Iron Cross

On November 5, at the climax of the South Pacific Campaign, the Red Army's Black Sea Fleet retreated dejectedly after taking a blow from the German navy commanded by Richthofen, preparing to withdraw to the various locations along the Caucasus coast that had been providing cover. Of course, this record in the port did not satisfy Moscow, but Krank was even more dissatisfied - he commanded the German fleet to attack with great enthusiasm, but in the end he achieved nothing. He was so angry that he stamped his feet and cursed the air force for taking it. His life. But before he could get enough of scolding, he was reminded that today's bombing was mainly done by HNA, and HNA also belonged to the navy. At this time, Krank gave up angrily. He was under too much pressure. In order to operate the warships obtained from the French, Marshal Redl mobilized the reserve forces of the base and the sailors on other ships, and headed towards the North Sea. The warships only retained the most basic and critical positions to maintain operations, and the remaining positions were filled by military cadets and recruits. I originally thought that Krank could carve out a world in the Black Sea, but I didn't expect it to be such an anticlimactic result. But it is not without gain. After sailing and combat duty all the way, at least now I can get a good feel of these French warships, and those recruits who have never been on a ship before have finally withstood the baptism of actual combat, and they are rapidly As he grew up, at least the orders he issued could be handled accurately, timely, and effectively, which made him feel extremely gratified. Only then did he understand the good intentions of the head of state in not asking the navy to lay off redundant personnel and use them for other purposes. Otherwise, Even if we now have such a large fleet, we may not be able to find enough sailors.

"Sir, we have received the latest order. Marshal Manstein, commander of Army Group South, wants us to reinforce the army. He made two demands. The first is to firmly grasp the absolute control of the Sea of ​​Azov, because this is In extreme circumstances, Rostov is the only way to maintain the sea supply channel; the second is to bombard the ports in the Caucasus, showing signs of preparation for a large-scale landing, and assisting the Kleist Group on the southern flank to hold back the Soviet Caucasus Front. "

"Received, please reply to the marshal. Our fleet can complete these tasks."

In the strange atmosphere where the Germans did not move or even counterattack, and at the same time, coupled with the urging orders conveyed layer by layer from Stalin, Vasilevsky, Rokossovsky and other high-level officials, the 21st Army commander Chistyakov finally decided to speed up the march. By the evening of November 4, all the main forces of the army, including infantry units, armored units, group army artillery units, and group army headquarters, totaled 14 divisions and 2 tank brigades. All 100,000 horses and horses have crossed the river.

In sharp contrast to the 21st Group Army's rapid crossing of the river and establishment of a stable starting position, in the direction of Karachi on the lower reaches of the Don River, the 62nd Group Army commanded by Chuikov failed in its third attempt to erect a pontoon bridge to cross the river. Whenever he prepared to erect a pontoon bridge, he was always encountered. Under attack by a large number of Stukas and heavy artillery, Chuikov tested various traditional ferries on the west bank of the Don River outside the pontoon bridge erection area, and found that they were all firmly guarded by the German army. Although the Red Army had the firepower advantage, the 400-meter-wide Don River was It blocks the way like a natural moat; further south in Karachi is the Chilie River, a tributary of the Don River. The Chilie Bridge above is a relatively large road-rail dual-purpose bridge from the Don River to Stalingrad. The 57th Group Army assigned to Tolbukhin during the war zone was in charge. In order to seize this bridge, the 57th Group Army used several divisions and brigades to launch attacks in recent days, but failed every time. Manstein not only arranged a strong blocking force, but also A large number of explosives were also buried on the bridge piers on the west bank side. Once it was found that it could not be defended, the bridge would be blown up in time. Facing the focused defense system of the German army, both Chuikov and Tolbukhin found it difficult to take action. Since they were already in the lower reaches of the Don River, there would be no ice until early December. They had to build pontoon bridges or control the Chilie Bridge to cross the river. Therefore, the commanders of the two group armies were anxious and angry but there was nothing they could do.

Manstein's attitude seemed clear: It was possible to cross the river, but only at the bend of the Don. The rest of the Red Army troops would either go north, or they would wait for me on the other side. This strange behavior quickly attracted the attention of the Red Army General Staff. Zhukov, Vasilevsky and others were puzzled. They were not only afraid of something unexpected happening to the 21st Army that had crossed the river, but they were also afraid of the dangers of the Don Front. He fell into Manstein's trap, so from November 5, he ordered the follow-up troops to temporarily delay crossing the river through Don Rokossovsky, commander of the Don River Army. However, Chistyakov received two obstacles that put him in a dilemma. The first order required him to carefully consolidate the meander of the Don River to prevent the enemy from launching a surprise attack; the second order asked him to use all possible methods to find out the true situation of the enemy in front of him and judge Manstein's follow-up plan.

