Chapter 1068: Strategic Bombing

The current German strategic bomber was only the “Butcher,” a four-engine design. Its appearance had drawn some reference from the American B-17, but it was generally more streamlined and slightly larger. So, as these “Butcher” strategic bombers blotted out the sky, it was difficult to sense the full development of Germany’s strategic bombing force.

However, the German aviation industry was not standing still in strategic bomber design. On the contrary, they had revised and innovated their designs countless times. The soldiers on the outside might not have known, but within the German Air Force alone, there had already been four major variants, from the Butcher A to the Butcher D.

The Butcher A was the most primitive German bomber. After improving the design of the ventral cannon turret, the most original, indigenously designed German model was born. Mass production of this aircraft had already been stopped because, after about 90 had been produced intermittently, it had been completely replaced by the more advanced Butcher B.

The most-produced model by the German Air Force was the Butcher B long-range strategic bomber. This aircraft used many new materials to replace the original expensive metals and had a complete assembly line, making it more reliable and cheaper. But it was still not what the Germans considered the best strategic bomber. So, after producing 350 of these, the German army had begun to equip its new bomber units with the more advanced Butcher C.

Strictly speaking, the biggest improvement of the Butcher C was the use of a British-technology engine with Rolls-Royce design lineage. This new engine, which combined British and German technology, gave the Butcher C a faster cruising speed and a longer range. Of course, the C model had other improvements, such as a more rational defensive armament layout and more precise production processes.

However, after producing 190 Butcher C bombers, the Germans had once again improved their strategic bomber. This time, the changes were in the bombsight and the aircraft’s structural materials. The Butcher D had a lighter airframe, so it was faster, and the new bombsight made high-altitude bombing more accurate. The production of the Butcher D had already exceeded 280, and it was well on its way to surpassing the Butcher B’s numbers.

If one included the first 50 original “Butcher” bombers, the total number of “Butcher” strategic bombers in the German strategic bomber force was over 900. Due to strict quality control and the efforts of the German Air Force’s ground crews, these planes maintained an astonishing sortie rate.

Of course, this was also related to the fact that the German strategic bomber force had not flown many missions in the past year due to a lack of fuel. Most of these planes were new, so they were easier to maintain, and their sortie rate was higher. This time, the German army had concentrated all of its “Butcher” bombers deployed on the Eastern Front, precisely to turn the city of Ulyanovsk into a complete and utter ruin.

“Bombs away!” one after another, the German bombers, which had already lowered their altitude, began to drop their bomb loads from their open bays. These heavy bombs were responsible for destroying as many of the thick Soviet buildings as possible, to wipe those sturdy houses clean.

The second wave of 100 bombers, following behind, was loaded with incendiary bombs. These bombs would ignite the already-collapsed houses, burning out the internal wooden structures and anything else that could burn. This arrangement was to enhance the effect of the bombing, to completely destroy this important Soviet transportation hub.

From the moment the first bomb was dropped on the streets of Ulyanovsk, all the Soviet officers there knew that the city was finished. For the past year, its anti-aircraft weapons had been requisitioned and sent to the various fronts. It was only recently that this place had, barely, acquired a pitifully small air defense force.

Countless anti-aircraft guns had been diverted to produce anti-tank guns and self-propelled guns. In the words of Zhukov and Stalin, air defense had to be built on the foundation that the main front could hold the enemy. Otherwise, if the front was lost, what was the use of so many anti-aircraft guns? And so, the production capacity for anti-aircraft weapons had been massively squeezed, and the cities in the distant rear had basically no effective air defense.

The earth trembled as the German bombs exploded. Glass windows rattled and shattered. Cries and screams for help were everywhere. One after another, the buildings collapsed, and the rising dust began to blot out the sun.

With almost no fighter interception, and almost no anti-aircraft interference, the German bombers, as if in a rehearsal, dropped their carried ammunition on what they deemed to be the most valuable targets. By comparing their maps, they quickly found the valuable areas. The railway lines that converged here were crystal clear in the sights of these “Butcher” bombers.

“Click!” With a light press of the bomb release button, one after another of the massive bombs was released from the plane’s constraints by gravity. They wobbled, adjusted their attitude in the airflow, and then plunged down, following an irregular parabola towards their targets.

