The decisive battle against the Third Reich

"The narrowest point of the Kerch Strait is only 4 kilometers, general!" Qinchuan said: "This means that we can block it with artillery. Placing an artillery unit at each end of the north and south can create a safe landing for our landing troops. part!"

"That may be possible, but how are we going to face their planes?" Manstein asked.

Manstein's concern is indeed necessary.

It is true that the German army can send fighter planes to compete for air supremacy, but the Taman Peninsula is full of Soviet anti-aircraft artillery... Although the Soviets are relatively careless, they still know what the defense focus of the Taman Peninsula is: the Taman Peninsula and the opposite Kerch Peninsula There is an insurmountable strait between them, so they basically don't have to worry about the enemy attacking on land.

In other words, as long as they can control the sea, it is almost impossible for the German army to cross the strait, and the first thing to control the sea is air control... However, the Soviet army knows very well that its fighter planes are no match for the German army, so they spread anti-aircraft firepower all over the Taman Peninsula. to cover their own fleet.

In this way, if the German army plans to cross the Kerch Strait, there will be a situation where Soviet anti-aircraft artillery attacks German fighter planes, but the Soviet fighter planes desperately attack the landing troops.

"We don't need to face their planes!" Qin Chuan replied: "Because we will land at night!"

"You are crazy!" Manstein said: "We know nothing about the terrain of the Taman Peninsula, and you want to attack at night!"

Because of Hitler's order, Manstein received very limited information about the Caucasus, and the Taman Peninsula was no exception.

"The Soviets don't know anything about us either!" Qinchuan replied: "For example, amphibious landing ships, such as amphibious landing tanks. Almost all their defenses are based on air defense and sea surface operations, and if we can surprise Unexpectedly, we launched an attack from land..."

"General!" Colonel Slain also agreed: "The amphibious landing ship can travel at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour on the water. It only takes twenty minutes for it to cross the 4-kilometer-wide Kerch Strait. In less than half an hour... The Soviets only need to take a nap before we appear in front of them!"

"The amphibious tank only takes about 50 minutes!" Qin Chuan added: "General, the Soviets would not have thought that we would be ready and start crossing the strait in such a short period of time!"

After thinking about it, Manstein nodded and said, "Okay, you have convinced me, what should we do next?"

The next thing to do is actually very simple and boils down to one word: transportation.

The first is ammunition supply.

Although the German army captured a large amount of Soviet equipment and ammunition in the warehouse when they occupied Kerch Port... Kerch Port is the most important supply base for the four Soviet armies on the Kerch Peninsula. It stores enough for the four armies to fight continuously. One month's worth of ammunition and food can be said to be enough for the German 11th Army to fight the entire battle across the Kerch Strait.

But the point is... the First Infantry Regiment used intermediate-power bullets. This bullet was not available in the Soviet and German armies at this time, so it had to be specially transported from Berlin.

It was obviously too late to transport it by train, so Manstein sent a telegram to von Bock, requesting an urgent supply of ammunition for the First Infantry Regiment.

Von Bock may have known that he was in the wrong, so he immediately ordered a large number of intermediate-power bombs to be airlifted to Crimea without any rebuttal, and he also added this kind of ammunition to the train transportation list.

In the evening of that day, the plane loaded with ammunition landed in Foodosiya, and then it was loaded by car to Kerch overnight.

But even so, Qin Chuan still suggested that the First Infantry Regiment become familiar with the weapons and equipment of the Soviet army.

"Our operation this time is likely to go deep into the enemy's hinterland!" Qinchuan said: "It is obviously very difficult to resupply ammunition under that situation. On the other hand, we can get a large number of Soviet equipment and ammunition along the way. We should prepare beforehand!”

"That's right!" Colonel Slain said: "It would be best to have a few people who can drive Soviet tanks!"

What Slain didn't know was that there were many German tank soldiers who could drive Soviet tanks. The reason was that the Soviet T34 tanks had excellent performance. After the Germans captured them, they often sprayed them with German logos and put them into use on the battlefield... only But even so, it was often mistaken for an enemy tank by the Germans.

Transportation on the other hand is the amphibious landing craft and the 1st Mountain Division.

It is not easy to transport amphibious landing ships, because there are 500 of them... If they are loaded with cars for transportation, 500 cars will be needed.

The transportation of the amphibious landing ship needs to be kept secret, otherwise others will know at a glance that the German army is going to cross the strait.

At the same time, it is not easy to transport the 1st Mountain Division to Kerch.

After thinking about it, Qinchuan simply asked the 1st Mountain Division to drive the amphibious landing ship directly to Kerch.

"Don't we need to keep it secret?" Manstein said: "Wouldn't this let everyone know the existence of this kind of landing ship?"

"Who would know it is a ship?" Qin Chuan said: "If we remove the rear propeller and just let it drive on land, everyone will think it is a car!"

Manstein couldn't help but said "Oh" and then agreed to the plan. The propeller could be installed in Kerch.

Facts have proved that Qin Chuan's idea is correct... After all, in this era, things that can swim in the water and drive on the ground can be said to be too avant-garde. Even if you tell them clearly, it is difficult to accept it for a while.

The 1st Mountain Division, which was driving these amphibious landing craft, was fooled.

When they saw this "car" that looked like both a boat and a car, they couldn't help laughing.

"I have never seen such an ugly car!" Major General Frecco, commander of the 1st Mountain Division, looked at the "car" and said sarcastically: "Maybe I should call it a ship!"

The soldiers burst into laughter again.

"Why do they make the 'ship' like a car?" Major General Frecco asked again.

"General!" the adjutant Colonel Pfluger replied: "I guess they hope that this 'ship' can hold more things!"

Major General Frecco raised his eyebrows with interest, then nodded and replied: "That's right, Colonel! Compared to the jeep, he can indeed hold more things! But I doubt... they captured the Soviets at the same time. The boat and car chassis were put together like this just to be able to use them!”

But no matter what, the soldiers of the 1st Mountain Division still drove these "ships" to Kerch smoothly. Two "ships" were abandoned due to malfunctions on the way... After all, this chassis was produced with Soviet machines. , the quality is certainly not as good as German products.