Chapter 255
Although he didn't know much about military history in his previous life, and didn't have many memories of it, Yuri still had some impressions of major events like the Battle of the Bulge. After all, it was the bloodiest battle the U.S. military experienced during World War II. The loss of nearly 100,000 troops, if it wasn't of great strategic significance, actually, the Allies wouldn't have won.
From the tone of McInerney's words, it can be heard that the Allies are now full of confidence in a quick victory and a rapid attack on Berlin. They are very optimistic and one-sidedly believe that after the initial few battles, the German army's strength on the Western Front is seriously insufficient. Therefore, facing their attack, the fascists have no choice but to defend.
On the map that appeared in Yuri's mind, with the Ardennes region as the center, the Allied offensive direction was obviously divided into two parts. Just as McNerney said, one part was north of the Ardennes region, and the other part was on the Swiss line. This arrangement made the front of the Ardennes region the junction of the two offensive directions.
Seeing such a layout easily reminds people of the scene when the German army swept across Western Europe in the early days of World War II. At that time, it was under the command of Manstein that the German army launched an attack on Belgium from this area, bypassing the British and French coalition forces who thought they were impregnable, and split them in two, eventually forcing the British and French coalition forces to retreat hastily in Dunkirk.
Now, the war has entered its fourth year, and no Allied general believes that the Germans would dare to repeat their old tricks and launch another offensive from the Ardennes. However, history has proven that the madman Hitler just adopted this combat plan. He concentrated his limited forces in the Ardennes and launched the most fierce counterattack against the Allies.
In this counterattack, more than 10,000 American soldiers were killed and hundreds of tanks were destroyed in the first three days alone. If the German army had not had no reserve troops and was extremely short of manpower and weapons supplies, a disaster like "Dunkirk Evacuation 2.0" might have occurred.
Yuri was well aware of the U.S. military's battle plan and could guess what the Germans were planning. He pondered for a moment and said, "We should be careful that the Germans will seek a breakthrough in the Ardennes region. Once they concentrate their forces to launch a counterattack on this front, the position of the Meuse River defense line will be highlighted. If this line of defense is breached by the Germans, Antwerp will be under the most direct threat."
"The Meuse River Defense Line?" McNerney smiled and said, "The Germans would need to concentrate at least 35 to 40 divisions, but the fact is that they can no longer launch such a large-scale attack."
"At present, the main combat direction of the German army is still on the Eastern Front," someone interrupted and said, "As long as you can continue to put pressure on the Germans on the Eastern Front, it will be difficult for them to withdraw enough troops to launch a decent counterattack."
The voice came from Yuri's left side. He turned his head and found that the person who spoke was Shapiro.
Yuri had dealt with the Allied chief war correspondent more than once. Although the two sides had no personal relationship, they were quite familiar with each other.
Seeing him interrupt, McNerney was dismissive of his reminder, and Yuri was too lazy to say more. To be honest, the Americans were wealthy and powerful, and they had sufficient manpower, weapons, equipment, and logistical supplies. Even if the Germans fought a beautiful counterattack in the Ardennes region and drove the British and American coalition forces into the English Channel and drowned them, the United States of America would be able to recover quickly. The only difference was that it would allow the Germans to survive for a while longer.
"General Yuri," Shapiro continued when Yuri stopped talking, "With the end of the Moscow Prisoner Parade, the Red Army's combat situation no longer needs to be kept secret as it was in the past, right?"
It was obvious that he was asking Yuri about the Soviet battle situation.
As the deputy chief of the General Staff and the chief of the Operations Department, Yuri certainly knows the situation of the Soviet army on all fronts very well. It can even be said that no one knows it better than him. He now takes a communications soldier with him wherever he goes, so he can receive intelligence information anytime and anywhere. Of course, the intelligence information he receives has been analyzed and summarized by the staff of the Operations Department, and is a report organized according to the direction of the battle.
Although the Soviet Union and Western countries such as Britain and the United States are allies, this alliance is only based on the needs of the war fascist countries. The antagonistic relationship formed by institutional differences has not actually changed at all. Britain and the United States will never truly trust the Red Soviet Union, just as the Red Soviet Union will never trust them.
