After sending the telegram, Lin Wei walked out of the headquarters of General Paul Hausser. In fact, the battlefield was changing day by day. It was inappropriate for Lin Wei to stay on the southern front. The consequences of the Southwest Front Army being surrounded and annihilated were inevitable. As for the fate of the Southern Front Army, it depends on the talent of Lieutenant General Ryabyshev, the commander of the Southern Front Army. If he can discover early that the operation to rescue the Southwest Front Army is actually impossible and withdraw from the combat area early, the Southern Front Army may There is still a way to survive. On the contrary, it is tantamount to giving a big gift to Germany's combat operations in Ukraine. Although annihilating the entire Southwest Front is already a huge victory, who can have too many such feats? At least Marshal Manstein on the southern front was very welcoming.
Now heading north to Smolensk and preparing for the Battle of Moscow is indeed a good choice. But what was Lin Wei doing there? His ace troops still had to stay in Ukraine for a few days before heading north. Lin Wei suddenly felt that he should use these few days to do something. Outside the headquarters, Lin Wei scratched his head and head like a lunatic, thinking about his schedule for the next few days with a frown on his face. So in this solemn atmosphere, such a disharmonious scene appeared. Among a group of mighty and serious military police, a young man who was obviously a senior general showed his rich expressions as if he were a fool. Simply put, these words of Lin Wei This is not the first time that the guardsmen have seen their leader in this form.
"Hi, Crawford!" After Lin Wei finished his hearty performance, he immediately made a comeback gesture to greet his adjutant. As for whether Crawford is there, Lin Wei is not worried at all. The two have already formed a tacit understanding for a long time, which is why Lin Wei did not delegate Crawford like Heinz.
"Leader!" Crawford appeared in front of Lin Wei with a strange look on his face. Although he did not see Lin Wei's expression just now, from the back view, Crawford also knew that Lin Wei had been wandering around for a while, and now Crawford admired these expressionless guards from the bottom of his heart. If he had been in front of them, he might have laughed out loud and been scolded.
"Huh? What's your expression? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Lin Wei asked with a concerned look on his face, never expecting that he was the culprit. After Crawford repeatedly stated that he was fine, Lin Wei asked, "How is the situation in Leningrad now?"
"Not optimistic!" When it came to serious matters, Crawford immediately returned to his usual calm thinking and analyzed; "Although General Hott's Third Armored Group moved north to Leningrad, it is still blocked ten kilometers outside the city. s position!"
"That is to say, the Northern Mountain Division and the Prince Eugen Division are still fighting alone without any help from the National Defense Forces!" Lin Wei frowned and said with a hint of anger, "There are so many mountain divisions in the Northern Army Group. How can we deal with them?" Leningrad, with its complex terrain, should play a greater role than General Hoth's Armored Army. What does Marshal Loeb say now?" Lin Wei lost his temper uncontrollably, causing the military police who were looking at him slowly to rub against him. On the feet, stay away from Lin Wei at an almost invisible speed.
"Leader!" Crawford was about to speak, but suddenly thought that this might damage Lin Wei's authority, he whispered closely, "Leader, most of the troops of Marshal Loeb's Northern Army Group are still facing off against the Northwest Front in Estonia! Therefore, we cannot attack Leningrad with all our strength!" At the same time, it is a clear reminder to Lin Wei that the agreement between you and General Kuznetsov is not recognized by the Supreme Command. It was Crawford's words that made Lin Wei think of the top priority now, which was not to go north to Moscow or further north to Leningrad, but to return to Germany and take back the command of the Supreme Command.
Lin Wei snapped his fingers and said to Crawford, "Send a telegram to my father Gustav, saying that I may return to Berlin in the next few days and may need some support! By the way. , Heydrich should have almost made progress in the Katyn Forest!" Seeing Crawford nod, Lin Wei said, "I will soon use two blockbuster news to overwhelm the Soviet Union in world public opinion, and become the leader of the entire Northwest Front. When it surrendered, I think most countries, including the United States, would not have any hope in the Soviet Union! As for the Katyn Forest matter, the Poles can make less noise! Send a report to Goebbels and other government ministers. I hope to cooperate with Let's discuss the future of the National Socialist Party!" Lin Wei now remembered his identity as a member of the National Socialist Party without hesitation. For a long time, Lin Wei has used his status as a Junker class to suppress the National Socialist Party, but it is different now, without Hit? Le's National Socialist Party is already in a weak position in Germany, which means that the political power within Germany is now imbalanced, and the Wehrmacht no longer takes the National Socialist Party seriously.
"Then leader, I will immediately contact the Air Force and arrange for a plane to pick you up!" After Crawford finished speaking, he was about to go to generate electricity, but was stopped by Lin Wei, who only said a few words; "Waiting for the train, the plane is not safe!" Lin Wei has a problem. Unless he is sure that the sky is safe enough, Lin Wei will not get on the plane even if he is in a hurry. Lin Wei subconsciously believed in the safety factor on land more than in the sky. Although it was extremely important to seize command now, considering the Soviet Supreme Command, which never took life seriously, and the Soviet Air Force, which was gradually recovering its strength, Lin Wei Wei decided to return to Germany by rail.
