228 – Last Army Standing (4) – Across Kikkus
The headquarters of the 27th Division, which was in charge of the front line in the Uk ranian 6th Corps.
The division commander’s expression was somehow very uneasy.
“…… Something is strange.”
“The reason for the sluggish advance is probably because our cavalry units are advancing too fast. Our troops are steadily occupying the target point.”
“I know that. I’m not talking about the advance speed.”
The division commander said while untwisting his legs.
“The reaction of the Imperial Army is not typical.”
It was good to cross the defense line. No matter how much the Empire put up a thick defense wall in Sobi, it could not stop the advance of the cavalry units gathered under the banner of Enoch Levandel.
However, the problem started after crossing the line of defense.
The 27th and 33rd divisions each broke through the assigned defensive line in a triangular shape. When the 1st Armored Division penetrates deep into the enemy defense line, a strategy to break through the crumbling camp from the west and east at the same time.
As planned, an M-shaped front was formed, and the Soviet Army Group South, especially the Soviet 42nd Rifle Division, deployed across Kikkus suffered devastating damage and either collapsed or had to flee.
By the way.
For some reason, the 42nd Rifle Division did not collapse.
Even though the 6th Armored Division and the 9th Motorized Infantry Brigade are on their way to support the Uk ranian special forces deployed in the rear, making a huge detour across the entire campaign!
If you had the right eyes, you would know that if you went on like this, you would be surrounded in no time.
Unlike before, the Soviet Imperial Army was really fighting to the death.
If the Uk ranians were careless, it wasn’t really that. Rather, he knew better than anyone else the consequences of being careless on the battlefield.
To fight based solely on the practical experience accumulated while fighting the Soviet Empire and the judgment of the commanders who have been strengthened through numerous mock training.
In that case, Soviet Imperial Army would naturally fall apart.
“Isn’t it simply because they know that if this line of defense is breached, there will be no turning back for them?”
“That makes sense, but doesn’t it look like you just let the cavalry through?”
The division commander’s gaze turned to the operation map. The order given to the 27th Division by Lieutenant General Enoch Levandel was to expand the occupied area by being put into the front line penetrated by the 1st Armored Division.
It was a very textbook fighting tactic in which the first line of defense was destroyed through an impact breakthrough, and the infantry following behind eliminated the remaining troops.
In fact, the 1st Armored Division carried out the ramming mission very well.
The Sovié Imperial army captured the fortress city of ‘Stalina’, which they were proud of, and drove it by surprise.
Yes, that Stalina.
There were enemy infantrymen who appeared unknown when they appeared in Stalina, where the 1st Panzer should have penetrated.
I managed to recapture it, but one regiment under the command of the 27th Division suffered severe damage. It was not only the 27th Division that showed this aspect.
The 33rd Division was also experiencing a similar phenomenon.
“The commander of the 1st Armored Division, Major General Olena Deriugina, has a personality that rushes without looking too far. If we continue to delay joining the infantry like this, the 1st Panzer might be surrounded.”
“…… So you’re saying the enemy is deliberately abandoning their defenses? I don’t think that’s too much of a gamble.”
The chief of staff, who had been silently listening to the division commander’s words, cautiously expressed his opinion.
“As you said, if this front line is breached, the Imperial Army will suffer an irresistible blow. It’s not like you’ve put up a thick line of defense for nothing. But if you think about it carefully, wouldn’t the capital be captured?”
The doubts that once arose grew bigger and bigger and began to erode the division commander’s mind. The faces of the staff members under his command, who were skeptical at first, were gradually darkening.
“What if there is a decisive weapon that can be recaptured at once even if that important campaign is stolen? What if our entire advance operation is all under their plan?”
“The division commander.”
“There is no disagreement with the fact that now is the right time to attack the empire, which is experiencing domestic and international turmoil. But unlike them, even if you get stabbed five times in the side, time passes quickly.
The difference in weight class between the best empire on the continent and the fledgling kingdom that has just left its principality is not something that can be easily overcome.
If that had been overcome, the Republic of Polania would have engulfed the Empire of Sobie and hanged its emperor on the guillotine long ago.
“The corps commander said that the choice of field commanders is the most important. And in the current situation, as the commander of the 27th division, my choice is…….”
The division commander drove the scattered friendly units to one place on the operation map.
“Stop the advance and switch from offensive to defense. So that he can tell his regiments to prepare for a massive enemy counterattack.”
“Okay!”
“As soon as the report is posted to the Corps, the 1st Armored Division and the 33rd Division must also be contacted and informed. If that’s really the case, we’ll have to reorganize the battle frontier.”
The battlefield environment was changing differently than expected.
