章 202: 202
Episode 202: Battle of Moscow (3)
October 11, 1942
Soviet defense line outside Moscow, USSR
Although the Ethiopian army was eventually broken through due to its inferior strength, the remaining soldiers of the Gideon Legion fought with the Soviet army even after the front line was broken through, holding them back as much as possible.
While the Ethiopian army was biding its time against the Soviet army, the German 19th Panzer Division, running from the front, intercepted the Soviet army, and the surviving soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division also joined the ranks and participated in the battle to block the advance of the Soviet army.
Here, the 39th Armored Corps also heard the news and rushed over.
Although the advance seemed to be proceeding more smoothly than expected, Vasilevskiy was troubled by reports that it was being slowed down by enemy resistance.
Considering the battles achieved to date, the Soviet army succeeded in inflicting considerable damage on the German army in its own way.
If we stop the offensive now and withdraw, we will be able to preserve our strength.
The German army will also spend time reorganizing its damaged forces and preparing for a possible second attack, and in the meantime, deploying the 3rd Shock Army to the Zelenograd defense line will be of great help in the defense of Moscow.
'The question is whether the Secretary General will accept this...'
There was no way that Stalin would have accepted Vasilevsky's argument to stop the offensive and retreat before the damage increased, saying that it was right.
If that were possible, they wouldn't have ordered such a reckless offensive in the first place.
Stalin would certainly say this. He said the finish line was not far away, so why would he stop midway?
In the worst case, they might regard him as a defeatist and try to execute him.
In the end, Vasilevsky had no choice but to continue the offensive.
I can understand a little bit how a gambler who risks his life feels. Although it wasn't a gamble I wanted to take.
"Comrade Captain, the rain is heavy. "Please come in now."
"It's okay. "Nothing to worry about."
Despite his adjutant's recommendation, Vasilevsky shook his head and silently watched the ranks of the Red Army heading toward the battlefield.
The ground began to recede, leaving soldiers' boots and trucks' wheels covered in mud.
Just one more week and you'll be in the ground up to your waist belt, and in two more you'll be swimming in mud.
The Soviet Air Force was unable to sortie to support the army due to heavy rain pouring from the sky.
However, since the enemy German Air Force was also restricted from sorties due to heavy rain, the Soviet Army benefited from the results.
Even though the Soviet pilots gritted their teeth and attacked, the German pilots played with them like toys.
Even if the Air Force did sortie, it would only increase the number of kills for German pilots, so it was better now that neither side could do sortie.
"aide. "Please lend me some fire."
"Here it is."
With a cigarette in his mouth, Vasilevsky imagined what would happen if the offensive was successful and ultimately succeeded in securing Moscow.
However, even if Moscow was protected from the fascists, the future did not seem to be very bright.
The Baltic countries, Belarus, and Ukraine have already fallen into German hands, and Russian territories such as Smolensk, Leningrad, and Bryansk have also been occupied.
Even if Moscow is protected, these cities will not return to the arms of the Soviet Union on their own.
Unless you fight against the German army and take it back, shedding the blood of countless soldiers.
But will the Soviet army, which barely managed to protect the capital, have the strength left to recapture these cities as well? I barely survived?
On the other hand, even if Germany cannot occupy Moscow, its military power is strong, and unlike the Soviet Union, it has numerous allies and puppet states in Europe.
From a realistic perspective, it is impossible to defeat them all and regain the lost territory.
In the end, there would be no choice but to compromise with Germany in the middle, but since it was the Soviet Union that started the war first and the Soviet Union is the one losing the war, in order to strengthen with Germany, it would have to cough up a considerable amount of territory and costs as an agreement.
'This is what happens when we start a war for no reason...'
What happens after the war ends is also a problem.
Naturally, the people will be angry at the government for losing the war even after making enormous sacrifices, with the country becoming a battlefield and cities being bombed.
The people's anger will naturally be directed to General Secretary Stalin, the culprit who caused this whole situation, and there is a high possibility that the General Secretary will carry out a second great purge to solidify his power and suppress the people's dissatisfaction.
Will he be able to survive as safely as he did last time?
"Comrade Captain! Comrade Captain!"
"What's going on to make such a fuss?"
"Sir, this is a call from Comrade Secretary General."
A young lieutenant with a youthful face said. There was a reason for his fuss. Vasil Levsky walked to the command post.
-It's me, Comrade Vasilevsky. How is the offensive going?
"Although we suffered considerable damage due to the Nazis' resistance, we succeeded in breaking through the enemy lines, Comrade Secretary General. Our troops are currently advancing."
-It's a good thing. Please work hard to regain Clean as soon as possible. And once you've finished recapturing Klin, will you be able to march all the way to Volokolamsk?
Vasilevsky was speechless at Stalin's remarks. It's difficult to regain the cleanliness with our current strength, so why not go all the way to Volokolamsk?
Isn't this too much? You have to make enough demands.
-Why is there no answer?
"Ah... I'm sorry, Comrade Secretary. "I keep hearing noise as if the communication condition is not good."
-exactly? Well, it's a war zone... Anyway, what do you think? Do you think it's possible?