Now that the decision has been made, all preparations begin immediately. Before leaving, Lin Wei solemnly told General Paul Hausser that he could not waste any more time on the southern front and left the finishing work to Marshal Manstein. Just command the Army Group South. After the Battle of Kiev, the most important thing now is to deliver the final blow to the Soviet Union and seize Moscow. Lin Wei left Lochwica only after receiving the assurance from General Paul Hausser. In fact, Lin Wei only stayed in Lohwica for only four hours.
At the same time as Lin Wei left, General Paul Hausser immediately launched an attack to the west. Perhaps because he was not prepared for the sudden attack of the Imperial Division, or perhaps because he knew exactly the current predicament of the entire front army, the Imperial Division's attack went very smoothly. , concentrating 400 cannons and 300 tanks, the offensive of the Imperial Division immediately caused chaos in the Soviet Second Cavalry Army. In fact, on the Soviet-German battlefield, the Soviet Red Army used more cavalry than the German blitzkrieg in Poland. At that time, Poland was much larger in both quantity and quality. When it lacked armor, the Soviet cavalry often served as the main force to break through German defensive positions. But now these cavalry can be said to be vulnerable when facing German armored troops. The war is no longer the same as it was more than 20 years ago. These cavalrymen will pay a price.
Two hours later, the Soviet Red Army, which suffered losses, abandoned their horses and withdrew deep into the forests southeast of Pilyagin and southwest of Lochvita. Pursuit cannot be carried out at night. As soon as dawn broke, the battle group formed by the Imperial Division immediately launched another pursuit. The Soviet troops hid in hidden corners and resisted desperately without wavering or flinching. The pursuing Imperial Division soldiers had to use hand weapons and flamethrowers to eliminate them one by one. This battle in the dense forest was particularly difficult and brutal. The resistance of the Soviet soldiers slowly weakened. To be precise, after the battle lasted for a full five hours, the sound of machine guns and carbines gradually subsided.
The motorcycle soldiers of the first company of the 3rd Motorcycle Battalion began to clear out the remaining enemies in the last forest. They had to search every burrow, every fallen tree, every thick clump of leaves, because the Russians were so good at camouflage even with their bare hands. When the motorcycle soldiers searched another hole in the ground, they shouted loudly: "There are Russians here!" At this time, a well-dressed Soviet officer stood up. He was Major General Potapov, the commander of the Soviet Fifth Army. He was one of the most talented strategists in the Red Army, and it was he who prevented both the Sixth Army of Army Group South and the First Panzer Army from taking Kiev. Now he surrendered to Admiral Paul Hausser's men.
The whole encirclement presented a gruesome sight. The bodies of men and horses lay scattered among the various weapons and equipment. Among them is a repair vehicle equipped with machinery such as electric machine tools and drill presses. The ambulance, filled with medical equipment, overturned. Heavy anti-aircraft guns, cannons, howitzers, tanks, trucks and cars, some were stuck in swamps, some crashed into houses and trees, some overturned down slopes, stacked on top of each other, and some were burned...
On September 22, German divisions attacking from all directions reduced the encirclement circle to 40 kilometers. The scope of the encirclement is from Krupol in the north, Baryshevka in the west, Peresyaslavl in the south, and Yagotin in the east. The Soviet army groups were divided and gradually fell into many small encirclement circles. The German army attacked from all directions, and the surrounded divisions of the Soviet Southwest Front bumped into each other like flies on their brows, hoping to find the weak points of the encirclement and successfully break through. But this move was in vain. The number of German troops participating in this battle was far greater than that of the Kiev battle in Lin Wei's impression, and the degree of solidity of the encirclement was naturally different.
Although the attacks of Army Group Southeast and Army Group South were successful, it did not mean that they did not pay a price. The resistance of the surrounded Soviet Red Army suddenly became so tough that the German army had to close in and capture every house and every building from them. A forest, every intersection.
The German army paid a heavy price in the offensive. The 56th Infantry Division of Army Group South suffered five losses in the six days of fighting to capture Blokhovo, Savina, Semipolki and Demelka. Fourteen officers, eleven hundred soldiers, and the losses of other divisions were not less severe than this one. During the entire encirclement battle, the 44th Infantry Division reported losses of forty-one officers and one thousand soldiers. The commander of the 45th Infantry Division lamented that it had lost forty officers and twelve hundred men in a series of battles near Yagotin.
Although the losses of the Southern Army Group were huge, they were nothing compared to the Southeast Army Group. The Imperial Division and the Viking Division began their sudden advance southward from Smolensk, and suffered far more losses than other units along the way. , the Imperial Division alone lost 5,300 soldiers, and the Viking Division had a better number of 4,400 soldiers killed. The German army, which was in an absolute advantage, suffered huge losses, not to mention the surrounded Soviet Red Army. Only in the area of the German 44th Infantry Division, it was later found that there were two hundred Soviet officers killed, and the number of soldiers killed in the battle was The number reached 13,500. In the Lochvita area, 23,000 Soviet soldiers fell in front of the positions of the Imperial Division and the Gendarmerie Division. Some of them were soldiers of the Southwestern Front and some of them were soldiers of the Southern Front.
