Chapter 1862 Meeting (2) Information on the German Army on the Map Table
Stalin finally arrived, and he arrived very quietly.
Stalin, dressed in simple clothes, only wore a Gold Star Medal, and he did not need more medals to show his honor.
He is a pragmatic person, and he is not willing to dress up like a man who loves great achievements and dress up as a clown in front of the generals.
As for Brezhnev, who was keen on medals, he was very young and devoted himself to the defense of Stalingrad like Khrushchev. His experience in the war, especially his participation in the "Turning Point" battle and his outstanding contributions
, this is an important bargaining chip for these two to stand out in the future.
Therefore, compared to Stalin, who only had one medal and was low-key, Yang Mingzhi, who was dressed in general uniform, had many medals in one body and was too conspicuous.
"Everyone is here! Very good."
Stalin was talking eloquently. He approached Zhukov and continued to ask: "It seems that you are already discussing something. Can you tell me what you are talking about?"
"It's about the battle, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov replied seriously.
Stalin nodded. The afternoon meeting was basically a one-sided report by Zhukov, and all he had to do was approve it.
After all, what Stalin said to Zhukov at night, the implication is: If the battle does not go well, it is not my responsibility, but your incompetent command that needs to be held responsible.
"The meeting will wait until the afternoon. It seems that you are already discussing in detail. You don't have any intention of quarreling. I think you have basically unified your opinions?"
Zhukov hesitated for a moment and said slowly: "Maybe. But things have changed a little, and my plan needs to be changed a little."
"Is this a good change?" Stalin asked urgently.
"Yes. It's all about winning."
"Okay, let's start the formal meeting after lunch. Comrade Zhukov, you have met Comrade Berekov who I invited. What do you think of him?"
Stalin suddenly asked this, and Yang Mingzhi immediately cheered up. Isn't that the case with Zhukov?
"He...he is a very smart comrade. I think he can develop even more."
Stalin nodded without asking further questions, and inadvertently glanced at Yang Mingzhi.
Zhukov's words were quite effective. Stalin felt that Zhukov said this, and the first official meeting between the two must have been good. After all, they both climbed up from the grassroots level step by step through a series of military exploits, and they must have many things in common.
All the people attending the meeting were due. After having a decent Russian meal in the palace restaurant, with almost no rest, Beria led the group directly to the underground.
right!
This so-called underground is the secret air-raid shelter where Stalin took emergency refuge when Moscow suffered a special German air raid a month ago.
It is directly under an inconspicuous building near the Red Square. It is more than 70 meters deep, and the most powerful 1800kg aerial bomb of the German army cannot damage the fur.
Counting this time, this is Yang Mingzhi’s second time here.
Could it be that the planning meeting for the "Operation Mars" campaign on another dimension was held in Stalin's secret bunker?
It's an incredible feeling to hold a military meeting dozens of meters underground.
Could it be that the multiple air raids gave Stalin a lot of mental trauma, making him feel that the deep underground was not claustrophobic, but only a sense of security.
Maybe there is indeed a factor in this aspect. Yang Mingzhi thought about it again, and I am afraid that such a claustrophobic environment can ensure the confidentiality of the meeting to the greatest extent.
Things developed exactly as Yang Mingzhi expected.
Several people attending the meeting, including their entourage, stood in front of the entrance to the bunker, and Stalin only selected a few people to enter.
Beria, Zhukov, Purkaev, Konev and Berekov (Yang Mingzhi), as well as two secretaries trusted by Stalin.
Without any delay, the selected people boarded the elevator and arrived deep underground in a short while.
There are tunnels inside the bunker that lead directly to the Kremlin and Stalin's villa. Military commanders know this place, and one of its functions is to serve as a military command post for possible street battles in Moscow in the winter of 1941.
Until now, all the German army can do is vent their anger by throwing some bombs or other strange things at Moscow. Street fighting has not happened and it is unlikely to happen in the future.
But the bunker's role as a military command post has always existed.
Now we have to formulate a battle plan for a key battle. In this secluded and isolated place, the main military commanders sit down to discuss the battle plan. This is what Stalin would like to see.
For this reason, Stalin had already ordered Beria to make preparations.
In an isolated underground secret meeting room, there is a large wooden table made of pieces, with a huge partial map of the Soviet Union spread out on it.
The map depicts the European part of the Soviet Union, and is marked with a large number of sharp points and other symbols.
