Chapter 414: amphibious landing
Of course, Mehlis wouldn't say that.
"Any danger is worth it, Comrade Shulka!" Mehlis puffed out his chest, as if he was taking the dangers: "Because it is for our country, for the recovery of our lands, for the destruction of the enemy Get out of our beautiful country! So..."
Mechlis spread his hands towards the map.
"It's obvious!" Shulka said, pointing to the map. "The Germans are understrength, at least so far, because their vanguard has to be divided into two groups, one to encircle Sevastopol and the other to encircle Sevastopol." Then we will attack the Kerch Peninsula with all our strength. No matter which route we take, we will need a lot of troops..."
Speaking of Shulka, he turned his gaze to Alexei.
"Yes!" Alexei replied, "their troops going to Sevastopol had about one division, and the ones attacking Kerch had one division, and they were partially reinforced. Their follow-up troops They are coming one after another!"
Shulka nodded.
This is a characteristic of the German army’s operations. They usually put the fastest and most powerful mechanized troops at the forefront and break through at the fastest speed, leaving the enemy too late to prepare.
The side effect of this is that the troops in the front are insufficient and the follow-up troops will be left far behind, especially the German army has to divide its troops into two groups.
"In the direction of Kerch!" Shulka continued: "The Germans attacked Kerch with limited forces, and their main force must advance along the Kerch Peninsula!"
"Yes!"
There is no doubt about this. With 20,000 people against more than 100,000 Soviet troops, although the morale of the Soviet troops is low and vulnerable, if the German army does not invest in the main force, I am afraid that it will not be able to expand the results of the battle and may even be attacked by the Soviet troops. counterattack.
"So the defense behind the German army must be empty!" Shulka said: "I mean the rear in the direction of the Kerch Peninsula!"
"You mean..." There was a look of horror in Alexei's eyes.
"Yes!" Shulka replied, pointing to the map: "I think we should land in Feodosia!"
Feodosia is a port city, located at the junction of the Kerch Peninsula and the Crimea. It is also the narrowest part of the Kerch Peninsula... only 16 kilometers from south to north.
In fact, this area is full of forests and ravines, and the only thing that can actually enter the Kerch Peninsula is a narrow passage several kilometers long, which can be said to be the throat of the Kerch Peninsula.
"If we successfully land in Feodosia, then we will be able to divide the German army into two, and even surround the German army attacking the Kerch Peninsula in the production island!" Shulka said.
"But Feodosia has been occupied by the German army!" Alexei objected: "We can't land!"
Landing operations in this day and age are very difficult, and even considered impossible, because landing operations will expose themselves to the open sea, withstand enemy fire, and then go to the beach to face enemy machine guns.
In fact, these are not bad, because as Shulka said before, the German army is short of troops and the rear is empty, and the same is true for Feodosia.
What is worse is actually the climate and sea water...
"Comrade Shulka!" Alexey said, "You must know that the temperature is now minus 40 degrees, and there are still quite a lot of wind and waves at sea. If we land under such conditions, our soldiers may be frozen at any time." In ice cubes!"
Shulka did not speak, because this is what he called the danger, especially the Soviet Navy lacked amphibious landing craft... In fact, the Soviet Navy at this time basically had no amphibious combat capability, mainly because the Soviet Union did not have this requirement.
To be precise, there is very little demand in this area. The entire Soviet Union is a continent, and there are very few battlefields that can be used for amphibious landing operations, so the army and artillery have been continuously developed.
But now we have encountered a situation that requires amphibious operations.
This question does not require Shulka to answer.
Mechlis responds to Alexei's doubts...
"I just want to know if we have any chance of success!" Mehlis asked.
"Yes, of course!" replied Alexei, "as the captain said, the Germans have only one battalion in Feodosia, and if we land there with enough troops, it is possible for us to capture it and take Victory in battle. But..."
"That's enough, Comrade Alexis!" Mechlis interrupted him, and then concluded: "Just do it, land in Feodosia!"
Shulka felt a little guilty, because he knew what this meant. He almost saw Soviet soldiers driving assault boats and lifeboats charging towards the enemy's port in the wind and waves.
Wind, rain, sea water, plus bullets and shells, many of them were killed before they even made it to shore.
Then, wave after wave of survivors jumped off the boat and stepped on the sea water to attack from the beach, enduring the severe cold while advancing. Formed ice cubes.
They may be able to charge forward for some distance, because their feet have lost feeling at that time, and even these survivors may win, because they have absolute superiority in force and full cover of sea and air force.
But even so, they can't save their legs... They will be necrotic due to low temperature, and even if they are not injured, they may face the danger of amputation or even loss of life.
Then Mehlis called the Navy.
This task is of course completed by the navy, and contact with the navy is inevitable.
"You're crazy, Comrade Mechlis!" Navy Commander-in-Chief Kuznetsov objected without thinking when he heard the plan: "Amphibious landing operations under such circumstances? It's almost impossible! "
"But now we can only do so!" Mechelis replied: "And, this is also our advantage, isn't it?"
"What?" Marshal Kuznetsov didn't understand what Mechlis meant: "What advantage? Is amphibious landing an advantage in this climate?"
"Yes, Comrade Marshal!" Mechlis said triumphantly, "If even you think this plan is crazy and impossible, then the Germans certainly never thought we would do this, what do you think?"
Marshal Kuznetsov was speechless.
At this moment, Shulka thinks that Mechelis is not that stupid, at least he knows how to study the enemy's psychology... However, this seems to be Mechelis' specialty.
(end of this chapter)