In this case, all Hitler considered was how to eliminate the negative impact caused by the surrender of the 6th Army.
Therefore, he did not consider whether Manstein's Don Army was in danger at all, but comprehensively organized propaganda tools, special operations teams and the Gestapo to block adverse news.
Of course, it is impossible to completely block such a big thing. Hitler can only hope to minimize the negative impact.
Manstein was organizing a retreat in full swing.
His attention has always been on Milowe's southern and northern defense lines, and he has sent batches of reinforcements to the southern and northern defense lines... In fact, it cannot be said to be reinforcements, but the first batch of withdrawals.
The troops in the encirclement were used by Manstein to strengthen the southern and northern defense lines.
Manstein knew very well that only by ensuring that the southern and northern defense lines were not breached could the Don Army Group withdraw safely.
Even though Manstein was a famous general, at this time, under the influence of the surrender of the 6th Army and the possible encirclement of the Don Army, he did not take into account the possibility that the enemy might carry out airborne operations.
At eleven o'clock that night, at the Soviet Akhtubinsk Air Base, more than a hundred transport planes were filled with fuel and ready.
The transport plane is "li".
To be precise, it is "Li D"... "Li" was modified from a civil aircraft. Initially, it was hurriedly requisitioned when the war broke out and then the seats were simply removed to install transportation equipment. At least it is now available.
Three variants:
The first modification is the "Li G". The floor is strengthened, rigging is added, and a hatch is added on the left side, which is mainly used for transporting supplies.
The second type is the "Li T", which is a military type. It is actually used as a bomber because it is equipped with a machine gun turret on the back. A 7.6 mm or 1.7 mm machine gun can be installed in the turret for defense.
A 7.6 machine gun can also be temporarily installed on each side. Bombs can be installed under the fuselage, and four 50-kg bombs can be mounted, or six 8mm rockets can be mounted on each wing.
The third type is the "Li D", which is a paratrooper type with a towing hook at the tail for towing a glider.
The problem is that the number of the third type of paratrooper type "LiD" that can tow gliders is too small. Only twenty of them have been collected...
Needless to say, the reason for this is that if all airborne troops are incorporated into infantry divisions and used as ordinary infantry, then of course "paratrooper-type" transport aircraft will be unnecessary.
As a result, almost all "paratrooper-type" transport aircraft have been modified into military and cargo types, or in other words, all those originally intended to produce "paratrooper-type" have been converted into military and cargo types.
This made Veniamenko a little embarrassed. He said to Shulka: "We can probably only carry twenty-three anti-tank guns to the front line!"
Large equipment such as anti-tank guns can only be transported by glider, because it is too heavy and is likely to be broken when it lands on the ground if it is disassembled and parachuted.
And the airborne troops must carry anti-tank guns, otherwise they will be unable to do anything once they encounter an enemy tank... Because the range of rocket launchers is too short, they can only be used under limited conditions.
Shulka thought for a while and said: "We must replace at least half of them with howitzers!"
Veniamenko asked: "For Highland No. 3?"
"Yes!" Shulka said: "Highland No. 3 is more than five hundred meters away from the highway. It requires artillery fire to block the highway!"
"Then we only have eleven anti-tank guns!"
"Two gates in Miloway, two gates in Highland 3!" Shulka said: "Seven gates in Butur Village!"
Veniamenko nodded and did not object to such an allocation, because the flat village of Butur was the place that needed anti-tank guns the most.
After thinking for a while, Shulka added: "In addition, we should also favor Butur Village when it comes to airdrop supplies!"
Veniamenko agreed: "We are already ready to give them the second or even third batch of supplies!"
It goes without saying what this second and third batch of supplies means... The first batch of airdrops and airdrops are the safest, because the Germans are completely unprepared, and the transport plane still takes off from the Akhtubinsk Air Force Base.
The German 6th Army had surrendered and Stalingrad was safe. It could reach the target in less than twenty minutes at full speed.
At this time, it can be said that the German army had no time to react.
Because this needs to be detected by radar, the fighter jet then takes off urgently, and then flies to the target area to intercept.
By the time the German fighter planes arrived, the Soviet airdrop might have been completed.
Then, following Veniamenko's order, more than a hundred transport planes at the Akhtubinsk Air Force Base started.
There was the "rumbling" noise of motors everywhere, and the air was filled with the smell of gasoline and exhaust gas. Teams of heavily armed paratroopers trotted towards their transport planes under the instructions of the ground crew, and then boarded the plane one after another.
For this airborne landing, Veniamenko took a risk and did not send any fighter jets to escort him.
Zolotarev previously expressed doubts about this: "Is this too dangerous? If there is no fighter escort?"
"So what if there are fighter escorts?" Veniamenko asked rhetorically: "The performance of our fighter jets is far inferior to that of the Germans, especially night fighters!"
What Veniamenko did not say clearly is that the bigger difference is actually the quality of the pilots.
"What's more!" Veniamenko said: "If we take off fighter jets, it will give the Germans a wake-up call!"
Shulka knew what Veniamenko meant...
If fighter jets were to be escorted, the fighter jets would have to take off first and circle in the air to form a team. During the team formation process, they might be spotted by enemy radar, and then the German Air Force would be ready to take off or even already take off.
Therefore, Veniamenko decided to use a transport plane to "strike".
This is actually a helpless choice. Fighters are not as good as others, and it doesn't matter whether they have them or not, so it is safer to "run naked" at this time.
But that's not what Veniamenko said to his men.
Before those airborne troops board the plane, the ground staff will tell them: "Don't worry, our fighter planes have already flown into the air to protect you! We have sent a total of five aviation groups!"
In fact, this sentence can only deceive the airborne troops who do not know much about fighter aircraft. Those pilots who fly transport aircraft all understand... It is impossible to have five aviation regiments. The entire Soviet Air Force does not have so many night fighters, and they do not have the ability.
So many fighter planes were dispatched for night battles.
Therefore, transport aircraft pilots are always nervous or have trembling feet when starting the aircraft.
Only those paratroopers looked calm and even joked with each other. (To be continued)