With a long whistle, a steam locomotive from the Petrograd Locomotive Plant dragged several carriages into the railway station of Verkhniy Volochok.
The train was followed by a strange-looking armored train, covered from end to finish with riveted steel plates, two locomotives one in front and one behind, and four rotating turrets on the roof, two of which were twin 40-caliber Bofors guns, and two of which were each equipped with an 88-gun gun.
In addition, there were empores in the carriages, from which the muzzle of the G08 water-cooled machine gun protruded, a weapon that caused heavy casualties to the Allies during World War I, which the Germans were not allowed to possess under the Treaty of Versailles.
G08, after the rearmament of Germany, these machine guns were all used to arm the German second-line troops.
A significant part of them were installed on armored trains.
And to be escorted by an armored train to Verkhniy Volochok, close to the headquarters of the German 6th Panzer Army, was of course quite an important person, as was also evidenced by the fact that General Paulus, who greeted the visitors on the platform.
In the past two years, Paulus, who has been promoted one after another, stood there calmly and reservedly, looking at his face carefully, but he could see a little bit of anxiety.
The Soviet counterattack was larger than previously anticipated, not only throwing a large number of heavy tanks into the front of the German coalition on the front line of Kuvshinov Torrjoklikuslavl, but also sending a large number of troops equipped with light tanks to make a detour from the forested terrain in the western Kalinin region.
According to preliminary estimates, the total number of troops used by the Soviet army for counterattacks may have reached 500,000,000, and the number of tanks and artillery pieces used in the counterattack may have reached as many as 3,000 or 4,000 There is no doubt that the Soviets have now launched an almost desperate counterattack.
And the desperate gamble of the Soviet army also seemed to be a rare opportunity for the German army to destroy the enemy in an attempt to seize Moscow.
If the method can be used correctly, the process of capturing Moscow will be greatly accelerated.
So Paulus reported his idea to Marshal Moder, who was far away in Petrograd, and Marshal Moder personally rushed to Volochok.
It seems that the commander of Army Group North is also playing the same idea The train let out a long hiss and slowly came to a halt next to the platform.
While the steam was still tumbling on the platform, Moder was seen dressed in a straight military uniform and shiny calfskin riding boots, and walked down with a few lieutenants and staff officers.
Paulus, "Your Excellency Marshal," saluted the other man, and Moder returned the salute in return, and then the two walked together to the terminal building of the railway station.
A Steyr 15-ton command car for senior officers had long been parked outside the station, with guards in motorcycles and half-tracks in front and behind.
After Moder and Paulus got into the Steyr command car, Moder asked: "How is the situation at the front, I heard that many Soviets have infiltrated us pretending to be our people."
Paulus heard Moder's question and said with a wry smile: "Marshal, those people may not be Soviets, but real Germans and Poles. ” "And the Germans," Moder asked, "are Russian-Germans" "No," Paulus said, "it was the German Bolsheviks." ” "Damn," Moder cursed, "caught alive" "Not yet."
Paulus shook his head, "Because they don't come to the German territory to fool around, and the people who fall for it are the White Russians and Poles."
However, the Polish Bolsheviks did catch several. ” It was only the third day of the start of the Soviet army's counterattack, and many White Russian troops and Polish troops on the front line were confused by the camouflaged Red Germany and Red Wave, which made the already chaotic situation even more chaotic.
However, there were also clear people in the White Russian and Polish armies who saw through the disguise of Red Germany and Red Wave.
But shooting at the Germans in SS uniforms was a bit risky after all, and it would be troublesome if you made a mistake.
Therefore, both the White Russians and the Polish army are more cautious in this matter.
Therefore, Hongde who has been caught does not have it yet, but Hongbo does not have this kind of treatment.
Moder nodded, and did not ask any further questions, in his opinion this camouflage infiltration operation was not a big deal, the Germans also arranged for the White Russians to wear the clothes of the Red Army to infiltrate.
However, this kind of infiltration will at most add chaos to the opponent and cannot play a decisive role.
"Friedrich," Moder shifted the conversation to the counterattack as Steyr's command vehicle moved, "you plan to capture the city of Kalinin and at the same time cut off the retreat of the Soviet counterattack" "yes, I think it's a good opportunity."
Paulus replied, "The Soviet Union probably threw in a million troops and a few thousand tanks."
