Chapter 359: Five times the force was used to conquer the enemy in one go! Li Shimin praised!
Huo Qubing could no longer sit still.

He stood up, his eyes shining, looking at the map on the sky with envy.

Also looking at the photo of Manstein next to it.

"If I were the one commanding this battle."

"If I lead an armored unit, I will be the first to charge."

"That would be great."

"Alas, at this moment I can only express envy."

"For us soldiers, war is the stage."

"And on the biggest stage of World War II, Manstein and his people sat in the front row."

"I can only say that as soldiers, both Manstein and Zhukov were great."

"Or maybe a marshal or a general in World War II."

"As soldiers, they were born at the right time."

It can be said that Huo Qubing, with envy written all over his eyes, had already made his decision in advance.

This German counterattack.

There will be a great victory!

Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, who was standing by, was basically certain about it after looking at the contents of the sky curtain.

The German army should be able to win this battle.

But seeing Huo Qubing was so determined.

So Liu Che also asked jokingly with a smile:

"Qubing, you look like you're ready to give the German army a celebratory drink in advance."

“But look at the sky.”

"The Soviet army still has more than five times the German army's strength."

"And the Soviets also have tanks, cannons, airplanes, and the like that the Germans have."

"Although the German army's elite troops are certainly stronger than the Soviet army of the same size."

"But the Soviet army has a superior force."

"We are not sure whether this counterattack by the German army can really achieve the effect that Manstein wants, right?"

“Maybe we can achieve some benefits.”

"But is it really possible to achieve a complete victory when there is a huge disparity in troop strength?"

"Qubing, why do you believe so firmly that the German army has already won?"

Huo Qubing's vision and judgment are unmatched.

This is a talent for war.

But I really want him to write a detailed strategic plan.

This is not what Huo Qubing is good at.

So when Liu Che asked Huo Qubing why he was so sure that the German army could win.

Huo Qubing could only simplify the situation and utter one sentence as his reply.

"Because this is Manstein's plan, and Manstein has proven his ability."

During the discussion and interaction between Emperor Liu Che and his ministers, the sky curtain continued.

[On February 1943, 2, the German army officially began its counterattack. ]

[The German army deployed 10 troops on the front battlefield.]

[The Soviet army on the other side has more than 50 troops. ]

[The military strength is one to five. ]

【But Manstein fought actively and proactively. 】

[Manstein, the first target is the vanguard of the Southwestern Front.]

[These three vanguard armies are still preparing to force a crossing of the Dnieper River and open up a landing site.]

【We were totally unprepared for the German army's strong counterattack.】

[In this offensive, the SS armored forces took the lead.]

[The Imperial Division and the Totenkopf Division use Tiger tanks to attack directly from the middle! ]

[At the same time, the German First and Fourth Panzer Armies, as auxiliary forces, launched an outflanking attack on both wings.]

[The German army divided into three groups, preparing to divide and encircle the three vanguard armies of the Southwestern Front.]

【Eat it all in one go! 】

[The Soviet Union was aware of the German troop deployment.]

【But I don't think the German army dares to counterattack. 】

[Think that the German army is just carrying out normal defensive deployment. ]

[In order to get ahead of the onset of the boiling period, the Soviet army stepped up its offensive. ]

[The Soviet army also had a big appetite.]

[Prepare to wipe out all German troops east of the Dnieper River in one fell swoop.]

[In this way, the Soviet vanguard stepped into the trap carefully laid by Manstein.]

[The Tiger tank takes the lead and directly tears through the defense line! ]

[The tank unit of the Soviet Popov Tank Army, dozens of T34 tanks, encountered two Tiger tanks of the SS Death's Head Division.]

[As a result, two Tiger tanks destroyed 16 Soviet T34s.]

[The remaining Soviet tanks could only flee. ] [Another 18 were destroyed by Tiger tanks. ]

[At the same time, the German army also gained air superiority on this battlefield. ]

[German fighter planes continue to harass the Soviet logistics supply lines.]

