The Third Reich in Desperation

Even if it is the most elite troops, the casualty rate of the crash can be up to 40.00%.In the last World War, in the Battle of Verdun, which was hailed as the turning point, as the defender, France, the most elite division, after reaching a casualty rate of 30.00%, let Marshal Pétain retreat Come down, supplement the drawdown before going into the battlefield again.

But Berente knew very well that it was impossible for the German division in front of him to get any effective supplements, let alone have time to retreat and draw down.They have been fighting the Polish army from the very beginning, and it is impossible to have the opportunity to retreat in the past two days, because there is no troops to replace their posts.

For the sake of the battle, even if he got the news of the collapse of the German army in the next second, he would not be surprised in the slightest.What really surprised him was that the German army never showed the slightest sign of collapse in this cross-level battle!

The bones of the Germans are really so hard! ?

Berente suddenly understood why his respected mentor, Pétain, the famous general of the French Third Republic, had failed in the little Ruhr Battle.Perhaps, the real reason is not that the French army's ammunition is not in place on the surface, the French-Belgian coalition forces are not coordinated, and so on.Will, the most easily overlooked factor, is the biggest reason.

Through this battle in Poland, Berente truly discovered how terrifying the will of the Germans is!

However, things are not out of control yet.No matter how tough and tenacious these German soldiers are, they will soon have no capital to fight.If you want to blame them, blame their stupid commander for wasting the time that the troops finally won, and did not send reinforcements for a long time, which caused the time gained by the tenacious struggle of the Rhodes defenders to be close to terror at the last moment. Hard work in vain.

At this moment, even Belante, the enemy, felt a little sympathetic to the remnants of the 30th Division who retreated to the city of Rhodes to prepare for the last fight.They still don't know that within ten miles in front of them, there are full of Polish troops.They struggled to support the reinforcements they were looking forward to, and so far there has not even been a shadow.

Lighting a cigarette, Berente slowly got up and walked to the battle map in the meeting room, and said, "The German army in front of us is already at the end of its strength, and it will be wiped out sooner or later. After that, the Polish army will be able to take advantage of the trend Towards the Vistula, a beautiful counterattack was fought."

Berente's words quickly resonated with other Polish generals in the conference room.

"After fighting for so long, it finally paid off. Now, it's our turn to deal with the Germans!"

"That's right, if you want me to say that you should simply fight back, don't stop at the Vistula River, and just push forward to the border along the way!"

"I just said that victory will belong to us sooner or later, and the Germans' good luck will come to an end!"

"......"

Over the past few days, they have been suppressed and beaten by the German army, and they lost soldiers and generals along the way. They managed to organize a counterattack, but they were blocked by a mere division.At this time, the Polish generals were extremely depressed.So with Berente's auspicious words, there was a kind of fanatical joy, and they celebrated the victory that had not yet come.

Since Berente is French, this campaign was nothing more than his away experience.His original purpose was just to learn more, and to watch a war between great powers in the name of guidance.

It's a pity that the level of the Polish generals is too low. Smi Gray, the Polish marshal, searched all over the place, and only Berente, the conceited French major general, is still somewhat capable.Under the background of the group of poor generals in the Polish army, Berente was actually treated as a "famous general" by Smi Gray.So the Polish army's strategic plan even began to seek the opinion of the French general.

The conceited Belante did not shirk, and gave the Polish High Command an idea, and this Polish army's all-out counterattack was what he and the French officer corps gave to Marshal Smigray. strategic guidance.

Thinking of this, Berente was a little lucky. Fortunately, the impeccable German commander who made the plan did not react immediately under his "conspiracy". When he reacted later, the Polish army had already According to his plan, he rushed to the Vistula River.By then, the counterattack had already been preliminarily completed, so what would the Germans do to stop it!

However, the night was long and dreamy, and Berante bypassed the group of Polish generals who were fluttering, walked up to Smi Gray, the calm commander of the Polish army, and reminded: "Mr. Marshal! Although Ross will definitely be captured by the Polish army sooner or later, but I think the sooner the Polish army wins, the better."

"That's right, it will change if it is delayed, and it will be more secure if it is taken down earlier." Smeigre nodded.

