I became Stalin chapter 4

Episode 4

Pskov was the gateway for German troops to Leningrad.

Located on the south side of the lake of the same name, Pskov was a transportation hub for rail lines from Baltic cities such as Riga and Vilnius, going up to Leningrad.

And it could be said that it was a stumbling block in which Germany’s supply shortage began in earnest. Occupying Pskov would allow direct access to the Russian rail network, but it would be difficult to go further north without occupying it.

The Baltic territories occupied so far by Germany were standard gauges, with previously laid rails compatible with German railroads. However, the rest of the Soviet railways, except for the Baltic, used wide gauge, so the Germans were able to advance rapidly to the gates of Pskov without having to repair the railway for supply.

The Soviet forces in Lithuania and Latvia were trampled down by the 16th and 4th Panzer Groups under Group Northern Army within a few days of the start of the war. The inhabitants of the Baltic region, who had to fight the Nazi aggressor, fully cooperated with the Germans in their hostility to the Soviet Union.

In Ukraine and Belarus, the Germans, who considered the Slavs as Untermenschens (lower races) and massacred the inhabitants, were able to cooperate better than expected with the Baltic peoples, the same Germanic race.

All factors were helping the German advance.

Nikolai Batutin, commander of the Soviet Northwest Front, was having meetings with his staff at his headquarters in Pskov City Hall. When the General Headquarters gave the order, it was expressed as ‘preferably’, but for at least 20 weeks – until Rasputica came – Pskov had to be held.

If you retreat from here, the front will suddenly widen. When guarded in Pskov, lakes and rivers block maneuvers to the right, but passing through it opens wide a maneuvering route for the German task force.

The Soviet forces, which are engaged in a delayed war in the Baltic, will also have to retreat to the vicinity of Leningrad if Pskov is breached. The supply was cut off and the siege was annihilated. If it goes so far, in order to protect Leningrad, you will have to fight a street battle in Pushkin and Kolpino, the metropolitan areas, and if you don’t, the rail link to Leningrad may be cut off and you may be isolated.

Also, if the Northwest Front retreats, there will be two more places to defend.

When Pskov is blocked, the railway network north of Moscow can be opened only by drilling through Ryuki in Veliki, the central railway crossing network. However, if Pskov is breached, Germany will be able to perform a strategic maneuver to encircle Moscow rather than breaking through it head-on. Or besiege Leningrad through this strategic maneuver.

One way or another, if Pskov opens, Germany will gain a huge strategic advantage, and the Soviet Union will conversely face Leningrad, the heart of the north, from the front.

What if the starting point of the revolution and the entire capital were taken over? Batutin didn’t even want to imagine such a result.

“Are there any problems with the fortification work of the 8th and 11th Army?”

“Yes, sir. At present, the 10th Rifle Corps and the 11th Rifle Corps under the 8th Army are preparing trenches around the city and the outskirts of the city, while the 8th Rifle Division under the 11th Army is fortifying the Izborsk region to the west of the city. We’ve got enough anti-tank firearms in place as you commanded.”

This staff, recommended by Vasilebsky, who was appointed as deputy chief of staff this time, was very capable. Although he was still in his early thirties, he was said to have served as a division commander in the Baltic Special Military District—at the time of the Red and White Civil War, he was too young to participate!—He was commanding the fortification work like a fairly seasoned soldier.

“The manual on the battle doctrine of the German army delivered from Stavka was very useful. Don’t you think so too?”

“Yes sir. The information I received was very helpful.”

Although the content delivered was not very important, it had been repeatedly beaten by the siege and annihilation of the German armored forces.

It was of great help to the Soviet army than expected. The layered trenches and machine gun positions, the so-called defense positions of the last war, exerted a strong deterrent power against the infantry, but tanks developed to break through the defense lines were able to break through.

The German army used its tanks to its extreme and repeated siege, annihilation, and advance. The Soviet Army had very little weapons to catch tanks in the front line, and Stavka improvisedly delivered various means that could be used as anti-tank weapons. For example, a tank turret that can be used as a fixed turret.

