Time finally came to New Year's Day 1944.

In the past year, the situation of the world anti-fascist war has undergone a fundamental reversal, with the Axis powers retreating step by step until they fall apart, and the Allies have made great progress and achieved turning points on all battlefields.

The Allied camps on the foreign battlefield have been victorious, coupled with the proud Cairo Declaration, the great victory in the Battle of Changde, and a series of military victories achieved by the Hu Ben Army, China is particularly lively this year.

The Central Party Department of the Kuomintang, senior staff of various courts of the National Government and the Military Commission gathered in the front yard of the National Government auditorium. They first worshiped Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum from a distance, then entered the auditorium to hold a ceremony for awarding military personnel, and then held a solemn commemorative ceremony for the founding of the country.

At the ceremony, the chairman once again delivered an inspiring speech, enthusiastically praising a series of great victories in the anti-fascist alliance camp, and announced to the people and the world that the Chinese nation will resolutely and thoroughly achieve the great victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan.

Under the combined effect of these factors, this year's New Year's Day is naturally very different from previous years. All regions in the Kuomintang-controlled area organized solemn and warm celebrations, and all the soldiers and civilians were immersed in the ocean of joy.

The most dangerous and difficult time of the Chinese nation has passed. Although the Japanese invaders entrenched in China are still very powerful, the dawn of victory has illuminated the land of China, and the pace of victory is unstoppable.

In the Huben Army Defense Zone, Yang Fan naturally had no choice but to organize an unprecedented government work summary and commendation meeting, and a commendation meeting for the military awards.

In addition, Yang Fan also ordered the publicity department to organize a series of celebrations, condolences, and a grand New Year's Day party.

Anyway, it is to create a crazy atmosphere, spend a lot of money, promote and raise salary for meritorious personnel from all walks of life, give titles and award titles, give money and goods, and distribute various welfare gift packages, so that all military and civilians can share the joy and happiness of victory.

The battlefield of the Eastern Front of Europe.

In the early days of the Soviet-German War, the German army achieved a series of huge military victories on the battlefield, which made the situation in the Soviet Union in jeopardy.

However, since winning the Battle of Stalingrad, the Soviet army not only reversed the situation, but in a very short period of time, the Soviet army had the strength to counterattack.

By early 1944, the Soviet army had completely had a strategic advantage, and the German army was forced to enter the stage of strategic defense and contraction.

However, the amount of losses in the Soviet army was shocking.

Since the Soviet-German War, the number of casualties and missing Soviet troops has exceeded 7.8 million, while the German troops have only about 2 million.

However, with the Soviet Union's terrifying war potential being exchanged in a crazy manner, such losses did not defeat the Soviet Union.

In early 1944, an important strategic stronghold appeared in the southeast of the Soviet-German battlefield, namely Cherkass.

The Soviet First Front Army occupied the large landing ground west of Kiev, while the Ukrainian Second Front Army approached the Cherkass landing ground and occupied Kirovgrad, forming a pincer attack on the German army of Karenev's protruding troops between the two landing grounds.

In order to obtain the right to operate freely to the South Bug River, the Soviet army was determined to remove this prominence.

In order to capture the area, the Soviet army assembled the first Ukraine, with a total of about 150,000 troops and equipped with 370 tanks. On January 25, 1944, the Soviet army suddenly launched an attack.

It was winter and spring, with constant rain and snow, and the roads were muddy and slurry, which was not suitable for large troops to fight, but the Soviets chose to attack at this time.

Because in their opinion, the harsh climate is precisely the guarantee of sudden attacks.

In fact, the same is true.

Faced with Karenev's dangerous situation, the German army, both the General Staff of the Army and the commander of the Southern Army Group, Manstein, who was fighting on the southern wing.

However, since the German army did not expect the Soviet army to take action during the thawing season, the German army took almost no defensive measures at the beginning of the battle.

On January 25, the Ukrainian Second Front Army took the lead in launching an attack. After 10 minutes of intensive artillery fire, the tank troops opened the way and the infantry pressed tightly.

The Soviet army soon opened a loophole on the German defense line, and the elite guards' 5th Tank Army immediately broke in and rushed towards Zvinigodka.

However, the well-trained German army immediately launched a counterattack, with the "Vikings" and the 3rd, 11th and 14th Armored Divisions attempting to block the Soviet army's breakthrough from the east and west respectively.

The Soviet army continued to reinforce.

However, the German army had the advantage of the number of tanks on the defense line. Under the bombardment of the "Leopard" tanks and 88mm guns, the Soviet tank troops suffered heavy losses and had to suspend their attacks.

At 21:00 on the 25th, the German army blocked the breakthrough and surrounded the 20th and 29th Armored Divisions of the Soviet Army.

However, these two armored divisions were elite Soviet troops after all. After being surrounded, they not only did not panic, but instead launched a fierce attack.

The German army along the way was unexpected and collapsed at once.

In addition, with the reinforcements of the Second Ukrainian Front, the Soviet army not only opened the breakthrough again, but also established an encirclement of the German army, known in history as the "Cherkasser Steel Pocket".

Two German troops, 10 divisions, totaling 68,000 people were surrounded by Karenev's protrusion, and the only armored division was the famous "Victar" of the SS.

Military terms, the German army should give up this protrusion and flatten the front line is more beneficial, but the head of state did not agree to do so because he thought this protrusion was like a wedge, and he even fantasized about using it as a springboard to launch a counterattack against the Soviet army.

Therefore, Mannstein had no choice but to order the Germans not to retreat and to be sure to defend the Cherkasser protrusion.

At the same time, Mannstein made up his mind to gather troops and severely damage the Soviet army while rescuing the siege. Unfortunately, he overestimated the strength he had in his hand at this time.

On February 10, 1944, the German army began to assemble large-scale troops to launch a counterattack.

This huge rescue force has a luxurious lineup, with many elite German troops including the famous SS 1st Armored Division and the "Baker" Heavy Armored Regiment, with a total of more than 500 tanks.

The Soviet army had 307 tanks, which in comparison, had the advantage in the number of battle situations of the German army.

On February 11, 1944, the German army took the lead in launching an air strike, and then a huge armored legion was fully under pressure.

Under the sharp offensive, the German army once opened a breakthrough on the Soviet defense line.

However, the Soviet Union then invested another army to provide reinforcements. After tenacious resistance, the Soviet army finally defended the defense line and blocked the German army from the Gniloytiki River.

In the following days, more than 100,000 German troops fought desperately with more Soviet troops. The rescued German troops attacked continuously, but the Soviet troops suffered heavy losses in front of all aspects and could no longer move forward.

The most tragic one is the "First-in-Chief Guard Flag Team" division. In order to save the trapped compatriots, the last drop of blood was shed. When the division was ordered to retreat and rest, only 3 tanks and 4 assault guns were left in the division.

Although the German troops who rescued the siege continued to try to attack, they all ended in failure.

On February 15, 1944, Manstein had to send a telegram to the surrounded troops: The rescue troops were exhausted, and your troops could only break through on their own.

The telegram suddenly declared the death penalty for being besieged by the German troops.

At this time, all the besieged Germans had shrunk to a narrow area about 7 kilometers wide and 8 kilometers long under the pressure of the Soviet attack.

The Soviet army began to urge the besieged German army to surrender and ensure personal safety and give humanitarian treatment, etc., but the German army refused.
Chapter completed!