"It's impossible, Comrade Secretary General."
-Why are you saying it's impossible? Is it because of the fuel?
"Fuel is fuel, but soldiers have limits. Not only has the advance of the leading unit been noticeably slowed due to enemy resistance, but the enemy is continuing to reinforce. "I may be presumptuous, but I think the limit is to regain a clean slate."
Stalin was silent for a while. After a while, a deep sigh was heard through the receiver.
-I understand for now. We will discuss future measures, so please hurry up and get back clean. Do you understand?
"Yes, Comrade Secretary."
In his heart, he wanted to scream that recapturing Clean was impossible, but it was obvious that if he did so, he would end up with a bullet in his forehead, so he pretended to agree with Stalin's words.
First of all, let's put out the urgent fire.
"It's urgent!"
As soon as the phone call with Stalin ended, bad news arrived at Vasilevsky's headquarters.
"Hitler's SS Panzer Corps appears on the right flank of the shock army. The 129th Rifle Division has been breached, and the 42nd Tank Division and 216th Mechanized Division are under attack."
***
Among the three SS Panzer Corps in Bock's hands, the 3rd SS Panzer Corps, which was created the latest, was an elite force that Bock originally saved to use as a reserve force.
However, when the Soviet Army attacked Hort's 3rd Panzer Group and its flank was threatened, Bock decided to deploy the 3rd SS Panzer Corps that he had saved.
The 3rd SS Panzer Corps was a powerful unit, ranked among the top five in terms of strength, among the armored corps on the Eastern Front.
3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf, 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking, 9th SS Panzer Division Nordland, 10th SS Waffen Grenadier Division Charlemagne, Army Führer Grenadier Division and 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion.
The 3rd SS Panzer Corps, comprised of only the most elite units from the Army and Waffen-SS, attacked the flanks of the Soviet 3rd Shock Army with furious force.
"good! Go and run wild to your heart's content!"
"Sieg Heil!"
Under the encouragement of SS Senior General Theodor Eicke, commander of the 3rd SS Panzer Corps, the Waffen-SS soldiers rushed to the front.
Eike himself rode a Ketzhen to the front line and personally observed the situation of the battle.
"Target, T-34/85 at 2 o'clock! Distance 1200, armor-piercing bullet!"
"Loaded!"
"launch!"
The T-34, which had been penetrated through the side of the turret by Tank No. 4, exploded and the turret was ejected, and a column of fire several meters high erupted from the place where the turret fell off.
The armored unit consisting of the Panther, Panzer IV, and Hatcher became the tip of the spear and broke through the Soviet defense line, and the Panzergrenadiers on half-tracks rushed into the breakthrough and wiped out the remaining enemies.
The Soviet army, which was thirsty for advancement, was so busy advancing that it neglected its flank guard.
Some did not expect the German army to respond so quickly, but when the elite German army counterattacked, the 129th Rifle Division, which was responsible for the flank of the Soviet army, was split in half and gave way.
***
October 12, 1942
USSR Moscow Kremlin Palace
"What do you mean? "Retreat?"
-Comrade Secretary General. Sorry, but further advance is not possible. Our troops have already reached their limit.
Despite Stalin's roar, Vasilevsky's voice was extremely calm.
When the German counterattack began, Vasilevsky ordered the 3rd Shock Army to stop its advance and block the Germans attempting to break through to the flank.
We were barely able to stop the enemy's attempt to break through, but this made it clear.
Any further advance is impossible.
The German army had also slowed down for a while to fill the holes in the front line and reorganize its forces while waiting for supplies to arrive from the rear.
Vasilevsky argued that if the offensive was completely stopped and a retreat ordered even now, 70% of the 3rd Shock Army's total strength could complete the withdrawal intact.
In addition, he told Stalin that he should stop any further unreasonable offensives and go all-in on defense.
Vasilevsky's claims were extremely unpleasant to Stalin, who was immersed in the fantasy of retaking Klin and even Volokolamsk to put pressure on the flanks of Army Group Center, which was targeting Moscow.
He uttered a warning in a sharp voice.
"Are you now admitting your own incompetence?"
-······If Comrade Secretary General says I am incompetent, I will gladly accept it. But I can be sure of this much. Continuing the offensive any longer would not only be impossible, but would also cause great harm to Moscow's defense.
"her."
I was biting my teeth so hard that my gums were sore.
Stalin was about to swear at Vasilevsky, but was silenced by the explosion and vibration of V2 that hit downtown Moscow.
The vibrations were clearly felt even in the underground bunker of the Kremlin Palace.
"······I'll call you back later."
After ending his phone call with Vasilevsky, Stalin sat down with Voroshilov, Shaposhnikov, and Zhukov after looking at the map.
Looking at the map, it looked like the 3rd Shock Army could retake Klin if it advanced just a little further.
However, other people except him thought otherwise.
"Comrade Vasilevsky is correct. Comrade Secretary General, the offensive must stop."
"Why?"
Zhukov felt momentarily intimidated by Stalin's angry gaze, but he still had to say something.
It was impossible to pick up what had already been said, so it was better to go to the end.
