The performance of the German Nazi Superman on the battlefield in Ireland shattered Golikov's common sense about mechanized warfare, and a strong armored cluster would not necessarily crush the infantry easily, at least not the defenses of the German infantry.
On the contrary, a group of armor, which seemed to Golikov to be very formidable, could have been crushed by the defenses of the German infantry, which was few in number, and had no strong fortifications and favorable terrain to rely on.
After three days of watching the battle on the front lines of the town of Trim, Golikov suddenly discovered a fact that had been overlooked for the past three years: it was not the tanks of the German army that were really awesome, but the German army itself, and these damn Nazis were supermen who would be difficult to eliminate with or without tanks During the three-day onslaught on 17 May, 18 May and 19 May, the British deployed two armoured brigades, two mechanized infantry brigades, two infantry brigades and six artillery regiments, as well as hundreds of aircraft to provide air support.
At the beginning, the 19th Paratrooper Regiment, the 1st Battalion of the 20th Paratrooper Regiment, the 1st Tank Company of the 1st and 2nd Marine Regiments, the 7th Artillery Regiment and the 7th Anti-Tank Battalion of the Paratroopers were stationed in Trim, with a total strength of only more than 4,000 people.
Later, 1 regiment of the 185th Lightning Division of Italy, 1 tank battalion of the 3rd German Panzer Division 88 Type 4H tanks, 1 anti-tank battalion of 18 75 anti-tank guns and 1 self-propelled artillery battalion 18 Wasp self-propelled guns, and 1 regimental combat group of the 135th Italian Panzer Division included 22 Type 4G tanks, 22 Italian 15 medium tanks, and 22 Italian 26 heavy tanks.
When all German and Italian reinforcements arrived in Triem, the British quickly moved from the offensive to the defensive.
Elsewhere in the central Irish theater, the British attacks were also fruitless, and were easily crushed by the German Supermen, who were far outnumbered by them.
From 22 May, the British were on the defensive, and it seemed that the 22 divisions they had committed to Ireland were still too few.
On the 22nd, Churchill ordered 20 more divisions to be sent to Ireland in preparation for another counteroffensive in mid-June.
According to Churchill's expectations, the Germans should have been unable to take care of Ireland by then, because the Soviet Red Army would deal the heaviest blow to the Germans on the Eastern Front "The Germans were so good at infantry" Zhukov, who was driving from the airport to the Kremlin, was in a car, and after listening to Golikov, who had just gotten off the plane, dictate the situation on the battlefield in Ireland, he was first taken aback, and then he was silent for a while.
"What about their tanks," Zhukov asked, "are they still No. 3 and No. 4?"
"Yes, the best tank on the battlefield in Ireland is the No. 4.
However, it is the latest model, and its main gun can penetrate the frontal armor of a Churchill tank at a distance of 1000 meters. ” Zhukov frowned and asked again: "What is the thickness of the armor of the Churchill infantry tank" "102, that's definitive data, it's a bit thinner than our KV1."
"I estimate that the main gun of the latest No. 4 tank can penetrate the frontal armor of the KV1 at 900 meters, but the KV1 uses the F34 762 tank gun, and it is likely that it will not be able to penetrate the frontal armor of the No. 4 tank at this distance," Golikov said. ” In fact, Golikov still does not know what the thickness of the frontal armor of the No. 4H tank is.
He knew, however, that the Germans had upgraded their No. 4 tank, as the original Model G had been sold to the Italians in large quantities. 15 tanks and 26 tanks were mixed, and according to the standard slightly lower than the German armored division, 6 armored divisions were formed: 131 "Centaur" Panzer Division, 132 "Ram" Panzer Division, 133 "Litorio" Panzer Division, 134 "Arrow" Panzer Division, 135 "Victory" Panzer Division and 136th "Fascist Youth" Panzer Division.
With the help of internationalist fighters lurking in the Italian army, Golikov's intelligence bureau inquired about the approximate data of Type 4G, and thus came to the conclusion that the KV1 tank could easily defeat the Type 4G tank, and Golikov certainly did not say that the KV1 tank might not be able to defeat the latest German tank No. 4, after all, the KV1 tank was designed by Comrade Voroshilov's son-in-law But now that it was a real fight, Golikov did not dare to conceal the latest information he had heard in Ireland.
The Kremlin, the office of Comrade Stalin.
Stalin, the leader of the fathers, quietly listened to Golikov's report, but did not show much surprise.
He pondered in silence for a moment, and then asked: "Comrade Golikov, how long do you think the fighting on the island of Ireland will continue?"
