USSR 1941

Then, what Shulka and the soldiers had to do was to wait for the time to come in the dark warehouse. They were not even allowed to talk, especially the troops who were guarding them... Only then did Shulka know that the troops guarding them Also don't know what happened, they were also ordered not to talk, and if anyone tried to escape from the warehouse, they were allowed to shoot him dead.

This kind of life is like a vacation for the soldiers, because they haven't lived such a leisurely life for a long time:

Bread and other food, such as mashed potatoes, and if you were lucky, a small piece of sausage was brought during the meal... This was definitely a rare benefit for Soviet soldiers.

Sleeping is done on the floor in the warehouse, and the problem of convenience is solved in a row of toilets temporarily built in a corner of the warehouse. As for taking a bath, the Soviet army generally does not consider this issue.

On the other side, Admiral Kleist, the commander of the German 1st Armored Group, also received relevant information.

The adjutant passed a telegram to Admiral Kleist, reporting: "Good news, General, the Russians have withdrawn their tanks to the east bank, which will save us a lot of trouble!"

The adjutant is right, although Kleist does not think that the Russian tanks can prevent the Germans from breaking through the Kyiv defense line, but he still has to admit that the enemy's tanks are a problem... Especially the enemy's heavy tanks: KV1, KV2 wait.

Among them is the KV2 tank, whose 110MM thick front armor makes it fearless of any anti-tank gun: the German 37MM anti-tank gun became a "stepping stone" in front of it, and the short-barreled artillery of the No. 4 tank was scolded by the soldiers as "Schüzenmeyer" (wooden stake).

But the 152MM caliber artillery of the KV2 tank can destroy everything in front of it... If it weren't for the mobility and failure rate of this thing, Kleist would not even know how to face it.

Therefore, the withdrawal of the Soviet tank troops across the Dnieper River is indeed good news for the German army.

But……

Admiral Kleist took a glance at the telegram and asked suspiciously: "Why did they withdraw across the Dnieper River? Are they going to abandon Kyiv? But this is not the order Moscow gave them!"

If Moscow heard this, it would definitely be taken aback: the German commander actually knew the order Moscow sent to the front.

But this is actually not surprising at all, as I said before, with the support of the guerrillas in Brandenburg, Ukraine and other regions, coupled with the chaos within the Soviet Union... very little information can be hidden from Germany.

"Admiral Kirponos is stationed in Kyiv!" said the adjutant. "He has asked Moscow to retreat several times, but has been refused. I think... Kirponos may intend to disobey Moscow's order! "

Admiral Kleist did not speak.

Although what the adjutant said is very reasonable, and in the current situation, as long as anyone can see that the Southwest Front Army stationed in Kyiv should retreat, at least it should retreat to the east bank of the Dnieper River, otherwise the bridge will be blown up before thinking about crossing the river It is not so easy to break through, especially tanks and cars.

From this perspective, it is reasonable for the Russians to withdraw their mechanized troops across the Dnieper River instead of defending Kyiv. If the Russians plan to break out, then this mechanized army will be the vanguard and pillar of the breakout.

but……

At this time, Kleist was no longer so confident in his own and his adjutant's judgment.

This is due to the impact of the war during this period.

The first is the "camouflage of the wooden house" that I don't like at all.

Who would have thought that simply doing some camouflage could cause such heavy losses to the armored forces.

The second is the encirclement of the enemy at the "Stalin Line of Defense"... Kleist knew from the intelligence agency that the Russian army was the 333rd regiment, and it was said that a staff sergeant known as the "Escape Hero" was the one who made the plan.

This siege made Kleist feel frustrated. He originally thought that he had surrounded the 333rd regiment tightly and could not escape, but the fact was that they easily passed through the defense line and escaped back.

Thinking of this, Admiral Kleist couldn't help but secretly praised in his heart... This is a respectable opponent.

First, the captured German tanks were used to disguise themselves as German troops to break through from the flanks, and then a small number of troops were used to attract the firepower of the German troops on both wings to cause them to "misunderstand", but the main force broke through quickly at another position... A series of plans can be said to be a series of plans. Interlocking.

It was hard for Admiral Kleist to imagine that this was done by a Russian whom he despised, especially a Russian sergeant.

What surprised Admiral Kleist even more was that the German army was facing heavy defenses from the Soviets: one line every ten kilometers, breaking through one after another, as if there was no end.

Although these lines of defense could not stop the advance of the German armored forces, in many cases the Soviet army was even beaten and fled all the way.

However, Admiral Kleist had to admit another fact: the momentum of the German army's advance was hindered. It was only 160 kilometers from the "Stalin Line of Defense" to Kyiv.

Time is only one aspect. The German army, including the 1st Armored Group, had become a tired army when it arrived in Kyiv under continuous high-intensity combat. It also consumed more ammunition and supplies. It was a nightmare for the difficult German army.

This series of misjudgments made Kleist even doubt himself.

"Could this be a Russian trap?" Admiral Kleist asked.

The adjutant hesitated for a while, and then asked: "General, if it is a Russian trap, what is their purpose?"

Admiral Kleist was stunned by this question. If the Soviet tanks stayed in Kyiv, the German army would indeed have a dead end... Their individual tanks may be better than the German tanks, but they cannot be integrated into a force. So it will eventually be defeated under the tracks of the German armored group.

This has been proven in previous battles.

"I don't know, David!" Admiral Kleist said. "I just know that we can't easily believe what they tell us. These Russians we have to deal with are not easy!"

"So, what shall we do, General?" asked the adjutant.

After thinking about it, Admiral Kleist said, "Rest!"

"rest?"

"Yes!" Admiral Kleist said: "Take a day off, let the soldiers replenish their strength, and then... attack Kyiv with all their strength, I want to see if they have really transferred the tank troops to the east bank!"

So the adjutant understood that General Kleist wanted to use a powerful attack to find out the truth.