Therefore, the Soviet army would not, and had no obligation to, report all of its battle situations to the British and American Allies, except when it had won a major battle and needed to show off.
More often than not, when the Soviet Union reported the war situation to Britain and the United States, it would exaggerate the strength of the German army on the Eastern Front. At the same time, it would also exaggerate the war pressure it was under, with the natural purpose of gaining more benefits.
However, this time Yuri did not conceal the battle situation because he had been authorized to do so.
"Our army is currently attacking the German army on a 700-kilometer front. In the main assault direction, Comrade Rokossovsky's troops are advancing on the north bank of the Vistula River and have liberated Warsaw. In the north, Comrade Bagramyan's troops have cut off the connection between East Prussia and the central region of Germany. Marshal Zhukov's troops have advanced . Marshal Konev's troops are advancing towards Bresfen." Yuri took off the leather gloves on his hands and walked forward behind the team, saying without thinking, "For the next action that the German army may take, we estimate that there may be two points."
He paused, glanced at McNerney who was walking on the other side of him, and continued: "First, there is no doubt that they will do their best to stop our army's advance on the Oder River line while being trapped in Berlin; second, they will definitely transfer the troops fighting in Italy to strengthen the cover in the direction of Vienna as much as possible. According to reliable intelligence, at present, 30 to 35 divisions of troops are being quickly transferred by the German army, and the German defense on our front will be greatly strengthened."
Shapiro walked and followed Yuri's footsteps, while taking notes quickly in a notebook. For him, this was the best material for news reports. If he expanded it a little, just what Yuri said could be used to publish an independent report.
"Of course, the Germans may also focus on the Western Front next." Yuri changed the subject and talked about the problem in the Ardennes region. "They may choose to first solve the troubles caused by the Allies on the Western Front, and then concentrate on solving the problems on the Eastern Front. If this is the case, I tend to think that they will choose to make the Ardennes region the focus of the battle, attack the Allied junction, break through the Allied Meuse River defense line between Liege and Namur, and seize the Allied main supply port Antwerp."
"Why?" Shapiro asked, "Why did General Yuri always believe that the German army would launch such a large-scale counterattack and focus on the Ardennes region?"
"Because they need a quick victory," Yuri shrugged and said, "Now, the German army lacks not only manpower and weapons, but also time. Germany is not the Soviet Union. They don't have as much depth as we do to retreat. It can be said that after liberating Warsaw, we are only one step away from Berlin. They must stop us on the Oder River line, and for the Germans, they need more troops to organize a defense line. Therefore, resolving the war on the Western Front in the shortest time possible and deploying as many troops as possible to the Oder River is their best and only choice."
"This is a very likely scenario," McNerney stopped, turned sideways, looked at Yuri with a smile, and said, "I will remind General Eisenhower to pay more attention."
The words were said perfunctorily, and not only Yuri, but even Shapiro could hear it.
Yuri just laughed off the other party's perfunctory and contempt. In fact, he didn't say those words to remind McEnany, but simply said them to the reporter Shapiro. As for the purpose, it was naturally to take this opportunity to improve his own reputation.
Personal reputation is sometimes a problem, but sometimes a benefit. If it were a year ago, Yuri would have kept a low profile and would not have actively sought to be on the cover of Western media, because that would only bring him unnecessary trouble. But now, the war has come to an end. In the Soviet high-level command system, everyone who has the opportunity is fighting overtly and covertly, trying to take the honor of being the first to enter Berlin. At this special moment, it is very necessary to show up in foreign media appropriately.
Don't think that Stalin's secret promise that whoever reaches the gates of Berlin first will be able to enter Berlin first is a sure thing. That was just a struggle between him and Zhukov. In addition to him and Zhukov, there are many other people who have the same opportunity.
In fact, thinking carefully, there is one thing Yuri himself has now realized, that is, as the war situation improves... no, to be precise, as his status and position gradually improve, his utilitarianism has become stronger and stronger. The perspective of considering problems has become more complicated, no longer as pure as before, and in dealing with the war, he has begun to consider more political factors.
At first, Yuri thought Zhukov was too utilitarian, but now, he is gradually becoming the second Zhukov.