Stalin in Moscow now knew how foolish he was to order the defense of Ukraine. Of course, Stalin did not need to apologize to anyone for this matter, and no one in the entire Soviet Union could hold Stalin accountable. But this does not hinder Stalin's move to rescue the Southwest Front Army, so it is understandable that the Southern Front Army hopes to separate the Imperial Division's front. As for the other breakthrough point, it is the Southern Front, but the hope of being broken through here is higher than that of the Southern Front Army's breakthrough into the Imperial Division. The probability of the battle line is still small, because this is the solid front line of the powerful troops of the 17th Army Group Reserve of the Southern Army Group. From south to north, these troops are the Fourth Army (76th and 68th Infantry Division), the 52nd Army (97th Light Division, 295th Infantry Division), the 55th Army ( 101st, 100th Light Division and 57th Infantry Division) and the 14th Motorized Corps (14th Armored Division, 16th Motorized Rifle Division), after repelling the first Soviet assault , taking advantage of the momentum to launch an attack eastward.
General von Brisson's 52nd Army occupied Poltava, the former command post of the South-Western Front. This move not only ensured the safety of the German troops fighting within the Kiev encirclement, but also frustrated the Soviet army's attempt to break through from the outside.
Now the entire encirclement is only unstable in the northern area located in the Romney area. The Viking Division is stationed there. The Viking Division suffered huge losses in the previous stage of the battle. Unlike the Imperial Division, the Viking Division does not have a military police division. Although the Police Division and the Skeleton Division were not far away, they did not form an overall force with the Viking Division, allowing the Soviet Union to take advantage of it. It is also very close to the bridgehead established by the First SS Panzer Corps when it moved south. The Soviet Red Army happened to invest tanks, cavalry and infantry units here and launched an attack on the Viking Armored Division's position. The focus of the Soviet offensive was the Romney area. The commander of the Viking Division, General Felix Stanel, happened to be in Romney. It was on this day that he witnessed with his own eyes the superior force of the Soviet 9th Cavalry Division and the two battalions of the German 10th Motorized Infantry Division on the wide grassland in a battle that was full of risks but ended in favor of the German army. In these days of fighting around Romney, the heavy weapons we used were the artillery of the 1st Flak Artillery Corps commanded by Colonel General von Axterhelm. One regiment of the army was deployed in the encirclement circle, and another regiment was deployed between Novgorod-Seversky and Romny. Since the enemy's attack did not weaken, the "Hermann-Goering" anti-aircraft artillery regiment of the Hermann-Goering Armored Division also participated in the battle. In order to provide direct command, the command post was located in Romney.
There is no suspense about the demise of the Southwest Front. The only suspense is when Kiev, the third largest city in the Soviet Union, will be captured by Germany. , Now Kiev In the past few weeks, all the glory of Kiev as the capital of a union republic has disappeared, and it has turned into an out-and-out fortress. Shells and bombs fell in the city day and night. Gray smoke clouds billowed over the roofs and many church bell towers. The streets were deathly silent, and residents hid in the basements of houses. Where houses had collapsed, people had to find shelter with little belongings. Whenever there was a break in shooting, military activities suddenly became busy in the streets and squares. Trucks loaded with ammunition and carriages loaded with daily necessities hurriedly drove to the front line; what was oncoming was a long ambulance team. The artillery moved into position on the street corner. Anti-tank trenches were dug and mines laid along the main streets.
The commander of the German 29th Army issued the following order in September 1941: "Officers and soldiers of the 29th Army: The commander of the Sixth Army called on his troops to fight bravely and move quickly. The divisions on the northern flank To support us, we fought bravely: a decisive victory was achieved. We cannot settle for second place, but must show to the world that the offensive spirit and offensive spirit of the past still inspire us, and that Kiev, the capital of Ukraine and an important target, is in front of us.' Let the imperial battle flag fly from the castle of Kiev' will be our slogan in the coming days!"
One thing that is different from history is that all the retreat routes of the Southwest Front Army seem to have been blocked, and General Kilponos also learned about the current situation of the entire Southwest Front Army at the first time. Historically, Kiev was originally It was abandoned, but due to the participation of the Southeast Army Group, the encirclement was as solid as an iron wall, and General Kilponos also understood that the breakout had failed. In view of this, General Kilponos found Marshal Timoshenko, the commander-in-chief of the Soviet Red Army on the southern front, who was already preparing to evacuate. Marshal Timoshenko looks very haggard now. Perhaps he should not have suffered such a defeat, because before he came to Ukraine, Budyonny was already at a disadvantage when he commanded the Southwestern Front, and Stalin did not agree to retreat.
"Kilponos! We failed, and now we can only give up Kiev!" No matter how unwilling Marshal Timoshenko is, the situation is stronger than the people, and Marshal Timoshenko has to admit that the current German Wehrmacht It is far from comparable to the Soviet Union. Timoshenko seemed to be lamenting the injustice of fate. Once upon a time, the Third Reich used Soviet oil, and its citizens ate Soviet food and fought against Britain and France. Now Germany's extremely powerful army has finally reached the Soviet Union.