Iron Germany

On the eastern battlefield of Moscow, the Russian Moscow Garrison Command deployed two army groups here. Originally, more troops were deployed here, but as the battle situation in Moscow became increasingly tense, the Russian army had to deploy troops from here to reinforce the battlefield in the city. Now only the 24th Infantry Army and the 1st Guards Army are left.

However, these two Russian armies could not withstand the fierce German attack at all.

On June 19, the German 61st Mechanized Infantry Division, 63rd Infantry Division and 64th Infantry Division stormed the 73rd Infantry Division under the 24th Russian Infantry Army.

In less than two hours of fighting, the 73rd Russian Infantry Division was defeated and the main force was surrounded. Lieutenant General Rakukin, commander of the Russian 24th Army, hastily ordered the 140th, 228th and 255th Divisions of the Russian Infantry to rush for reinforcements. However, on the way, these three infantry divisions were besieged by the German 151st Mechanized Infantry Division, 153rd Infantry Division, 154th Infantry Division, 161st Mechanized Infantry Division, 163rd Infantry Division and 164th Infantry Division.

After a day of fierce fighting, the 73rd Russian Infantry Division was wiped out. The 140th, 228th and 255th Russian Infantry Divisions were also wiped out. Although the participating troops were resisting stubbornly, they were not far from being annihilated.

The remaining two infantry divisions of the Russian 24th Rifle Army, the 335th and 341st Rifle Divisions, were attacked by the German 171st, 173rd and 174th Mechanized Rifle Divisions. These two infantry divisions were also unable to withstand the attack of the elite German troops.

Behind the elite German army are hundreds of thousands of troops from the Ukrainian 6th Army, the Hungarian 7th Army and the Bohemian 5th Army.

Facing such a powerful attack by the German army and its servants, the 24th Russian Infantry Army was no match at all. In the case of heavy losses, Lieutenant General Rakukin ordered the remnants to abandon their positions and retreat to the east.

This is also the cleverness of Lieutenant General Rakukin. He knew that if he returned to Moscow, even if he would not be punished by General Zhukov, he would die. The German army launched such a large-scale offensive, obviously it will not let the Russian army in Moscow go. There is only one final result, and that is to be wiped out. Instead, he fled eastward, and perhaps there was still a way out.

When the German Army Group C eliminated the 24th Russian Infantry Army, Army Group A also launched an attack on the 1st Russian Guards Army.

Under the 1st Russian Guards Army were the 4th and 6th Guards Infantry Corps, the 18th Tank Corps, and the 153rd Infantry Division. Its strength is stronger than that of the 24th Russian Infantry Army. The combat power is also stronger.

However, they were attacked by the 1st Armored Division, 1st Mechanized Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Division, 11th Mechanized Infantry Division, 13th Infantry Division, 14th Infantry Division, and 21st Mechanized Infantry Division under the German Army Group A. The siege of the 23rd and 24th Infantry Divisions. Even though the 1st Russian Guards Army had strong combat effectiveness, it still couldn't resist the German attack under the onslaught of the superior German troops.

The 18th Russian Tank Corps was attacked by the German 1st Armored Division. Although this tank army is equipped with as many as 168 tanks, the number of T-34 tanks is more than one hundred. However, under the fierce attack of the German "Tiger" tanks and "Black Panther" tanks, the 18th Russian tank army was completely wiped out.

The remaining units of the Russian 1st Guards Army were also violently attacked by units under the German Army Group A. Under the impact of the mechanized troops of the German army, the infantry of the Russian army could not resist at all. The final result was that their line of defense was torn apart and the troops were surrounded and annihilated. Even if Lieutenant General Lelyushenko, the commander of the Russian 1st Guards Army, tried his best, he could not recover the result of their defeat.

In addition to dispatching the elite German army to launch the attack, the German Army Group A also deployed the Finnish 1st Army to participate in the attack. This further accelerated the destruction of the Russian 1st Guards Army.

It took only two days from the German offensive to closing the encirclement east of Moscow. By the afternoon of June 20, Moscow had been surrounded by the German army like an iron barrel.

The 24th Russian Infantry Army and the 1st Guards Army defending here were almost wiped out. Only a small number of troops withdrew to the area east of Moscow.

These Russian officers and soldiers are undoubtedly very smart. They knew that if they evacuated to Moscow, they would still die. Only by fleeing to the east can there be a chance of survival.

The Germans did not pursue these retreating Russian troops. For them, the most important thing is to wipe out the Russian army in Moscow first.

When the German army closed the encirclement, the German army also intensified its attack on the Russian army in Moscow. As a result, General Zhukov, the commander of the Moscow garrison, had no way to deploy troops to reinforce the battlefield east of Moscow, and could only watch helplessly as the German army completed the encirclement of Moscow.

As for those troops retreating east of Moscow instead of retreating into Moscow, General Zhukov had nothing to do. He is very clear about those guys' thoughts. However, he could not force them to hold out in Moscow. The so-called everyone has his own ambitions. As the commander of the Moscow garrison, he is willing to fight for Russia to the last moment. However, not everyone is like him.

"Comrade Commander, the 24th Infantry Army and the 1st Guards Army have been almost completely wiped out, and the remaining small part of the troops have also been withdrawn to Vladimir. Lieutenant General Rakukin and Lieutenant General Lelyushenko report , The heavy German troops formed an encirclement circle, and with their strength, they could not break through the encirclement circle of the German army and enter Moscow." Chief of Staff Major General Liapin reported.

"Hmph! These are all excuses. Those guys are simply greedy for life and afraid of death, and deliberately don't return to Moscow!" Lieutenant General Krugrov, the political commissar, said bitterly.

All fools know that if they stay in Moscow, they will surely die. Therefore, Lieutenant General Rakukin and Lieutenant General Lelyushenko will evacuate eastward.

General Zhukov also knew this, but he didn't care.

"The Germans not only dispatched the air force to bomb the train that Comrade Joseph was on, but also dispatched hundreds of thousands of elite armored troops to attack Nizhny Novgodero, trying to hunt down and kill Comrade Joseph. Now, even more The army closed the siege of Moscow and completely surrounded Moscow. The Germans obviously wanted to exterminate Russia by doing this, wiped out all of us, and never gave us a chance to turn around!" General Zhukov said with emotion.