"Please look at the map. If you look at the position of the German army-"
Zhukov calmly explained the situation facing the 3rd Shock Army.
A situation surrounded by German troops. Fortunately, it was not a state that could be called a siege as it included units that were completely devastated by the battle, but at the same time, it was by no means a hopeful situation for the 3rd Shock Army.
"-Finally, the 3rd SS Panzer Corps is on the offensive. Even if we continue the offensive and advance like this, if our flanks are breached, the 3rd Shock Army will be surrounded."
"Comrade Zhukov is right, Comrade Secretary. "It is unreasonable to continue the offensive any longer."
Shaposhnikov and even Voroshilov, who had expressed support for the offensive, supported Zhukov's opinion.
Zhukov, gaining confidence, continued speaking.
"If we stop the offensive and redirect our forces to the Zelenograd defense line, we will be able to inflict greater damage on the fascists."
Stalin felt helpless. Everyone is against it, so we can't just push it forward.
In addition to the north, enemy forces attacking from the front and south also had to be taken into consideration.
"I understand. "Follow what your comrades say."
When Stalin relented, Zhukov was relieved.
But that only lasts for a moment.
"But I cannot give the order to retreat."
"yes?"
"If the 3rd Shock Army withdraws from its current position, the German army will eventually advance towards Zelenograd. If we remain in our current position and maintain the front line, we will be able to tie up the German army."
"but-"
"Comrade Voroshilov? "Please tell me your opinion, comrade."
Stalin cut Zhukov off and turned his attention to his best friend, Voroshilov.
Voroshilov tried to avoid hurting his best friend's feelings as much as possible, and came up with the best possible compromise of his own.
"If we are able to defend our current position, we will be able to stop the German army's advance. "If you have the ability to do so."
"We've advanced this far, so we're not even capable of defending ourselves."
Despite the opposing opinions of Zhukov and Shaposhnikov, Stalin did not change his mind.
Stalin, who ended the meeting unilaterally, called Vasilevsky and told him of the decision he had made.
"Defend the current position unconditionally and maintain the front line. Be sure to defend yourself no matter what damage you suffer. Do you understand?"
-Yes, Comrade Secretary.
We were finally allowed to stop the offensive, but what came back instead was an order to hold the position.
Vasilevsky felt like his future was becoming dark.
***
October 13, 1942
Volokolamsk, USSR
The military hospital in Volokolamsk was full of wounded people.
While nurses and military doctors were busy walking through the hallways and wards, Hibis wearing armbands issued by the National Defense Forces unloaded wounded soldiers on stretchers into the waiting room and carried boxes of bandages and medicine to the warehouse.
"What's your name, private?"
"Ha, this is Heinz Müller, Mr. Führer."
"How are your wounds? Doesn't it hurt?"
"An injury like this is nothing!"
"Right. "You've been through a lot."
When I arrived in Volokolamsk, the first thing I did was visit the military hospital and comfort the wounded soldiers.
Not only the wounded soldiers, but also the military doctors and nurses were at a loss as they had no idea about my visit.
The hospital, which was filled with blood, pus, and the smell of disinfectant, soon became noisy with people shouting my name.
"It's called Otto Heim. "It is an honor to meet Mr. President."
"You look tired. We have to treat the wounded soldiers that come flooding in every day. This country will survive thanks to brave friends like you. "Please do your best in the future as you have done so far, SS Captain Otto Haim."
"of course!"
The four-story building located right next to the military hospital was also a hospital, and in addition to German soldiers, several Allied wounded soldiers were housed there.
Among these, the most noticeable beings were by far the Ethiopian soldiers, and they were clearly visible from afar due to their skin color.
I heard that they were able to stop the enemy's offensive in time by buying time by fighting desperately against the Soviet army.
They too seemed very surprised by my visit, their eyes wide and their mouths wide open.
I shook hands with each of the wounded soldiers and asked them many questions, just as I had done with the German soldiers.
What is your name, how old are you, where is your hometown, etc.
"Are you the most senior among them?"
"Yes, Mr. President."
Surprisingly, the Ethiopian major, the highest rank among the wounded soldiers, could speak German, so there was no need for an interpreter.
When I asked him how he spoke German so well, he said that he studied German diligently while working under the military advisors of the German army when Italy invaded Ethiopia seven years ago.
"You have worked very hard fighting in this distant European battlefield."
"It is only natural to repay the kindness the President has bestowed on our country."
I beckoned, and Krause brought out a picture frame containing the Knight's Cross.
"This is a gift to thank you for your struggle. Please accept this on behalf of everyone here."
Originally, the standards for awarding the Iron Cross included a provision that a previous level of medal must be awarded in order to receive the next medal, but since it was not absolute, the preceding processes were often skipped when awarding it to foreigners.
I left the hospital after looking around the hospital room where the Ethiopian soldiers were lying.
What happened today will be made public throughout Germany through Die Deutsche Bohenschau within three or four days.
Not far from the hospital was Bork's headquarters.
As soon as I entered the headquarters building and sat down on the chair in the conference room, Bork stood up with his baton in hand.
"Then, let's start the meeting right away."
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