Being stared at like this, the official in charge of military industry immediately broke out in a cold sweat and his body began to tremble involuntarily.

“Your Excellency the Leader, I’m sorry, there is still some gap in our military strength.” His voice was trembling so much that it was almost impossible to hear what he was saying.

Under Stalin’s majestic gaze, he felt as if he was in an ice cellar and was shivering all over.

“Asshole, that’s not what I want to hear. You have to find a way to solve the problem of the jet drawings, no matter what the cost.” Stalin waved his hand and said coldly.

His voice was full of determination. In his opinion, there was no price that could not be paid to win the war.

The jet aircraft drawings will become the key for the Soviet military industry to break through the technological bottleneck.

Hearing this, the two officials from the military industry and intelligence secretly groaned.

How could it be so easy to get the blueprints of a jet aircraft? They were the core secrets of the United States and Germany, and it was not easy to obtain them.

They know that the only way may be to ask the United States for help, but this will definitely come at a huge cost.

However, thinking of the furious Stalin, the two men looked at each other and said loudly: “Yes, please rest assured, we will definitely solve it.” There was a hint of helplessness and bitterness in their voices, but more of it was firm determination.

In this brutal war, they are fully aware of the heavy responsibility they shoulder, and no matter how difficult the road ahead is, they must move forward bravely.

After the meeting, the generals walked out of the meeting room one after another, their faces were solemn, but their hearts were full of expectations for the future.

Stalin’s face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out of it. The atmosphere in the conference room was so solemn that it was hard to breathe. The situation on the front line was like a mess, and every piece of news hit everyone’s heart like a heavy hammer.

After a long and heated debate, Stalin’s face finally looked a little better. He straightened his body slightly, slowly glanced at each general present, and said calmly: “Comrades, we can’t just passively take a beating like this. The next counterattack plan must be put on the agenda immediately.”

Counterattack is not just a simple slogan, nor is it a battle that can be launched immediately at the command.

Behind this, there are countless meticulous and complicated preparations. Every link and every step is related to the success or failure of this counterattack, the lives of countless soldiers, and even the fate of the country.

While everyone was busy discussing the counterattack plan, the sky above the battlefield had already ignited the flames of war. The air forces of both sides, like two fierce eagles, launched a fierce battle in the vast sky around the Dnieper River.

Fighter planes roared past, the deafening roar of their engines breaking the originally tranquil sky.

The sunlight shines on the metal body, reflecting a cold and dazzling light.

The Soviet pilots drove their fighter planes like sharp blades, piercing the German defense line. With firm eyes and full of desire for victory, they fought a desperate battle with the German army with superb flying skills and fearless courage.

The German air force was not to be outdone. With their advanced equipment and rich combat experience, they built a solid line of defense in the air. Fighter planes from both sides shuttled and circled in the air, constantly diving, climbing and shooting.

The shells exploded in the air, emitting brilliant and deadly sparks, and the smoke filled the sky, blocking out the sun.

On the ground, the Manstein Cluster was also quietly changing. After a period of replenishment, the strength of the Manstein Cluster was significantly strengthened.

Almost all the troops have completed the replacement of new equipment, and the entire group seems to have been reborn. Now, each team is equipped with a Panzerfaust rocket launcher, a powerful weapon that has become a powerful magic weapon in the hands of infantry to fight against armored forces.

There were also a large number of anti-tank guns in the ordinary infantry divisions, which were neatly arranged with their muzzles pointed into the distance, as if announcing their majesty to the enemy. The reorganized mechanized infantry divisions were even more powerful, with a large number of Type 3 assault guns.

These assault guns are highly mobile and have fierce firepower. They are like mobile fortresses on the battlefield, posing a huge threat to the enemy.

For a moment, the anti-tank capability of the entire Manstein group increased dramatically, like a beast armed to the teeth, ready to pounce on its prey at any time.

Manstein, a veteran general, was standing in front of a map at the headquarters, his eyes fixed on the situation in the Dnieper River area. His deep eyes revealed a hint of cunning, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing an imperceptible smile.

He had a bold and risky plan in mind – to eat up all the Soviet troops gathered on the Dnieper River at once. If this plan succeeded, it would have a profound impact on the entire war situation and might even reverse the current unfavorable situation.

After this period of replenishment, Manstein’s group had 1.26 million troops.

Among them, the 600,000 German troops were the core force. They were well-equipped, well-trained, and extremely powerful. The strength of the 660,000 vassal troops should not be underestimated either.

The German army equipped all the obsolete weapons to the vassal army. Although these weapons were not the most advanced, they greatly improved the combat effectiveness of the vassal army.

After a series of training and running-in, the combat effectiveness of the vassal army has increased several times compared to before.

Their morale was high, they were ready to fight, and the task of stopping the Soviet army no longer seemed like an unattainable dream to them.

In the German camp, the soldiers were making intensive preparations for the war.

They wiped their weapons and checked every detail of their equipment, their eyes full of determination and expectation. Officers shuttled between the camps, conveying orders from their superiors and boosting the morale of the soldiers.

The entire camp was busy and orderly, as if a sophisticated war machine was slowly starting up.

In the Soviet camp, preparations were also being made for the upcoming battle.

The generals sat in front of the map, analyzing the movements of the German army and formulating countermeasures, while the soldiers were undergoing arduous training, constantly improving their combat skills.

“Our goal this time is to repel or defeat the Soviet army so that they dare not easily launch a large-scale counterattack again.” Under the gloomy sky, the cold wind howled through the German temporary command post.

Manstein announced the combat mission to his generals.

His words echoed in the headquarters, and every word was like a heavy hammer, striking everyone’s heart, making the officers present clearly aware of the severity and importance of this battle.

