"The situation is serious!" Katukov said at the temporary headquarters: "We have just received news that the Germans have dispatched troops from Europe and Africa for reinforcements. The first batch of troops may arrive at the front line in a few days! Our superiors have asked us to
Take Tver within tomorrow!"
There was silence in the headquarters.
Although it is only a matter of time before Tver is captured, everyone knows that it is almost impossible to quickly capture Tver under the German army's delayed tactics.
"We need time, Comrade Katukov!" Lieutenant Colonel Zahakavich said.
"The problem is that we don't have time!" Katukov replied: "If German reinforcements are allowed to arrive and consolidate the defense line, Moscow will always be under their gunfire, which is very detrimental to us!"
It is true that Moscow needs a buffer zone.
Otherwise, if the German defense line is only 100 kilometers away from Moscow, when the temperature rises next spring, the German army will reach Moscow in one or two days with a counterattack, which is obviously unbearable for the Soviet army.
What's worse is...if the German army gets reinforcements and its morale increases and launches a fierce attack on Moscow again, I'm afraid the battlefield situation will change.
At this time, both the Soviet and German armies were actually in danger.
On the surface, it seems that the Soviet army has the upper hand for the time being, but this is a counterattack launched by the Soviet army after accumulating for a certain period of time. If the counterattack does not yield results, morale will soon be hit, and there will be backlash. That is, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
However, because the German army has reinforcements, the situation may indeed reverse due to the ebb and flow of the situation.
Shulka knew that there was only a slight difference, just like two people who were evenly matched on a seesaw, only one feather needed to float down to decide the outcome.
But even with such a slight difference, the Soviet army was unable to exert its strength because of its weak follow-up.
Shulka looked at the map and knew that this feather was probably Tver.
"Maybe!" Shulka thought for a while and said, "We don't need to occupy Tver!"
"What do you mean?" Katukov asked.
"Our goal is to repel the Germans, not to occupy Tver!" Shulka said.
"Is there any difference?" Katukov asked doubtfully.
Other officers in the command post were puzzled. To capture Tver, the Germans must be repelled, and if the Germans were repelled, Tver could be captured. This seemed to be "no difference" as Katukov said.
But this is not the case.
"The difference is that we don't need to fight like we are now!" Shulka said: "We can turn our target to the enemy in the north of Moscow, where the German 4th Tank Army and 3rd Armored Group are!"
"You mean... we outflank them?" Katukov shook his head and said: "No, Captain, first of all, we only have one brigade. This small amount of tanks and troops are not worth it to the enemy's tank group army and armored group.
Mention. Secondly, the ‘Matilda’ tank is too slow and is not suitable for penetration and outflanking at all!”
Katukov is right, driving a "Matilda" tank through it can only be said to be crazy. By the time the tank arrives, I'm afraid the war will be over.
But of course that's not what Shulka was talking about.
"No, Colonel!" Shulka replied: "The reason why Tver is important is because it is a transportation hub. Most of the supplies for the German army in the north are transported north from here. So... why don't we cut off their transportation lines?
?It doesn’t take long, it only takes a day, or even a few hours, and the German army in the north may collapse because of this!”
The northern German army was dealing with the Kalinin Front's counterattack, so Shurka was right. Just a small threat to the supply line could cause the entire northern German army to lose its will to resist, thus leading to the collapse of the entire defense line.
"You are right, Captain!" Katukov said: "This is exactly why we want to occupy Tver!"
"We don't necessarily have to occupy Tver!" Shulka pointed to the map and said: "There are three rivers in Tver that meet here. Among them, the Tver River runs from north to south. What will happen if we attack along the river channel?
"
The officers in the command post were all stunned.
After a while, Lieutenant Colonel Gavrilov said: "Yes, why didn't we think of this? There can be no buildings in the river, and it is very flat! The enemy's transportation line will definitely pass through the river!"
"But the Germans may deploy firepower on both sides of the river!" Lieutenant Colonel Zahakavich said: "They will form a two-sided attack on our penetrating troops!"
"We don't need to worry too much about the enemy's attacks from both sides!" Katukov said: "Because we have 'Matilda'!"
Nothing can penetrate the thickened armor of the Matilda. If anything, it is the German 88 anti-aircraft gun.
However, at this time, the Soviet artillery and air force had the upper hand. Under their cover, it was feasible for the tank troops to boldly penetrate the enemy in depth... This was actually the consistent method of the German "Blitzkrieg", using the defense and firepower of the tanks.
and maneuvering to attack important enemy targets.
"Where is the German transportation line?" Katukov asked the staff officer behind him.
"I don't know, Comrade Colonel!" the staff officer replied blankly.
The mission of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade is to capture Tver, so its internal transportation lines to the German 4th Tank Army are not that important.
"Then why are you still standing there?" Katukov said angrily: "Go and find out immediately!"
"Yes, Comrade Colonel!" the staff officer replied.
But after a long time, there was no sound. Katukov couldn't help shouting: "Taras..."
"I need time, Comrade Colonel!" Taras replied: "I will send people to interrogate the prisoners, and I also plan to send a few people to conduct reconnaissance!"
"You idiot!" Katukov roared to his staff: "Contact the Air Force, they will have the information you need!"
The staff officer was stunned for a moment, and then immediately rushed to the phone.
Katukov couldn't help but shook his head and said: "We haven't cooperated with the Air Force for too long!"
Yes, it has been so long since we have cooperated with the Air Force that the staff has habitually ignored the Air Force.
The information was quickly passed to the headquarters.
"Just as we expected!" Katukov said, holding the telegram in one hand and pointing to the map with the other: "Their transportation line is on the Tver River. After the river froze, they built a railway to connect the two banks. In addition, there are
Two roads!”
This was after the 1st Guards Tank Brigade blew up the Tverskaya Bridge. The Germans first used pontoons for transportation, and then built a temporary railway after the river froze.
"What we have to do!" Katukov said, "is to penetrate them and cut them off, and then hold them for a while!"