Chapter 336: Aid (Fifth)

"When can the 22nd Army arrive?" Lieutenant General Fyodor asked.

As the German offensive became more and more fierce, and they suffered heavy losses, they obviously could not last long in the city of Chelm, so they had to pin their hopes on the reinforcements.

"The 22nd Army set off yesterday morning. Calculating the time, we will be able to arrive this afternoon. However, if that guy Boris deliberately dawdled on the road, it would be difficult to say. After all, our situation is now critical , The Germans are too powerful. That guy Boris will not rush to die." Lieutenant General Golovin said with a gloomy face. If it were him, I'm afraid he wouldn't rush to Chelm.

"No, we can't let that guy hang around any longer. We need more reinforcements. Otherwise, with the strong attack power of the Germans, we may not be able to last for three days." Lieutenant General Fyodor said.

"Then we have to send a telegram to the general and ask him to urge the 22nd Army." Lieutenant General Golovin said.

Lieutenant General Fyodor nodded. They and Lieutenant General Boris are both lieutenant general commanders, and their ranks and positions are equal. Therefore, they have no way to order Lieutenant General Boris to do anything. Only General Dimitriev has this power.

The sharp attack of the German army caused heavy losses to the Russian army stationed in Chelm. As a last resort, they had no choice but to turn their minds on the reinforcements, hoping that the reinforcements would arrive in time so that they could persist in Chelm for a longer period of time.

Outside the city of Chelm, the headquarters of the German 17th Army, Lieutenant General Zeckert, the commander, and a group of division commanders are listening to reports from the front.

"General, so far, our advance is going smoothly. Although, the resistance of the Russian army is still very tenacious. However, with the whole of Chelm being bombed into ruins, the fortifications of the Russian army have been destroyed by us. It's almost there. There are very few fortifications that they can rely on. The threat to us is naturally very small. In addition, our armored force and air force cooperated to effectively attack the Russian army and destroy their The firepower point has cleared the way for the infantry to attack. At present, we have cleared almost one-third of the city of Chelm. If it arrives in the afternoon, we will probably be able to control such a large city again." The staff officer said to Everyone introduced.

"Very good! This means that by tomorrow at the latest, we will be able to take down the entire Chelm." Lieutenant General Zeckert smiled.

Qin Tian's order to the 8th Army was to require them to defeat the 4th Russian Army within half a month, copy the back route of the Russian Southwest Front Army, and together with the Austrian Army, attack the Russian Southwest Front Army to completely solve the problem. them. Defeating the Russian 4th Army is undoubtedly the primary task of the German 8th Army. Chelm, which was attacked by the 17th Army, had one third of the strength of the Russian 4th Army. If they can get rid of the Russian army here within three days, then the subsequent offensive will be much smoother.

"General, judging from the current situation, there should be no problem in taking Chelm tomorrow. As the casualties of the Russian army increase, the possibility of their stubborn resistance will become smaller and smaller. Morale will also be reduced. It will become more and more depressed, and the will to fight will become more and more fragile. It can be said that defeating them is already a certainty." said the commander of the 49th Infantry Division.

Lieutenant General Zeckert nodded: "After solving the Russian army's troops in Cheum, we can attack westward and cooperate with the 20th Army to take down Zamošić. In this case, the main force of the Russian 4th Army will be It was solved by us. The next battle will undoubtedly be much easier to fight."

The other generals nodded again and again. Everyone was very optimistic about this battle.

"General, the air team reported that their reconnaissance plane found a Russian army 20 kilometers southwest of Chelm, and it was approaching Chelm." A staff officer came in and reported.

"Another Russian army? How many people are there?" Lieutenant General Zeckert's heart tightened and he asked quickly.

Now is the critical moment for their attack on Chelm. If a Russian army appears to attack them, it will definitely affect their battle plan.

"General, the aviation team predicts that the Russian army is about 50,000 people." The staff officer continued.

"Fifty thousand? General, although fifty thousand is not many, it is definitely a lot. If they are allowed to enter Chelm, this will strengthen the defense of the Russian army. If we want to take Chelm, I am afraid we will have to It will take more time. The support army of the Russian army must not be allowed to enter Chelm!" said the commander of the 51st Infantry Division.

Zeker nodded, and he also had the same opinion. However, the 50,000 Russian army is no less than the 17th Army. This is also a huge threat to them.

"Colonel Rommel, how many tanks are available now?" Lieutenant General Zeckert asked. If you want to attack the 50,000 reinforcements of the Russian army and defeat them in one fell swoop, the support of the armored forces is absolutely indispensable.

"General, we still have about seventy tanks to go." Colonel Rommel replied.

"Well, dispatch 50 tanks to cooperate with the 51st Infantry Division to launch an attack on the Russian reinforcements. In addition, I will contact the 8th Air Force to let them bomb the Russian reinforcements. Try to defeat them all at once. The reinforcements of the Russian army. If the reinforcements of the Russian army are defeated, I want to see how long the Russian army in the city can last!" Lieutenant General Zeckert said.

"Yes, General." Both Colonel Rommel and the commander of the 51st Infantry Division replied.

Although, the 51st Infantry Division plus the 50 tanks dispatched by the 8th Armored Division have a total strength of less than 20,000 troops. Compared with the 50,000 Russian troops, they are undoubtedly at an extreme disadvantage in terms of strength. However, Lieutenant General Zeckert still believes that there is no problem at all in defeating the Russian reinforcements with the cooperation of armored forces and air force fighters. After the Russian reinforcements are defeated, the Russian defenders in Chelm will probably be shaken again in their will to fight! When the time comes, it will be even easier for them to take down Chelm.

"While the 51st Infantry Division and armored forces attacked the Russian reinforcements, the 49th Infantry Division and the 50th Infantry Division continued to attack Chelm, and could not give the Russian army in the city of Chelm any respite. Lieutenant General Zeckert ordered.

"Yes, General." The commanders of the 49th Infantry Division and the 50th Infantry Division also replied.

The 17th Army and the 8th Armored Division immediately took action. Part of the troops continued to attack Chelm, while the other part rushed to the reinforcements of the Russian army.