Empire in Progress

Chapter 420: Attack Moscow

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When the angle reaches 46.5 degrees, the Gustav Railroad Cannon's firing range will reach its maximum, reaching 34 kilometers. Although the tragic hit rate is a bit frustrating, fortunately, the huge power can slightly make up for the shortcomings in hit rate. Together with another cannon unexpectedly at two kilometers, two Gustav railway cannons will be the protagonists of today. They will take turns to carry out devastating attacks on positions in the urban area of Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, at intervals of fifteen minutes.

As for the position of the Soviet Sixteenth Army, which was closer, it was handed over to the German heavy artillery group around Istria. Bang... With an ear-piercing scream, high-explosive bombs weighing seven tons spurted out from the body of this giant cannon (OMG, so awkward!). At the same time, a huge black smoke spurted out from the long barrel, and escaped from the muzzle with flames visible to the naked eye. In a short period of time, a thick smoke shrouded the railway gun.

"Damn, those perverts of the SS!" Not far from the two railway cannons, a Wehrmacht artilleryman was caught off guard and paralyzed to the ground by the huge power of the railway cannons. Although he had already known the organization of the SS There were two powerful cannons inside, but after all, there were very few Wehrmacht troops who had seen the Gustav railway gun fired, and no one knew that it would make such a big noise once it was fired.

The reconnaissance plane correcting the shooting above clearly saw the hilltop hit by the giant cannonball. Because it was high in the sky, the huge explosion did not affect the pilot, but the pilot could still feel the huge power from the side. He saw that the hilltop that was hit was suddenly artificially raised, but it immediately seemed to be lost. The building with its foundation suddenly collapsed. The altitude of the entire mountain suddenly dropped by more than ten meters. Needless to say, we also know what happened to the Soviet soldiers on that mountain.

The bombardment of the Gustav railway gun had the effect of sounding the charge for a good night's sleep. The aroused thick smoke had not yet dissipated. Lin Wei's concentrated 310 artillery batteries, operating 3,300 German or Soviet-made artillery pieces, began a devastating attack on the positions of the Soviet Sixteenth Group Army. of shelling. The God of War once again showed his ferocious face, and the scale of this bombardment far exceeded the Verdun meat grinder more than twenty years ago. Dense artillery shells continued to fall on the Soviet positions. Under such a scale of shelling, the combat skills and avoidance usually honed on the battlefield were of no use. Hiding in trenches and bunkers and on surface positions There is no difference. The hidden soldiers will be directly shocked to death, while the soldiers outside will be blown to death. The distance between the recruits and veterans will be infinitely narrowed. The only way to survive this kind of bombardment is to It's luck.

The unavoidable shells fell like rain, and the Soviet soldiers who were passively bombed almost suspected that they were in hell. Their suspicions are not wrong. Ever since the war between Germany and the Soviet Union, this place has been a hell, and the exit can only accommodate one country to escape from hell. This country is either Germany or the Soviet Union. The war will only end when one country completely surrenders to the other.

The artillery of the Soviet Red Army tried to counterattack, but in October 1941, which was the most lean period of the Soviet Union, many factories moved to the Ural Industrial Zone in the east, resulting in a decline in military output during this period. The Soviet Red Army, which had always attached great importance to artillery, encountered a shortage of artillery and ammunition for the first time. Throughout history, the Soviet Union experienced two very dangerous situations during its war with Germany. The first time was in October 1941. At this time, as Germany approached Moscow, the Soviet Union faced the German occupation of the capital and the The danger of losing the victory. The second time was in 1942, when Germany took advantage of the failure of the Soviet counterattack to take advantage of the victory. At that time, the Soviet Union was facing the depletion of human resources, because half of the country's population was controlled by Germany, so the Soviet Union simply moved back to Stalingrad again. Went through the most difficult time.

But as Lin Wei, who commanded the Moscow Campaign, knew clearly the weakness of the Soviet Union at this time, and would never be fooled by a setback on the battlefield. Naturally, he knew that now was the best time to launch a campaign. Moreover, the winter clothing of the German army has been prepared. Lin Wei, who has prepared everything, will never admit defeat. Even if the Moscow battle is carried out until next year, it will never allow the Soviet Union to slow down.

The German heavy artillery group roared like hell. Behind them, nearly two thousand tanks of the Fifth SS Armored Group were also formed. Surrounding these tanks in the middle were 180,000 armed SS troops. Soldiers, these people will serve as the sharp knife for Germany to attack Moscow first and seize the key to the door of victory for Germany.