The losses of the early KV-1 tanks were mostly due to problems with the mobility system rather than the destruction caused by battle. Many of these heavy tanks, which were difficult to penetrate even at zero range with any number of anti-tank guns possessed by the German Army, were battling with problems with the mobility system caused by the retreat. In response, the General Headquarters authorized drastic measures.

Vehicles with many problems are boldly dismantled and used to repair other vehicles by tearing out necessary parts. And the intact turret is converted into an anti-tank gun by burying it in the ground or hiding it in a building. In this region, where maneuver routes were limited because lakes and rivers flowed ahead, the Germans had two options. Either head-on into this solidly built defense line, or attempt a siege maneuver by detouring toward the open left flank of the Soviet Army.

Either way was good. If you repeat attrition battles before attrition, this is the one who will win.

It was said that the lead unit of the enemy’s Group Northern Army was the 56th Motorized Corps of the 4th Armored Group. The commander-in-chief of the corps is famous – although he had never actually heard of Batutin – Erich von Manstein. The general secretary called him a rare master who finished France in six weeks, and ordered the construction of maximum defenses. So that even a single drop of blood can be used more valuable. The secretary said so with a stern expression on her face.

Too much blood has already been shed in vain. The blood of Soviet soldiers is inevitable, but if there is an unavoidable sacrifice, so that it can be used as valuable as possible.

To do that, I had to sweat now. The riflemen were working on the fortifications even in the sweltering heat of summer. Digging anti-personnel trenches and anti-tank trenches, evacuating civilians, and requisitioning labor to fortify buildings.

Even with the tank units that the German army is so proud of, can they run rampant in the city where soldiers are hiding and attacking? If there is no way to prolong the time, bring them into the city that will be destroyed by bombardment and fight. That way, the siege and annihilation won’t happen.

The general secretary laughed bitterly at the plight of the Western Front Army and recommended street fighting. The Northwest Front was ordered to defend this place at any cost.

Stafka succeeded in agreeing on a few things. First, that the most effective way to weaken the Axis forces is to dislodge the allies that fill the ranks.

Because of the US embargo and the British naval power, the Axis powers have always needed oil. Not only Germany, but Japan advanced across mainland China into Southeast Asia to take over the oil fields, and Hitler ordered Stalingrad to be captured and oil fields in the Caucasus to be secured.

Much of the oil Germany so craved came from Romania’s Ploesti oil field. Another part was financed through the process of liquefying coal. That is, Hitler’s plan could be reversed if the Soviet Union defended southern and Ukraine, marched into Romania and surrendered, or at least cut off the Axis oil supply by strategic bombing the Ploesti oil field.

Hitler’s plan to capitulate the Soviet Union by cutting off resources in Ukraine and the Caucasus was a more dangerous operation for Germany with limited resources than for the Soviet Union with Lendless!

In order to achieve this strategic goal, it was decided that most of the new units, newly produced tanks, and elite units to be brought from the Far East would be deployed in the Southern Region.

Dozens of newly formed divisions, which were formed after Shaposhnikov and Vasilebsky of the General Staff were nosebleed, were sent by train to the south. Handed down by Master Zhukov and Kyrphonos, these forces did not think they would be able to advance… to crush the flimsy Axis allies.

No matter how good the general, what do you do? The level of the troops is terrible. Hundreds of thousands of new conscripts were recruited from the rear and undergoing training in each military district, but they still had a long way to go before they could be deployed, and their quality was not very reliable. Especially when it comes to the German army that has been trained through actual combat.

Zhukov’s Southern Front headquarters was located in Odessa. The phone calls were constantly made over the phone with the headquarters of the Southwestern Front Army of Kyrphonos in Kiev, and the two headquarters were planning a defensive battle in close cooperation.