If we crush them, Moscow's defenses will surely become empty. ” "I think so," Moder said, "but now the roads are starting to get muddy." ” In this era, the Soviet Union did not build a road network with hard roads, in fact, this is not much backward, but it has not reached this stage of development, the Soviet automobile industry was very small before World War II, transportation mainly relied on trains and horse-drawn carriages, and there was no need for a road network at all, so when the snowmelt season came, dirt roads would quickly turn into muddy ground, and the movement of mechanized troops would be very difficult.
If it could not move, then the German Tiger tanks and E50s were nothing more than powerful fixed points of fire.
"But the muddy roads were just as much of a nuisance to the Soviets," Paulus said, "and their JS2 and T3485 were no less heavy." ” "You're trying to lure the enemy deeper" "Yes," Paulus nodded, "lure the Soviets to the vicinity of Verkhniy Volochok." ” Verkhniy Volochok is about 120 kilometers away from Kalinin in a straight line, and the actual driving distance is definitely more than 150 kilometers.
This is not a problem at all for mechanized troops when the road conditions are good, and the movement can be in place in half a day.
But in the muddy season, 150 kilometers can be quite a deadly distance "Do you want to fight a counterattack near Verkhniy Volochok," Moder shrugged, "but the generals of the Soviet Red Army are not fools, and it is impossible for them not to know the power of the Tiger and the E50."
Moreover, the agents of the Soviets are not blind, right?"
Modell's gaze swept across the streets, all of which were German troops on alert Although the legal system of the Romanov dynasty can confuse some Russians, there are still many GC fighters who are now in 1944, not 1991, when their ideals were later shattered.
Therefore, in order to meet Moder, Paulus mobilized a number of troops to stand guard in the city of Verkhniy Volochok to prevent the GCIST fighters from assassinating the commander of the German Army Group North.
That is, Paulus also believed that there were a large number of lurking GCIST fighters in Verkhniy Volochok.
Although the "Red October" railway was monitored very closely by the Russian Imperial Spy Bureau, if the German army really mobilized a large number of armored troops to Verkhniy Volochok through the railway, it would still leak the secret.
"Seven armored divisions of Bologoye and Okulovka can be transported by train," Paulus said, "and the Soviets can be deliberately discovered." ” Bologoye and Okulovka were both located to the north of Verkhniy Volochok, where 7 powerful German Panzer Divisions were placed, which, once removed, not only was the strength of the 7th Panzer Army greatly weakened, but also the rear was exposed.
"Just 3 Panzer Divisions, 7 Panzergrenadier Divisions, and 13 Infantry Divisions," Moder asked, frowning.
Paulus's 6th Panzer Army now had 30 divisions, 26 of which belonged to the 6 Panzer Corps and 4 were under the direct command of the Army Group.
If 7 of these armored divisions were transferred, then Paulus's army group would be a little undermanned.
"Although the French, the White Russians and the Poles each had an army group, they were not very strong."
"They have suffered a lot of losses in the past two days, and they cannot be counted on 20 German divisions, which may not be enough to crush the Soviet army at Verkhniy Volochok." ” "Not 20 German divisions," corrected Paulus, "is 22, there is also a 2nd paratrooper division in Andrea and a 5th SS Panzergrenadier division in Toropec." ” "It's not enough to count them," asked Modell, "Friedrich, how you want to fight, tell me straight." ” Paulus nodded and said, "I want to deploy 7 armored divisions to Yaltsev. ” "Yaltsev" Moder's face suddenly became a little unhappy, "That's the territory of Army Group Center" Moder was a commander who preferred to eat alone, and was reluctant to hand over his troops to others.
So when I heard Paulus's suggestion, I felt a little unhappy in my heart.
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Paulus just looked at his boss and said, "Commander, do you think my idea could hit the Soviets hard?"
Although he didn't tell his plan and plan, Moder didn't understand anything The purpose of the transfer of seven Panzer Divisions was to lure the Soviets into an extended offensive, and the Soviets might have thought they had a chance to annihilate or inflict heavy damage on the 6th Panzer Army.
So that they will take the initiative to attack on Vorochok in the muddy season.
After the transfer of 7 panzer divisions to the 4th Panzer Army assigned to General Hort in Yaltsev, the 4th Panzer Army had as many as 17 pantry divisions The Soviet troops deployed in the vicinity of Rzhevsechov Kavyazma would certainly not be able to reach the assault of so many armored divisions, and General Hort could even force a surprise attack at the end of the muddy season to crush the eastern front of the Soviet Central Front.
And once the eastern front of the Soviet army collapses, its northern front will inevitably be defeated along with it.
Then the periphery of Moscow also fell into the hands of the Germans t1706231537: