Anti-Japanese War: My equipment is infinitely refreshed

On the cold and windy Soviet-German battlefield, the snow-covered land was burned by the flames of war and turned into a scorched earth.

The earth-shaking roar of the Katyusha rocket launcher is just an appetizer in this brutal war feast.

Behind it was an endless army of tanks, sharpening their swords like steel behemoths. Their tracks left deep ruts in the snow, as if announcing their strength and destruction to the world.

Around the tanks, dense infantry surged like a tide. They were dressed in thick cotton-padded clothes, their eyes revealed determination and fearlessness, they held weapons tightly in their hands, always ready to fight for their motherland and beliefs.

These Soviet troops, who were ready to fight, were like a Russian bear about to wake up. Once the order was given, they would tear the enemy in front of them to pieces without hesitation and completely break down the enemy's defense line.

In the combat command center, Soviet Marshal Zhukov, a legendary figure on the battlefield, was staring at the huge sand table and map in front of him with a frown.

On the map, the enemy's defense areas and troop deployment are clearly marked with various colors.

Zhukov knew very well that the outcome of this war was not only related to the gains and losses of the immediate positions, but also to the fate of the entire country.

In addition to the army that was already ready for battle, Zhukov also drew batches of infantry divisions from all corners of the Soviet Union to serve as reserve forces.

His goal was very clear, which was to inflict heavy damage on the German Army Group Center in the front in one fell swoop and achieve a resounding victory. It would be best if the situation on the battlefield could be pushed back to the state when the war just broke out.

Originally, Zhukov had carefully formulated a plan, preparing to accumulate strength for a period of time and launch a large-scale counterattack when conditions in all aspects were more mature.

However, an urgent telegram from the Soviet supreme leader disrupted his original plan and forced him to launch this life-and-death battle ahead of schedule.

Because as the war dragged on, with every passing second, their ally, the British Empire, was getting closer to the brink of collapse.

If the Soviet Union did not launch an attack as soon as possible and deal a heavy blow to the German army, the British Empire would probably not be able to hold on.

The Soviet Union's counterattack this time can, to a certain extent, provide strong support to the battle on the Western Front, ease the pressure on its allies, and change the situation on the entire European battlefield.

Although he felt somewhat helpless, Zhukov understood that he had to shoulder this responsibility.

However, before officially launching the counterattack, the cautious Zhukov did not act rashly.

He was well aware of the strength and cunning of the German army, so he carried out meticulous reconnaissance operations time and time again.

The scouts were like ghosts in the night, shuttling around the German defense lines and collecting all kinds of key intelligence.

At the same time, Zhukov also organized several small-scale exploratory attacks, trying to find flaws in the German army's reactions.

In repeated battles, Zhukov keenly noticed that some elite troops of the enemy did not appear on the battlefield.

With his rich combat experience and outstanding military insight, he decisively judged that the enemy should transfer these elite troops to the Western Front to deal with the war in other directions.

Although he had some confidence in his mind, Zhukov still remained highly vigilant after the counterattack actually began.

He constantly called in reinforcements from the rear, sending these fresh troops into battle, and through their contact with the German army, he further tested the true situation of the enemy's troop strength and weapons and equipment.

After rounds of fierce probing, Zhukov finally figured out some of the enemy's details.

He discovered that Army Group Center was missing several elite units, including the 7th Armored Division, the 12th Armored Division, and the 6th and 7th Mountain Infantry Divisions.

These troops are considered the trump cards of the German army and are the core pillar of the German army's combat effectiveness.

Without these elite forces, the combat effectiveness of the German Army Group Center would at least be seriously reduced.

In view of this, a strong fighting spirit was ignited in Zhukov's heart, and he decided to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and do something big.

He wanted to avenge the tragic defeat of the Southwestern Army Group which was completely annihilated by the German army last time.

After all, he was the one who personally commanded the last battle. Although the Soviet supreme leader did not blame him in the end, it was always a shameful scar in Zhukov's heart.

