"Russia is really too big." Just when Schweppenberg expressed this emotion, coincidentally, the commander of the SS Imperial Division who was ordered by Guderian to go to the east to attack the missile force of the Xuebing Army. Facing a wide lake, Herbert expressed the same emotion. Germany had actually been preparing for this war of aggression against Russia for a long time. However, as it entered deeper and deeper into Soviet Russia, people like Herbert It was only then that the front-line generals of the Third Reich discovered that they did not know enough about Soviet Russia. For example, he could not find the large lake blocking the front of the troops on the map at all, and he felt extremely dissatisfied. Yes, the guide assigned to him by the Second Armored Group Army didn't even know there was a big lake here.
Of course Herbert didn't believe that this big lake appeared out of thin air, so there was only one reasonable explanation left. Those people from the Military Intelligence Department of the Third Reich had never been here when collecting intelligence.
Based on his understanding of the country's rocket force, Herbert firmly believed that the Chinese missile force must be hidden behind the main force, perhaps in a forest or in a valley, and they were at least 100 meters away from the front line. One hundred kilometers away, because only in this way can we ensure that we are not affected by the fighting on the front line and at the same time provide certain support to the front line.
He set out on the road with great satisfaction, thinking that there was a sweet cake waiting for him in front of him. Unexpectedly, he didn't see the cake and actually walked into a maze first. For the imperial division, Chernu, which is densely covered with rivers, lakes and primeval forests. Shika is just a maze. As a fully mechanized force, if the road is smooth, they can even travel 500 kilometers in one day. But now, two and a half days have passed, and they have only moved forward. Maybe It was one hundred kilometers, or even only fifty kilometers. At such a speed, Herbert couldn't even imagine that maybe before they discovered the Chinese missile force, the decisive battle between Osa and Sabi was over. In his heart, The emergence of such an idea made Herbert feel extremely embarrassed, and he also felt a certain degree of dissatisfaction with Guderian. The conflict between the Wehrmacht and the SS had a long history, which stemmed from the customary pride of German professional soldiers. , they looked down on other armies other than the regular army, and because the Imperial Division was always the first to be equipped with the latest weapons and equipment, this naturally made them even more hated. So, Guderian used the opportunity to use it before the war. There seems to be a reasonable explanation for exiling them far away. Otherwise, why would they be sent to such a local guide? Oh, that can't even be called a local guide, because of his knowledge of Chernushka. Not a little bit better than them... Based on this understanding, Herbert did not send a telegram back to the headquarters after setting off. For the same reason, when he received a telegram from Guderian asking about the terrain of the Eastern Front, , he did not guess at Guderian’s intentions at all, and replied with resentment, “It’s all smooth sailing.”
Of course Guderian would not have thought that Herbert would still have the courage to joke about military affairs at this time. He believed it to be true, so the Second Armored Group embarked on a "path of no return".
The Second Armored Group suddenly turned eastward, which caught Jiang Tiezhang unexpectedly. Because the disadvantage in strength was too obvious, he worried that this might be Guderian's trick of playing hard to get, and in addition, the Germans actually benefited from doing so. They completed the task better, so apart from sending scouts to hang far behind the Germans to prevent fraud, he did not send out a large army to accompany him.
One day later, when Guderian entered Chernushka, he saw the true condition of the road. The old German man almost fainted at first reaction. After walking all the way from Yanaur, there was no main road after fifty kilometers. , this is nothing, but there will be a river every fifteen kilometers, and some places are even completely surrounded by rivers. Can this be regarded as a smooth road? It’s almost a smooth road, and it’s almost a long road. Of course, Guderian Questioning Herbert and asking him why he "lyed about military information",
At this time, Herbert realized that Guderian was not joking with him when the main force of the Army Group went to the Eastern Front. He also realized the seriousness of the problem. However, as a powerful general in the SS, he did not know how to admit his mistakes humbly. Therefore, in his reply to Guderian, his tone was uncharacteristically tough, saying that he did not believe that the main force would really go to the Eastern Front. At the same time, as far as the real situation of the Imperial Division was concerned, although there were many rivers in Chernushka, Because the engineering force was so powerful, he thought it would not affect the normal march of the troops.
When Guderian challenged Herbert, he actually didn't expect him to admit his mistake. However, Herbert was careful to pretend to be stupid to avoid responsibility. Even if it was for the sake of the next battle, he had to take it seriously.
"It's a joke. As a senior general who came from a regular military academy, doesn't it mean that Herbert doesn't know the difference between a march of 10,000 people and a march of 100,000 people at the same time? The engineering troops are so powerful, so why hasn't he? Found the Chinese missile force, no, he didn’t even find the enemy at all, but would there be no enemy forces in Chernushka? The Chinese army may not have them, but what about the Soviet Red Army..."
"Herbert's joke is indeed too big." Schweppenberg added, but there was no intention of blaming Herbert in his tone. If Guderian was filled with righteous indignation now, then he was in low spirits now. It’s no wonder that what he originally thought was a clever move could change the situation, but now it seems to be a bad move. As a senior general who prides himself on his reputation, the fact that he didn’t become angry is enough to prove his inner strength. Take a deep breath to adjust his emotions. , he asked: "Your Excellency, what should we do next?"
"We have come this far, how can we turn back?" Guderian said, feeling quite unwilling. "If we really turn back, I don't know what the Chinese will think of us." After a pause, he added. : "Continuing on the eastern front may take longer, but it will definitely produce unexpected results. Looking at the terrain, even if the Chinese and Soviets have troops left behind, they won't be able to do much."
Schweppenberg stopped talking. Germans have strong self-esteem, and they are not willing to give in. But even for the honor of the military, he feels that the only solution for now is to bite the bullet and go on. Moreover, as Guderian said , the terrain of Chernushka is so complicated that it may really be forgotten by the Chinese and Soviet Russians.