The Rise of the Third Reich

After hearing Comrade Stalin's latest supreme instructions, Pavlov and Shaposhnikov were a little confused what to do.

Because the order to establish the Bryansk Front was officially issued on May 1, and it is only May 3 now. The commander of the Bryansk Front, General Golikov (the original deputy chief of staff and director of intelligence), the military commissar Myhelis (the king of small reports) and the chief of staff, Lieutenant General Kazakov, had just In place, the front army headquarters has not yet been formed.

At the same time, the troops of the Bryansk Front are not in place. In addition to the 1st and 2nd Tank Groups originally stationed in Moscow and Kalinin, which have been loaded and shipped to Bryansk, the 38th, 40th, and 40th Tank Groups attached to the front are also in place. The 48th Army is still gathering. According to the past practice of massing and mobilizing large forces of the Red Army, it would be extremely fast for the main force of the Bryansk Front to be deployed in the Bryansk Oblast before May 15. And it’s only May 3rd!

"No, it will take 12 more days? How can this be possible?" Stalin immediately began to shake his head after hearing Pavlov's time for troop dispatch. The German armored groups advance dozens of kilometers a day and can reach Moscow in 12 days! What kind of Bryansk front army is also being formed? Just form the Moscow Front directly.

"Besides, why do we have to wait for all armies to be in place?" Stalin then asked, "When will the 1st and 2nd Tank Armies arrive in Bryansk?"

"We can reach Bryansk tomorrow," Shaposhnikov replied, "but the German army's route north should be west of Gomel, Belarus, which is more than 250 kilometers away from Bryansk..."

"I don't want to hear this," Stalin interrupted Shaposhnikov and asked: "You are just two tank armies. When can you get to Gomel?"

"It will take five days," Shaposhnikov replied. "It would be good if we can be in place on May 8th and launch the offensive on the 9th."

"What about the Germans?" Stalin pointed with the pipe in his hand to the black arrow on the map that had broken through the Dnieper River near Lechica. "When will they arrive near Smolensk?"

"Only their vanguard should be breaking through now," Shaposhnikov replied. "They will need up to two days to set up a pontoon bridge for the army to cross the river. At the same time, the troops will also need to replenish fuel, ammunition and supplies. It is estimated that in May Their main force will complete crossing the river on the 6th, and if they can start heading north on the 7th, they can approach Smolensk from May 12th to 14th.”

"Then can we use the 1st and 2nd tank armies to destroy or defeat them?" Stalin then asked.

The 1st Tank Army and the 2nd Tank Army have a total of 5 tank corps and 3 mechanized corps, as well as some artillery, cavalry and engineer units.

Each tank corps currently has the armor strength of 3 tank brigades (12 tank battalions) and 3 assault artillery battalions. However, the number of tanks owned by the Soviet tank battalion is far less than that of the German armored battalion. A Soviet tank battalion only has 22 T-34 tanks or 15 KV series heavy tanks or 22 T60/T70 light tanks. The standard number of self-propelled guns owned by a Soviet assault artillery battalion is 8-17 (8 when equipped with SU-122 assault guns, 17 when equipped with SU-85 tank destroyers).

Therefore, the number of tanks/assault artillery owned by a Soviet tank army is between 270-300 - which is of course the number at full strength. However, although the number of tanks in the Soviet Union is sufficient at present, the equipment integrity rate is not high. The equipment that can actually be used on the battlefield is often only 50%-60% of the data on paper.

The number of tanks/assault artillery currently owned by the Soviet mechanized army is not much different from that of the tank army. It has a total of 9 tank battalions (of which 2 are heavy tank battalions directly under the military headquarters), 4 assault artillery battalions, 1 A military self-propelled artillery regiment (8 SU-122 and 17 SU-85). At full strength, a Soviet mechanized army also had more than 250 tanks and assault artillery.

The five tank corps and three mechanized corps of the 1st and 2nd Tank Army have a total of more than 2,100 tanks/assault artillery. In terms of quantity alone, its strength is equivalent to four German armored divisions with heavy armor battalions.

But that was just a comparison of strength on paper. Pavlov and Shaposhnikov had no idea what the situation would be like in a real fight.

"Comrade General Secretary, at present we do not fully understand the strength of the German armored group that broke through on the south road." Pavlov considered his words, "Preliminary estimates are that it is a German armored group, estimated to have 5-10 armored divisions or The Panzergrenadier Division is very powerful, and the Germans also have air superiority.”

"That means you are not sure?" Stalin did not show an unhappy expression, because he himself, like Pavlov, felt unsure. "Then... what about adding the 5th Tank Army? Then the number of tanks/assault artillery owned by the Bryansk Front will exceed 3,000, which is enough to defeat the German South Road Armored Group, right?"

