Kleist's 1st Armored Corps attacked north from Klimenkog on the bend of the Dnieper River, met with Guderian in the Romny and Rochwitz areas, and cut off the Soviet troops on the west bank of the Dnieper River. In the Great River Meander area; Sprager's Seventeenth Army was responsible for containing the Soviet army in the bend of the Dnieper River north of Cherkasy, while covering Kleist's left flank; Reichenau's Sixth Army moved eastward , crossed the Dnieper River, entered Kiev, and began to encircle and annihilate these heavy Soviet army groups.
Lin Wei thought for a long time and replied, "The Southeast Army Group must respond to the order of the Supreme Command and divide the 9th to 24th Divisions and the 25th to 38th Divisions into two armies, leaving Romania and along the Along the dividing line between Ukraine and Russia, which is the route of Army Group Center, exert pressure from north to south in the direction of Rostov-Kharkov, preventing the Ukrainian Southwest Front and the Southern Front from escaping in the north! Don't worry about the east, Paul Howe General Serge has rushed to the east to cut off the Soviets' retreat! The First SS Panzer Corps, with the Imperial Panzer Division as the right wing and the Viking Panzer Division as the left wing, passed through Kholme-Novgorod Seversky Front line, assault to the south to separate the enemy southwest of Gomel. The SS Guards followed behind the Viking Panzer Division. I exposed the security of the eastern flank, which must be guaranteed by taking the offensive and driving the enemy back."
Heydrich had been watching the order being issued by Lin Wei's side. After comparing the map, Heydrich frowned and said, "The strength of the First SS Armored Corps seems to be a bit weak for their mission!"
"There is no other way. We only have so many troops in Army Group Center. I believe in the strength of the Imperial Division and the Viking Division!" Lin Wei obviously knew this, but he was undoubtedly wasting time on it now, because the First Armored Corps' Success or failure cannot be determined by oneself. Lin Wei paused and said, "According to the plan, the armed SS should be fine within three days. Let's rush to the negotiation location with Kuznetsov immediately. If he refuses to surrender, you should know what to do, right?"
"Of course, our Gestapo's latest achievement will soon show its power!" Heydrich snapped his fingers and said with a playful smile; "If he refuses, Stalin will see his most trusted KGB report on the situation here within two days and ask for photos. If you have photos, you must give a confession!"
Although it is rainy this year in Estonia, here in the Baltic Sea region, the climate is still the same as in previous years, warm and humid. After entering the three Baltic countries, the train departing from East Prussia was changed to a narrow-track train from Eastern Europe, traveling through the endless forests. Originally, Lin Wei wanted to negotiate with Admiral Kuznetsov from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, but Heydrich firmly opposed Lin Wei's idea after learning about it. It was simple. He did not trust the Soviets, which also reminded Lin Wei. The character of the Soviets or Russians seems to be very unfaithful. If the old man turns his face and detains himself, Lin Wei will have no place to cry.
Therefore, Lin Wei temporarily decided to set up the negotiation location in Kuressaare, on the Gulf of Riga, located in the southern part of Saaremaa Island, Estonia. Although it was also an area controlled by the Soviets, it was different from the mainland, which gave Lin Wei some sense of security.
However, Lin Wei's actions here were considered by everyone in the Supreme Command to be a farce and would not succeed at all. Therefore, most people in Germany still kept their eyes on Ukraine on the southern front, where the largest battle in history was about to take place. . If Germany is almost successful, it will be the largest encirclement and annihilation war in history. The Army General Headquarters ordered the Waffen SS to launch an assault on Chernigov with all the forces in the Gomel area to cut off the Soviet Fifth Army's retreat. At the same time, detailed orders were issued for the next day's operations. The Gendarmerie Armored Division, the Police Armored Division and the Skull Armored Division must start from the Gomel-Starodub line and launch an assault towards the Desna River. At the same time, they should advance towards Chernihiv with their right wing and "intercept towards The retreating troops of the Fifth Army of the Soviet Red Army enabled the Sixth Army of Army Group South to successfully cross the Dnieper River."