He longed to prove himself in this battle, wash away the shame, and seek justice for his comrades who died on the battlefield.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the combat command center was solemn and depressing.

Zhukov stared at the sand table and the map, as if he wanted to engrave every detail in his mind.

"No, it's still not right." He muttered to himself, frowning and falling into deep thought.

Although the enemy lacked those elite troops, according to the detailed intelligence collected, the Central Army Group still had a huge force of over one million.

Perhaps the overall combat effectiveness of these troops is not as good as those elite troops, but they are by no means ordinary ones. It is definitely not an easy task to easily inflict heavy damage on the German commander Model.

"How about launching a general offensive now?" The chief of staff standing nearby asked cautiously while looking at Zhukov who was in deep thought.

In the opinion of the Chief of Staff, the enemy has already exposed some weaknesses, and it is a good time to launch a general offensive.

However, Zhukov shook his head without hesitation and said, "I think we should wait a little longer because it doesn't feel like the best time."

After hearing this, the Chief of Staff was filled with doubts and asked curiously, "Why? Marshal, the enemy is already showing signs of defeat. If we don't attack now, when will we attack?"

Zhukov raised his head slightly, looked at the map firmly, and began to explain in detail: "According to our intelligence, the enemy's defense line is similar to ours, also three lines of defense."

"However, their defense line was far more than 40 kilometers deep, and the entire defense system consisted of a large number of trenches, dense barbed wire, strong anti-tank positions and dangerous minefields."

"With such a tight defense system, we will definitely have to pay a heavy price if we want to break through these defenses."

"Our soldiers are the country's precious wealth. I cannot let them die in vain behind the enemy's lines."

After a pause, Zhukov continued: "At the same time, based on years of experience fighting the German army, I suspect that Model should still have an elite force in his hands. He must be waiting for the opportunity, ready to give us a fatal blow by surprise. We must not take it lightly and fall into the enemy's trap." At this point, a trace of worry flashed in Zhukov's eyes.

However, he quickly adjusted his mood and continued, "The only thing that reassures me is that their logistics line is close to collapse."

"Due to our previous series of harassment actions, their material supply has become seriously problematic." "Otherwise, with the German army's combat effectiveness, the current offensive would not be so smooth."

"But even so, we can't be blindly optimistic."

Hearing this, the Chief of Staff nodded thoughtfully.

After Zhukov's detailed analysis, he also realized that it was indeed not suitable to launch a general offensive now.

But he was a little worried, so he said, "But now the enemy has revealed its flaws and is in a losing position. If we don't seize the opportunity, it will be very difficult to inflict heavy damage on the enemy. The opportunity is fleeting, and we can't let it go."

Zhukov looked at the chief of staff and said earnestly, "No, I'm afraid they are deliberately luring us to attack. The German army is always good at setting ambushes. If we attack rashly and wait until we fall into their ambush circle, they will turn around and eat us up, and then we will be in an irretrievable situation. This is why I am desperately mobilizing the reserve forces. We must be fully prepared to deal with various possible situations."

Hearing this, the chief of staff also fell into deep thought.

Indeed, according to the German army's previous fighting style, when facing the Soviet army's offensive intensity, they should not retreat so quickly, at least they should hold out for a while.
After all, the Central Army Group's strength was no worse than that of the Soviet Army, and the German Army's combat effectiveness has always been strong.

The German army should have been able to withstand this level of attack.

Therefore, the enemy's abnormal behavior must mean there is some conspiracy waiting for them.

"The Marshal is right. What we should do now is to force out all the cards of the enemy, and then it will be time for us to launch a general offensive." The chief of staff said firmly with a gleam in his eyes.

Zhukov nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's right. Tell the artillery army to continue to increase the intensity of artillery coverage. In addition, order the air force to increase large-scale air strikes and use all the ammunition sent to the front line. Don't save ammunition. Be sure to blow up the enemy's position so that our tank army can charge quickly without hindrance. We must let the German army know that the power of our Soviet army is unstoppable!"

"Yes, Marshal, I'll pass the order on right away." After the chief of staff stood at attention and saluted, he quickly left the combat command center to convey Zhukov's order.

Zhukov once again turned his eyes to the map and sand table, continuing to concentrate on thinking about the next battle plan.

He knew very well that every step in this war was crucial, and any carelessness could lead to a reversal of the entire war situation.

After receiving Zhukov's order, the Soviet artillery seemed to be injected with infinite power.

Like mad beasts, they operated the artillery pieces even more vigorously, pouring shells onto the German positions like raindrops.

The roar of the artillery fire was deafening, as if it was going to shatter the entire world.

During the three-hour-long frenzied bombing, the flames from the shells dyed the sky blood red and the earth was shaking violently.

Until finally, the gun barrel became hot and red due to continuous firing, almost reaching its limit, and the artillerymen were forced to stop firing.

When the shelling finally stopped, the battlefield was filled with thick smoke and dust.

The 5th Guards Tank Division, which had been eager to try in the rear, began to rush towards the German positions fiercely like a wild horse.

Their tanks sped across the snow, their tracks kicking up large swaths of snow and mud.

Behind the 208th Guards Tank Division is the th Infantry Division, which closely follows the tank units and is responsible for supporting the two wings.

After years of brutal war, the Soviet army was no longer the rookie recruits it had just joined the war.

Their tactics and playing styles have become very mature and flexible. They are no longer reckless and blindly charging forward as before.

Now, whenever a tank division launched a charge, there would be infantry units carefully supporting the two flanks, for fear of falling into a cunning enemy ambush and being trapped in a desperate situation without rescue.

Under the fierce attack of the Soviet army, although the German army put up a tenacious resistance, they were gradually overwhelmed by the overwhelming attack of the 5th Guards Armored Division and began to abandon their weapons.

In just the blink of an eye, the German army's carefully constructed first line of defense was lost.

This time, the strength of the Soviet counterattack far exceeded the imagination of the German commander Marshal Model.

The Soviet attack was as fierce as a storm. In just a few days, the first line of defense was completely breached.

If the second line of defense was breached by the Soviet army again, the Soviet artillery fire would be able to directly threaten Model's command.

"We can't go on like this. We don't have enough troops. It's impossible to completely hold the defense line." Marshal Model stood in his command post, looking at the map in front of him, his brows tightly furrowed into the shape of a "川" character, and said anxiously.

He did have several elite troops in his hands, however, these troops were currently undergoing intensive equipment changes and were temporarily unable to join the battle due to problems with the allocation of various equipment and supplies.

At this critical moment, Model could only rack his brains to think of other ways to deal with the powerful Soviet offensive.

According to the latest intelligence, the Soviet army at that time had a huge force of nearly 30 million.

On the Eastern Front alone, the Soviet Union deployed nearly 10 million troops.

The Center Army Group led by Model faced a Soviet force of approximately three to four million.

Marshal Model found it difficult to breathe when he thought of this huge number.

He knew very well that he would be facing an unprecedented severe challenge.

"No, I must send a telegram to the Supreme Command. I need reinforcements. Without the support of reinforcements, we will be forced to retreat." After some painful thought, Marshal Model finally decided to send an urgent telegram to the German Supreme Command.

He knew very well what this decision meant, but under the current severe situation, he had no better choice.

He could only leave this problem to the senior leaders of the German army and let them worry about how to deal with it.

At the same time, in the Soviet combat command, Zhukov did not show the slightest pride or slackness after learning that the first line of defense had been successfully breached.

He knew very well that this was just the beginning of a long and brutal war, and that even more difficult battles were waiting for them.

He continued to command the Soviet army, methodically launching a tentative attack on the German second line of defense, while paying close attention to every change on the battlefield, waiting for the best time to launch a general offensive. (End of this chapter)