klisemfg Chapter 212 Wang Congwu's Retreat Route
Chapter 212 Wang Congwu's Retreat Route
The 115th Group Army's deputy chief of staff hurried back, clutching a loss report. After a morning of fierce fighting, our army had lost 147 tanks, most of which were damaged and trapped on the battlefield, making their withdrawal difficult. Casualties were relatively light, and as soon as replacement tanks arrived, they could immediately return to battle.
According to his estimate, the German losses would be no less than our own, but the Germans had a fatal weakness—a lack of supplies. This war of attrition would be advantageous to our side. Commanders Huang and Lin immediately realized this and issued the order almost simultaneously: "Concentrate artillery fire on the enemy area. Don't allow the Germans a chance to recapture their tanks and repair them!"
At the same time, Dolman issued the same order. In an instant, the battlefield, which had been silent and chaotic, was once again filled with the roar of artillery fire and smoke.
Dollmann and his staff were frantically calculating their own losses. Learning that they had lost over 130 tanks of various types, Dollmann was heartbroken. However, he also knew that the enemy had suffered equally heavy losses. Furthermore, the battlefield situation had become limited, making it impossible for the enemy to annihilate them in one fell swoop. This situation actually favored Dollmann. If they could establish communication with Taganrog, drag out the battle until reinforcements from the 15th Army, or even the 3rd SS Army, arrived, the Chinese and Soviet forces would be trapped, waiting to be surrounded, routed, and ultimately annihilated.
Lao Peng also hurried to the 115th Army's temporary headquarters. Three of China's most prominent commanders on the southern front sat down together to thoroughly analyze the battle situation and the surrounding situation. The 115th Army's Chief of Staff, Zuo Yu, and the Chief of Operations conducted a sand table exercise based on the three's deductions. After repeated discussions, they still couldn't find an opportunity for a quick victory. The three judged that the longer the delay, the greater the risk. While the Chinese and Soviet forces could completely crush the German 7th Army, the surrounding situation would become extremely unfavorable for the st Ukrainian Front, potentially even leading to the loss of Rostov and the loss of their current strategic advantage.
"We can't continue fighting like this!" the three men concluded almost simultaneously. If they continued fighting this way, they would be reverting to the Soviet-style offensive and attritional warfare. The Chinese military's mobile warfare would be rendered ineffective. Furthermore, this approach would play into the SDL's strategy. A war of attrition between Germany and China would ultimately give the Soviets an opening. Once World War II was over, the elite Chinese troops would suffer heavy losses, and a Soviet reneging on their words would be fatal to the Chinese.
Old Peng looked at the two men, who nodded affirmatively in reply. The three men made a bold decision in their hearts. Abandon the original plan, feign defeat and evacuate. The 200th Army and the 17th Army continued to hold their original positions. Liu Molong was ordered to immediately turn and advance southwest along the Schacht Line, heading straight for Amvrosyevka, the railway hub west of Taganrog, to cut off and destroy the German western railway line, delaying the German reinforcements to Taganrog. He also ordered the 1st Cavalry Army and the Soviet 16th Cavalry Army to boldly penetrate, not afraid of losses, and to find a way to cut off the German transportation and railway lines along the Sverdlovsk line, forcing the German army to return to defense.
Huang Wei also added a reminder: "Liu Molong should be informed that when attacking the direction of Amvrosievka, he must be careful. The German army may have already made a detour from that direction. If the main force of the German army is found in this area, they should immediately retreat and retreat to the Rostov line as soon as possible."
While the Chief of Operations was issuing orders, Lin sat alone in front of the sand table, lost in thought once more. Old Peng and Huang Wei didn't bother him. They knew very well that today's battle had dealt a heavy blow to Lin, and he needed time to review the entire process, draw lessons, and find a proper plan for the next phase of the battle.
In fact, Lao Peng and Huang Wei themselves were also very dissatisfied. Such a plan with such a favorable time and location was actually discovered and destroyed by a not-so-outstanding German frontline commander. They were also analyzing and summarizing the loopholes in the process and looking for opportunities to make up for them.
Huang Wei suddenly realized something and yelled, "Oh no!" He quickly called Zuo over and ordered him, "Please send a telegram to Wang Congwu in the southwest and order him to evacuate immediately! I estimate that Dollman's motorized troops have already launched an attack in their direction!"
After Zuo left, Lin also stood up from the sand table and said to Lao Peng and Huang Wei, "General Peng, Chief of Staff Huang, I don't think we can give up right away. Since we're feigning defeat, we need to be thorough. We should be prepared to commit the entire 343rd Division and compete with Dolman here again. I don't believe Dolman is a tough opponent."
Lao Peng and Huang Wei also nodded. Since they were pretending to be defeated, it didn't matter if it was a day earlier or later. It was not impossible to use a tank division to test it. They had to fight anyway, so they might as well fight!
That afternoon, as if by tacit agreement, neither side launched an offensive. Along the eastern sector, everyone was expanding their positions, seemingly oblivious to the desperate, bloody clash of steel that morning. Had the entire tank battle zone also been forgotten? Thanks to the relentless efforts of soldiers on both sides, trenches stretching dozens of miles deep had been established on both sides. Triangular anti-tank concrete piers were neatly arranged, like a low, dense jungle. Behind them lay countless overlapping barbed wire fences, and beyond that, an endless crisscross of trenches and tunnels...
Lin's reconnaissance units returned one after another as dusk approached. While searching for the enemy's weaknesses, they engaged in a firefight with similar units, resulting in casualties on both sides. As the leaders of each reconnaissance unit shook their heads apologetically to Chief of Staff Zuo, Lin sensed that his opponent was truly extraordinary. He had no choice but to lower his gaze and take this unremarkable opponent seriously.
Wang Congwu and the 598th and 601st Divisions encountered difficulties at this time. The German 23rd and 29th Motorized Corps launched an attack on his two divisions. Obviously, Wang and the 598th and 601st Divisions were no match for them. The 598th Division was armored and stronger. Wang Congwu personally led the 598th Division to cover the 601st Division's retreat. The 601st Division had already suffered heavy losses in the attack on Taganrog and had to accept the order of Deputy Chief of Staff Wang Congwu and retreat towards Rostov. As the battle continued, the 598th Division seemed to be trapped in a tight German encirclement.
Wang Congwu realized that retreating toward Rostov was impossible, so he decisively ordered the 598th Division to concentrate its efforts northwestward, planning a circuitous retreat from Schacht to the rear. The 598th Division, after a fierce charge and at considerable cost, finally broke free from the German encirclement. While retreating northwest, they discovered no significant enemy resistance ahead. Around midnight, they finally reached Schacht.