[Latest Broadcast] Tomorrow is 515, the starting point anniversary celebration, the most benefits.∈◆, In addition to gift bags and school bags, this time, you must read the 515 red envelopes. There is no reason to not grab the red envelopes. Set the alarm clock to ~

In the early morning of May 1, 1939, just after 5 o'clock, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler was sitting in a half-track car (this was a copycat car, which was copied by BMW company, the French Citroen company's P21 half-track car), feeling the bumps in the car body. He should have listened to the report in the exercise headquarters and judged the progress of the exercise through changes on the sand table and maps.

However, Hitler proposed to witness the breakthrough of the First Armored Division yesterday afternoon, perhaps because he was worried that Hessman would be cheating. Next to him, the infantry General Hessman, who accompanied him to the front line, was looking down at a report on the progress of the exercise that he had just received.

On one side of the road, wheeled armored vehicles and trucks lined up in a row that was beyond the sight. Each vehicle was filled with fully armed soldiers. From time to time, someone found their beloved Prime Minister passing by, and they all raised their hands to pay tribute to Hitler. Hitler raised his hand and returned the greetings with great excitement, as if he was inspecting his army.

"Infantry General, why don't they advance?" Hitler suddenly became interested in the long queue of cars here. "Everyone is sitting in the car, what's going on?"

"Prime Minister, they are waiting for a breakthrough ahead." Hessman closed the report, "According to the plan submitted by the Blue Party, they will advance along Boro Highway 6, which is an important highway that runs through the Kurland Peninsula. It is very suitable for the rapid advancement of armored troops, so it is also the focus of defense for the Red Party."

He looked at his watch and said, "In a few minutes, it will be bombarded, and it will not be bombarded for a few days or nights. After 45 minutes of artillery preparation, it will be an assault of the tank cluster! It is estimated that the Red Party's defense system will collapse within two hours. At that time, the convoy here will advance at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour under the guidance of the tanks... For the army after 1914, this is as fast as lightning!"

Hitler turned his head and looked at the German convoy that seemed to be without a head. He estimated that at least 1,500 vehicles were queuing up, and the entire motorized infantry division pressed its wheels. Now the German tractor industry is similar to that in history, but the automobile industry is much stronger, so there are enough vehicles to increase the motorized forces. If they can really do so at 10 kilometers per hour on the battlefield, no, even a speed of 5 kilometers per hour will catch the enemy off guard.

Because since heavy artillery became a weapon in the army, the army's movement speed has become very slow. Especially when leaving the railway, relying on beast power and walking to advance under heavy enemy blockades, it is almost the same as a turtle. It can advance 5 kilometers a day, and the command in the rear will open champagne to celebrate.

Therefore, in the last world war, the enemies who were broken through the defense always had enough time to mobilize troops on the railways and highways controlled by their own side to rebuild a new defense line behind the broken defense line.

If the attacking side can increase the speed of the propulsion to 5 kilometers per hour, it will be 120 kilometers per day, which is simply impossible to defend!

"How is the Red Party ready to defend?" Hitler asked with a frown.

"In the first section of Lake Usma, about 8 kilometers on the front, the Red Side set up an infantry division and built a defense line with an anti-tank trench, three defensive trenches and four artillery positions as the main body. A fake minefield and a large number of barbed wire were also laid, and there was a preparatory line behind the main defense line. In addition, at Fort William 12 kilometers northwest of Lake Usma, the Red Side also set up two regiments and two anti-tank artillery companies."

The deployment of the Red Party that Hessman and Hitler said was naturally confidential for the Blue Party Command. Similarly, the Red Party was not aware of the Blue Party's offensive plan.

However, even if Kenhausen guessed Guderian's main attack direction, the exercise command would not allow him to concentrate all his troops around Lake Usma. Because what needs to be verified through this exercise is the ability of armored troops to break through traditional defense lines.

"There is one division on the 8-kilometer defense line, and there are two regiments 12 kilometers away..." Hitler thought for a while and asked again: "Where are artillery soldiers? How are the artillery soldiers deployed?"

"There is a division artillery regiment. The six infantry regiments (including the two regiments of Fort William) each have one infantry artillery company, and there are five anti-tank artillery companies (including the two regiments of Fort William). "Hessman replied, "There are currently deployed on the main positions of the Usma Lake front line, two infantry artillery companies and two anti-tank artillery companies. There are two infantry artillery companies and two anti-tank artillery companies on the reserve position. There are eight artillery companies on the artillery positions. In addition, there are three anti-aircraft artillery companies deployed in a dispersed manner."

"How many cannons were placed on the front line of Lake Usma?" Hitler did not understand the current artillery organization of the German and Polo's army, so he simply asked about the specific number.

