USSR 1941

   Chapter 126 Odessa

  The news quickly spread to the headquarters of Rundstedt, commander of the Southern Army Group.

   After hearing the news, Rundstedt only raised his eyes slightly.

This does not mean that Rundstedt is not surprised, but that he was born in a noble family and was asked to "be calm" since he was a child... "As a nobleman, you must behave calmly at all times, even if you are sent to the guillotine, you You also have to appreciate the cold light that flashes from the edge of the knife!"

   At this time, Rundstedt felt like being sent to the guillotine.

  He had thought that the 11th Army would fail, but he didn't expect it to fail so quickly.

  Just now, Rundstedt was preparing to mobilize troops urgently to enter the preset position in the Safran area to prevent the Russian army from continuing to intersperse, but it seems that it is too late now.

"Two days, it only takes two days!" Although Rundstedt was calm, he couldn't help his anger when he heard Schobert's voice on the phone: "As long as you can block them for two days, I will You can gather troops and organize defenses one after another, but it only took them half a day to pass through your defense line!"

   "Sorry, Your Excellency Field Marshal!" Schobert replied: "This Russian army is different from anything we have encountered before, I think...they are even using our tactics!"

   "You mean 'blitzkrieg'?"

   "Yes, Your Excellency Marshal!" Schobert said: "According to the response from the front line, their tanks don't seem to be unable to communicate like before. The coordination between their tanks and even the coordination between the tanks and the tanks are very good!"

   "I fully agree, General!" Rundstedt said: "When we are defeated by the enemy, the enemy's strength is always the best excuse, because it can cover up our own incompetence!"

   "No, Your Excellency Marshal..." Schobert wanted to say something else, but Lundstedt had already hung up the phone.

Rundstedt didn't want to listen to Schobert's "excuse", although he thought that Schobert was right to some extent: the Russian 9th Army obviously had traces of "blitzkrieg", went out for reconnaissance, and then quickly broke through Implement interspersed encirclement.

  However, of course, Rundstedt will not and cannot admit Schobert's statement, otherwise, everyone can use this reason after defeat: "The enemy is too strong".

  On the other hand, it is useless to discuss these. Regardless of whether the enemy has learned the tactics of "blitzkrieg", the most important thing is to be able to block them!

  Lundstedt frowned and stared at the map. The adjutant was planting a small red flag representing the Russian Ninth Army in the Uman area based on intelligence.

  Where the Russian Ninth Army occupies is not the point, the point is that they broke through the defense zone of the 11th Army, and that is the only army in southern Ukraine with German troops.

  To the south is the Romanian 3rd Army.

The main force of the 3rd Army also advanced to the Dnieper River, but even if it didn't, Rundstedt thinks that he can't place hope on them, because he knows the combat effectiveness of the Romanian army... The German army once sent a teaching group to participate in the training of the Romanian army. On the battlefield at least with the German army can coordinate.

   These are mainly in charge of Rundstedt, because the main force of Army Group South is a mixed force of German and Romanian troops.

  Lundstedt knew from the teaching team that the Romanian Army is an army with a deep-rooted French-style "absolute defense" strategic and tactical thinking.

"We can't drive those backward strategies and tactics out of their heads in a few months!" The head of the teaching group reported to Rundstedt: "They learned the 'absolute defense' tactics from the beginning, and we Our training has only been a few months, and they even think our tactics are meaningless and die!"

  Lundstedt even thinks this idea is correct, because "blitzkrieg" cannot be fought by any army. The German army can quickly penetrate to surround the enemy, while the Romanian army can actively be surrounded by the enemy by quickly interspersing.

  This is what they call "sending death".

  The performance of the Romanian 1st Armored Division seems to illustrate this point.

  If the Russian Ninth Army passes through the defense zone of the Romanian 3rd Army and continues south... Lundstedt's eyes are fixed on the Odessa area, which is the Romanian 4th Army.

  The 4th Army can be said to be the only army whose main force did not go out to the Dnieper River.

   But again, don't expect much from it.

   This is not because Lundstedt does not believe in the combat effectiveness of Luo's 4th Army.

  In fact, the performance of the 4th Luo Army since the start of the war has not been satisfactory. They have at least achieved an initial victory in the battle to attack Odessa.

  The reason why they cannot be expected to block the Russian 9th Army is that the Romanian 4th Army is besieging Odessa... The Russian army stationed in Odessa is still stubbornly resisting.

  This also means that the Romanian 4th Army will suffer from the enemy, and then as Odessa relieves the Russian army and even Kyiv, it will be able to obtain supplies from the Black Sea.

   Thinking of this, Rundstedt asked the adjutant: "The progress of the Battle of Odessa?"

   "Everything is going well, Your Excellency the Marshal!" The adjutant replied: "They have occupied the cistern outside the city and cut off the water source inside the city. The Russians can only use warships to transport fresh water through the Black Sea. This will undoubtedly increase the supply burden on the Russians!"

   "How long?" Rundstedt asked again.

  Lundstedt has always spoken so concisely, perhaps only in this way can he reflect his aristocratic temperament.

  The adjutant was used to this, so of course he understood what the marshal meant.

   "General Rakovizart estimates that it will take another week, Marshal!" the adjutant replied.

  General Rakovizart is the commander of the Romanian 4th Army.

   But this estimate is too optimistic. The fact is that this battle will last at least one month... The Battle of Odessa lasted a full 73 days.

   "A week?" Rundstedt shook his head slightly.

  He knew that even if the Romanian 4th Army could capture Odessa within a week, the Russian 9th Army would arrive there in the meantime.

   That is to say, the German army didn't have that much time.

   "We must capture Odessa within three days, Fein!" Rundstedt said: "Only in this way can we solve the immediate predicament!"

  Lundstedt is right. At this time, the Odessa region has become the key. It is not only the hub connecting Romania and Ukraine, but also the node that cuts off the supply line of the Russian army.

   To put it simply, occupying the Odessa area means cutting off the opponent's supply line while connecting its own supply line.

   "Three days?"

  The adjutant looked at Rundstedt suspiciously, this time is no problem. If the Russian Ninth Army needs 5 days to rush to the Odessa area, then the German army must capture it within three days and use two days to consolidate the line of defense.

The issue is…

   "Your Excellency Marshal, what can we do to capture Odessa within three days?"