[Stuka bombers launched bombings on the Soviet army's strong positions, command posts, and armored targets! ]

[The entire Soviet front was plunged into chaos and panic.]

[A large number of Soviet armored forces were annihilated.]

[A 4-kilometer-wide gap was opened in the defense line of the Soviet 30th Infantry Army.]

[The German army quickly poured in from this gap, advancing madly towards the Soviet flank and rear.]

[Tiger tanks and Stuka bombers cooperated with each other and broke through the Soviet defense line continuously! 】

[The SS armored forces are unimpeded! ]

[A blitzkrieg of 100 kilometers cut off the Soviet supply route in one fell swoop. ]

[Popov's tank assault army was severely damaged by the German army.]

[There are less than 50 tanks left in the entire army.]

[At the critical moment, Popov also tried to counterattack and sent an armored corps to attack the Zaporizhia area. ]

【But it posed no threat and was quickly defeated. 】

[On the fifth day of the operation, the German army defeated the Soviet 5st Guards Army.]

[And surrounded an armored corps and two infantry divisions. ]

[The Southwestern Front's Sixth Army also suffered heavy losses and was unable to continue fighting.]

[At the end of February and the beginning of March, the entire Southwestern Front retreated to the other side of the Donets River.]

[On the way of retreat, they encountered a frantic pursuit by the German army. ]

[Especially on the open Ukrainian plains, when retreating, they were chased and bombarded by German artillery fire! ]

[The entire army suffered heavy losses! ]

[A large amount of baggage, armor, heavy weapons, etc. were almost completely lost. ]

[If it weren't for the fact that the German army was indeed short of manpower and unable to form a complete encirclement. ]

[I am afraid that the entire Southwestern Front Army will be surrounded and annihilated. ]

[During the more than 10-day battle, the Southwestern Front Army suffered 25000 deaths, more than 1 captured, and tens of thousands injured.]

[The entire army lost more than 600 tanks and other armored units.]

[What the Soviet Union originally thought was a pursuit war turned into a rout.]

[Especially all the heavy weapons, which were almost completely lost, and it is difficult to replenish them in a short period of time.]

【But the Southwestern Front was actually lucky enough. 】

[After all, Manstein's troops were not enough to completely encircle the enemy.]

[If it was the German army with sufficient manpower before. 】

[The entire Southwestern Front Army must be annihilated! ]

【As the Southwestern Front Army was defeated, it fled in panic. 】

[The first phase of Manstein's counter-offensive plan, aimed at destroying or defeating the Soviet Southwestern Front.]

【Has been achieved.】

The sky dome gives map markings.

Manstein's arrows are flashing rapidly!

Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin saw this.

Seeing that the German army, with only 10 troops, attacked from the front and defeated the 50-strong Soviet Southwestern Front!
Seeing the German army’s attack was like lightning and like a sharp sword!
Almost surrounded and annihilated the entire Southwestern Front!

This brilliant and extraordinary performance also made Li Shimin applaud.

"Beautiful!"

Li Shimin said: "This battle was fought!"

"The Kharkov counterattack commanded by Manstein was truly magnificent!"

"10 troops, charging head-on into an enemy force of 50!"

"Divide the troops into three groups! Breakthrough on three fronts!"

"Almost surrounded the entire Southwestern Front!"

"This 10-day offensive has directly revitalized the entire southern Ukrainian front!"

Li Shimin was both an emperor and a top military strategist.

You can see it naturally.

The value of this round of offensive commanded by Manstein.

This is not a simple matter of concentrating superior forces and launching a sudden attack.

Instead, he seized the only opportunity on the battlefield and commanded with perfect skills like walking on a single-plank bridge!

At the same time, according to the strategic map on the sky screen.

Li Shimin's gaze also began to move upwards.

Focus on the Kharkov region on the map.

(End of this chapter)