The fighting was extremely fierce. Only when the fanatical Soviet troops had fired their last bullets would the fighting cease temporarily. Woodlands, swamps, and terrain with fir groves favor defenders. It has been raining continuously for several days, and all roads have become muddy and difficult to travel. The rainy weather has destroyed the Waffen SS's heavy weapons advantage to the greatest extent, because almost none of their heavy weapons can be transported up. The vehicles were stuck in the quagmire and could not extricate themselves. Only loyal and reliable military horses could tow artillery trucks, supply trucks and ammunition trucks to advance with the troops. The rescue work of the wounded has been greatly affected.
By September 9th, the Imperial Division counted 3,360 killed, and the Viking Division suffered even greater casualties because they suffered a greater blow when crossing the Desna River. The number of killed had exceeded 4,000, and the guards The number of casualties in the flag force was slightly less, but considering their already small number, it has to be said that the losses could already be considered huge. But even so, what makes Lin Wei happy is that at present, neither of the troops has any intention to stop and rest.
The northern front, which has concentrated most of the elite combat troops of the Waffen SS, has left the Soviet Fifth Army, which has been fighting continuously, at a loss. Counterattack? This is simply impossible, not to mention that the five armored divisions have nearly 2,000 tanks, and the tanks of the Soviet Fifth Army have been lost. Moreover, the Soviet Union now fully understands that the SS is completely different from the Wehrmacht's large organization, except for the Imperial Division. After the battle with the Viking Division was reduced, the Waffen SS assault troops of the five divisions still numbered 150,000. The Soviet Fifth Army has faced Germany's elite troops since the beginning of the war. Although it has repeatedly added new troops, it is now facing When facing the Waffen SS, the headquarters of the Soviet Fifth Army also knew that it had now lost even its numerical advantage.
Now the five armored divisions in front of the Waffen SS are like a huge and thick iron wall, falling straight from the north, and behind them, nearly one million troops of the Southeast Army Group are following up. This is a desperate situation The Soviet Fifth Army had no choice but to continue retreating. Still on the 9th, the Viking Division continued its assault to the south. The very important Chernigov fell into the hands of the Viking Division. When the Viking Division captured the city of Chernigov, Dietrich attacked from the east. The Guards Corps finally joined the Viking Division in Chernihiv.
When Chernigov was captured by the Viking Division, the fate of the Soviet Fifth Army was already foreseeable. The Soviet defense line had been split into many sections. Although the Soviet Red Army still resisted in various forms from time to time in some areas, Basically, unity of command has been lost. The 5th, 21st and 37th divisions of the Soviet Fifth Army were in disarray. Now the enemies faced by the Imperial Division and the Viking Division began to experience chaos without unified command. When this happened, Lin Wei ignored the fact that the Imperial Division and the Viking Division were exhausted, and ordered the two divisions not to rest and immediately go into attack. However, just in case, Lin Wei ordered the approaching Skeleton Armored Division to follow the Empire. division attack.
For this reason, Lin Wei said in his order to General Paul Hausser, "...the enemy's tenacious resistance, poor roads and continuous heavy rain have not been able to stop you from advancing... Your attack is for several reasons." The prerequisites have been created for the largest annihilation war to begin within days. The enemy is surrounded by us from all sides and annihilated... I know that you deserve a rest after a hard battle. But now, the victory of this battle depends on whether the armored units of the 1st SS Panzer Corps can quickly defeat, repel and annihilate the enemy who is still resisting. Every hour is precious and determines the size of your victory. Therefore, we must go all out to devote ourselves to this battle..."
"I don't want the Southwest Front to be destroyed. What I want is for the eighty divisions and twenty-eighth brigades of the Southwest Front and Southern Front to be destroyed! What I want is for the two fronts to disappear forever from the order of battle in the Supreme Command of the Soviet Red Army. ! I want the Soviet Union's 1.2 million troops in Ukraine to be completely destroyed, so I am ready to pay any price!" Facing the bright starry sky that was gradually revealed as the sun set, Lin Wei had a gloomy face thought.
"Crawford!" Lin Wei came back to his senses and asked, "Where are the large troops of the Southeast Army Group following the Gendarmerie Division, Police Division and Skeleton Division?" As the five armored divisions of the Waffen SS moved towards Advancing southward, there is no big problem with the offensive power of the Southeast Army Group, but the infantry division that should follow the armored division now does not attack together. This is not a good thing, because if the attacking armored division does not have the cover of the infantry division, it is possible that Guderian's mistakes in the Battle of Minsk caused the encirclement to be full of loopholes.
"Leader!" Crawford said with familiarity, "The infantry divisions, now totaling twenty-eight divisions, are already one hundred kilometers north of the current position of the military police division. I believe that the north of the encirclement has now been No problem!”
"Three divisions of troops should be mobilized to extend the encirclement to the northeast and cut off the Soviet Red Army's retreat!" Lin Wei thought for a moment and said, "In the due north position, the gap between the infantry and armored forces is too large, and the infantry must be allowed to retreat." The division closely follows the Panzer Division. So, Crawford, you issue an order for me, ordering the Hohenstaufen Division, the Frundsburg Division and the Nordic Division to continue eastward and embed themselves from the area controlled by the Viking Division. This should be able to prevent the Soviet Red Army from escaping because the war is not going well. The other divisions must reach the current location of the Military Police Division within two days. The battlefield conditions are changing every day. I must let my troops be closest to the battlefield. The place is ready for deployment at any time!”