He said angrily: "These are two orders that are difficult to balance. Who should I listen to?"

Political Commissar Buchin frowned: "Obviously this task is not easy to complete, but Comrade Stalin is watching us. If we don't complete it, who will?"

"you mean?"

"Is it possible to consider dispatching a tough vanguard to launch a probing attack in depth? If the Germans have an ambush, they can give a timely warning to the main force of the group army. If not, we can move forward smoothly."

"But if there is really an ambush, wouldn't those few troops just be sent to the door?"

"This is the sacrifice we must make, otherwise what do you want to do?" Buchin sighed, "The Germans must be hiding a powerful force, and their counterattack force should be very strong. If every group army is afraid of losses, If we don't dare to take the first step, the battle will never be fought. We can only watch the Germans entrenched in Rostov. That way, let alone recapture Rostov before the end of this year, we will not be able to touch Rostov until the end of next year. Husband’s side.”

"We are not afraid of sacrifice, but we can't just let us sacrifice." Chistyakov kicked a stone away bitterly, "At least one more group army should come, let the 24th Army quickly cross the river and push across with us... Even if It is okay for us to act as the vanguard and let the 24th Army hold the retreat for us. Otherwise, we will be rewarded after the war, and the troops that will be deployed later will be brave and fearless warriors who turned the tide, made heavy sacrifices, and were the first to bear the enemy's first blow. Instead, we have become cowards who are vacillating in compromise and vulnerable to attack. I am not afraid of being wronged, but I cannot let 100,000 commanders and soldiers die with us.”

"This is of course a more proactive and prudent approach." Buchin thought for a moment, "I suggest you make two preparations, but rush forward no matter what. If necessary, you can directly send a telegram to Comrade Stalin. You will be the first to break through. He sees the merits of the river defense line in his eyes, and he will not tolerate some senior officers disobeying his orders. "

Seeing Buchin pointing his finger at it, Chistyakov nodded knowingly. Now the Red Army has a bad tendency: because Stalin and the General Staff always punish those group armies that have lost battles and been attacked by the enemy. Or the commander of the front army, because in the process of large-scale battles, some senior generals always hope that other troops will take the lead. The benefits of doing so are too obvious - the second wave of troops pounces on them. Success means that the commander is smarter and the troops are better at fighting; failure. To prove that the enemy is indeed powerful, didn’t the first wave of troops also fail? Therefore, on the one hand, he ordered the 27th Army, which was at the forefront, to prepare for a deep assault, and on the other hand, he racked his brains to draft a telegram - he must let Comrade Stalin see the difficulties of the 21st Army going deep alone and with insufficient support.

"Sir, your current strategy has frightened the Russians a bit. You see, they have accumulated at least 4 armies and more than 40 divisions on the other side of the river. They have accumulated 3-4 more armies downstream of the river, and there are 40-50 divisions, such a huge force just don’t dare to use the risk-free pontoon bridge in the river meander, and are desperately trying to build a pontoon bridge downstream and seize the bridge..." Sitting in a luxurious train compartment - Manstein got this from Bulgrade. It is said that it was originally a special train belonging to the King and Queen of Yugoslavia, but now it has become the headquarters of Army Group South. Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Weller smiled and said to Manstein, "If this continues, the Don River will really freeze..."

"It's uncomfortable to have so many troops rushing at them, so there must be gaps and blockages. I had no intention of ambush them. All this is their imaginary persecution syndrome - they are afraid of us." Manstein laughed. .

"Are you not afraid? The Hequ people can cross the river freely without letting a step pass downstream. If I were the General Staff of the Red Army, I would also think there must be a trap here, but..." Weller asked doubtfully, "This way, there is no time." Just drag it on? The number of enemies will accumulate, and it will become a big problem sooner or later. "

"Tell me, should I fight the Russians faster or slower?" Manstein said to his old partner with a smile on his face. "Originally, there was no doubt about this issue before September. There is only one answer, hurry, the sooner the better. While we are stunned, we should pounce on Stalin and continue to bleed him, so that he cannot gather reserve troops. But now time is on our side. Director General Schmont told me that the production of No. 4 G tanks is rising every month. In September, it was more than 800, in October it exceeded 1,000, and this month it can reach 1,200-1,300. Moreover, after Minister Speer mobilized Western European countries, After gaining strength, production will continue to rise and is expected to reach a peak of 1,500 vehicles by New Year's Day next year. Heavy armored fighter battalions equipped with Tiger tanks have been gradually formed, and now there are 2 (already sent to North Africa). This month It is estimated that there will be 3 more, and it is estimated that there will be 4 or 5 every month. It is impossible for all these troops to be sent to Guderian. Why should I be anxious? "