"Princeps, what should we do next?”
Marshal Kettle asked with concern,""The arrival of these Soviets will put a lot of pressure on our troops on the northern front. If we don't inform them as soon as possible, once they are attacked from behind, it is very likely to lead to a defeat!”
The German forces on the northern front were still too thin, and they were responsible for attacking Lelingrador.
Under such circumstances, the German army naturally could not leave too many people in the east to defend.
In the face of the four armies of the Soviets, the German defense line in the east was likely to be unable to hold on.
Once the Soviets broke through the German line of defense, the German army that was attacking Lelingrador would face a huge threat from behind!
Any army of the German army was extremely precious, let alone the elite troops under Manstein.
If this force was completely wiped out, the situation in the entire northern battlefield would be reversed in an instant. The German army would no longer be able to launch an attack, nor would they be able to continue the siege of Lelingrador.
More importantly, once the 11th Army was taken, Manstein himself would most likely die in battle.
Therefore, even without Marshal Kettle's reminder, the head of state knew what he should do.
"Draw up a telegram immediately and send it directly to Marshal Leeb and Marshal Manstein. Tell them about the movements of the Soviets!”
Princeps immediately ordered his office secretary, Martin. The latter did not dare to be negligent and immediately carried out the order.
"However, just informing them won't solve the problem. We have to find a way to help them alleviate the threat of the Soviets!”
Princeps frowned as he looked at the map and thought hard.
The closest to the northern army group was the central army group in the east.
Considering the information that Himmler had brought back, it was confirmed that the Soviets 'main target for the next period of time was in the south. They did not make any major moves on the central front line for the time being. This gave the head of state a bold idea!
"Where is the position of the 9th Army Group of the Central Army Group?”
The 9th Army Group of the Kruger Central Army Group was one of the main armies of the German army.
Although this army was not an armored army, their commander was a very powerful figure. His name was Walter Model!
In 1942, apart from the Battle of Stalingrador in the south, the largest battle between the two sides was actually the Battle of Lezhev in the central battlefield.
This battle lasted for a very long time, from January 1942 to 1943. Both sides fought back and forth, attacking and defending.
And in the Battle of Lezhev, the brightest star of the German army was obviously General Model of the Ninth Army!
On the battlefield, the 9th Army withstood the repeated onslaught of the Soviets, causing more than a million casualties to the enemy.
On November 24, 1942, before the Soviets launched Operation Mars, their casualties had already exceeded one million. Among them, 300,000 were directly killed, and more than 700,000 were injured or captured!
Other than Stalingrade, the battle in Lejev was the most intense and bloody.
At the most intense moment of the battle, even the German commander, Model, was shot through the lung by a stray bullet and had to be sent to the rear for emergency surgery.
However, in September, after the German counterattack ended, the situation in the Lezhev region temporarily quieted down.
Perhaps it was because the casualties were too high, which frightened the Soviets, or perhaps it was because they had to prepare for the decisive battle in the south, so they could not spare any men to continue the attack, causing the central front to fall into a short period of peace.
The German army was also seizing the opportunity to replenish their forces and prepare for the next year's battle.
However, the situation on the northern front was not good, and Model's injuries had improved and he had returned to the front line. Coupled with his outstanding performance in the Battle of Lejev, he had won widespread praise.
His defensive talent also earned him the title of defensive master.
For such a tenacious, brave, and skilled defense master, sending his troops to the north to support and stop the Soviets from advancing westward seemed to be the most appropriate choice!
It was also for this reason that Princeps thought of Model!
" Model's Ninth Army is resting in Holm, which is about 450 kilometers away from the northern battlefield. If we take the train, we should arrive in two days!”
General Zeitzler immediately pointed out Model's location on the map.
Princeps nodded slightly after reading it. Although Model's 9th Army had achieved a great victory in Lejev, they had also suffered heavy casualties. The 9th Army had already suffered more than 160,000 casualties before August. The entire army had almost undergone a round of bloodshed!
Although the dynasty had given Model a lot of support, including a lot of new recruits and equipment, no one knew how much the Ninth Army had recovered.
It was actually very risky to rashly pull them to the front line at this time.
If the 9th Army had not recovered, this battle might have wiped out all their resources, and it would be very difficult to rebuild them.
However, if he didn't drag Model's 9th Army into the battlefield, the 11th Army would be in danger.
After weighing the pros and cons, Princeps gritted his teeth and said,""Get me the Central Army Group. I want to talk to Model directly!”
……
Holm was located about 150 kilometers northwest of Lejev. It was not far from the front line, so a lot of troops who had been evacuated from the front line stopped here to rest.
The cruel war had caused many of the German troops to be crippled in battle. These crippled troops were in urgent need of new soldiers and equipment.
However, the speed of recruitment in the rear could not keep up with the speed of consumption in the front line, so a large number of troops could not be replenished and continued to go to the battlefield with incomplete formations.
The lack of manpower had led to a significant decline in the combat effectiveness of these armies.
This situation not only troubled the German army on the front line, but also added a lot of trouble to the German commanders!
From the map, it would appear that there was a division or even an army stationed in a certain place. However, when the enemy attacked, the troops here could not withstand the enemy's attack, causing the defense line to be broken in an instant.
For someone like Model, who knew every soldier in his army, he couldn't stand this kind of thing.
Therefore, his method was very simple-he wanted people and equipment from the head of state.
It would be best if they could get it, as long as they could replenish the troops at the front line.
However, if they didn't come, Model could only disband some troops and reorganize them into a unit to ensure the integrity of the German army.
At this time, Model's 9th Army was almost done with its reorganization.
"General, it's a call from the head of state!"
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