Amidst the rumbling artillery, Lin Wei gave an inspiring speech to the soldiers of the Fifth SS Armored Group Army, "On that day, we gathered with longing under a new country and political party, singing The songs bursting from the heart entered the battlefield where life and death were uncertain. During the war years, our team continued to expand until there were many foreign comrades. This proves that our ideals have transcended national borders. We have always believed that, We can use our own strength to change the crisis faced by Germany. Under the call of the head of state, the armed SS actively participated in the war, including Poland, Norway, France, Gibraltar, and now the Soviet Union. The progress of the war did not annihilate the SS soldiers. Fanatic spirit, on the contrary, we have won the respect of the Wehrmacht with our performance on the battlefield! Now, the decisive moment has finally arrived, soldiers, years of war have taken you all over Europe. Now ahead is Moscow's Red Square. To Moscow, Go and wash your bodies of war! In this war, many countries will always perish, but what perishes is what perishes. It will never be our Germany, and the Germans will never be defeated! Head of State Although he has left us, I believe that at this moment, the head of state is watching our battle with expectation. Soldiers, conquer Moscow and fill this huge tomb with the last shovel of soil so that the Soviet Union will never stand up again! For the sake of the Führer, attack..."

"Hey, Hit? Le!" The leader of the Guard raised his right hand with a swastika armband high.

"Hi, Hit? Le!" Through the radio, Lin Wei conveyed his voice to every corner of the SS. In Lin Wei's memory-like voice, everyone remembered the time when they joined the SS. At that time, the SS was struggling to survive under the heavy pressure of the Wehrmacht. Although it got Hit? However, compared with the regular armed forces of Germany, the Wehrmacht, the SS is still basically ignored. Everyone thinks of themselves, who joined the SS out of passion. From that time on, War has become a part of my life.

"For victory, attack!" Lin Wei's brief order symbolized the official start of this battle. Taking the helmet handed over by Crawford, Lin Wei quickly got into a tank that looked bigger than a Panther tank. Among the tanks in the circle, this was the prototype of the German Panzer 6 tank. Lin Wei had detained it from the production line that was still being debugged. Although he had to risk entering Moscow, the relevant safety issues still had to be taken care of. After getting into what was later called the Tiger tank, Lin Wei suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. It may be that the powerful power of the Tiger tank made Lin Wei feel safe.

The heavy armor on the 88mm gun mount made Lin Wei have no doubts about its survivability on the battlefield. However, the Tiger tank's weaknesses were as obvious as ever. Its tragic mobility was even compared to that of the Fifth SS Group Army. Acting together, Lin Wei may still be on the road when the Panther tank arrives on the battlefield. But compared to other German tanks, the internal space of the Tiger tank is already pretty good. There is an open crew compartment in the front, and the driver and radio operator sit on both sides of the front gear box. Behind them the floor area formed a continuous flat surface surrounding the turret floor. This helps the loader inspect ammunition placed in a compartment above the track. Two people sit in the turret, the shooter is on the left side of the gun, the commander is behind him, the loader has a folding seat in the turret, and there is a height of 160 centimeters from the turret floor to the roof.

"Hey, Wittmann, I leave my safety to you. This should be the tank you like!" Lin Wei said to the commander who had transferred him with his privileges, but watching Wittmann's reaction to this tank The degree of love may no longer care about Lin Wei's orders. Another tank is to the right of the tank driven by Wittmann. The two tanks Lin Wei mobilized from the factories of Krupp and Henschel under the pretext of actual combat testing are now in the hands of famous figures in history. In addition, The commander of a Tiger tank is Piper.

An hour later, the Fifth SS Army was approaching the bombardment area of the German heavy artillery group. Lin Wei sent electricity to the heavy artillery group, "Stop the bombardment, the troops have arrived at the predetermined location!" When the German tanks had just arrived at the Soviet position , the violent shelling came to an abrupt end, and one can imagine how precisely the German army executed its orders. Entering the position that was shelled like the surface of the moon, everyone was thinking, is it possible for anyone to survive in this situation

Of course, the surviving Soviet soldiers quickly used their actions to prove to the German soldiers how powerful human survivability is. When the disgraced Red Army soldiers with bleeding ears appeared in front of the German armored group, the armored soldiers were really shocked. But the first word immediately was to use the machine gun on the tank to kill the Red Army soldiers. The battle was one-sided, and the Red Army soldiers, who had lost almost all their bunkers and trenches, relied entirely on their own courage to attack, but this attack did not even work. The German armored forces were unwilling to have main guns to hit these soldiers because it was not worth it.

No one knows how intense the shelling was just now, but one thing can reflect the results of the shelling just now, that is, the position that resisted the Third Armored Group Army for several days was broken through by the Imperial Division in half an hour. The entire fighting empire The division suffered thirty-three casualties. The Viking division, attacking on the right, lost forty-two men. Almost the Soviet Sixteenth Army had vanished into thin air.

General Paul Hausser accurately conveyed the news of the victory to Lin Wei, and immediately received a call back from Lin Wei, "Target Moscow, speed up!" Although the Soviet Sixteenth Army received a devastating blow, But Lin Wei and the Fifth Armored Group faced more than just one group army. There were no less than ten Soviet group armies around Moscow. The consequence of wasting time may be that the painstaking preparations were wasted. It is not the time to be happy yet. , Admiral Paul Hauser simply knew this. Immediately lead the Imperial Division to join the attack. The commander of the Soviet Sixteenth Army, Rostovsky, was frightened by the SS's rapid attack and immediately asked Stalin for help. I hope to get support from Marshal Timoshenko.