"Since Mr. Marshal thinks so, then I suggest that we send troops overnight and launch an attack on the city of Rhodes tonight." Hearing a French lieutenant colonel he brought translate Smi Gray's words, Berente immediately became anxious Can't wait to make an offensive point of view.

However, Smi Gray did not give an immediate reply to Berante's suggestion.After all, the Polish army under his command did not have the habit of attacking at night.Not only the Polish army, don't you French army also like to fight at night?You have been fighting all day during the day, why don't you rest at night?

However, Smeigre's tone of refusal was still very tactful: "The Polish army has been fighting continuously for two days, and they are exhausted. They urgently need a good night's rest. Besides, we are not good at night combat, and we have complete experience in night street fighting in cities." No. So I think it is better to launch an attack during the day tomorrow, anyway, the German reinforcements did not come."

In fact, Berente said that he did not really expect the Polish army to take the city of Lodz overnight when he said that he would attack at night.He just wanted to express his attitude in this way, so that if something unexpected happens in the end, he can also have a reason to shirk his responsibility: I told you to attack quickly, but you are lazy and unwilling.It's not my plan that's wrong.

It's just that Berente didn't know that his suggestion brought the Polish army into Manstein's trap from the very beginning.No matter how fast the Polish army is attacking now, in this trap carefully arranged by Manstein, it is impossible to change any results!

Text Chapter 175 Answers to Mysteries

The German Army Group South did not send reinforcements to the 30th Division for a long time, not because it did not see the tactical goals of the Polish army in time, nor was it because there were no troops to transfer.The real reason is that Manstein, the German chief of staff who was ridiculed by Berente, had no intention of following the Polish army's combat intentions from beginning to end.

Manstein, who likes to take a slanted sword, grasped the key point of this encounter as early as the very beginning!

Both sides in the war knew that the Polish army was using the force of the bottom of the box, trying to regain the initiative through this reckless large-scale counterattack before they were completely defeated.According to normal military thinking, when the disadvantaged Polish army concentrated its forces and tried to attack the weak links of the German army locally, the safest way for the overall superior German army was to also gather troops around the Polish army to repress the opponent.Although this will slow down the progress of the offensive on the front line, it can also guarantee victory in all likelihood.

But the German army just can't do this!

Because Manstein knew that once the German army fought the Polish army according to conventional procedures, the time spent on this Polish campaign would be greatly increased.This is not in line with the strategic purpose of the "White Plan" for quick wins!

The reason why the Polish army withdrew some of the defensive forces in other areas and concentrated to launch this dying counterattack was to delay the speed of the German army's attack on their capital and hold the German army firmly in check like a nail. In the direction of their counterattack.

The strength of a group army, plus ten newly formed "cannon fodder divisions", totals more than 25 troops.Although it is very unlikely to completely defeat the German army and reverse the situation.But if it is used to attract the German army, the German army cannot concentrate on taking Warsaw, it is more than enough!

Manstein, the participant in the formulation of the "White Plan", knew very well that once the war developed to that situation, the German army's plan to strike Poland would be completely defeated.Even if the German army turns around and eats up the Polish counterattack forces in front of them, it will no longer be possible to achieve the original strategic goal of a quick victory.

Therefore, Manstein boldly chose another option, a choice of a dangerous path for soldiers!

Even if there is a local crisis, or even a serious crisis, on the defense line where the 30th Division of the Eighth Army is located, it will not cause major obstacles to the overall operation.The city of Lodz was originally an empty city that was "picked up" by the German army without a fight. It had no strategic significance in the general strategic direction of the German army.Now even if the Polish army snatched it back, it did not affect the next move of the German army.

On the contrary, the counterattack by the Polish army with all its strength provided Army Group South with a chance to win a major victory.

After staying in the General Staff for so many years, which gathered all the wisdom of the German army since the Prussian period, Manstein could not see the route of the Polish army's tactical counterattack, which is nothing more than moving closer to the Vistula River. , Fortunately, along the Vistula River to face the reinforcements that the German army may send.

However, what the Polish Supreme Command did not expect was that after discussing with Rundstede, the commander of the Southern Army Group, Manstein directly proposed a proposal that was considered at the time to be the largest encirclement ever initiated by the German army. fight.

