Zhukov's order was not carried out.

The Russian army moving north from the Salt Lake area south of Stalingrad was strongly blocked by the Germans, but the Southwestern Front, commanded by Tuvatin, was under the cover of the Don Front under the command of Lieutenant General Rokossovsky, and the operation of pincering the siege from the north was progressing smoothly.

When they swooped down on the Romanian servant corps covering the northern flank of Germany across the gloomy Kalmouk steppe, the Romanian 3rd Army was crushed. The Russian vanguard even attacked the northern flank of the German army at the meanders of the Don.

Zhukov hesitated for a moment, but decided to seize this opportunity and put down all five full corps in the north.

In the street battle at Stalingrad in September, the German troops even reached 180 meters near the Tsaritsyn bunker on Pushkin Street, but he did not have the slightest intention of moving the headquarters here, but directed all the staff officers around him to rush out to fight.

The fierceness of the Russians made them even more offensive.

"No matter how prepared the Germans are, all we have to do is rush forward and kill them!" Zhukov decided, and he was determined that he would not change easily.

The success of the raid in the north allowed him to continue to order the southern army to maintain a strong offensive.

"All I need is for you to be able to get to the appointed location on the Western Front and join the army on the Northern Route to complete the final encirclement of the Germans. Even if the Romanians there have been replaced by Germans, you must get there on time. Even if you gnaw with your teeth, you have to gnaw out a way, otherwise...... No otherwise! Zhukov yelled directly at Andrei Yeremenko, who was in charge of the Stalingrad Front going north.

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!" This cavalry general, who likes to talk big and is a little rough but extremely courageous, replied solemnly at this time.

This time, the Stalingrad Front collided not with the 4th Romanian Army, which was weak in intelligence, but with Kleist's 1st Panzer Army, which was drawn from the Caucasus.

They had to stop because of the lack of oil, only 50 kilometers from the largest oil-producing center in Soviet Russia around Grozny.

After receiving the fuel supply from Qinghuo Energy Group, the sharp German tanks started again, and used the power of steel to block the counterattack of the Stalingrad Front from turning defense into offensive.

When the sharpest tank unit of the Russians was defeated, Yeremenko knew that the only thing the Russians could do was to use cannon fodder at any cost.

As in the street battles at Stalingrad. Flesh and steel collide violently once again.

When the bloodstains, like the rust of the years, began to be deposited on the German tanks. Even the high-quality steel of the Germans was somewhat corroded by the determination of the Russians.

"The war situation in the south is a little tense!" Paulus's assistant, Arthur Schmidt, gently walked into the German command post in the ruins of the department store and whispered a reminder to Paulus.

"I see!" Paulus replied casually.

He rubbed the facial paralysis on the left side of his face caused by nervous tension and severe cold, and then raised his head to look at the window through the palm-sized cloudy sky, and muttered, "The weather has changed, it's time to close the net!" ”

……

"The Russians are not good this time!" Fan Chong raised his head from the map and shook his head slightly at Meng Xiang.

"They rashly launched such a counteroffensive, but fell into the calculations of the Germans." Fan Chong sighed, but didn't notice that Meng Xiang's expression was a little strange.

If you want to talk about calculations, I am afraid that the Russians fell into Meng Xiang's calculations.

"It seems that this time the Germans were prepared. Even Manstein came from the north, and they didn't notice it! Fan Chong continued to praise.

Of course, he didn't know that the Germans were almost caught off guard by the Russians, and if it weren't for Meng Xiang's reminder and support, I am afraid that after the rout of the Romanian corps in the north, it would be the rout of the German 6th Army. Even without the support of Meng Xiang, I am afraid that the fuel of Manstein's armored forces will not have time to be supplied on time. Not to mention a quick surprise attack from behind the Soviet Russian Southwestern Front.

Although the Germans' plan was good, the lack of supplies made it difficult for them to carry it out smoothly. And now with Meng Xiang's help, it seems that the whole battle has changed in a different way.

……

"You go check again!" Zhukov said with some annoyance.

When the war in the north went well, Zhukov saw the hope of victory. A basin of cold water poured him cold. The Russians spotted the 4th Panzer Corps, which was rapidly approaching.

"It was confirmed that it was the German Army Group Don. The commander was Manstein. The news of the reconfirmation of the Russian intelligence agencies made Zhukov's face a little pale.