What is Stalin doing? Stalin was also busy at this time, busy with the military parade. Historically, the military parade on Red Square was originally held on November 7. Due to the urgent situation, Stalin postponed it for half a month, because Stalin must use this opportunity to let people regain their consciousness. confidence in war.

The military parade had already started for more than half an hour before Stalin hurriedly arrived. Because someone in the crowd might assassinate Stalin, Stalin made an impromptu decision to appear at the military parade and did not notify anyone after arriving at Red Square. The prerequisite for taking risks is that all safety guarantees must be made in all aspects. Stalin certainly understood this.

It is undeniable that the troops who appeared in Moscow’s Red Square at this time were indeed loyal to the Soviet Union, and the people who appeared in the Red Square also sincerely supported the Soviet people. The Great Purge and some policy mistakes could not make these people doubt the Soviet Union. , because the Soviet Union’s strength has increased over the years for all to see. Although Stalin persecuted many people, in the eyes of more people, he is still a trustworthy leader. The Red Army soldiers rushing through the Red Square were also looking at their leader with reverence.

As if feeling the admiration of these people, Stalin also regained his confidence in the war, although it was broken by Lin Wei himself a few days later. But at least during this period, Stalin did start to become optimistic again. To the soldiers who walked through the Red Square in a square formation, Stalin gave an impassioned speech, "Red Army and Red Navy soldiers, commanders and politicians Comrades, functionaries, workers, collective farmers, intellectual workers, brothers and sisters who are temporarily under the iron heel of the German bandits behind enemy lines, our glorious male and female partisans who are destroying the rear areas of the German invaders!

On behalf of the Soviet government and our Bolshevik Party, I would like to pay tribute to you and congratulate you on the twenty-fourth anniversary of the victory of the great October Revolution. Comrades! Today we celebrate the twenty-fourth anniversary of the October Revolution under serious circumstances. The treacherous attack of the German bandits and the war imposed on us created a threat to our country. However, this is nothing to be afraid of. Our situation is much better now than it was twenty-three years ago. Therefore, is there any doubt that we can and will defeat the German invaders? Comrades of the Red Army and Red Navy, commanders and political workers, male and female guerrillas! The whole world is watching you as a force capable of destroying the bandit army of the German invaders. The peoples of various European countries, enslaved under the oppression of the German invaders, are looking at you as their liberators. The great mission of liberation has fallen on your shoulders. Don't fail this mission! The war you are waging is a war of liberation, a just war. Let our great ancestors - Alexander Nevsky, Dimitri Donskoy, Kuzma Minin, Dimitri Pozharsky, Alexander Suvorov, Mikha The heroic image of Il Kutuzov inspires you in this war! Let the great Lenin's banner of victory guide you! Completely crush the German invaders! "

These soldiers participating in the military parade have just walked through the Red Square and will soon embark on a battlefield where life and death are uncertain. Maybe they are supporting the positions of the Soviet 16th Army, which is already in emergency. As everyone can imagine, Moscow It would have been impossible for such a big event in the Red Square to be hidden from the lurking Gestapo in Germany. What caught the Gestapo's attention was that there seemed to be an endless stream of tanks passing through the Red Square. Tanks and phalanxes had already passed in front of them five or six times.

This situation was immediately notified to Heydrich by the Gestapo, and Heydrich notified Lin Wei. Lin Wei received Heydrich's intelligence, smiled slightly, tore the telegram into waste paper, and replied, "It is not difficult to make the tank phalanx that has left the city circle around and rejoin the military parade. You have been deceived!" Lin Wei, who deeply understood the character of Stalin and the Soviet Union, naturally knew that the Soviet Union often made a fuss about military parades. Except in this case using tanks to deceive foreign observers. In 1947, a large-scale aviation parade was held at the Moscow Aviation Festival. Among the reference fleet was a fleet of ultra-long-range bombers that looked exactly like the B-29, which attracted the attention of Western intelligence agencies. They recorded the number of such bombers. , and came to a surprising conclusion: the Soviet Union possesses at least eighty imitations of this B-29, enough to establish a nuclear deterrent against major military bases in Alaska and Europe! This conclusion led to Americans' hesitance to use atomic bombs in the Korean War. The truth was discovered by Western intelligence agencies much later: there were actually only three B-29 imitations that could fly in 1947 - the Soviet Tu-4 long-range strategic bomber. The Soviet strategic deception department used a small trick to form a parade squad with three unnumbered Tu-4s and fly them over the heads of Western diplomatic attachés over and over again, thereby creating the lie of "eighty Tu-4s".

With so many criminal records, especially knowing that there was such a war deception in history, Lin Wei naturally would not pay much attention to the Red Square military parade. Looking at the thick clouds that could snow at any time, Lin Wei secretly thought, "If It’s not that the air force cannot be dispatched, I will definitely prevent you from holding the military parade!”