After gaining the support of Marshal Leeb and the entire Northern Army Group, Manstein's plan had a higher success rate.
And this trust made the responsibility on his shoulders heavy!
He could not afford to fail. If he failed, it would not only be his own failure, but the failure of the entire Northern Army Group!
If this operation failed, the dynasty would have no chance of turning the tables on the northern battlefield!
With this in mind, Manstein perked up and kept an eye on the enemy's movements on the battlefield.
"How long has the enemy been attacking?"
"The attack has been going on for half an hour!"
"How is the situation at the front line?"
"General, please rest assured. The position is firmly in our hands!”
In the Battle Command, the Chief of Staff patted his chest and said to Manstein.
At this moment, the empire's army was extremely confident in their combat strength.
However, the German army was confident that they could stop the enemy and not let them advance!
However, their commander, Manstein, did not think so.
"Half an hour? It should be about time. Immediately give the order to the frontline troops to withdraw from the frontline!”
"What? General, w-what did you just say?”
The group of staff officers in the General Staff Department changed their expressions at Manstein's order!
The German line of defense was built in a hurry, and the time left for them was not enough to build a second line of defense.
Therefore, if they withdrew from their own defense line, the entire German army would be exposed to the enemy's firepower. The Soviets would definitely not let go of this opportunity. They would definitely pounce on them, bite them, and delay them. They would wait for the Soviets on the left and right wings to surround them and trap them here!
Therefore, in everyone's opinion, Man Shuai's decision was too abnormal, so abnormal that it made everyone tremble in fear!
"I said, let the frontline troops retreat and let the Soviets in!”
Manstein repeated his order. Of course, he knew that he was taking a big risk, but if he wanted to annihilate the Soviets, he had to close the distance between the two sides and not give the Soviets a chance to break off contact.
If the two sides continued to fight in the same way as before, even if the German army could defeat the Soviets, they would not be able to completely wipe them out or inflict heavy losses.
As time passed, Dukhanov, who was alone in the depths, should have gradually calmed down.
Once he calmed down and thought about it carefully, it was easy to conclude that the German army was deliberately tricking him into pursuing.
If he saw through the German intentions, it would be difficult to determine whether the 67th Army would still be willing to continue pursuing.
However, if they deliberately revealed a flaw and let the Soviet commander see an opportunity to defeat the German army in one fell swoop, then they should continue to be crazy for a while!
As long as the Soviets caught up, it would be very difficult for the Soviets to retreat.
Moreover, if they all chased after them, the defenders at Schrüsel Fort would be even less likely to receive any support from the Soviets. The chances of Zalmut's 30th Army's sneak attack would be even higher.
The German army did not need to annihilate the Soviets. They only needed to stall them until Zalmut took down Schruessel Castle. Then, the German army on the left and right wings would press forward together and outflank the Soviets from the rear. After killing their artillery and supply troops, they would be able to take down the Soviets!
……
"General, our army has broken through the German defense line. The German army is fleeing in a sorry state!”
"Haha, that's great. I thought this group of German soldiers was very powerful. I didn't expect them to be so weak!”
"I heard from the generals in the south that the commander of this German army seems to be Manstein. This person fought in the Battle of Kerry and was praised as a god. I thought he was some kind of military god, but now it seems that he is just so-so!”
"That's right, General, this Manstein was beaten to a pulp by you. I think the title of War God should belong to you!”
After winning the battle and seeing the dawn of victory, the Soviets immediately relaxed.
A group of people surrounded Dukhanov and flattered him, making him feel a little smug. For a moment, he seemed to really feel like he was as omnipotent as a god of war!
"Pass on my orders. The enemy wants to escape, and we must not let them escape. Chase after them, bite the enemy, kill them, and send them to hell!”
Immediately, the 67th Army rushed towards the German army even more crazily. As there was no fixed front line, the soldiers of both sides fought in the wilderness. The battle entered a white-hot stage. At every moment, soldiers screamed and fell, unable to stand up again!
……
On the northern front, just as the battle between the two sides had reached its most intense moment, the 30th German Army, which had bypassed the flanks of the Soviets and appeared unexpectedly at the city of Schrüsereburg, launched a fierce attack on the fortress amidst the shock and panic of the Soviets.
The German artillery seemed to have turned on their cheats, accurately destroying the firing points of the Soviets one after another. Together with their own infantry, they quickly occupied the Soviets 'positions with lightning speed.
As Manstein had expected, most of the defenders here had been taken away by Duhanov, leaving only a few old, weak, and sick people behind.
Their combat strength was not strong to begin with. Coupled with the sudden attack by the German army, they were not prepared at all, so they could not resist the German attack at all.
"Quick, send a telegram to the general at the front line. The German army is attacking Schrüsel Castle. They want to cut off the general's retreat. We have to get them to come back and help us. Otherwise, once Schrüsel Castle falls, our army will be surrounded by the German army in this narrow area by the lake!”
In the fortress, the commander of the Soviets was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. The moment the German army suddenly attacked, he had already judged the German army's intentions.
However, with the few soldiers he had, it would be a problem to defend the fortress. Even if he saw through the German army's intentions, he would not be able to stop them.
If they wanted to stop the other party, they would have to rely on General Duhanov's main force at the front line!
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]