Crawford quickly wrote down Lin Wei's order, then raised his hand in salute, turned around and disappeared into Lin Wei's command post.
Lin Wei adjusted his clothes and walked out of the headquarters with his head held high, heading to the headquarters of Marshal Manstein. Now the situation on the northern front has been significantly improved due to the addition of the Southeast Army Group, but the price Lin Wei paid was huge. The Empire The division, Viking division, and guard flag regiments suffered more than 10,000 deaths. This was not the era of intensive charges, and the death of 10,000 people was already an incredible loss. In the next few days, at least when the large forces of the Southeast Army Group follow up, there will be no large-scale fighting on the northern front. Therefore, Lin Wei must discuss the next phase of the attack with Marshal Manstein. Although he has some intentions of dictating the internal affairs of Army Group South, Lin Wei can't control so much now.
Regarding the current war, Lin Wei also knew that it was Marshal von Reichenau's Sixth Army's turn to go all out.
When the Waffen SS on the Northern Front achieved results, the 111th Infantry Division of the 51st Army and the 111th Infantry Division of the 98th and 113th Infantry Divisions commanded by Infantry General Dreinhard of the Sixth Army Standing at the bridgehead near Garnostepol, to the east of the burned bridge, the infantry built simple fortifications on the beach and grassland with a depth of seven roads. The Soviet army carried out continuous attacks with superior forces in an attempt to destroy the bridgehead. The Soviet forces deployed from left to right include the 28th, 135th, and 124th Infantry Divisions, the 19th and 41st Tank Divisions, and the 228th Infantry Division. Both sides refused to give up an inch of ground and launched an extremely fierce battle. In the first four days of September, the 50th Infantry Regiment of the German 111th Infantry Division was at the center of the Soviet tank attack and paid a heavy price.
The status of the bridgehead is very important and cannot be lost. The significance of the bridgehead was clearly explained in the order issued by Marshal von Reichenau, "Officers and soldiers of the Dnieper Bridgehead! In your attack, defense and hard work, You have made a huge contribution, build up your achievements with a fierce offensive! Everyone must know that we are opening up the road to Germany's final victory!"
The Sixth Army strengthened the bridgehead on September 3, and the 98th and 113th Infantry Divisions crossed the river using rubber boats and short bridges erected by engineers. The advance detachment of the 262nd Infantry Division also crossed the river on the same day. The 56th, 62nd and 298th Infantry Divisions of the 17th Army approached the Dnieper River west of Garnostapol from the west and southwest.
After a brief artillery attack, the 51st Army launched an attack from the bridgehead. The Soviet army resisted tenaciously and did not flinch. At this time, the left wing of the 51st Army successfully defeated the Soviet 228th Infantry Division and forced it to retreat slowly eastward. The 98th Infantry Division launched a frontal attack on the Soviet army. The 262nd Infantry Division adjacent to its right was concentrating its forces to attack southeast. There are mostly sheltered areas in this direction, and the dense pine trees and tall rice trees are intertwined, which hinders the rapid advancement of the troops. The Soviet troops, often hidden and cleverly camouflaged, would first let the Germans pass them and then fire at them from behind.
But no matter what, the entire Sixth Army crossed the Dibennie River. At this time, Stalin had not yet judged the full scale of the annihilation war that had begun. The Southwest Front was ordered to prepare to hold on to Kiev at any cost. To this end, they strengthened the defense lines on both sides of Oster on the Desna River and even brought in troops from the southwest region of Chernihiv. This movement of Soviet troops improved the situation of the German 98th Infantry Division on the west bank of the Desna River. The regiments under his command turned to attack northward and captured Smolino halfway from Morovsk to Chernihiv. The 98th Infantry Division repelled many Soviet troops, and then formed a pincer attack on these Soviet troops with the 17th Infantry Division attacking from north to south. These Soviet troops - parts of four infantry divisions - were completely annihilated by the two German divisions in a small encirclement in the following days.
At dusk on September 10th, all divisions of the 51st Army were advancing towards the Chernigov-Kiev highway. The 98th Infantry Division attacking north established reliable contact with the Gendarmerie Division following behind the Imperial Division. The defeated Soviet Red Army retreated westward into the swamp area, but encountered the 98th German Reconnaissance Detachment and the Detachment.
On September 11, the Sixth Army, which attacked from west to east, and the First SS Panzer Corps, which attacked from north to south, met at the second location! Relying on its own strength, the Sixth Army not only forcibly crossed the Dnieper and Desna rivers, but also won the freedom of movement needed to participate in the Kiev Battle.