"It's hard to say," Golikov frowned, "the general secretary rules, as far as I can see, the Germans repelled the attack of the British army very easily, and I think they have the strength to attack if they want to." ” "There is strength to attack, but not to attack," Stalin glanced at Zhukov.
"Comrade General Secretary, the Germans are most likely planning to fight a war of mass annihilation on the island of Ireland."
"War of Mass Annihilation" "Yes."
Although Zhukov was not the chief of the general staff of the British army, he studied the German Army more than the British Viscount Brooke.
"The Germans were adept at fighting a war of mass annihilation, and they probably conceived of drawing the main forces of the British Army to the island of Ireland and then gathering and annihilating them, so that Britain itself would have to submit to German force, which would be more effective than forcing Britain to submit through a blockade."
Kesselring and Schleicher's intentions did not hide from the Soviet god of war, and the German General Staff knew that there were still a large number of strategic materials on British soil, and even if it was blocked, it would be able to hold out for more than a year.
And during this time, the situation may change adversely.
Therefore, in the "Sea Lion Plan", the first plan is to fight a decisive battle in Ireland to defeat the British Army, and at the same time to destroy the confidence of British resistance, only in this way can all British Island be taken.
"When will the decisive battle break out?"
Stalin took a puff of his cigarette and continued to ask.
"June or July."
Golikov replied, "Churchill has ordered another increase in troops, and between June and July the British may concentrate 4,045 divisions on the island of Ireland, while the Germans may deploy 20 divisions on the island of Ireland." ” Golikov had accurately estimated the strength of the British army, but he had overestimated the strength of the German army in Ireland.
At present, the Germans sent only 7 divisions and 2 brigades to the island of Ireland, namely the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions, the 3rd Armored Division of the Wehrmacht, the 7th and 22nd Divisions of the Airborne Forces, the 132nd "Ram" Panzer Division and the 185th "Lightning" Airborne Division of Italy, and the Waffen-SS German Brigade and Adolf Hitler Brigade.
There are not many troops, but they are all elite, and even 2 Italian divisions are no exception, and they are also Italian fascist supermen.
Moreover, because of the tense situation on the Eastern Front, the headquarters of the Western Front now has no plans for a major increase in troops, but is preparing to expand five Irish divisions, and at the same time expand two more SS brigades into Panzergrenadier divisions, and the expansion plan is underway.
In addition, Schleicher and Kesselring were preparing to mobilize a Spanish division, the 250th "Blue" Division, and six infantry regiments and two cavalry regiments of the famous French Foreign Legion to fight on the island of Ireland.
"That is, if we don't go to war," Stalin took a puff of his cigarette and was silent for a while, "Britain will collapse in August or September" Zhukov and Golikov looked at each other, then nodded at the same time.
Stalin said: "Then the United States will make peace with Germany, and we will fight Germany alone, do you think we can win?"
Both Zhukov and Golikov bowed their heads and remained silent.
They dare not say that they cannot defeat it, but they also cannot say in their conscience that the Soviet Union is very powerful, with a population of 1.8 billion, a territory of more than 20 million square kilometers, rich resources, and the third largest industrial strength in the world.
However, after defeating Britain and making peace with the United States, Germany ruled the whole of Europe except the territory of the Soviet Union, controlled more than 300 million people, controlled almost the same industrial strength as the United States, more than twice as much output as the Soviet Union, and was far ahead in science and technology.
Moreover, once Germany defeated the British, their army would be a battle-hardened lion with incomparable combat experience and could exert its combat effectiveness to the extreme.
Although the Soviet Red Army was numerous, most of them did not smell the smoke of the battlefield.
Both in combat experience and morale will be at a disadvantage.
Under these circumstances, as long as the Germans did not make any big mistakes and dealt with the Soviet Union steadily, the possibility of victory in the end was very high.
Stalin shrugged his shoulders and said: "Then there is nothing to discuss, the plan for a great thunderstorm must be carried out, and even if we cannot achieve all our objectives, it is more advantageous than fighting Germany alone after the fall of Britain itself." ” Looking at the chief and deputy chief of staff of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, Stalin said: "But we should be prepared for the worst, perhaps the thunderstorm plan will not succeed, and in this case, how should we fight and defeat a strong enemy in a long world revolutionary war and achieve the final victory." ” Hearing Stalin's order, both Zhukov and Golikov breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.
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Stalin's red heart, which wanted to liberate all mankind, was now prepared in two ways, and then the General Staff of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army would be able to draw up several plans for a protracted war that were a little more reliable than the plan for a great thunderstorm.
Once the thunderstorm plan failed, the Red Army could methodically move to a protracted defense and wear down Germany along with Britain and the United States t1706231537: