**Chapter 873: Cute Stalin (10)**

Chinese-made half-tracks, towing Soviet-produced sled trailers, crunched across the snow before stopping at their offensive jumping-off points. These open-air vehicles offered no windshields; only the driver and the personnel in the front trailer could benefit from the warmth of the exhaust pipes and radiators for their legs. The Soviet soldiers in the rear trailers had to huddle together for warmth.

Even so, the Red Army troops did not complain. Their white snow combat uniforms were thick and sturdy, supplemented by black balaclavas that left only their eyes exposed behind goggles. In the severe cold, this gear provided a level of thermal protection previously unimaginable.

The half-tracks had transported the units over distances of several, or even a dozen, kilometers, sparing the men from having to march through the deep snow. Before the attack, everyone's strength was well-preserved. Simultaneously, a sense of tension filled the air, causing many a soldier's body to tremble uncontrollably.

The lead tanks were in position, and political commissars were delivering pre-battle speeches. The stirring and generous oratory dispelled the fear in many hearts. Breaking the German lines and further encircling them would win the "Great Victory" General Secretary Stalin expected. For Stalin, this battle *must* be won.

The mobilization was brief: "The Soviet Union must defeat the enemy... liberate our enslaved Soviet brothers... Long live General Secretary Stalin! Ura!"

"Ura! Ura! Ura!" the soldiers responded in unison. In the biting frost, they indeed needed such short, powerful slogans to lift their spirits.

"Charge!" The commissars were the first to enter combat.

A tank unit commissar was the first to crawl into the lead tank, followed immediately by his men. It was a Red Army tradition for commissars to lead the way; although the CPSU had recently ordered them not to lead charges due to excessive losses, they remained active on the front lines. To these men, it was a disgrace for those who called upon others to disregard death to hide in the safe rear!

The tank crews closed their hatches. With a screeching sound, the treads began to rotate. Accompanying infantry leaped onto the hulls or followed behind the tanks with rifles greased with anti-freeze, charging toward the German positions.

German artillery soon began its counter-fire. Before winter, the Soviet armored units would have met a massive barrage. Now, however, German fire density could not compare, not only due to ammunition shortages but because shells striking deep snow lost much of their effectiveness compared to those hitting soil.

It wasn't until the tanks reached within 500 meters of the lines that German anti-tank guns opened up. The T-34s in this charge utilized new shells and armor; components and technology from China had helped the USSR produce several high-capacity hydraulic presses. Forged under thousands of tons of pressure, the armor steel was denser, stronger, and harder than previous models.

50mm anti-tank shells were useless against this armor, bouncing off with a series of metallic clangs. It wasn't until the 76mm guns of the Marder tank destroyers joined the fight that the T-34s suffered some losses. Meanwhile, Soviet artillery began its own bombardment, smothering German firing points. Soon, the Soviets held the upper hand. The tanks cleared the remaining 500 meters and reached the German front line.

The German fortifications were meticulously constructed, utilizing every available material including boards and poles. In many areas, they had even built ramparts of ice and snow.

In the minus-twenty-degree winter, wooden poles and boards were as hard as steel. Ramparts made of ice blocks were also effective in preventing Soviet infantry from easily vaulting over them.

Yet the tanks ignored these obstacles, their nearly 40-ton weight crushing right through the barriers to close in on the next trench line.

The Soviet troops on the tanks had already jumped off, following the armor to assault the trenches from both sides or spreading out under its cover to widen the attack.

In the lead tank, a Soviet commissar saw a German soldier in a thick uniform leap from the trench and lunge toward his vehicle.

The commissar couldn't understand what the German was trying to do. There was no time for thought; he ordered, "Crush him!"

The commissar firmly believed the German invaders deserved death. Since they wouldn't surrender, let the treads grind them into the dirt!

A moment later, the tank's floor was shattered from below. Jagged iron fragments sprayed upward into the interior, piercing the bodies of the commissar and the other crew members, killing them instantly.

The Soviet soldiers outside saw a different scene. Facing the tank about to overrun the trench, a German soldier leaped out and dove beneath it. A violent explosion followed; the tank shuddered violently and ground to a halt.

Other Germans immediately leaped from the trench, using the disabled tank as cover to open up on the Soviet infantry. With the snow so deep, any Soviet attempting to wade through it would move at a crawl and become an easy target. Thus, the Red Army troops charged along the paths flattened by the tanks.

Using the wrecks as shields, the Germans strafed the flattened corridors, immediately killing or wounding a large number of Soviets.

This wasn't an isolated incident; other tanks approaching the trenches met the same fate. A German soldier would crawl beneath a tank and detonate a harness of explosives, destroying the vehicle through its vulnerable bottom.

Lacking supplies, the Germans launched no tank counter-attacks. This allowed the Soviet armor to advance in a solid wall toward the trenches—a formation that prevented the tanks from seeing the suicide attacks against their neighbors.

By the time the Soviet armored units realized something was wrong and began to withdraw, 64 of the 120 attacking tanks had been destroyed. The retreating tanks then became the focus of German anti-tank guns; by the time they reached safety, another 27 had been lost. Adding the 8 destroyed during the initial advance, the Soviets had lost 99 tanks in a single assault. The attacking armored force had been essentially annihilated.

The Germans conducting these "human-flesh" attacks were from the SS Totenkopf Division. After studying the enemy, they had determined that the primary objective was to never allow Soviet tanks to enter the trenches. In the absence of sufficient tanks and anti-tank weapons, the only reliable method was suicide bombing. The most fanatical of the Totenkopf personnel had volunteered for these one-way missions, dealing a heavy blow to the unprepared Soviet armored units.

Soviet tank numbers were also limited at this stage. These 120 vehicles represented the strength of two tank divisions. Accompanying them were two infantry divisions, behind which were two full corps.

Despite the loss of the tanks, the Soviet infantry did not retreat. Commissars with pistols in hand led the way, followed by a dense mass of infantry. The Red Army surged like a flood toward the nearby German trenches.

Machine guns in the trenches opened up, but the numerous tank wrecks in front of them severely hampered their lines of fire. The Soviets weren't fools either; they utilized the formations and the blind spots created by the destroyed tanks to advance. Soon, they were on the verge of entering the trenches.

Inside the trenches, several Germans who looked unusually bulky under their greatcoats leaped out into the midst of the nearest Soviets. They threw open their coats, revealing bundles of explosives. The fuses were already lit; even when Soviets shot them in the head, it couldn't stop the detonation.

The explosions were massive, clearing everything within a dozen meters. Tens or even dozens of Red Army soldiers were killed or wounded in each blast. Those not seriously hurt were thrown back by the shockwave. The Soviet advance on those axes was instantly choked. The Germans then concentrated their fire on those points, sealing the gaps that had nearly been breached.

The superior Soviet numbers repeatedly reached the edge of the Totenkopf-held trenches, yet each time victory seemed within grasp, a fanatical SS soldier with explosives strapped to his chest would leap into the human torrent to stop the advance with his own death.

Outside the trenches, the Soviets attacked with reckless abandon. Inside, the Totenkopf men fired fiercely, while more fanatical Nazi believers strapped on explosives for their suicide missions.

Before the battle, the Totenkopf men had underestimated the Red Army. They had believed that once the tank attack was smashed, the infantry would halt. Thus, the number of volunteers for the suicide squads had been limited to around 150.

While the Totenkopf men did not fear death, Division Commander Eicke believed every man's life was important and could not be wasted lightly. That was why he had set the 150-man cap.

The Soviet ferocity now forced the defenders to rely on suicide attacks to ease the pressure. Those who hadn't made the cut for the first group now had their chance to join the suicide squads.

The battle raged for over an hour. Thousands of bodies were piled before the German trenches, some less than a meter away. These were utilized by the Totenkopf men as a reinforcement layer for the exterior of their fortifications.

Despite reaching so close so many times, the Red Army was never able to enter the trenches. Finally, having suffered excessive losses, the two infantry divisions were forced to withdraw.

When Manstein learned that the Totenkopf had truly repelled a massive tank and infantry assault and held the line, his first reaction was disbelief.

It wasn't that he looked down on them, but rather that the Soviet force possessed such a massive advantage in numbers and armor, while the Germans lacked anti-tank weapons and personnel. Given his own military caliber, Manstein simply couldn't deduce how a normal operation could have stopped the Soviets from breaching the second trench line.

An hour later, detailed reports reached him. Reading the Totenkopf's methods, Manstein was left speechless. In his few days at the 16th Army, he had heard the Wehrmacht's accounts of Totenkopf atrocities. They had not only murdered Soviet prisoners but slaughtered civilians in massive numbers. Rumors put the civilian death toll at their hands between 20,000 and 100,000.

Manstein knew these men placed no value on Soviet lives, yet he hadn't expected them to place none on their own.