The meeting of the First SS Panzer Army and the Sixth Army of the Waffen-SS means that the forces behind them, Army Group Southeast and Army Group South, have already trained the areas under their control just like their opponents, the Southern Front Army and the Southwest Front Army. From the map, Germany now clearly occupies a dominant position. The west, north and northeast are all under German control. However, it is too early to talk about victory now, because the Southern Front Army and the Southwest Front Army The powerful military power made Manstein and Lin Wei feel a little unable to take action.
But even so, Lin Wei and others have been excited. The battle lines of the Southeast Army Group and the Southern Army Group are connected, which means that so far, Germany has occupied a comprehensive advantage on the entire southern front for the first time. As long as it is against the current Taking full advantage of the situation, Lin Wei believed that the battle in Kiev would definitely end with Germany's victory.
"Marshal Manstein!" Lin Wei shamelessly occupied the conference table of the two marshals, and magically took out a bottle of red wine. After filling it, he respectfully handed it to the two marshals and said, "Long De Marshal Stetter, Marshal Manstein, now let us wish you victory in the Battle of Kiev!"
Although Marshal Rundstedt was old-fashioned, he could not find any reason to refuse in this situation. In an optimistic atmosphere, with a crisp sound, the three people took a sip of the sweet red wine. , and then slowly rotated it in the mouth. What Lin Wei took out was definitely authentic wine. The two marshals immediately praised Lin Wei's taste.
The delighted Manstein immediately issued an order full of praise to the Sixth Army Group, which had made outstanding contributions to the integration of Army Group Southeast and Army Group South. This order was issued by Marshal von Reichenau to all the Sixth Army. Troops, the order said, "On the southern battlefield, the moment of decisive battle has arrived. From south to north, the German army is delivering annihilating blows to the enemy everywhere. On the northern flank of our group army, the brave 51st Army crossed The decisive assaults were carried out on the Dnieper and Desna rivers. Their outstanding achievements were achieved after overcoming extremely difficult terrain and defeating enemies on the ground and in the air, and deserved the highest commendation. The Soviets completely did not expect this. The attack was so rapid that it was completely defeated. Now, the road to new operations has been opened. Officers and soldiers of the Sixth Army, all this has shown the enemy that you are not exhausted by the hard battles of the past month. On the contrary, the war is getting stronger. The southern front of the Red Army is on the eve of collapse. Now, victory and awards are waving to your quick actions and courageous spirit. Go forward! Charge the enemy!"
After dictating this order, Marshal Manstein looked at Marshal Lin Wei and Rundstedt and said, "I have some ideas now that I want to discuss with you!" After listening to Marshal Manstein's words, Marshal Rundstedt and Lin Wei immediately put on a respectful attitude. As for Marshal Rundstedt, it was entirely out of trust in Marshal Manstein, while Lin Wei knew his own weight and could learn from it. At that time, Lin Wei never let go of any opportunity.
To this end, Manstein first introduced the current situation of Army Group South. The German advance was smooth in some areas and slow in others, where the Soviets, under the command of fanatical political commissars, resisted until the last bullet was fired. On the right wing, therefore, it was necessary to fight hard for several hours to capture the village of Krivuhi, until it was finally captured. During the night, it rained heavily, and within minutes, the swampy area near the north bank of the Dnieper River turned into a quagmire. The German troops were almost unable to move. Since only a small number of assault craft were available, it was neither suitable nor possible to send heavy weapons forward. At dawn, the battle for the bridgehead began. Surprisingly, the enemy's defense became more tenacious than the day before.
The Soviet army launched an assault on the leading 475th Infantry Regiment with a twenty-fold advantage in strength. The regiment was unable to move forward in the swamp and was forced to stop near Mudrovka, while Beciano In the afternoon, the German troops near Ye successfully established contact with the 239th Infantry Division advancing north of Kremenchug. At this time, the Soviet army realized the dangerous situation forming in the north of Kremenchug, and moved the 212th Mechanized Division between the 297th and 300th Infantry Divisions. In this way, although the enemy temporarily strengthened its defense line and prevented the further advancement of the German 257th Infantry Division, when the last batch of Soviet troops realized that they had been surrounded by the Germans, the defenders of Kremenchug The battle was abandoned, and the position fell into German hands without a fight. Thanks to the capture of Kremenchug, the German 17th Army won a base for its continued offensive across the Dnieper River.
"The situation of the Seventeenth Army is very bad!" Marshal Rundstedt said with a frown. However, Marshal Rundstedt was relieved in an instant. The situation on the battlefield was changing rapidly. Even if he was on the active side, there was no guarantee. All the troops on his side are in a safe position. In such a large-scale battle, it is normal for some troops to suffer losses under specific conditions. Maybe only the rookies around him will protect themselves as much as possible. troops, when he thought of this, Marshal Rundstedt glanced at Lin Wei unconsciously.
"Not bad!" Manstein said with certainty, "Due to the capture of Kremenchug, the German 17th Army won a base to continue its attack on the other side of the Dnieper River. However, the situation of the 17th Army is not good now. , so I am going to issue a few orders to create some conditions for the 17th Army!"
"This is what it should be!" Marshal Rundstedt has always had 100% trust in his chief of staff. This scene made Lin Wei who was standing next to him very envious. Maybe the entire German marshal-level commander, maybe There are only two of them who are so good.