The 5th Tank Army now belongs to the Western Front. It is the most powerful group army in the hands of the Western Front and the main armored counterattack force of the Western Front.

"But this will seriously weaken Smolensk's defense strength." Pavlov reminded Stalin in a low voice, "Now Smolensk only has the 3rd Army, the 5th Tank Army and the 22nd Infantry Army."

"Transfer Chervin's 16th Army to Smolensk." Stalin took a few puffs of cigarette. "This army, like the 3rd Army, is composed of a mechanized army, an infantry army and a cavalry unit. Its combat effectiveness is very high. powerful."

"But after the deployment of the 16th Group Army, the defense of East Belarus is very empty." Shaposhnikov said quickly, "Now, in addition to sending two armored groups to outflank the Belarusian protrusion, the German army has also sent a third armored group from Vilnius. The three armored groups assaulted toward the southeast, probably with the goal of cutting off the Belarusian protrusion, so we need to use the 16th Army to stop them."

The German Army Group Center now commanded by Manstein has a total of three armored armies. They are the 4th Armored Army commanded by General Hermann Hoth, which is the force moving south from Velikiy Luki; The 1st Armored Group commanded by General Mackensen was the force that had just broken through the Dnieper River at Rechica; the 2nd Armored Group commanded by General Walter Model was the one that attacked from Vilnius, preparing to cut the Belarusian salient. German army cluster.

Moreover, according to the provisions of the "Purple Plan", the three German armored armies also have plans to join forces with each other. If their respective attacks go very smoothly, the three armored corps will join forces at the tri-state junction of southern Smolensk Oblast, eastern Mogilev Oblast (belonging to Belarus) and northwest Bryansk Oblast.

In this way, the Belarusian salient will be surrounded and divided into two, and the three armored armies can join forces to launch what may be the largest decisive battle in human history with the Soviet Red Army near Smolensk!

According to the mainstream views of the German General Staff and senior generals on the Eastern Front, after this decisive battle of unprecedented scale, if Germany does not want to destroy the Soviet Union, the Soviet-German War should be over - by then Stalin will have no power to rescue Lenin. Grad, and there are no troops to surround Moscow. Is there any other way out besides suing for peace?

This trend was clearly revealed in the battlefield situation map obtained by the Soviet Supreme Command on the afternoon of May 3.

Therefore, Stalin could also see at a glance the unprecedented crisis facing him and the entire Soviet regime.

"Can the 16th Army block a German armored group?" Stalin shook his head and said, "This is impossible! If we use the 16th Army to block the German army attacking from Nuerwis, then this force will be destroyed within a few days. It will cease to exist! And the Red Army on the Smolensk Front will be surrounded by the enemy due to lack of troops. In this way, the 3rd German Army will complete the rendezvous! By then, the Bryansk Front Army will be defeated, and the Kalinin Front Army will be recovered. Even with the loss of Velikiy Luki, it will not prevent the Northern Lutheran Army from receiving supplies from other directions. As for Smolensk, it will eventually fall in early summer of this year... In this way, the German army will be able to reach Moscow before the winter of 1943!"

Stalin suddenly looked at Pavlov and Shaposhnikov with cold eyes and asked: "Is this your purpose? Do you want to fight a battle to defend Moscow?"

When Stalin revealed his thoughts, Pavlov and Shaposhnikov trembled at the same time. Pavlov reacted quickly and immediately denied it and said: "Comrade General Secretary, the enemy will not approach Moscow, I guarantee you! "

"Guarantee?" Stalin smiled, "I don't want to hear any guarantee. What I want is a solution. What solution do you have?"

Pavlov and Shaposhnikov looked at each other - it is really not easy to serve under the great leader of the Soviet Union!

Shaposhnikov sighed and said a plan he had just thought about, "Use Smolensk in the middle to attract the German northern cluster and create conditions for the Kalinin Front on the northern front to raid Velikiy Luki. To do this, we need to Move the 16th Army to Smolensk.

Concentrate three tank armies on the southern front to start a decisive battle with the German southern group. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to delay the German armored group that breaks through from the middle of the Belarusian salient... To this end, it is necessary to take risks on the Belarusian battlefield and mobilize the 4th Army. Minsk, cooperate with the 10th Army to delay the German armored center group.

At the same time, the 11th Group Army and the 13th Group Army deployed on the western and southern fronts of the Belarusian salient must abandon their existing positions and concentrate on Minsk to prepare to defend the capital of Soviet Belarus! "