Lvov, the largest city in western Ukraine, was captured by the rapid advance of the 1st Panzer Group in the first week of the war. The 1st Panzer Group quickly moved forward and threatened Zhitomir, the gateway to Kiev, and even at the moment when Zhukov completed his preparations and was assigned to Odessa, in Zhitomir, the troops under the 1st Panzer Group and the Soviet 5th and 26th Army This was confronting

“Fire! Fire!”

The Soviet artillery continued to fire at the German troops facing the other side along the Teterev River, a tributary of the Dnieper. The soldiers in the front-line units did not know that the Soviet Army had decided to concentrate its reserves in the Southern Front at the headquarters level. However, it was possible to distinguish between the loud sound of heavy heavy artillery and the terrible whistling sound of the Katyusha multiple rocket launcher.

If you listen to it over and over again, you will realize it at some point.

“Damn it, it’s terribly loud, isn’t it?”

“But wouldn’t it be lucky that he was on our side?”

The platoon’s senior sergeant major smiled and wrinkled his nose. The grumbling soldier laughed at the senior sergeant’s taunts and gave him a consolation. In fact, from his point of view, it was much better to hear only the gunshots of his allies. Especially because I watched the fascist horribly loud bombers flew in with a chie-e-eek shriek and dropped huge bombs and machine guns on the platoon next to his company. Was your name… Stuka?

German military aircraft flew around the blue sky of the Soviet Union as if it were the back of my house. Where did all the friendly fighters go, and they were as wretched as a dog that didn’t even eat, so they crawled out and only increased the number of shots of the German fighters, and then they disappeared somewhere.

After the air supremacy was passed to the other hand, the terrible Stukas came and tore the Soviet troops to pieces. Even the bravest soldiers had no choice in the face of the terror that fell from the sky.

His platoon, which was now the 2nd platoon, has become the 1st platoon. Because the 1st platoon disappeared. The 1st Platoon’s political officer was a pretty good guy, but after the bombing, he was left with only a couple of bloody fingers. His TT-33 pistol was quite coveted, but he didn’t want to go through the…

From the freshly dug trenches, the smell of soil and fresh grass dug up in large quantities. As he jumped up from the trench to get his clothes dirty from digging and to get up with his wrinkled body, his eyes stretched wide, and the fascist reconnaissance planes in the sky caught his eye. Are you doing aerial reconnaissance to strike friendly artillery units? I just hope this area doesn’t have those damn squeaky bombers.

Allied anti-aircraft guns started firing to drop the reconnaissance aircraft, and the reconnaissance aircraft suddenly disappeared into the distance. If the rations came out well for just one day, the soldier swung his name, wishing all the saints in his heart. If the platoon political officer or platoon leader saw it, the road would be terrified, but what about it?

Whoops! Another friendly battery blew fire, and aircraft began to appear. At least it’s the enemy. Announcing the news of the air raid, the soldiers again hid themselves in the trenches.

Of course, the bad situation of the Soviets did not make the Germans very happy.

The commander of the 1st Panzer Group, Ewald von Kleist, was holding the back of his neck.

Rundstedt, the official top naval officer of the National Defense Force, who had been his superior in the last French invasion, was also seated as a superior again this time, and he was appointed to lead an armored ‘group’ that was temporarily organized and could be torn to pieces and hand over to others at any time.

Guderian, who was the youngest during the invasion of France, suddenly silenced all the achievements he had made at that time and transferred to one of the most important positions, the Armored Group Commander of the Central Army Group, but he had to control the youngest brethren under the Kkondae again.

Fedor von Bock, one year older, is the commander of Army Group Central, and Guderian, who is seven years younger, is the same commander of the Panzer Group! Do I have to see the gangsters who have been working as sergeants as generals and the Führer’s bodyguards and chattering?

The breakthrough didn’t go as planned. Not only did Zhukov, the best commander of the Soviet Army, come against him, the intelligence agency Afbeer also reported that the enemy’s strategic reserve forces were being concentrated in the south. In the beginning, he was not happy with his stretched, soft side, as he prioritized breaking through Kiev as there was not enough maneuvering route to siege both flanks in the beginning.

