future, it is unclear whether the Soviet defense line can be held.
Currently, the four armies that the Southwest Front can still contact on the front line have to shrink their defense lines. As a result, the two armies have lost contact. Everyone knows that they are surrounded by German troops, and they are still fighting to the death. But can these troops break through?
Success, Timoshenko no longer cares about it!
After all, it was mainly the troops of the Southern Front who were besieged, and their main force also began to strategically shrink, intending to withdraw its center of gravity to Donbass to establish a new line of defense!
Therefore, Timoshenko decisively determined that the front army headquarters would withdraw to Luhansk. This process must be rapid!
Before retreating, there are many things that need to be dealt with, such as this headquarters, a large number of documents have to be taken away. As for those that cannot be taken away, set them on fire!
As the order was issued, the entire city of Severodonesk fell into chaos. People who remained in the city had learned that the army's command center was about to be transferred. For a while, rumors of defeat filled the city.
Common people also began to pack their bags, bring a small amount of daily necessities, and spontaneously began to move eastward, and their important destination was the big city-Luhansk!
The order was issued very suddenly. The front army headquarters was full of staff officers and guards packing their bags. A large number of documents were carried outdoors in bundles and piled into a hill. In order to burn them more thoroughly, some gasoline was poured on them.
Destroying documents was very important. Chief of Staff Tupikov threw the burning lighter over with a wooden face, and a fire broke out in an instant!
The south wind made the fire crackle and the burning documents fluttered in the wind.
The command center in the southwest has a large number of people. The total number of staff officers in the staff department alone is as large as 900. The reason is that the Soviet command organization is a bit bloated after all. These people serve in various organizations, but they are really decisive.
, that is, the core dozens of people, among whom Timoshenko and Tupikov are key figures.
The last day of May was about to pass, and when the sun rose on the first day of June, the Soviet army faced an extremely difficult situation.
The 9th Army and the 21st and 23rd Tank Corps, which were responsible for the main attack, originally belonged to the Southern Front Army. They could no longer communicate with their headquarters, so they were directly placed under the command of Timoshenko of the Southwest Front Army. The casualties of the troops were indeed serious, but their strength was still
It is considered sufficient, especially since the mobilization of conscripts was urgently mobilized, that is, a large number of middle-aged men. There are nearly 100,000 such troops. Now they are also assigned to the periphery of Severodonesk city to defend the defense line.
For the rest, the Soviet army only needs to meet the enemy's attack and repel it. At least the majority of soldiers still have confidence in this aspect.
Timoshenko insisted on withdrawing his headquarters, all for the sake of safety. He held a high position in the Soviet Union and was a core figure in the army. Of course he did not want to do something like the tragic death of Ponomarenko a year ago.
Let it happen to you.
Taking advantage of the fact that it was still evening, he held an emergency meeting in the already empty command post.
The so-called meeting is a gathering of several senior military officers to discuss the next step of operations. Basically, it is also a one-man show by Timoshenko himself.
"Now, we are facing a very dangerous situation. The German army has begun to attack our Oskol River defense line. Our army must hold this line of defense. At the same time, we must also find ways to reinforce the besieged Southern Front Army's Bob King.
The 6th and 57th Army Group."
His words were nonsense. Tupikov reiterated regretfully: "Comrade Commander-in-Chief, our army no longer has enough troops to reinforce friendly forces. It is very difficult for us to even hold the current defense line!"
"Yes! But if we do nothing, this will be a stain on our military career! We will have to go to a military court for this. Even if they are besieged, we must find a way. So I decided to send a transport plane to
Drop food and ammunition into the besieged areas."
"Plane?! We still have planes?!"
As the chief of staff, Tupikov could not help but be surprised, because almost all the Soviet aircraft were consumed.
The Soviet army did not prepare many fighter jets for this battle, and after the battle broke out, only a handful of the Soviet Air Force's more than one hundred Lager 3 fighter jets could continue to fight.
The Germans air raided all the Soviet airports they could find, causing many aircraft to be destroyed on the airports. The Soviet Air Force could still control the air for the first 48 hours of the battle. After that, the sky became the domain of the Germans.
A large number of Li-2 transport aircraft and old TB3 bombers that were responsible for airlift missions were severely damaged!
Fortunately, the city of Severodonesk has relatively good air defense capabilities. The German army's targeted bombing of the airport here achieved certain results, but they also paid a price. To the Soviet army's satisfaction, the enemy did not successfully bomb the Soviet munitions.
warehouse, but they bombed the city's granaries, and the grain fires were extinguished only on the night of May 30.
Tupikov clapped his fingers and muttered: "My Comrade Commander-in-Chief! We only have eight transport planes available now that can still take off! How much can be transported with this little transport capacity?!"
This is a heartbreaking statistic. Timoshenko knocked on the table: "I know! But we must do something. We have too many arms and supplies left in the city! We will distribute a large number of firearms and bullets to
Even so, we still have a lot of ammunition in our warehouses! We cannot take them all away. If they are captured by the enemy, it will be a huge loss for us. Even if we only have eight transport aircraft,
Airdrops must also be attempted. We must deliver ammunition to the besieged troops!"
"Them? We have to first pass through the German defense line before dropping the supplies. What's worse, if we know the location, how can we lose contact with them? Since you chose to airdrop supplies in an emergency, it is better to airdrop the supplies to a more meaningful location!
"
"More meaningful?" Timoshenko rolled his eyes at Tupikov and instantly understood his intention.