Manstein was now a German field marshal for his merits in the capture of the fortresses of Sevastopol and Leningrad. This was the focus of Russian intelligence officers, and Manstein no longer deliberately concealed his whereabouts. As long as there is fuel, the speed of mechanized troops is faster than the reaction of the opponent.

Zhukov also understood that this action of the Germans was undoubtedly fatal, and Manstein's large army surrounded from the north and west, and the German 6th Army in the east, immediately besieged the Southwestern Front and the Don Front, which had crossed the middle reaches of the Don River, in a narrow area between the Don and Chir rivers.

"What a big bait!" Zhukov said bitterly in his heart.

The 3rd Army Corps in Romania had already been swallowed up by the Russians. Seeing that the Germans were about to lose, the Russians, who were busy pursuing the victory, apparently did not overshoot Manstein in the distance.

The blitzkrieg of the Germans again came into play and took the Russians by surprise.

The T-34 tanks and BT tanks arranged by the Russians in the rear defense line could not withstand the onslaught of the newly reequipped 4th Army. Unlike narrow urban street fighting, in the wilderness, the wheels of German tanks were no longer something that the corpses could easily trip on.

They continued to raid and divide the Soviet Russians' rear defenses, and did not give the Russians a chance to adjust their strategic deployment. Until more cannon fodder gradually buries every route they charge.

At the time of the street fighting at Stalingrad, the life expectancy of a recruit was one day, and that of an officer was three days. A lot of sacrifice is solidifying the city.

The same large amount of cannon fodder again solidified the momentum of the German offensive. The interception force sent by Zhukov without hesitation finally slowed down in Maninstein after paying great sacrifices. But the crisis has not been resolved, but this has given the Russians the opportunity to adjust their strategic deployment.

The appearance of Manstein's troops left Zhukov with two choices.

One was to break the tail to survive and quickly withdraw the main forces of the Southwestern Front and the Don Front to the east and north of the Don River, which meant the complete failure of the counteroffensive plan.

One was to take a gamble and continue the march of the army south to the east, and launch a strong attack on the 6th Army together with the Stalingrad Front. This means huge losses and an unknown ending.

Of course, this decision was no longer something that Zhukov could grasp, and it needed Stalin's approval.

"Keep fighting!" The military situation was in full swing, and Stalin finally made a decision after suffering for three hours.

Even if the Soviets retreated and could save the main forces, there was no doubt that the advantage of Stalingrad had been lost, and the oil fields in the south would fall into the hands of the Germans. If it continues, even if the Germans want to swallow these main forces of Soviet Russia, they will inevitably have to pay a heavy price.

At this time, Churchill and Roosevelt personally questioned and promised to increase support for Soviet Russia, and the price was naturally to beat the Germans.

After receiving the order, Zhukov immediately pressed all the troops preparing for the offensive and tried to open up the defenses of the 6th Army in the south and east.

The biggest collision between the two sides broke out on October 29.

Almost the eyes of the whole world were focused on this, but few people knew that Stalin had quietly sent a secret mission to China.

……

"The Russians intend to recognize our sovereignty over the Far East, Siberia and part of Central Asia!" Meng Xiang was very surprised that Stalin, who had always been known as an iron man, was ready to bow his head.

Soviet Russia has always had missions stationed in China, and for a long time they have been arguing with China about the territorial issue in the north. Under Stalin's hard-line attitude, the maximum concession they made was to return the unequal treaties signed by Tsarist Russia, and they did not agree to cede land for compensation. Now the concession is so big, it is difficult for Meng Xiang to adapt for a while.

"Stalingrad, although the losses on both sides were large, the victory was undoubtedly in favor of the Germans. Huge army losses are not something that can be filled by those reserve recruits, not to mention the fact that the Germans are pressing on step by step. Stalin's idea of attacking the Urals and Central Asia with two million troops defending our China. Fan Chong pointed out Stalin's intentions.

"They want to keep Europe first! It is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge. Can such a contract stop Lao Maozi's ambition? Pharmacist Tang also said.

"If they really have that written agreement, then you might as well promise them!" Meng Xiang frowned, and said again in the face of everyone's eager eyes, "Stalin is a man who refuses to admit defeat. I would never believe that the Russians would compromise easily. Since they need more troops, then let them draw the army from the Asia-Europe border. In this way, the battlefields of Europe will be more lively. Of course, we also need to remind our German friends! Or, we are ready for the next offensive operation! ”！！！