“Sir Commander! The commanders are all summoned.”

Hearing the voice of the young deputy lieutenant, he let go of the back of his neck and entered the barracks where the meeting was scheduled. The commanders of 3 corps and 9 divisions under the 1st Panzer Group all gathered and stood up and saluted when he entered.

“Sieg Heil!”

In the meantime, the two cubs don’t salute like the National Defense Forces, but salute Nazi until the end. Kleist rubbed his sore chest as if stomach acid was refluxing. Also, the commander himself is just keeping his mouth shut, but I also add the Junker Kkondae master who always adds a word. I understand that Abby was the enemy of the Kaiser era and is currently the highest-ranking military veteran, but a little! A little!!!

“Let’s start the meeting. Can’t everyone be quiet?”

The agenda of the meeting was simple. Will you go to Kiev? Or will it stabilize both sides? The 1st Panzer Group’s rapid breakthrough came all the way to Zitomir and threatened Kiev, but the situation was not very good. The wetlands, which were extremely difficult for cavalry to enter, were still overcrowded with Soviet troops, and no commander wanted to plunge his troops into the mud.

In addition, in the Tarnopol-Stanislav-Chernov city section, the enemy forces had not yet been wiped out, and the Soviet troops under the 9th Army were still alive and well, standing along the rough terrain along the Dnestre River. The damn Romanians still couldn’t get past the Dne’str, let alone siege Odessa.

No matter how great the best boss is, is it reasonable to say that they still can’t push even a single border city? There are no possible options for this. What will happen if the 1st Armored Group moves south and pushes the enemy away? There are limited mobile echelons to cooperate with the siege, and they just retreat and go to the next line of defense.

And, in fact, there was a problem with the organization itself. In fact, it is understandable that only two Panzer Corps were deployed to Army Group North, which was a tribute to the center and had a much shorter advance distance. However, there were only three Panzer Corps deployed in Army Group South, which had to cover a large area and not less than Central. Combining the 2nd and 3rd Panzer Groups of the Central Group Army, there were 6 corps, and 5 armored corps alone!!

One or two corps from the 2nd Armored Group should have been removed this way. Kleist thought so. It’s okay to take these idiot ‘guards’ guys, so please don’t give me just one more decent armored corps.

The generals were arguing in front of the agenda he threw. Even now, we must cooperate with the 6th and 17th Army on both flanks to wipe out the main Soviet forces in the south. No, even if there is a supply problem, we must advance to a position that threatens Kiev as quickly as possible.

We threaten Zitomir, the gateway to Kiev, and we have to keep our allies alive until the allied mobile forces are supported—if the Hungarians, Romanians or Slovaks have any proper armored or motorized divisions. Fundamentally, the problem was that he dug into it without knowing how to face such a strong resistance, but the Führer would be furious at the word of retreat. While hanging out with the lowly Nazis on the theme of a general in the National Defense Forces, as well as bastards like Reihenau that were soaked in water.

Somehow, he seemed to have fallen into the mud.

Now that I have come to realize this, the Soviet Union was wide. Before the start of the war, the distance from the German-Soviet border to Kiev was equivalent to the distance from the border city of Brest-Litopsk to Berlin.

It was still only the gateway to the first gateway to the southern part of the Soviet Union, even though it had passed as much as Poland occupied by Germany. It’s kind of a joke, but it’s true.

Even from the border to Kiev, it seems so far away. The next target after Kiev is Kharkov, Dnepr Petrosk, Stalino, Rostov and Stalingrad. When will these regions be conquered? Seeing the names of the endless cities on the orders, Kleist became heartbroken.

Can you conquer it?

First of all, you have to take these bastards and go there Wow, it felt like something was coming from inside.

Thank you all readers for reading

I became Stalin chapter 4

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