There are many wood blocks of different colors in the picture, and some wood blocks are even carved into special shapes.
The black wooden blocks represent the German army, and the red wooden blocks represent the Soviet army.
That's not all. The redwood blocks representing the Soviet army are all painted with numbers in white paint, which are the Soviet combat units they represent.
Some of the black wooden blocks representing the German army were also marked with numbers and letters, which were the numbers of specific German units learned by Soviet intelligence personnel. Unfortunately, Soviet intelligence personnel did not have the ability to lurk into Model's headquarters. They only
Able to find out the numbers of some enemy troops through various channels.
For example, because Yang Mingzhi led his troops to fight against the German 100th Army in Belarus. Therefore, the German 100th Army, which finally completed the reinforcement mission, had detailed numbers for the three "huge" infantry divisions under its command.
learn.
In addition, through the frequent "tongue grabbing" operations on the battlefield, the numbers of some of Model's infantry divisions were also exposed.
The most astonishing thing is the existence of the German Imperial Division. It is a behemoth with a combat strength of 18,000 people! It is not so much one division as three divisions!
No matter how later generations of military historians evaluated the Imperial Division's combat effectiveness, it was also due to its various actions.
The current commanders of the Soviet army, especially General Konev, who has been fighting the German Ninth Army for more than half a year, have a very straightforward evaluation of the Imperial Division.
"This is a powerful elite force. If we want to defeat them head-on, we must concentrate three fully-equipped mechanized armies to attack them from three aspects."
If Konev was given the choice, he really didn't want his troops to go head-to-head with the Imperial Division.
The Soviet offensive in August was the troops of the Kalinin Front commanded by Konev. They used a large number of rocket launchers and heavy artillery to bombard the two highlands north of the city of Rzhev, destroying the important firepower stronghold of the German army.
Only then did they successfully cross the river and complete the occupation of Rzhev.
At the same time that a hole was torn open in the German defense line, a new force of the German army, the 6th Infantry Division, rushed into the battle.
The German reinforcements that first arrived on the battlefield were quickly overwhelmed by the Soviet army with high morale. At this point, several southern troops of the Kalinin Front, especially the 39th Army that had just escaped from the encirclement, launched a counterattack, and the entire army began to target Smolensk.
A desperate attack in the direction.
The Soviet army's efforts failed. Of course, it was due to the fact that they were at the end of their strength. The most critical factor was Model's adjustment of military deployment.
The belatedly arrived 40,000 fresh troops with combat effectiveness of the 100th Army immediately took over the tasks of the Imperial Division. The 40,000 troops defended the northeastern and eastern fronts of the German army, delaying the Western Front and Kalinin Front's attack on Vyazma.
Siege from the east.
The freed Imperial Division and other troops that reinforced Smolensk, especially some of the troops of the Fourth Army led by Ludwig, not only withstood the Soviet attack, but also launched a counterattack.
If the muddy ground had not interfered with the advancement of the German armored forces, the Soviet army might not have been able to guard the city of Rzhev as firmly as it did now.
Konev and Purkaev, the two generals who know the battle situation in the Vyazma region best, have organized their troops into organized troops to deal with the troublesome enemy, that damn Imperial Division.
So where is the current location of the Imperial Division?
According to reliable intelligence from the Soviet army, the Imperial Division was in position in the northern town of Dukhovshina in Smolensk. Their role was like a turtle shell, protecting Smolensk under German occupation.
According to reliable information, the headquarters of the Imperial Division is located in Yartevo, not far south of Dukhovshina.
Behind the Skeleton Division, there were at least two German armored divisions. Perhaps the real situation was worse than this. It was undeniable that the Germans were not stupid enough not to defend Smolensk tightly.
From Smolensk to Vyazma, the German defense line was almost a straight line, and Model's troops paid attention to setting up defenses on this line of defense.
Behind Model was the 200,000-strong army commanded by Ludwig of the Fourth Army.
However, the Fourth Army's current task is equally arduous.
The Soviet Western Front did not fight well in August due to muddy roads. They only completed a breakthrough in a town called Sushinich.
The loss of Susinich by the German Fourth Army was equivalent to a major depression in its defense line, and the Soviet army instead formed a convex corner area.
