That night, Brandenburg's team took the lead as usual.

In fact, the Brandenburg detachment had already dispatched to reconnaissance during the day, when the 11th Army was resting.

The results they reconnaissed were consistent with those guessed by Qin Chuan and others. They assigned the main force to the front of the Baku defense line and along the Caspian Sea coast. Most of the troops stationed in the Caucasus Mountains were defeated soldiers, wounded soldiers and logistics personnel who retreated from the front line... Most of the defeated soldiers and wounded soldiers were from the 392nd Infantry Division and the 394th Infantry Division. They were ordered to stop the German army's advancement speed on the front line, but rather than stopping, it was a siege and was chased by the German army to escape to Baku.

"They arranged three divisions on the front of the defense line!" Erich pointed to the map and said, "The 406th Infantry Division, the 155th Infantry Brigade and the 242nd Mountain Division respectively! The direct troops of the Front Army were arranged along the Caspian Sea coast, namely the 417th Infantry Division and the 52nd Tank Brigade."

"They obviously think we will go around their defense from the Caspian Sea!" said Manstein. "That's why we put the elite troops along the Caspian Sea coast!"

"Yes!" Major General Wagner said: "But this is not a good thing for us!"

Manstein nodded in agreement.

Although by now, the German raid can be considered half successful... Until then, the Soviet army did not realize that the German army had penetrated into the rear of Baku.

However, the enemy's military strength gap is still very different.

The Soviet army had four complete infantry and one tank brigade, and two infantry divisions who were broken and rested and renovated in the rear to serve as reserves. The initial estimate was about 100,000 troops.

Strictly speaking, the German army had only two divisions with more than 30,000 troops.

"Once we attack Baku!" Major General Freco said: "After the enemy's troops spreading around us will immediately form a counter-encirclement!"

"If we have reinforcements..." Wagner said: "Then we can defeat them inside and outside. The problem is that we don't have reinforcements, we will be surrounded by them and cannot move!"

"What's worse is that we don't have heavy weapons!" Qin Chuan added: "And the enemy has a tank brigade!"

Because the 11th Army wanted to cross the Caucasus, all the heavy equipment was left on the other side of the mountain. Otherwise, the German armored division's qualities would have a chance of winning against the Soviet armored division.

But now it's another matter.

Erich suggested: "Sneak attack, blow up the oil field refinery, and then retreat to the Caucasus!"

This is indeed a good suggestion.

In fact, this is one of the reasons why Manstein agreed to intersperse from the Caucasus... The Baku oilfield accounts for 71.5% of the total Soviet energy. As long as these oilfields are ignited and the refinery is blown up, it can cause considerable losses to the Soviet industry. This can be said to be a victory.

Then, the German army retreated to the Caucasus with the supplies seized from Baku, and used the advantage of the terrain to block the Soviet attack until the A Group Army broke through the Don River defense line and attacked the Caucasus.

The problem is that it will not take a long time for the German army to get oil from Baku in a day and a night.

"We may be able to defend Baku!" Qin Chuan said, looking at the map.

"Major!" Erich opposed: "Although I also hope that those fields and refineries will be used by us, IMHO, this is not a sensible approach!"

Wagner also shook his head and said, "Although the Soviets are not strong in combat power! Among them, the 242nd Mountain Division is still newly formed recruits, but the difference in strength is too great, and the two troops directly under the Front Army should not be despised!"

"We don't need to face so many troops!" Qin Chuan said.

"You mean to use our frontal offense and Caspian offense to restrain it?" Major General Freco said: "Major, they have a firewall, and only a small number of troops can block our 22nd Armored Division from the other side!"

"What I'm talking about is the firewall!" Qin Chuan said.

"What firewall?" asked Manstein.

"Marson!" Qin Chuan pointed to the map and said, "Just as we said before, the Soviet army may have more than one firewall on the front. Simply put, after we break through one firewall, we will face the second firewall, and then there will be a third..."

"What does this have to do with us?" Manstein asked.

"Of course it's related, Your Excellency Marshal!" Qin Chuan replied: "Because I think these firewalls were definitely not dug temporarily. It's very likely that they are digging now, and they are still behind the front line troops!"

The officers couldn't help but nodded.

The reason is very simple. The length and width of the firewall determine that its engineering volume is quite large. It is impossible to wait until the front line troops retreat before digging. Instead, dig in advance and prepare. After the front line troops retreat, they immediately drain oil and then ignite it again, so as to stop the pursuers behind them.

Erich answered: "We did detect the Soviets digging a trench..."

As he said that, Erich looked on the map for a while, then pointed to a location and said, "Here, three miles away from Baku, a large number of Soviet people were working on it. We thought it was a trench, but now when we think about it... this is more like the firewall you mentioned, because it has no corners!"

The excavation of trenches has a feature: in order to avoid several enemy machine gunners jumping into the trenches and setting up a machine gun to block the entire defense line with firepower, it is very taboo to dig into a straight line, which should be jagged.

There is no such problem in the firewall. In order to reduce engineering volume and increase fuel liquidity, the firewall should be dug into a straight line.

Qin Chuan pointed to that position and said, "As long as we occupy this fire wall and let it ignite a big fire, then the three divisions of the Soviet army will be blocked from the fire wall!"

"It seems not finished yet!" Erich said: "They are divided into sections with some gaps in the middle!"

"This is not a problem!" Manstein said: "On the one hand, we can organize prisoners and the Soviets to connect them quickly. On the other hand, if it is too late, we can use firepower to block the gap!"

The officers couldn't help but nodded in agreement. The Soviet army was not strong in combat. If they could only focus on certain gaps to charge, then their strength advantage would not be exerted. It would not be difficult for the German army to defend these gaps.

"Then, the troops of about three divisions on the front will be solved!" Qin Chuan said: "They will be trapped in the two fire walls in front and behind and there is nowhere to go unless they enter the Caucasus region, but they want to cross the Caucasus like us and arrive here again at least a few days later!"

"There are two troops directly under the Front Army!" Manstein said: "Especially the Tank Brigade!"
Chapter completed!