Chernihiv is a city in northern Ukraine and the capital of Chernihiv Oblast. On the banks of the Desna River, a tributary on the left bank of the middle reaches of the Dnieper River, if the First SS Armored Corps can cross the river here, it will be extremely advantageous for Army Group South to attack the Soviet Southwest Front. However, this bridgehead is not easy to capture. , in history, a German division attacked from here, and even the people from the cooking squad were used. One can imagine the brutality of the battle at that time.
This first order from Army General Headquarters was intended to coordinate this new offensive between Army Group Center and Army Group South, which were still separated by a large gap between them. status. But just one day later, the First SS Panzer Corps received a supplementary order from the Army General Headquarters: "Annihilate as many troops as possible of the Soviet Fifth Army Group and clear the way for Army Group South to cross the Dnieper River as soon as possible. To clear the obstacles. For this purpose, a group of troops, preferably under the command of General Guderian, should be formed and prepared to cross Chernihiv with its right wing."
Army Group Fang discovered that the Soviet army was retreating and ordered the Sixth Army to pursue it. During this period, the Sixth Army had been supplemented by troops from other areas, and its northern flank was already on par with the enemy. At dusk on August 21, the situation of the group army was as follows: the 213th Guard Division entered the vast Pripyat area from the west and was isolated and helpless. The 17th Army is located in the Koroski area. The corps in the center is the focus of the army's northern flank. The 51st Army, located between Korosten and Marin, on this day has jurisdiction over (from left to right) the 98th, 113th, and 111th Infantry Divisions. On the second line, those on standby or moving in are: the 232nd, 298th Infantry Division and the 11th Armored Division. The 34th Corps-level headquarters has jurisdiction over the 296th and 168th Infantry Divisions. Defending the sector to the west of Kiev.
When the Sixth Army commanded by Marshal von Reichenau was attacking the Soviet Fifth Army, they received reports from the Air Force's reconnaissance aircraft and learned that the Soviet Fifth Army was retreating hastily eastward. However, a strong rearguard force was left in the southwest in an attempt to deceive itself and conceal its retreat. Therefore, without any hesitation, he immediately ordered the two subordinate corps to launch an attack in the northeast direction immediately, because there were no soldiers left to defend there. At the same time, he ordered other troops to feint attack in the southwest direction, pointing directly at the Dnieper River.
In order to confuse the command structure of the Soviet Fifth Army, Marshal von Reichenau specifically asked General Kesselring, who was supporting the Army Group's operations, to deploy two regiments of dive bombers to bombard the Soviet rear forces in the southwest. bombed, and the artillery directly affiliated with the Sixth Army also joined in the bombing. At the same time, the Soviet Red Army troops behind them suddenly discovered that the troops of the German Sixth Army, which had been fighting with them for a month, began to erect a pontoon bridge on the Dibennie River. , so he hurriedly intercepted and blocked the actions of the Sixth Army despite the indiscriminate bombing of the German Air Force, but he did not know that all this had already fallen into the calculation of Marshal von Reichenau.
It has to be said that Marshal von Reichenau is also ranked high among German marshals who are known for their high quality. If he had not died of illness in 1942, his achievements would have been far more than these. Moreover, he was one of the few German marshals to join the National Socialist Party. It can be said that he was deeply loved by Hitler? Le's trust, originally in the future, most generals of the Wehrmacht would not be trusted by Hit? Le trusted the situation and appeared as a firefighter. Lin Wei had nothing to do about Marshal von Reichenau's illness, because like William II, Marshal von Reichenau did not die in an accident, but died of natural causes.
