Von Bock glanced at the telegram, and was quickly attracted by its contents.
"What?" Von Bock raised his head and looked at the staff officer: "You mean, there are only a dozen T34s left in the Russian Fourth Tank Brigade?"
"Yes!" the staff officer replied: "Not only are we in difficulty, your Excellency Marshal, the Russians are also on the verge of collapse. The Fourth Tank Brigade we have been worried about has been transferred from various units before this
t34, after several fierce battles, especially the Battle of Tver, they have suffered heavy losses and are far less powerful than before!"
Von Bock nodded.
This is consistent with previous intelligence, especially the battle of Tver... Although the German army was a complete failure in that battle, it was even difficult to pose a real threat to Moscow due to supply difficulties in the north due to the bridges blown up by the Russian army.
Now, von Bock could only place his hopes of attacking Moscow in the center and south.
However, the T34s lost by the Soviet army in Tver were real. The wreckage of the tanks, the bodies of the tank crews, and the tanks captured by the Germans due to malfunctions... The Germans even repaired a few of them and immediately modified them.
Painted and incorporated into its own armored forces.
It was an excellent tank. Von Bock even believed that as long as the Fourth Tank Brigade had enough T34s, the German army would never be able to invade Moscow.
But now...the opportunity has come!
Von Bock looked at the map and immediately called Guderian, commander of the 2nd Armored Group.
"Good news!" Von Bock said: "We have received accurate information that the Russians are seriously short of T34s!"
"We have always known this, Your Excellency Marshal!" Guderian replied: "They are short of all equipment, but we are not much better!"
"No, this time is different from usual!" Von Bock said: "Do you believe it? The Fourth Tank Brigade only has a dozen T34s. We are not sure how many it is, but it is no more than twenty!"
"The 4th Tank Brigade? You mean the 't34 unit'?"
The Fourth Tank Brigade was called the "T34 Unit" by the Germans because it was all equipped with T34 tanks.
In addition, the Fourth Tank Brigade has other nicknames, such as "Death Tank Brigade", "Breakout Tank Brigade", etc., but "T34 Troop" is the most commonly used.
"Yes!" Von Bock replied: "But it can't be called a 'T34' force now, because they use a large number of T26 and KV1 tanks to fill up the numbers!"
"Uh-huh!" Guderian did not show the excitement that von Bock imagined.
"I think this is why they did not counterattack Tula and chose to use mines to block the 3rd Armored Division!" Von Bock continued: "They were hiding themselves and trying not to expose their weaknesses to us. But
Let us know anyway!”
"Do you think we should attack, Marshal?" Guderian asked.
"Of course!" said von Bock: "Why not? We don't have much time left. Who knows how low the temperature will drop. I only know that the longer we delay, the worse it will be for us! At that time, there is no need
Russians, the weather can freeze us to death outside Moscow! So, let your 3rd Armored Division move forward, I believe those mines cannot stop their tracks!"
"Yes, Your Majesty Marshal!" Guderian replied.
After putting down the phone, Guderian fell into deep thought.
Although he couldn't see anything wrong with this, his intuition made him a little scared... Guderian knew that at this time, when the situation required the German army to attack and win quickly, the less anxious it was.
Because the consequence of being impatient is often losing the chance to win in the end.
But how to solve the situation before us?
If what is in front of the 3rd Armored Division is a Russian trap, then what is this trap?
Guderian turned his attention to the map, and after thinking for a while, a plan formed in his mind.
Then, Guderian got in touch with von Bock.
"Your Excellency, Marshal!" Guderian said: "I have a suggestion... We all know that the Russian Army has only one Fourth Tank Brigade!"
"Yes!"
"If the Fourth Tank Brigade is short of T34, then other tank units may be even more short!"
"certainly!"
"Then why don't we attack from both sides?" Guderian said: "It is impossible for the Fourth Tank Brigade to be divided into two directions for defense, is it?"
Shulka got the news at dawn the next day.
The Fourth Tank Brigade adopts the strategy of training at night and lurking during the day. This is not only because the battle they are about to fight is a night battle, but also because it is a trick to deceive the Germans... If they train during the day, the tanks will be easily exposed to enemy reconnaissance planes.
This makes the lie untrue.
When Shulka was lying on the bed and "snoring" asleep, he was woken up by Major Gavrilov.
"There is a situation!" Major Gavrilov said: "The Germans are attacking!"
Shulka said "Oh" and felt a little strange at the same time... The German attack should be expected, why wake him up!
Shulka just wanted to lie down and continue sleeping, but Major Gavrilov dragged him up: "It's a meeting, Comrade Shulka, you will sleep in the future!"
After being dragged to the headquarters in a daze, Shulka hadn't even opened his eyes... He trained all night last night and was woken up shortly after he lay down. Sometimes Shulka would rather be killed on the battlefield.
Fire a cannonball and blow it to pieces, and then you won't have to live so hard anymore.
"The Germans concentrated their forces and launched a fierce attack on our defense line!" Major Zahakavich said: "But it was not Tula, but Volokolamsk!"
"What?" After hearing this, Shulka immediately lost all sleepiness: "Volokolamsk?"
"Yes, Volokolamsk!" Major Zahakavich replied: "The 3rd Armored Division in the direction of Tula still stands still."
"So..." Major Gavrilov said: "Our 'showing weakness to the enemy' did work, but the effect was not that it would lead the German 3rd Armored Division into the minefield as we imagined.
Let the Germans step up their attack on Volokolamsk!"
This change caught everyone off guard, including Shulka.
Now how to do?!
Reinforce Volokolamsk?
Or counterattack on Tula?
Choosing the former means that you cannot complete the superior's task, and choosing the latter means that Volokolamsk may be in danger!
"We can send additional reinforcements to Volokolamsk!" Major Gavrilov said: "The reserves we rescued from Tver!"
"It's been done!" said Major Zahakavich. "The question is Tula... did they see something?"