Chapter 1261: Outflanking

The end of a battle does not mean the final victory. The unexpected news that followed indicated that there were more dangerous battles waiting ahead. Malashenko, who had little time to waste, had to continue to move forward as soon as possible.

"Are you all ready? Is there any latest news?"

At the same time as the battle ended, the forward division headquarters was moved to the position just occupied. Malashenko, who did not even have time to set up a tent, stood in the cold wind with Political Commissar Petrov and spread the map on the tank's armored plate as a table. Political Commissar Petrov quickly answered Malashenko's question.

"The aviation reconnaissance plane reported that the defense line we just destroyed was only the outermost guard position of the German army. It seems that there are a lot of troops, more than a regiment of infantry, but the superiors estimate that the real purpose of this defense line is just to build a buffer zone between the main position in the rear and our offensive spearhead, which can also explain why the German armored forces are not here, let alone appear."

"In this way, even if the Germans in front are defeated, at least there is a place to retreat. If a position is lost, there is still the next one to defend. At least it will not be so completely defeated in one go, and there is still a chance to turn the tables. In the eyes of the Germans, it is indeed That's right. "

"Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Ha, those Germans are also learning from us, learning our echelon arrangement and deep defense, which means that the further you go, the greater the possible danger you will encounter. If the Germans notice your movements and respond in time, you must be prepared to face the main force of the Germans. "

Malachenko's task is to conduct a strategic detour to encircle all the German troops in the Cherkassy salient, arrive at the encirclement point designated by the superiors within the specified time, and successfully join forces with another friendly force, so that the mission is declared completed.

But those Germans are not fools, they will not sit there and wait for you to encircle them. Even a live fish on a chopping board will jump a few times when the kitchen knife cuts itself, let alone a human.

If the Germans notice and capture the main force and strategic intentions of Malachenko, I dare not say that the Germans will definitely send a large force to try to block it, but at least the Germans will try to do something before the encirclement is closed, and it is best to jump out.

In this case, it will not be so easy for Malashenko to complete his mission. Either he will have to play a cross-country race with the Germans, or he will have to fight a big battle near the final encirclement point. This is an absolutely foreseeable result, and this is obviously not what Malashenko wants to see.

Is there an effective solution?

Of course.

"There will be no chance for the Germans to react. The friendly forces responsible for the frontal attack will interfere with the Germans' strategic judgment and disguise our strategic intentions. I will personally lead the team to the encirclement point before the Germans try to jump out of the encirclement and nail that piece of land. As long as there is no problem with the encirclement forces in the other direction, victory will definitely belong to us."

Political Commissar Petrov, with a cigarette in his mouth, nodded while listening. If it were other friendly forces, they might encounter some problems, but the Stalin Guards First Tank Division commanded by Malashenko had an unusually strong offensive energy.

The extremely high level of mechanization is also one of the iconic features of this heroic unit. The cross-country training competition is the strength of the Stalin Guards First Tank Division. It should not be a problem to use one's own strengths to attack the opponent's weaknesses.

"You will do it, I believe you, but there are other things to pay attention to."

Political Commissar Petrov, who flicked away the few cigarette butts left in his mouth, changed the topic and began to talk to Malashenko about more specific details from the strategic deployment to the tactical level.

"I have also read the documents and reports found by Varosha. What do you think of the new German heavy tanks mentioned above? These things have obviously been deployed to the war zone, and if nothing unexpected happens, they are on standby not far from us."

The deployment of a new type of equipment on the battlefield will bring some unpredictable variables to the war situation. If it is used well, there is even a chance to reverse the entire war situation and change the outcome. Political Commissar Petrov's worries are by no means redundant.

But compared to the serious expression of Political Commissar Petrov, Malashenko, who claimed that he had it all figured out, grinned.

"How big of a problem can it be? The Germans just picked out a stronger new cat from their zoo and released it from the cage. The final result will not change. They have new heavy tanks and we have them too, and I don't think the number of Germans is greater than ours. I have plenty of ways to deal with these sick cats."

Regarding equipment and specific combat matters, Political Commissar Petrov has never intervened much and will not interfere with Malashenko.

As the saying goes, there are differences in learning and specialization. As a military commander, Malashenko naturally has his own areas of expertise. Political Commissar Petrov, who has not entered a tank to participate in combat for a long time, believes that Malashenko knows the limits in this regard and has better abilities than him. With the war imminent, it is better to let Malashenko do it and play on his own.

"Well, since you are so confident, I can only wish you victory. But you still have to remember to be careful on the battlefield. The Germans' fighting power is not as good as before and has declined greatly. The battle just now is a good example. Don't let yourself be tricked by such a declining enemy."

Older elders will more or less have some necessary concern for the younger generation. Malashenko felt that Political Commissar Petrov was just such a situation. Doing everything you should do is better than any kind of flowery answer.

"Stay at the division headquarters and wait for my good news! It won't be long before we can crush all these shivering Germans to death in this icy and snowy place. I mean what I say."

The fully equipped Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division soon set off again, but this time the direction of advance was slightly changed.

Having found out the direction of the enemy's next line of defense, Malashenko chose not to touch this bad luck and try to save some time. From the northern outer area of ​​the Germans' next line of defense, the map and reconnaissance showed that the German army lacked troops deployed in this area close to the actual control area of ​​the Soviet army.

The only bad thing is that there is really no road in this shabby place. It is a bare snowy plain with no shelter, open terrain, and no defense at all. No wonder the Germans are not on guard against this place.

It is foreseeable that even if Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division is highly mechanized, it will not be able to pass through at a very fast speed, but in general it is still much faster than the troublesome attack on the German defense line.