Ivanov didn't feel good when he received the telegram from the 4th Army.
It was obvious. Anyone with a little military knowledge would know that if a lone army found something was wrong, they should retreat immediately.
The 4th Army didn't have a mission, so they could do whatever they wanted. When they found a large group of enemies, they should have immediately adjusted their marching speed and kept a safe distance from the enemies while waiting for reinforcements.
Even if the 4th Army didn't realize it, they could still choose to break out of the encirclement and join the Russian Army in the rear.
The 4th Army had cavalry, so it was impossible that they didn't notice the enemies. The movement of hundreds of thousands of soldiers couldn't be kept a secret.
Ivanov received the news of the Prussian Army's movement in the rear, but it was a bit late. Before he could react, the 4th Army's telegram for help arrived.
There were no wireless radios in this era, so the 4th Army's telegram for help had to be sent to the 107th Division in the rear by airship and then forwarded to the headquarters.
They had enough time, but they didn't take action in time. Ivanov always hated generals like Obodo who didn't see the big picture.
Ivanov also knew that the 4th Army acted on their own. If they returned without enough military exploits, the future of Obodo and the other commanders would be ruined.
They had to wait for the right opportunity and seize the opportunity. If they failed, they wouldn't be able to seize the opportunity.
The competition within the Russian Army was also very fierce. Once there was a stain, it was almost impossible for them to go further.
Plus, they acted on their own without permission. They were lucky to be able to retire early.
For the sake of their own future, the commanders of the 4th Army held onto the hope that they could get lucky and delayed until now.
The telegram for help seemed calm, but it was actually to shift the blame. The 4th Army was probably hoping that Ivanov would order them to retreat.
Those who knew the Russian Army's deployment knew that the 4th Army was very important to the Warsaw Battle. The Vistula River was also related to the logistics of the Russian Army.
"Bang!"
Ivanov slammed the table and cursed, "Бибтво ́ дмать!"
"Пошельнашуй!"
…
Listening to Ivanov's roar, everyone in the command center was on tenterhooks, fearing that they would be in trouble.
After cursing for a quarter of an hour, Marshal Ivanov, whose mouth was dry, finally stopped. He was really angry. He had never seen a superior like this.
With the Fourth Army destroyed, it would be difficult for the Russian Army to win the Battle of Warsaw. From a military point of view, the situation at the frontlines was still unclear. If they rashly sent out reinforcements, it would be very risky. It was very likely that they would be surrounded by the enemy.
Ordering the 4th Division to break out of the encirclement and preserve their strength as much as possible was the best strategic choice.
However, he couldn't do that in reality. In Ivanov's position, a soldier must also consider politics.
If he ordered the Fourth Division to retreat, he would have to bear some of the responsibility if the troops suffered heavy losses.
Looking at Obodo's actions, it was obvious that there was someone behind this. Now that such an opportunity had appeared, it was only natural for these people to push the blame onto Ivanov.
Politics was not about right or wrong, only about pros and cons. Don't expect your opponent to be merciful. There was never a bottom line for politicians, only lower.
After calming down, Ivanov's frown deepened. He looked at the map and thought about the enemy's true intentions.
The Fourth Division was crucial to the Battle of Warsaw, but it was nothing compared to the entire Prussian War. When the war was intense, the Russian Army lost more than a hundred thousand in a month.
If he could win the war, Ivanov wouldn't even blink if he had to sacrifice the Fourth Division.
After thinking for a moment, Ivanov walked in front of the staff officer and asked, "Where are the troops closest to the Fourth Division?"
The staff officer replied nervously, "The nearest one is the 107th Division of the Ninth Army, which is currently stationed in the Radom area. The next closest are the Fifth and Seventh Armies, but they are north of Warsaw and have no way of sending reinforcements."
Ivanov's frown deepened. If a division was sent as reinforcements, they would probably be eaten by the enemy halfway.
If he wanted to rescue the Fourth Division, he would need to invest at least one division. Unless he mobilized the troops that were carrying out the southern strategy, other troops wouldn't be able to make it in time.
After looking at the distribution of the Russian Army on the map, Ivanov shook his head. Giving up the southern battle to rescue the Fourth Division was strategically not worth it.
The southern battle could get supplies from Austria, so the logistical pressure would be minimal. As long as the enemy's line of defense was broken, it would be very tempting to attack Berlin from the west or seize Poznan from the north.
If Berlin was seized, the Prussian and Polish Federation would be finished. If Poznan was seized, the enemy's communication with the rear would be cut off, and the Prussian Army in the Warsaw area would be isolated.
After thinking for a moment, Ivanov slowly said, "Order the Eighth Division, Ninth Division, and Seventh Division to immediately form the Southern Front Army.