"There are 16 150 mm cannons, 8 are K16 type, and 8 are IG33 infantry cannons; there are 36 105 mm cannons, all of them are Le.FH18 howitzers; there are 16 75 mm cannons, all of them are IG18 infantry cannons; there are 84 37 mm Pak35 anti-tank cannons; there are 36 20 mm Flak28 anti-aircraft cannons."

"The number of cannons is not large." Hitler frowned slightly. After fighting a battle, he sounded like this little cannon was a bit "shameful" in such a critical line of defense. If it were 1917, the German army in 1918 would not have been like this.

What he reported was about the artillery matching of the 1932 infantry division of the National Wehrmacht Army, which was slightly different from the 1935 division in history. However, it seemed that the current German artillery firepower was not strong. In Europe, after France and the Soviet Union, most artillery performance was not excellent.

The problem is of course in the Treaty of Versailles. The "no order" era that lasted for more than ten years, successfully hit Germany's military-industry technological progress in artillery development and production, just like other technological progress, is inseparable from order support. Without large military orders, Krupp and Rheinmetallurgy would not be able to spend a lot of money to develop new cannons.

However, Hessmann did not care about the lack of German artillery strength, because he knew that the lack of mobility was not very useful in the era of mechanized warfare, especially now that the Luftwaffe benefited from the leadership of air-cooled engine technology and had a greater advantage than in history. The enemy's towing artillery were just a living target of the Air Force.

"The firepower of the Czechoslovak army is not as strong as the Poles' infantry divisions are not yet at this level." Hessman said to Hitler with his eyes narrowed. "And there are two regiments nearby that can be reinforced at any time. Such defense deployment is impossible in most cases."

Hitler nodded silently, and a roar like thunder came from a distance.

"The shelling began?" Hitler asked.

"Yes, it's started," Hessman said. "In 45 minutes, the tank assault will begin. Prime Minister, the General Command of the Exercise has prepared a forward observation room for us. Let's see the breakthrough in the era of mechanized warfare!"

...

Major General Erich von Manstein is now the commander of the 18th Division of the Defense Army. His division participated in the "Iron Fist-1935" exercise and was guarding the defense line east of the Usma River.

In the early morning of May 1, when the "Blue Army" bombardment began, he had just gotten up and was eating breakfast in his command post, holding a coffee cup and bread.

"No one stayed on the position, right?" Manstein asked with concern as he heard the sound of bombardment.

Now it is a live-fire exercise, not a real attack. So a quarter of an hour before the "Blue Army" shelling began, the exercise command called and notified. After receiving the notice, the "Red Army" would leave the position with equipment, leaving behind "dummy" and "fake equipment" to get bombed by artillery bombing. The reason for this was to test how many 37mm anti-tank guns arranged on the front line positions could be destroyed in the 45-minute shelling.

The 37mm anti-tank gun is currently the most powerful anti-tank weapon in the hands of German infantry. In theory, an infantry division should have 84 to 90 such cannons. However, most infantry divisions do not have one-third of the number. Because Manstein's 18th Division had to participate in the exercise, it temporarily strengthened the anti-tank guns to be fully equipped.

When conducting defensive warfare, most of these anti-tank guns will be assigned to regiments. Usually, each infantry regiment will get 18 to 20 (and some are left for the scouts) 37mm anti-tank guns.

Two regiments were arranged on the main position on the front line of Lake Usma. A total of 40 anti-tank guns were placed in 37mm anti-tank guns, guarding the 8-kilometer-wide front, with an average of 5 anti-tank guns per kilometer. If these 5 guns were destroyed, then the infantry could only rely on anti-tank guns to resist the tanks...

"General, personnel and equipment have all withdrawn." A staff officer immediately answered. "We can wait patiently for the shelling to end."

No one in the 18th Division knew how long the shelling would last, but everyone thought that the shelling time would not be too short. Because the positions they built were quite solid for infantry. If only dozens of cannons participated in the shelling, it would be impossible to cause enough damage without more than 24 hours of repeated bombardment.

"Patient?" Manstein shook his head and walked to the map stage. "Our opponents are the First Armored Division and the Third Motorized Infantry Division. They have 400 tanks and self-propelled artillery..." He narrowed his eyes and listened for a while, "at least 80 more cannons are bombarding, and the two artillery regiments are gathered opposite us."

"We are the main attack direction here?" asked a staff officer, "Do you want to report to the headquarters?"

"Report," Manstein paused, "and request reinforcements!"

"Ask for help? Now?" said the staff officer. "What if it's a trap?"

Manstein raised his coffee cup, took a sip, and said with great certainty: "The final battle is east of Lake Usma, so ask for reinforcements now!"
Chapter completed!