At that time, the Dnieper River defense line was like a taut string, and a war was imminent. In just two days, the Soviet army demonstrated amazing mobilization and assembly capabilities.

Dust was flying on the vast land, and the Soviet army’s steel torrent was rushing towards the German positions in front.

Amid the billowing smoke, the silhouettes of tanks were looming, including some terrifying heavy weapons – the KV-1 tank, with its thick armor and powerful firepower, was like a mobile fortress on the battlefield; the KV-2 tank, with its super-caliber cannon, was able to inflict devastating damage to the enemy at a long distance; the T-26 tank, although relatively light, was numerous and extremely aggressive like a pack of wolves; and the T-34 tank, with its excellent mobility and powerful firepower, became one of the most feared opponents of the German armored forces.

In addition, there were 152 self-propelled artillery pieces that followed the tank cluster and provided powerful fire support for the attack. The huge muzzles seemed to be announcing the impending destruction to the German positions.

Faced with such a large-scale offensive by the Soviet Army, Manstein was well aware of the critical situation. The Imperial Armored Division and the Skull Armored Division, two elite units among the elite, became the key forces for him to turn the tide of the battle.

However, these two armored units had already been severely damaged due to the continuous fighting. The brutal fighting caused their strength to suffer serious losses, their manpower was greatly reduced, and a large amount of equipment was damaged.

Before timely reinforcement, the entire army had less than three thousand people left, and many tanks and artillery pieces were turned into scrap metal on the battlefield.

Fortunately, after this period of hard rest, the situation gradually improved.

The German logistics department overcame many difficulties and replaced the two armored divisions with brand new equipment. The brand new tanks were neatly arranged in the camp, and the engines were roaring, as if accumulating strength; the soldiers also regained their fighting form after a short training. At this moment, they once again threw themselves into this life-and-death counterattack with full spirit and high morale.

The battle started, and the Imperial Armored Division and the Totenkopf Armored Division pounced on the Soviet armored forces like two beasts out of their cages. On the battlefield, smoke filled the air, flames shot up into the sky, the roar of tanks, the explosion of artillery, and the shouts of soldiers intertwined, playing a cruel war symphony.

The German tank gunners focused on their targets and fired accurately, and each shot was accompanied by the explosion and fire of Soviet tanks. The commanders of the Imperial Armored Division and the Skull Armored Division, relying on their rich combat experience and excellent command ability, flexibly deployed their troops, constantly changed their tactics on the battlefield, and dealt a heavy blow to the Soviet army.

Although the Soviet tanks were coming fiercely, they gradually fell into a bitter battle under the tenacious resistance of the two elite German troops. One Soviet tank after another was hit by German artillery fire and caught fire, and the crew inside the car struggled in despair.

However, the Soviet army did not retreat. Relying on their tenacious fighting will and huge military advantage, they continued to launch wave after wave of attacks on the German positions.

As the battle continued, losses on both sides continued to increase.

The battlefield was littered with tank wreckage and dead soldiers, and blood dyed the ground dark red. When the Soviet army lost more than 300 tanks, the Soviet commander finally felt the pain. Looking at the mess on the battlefield and watching his own steel torrent being severely damaged by the German counterattack, he knew that if he continued like this, he would suffer even more severe losses. After weighing the pros and cons, he had to reluctantly issue the order to retreat.

As the Soviet tank troops gradually moved away, the smoke on the battlefield slowly dissipated.

For a moment, the Dnieper River defense line fell into calm again, as if the fierce battle just now had never happened.

However, behind this calm is a huge price paid by both sides.

Although the two German armored divisions successfully repelled the Soviet attack, they also suffered heavy losses. On the battlefield, more than sixty tanks were destroyed, lying there quietly, becoming witnesses of this brutal battle.

“It would be great if we had more training time.” Lieutenant General Theodore Eicke, commander of the SS Division, said bitterly, holding the battle damage report in his hand with a tired face.

His eyes revealed deep helplessness and worry. In the series of battles, the SKULL Division suffered unprecedented heavy losses.

From the original more than 10,000 people, only 3,000 were left in the fierce battle.

Most of the comrades who once fought side by side are now buried in this land.

After this period of replenishment, the number of people in the SS Division finally recovered to just over 10,000, the number of tanks exceeded 300, and various types of self-propelled artillery and anti-tank guns were also replenished to a certain extent.

However, despite the recovery of manpower and equipment, the combat effectiveness of the troops has seriously declined. The large number of new recruits has made the coordination and tacit understanding of the entire army far less than before.

The soldiers were not familiar enough with the new equipment, and many problems were exposed during the battle.

Although the troops were barely able to engage in combat after a period of training, this tank battle still exposed many problems of the SS Division.

On the battlefield, some recruits made mistakes due to nervousness, which resulted in the tanks’ firepower not being able to be effectively used; there was also some confusion in the coordinated operations between the various units, which affected the overall combat effectiveness. Lieutenant General Theodore Eick knew that if he was given more time for training, these problems would be easily solved.

However, in this cruel war, what is most lacking is time.

Although it is impossible for a large-scale tank battle to break out again in the short term, everyone knows that the next round of tank battles is actually brewing quietly in the near future.

Both sides are taking advantage of this brief period of calm to replenish troops, repair equipment, and adjust tactics. The calm of the Dnieper River defense line is just a brief calm before the storm. The next more intense and brutal battle may break this fragile calm again at any time.

As the tank personnel of both sides are adjusted and the tanks are replenished, an unprecedented tank battle will surely break out, and the casualties will be even higher than they are now.

Especially the problems exposed by the Skeleton Division, they will definitely be targeted in the next battle. (End of this chapter)