Malashenko did not have to wait long for a response to his tactical concept. A telegram from the front army headquarters confirmed the suspicions of Malashenko and the political commissar just now.
Now, the Cherkasy steel ring, which is constantly compressing and tightening, has been reduced to the final 8 kilometers in diameter.
It may sound relatively large, but you must know that this encirclement currently contains an armored force of the Wehrmacht, plus an ace division of the Waffen SS, as well as a miscellaneous number of incompletely organized secondary units of the Wehrmacht, and or
Ukrainian traitors who were forcibly recruited or simply volunteered to work for the Germans.
Counting the 20,000 troops that Malashenko eliminated from the Germans' existing combat strength, the front army headquarters estimates that there are still about 50,000 enemies left in the encirclement. Although the losses in various technical equipment are huge,
It won’t reach the point where everything is exhausted.
In other words, the Germans in the current encirclement still have the capital to fight. They also have the last large field airport connected to the outside world: Cherkasy Airport. Although land transportation has long been cut off by the Red Army, this
The sky corridor is still maintained.
The advantages of the current situation are similar to those in Stalingrad. The Sixth Army relied on air transportation lines to barely hold on to its last breath. The Germans in the Cherkasy encirclement are also in the same situation now.
However, the supplies needed by an army of about 50,000 people cannot be provided by an air corridor transportation line.
The air supremacy in the theater is now in the hands of the Red Army. Safari groups composed of fighter units will search for targets every day. Catching the German transport planes will inevitably lead to a head-hunting battle.
What? You mean the Luftwaffe fighter escorts?
Don't be ridiculous. The Red Army couldn't defeat the Red Army in a large-scale air battle for air supremacy in the war zone. The loser even paid for his underpants. How do you expect him to keep a pair of socks? Even if the escort fighter dares to come, it will have no effect at all.
, at most, it just adds a few more dazzling red stars to the vehicles of fighter pilots, nothing more.
If external reinforcements cannot come in, it is inevitable for the Germans inside to break through.
There are many different ways to obtain intelligence, such as tongue grabbing and aerial reconnaissance. Currently, they all show that the Germans are trying to open a hole in the northern part of the encirclement and break out.
A key coordinate position was pointed to the highland named No. 239 on the theater map, which was a key obstacle to prevent the German army from escaping northward to break through. The telegram sent by the front army headquarters pointed out that this place is currently gathering the besieged soldiers in the encirclement.
The most elite heavy equipment group of the German army, the 3rd Panzer Army and the SS Viking Division were all gathered nearby.
As of the time the telegram was published, this group of Germans, who had gathered heavily and fought against the enemy, had been attacking Highland 239, which was firmly controlled by the Red Army, for a whole morning.
The Red Army's losses were considerable, but the losses on the German side were even greater.
The Red Army infantry division stationed here pulled the division's artillery to the top of the highland, and bombarded them with all their strength from a high position with the ultra-long range further extended by the height difference. The rain of bullets from various 152 howitzers and 122 cannons was overwhelming, flying in all directions, high and low.
The Germans in the underground ran around like frightened rabbits and suffered heavy losses from the bombing.
Unwilling to fail, the Germans gathered to attack again and again despite the artillery barrages. The latest King Tiger heavy tanks were in front, accompanied by medium tanks and assault guns. A large number of infantrymen had to fight despite the rain of bullets.
It is inevitable to continue charging behind the tank, with corpses and destroyed armored vehicles everywhere.
However, even if the battle ended like this, the Germans still never thought of giving up.
The attack is still continuing, and Vatutin is trying to figure out whether he can send some strong reinforcements to Highland 239 to stabilize the front.
At a quick glance on the map, the location of Malashenko's headquarters has been updated with real-time dynamics. The small red flag representing the mixed force of Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division and 5th Guards Tank Brigade is marked at a distance of 239.
The straight-line distance to the plateau is no more than 6 kilometers.
For a highly mechanized tank force, this 6-kilometer straight-line distance is equivalent to two steps.
As soon as the transfer order comes, Vatutin predicts that Malashenko's troops will be able to attack immediately, giving the Germans who are assaulting Hill 239 a surprise.
There was a general order for the situation Malashenko faced before, but he could leave it to himself on how to fight. Vatutin gave himself enough power to use his subjective initiative.
But now, with the issuance of this updated transfer order, Malashenko must follow the direction indicated by Vatutin and can no longer choose his own prey and attack everywhere.
However, Malashenko's original intention was to block the Germans' breakout gap, and Vatutin's order coincided with Malashenko's idea, so he thought of it together.
Therefore, whether it was due to his duty as a soldier or his personal subjective will, Malashenko was willing to do this job.
If an armored corps plus a well-named elite division of the Waffen-SS were able to accomplish this, they would be able to brag about their prowess in the future.
However, the strength of his opponent is basically more than half of all the Germans in the encirclement. It is probably unrealistic to eat him in one go. Malashenko, who was holding the telegram, stroked his chin and thought about it for a long time, and felt that he should give 239 first.
It is more practical to break the siege on Highland No. 1. It is best to cut off the armored corps and the Viking division in the middle and separate them first.
In this way, not only will the offensive fail and disintegrate in an instant, but the next thing to do will be much simpler as it should be.
"Assemble the troops and prepare to set off. The target is Hill 239. This time, we are to remove the threat to Hill 239 and block the Germans' attempt to escape north. Since time is tight, we will not hold any combat meetings. We will turn on the radios of each command vehicle on the way.
, I explained in detail on the channel, and informed Kulbalov and his group leaders in place."
"The attack plan is based on the preset plan No. 2. The Germans moved urgently to the bottom of Hill 239 to start the attack. It is estimated that there is only one starting position at most and lacks a decent solid defense system. The first wave of assault must be on the Germans.
Break through the defense before you react, leaving no time for them to react."
"Okay, that's the general outline. I'll arrange and communicate the details via radio on the road. Time is tight and get ready to go. Refuel and load the ammunition and start taking action immediately."