It stands to reason that the German army can cut off this "convex corner" with the tried-and-tested "pincer offensive". Unfortunately, the Fourth Army only has 200,000 people, and its military equipment level is inferior to that of the Ninth Army in the north. Not to mention their material transportation
The main artery was temporarily interrupted due to the failure of Operation "RUHE".
The Soviet Western Front they faced, Commander Ludwig conservatively estimated that the enemy had at least 500,000 combat troops! His estimate was already very conservative. In fact, the Soviet army had been strengthening its forces. By October 1st,
At this point in time, the strength of the Western Front had been crazily strengthened to 700,000. Even if it was filled with a large number of recruits who had only been trained for a month, Ludwig was afraid of them when they gathered such a huge number.
In the Vyazma area, the total combat strength of the German army has always remained close to 500,000 people. Since Model's unit suffered the most damage, he was also ordered to choose the opportunity to take the initiative to attack, so Model's strength was the strongest.
It's a pity that times have changed! Mustache was so intoxicated by the unprecedented victory that he deceived himself that the retreat outside Moscow was a defeat to General Winter. Officials frantically reported on the impact of winter, and the German people also believed that it was not that the German army could not fight, but it was too cold in winter!
It is said that the French army occupied Moscow a hundred years ago, but they were still defeated by the terrible winter.
How can General Dong be so powerful?!
The German army underestimated the Soviet army's determination to fight. Facing the fierce Soviet attack, Model had no choice but to put the offensive troops into battle. Unexpectedly, the attacking Soviet army was not ordinary human beings, but a monster close to steel.
Carrying a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, they occupied Rzhev. With this damn breakthrough, it was like an ulcer that was expanding rapidly, and the defense line that Model had worked so hard to build quickly collapsed.
At this juncture, Model disobeyed! He did not carry out Berlin's order to defend the defense line. The main force retreated while fighting. After more than a month of tug-of-war, the current situation was stabilized.
He further disobeyed orders and dismantled the reinforcements to pieces. Wherever there were any omissions, he added battalion-level units to them.
It was precisely because of this operation that the Soviet scout who was grabbing his tongue was in a dilemma.
The prisoners basically gave the detailed numbers of their units, and the intelligence from each investigation team was compiled. What Konev got was very incredible information.
Is it possible that the German army can line up twenty divisions from Smolensk to Vyazma? Is it possible to spread one division every five kilometers on average? How is this possible?!
For example, a reconnaissance team captured a tongue who confessed that he belonged to the A Division. Another reconnaissance team thirty kilometers away captured another tongue that also belonged to the A Division.
Konev had no idea what was going on, and his successor Purkayev was even less clear about it. They didn't figure it out for the time being, but the compiled intelligence got into Beria's hands, and Beria also
He could only tentatively make what he thought was the possible arrangement of German troops.
In any case, the Soviet army has mastered the numbers of a bunch of German division-level combat units, which at least proves that Model has so many troops. In this way, the Soviet army can estimate the strength of the German army!
The Soviet army believed that the German army had a strong ability to replenish its troops, at least for now. So Model's troops numbered at least 300,000, a number approved by Zhukov.
The real situation is similar to what the intelligence agency estimated. In early October, the total strength of Model's headquarters was as high as 290,000. If the 200,000 troops of the Fourth Army in the same area are added, the German combat strength would be as high as 500,000.
.
Throughout the tug-of-war in September, Model used this set of operations to withstand successive Soviet attacks, but he was unable to organize troops to launch an effective counterattack.
The only unit he couldn't break up was the Imperial Division.
The Imperial Division, a group of guys who claimed to be much nobler than the National Defense Force, Model loved and hated them. This group of people had a strong will to fight, and they were the best equipped in the group army. However, these
People are only responsible to the person in Berlin, and they give priority to executing that person's orders!
So Model wanted to dismantle the Imperial Division, but this move was immediately rejected. Even if it was to pull out troops such as the Yuanshou Regiment to fight independently, this idea was impossible.
"They are just a group of knights who need to be carefully served. Do they really think they are the Teutonic Knights!? Or the Knights of the Sword?! Some of them are not even German citizens!"
Model had no choice. Since the behemoth Imperial Division could not be divided, it should serve as a shield for Smolensk. After all, the current situation was very unfavorable to the German army. If the Soviet army really occupied Smolensk, Model felt that he
If you have to go to court-martial, you can't avoid a jail sentence.
This is the strategic situation of the Vyazma region marked on the map.