The decisive battle against the Third Reich

"First, our pilots discovered that their ski soldiers have crossed your wings to outflank you!" Kruger explained: "You can't outrun their ski soldiers!"

"That's good news, Marshal!" said Colonel Slain. "Are you asking us to lay down our arms and surrender?"

"No, Colonel!" Kruger said: "I hope you can fight until the last moment, you know... buy us time, and we will try to provide you with air support! The longer you hold on, the more time we can have More time to retreat!”

"What's our retreat?" Colonel Slain asked.

There was no answer on the other end of the phone, and then Colonel Slain replied feebly: "I understand!"

Then he hung up the phone.

The surrounding officers and soldiers, including Qin Chuan, all looked at Colonel Slaine blankly. They all understood something from the conversation just now.

"Colonel!" Adjutant Lucas asked Colonel Slain: "What army, the enemy's army?"

Colonel Slaine nodded, then stood up and pretended to be relaxed: "Yes, guys, this is different from our African battlefield. You will encounter an army group here at every turn. We should get used to this!" "

"What's the order?" Lucas asked.

Colonel Slaine spat out one word from between his teeth: "Hold on!"

Everyone was silent, they knew what this meant.

Then suddenly someone stood up and said: "Fuck it, let us block an army group as a regiment, they must be crazy!"

"We came to save them, but they treated us as victims!"

…

"Shut up!" Colonel Slain shouted: "We are surrounded, we have no choice but to do it!"

Colonel Slaine did what a regiment commander should do. Although he also had complaints in his heart, as a colonel, he could only consider issues from the perspective of the interests of the entire army or the interests of the country.

Otherwise what can he do?

retreat?

It was too late, as Kruger said, the two wings were surrounded by ski soldiers. The Soviets even needed these ski soldiers to pile up the 1st Infantry Regiment to death.

surrender?

The Soviets are not good men and women, and surrender is also a dead end.

Therefore, in these respects, Kruger's order was correct, and the 1st Infantry Regiment should play a little more role before being wiped out by the enemy.

"The enemy is crossing over!" Qin Chuan said while looking at the map.

"Of course, Captain!" said Colonel Slaine. "Everyone knows!"

"Their target is not us!" Qin Chuan continued.

"What do you mean, Captain?" Colonel Slain asked.

"To the north of us is the Northern Army Group!" Qin Chuan pointed to the map and said: "To the south is the Central Army Group. The Soviets' goal is to pass through the middle of the two army groups and cut off the connection between the two army groups!"

"So..." Colonel Slain didn't understand what Qin Chuan meant.

"So we still have a chance!" Qin Chuan said: "They won't cling to our group. This will only slow down their penetration speed!"

Colonel Slain nodded: "You mean, we need to find a strategic location to hold on?"

"Yes!" Qin Chuan replied: "And at least it's a town, because we don't have enough supplies. If we stay in the forest, we will either starve to death or freeze to death!"

So, Colonel Slain set his sights on a small town a few kilometers away... Holm.

"Holm!" said Colonel Slain: "Only the town of Holm can meet these requirements!"

Of course Qin Chuan knew this, because he knew that historically Holm was the last place to hold out, and it was also the only way for the First Infantry Regiment to survive.

"Colonel!" Adjutant Lucas said: "Standing on Holm is also holding on. This does not count as disobeying orders! We just retreated a few kilometers and continued to hold on..."

Looking at the expectant eyes around him, Colonel Slain nodded and ordered: "Withdraw to Holm!"

Just as the 1st Infantry Regiment withdrew to Holm, the headquarters of Army Group Center became busy.

Kruger immediately sent a reconnaissance plane to conduct reconnaissance in the direction of Lelot, and found that the Soviets were attacking not just one group army, but three army groups in that direction.

"An enemy army group is attacking south of Lake Ilmen in the direction of Stara Lusa!" Teleskov said while marking the direction of attack on the map: "An army group is attacking in the direction of Velikiy Luki using Lake Seliger as a breakthrough point. There is another army group attacking in the direction of Toropets!”

After a pause, Teleskov continued: "Their purpose is obvious. After arriving at the Lovaj River, they can cut off and eliminate our troops on the east bank of the Lovaj River to the north, and then all the way along the Lovaj River By setting up defenses along the river, they can cut off the connection between Army Group Center and Army Group North. Alternatively, they may arrive at the Baltic Sea coast to cut off Army Group North's retreat and cooperate with the Suvolhov Front to encircle Army Group North. Integrate hard into the rear of Army Group Center."

Kruger's face was ashen. Each of the possibilities mentioned by Teleskov would cause a devastating blow to the German army, especially the German Army Group North, which was particularly dangerous.

Because the Northern Army Group is responsible for attacking Leningrad (also known as St. Petersburg) in the north. Its west is the Baltic Sea, and its east and north are the Soviet Union. If the south is successfully penetrated by the Soviet army...then the Northern Army will either surrender or The only two options available are jumping into the sea.

So Kruger no longer hesitated and immediately ordered: "Retreat immediately, the entire army will retreat 100 kilometers!"

"But... Your Excellency, Marshal!" Teleskov replied: "The order from the head of state is not to take a step back!"

"Don't pay attention to the orders of the head of state anymore!" Kruger said: "We must live first before we have the strength to obey the orders of the head of state!"

"Yes, Your Majesty Marshal!" Teleskov replied, the strange color in his eyes fleeting.

What Kruger didn't know was that his chief of staff, General Treskov, was actually a member of the German resistance movement. To be precise... Treskov was actually the organization that planned and organized the assassination of Hitler. one of the leaders.

Teleskov believed that in order to assassinate Hitler and take control of Germany, it was necessary to take control of the military.

Therefore, Kruger, the new commander of Army Group Center, was one of his targets.

The current situation, that is, Kruger's behavior of disobeying Hitler's orders, is certainly what Treskov wants to see.