The commander of the Eighth Division, General Mathilde, will be the commander, the commander of the Ninth Division, General Mettler, will be the deputy commander, and the commander of the Tenth Division, General Mourinho, will be the chief of staff.
Order them to complete the organization as soon as possible. I want to receive news of the outbreak of the southern battle within a week. "
It was a very irregular appointment, but it was a special time to be treated differently. The Russian Army didn't have the level of a front army. The army was already the largest unit, and the front army was only set up temporarily during the war.
The enemy's main force was in the Warsaw battlefield, and the troops in the south were mostly second and third line troops. Although it was called the Southern Front Army, it actually had to fight separately.
If they really set up a headquarters for the airborne troops, it would take at least a month for them to figure out the situation of the troops.
On the battlefield, speed was the most important thing. Wasting a month was simply asking for death.
Before this, the Russian Army also had a Southwestern Front Army, but it was crippled by Mao Qi in the winter battle last year, and then disbanded.
As time went on, the Russian Army continued to expand. An army had at least a hundred thousand soldiers, and at most two hundred thousand soldiers. It was completely equipped with the ability to fight alone, and the need to establish a front army was not that big.
The Russian Army in the front mainly focused on defense. Most of the time, it was Marshal Ivanov who directly commanded the large army in the battle. As soon as the command was delegated, the Fourth Division acted on its own.
This directly dispelled Ivanov's idea of forming a front army. If it wasn't for the situation, he wouldn't have established the Southern Front Army.
One had to know that the losses caused by a front army's actions were much more serious than an army's.
The newly formed Southern Front Army had very serious internal checks and balances. Three corps commanders served as the commanders of the front army, and no one could act recklessly.
During the battle, they could directly command the old troops, and they were very familiar with each other. There was no need to break in, and they could unleash the greatest combat power in a short period of time.
As for the side effects, Ivanov didn't care anymore. As long as they could win the war, no matter how big the problem was, it was a small matter.
After a pause, Ivanov added, "Order the Fifth and Seventh Divisions to attack the Warsaw area. Let them control their own rhythm, and don't repeat what happened to the Fourth Division. I don't have that many troops to clean up after them.
Hautkov draft a message to St. Peter Castle, report our battle plan, and the personnel appointment just now. "
He didn't mention the Fourth Division, and it was obvious that Marshal Ivanov was going to ignore them. Anyway, the Fourth Division was greedy and acted without asking for permission. Even if the entire army was wiped out, he didn't need to be responsible.
A middle-aged officer bit the bullet and asked, "Marshal, what about the Fourth Division?"
Ivanov glared at him and replied with dissatisfaction, "What should we do? Do what we have to do!
Didn't that idiot Obodo boast that he was a god of war? Now is the chance to show off. As long as he can command the Fourth Division to defeat the Pu Army, all the problems will be solved! "
Defeat the Pu Army?
Everyone began to mourn for the Fourth Division in their hearts. There was no doubt that it was an impossible mission.
Seeming to realize that he had lost his composure, Ivanov sighed. "Order the Third and Sixth Divisions in the rear to rescue them. Hopefully, they can make it in time.
Pass the order to the Fourth Division and let them make their own battle plan. The reinforcements will arrive as soon as possible.
Order the airship troops to airdrop them supplies and power St. Peter Castle. Tell them to get a batch of transport airships as soon as possible. It would be best if it's the Austrian Eagle 4. "
Do your best and leave it to fate.
This sentence appropriately summarized Ivanov's order. The Third and Sixth Divisions were reorganizing and replenishing in the rear. By the time they gathered and rushed to the front line, it would take at least ten days to half a month.
If something happened along the way, such as being attacked by the Pu Army, they might not be able to make it in a month.
There was only one way to speed things up, and that was to send cavalry. Unfortunately, the Russian Army's cavalry was scattered to various units. Otherwise, they could gather a hundred or two hundred thousand cavalrymen and try to rescue them.
Of course, this was only an ideal situation. With a hundred or two hundred thousand cavalrymen gathered together, the logistics alone could make people collapse.
Now that the Fourth Division could only rely on themselves, the airships and supplies were more of a comfort. The Russian Army only had a few dozen transport airships. In theory, when all of them were in operation, they could only transport forty to fifty tons of supplies per day.
In fact, it would be a blessing from God if they could transport seven to eight tons of supplies per day.
The airships also needed to be maintained and inspected after each flight, which would take up a lot of time.
In addition, the Russian Army's transport airships were scattered all over the country. The number of airships that could be assembled in a short time was limited. They also had to take into account the bad weather. It was not easy to transport seven to eight tons of supplies per day.
This amount of supplies was like trying to put out a cart of firewood with a cup of water. However, if they were to transport high-calorie food, it would be enough for the soldiers.
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