***
The report from the 27th Division was valid. Certainly, there was something I was suspicious of.
I was the one who led the brigade through enemy lines until a few weeks or even months ago. There is a huge difference between simply commanding from the rear and judging by a commander who is directly out there.
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I had to pause the Legion’s advance. In fact, the elite troops available to the current Uk ranian army are all gathered together in the corps.
If you misjudge and lose a few divisions under your command, not only will the defense line in charge of Polania’s western border collapse as it is.
In the worst case, it was clear that the Uk ranian Expeditionary Force itself would be in a state of destruction.
Of the 3 corps mobilized, 1 was consumed on the front with Reinhardt.
Excluding the 6th corps I command, the rest of the corps were virtually made up of only recruits——because they were corps with poor strength.
“Contact the 3rd Military Brigade and order replenishment of consumed fuel and ammunition, and tell the 11th Engineers to set up a barrier with the 9th Infantry Brigade.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Since one of the main divisions has decided to switch to a defensive stance, no other unit can sustain the offensive.
‘Did he find out that he was colluding with the commander of the Southwest Army Group, Radia Khrushchev?’
It was a very probable scenario. Because Mikhail, commander of Army Group South, and Radia, commander of Army Group Southwest, were set up to be mortal enemies.
Even in the actual game, if the two generals were tied together and a combined operation was performed, the efficiency was very low.
As an enemy, he might have noticed Radia’s betrayal first.
“Hmm… ….”
I had to seriously think about it.
“Where is the most protruding unit right now?”
“This is the 6th Armored Division. I heard a lot of painful stories from the special writers, so I sped up a little.”
I thought of the faces of the imperial generals who would fight with me.
Since they rode the political route of strengthening the imperial power through the Great Purge, the southern group army would be the most powerful force, just like the southwestern group army.
There are few reasons why the Soviet Empire is among the four great powers in Hearts of General.
Even with the ignoring penalty of the Great Purge, it is a kang spec that can respond head-to-head with other powers.
And the generals of the Southwest Army Group and the Army Group South, which are the source of the spec, are the ‘real’ ones who were not purged because their abilities were recognized by the emperor even in the wave of great purges.
Among them, Vasily Molodov, who is in charge of the 9th Corps, blocks the enemy’s maneuver through efficient command of small units, unlike the general ‘deep breakthrough tactic’ of the Sobie Empire, which is endlessly pushed in based on overwhelming quantities.
He was a general who used tactics a little closer to ‘Reinhalt’.
I remember that the character traits also had the traits of ‘importance in small unit tactics’ and ‘mobile strike expert’.
Even in this world, a person who is being promoted as a war hero.
Then, wouldn’t the opinion of Vasily Molodov, commander of the 9th corps, have been strongly reflected in this defense operation?
‘Move defense… ….’
At one time, I also used this tactic against the Soviet Empire during the Lunetsk recapture battle.
It is a tactic of enclosing and annihilating the enemy forces by building a strong defensive line in an area where the enemy is expected to launch an offensive to reduce the breakthrough, while rapidly deploying troops driven by mobility to stab the enemy’s empty parts.
The armored division, which was in charge of breaking through the current defense line, passed through, and the speed of advance of the infantry units committed to expand the battle slowed.
The troop movement is unusual. Then, what Vasily Molodov was aiming for was—.
“Damn it.”
I stood up hastily from my seat as a thought ran through my head.
“Why is that?”
“The 6th Armored Division. They intend to penetrate the flanks of the 6th Armored Division.”
“Yes?”
I looked at the operation map.
“No matter how much we deploy in the direction of the Southwest Group Army, there is no change to the fact that it is the territory of the Empire. No matter how much we are aligned with the cause, we cannot defeat Army Group South, which is deploying in the direction of Army Group Southwest.”
To put it bluntly, Army Group Southwest of Soviet could be seen as a ‘rebel’ just like the current Red October.
But they won’t move when the odds aren’t clear.
“The Southern Group was waiting for the 6th Armored Division to get far enough away from the main unit!”
“That means… ….”
“Is the 9th Infantry Brigade the closest unit to the 6th Armored Division?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Abort the supply order and order to join the 6th Panzer immediately. No matter what happens, we must prevent the cavalry units from being surrounded and annihilated.”
As soon as he realized what was happening all over the world, the operations chief’s face was stained with astonishment and he hurriedly left the command center.
And again.
When the pale-faced chief of staff returned.
“Commander…… The news is that the 3rd Battalion of the 223rd Armored Regiment, which was moving across the Southwest Army Group, was repulsed by the enemy’s counterattack…….”
The blade had already reached the end of his neck.
