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"Great! The Chinese Allied Forces played really well! They stabbed the Soviets in the dead of time!" Hitler was elated and at the same time a little puzzled, because the Nanjing Army's operation was undoubtedly not small. The significance and value are even greater, but he was not informed in advance. Although Hitler had no right to command the Chinese army, he was the "general leader" of the Allied Powers, and he was obviously unhappy to be kept in the dark.
Hitler then hastily summoned Shang Zhen.
Faced with Hitler's confusion and slight displeasure, Shang Zhen explained: "Dear head of state, we have absolutely nothing to hide from you and Germany. China and Germany are one, and we cannot do anything that harms Germany's interests.
The reason why our army did not notify you in advance of the battle in Baku was mainly due to a kind of 'good faith concealment', which was approved by Jiang Weiguo himself, and here, on behalf of Jiang Weiguo, I would like to sincerely apologize to you!"
Hitler became more and more puzzled: "Why do you say it is a 'good faith concealment'?"
Shang Zhen smiled: "Your Excellency, our army crossed the Caspian Sea and raided Baku, which naturally played a huge role, and undoubtedly played a great role in aiding the German army that was fighting hard on the Stalingrad battlefield.
If you have been informed in advance, you may think that the Stalingrad battlefield does not need more reinforcements, and if part of the reinforcements are used for Moscow or Leningrad, it is really not worth the candle!"
Hitler immediately understood the hints from Shang Zhen, Jiang Weiguo, and the senior officials of the Nanjing Army behind Shang Zhen. He was first awakened, and then felt faintly ashamed.
Hitler was not a person who wanted to save face. He immediately straightened his expression and sincerely apologized: "You are doing the right thing. Although you concealed me, it is beneficial to Germany and the overall situation of Germany!"
Shang Zhen said while the iron was hot: "Your Excellency, the Soviet army on the Stalingrad battlefield is very likely to abandon Stalingrad, and at the very least will deploy a large number of troops to counterattack Baku. Therefore, our troops in Baku urgently need German assistance. , but time is too urgent, it is difficult for the German ground troops to reach Baku ahead of the Soviets, so..."
Hitler nodded again and again: "I understand!" He immediately picked up a phone on the desk, "Let General Kurt Student come to me immediately!"
The Nanjing Army's surprise attack on Baku had a very significant impact on the situation in Stalingrad.
The commander-in-chief of the Soviet Army, Marshal Timoshenko, was forced to dispatch a main force with more than [-] troops to leave the Stalingrad battlefield, and took a train to the Transcaucasus all night long. The German commander-in-chief, Marshal Rundstedt, quickly noticed the Soviet army Several weaknesses were exposed due to the lack of troops, and then they concentrated their forces to launch a fierce attack. After a day and a night of fierce fighting, the German army successfully tore up many Soviet defense lines, allowing the German army to further gain the upper hand on the Stalingrad battlefield and capture one-fifth of the Soviet army. In urban areas with four or more areas, the Soviet army was unable to launch a counter-offensive, and had to switch to defense across the board, and gave up large areas.
At this point in the war, the situation in Stalingrad has become very clear. The Soviet army is completely suppressed by the German army. As long as the German army has enough time, the chances of occupying the city are very high.
The Soviet counterattack against Baku was jointly undertaken by the troops of the Transcaucasus Military District, the North Caucasus Military District, and reinforcements from the Stalingrad battlefield. The generals accepted the command of Vasilevsky who flew from Moscow, and counterattacked the Soviet army with a total of more than [-] troops, far exceeding the strength of the Nanjing army.
After the 180th Brigade launched its attack, the Nanjing Army Headquarters has already dispatched troops against the clock. The other two brigades of the [-]th Division set off from the southwestern part of Central Asia by train and rushed to Turkmenba on the east coast of the Caspian Sea. Greek port, and then take the ship provided by Iran, cross the Caspian Sea, and set foot on the battlefield of Baku to participate in the war.
However, it will take some time for the follow-up troops of the Nanjing Army to arrive in Baku, and the long-distance water cannot quench their thirst. Therefore, on the one hand, the Nanjing Army asked the German army for assistance, and on the other hand, it used the Iranian army to launch a new round of offensive.
Using the Iranian army to relieve the pressure on the 10,000th Brigade was a last resort decision by the Nanjing Army Headquarters, because the performance of the Iranian army in previous battles can only be described as "unflattering", although the Soviet army has advantages in many aspects , but the Iranian army could not defeat tens of thousands of Soviet troops with [-]+ troops. The root cause was the Iranian army itself.
For this reason, the Nanjing Army can only use "extraordinary means".
