Chapter 1018: A Surprise

On the other end of the phone was the Commander-in-Chief of the German Eastern Front, Field Marshal von Brauchitsch. After hearing Akado’s voice, he quickly stood at attention and saluted, “Heil Akado Rudolph, my Führer! My Führer, we have just learned of an important piece of intelligence at the front. We haven’t had time to submit it to the intelligence department, but I absolutely must report it directly to you.”

Akado, on his end of the phone, was taken aback. He knew that if it wasn’t for some particularly important and urgent intelligence, Brauchitsch would not normally concern himself with such minor details. And since Brauchitsch was reporting this matter directly to him as the Führer, then it meant that this piece of intelligence was absolutely priceless.

“Speak. I’m listening,” Akado said, having understood this. He then fell silent, waiting for Brauchitsch to speak.

Brauchitsch didn’t dare to make Akado wait long and immediately began, “Marshal von Rundstedt’s Army Group A, his 48th Grenadier Division, encircled a small village during their attack. The result was that they captured several Soviet Red Army officers inside.”

“These men thought they were doomed and were scared out of their wits. We casually interrogated one of them and got an important piece of intelligence. Tomorrow, the Soviet army will hold a Red Square parade. Stalin will personally review the troops they are about to throw into the Battle of Moscow. Several other prisoners have also confirmed this news, and said they also heard it from the loose-lipped army group logistics department.” After Brauchitsch had finished this part, he didn’t wait for Akado to speak, but added his own opinion, “We haven’t confirmed this intelligence yet, but I personally feel it is necessary to take countermeasures.”

Hearing this news, Akado gave a cold laugh in his heart. It seemed that some people’s personalities were predestined. In another timeline, Stalin had pulled the same stunt he was playing now. It showed that this man’s character had not changed at all, despite his experiences.

And without having to confirm it, Akado could also guess that even if these few Soviet prisoners were lying, the Soviet Union would definitely hold a real military parade. And to prevent this parade from happening would probably make Stalin’s last days very unpleasant, wouldn’t it?

Thinking of this, Akado gave a cold laugh and then instructed Brauchitsch, “My Field Marshal, since the enemy wants to show off their military might under our noses, then we should do something to show our even greater military might.”

“I understand! My Führer… I will immediately notify the air force and request that they bomb Moscow,” Brauchitsch said on the other end of the line, his unique voice coming through. “I think we should sortie every plane we can on that day and send some ‘good things’ to Stalin’s parade.”

Akado laughed heartily, but did not mention the air force. He said to his Field Marshal with a smile, “Field Marshal von Brauchitsch, I want to ask you a question. Do you think the frontline troops have slowed their advance because we have exhausted all our strength, to the point where we are unable to continue the attack?”

Field Marshal von Brauchitsch was taken aback for a moment, then quickly denied it. “My Führer, our troops are far from being exhausted. The combat effectiveness of all units has been very well maintained, and the soldiers’ morale is high… If you give the order, I think we can march into Moscow tomorrow and start the battle for the city.”

“What we have been waiting for is nothing more than the movement of Zhukov’s group. To use Moscow as bait to catch the big fish of Zhukov’s group is the fundamental reason why we have delayed the Battle of Moscow,” Brauchitsch replied. “In addition, I have heard that Mr. Krupp is transporting a batch of secret weapons to the front line…”

“You see, you still remember that we have secret weapons,” Akado said, taking over from Brauchitsch, and then continued, “I authorize the use of this new weapon to launch an attack on the city of Moscow! Let our old rival, Comrade Stalin, enjoy a true baptism.”

“Then the air force… should they still be sortied?” Brauchitsch suddenly asked before hanging up.

“Since when have we had any mercy for the enemy, my Field Marshal?” Akado said with a cold snort, his voice slow as he replied, “Use every means at our disposal to teach Stalin an unforgettable lesson! I want him to know that his era has, very regrettably, come to an end!”

“Yes, my Führer!” Brauchitsch saluted at attention and then hung up the phone. He then looked at his adjutant, nodded, and said, “Call the artillery units directly under the Eastern Front General Staff. Tell them to prepare, to await the order to attack Moscow!”