Following behind this German bomber were a second and a third. These bombers were also dropping their bombs on the target. The ground began to bloom with the flowers of the explosions, one after another, as if painting on a huge canvas.

“Maintain altitude! Hold your speed! Maximize your bombing accuracy, gentlemen! We are the German unit that has reached the deepest into the Soviet Union. On the way back, we can cheer and celebrate!” the commander shouted into his radio, his voice filled with joy. His answer was more German planes dropping more bombs, as dense as rain, covering the entire city of Ulyanovsk.

In the factory district, the shockwaves from the explosions shattered the glass on both sides of the tall factory buildings. The steel-welded roofs, shaken by the impact, began to buckle and collapse, burying the machinery inside and the workers who had not had time to escape.

In the once-green factory complex, many workers were running along the tree-lined avenues towards safety. Around them, from time to time, the smoke from explosions would rise, and the flying shrapnel would take countless lives. Flying iron fragments and steel ball bearings were embedded in the trunks of the large trees, and stuck in the cracks of the brickwork like flying knives. Some of them were stained with blood, a ghastly sight.

Unfortunately, the German planes overhead were not leaving. Most of the planes had not even passed over the city yet. All of this showed that the suffering had only just begun, that the nightmare was just the prelude to a larger drama. Everyone was running in despair, diving into the surrounding air-raid shelters. Ulyanovsk actually had very good air defense facilities, but the arrival of the German planes had been too sudden, which was what had caused such chaos.

It was only at this moment that a dozen or so Soviet fighters, arriving late, appeared. In front of the German bombers, which were already in their bombing formation and were flying slowly over the Ulyanovsk urban area, they were almost completely useless. They could only circle on the periphery of the German planes’ defensive fire circle, not daring to charge into the enemy formation to interfere with their bombing.

The second wave of German bombers began to pour down their incendiary bombs. A great fire immediately began to spread through the streets and alleys of the city. The thick smoke, which had already been rising from the explosions, at this moment, turned into a raging red fire, devaging everything that could burn. The broken wardrobes in the collapsed houses, the clothes, the curtains, even the desks and bedsheets—there were too many things in the city that could burn, so the incendiary bombs dropped by the German planes had ignited too many things.

“Comrade Stalin! News just came in. The Germans have concentrated their bombers and have launched a surprise attack on Ulyanovsk,” Vatutin said, walking into Stalin’s office and standing at attention to report. “The losses there are heavy. As of now, the German bombing is still ongoing.”

“The roads and railways have been severely damaged. Some of the uncamouflaged train cars and a portion of the factories have been destroyed,” Vatutin said. He no longer knew how to describe the catastrophic consequences of this bombing. In the end, he paused and, in a slightly weary tone, said to Stalin, “Our losses are heavy. The German air raid has made our situation even more difficult.”

“Don’t worry about it, Comrade Vatutin,” Stalin said. He seemed not to have heard what his subordinate was saying. He pointed to the map that was spread out on the table and began to tell Vatutin his plan. “I have already ordered Chuikov to detach 100,000 troops as reinforcements. They will be able to reach Moscow soon. If Zhukov’s forces in the south can counter-attack and retake Bryansk, then the encirclement of Moscow will be relieved…”

Vatutin no longer wanted to listen to this now-slightly-mad Comrade Stalin explain a strategic deployment that was completely unworkable. He knew that even if Zhukov’s group could retake Bryansk, they simply did not have the ability to hold it under a German pincer attack from the front and rear.

He had known for a long time that they were transferring troops from Chuikov’s Far Eastern theater. This transfer had also allowed the Japanese to gain a more comprehensive strategic initiative in the Far East. Unfortunately, most of the transferred troops had been held back by the increasingly unreliable politicians in the Siberian region. Only a few tens of thousands of troops were heading west, but it was estimated that they would be stranded in Ulyanovsk for a long time.

Two days ago, Vatutin had already reminded Stalin, but for some reason, the other had chosen to forget his reminder. Stalin insisted that his reinforcements would immediately reach Moscow, and that Zhukov’s group could return to Moscow to help him resolve the crisis.

Vatutin lowered his head and slowly backed out of Stalin’s office. Without a sound, he dropped the report about the attack on Ulyanovsk into a trash can by the door, and didn’t look at it again.

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