On December 12th, the battle situation in Baku, which had been silent for a day and a night, was once again shaken by an earth-shattering war.
In the past day and night, both the Nanjing Army and the Soviet Army in Baku stood still. Neither side dared to act rashly, because both sides had their own ideas. The reason why the Soviet Army did not dare to counterattack the Nanjing Army was to destroy the Baku oil field at the same time. Therefore, the main reason why the Nanjing army did not dare to attack the Soviet army was the lack of troops, and the attacking Soviet army was powerless, so the [-]th Brigade was also waiting for the follow-up reinforcements to arrive, and another reason was that the Nanjing army also did not want to attack the Soviet army. Destruction of the Baku oil fields.
In fact, Jiang Weiguo's order to the [-]th Brigade was: if it can be occupied, it will be occupied, and if it cannot be occupied, it will be destroyed.
Lu Xinrong had already made up his mind that if the Soviet army fought back aggressively, the [-]th Brigade would wreak havoc while fighting to the death. When the entire brigade was wiped out again, at least half of Baku would be turned into ruins. However, Stuchenko did not With a massive counterattack, Lu Xinrong tacitly maintained a short-term situation of "well water does not interfere with river water" with Stockche. At the same time, follow-up reinforcements from both sides rushed to arrive against the clock.
At 12:20 pm on December [-], the sky in Baku was filled with wind and thunder. More than [-] German aircraft appeared on the battlefield in Baku, two fifths were fighter jets, and three fifths were transport planes.
Braving the fierce Soviet anti-aircraft artillery fire, the German fleet continued to suffer losses while blooming fairy-like umbrella flowers in the blue sky.
The German airborne troops made their debut in actual combat for the first time. According to Hitler’s order, the commander of the German airborne troops, Major General Kurt Student, personally led the 7th Airborne Division, the main force of the German airborne troops, to participate in the Battle of Baku and assist Nanjing The Soviet Army and the Soviet Army competed for the Baku oil fields.
This was due to time constraints. The German ground troops were still entangled in Stalingrad by the Soviet army and could not come quickly. The airborne troops who could fly to the sky were the best choice for the German army to reinforce the Nanjing Army.
The German transport planes that covered the sky and the sun were severely damaged by the Soviet anti-aircraft firepower network. More than 100 transport planes were shot down or severely injured, but more than 4000 German airborne troops successfully landed , half of which fell in the area controlled by the Nanjing Army, and half fell in the area controlled by the Soviet Army.
Lu Xinrong knew in advance that the German airborne troops were coming for reinforcements, so he ordered the officers and soldiers to paint a huge and eye-catching "Swastika" sign with black paint everywhere in the control area, indicating the airborne German transport planes in the air. Therefore, the Nanjing Army is currently in Baku. Although the control area was not large, half of the German airborne troops successfully landed in the Nanjing Army control area.
The German paratroopers who landed in the area controlled by the Nanjing Army and the Nanjing Army successfully joined forces, while the German paratroopers who landed in the area controlled by the Soviet Army fought hard. Although they suffered heavy casualties, they contained a large number of Soviet troops.
Amid the applause and applause in Chinese, the officers and soldiers of the [-]th Brigade, who were fighting hard, looked beamingly at the German paratroopers swaying down from the sky.
After the German paratroopers landed, the officers and soldiers of the Nanjing Army immediately rushed forward to help them release their parachutes and gave them a warm welcome. Although they did not understand the language and were of different ethnicities and races, both sides knew that the other party was an ally in the same trench as them. Therefore, the atmosphere was extremely harmonious and friendly. The German paratroopers were as happy as seeing their relatives after seeing the Nanjing Army (in fact, they felt lucky that they did not fall into the Soviet-controlled area), and the Nanjing Army officers and soldiers were also enthusiastic after seeing the German paratroopers. For the German paratroopers who landed in the see-saw area between the enemy and us or the edge of the area controlled by the enemy and us, the Nanjing Army launched an attack without hesitation and rescued the German paratroopers. , The German paratroopers were very moved.
A tall German major general with a high nose and thin lips, about fifty years old, was limping around in the Nanjing Army-controlled area with the support of several German paratroopers, and shouted at the same time: "Who is your commander?" ? I am the commander of the German paratroopers!"
Lu Xinrong immediately ran to greet him. The German major general was of course Kurt Student, who broke his ankle during the parachute jump.
The two saluted each other, and then shook hands tightly. Lu Xinrong said sympathetically, "General, why do you participate in person? It's too dangerous!" He actually wanted to say, "You are so old, and you are 50 years old. A lad in his 20s."