While Marshal von Reichenau was playing Tai Chi and Push Hands with the remaining rear troops of the Soviet Fifth Army, the inner flanks of the Seventeenth Army and the Fifty-first Army were making rapid progress and had penetrated into the undefended area to the north. The 17th Army was ordered to stay in this direction, the 62nd Infantry Division advanced along the Korosten-Ovruch railway line, while the 51st Army turned the attack to the east, all with only Five hours of time. Marshal von Reichenau accurately learned the movements of his troops through the radio and learned that the troops of the two armies were progressing smoothly. Marshal von Reichenau rushed out of the headquarters, jumped to the tank and shouted, "Attack on all fronts!" He was distracted by the Soviet soldiers just now and immediately became active and vigorous. Braving the fire from the Soviet soldiers along the coast, he rushed to the other side of the river on the pontoon. Such a charge at this time would have made the Sixth Army pay a huge price. , but contrary to everyone's expectations, they seemed to have learned about the progress of the German troops in the northeast. The rear troops here had no intention of fighting. They only resisted for a while and then immediately began to retreat. Soon the retreat turned into a flee. The soldiers of the Sixth Army immediately enjoyed the joy of pursuit, because in this case it was easiest to achieve results.
To the northeast, the Sixteenth Army's XVII Corps advanced east of Ovruchi towards Pripyat. The 1st Infantry Regiment (Major Lenz) and the 2nd Infantry Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Fasch) of the 164th Division captured the city of Ofruch by storm. The 62nd Infantry Division sent an advance detachment. Continue along the railway towards Mozyr through the swamps. The 51st Army also opened a gap and then launched an eastward assault near the Soviet troops in northern Kiev. The 11th Armored Division crossed the line of its own infantry and rushed towards the Deterev River, capturing Garnostepol. Then its advance detachment passed the intact Dnieper River bridge east of Garnostepor.
This achievement greatly encouraged the 444th Army-level headquarters, which was pursuing the Soviet Fifth Army head-on. It had begun to move the Soviet 87th and 171st Infantry Divisions and the 28th Mountain Division in the northwest direction. Division and the 81st Mechanized Division—pressing toward the Dnieper River. In this way, Kiev was blocked from the north.
When Army Group South was fully advancing, Marshal Manstein, known as the brains of Army Group South, was also carefully observing the situation of the battle. Army Group Southeast had just left Romania, and according to their march route, in the first ten days, It may be of any use, so the role it plays is nothing more than the icing on the cake. The real foundation must be completed by the pursuing Southern Army Group, so after careful study, the retreat from the Soviet Fifth Army Group and the Southeast Army Group prepared for the southward attack. During the preparatory activities carried out, a favorable opportunity was found to switch to the offensive, break through the enemy's Dnieper River position and assault in the direction of Kharkov.
After analyzing the specific situation, Marshal Manstein made up his mind. Army Group South ordered the Sixth Army not only to cross the Dnieper River in the north of Kiev, but also to forcefully cross the Desna River, and then pass through Koze on the left wing. Lietz also attacks Yavin in order to establish contact with the Gendarmerie Division, Police Division and Skeleton Division here. Kiev can temporarily ignore it and wait for the Soviets to withdraw voluntarily before occupying it. In this way, the offensive spearhead of the Sixth Army's northern flank was pointed directly to the east and southeast. The Army General Headquarters did not agree with this order and preferred to have the Sixth Army continue to advance north and northeast to cope with the armed SS's attack. Attack on Chernihiv.
During this time, Lin Wei and Heydrich boarded a boat and entered Kuressaare on the Gulf of Riga. In a small farm in the southern lowlands, Lin Wei and Heydrich met Captain Kuznetsov. General, as soon as they met, Lin Wei greeted through the interpreter, "Dear General, hello!" Lin Wei had reason to be so respectful. The entire peninsula was controlled by the Soviet Red Army. Inside, but not far outside the harbor, the German battleship Scharnhorst is staring eagerly at this place. The 380MM main gun is like a black hole, sucking in everything here. Admiral Kuznetsov has already won Lin Wei's respect by daring to come, which at least proves that he is a courageous man.
