Stalin trusted the former director of the General Political Department of the Red Army, now the military committee member of the Bryansk Front Army, and Comrade Lev Zaharovich Mehlisky, who was nicknamed the King of the Report, saw the frown General Golikov and Kazakov in the Front Command in Bryansk on the morning of May 4.

"What happened?" The king of the report became nervous. Now it was a critical moment that concerns the survival of the Soviet regime. Bad news that makes people desperate will come anytime and anywhere...

"Comrade Military Commissioner, our front army now has another tank army," replied Kazakov, Chief of Staff of Bryansk Front, "The 5th Tank Army, which was originally commanded by the Western Front, is now our Bryansk Front."

Mehlis breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "This is good news, which shows that Comrade Stalin trusts us very much."

"Mainly trust me!" Mehelis said while thinking with smugness, "Now the Bryansk Front Army led by me has been organized into the main front of the Red Army... If we can win a few victories in the next war, then the status of the Political Bureau member is also possible!"

"Comrade Military Commissioner," Golikov was not the kind of general who had a stubborn temper and dared to contradict the king of the report, and he also understood Mehlis's thoughts. "Comrade Stalin had high hopes for us, so Comrade Kazakov and I felt a heavy responsibility."

"Yes, our responsibility is indeed significant." Melihes asked, "How do the Supreme Command want us to fight?"

Kazakov frowned and said, "The Supreme Command ordered us to severely damage or annihilate the German armored cluster that broke through the Dnieper River."

"Is it difficult to do it?" Melihes asked in confusion when he saw the expression of the Chief of Staff of the Front, "We have three tank army and three ordinary army groups, including the 38th, 40th, and 48th Army. The total force is over 50,000, and the tanks/strike artillery they own have, what reason is there to be no defeat for a German armored cluster?"

Judging from the strength on paper, the Bryansk Front did not have any reason to lose.

"But the 38th, 40th, and 48th Army have not yet been loaded and shipped, and it may not be able to reach the battlefield in 10 days." Kazakov shook his head, "So we only have Tank No. 1, Tank No. 2 and Tank No. 5. Moreover, these three armies are not together. Tank No. 1 and Tank No. 2 are coming from Moscow and Kalinin. If it goes well, it will arrive near Gomel in Belarus on May 7. The 5th Tank No. 5th Tank No. 1 is still in Smolensk..."

"Smolensk is not far from here," interrupted Mehlis, "it's only 2 kilometers."

"But Smolensk is a key area for German bombing. The troops cannot move during the day, and assembly and mobilization can only be completed at night." Golikov explained. "If we want to mobilize the 5th Tank Army to Bryansk, then this more than 20 kilometers of night road will take at least three nights, and then maneuvering from Bryansk to Gomel, it will probably take two days."

"May 9th...it was just 2 days late." Mehlis could not understand the significance of 2 days in an armored battle.

Although the 1st and 2nd Army of the Bryansk Army had multiple tanks/strike artillery on paper, the 2000-kilometer maneuver and the air strikes of German aircraft, 150 tanks/strike artillery could be intact and could be opened on the battlefield. Marx was blessed.

The tanks/strike artillery owned by the German armored cluster that was crossing the Dnieper River in large numbers are most likely to be around 15oo. The quantity seems to be almost the same, but the quality difference is too big.

Among the 15oo tanks/strike artillery of the Soviet army, a considerable number of light tanks such as t6o/t7o can only be used for reconnaissance.

Now there are no "reconnaissance tanks" in the sequence of the German armored forces, and instead they are armored vehicles of the wheeled series (Puvian). The Type 2 in this wheeled armored vehicle series is equipped with a 56o gun, with a firepower of most light tanks. It also passes through all tanks at a maximum of 85 kilometers per hour, making it the most ideal armored reconnaissance vehicle.

Furthermore, although the Soviet Union has built tanks and attack artillery in the past few months that can fight against Tiger tanks and cannons in large numbers. However, Germany's medium-sized and heavy tanks still have the advantage in combat effectiveness. Under the same number, the Red Army tank troops have no hope of winning at all.

In addition, Germany now has great air superiority. The Luftwaffe's own HS.129 attack aircraft and the French Air Force's Breguet attack aircraft can act as tank killers. The Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft cannot play a role under the attack of the Folk Zero D.

Therefore, there is no overwhelming numerical advantage, and Golikov and Kazakov dare not fight the German armored cluster at all.

But the Supreme Command (actually Stalin) didn't think so!

"What did the Supreme Command say on the instructions?" Mehlis also felt a little thrust in the problem, but as the "king of the report", he knew that he would always obey the will of the great leader, which is the most important thing!