Student said with a solemn expression: "This is the first time that the German airborne troops have participated in actual combat. How can I not participate? What's more, I can't sit in the safe back and let the boys in my army go through life and death on the front line , This is not something a real soldier would do!"
Lu Xinrong nodded again and again, with respect in his heart.
Student immediately asked Lu Xinrong: "At least half of my boys fell into the Soviet-controlled area, Colonel Lu, you can gather troops to counterattack the Soviets, so that those boys can have a chance to escape.
My troops can be handed over to your command for the time being!"
Lu Xinrong thought for a while, and indeed, a counterattack with a certain amount of attack could not only save some German paratroopers, but also take the opportunity to expand the area occupied by the Nanjing Army in the Baku oil field. "
The Nanjing Army and the German paratroopers at the joint unit immediately launched a series of counterattacks to the Soviet-controlled area.
The bigger counterattack of the Nanjing Army is at the junction of Azerbaijan and Iran.
Under the command of Chen Jihuan, the Iranian army launched a full-scale attack on the Soviet army, led by the "First Brigade of the King's Guard" with the best equipment and the strongest combat effectiveness in the Iranian army.
The Iranian army is actually divided into two systems, one is the national defense force, and the other is the king's guard. It goes without saying that King Reza Khan built the army in this way. The number of the king's guard is much smaller than that of the national defense force. The level of well-equipped equipment is much higher than that of the National Defense Forces. All of them are German weapons imported from the German army, and even equipped with many tanks and artillery. It can be said that the King's Guard is the essence of the Iranian army. King Reza Khan spent a lot of money to build the King's Guard. .
The King's Guard has been stationed in the capital Tehran. At this time, due to the poor performance of the front-line troops, King Reza Shah was furious and ordered Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to lead the first brigade of the King's Guard to the front line to participate in the battle.
Chen Jihuan didn't take this seriously. He knew that the Crown Prince of Pahlavi came to the war in name, but he was actually supervising the war. To put it bluntly, he came to make a show of gilding, so as to gain military merits, so that he could succeed the throne in the future. The king's guard The first brigade said it was here to participate in the war, it might as well be a guard for the Pahlavi crown prince.
However, for this pawn, Chen Jihuan still planned to make good use of it.
Before the counterattack started, Chen Jihuan found Pahlavi: "His Royal Highness, regarding this counterattack, I plan to change the battle plan. The previous attack by our army (Iranian army) was a full-scale attack. Although it was huge, it could not form the focus of the attack. We must concentrate our elite troops at one point, pierce the Soviet defense line like a steel needle, and tear a gap, and the follow-up troops will naturally flow into the hinterland of Azerbaijan through this gap!"
Pahlavi was deeply favored by his father, Reza Khan, and was sent to Britain, the United States and other countries to receive Western education in his early years, so he was quite elegant, not a rude and ignorant person. His biggest shortcoming was his desire for pleasure and extravagance.
For Chen Jihuan, Pahlavi still respects him quite a bit. He knows that he knows nothing about military matters. This "conquest for his father" is a good opportunity for him to earn military capital. He can only win battles, not lose them. He must rely on Chen Jihuan's strategizing , so I still obey Chen Jihuan.
"General Chen, your battle plan is..." Pahlavi asked with great interest.
Chen Jihuan pointed to the map: "The area where our army is currently stalemate with the enemy is located between the Aras River and the Kura River. There is a flat river between the two rivers, and the Soviet army's defense line is mainly trenches. If our army concentrates all tanks and most of the cars , launch an assault in a mechanized way, and break through from this river beach, it will definitely break the Soviet defense line here!" He looked at Pahlavi, "The army with the most tanks and cars is the first brigade of the guards. So the [-]st Brigade must serve as the main attack force!"
Pahlavi nodded again and again: "Okay, just follow what you said, General Chen, and I'll wait for the good news here!"
"No!" Chen Jihuan shook his head again and again, "His Royal Highness, you can't be here, you have to take the lead, so that the morale of the army will be boosted!"
"This..." Pahlavi suddenly looked embarrassed, of course he didn't want to take risks.
Chen Jihuan saw Pahlavi's hesitation and comforted him: "Don't worry, I will be with you and there will be no danger. According to intelligence, the Soviet army in the area where the breakthrough point is located has been reduced by more than half. Baku has been rescued, and this victory is a sure thing, otherwise, how dare I lead the way with you?" He paused, and then continued, "His Royal Highness, you are the crown prince, but you have no fear Take the lead in the charge, the morale of the troops will be boosted, and then they will be unstoppable. Your move will surely become a good story, praised by the whole country and famous all over the world, isn't it? You are 21 years old this year. Jiang Weiguo, the second son of the leader of our country, led the army to stand firm You were also 21 years old in Nanjing! Second Young Master Jiang can do it, how can you not do it?"