“Yes, Marshal!” The adjutant immediately turned and walked out, and Brauchitsch picked up the phone in front of him again. “This is Brauchitsch. Get me the Eastern Front Air Force Command… Hello? It’s me, Brauchitsch… Starting at 8 a.m. tomorrow, I am requesting all available bombers to be sortied for an air raid on Moscow! Please ensure that Moscow does not have an hour of peace tomorrow!”

On the other end of the line, it was not General Kesselring, who had been personally overseeing the Eastern Front all this time, because at this moment he was in Norway, deploying a new air defense network. The person on the other end was clearly not of a rank to make a decision immediately and at once asked, “Marshal, our fuel is limited. To carry out such a large-scale air raid operation, we need…”

“I have just received the Führer’s supreme command. If you need me to prepare an official document, I will have it sent to you within the hour. Prepare for the air raid immediately and await orders,” Brauchitsch said, cutting the other off. “This is a very important operation, understand?”

“Understood! I will give the order immediately to deploy the operational plan,” the person on the other end of the line, hearing that it was a supreme command from the Führer, immediately changed his tone and said firmly, “The air force will, starting at 8 a.m. tomorrow, repeatedly raid Moscow!”

While the German side was preparing for tomorrow’s air raid, the Soviet side was selecting the troops for the next day’s parade. After all, this parade was a project for the whole world to see. Every detail had to fully embody the great theme that the Soviet army could still fight.

Although Vatutin had received news that the German army had attacked the Soviet positions and had finally broken through the main defense line to a depth of 5 kilometers, he still did not know that Stalin’s parade plan had already been learned by the German army.

However, this Soviet commander of the Moscow defenses still felt deeply uneasy. He had, more than once, met with Stalin, stating that to hold a parade in a frontline city was an extremely dangerous matter. But Stalin had paid no attention to his advice and had, on the contrary, returned Vatutin’s caution with his usual stubbornness: “What matter is not dangerous now?”

Although Vatutin had strengthened the air defense firepower of the entire Moscow region and had prepared over 100 fighters for the day of the parade, to deal with any German bomber units that might appear, he still felt that the Germans would definitely intervene in the next day’s parade, and would make the Soviet government end this farce in disgrace.

Everyone had passed this unbearable, long night in a sleepless state. After all, this kind of thing did not happen every day. In the early morning, in a small town nearby, the artillery units directly under the German Eastern Front General Staff had unveiled their secret weapons, which had been covered with canvas. Krupp’s true masterpiece, the 280mm K-type railway gun.

These large-caliber railway guns, which had been disguised as freight trains in the sunset, were the first type of land-based large-caliber railway gun that Krupp had designed and produced after Akado had allowed the production of large-caliber artillery. They used the navy’s standard 280mm caliber and used universal naval ammunition.

This was the large-caliber support weapon that the army had dreamed of, and 20 of them had been produced in one go. Although they had not been in time to support the urban defense battle of Stalingrad, they had been transported to the front line and had been ordered to serve as the direct support firepower for the Eastern Front General Staff, to participate in the upcoming, full-scale Battle of Moscow.

Its terrifying range allowed this weapon to easily strike targets over 33 kilometers away. The high-explosive shells, after being redesigned, could carry out a shallow-penetration, contact-detonation attack on the target, which was very suitable for destroying the enemy’s fixed targets. And the current, hastily built firing position was only 33 kilometers in a straight line from the center of Moscow.

With one after another of commands, these ancient weapons, modified from naval guns and with a special train structure, born before World War I, were finally, in this high-tech war of World War II, ready to let out their first roar.

The long and slender barrels began to slowly rise, like chimneys, pointing at the sky. The built-in, folded cranes on the train were secured by the artillerymen and began to hoist the 300-kilogram, large-caliber shells for the cannons. There was nothing in the world that would want to be hit by such a shell.

“Adjust the elevation! According to the range table, raise the gun’s elevation to the designated position!” an artillery officer shouted, standing at his command post and ordering his men. To adjust a giant cannon of this size was no easy task. At the very least, compared to the flexible, small-caliber artillery, this was not a relaxing job.

First, it was one cannon, then two, then three, until all 20 cannons had fixed their angles at the appropriate positions. The bustling atmosphere on the entire firing position instantly disappeared, and the soldiers who were waiting to fire seemed to even hold their breath.

Taking out the pocket watch from his chest, Brauchitsch picked up the phone in front of him and, in a calm tone, gave the order to attack: “Let’s give the Soviets a surprise!”

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