Although they were in a state of war, the two sides still maintained basic courtesy on this occasion, so Admiral Kuznetsov did not get angry with Lin Wei and Heydrich. He nodded slightly and walked into the room first. Kuznetsov The admiral looks quite good, at least in Lin Wei's eyes, he is worthy of the word Qi Yuxuanang, but the forehead on the left and right sides is more prominent, and he looks like a stubborn person.
Although it is said to be a small manor, the furnishings here are very simple. I don’t know if it has been looted or if it is the same as before. In short, in Lin Wei’s opinion, the furniture here does not match the entire manor. But these are not the point. The point is Lin Wei He was ready to let General Kuznetsov betray his motherland, so not long after he sat down, Lin Wei expressed his intention and said, "General Kuznetsov, the Soviet Northwest Front under your command has a total of five Of the ten divisions, twenty divisions have now been completely defeated. Twenty-two divisions have reduced their strength by more than 60%. It can be said that only a few hundred thousand people are left trapped in Estonia. You have done everything for your motherland. , in the eyes of everyone in Europe, you are now fully worthy of your country and can choose to surrender humanely, and your soldiers, I guarantee, will be treated as prisoners of war, and their lives will be guaranteed by international law!!! And you, will After the war, choose to stay in Germany or return to the Soviet Union!"
The conditions offered by Lin Wei are quite good, which can even be compared with the conditions offered by Germany to Britain or France. The reason for this is that Lin Wei respects this general very much. In fact, historically, Kuz Because General Nezov successfully pulled the Northwestern Front out of the three Baltic countries, the Northwestern Front suffered the least damage among the three Soviet fronts in the west. This is enough to prove the talent of General Kuznetsov, but Kuznetsov General Zov did not receive a reward, but was demoted by Stalin. This was because General Kuznetsov issued an order to retreat, and Stalin ordered the Northwest Front to fight to the death. Judging from the progress of Germany after the war, Kuznetsov Admiral Zoff is right.
But even so, General Kuznetsov was still punished and transferred to the commander of the Soviet Central Front. The troops of the Central Front were only part of the original Western Front, and they were part of the post-Minsk battle. The nightmare was far from over. On August 14, he was demoted again to the commander of the 51st Crimean Army of the Southern Front. In November, he was demoted to the commander of the 61st Army. Within two days, he was demoted again to the chief of staff of the 28th Army. In 1942, he even became the dean of the Military Academy. In vain, he became the deputy commander of the Volkhov and Karelian Fronts in 1943. He did not become the commander of the Ural Military District until the end of the war, and the Ural Military District was a second-level military uniform, equivalent to a military district in Heilongjiang Province in Lin Wei's previous life. In retirement, Admiral Kuznetsov did not reach his pre-war position as commander of a major military district.
In this manor near the coast, Admiral Kuznetsov’s face was uncertain. He didn’t know if it was Lin Wei’s words that moved him, but immediately Admiral Kuznetsov said, “Kruz General Bo, I have felt your sincerity, but I must be loyal to my motherland. Although the Northwest Front Army has suffered huge losses now, I believe that they who fought to defend their homeland will have no complaints even if they die in this war. No regrets! And let me ask you a personal question, the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union has always been good, why did you start a war?"
"Your Majesty General! Don't you have any idea of attacking us?" Heydrich interjected, "Your troops in the west have been increasing unabated. How can you not worry Germany? Unfortunately, the Germans have It’s relatively fragile, so it can’t bear this kind of threat!”
"You are?" Admiral Kuznetsov asked.
"Reinhard Heydrich! National leader of the SS, director of the General Security Bureau!" Heydrich stood up, bowed slightly, and smiled kindly, "Marshal Tukhachevsky's Nafeng and Germany The secret letter of collusion was forged by me!”
(There was another Kuznetsov at the same time, Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov of the Navy, don’t be confused.)