Under Chen Jihuan's persuasive temptation, Pahlavi finally gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
Facts have proved that Chen Jihuan deceived Pahlavi completely by "smart words". The breakthrough point he chose was not the weak point of the Soviet army, but on the contrary, it was the place where the Soviet army was most heavily defended.
After the first brigade of the Iranian King's Guard launched a charge, it advanced hundreds of kilometers in one breath, and was immediately surrounded by the Soviet army.
Seeing the Soviet troops all over the mountains and plains in all directions, Pahlavi was frightened out of his wits and turned pale. He panicked and asked Chen Jihuan: "General Chen, why is this happening? Didn't you say that there are very few Soviet troops here?"
Chen Jihuan fell into the heavy siege of the Soviet army together with Pahlavi, but he seemed calm and unhurried: "So what? Wars are full of surprises!"
Pahlavi was furious: "Then what should we do now?"
Chen Jihuan calmly said, "Of course it's a fight to the death, waiting for His Majesty's reinforcements to arrive! Otherwise, Your Highness, you will either be a prisoner of the Soviets or die for your country!"
After receiving Pahlavi’s call for help, King Reza Khan was shocked. He hurriedly ordered the front-line Iranian army to “rescue the crown prince at all costs” and “those who rescued the crown prince will be rewarded heavily. ".
Suddenly, the Iranian army, which was originally passive in combat, suddenly had to work hard.
While the counterattack was underway, Jiang Weiguo received a telegram. The sender surprised him, it was Vasilevsky, and the contents of the telegram surprised him even more, because Vasilevsky actually suggested, Give part of the Baku oil fields to China".
Chapter 514 Surprise attack across the lake (7)
In order to let the Iranian army exert its utmost efforts, Chen Jihuan had no choice but to "prescribe the right medicine and do whatever it takes." His method was also very simple, that is, to "coax" the Pahlavi Crown Prince to lead the troops deep into the army alone, and then fell into the siege of the Soviet army, forcing all the troops on the battlefield The Iranian army worked desperately to rescue the "national crown prince".
In this regard, Chen Jihuan also made relatively sufficient combat preparations. The Nanjing Army had a large number of military personnel such as instructors, advisers, and observers in the Iranian army. When Chen Jihuan came to Iran, Chen Mingren assigned him a guard to strengthen the battalion. For the combat effectiveness of the first brigade of the Iranian King’s Guard, Chen Jihuan added his own guard battalion and the Nanjing Army’s military personnel who could be mobilized into the first brigade of the King’s Guard, with a total of more than 1000 people. The first brigade of the king's guard played a key role. On the other hand, the direction Chen Jihuan chose to attack was not the "weak spot of the Soviet army" he said when he "coaxed" Crown Prince Pahlavi, but the place where the Soviet army was heavily fortified. It's just that the terrain is flat, suitable for the impact of mechanized troops.
The purpose of Chen Jihuan's formulation of this battle plan is "drunkards don't care about drinking." To put it bluntly, the Crown Prince of Pahlavi was completely used by him, but he has no choice but to do so.
Under Chen Jihuan's dispatch of troops, the counterattack Iranian army took the first brigade of the King's Guard as the vanguard, followed by the other two Iranian infantry divisions that performed better.
After the battle broke out, Chen Jihuan concentrated most of the artillery of the Iranian army and launched a fierce shelling tens of kilometers away from the assault point, giving the Soviet army the illusion that the Iranian army was about to launch an assault there.
Amidst the shouts of "Allah is great", the first brigade of the Iranian King's Guard took the lead. The whole brigade was equipped with more than 100 tanks and armored vehicles, as well as more than 500 vehicles. Break through a gap, and then drive straight in. The whole brigade does not get entangled with the Soviet army. The car does not slow down, does not stop, and rushes forward with its head buried. Go deep into the hinterland of the Soviet-controlled area.
During the advance, Chen Jihuan and Pahlavi connected to the telegrams of the following two divisions. The two division commanders were very nervous and kept saying: "You are too fast! We can't keep up! This will be dangerous!"
Pahlavi looked at Chen Jihuan in amazement, and Chen Jihuan talked and laughed freely: "Your Highness, don't worry, it's okay! They worry too much, the Soviets have been crushed by us, and they will never rally to fight us!"