"The Supreme Command ordered our Bryansk Front to prevent the German South Armored Cluster from heading north to approach the city of Smolensk." Kazakov reported, "At the same time, we should concentrate our forces at the junction of Mogilev, Bryansk and Smolensk Prefecture to defeat the German South Armored Cluster."

"Then we should firmly implement this instruction!" Mehlis said seriously, "I don't think you two are questioning the Supreme Command, right?"

"No, absolutely not! We will firmly implement the instructions of the Supreme Command!"

"We firmly support all decisions of the Supreme Command!"

Golikov and Kazakov were startled by Mehlis and quickly expressed their support for the Supreme Command who stood in front of them. They were the king of the report! And they were not strong commanders like Temuxingo and Zhukov. Golikov was a little weak, and when he was the intelligence director, he picked up all the things Stalin liked to hear. And Kazakov was just a lieutenant general and chief of staff, and the king of the report was not like playing tricks on him!

"That's good!" Mehlis was very satisfied. "So how are we going to carry out the instructions?"

"There has been an idea," Kazakov said, "using the 5th Tank Army to deploy defenses and attacks in Mustislav, 80 kilometers south of Smolensk, to delay the German army for a few days. Then using the 1st and 2nd Tank Army to attack the German armored cluster from Gomel. At the same time, he requested the 9th and 12th Army of the Southwest Front to counterattack Lechcha from Chernigov to block the rear of the German armored cluster in the south."

"Very good! This is very good!" Mehlis slapped, "There are front seals, back blocks, and side attacks... I invested in 8 armies (including the 38th, 40th, and 48th armies that may not be reached by 10 days), and there are many tanks. This is very sure! Comrade Golikov and Comrade Kazakov, let's report this plan to the Supreme Command immediately!"

...

When Golikov, Kazakov and Mehlis jointly reported the combat plan to the Supreme Command, the opponent they wanted to defeat was the command of General Eberhad von Mackenson, the commander of the German 1st Armored Army, just arrived in Lechcha on the west bank of the Dnieper River.

Although the strength of the army he commanded is far inferior to the 4th Panzer Army commanded by General Hot on the Northern Front, it is still a very powerful army. It is one of the four main armies of the German army on the Eastern Front battlefield. The other three are the 2nd Panzer Army, the 3rd Panzer Army and the 4th Panzer Army. The 2nd Panzer Army belongs to the Southern Army Group and is deployed on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Now the 1st Panzer Army has the 3rd Panzer Army (including the 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions of the National Welfare Army, the 5th SS Armored Grenadier Division), the 11th Panzer Army (including the 6th Panzer Division, the 10th Panzer Division, the 1st SS Armored Grenadier Division), the 14th Panzer Army (including the 11th Panzer Division, the 4th Panzer Grenadier Division of the National Welfare Army, the 52nd Motorized Infantry Army (including the 102, 111, 127, 128th Infantry Division),

The 64th Motorized Infantry Army (including the Infantry 6o, 88, 89, 1o5th Division), the 1st Cavalry Division, the 14th Ukrainian Cavalry Division, the 20th Polish Cavalry Division of the SS, the 29th Polish Cavalry Division of the SS, the 10th Air Defense Motorized Anti-Aircraft Anti-Aircraft Anti-Aircraft Anti-Aircraft Anti-Aircraft Anti-Aircraft Anti-Aircraft Anti-Aircraft, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Rocket Armored Brigade, and the 5th and 10th Independent Motorcycle Chemical Engineering Battalion. There are 23 divisions, 3 brigades and 2 battalions. In addition, the 1st, 2nd, 10, 6th and 11th Armored Divisions each have 1 heavy armored battalion.

Because of the strong strength of the troops under his jurisdiction, General Markensen had never been worried about "going deep into the army alone", nor was he afraid that his army would be beaten by the Soviet army with the advantage in numbers.

However, the problem that caused the general's headache still exists, mainly the huge consumption of oil from the 1st Armored Army! There are no routes behind the 1st Armored Army. All the oil was hoarded by Korosjian, who was transported to Kiev near Kiev last winter. The quantity was not very sufficient, and there were more than 20 kilometers from Korosjian to Lechcha. During this period, there was no railway and could only rely on roads with poor road conditions to transport oil and was attacked by guerrillas from time to time. Now, the reason why Makenson's army stayed in Lechcha was not to build bridges and cross the river (because the Soviet army retreated in a hurry, the troops of the 5th Armored Division of the SS snatched two highway bridges, enough for the army to cross the river), but to wait for the oil convoy that drove from Korosjian.

Another thing that bothers General Markens was that his powerful armored army would soon reach the meeting place of the three armored army stipulated in the Purple Plan. The 3rd Armored Army and the 4th Armored Army were both entangled by the tenacious resistance Soviet army. It seemed that it would take some time to break through.
Chapter completed!