After a long silence, Manstein looked up, a cold light in his blue eyes. He ordered, "Have other units relieve the Totenkopf."

His adjutant was stunned; he hadn't expected Manstein to pull these "human demons" out of the fight. Though savage, they had displayed incredible combat power. Withdrawing them would deprive the front of a very potent force.

Manstein pointed to another sector. "Place them in defense of this region. The Red Army will attempt their next breakthrough there."

In his brief reflection, Manstein had devised a new defensive plan. He didn't intend to exhaust the Totenkopf; once they were in position, he would place his panzer units and counter-attack reserves nearby, creating a powerful "Defense-Counterstrike" layout.

It was a gamble, but Manstein had no better options. Since the Soviets were so eager to annihilate 120,000 Germans, they would have to launch vigorous attacks. Lacking the strength for a general offensive, they would have to focus their effort. Manstein believed he could judge where their next blow would fall.

Over the next half-month, the battle to annihilate the German 16th Army was intense. 230,000 elite Soviet troops attacked relentlessly. No matter how much Zhukov and the other Soviet generals racked their brains to produce and execute brilliant plans, the units leading the assault always faced the Totenkopf. The SS division's combat was savage, their will to fight even firmer than the Soviets'. Whether through breakthroughs or rotation, the Red Army could not achieve success.

In other sectors, the German will to fight was equally tough. Because the Soviet elite was concentrated against the Totenkopf, their secondary and feint units were unable to defeat the Germans elsewhere.

After half a month of struggle, the Soviet forces encircling the 16th Army had to halt for rest and refit. Zhukov went personally to Moscow, hoping for Stalin's permission to prioritize supplies for the northern pocket.

In the Kremlin, Stalin did not answer immediately after hearing the request. Seeing the leader's grim expression, Zhukov stood at attention, waiting in silence.

Stalin finished an entire pipe before saying in a muffled voice, "Comrade Zhukov, I order you to take over command of the Southwestern and Caucasian Fronts from Marshal Timoshenko and retake Stalingrad."

Zhukov was stunned. He had been focused on the northwest and hadn't closely followed the Stalingrad theater. He had only heard rumors that the attempt to retake the city was going poorly. From Stalin's order, it seemed Timoshenko's command had indeed failed. Otherwise, Stalin wouldn't have transferred the command to Zhukov.

Knowing Stalin as he did, Zhukov knew the order could not be refused. Yet he continued: "General Secretary, I hope that after I go south, the northern units can be given priority supply."

Stalin merely gave a snort without a definitive answer. He continued: "Stalingrad holds a vital position; it *must* be retaken. Comrade Zhukov, do you have the confidence to take that city?"

Zhukov reflected for a moment before nodding firmly. "I have the confidence!"

"The handover in the northwest is not your concern; other comrades will handle it. Proceed to the Southwestern Front immediately and take command of the southern operations!" Stalin ordered.

Only after Zhukov left did Stalin's brow furrow. The winter counter-offensive appeared to be going smoothly, yet every axis of attack was being met with fierce German resistance just as a breakthrough seemed imminent. Success always seemed just out of reach.

In the northwest, they had surrounded the Germans but couldn't annihilate them. In the center, three German armies were encircled, yet the Soviets still couldn't resolve the undersupplied Germans. In the south, the counter-attack at Stalingrad had initially seen the Germans contracting their lines as if about to be driven out.

Yet just as Timoshenko's Southwestern Front launched its main assault and seemed about to enter the city, the Germans counter-attacked. The supposedly fleeing German 71st Panzer Corps suddenly turned back, crushed a Caucasian Front infantry corps, and tore a gap to launch a counter-encirclement against the Southwestern Front.

The commander of that 71st Corps was General Rommel, the same man who had destroyed the Central Asian railway. His offensive was razor-sharp; if not for three corps of the Steppe Front arriving late due to their slow march and happening to be in Rommel's path, holding him off at any cost, the entire counter-offensive would have been turned into a counter-encirclement by Field Marshal von Reichenau.

Realizing his objective was unreachable as Soviet units converged on him, Rommel had abandoned the fight and slipped through a gap like a slippery eel to escape.

After discussion within the Central Committee, Stalin had decided to make Stalingrad the primary focus of the counter-offensive, moving his best men and units to the south.

Stalin suddenly felt a surge of unease. He had ignored He Rui's advice before the war, and had subsequently ignored Li Runshi's *On Protracted War*. The current situation led him to suspect that his own strategic logic might be failing him once again.