Regarding Chen Jihuan's rhetoric, Pahlavi was skeptical. Although he was not from a military academy, he also knew a certain amount of military common sense. The vanguard troops rushed too fast and ran too far, and it was very easy to lose touch with the follow-up troops. , the overwhelmed enemy army will gather behind one's own side, and one's own side will be at a disadvantage.
Although he had some doubts, Pahlavi looked at Chen Jihuan and found that Chen Jihuan was indeed confident and confident, without pretending to be calm or pretending to be calm, so he was a little relieved. After all, Chen Jihuan was with Pahlavi after all. Yes, if Pahlavi falls into heavy siege, Chen Jihuan will also fall into heavy siege together. Chen Jihuan acts as a "hostage", which is equivalent to Pahlavi's "personal safety guarantee", so Pahlavi is sure that Chen Jihuan has not deceived himself, and the troops are not in danger , he himself is not in danger.
The facts soon stunned Pahlavi. Although his troops were indeed unstoppable at the beginning, as they fought, there were more and more Soviet troops in front, and a large number of Soviet troops appeared on both sides and behind.
The situation of the battle was just as the "layman" Pahlavi guessed, because the first brigade of the guards interspersed too fast and too far, causing the follow-up troops to lose touch with them. The destruction of the Soviet army made the defeated and scattered Soviet army gradually reorganize behind the [-]st Brigade of the Guards and launched a counterattack. It didn't take long for the [-]st Brigade of the Guards to fall into the siege of the Soviet army on all sides.
Seeing the Soviet troops all over the mountains and plains in all directions, Pahlavi was terrified. He grabbed Chen Jihuan eagerly: "General Chen! How could this happen? Didn't you say that there are very few Soviet troops here?"
Chen Jihuan calmly said, "His Royal Highness, please be safe and don't be impatient. Wars are always full of surprises!"
Pahlavi was furious: "Then what should we do now?"
Chen Jihuan calmly said, "Of course it's a fight to the death, waiting for His Majesty's reinforcements to arrive! Otherwise, Your Highness, you will either be a prisoner of the Soviets or die for your country!"
A thought flashed in Pahlavi's mind. He suddenly drew out his pistol and pointed it at Chen Jihuan, panicking and saying viciously: "You are a Soviet spy! You deliberately sent me to the Soviet encirclement!"
Chen Jihuan couldn't help laughing: "How could I be a Soviet spy!"
Under the extreme fear, Pahlavi was almost hysterical: "Then why did we fall into the Soviet army's siege? There are Soviet troops everywhere! We will be wiped out!"
Chen Jihuan looked at Pahlavi coldly: "His Royal Highness, let me remind you that you are now a soldier! A soldier must look like a soldier! Wouldn't it be embarrassing to be frightened before the last moment?"
Pahlavi threw away his pistol, and grabbed Chen Jihuan as if he was grabbing a life-saving straw: "General Chen! General Chen! What should we do? Please command the troops and lead us to break through!"
Chen Jihuan looked at the battlefield calmly: "It is unrealistic to break through the encirclement, so stick to it and wait for help! The follow-up troops are less than [-] kilometers away from us, and they can still come up, and we have more follow-up troops.
In addition, His Royal Highness, please send a telegram to His Majesty the King immediately, and let him issue a strict order to ask all ministries to do their best to help you!"
Pahlavi was trembling with fear: "I don't want to die, I don't want to fall into the hands of the Soviets, I want to go back to Tehran..."
Chen Jihuan shook his head. He glanced contemptuously at Pahlavi who was huddled in a ball in the tank, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "They are all princes, but the gap is too big!" He waved his pistol fearlessly, " Brothers! We have been surrounded by the Soviet army! Besieged on all sides, we can only fight with our backs! Brothers, the time has come to serve the country! Bloody battle to the end!"
"Bloody battle to the end!" The officers and soldiers of the Nanjing Army in the encirclement were as fearless as Chen Jihuan.
Although some of the Iranian officers and soldiers around the Nanjing Army showed the same hatred and desperate looks, many showed fear and panic.
Chen Jihuan glanced at the Iranian officers and soldiers coldly, and told the translator beside him: "Tell them! Their crown prince is here. If they escape or surrender, the crown prince will definitely become a prisoner of the Soviets. Their king will never spare them." For them and their families!"
After the translator translated Chen Jihuan's Chinese into Persian, the Iranian officers and soldiers in the encirclement were refreshed. They all realized that if the crown prince was killed by the Soviet army or captured alive by the Soviet army, even if they could escape back to Iran, they would not What good fruit to eat, and it will also involve family members.
After figuring this out, the officers and soldiers of the Iranian army gritted their teeth in a kind of involuntary struggle.
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