Manstein believes that since the Polish army is trying to drill into the hinterland of the Army Group South, the Army Group South can just turn around and arrange a pocket to encircle the huge force assembled by the Polish Supreme Command in one go. Into the encirclement of the German army.

Although this plan seems risky, Manstein believes that it has three advantages in practice:

First, in order to get through the city of Lodz as soon as possible, the Polish army has concentrated all their counterattack forces in a small area.This is a disguised form of narrowing the encirclement that needs to be spread out for the German army.

Second, the Polish army went deep into the hinterland of the Southern Army Group and pulled the main force and artillery to the front, so the rear guard deployed at its end must not be too strong.The Southern Army Group can benefit the armored units originally required by the 30th Division to stabilize the defense line, defeat the weak rear guard of the Polish Army in one fell swoop, and seal the encirclement.

Third, the Polish army attacked all the way in the opposite direction. The deeper they went, the deeper they would be trapped in the encirclement of the Southern Army Group. Entering the hinterland of the German army, there are German troops on the two wings a little farther away.In this way, there is almost no pressure to surround.

After the Southern Army Group Headquarters carefully analyzed Manstein's plan, the experienced Commander Rundstede only issued a brief order: "Fight like this!".

At this moment, Manstein, who proposed this opportunity to encircle the plan, has welcomed the heartfelt praise of a group of veteran generals, including Rundstede, in the headquarters of the Southern Army Group.

Looking at the battle schematic map, the red arrows representing the various units of the German army have surrounded the huge blue arrow representing the Polish counterattack force from all directions, and Rundstede suddenly laughed: "This time the Poles can be regarded as Bad luck, an elite group army plus ten garrison divisions that should have been deployed in Warsaw, but now they are all delivered to the lips of our southern group army group because of a clever counterattack plan. This is simply God insisting that we make meritorious service A deliberate gift!"

Hearing Rundstede's laughter, Manstein also led a few staff officers to surround the battle map on the wall, and said with a confident smile: "Yes, this time the hundreds of thousands of main forces in Poland are just plugged in. The wings can't fly out of our encirclement. Speaking of which, this is what they tried their best to crash into."

The idiom "You can't escape with your wings" was originally mentioned by Reinhardt often.However, after Manstein listened to it, he also found it very interesting to use this metaphor in war, so he copied it and learned it.

"Can't fly out even with wings? This metaphor is very interesting." Because it was the first time to come to this metaphor of encirclement warfare in the East, Rundstadt, who had fought all his life, felt a little novel.But after thinking about it carefully, he also felt that this metaphor was very suitable for the current situation.

Looking at the combat map on the wall, Rundsteder counted each of the red arrows representing the German army and concluded: "The two divisions serving as the reserve of the group army have already set off from the west to cooperate with the eighth group army to threaten the Polish army group's north. Another light division was also withdrawn from the just-concluded Battle of Radom and transferred to the front of the Polish army group. The 16th Panzer Corps and the 11th Army of the Tenth Army have cut off the front of the Polish army group.”

Nodding with a satisfied smile, Rundstadt turned to Manstein and said with a smile: "It seems that the Polish army group is really under attack everywhere, and it is impossible to get out and run away."

"Not bad!" Manstein took a step forward, picked up a telescopic rod placed against the wall, and pointed at the map: "Because the Polish army has transferred many troops from the north to participate in this counterattack, I have also sent a report to you through the head of state. The Northern Army Group, which had a surplus of troops, borrowed the 15th Motorized Army to further strengthen the defense strength of the encirclement in the east."

After all, Rundstede is also an experienced and excellent commander. Immediately after Manstein said this, he thought that this was sending additional manpower to the most likely main direction for the Polish army to break through in the future.Because once the Polish army found out that they were surrounded and wanted to break out, their only way to go was the Modlin Fortress in the east.And the arrival of a German motorized army will completely cut off the possibility of this Polish army group successfully breaking through!

Text Chapter 176 The Sinner

"Report, a large number of German troops have appeared on the north flank, and our troops in the north can no longer withstand the withdrawal!"

"Report, the German army launched shelling in the south! They have at least a thousand cannons! So far, the two garrison divisions in the south have lost contact with the headquarters!"

"German armored forces appear from the east! God, our retreat is cut off!"

"........"