"What's worse is..." Alexander said: "In the defense areas of the 3rd and 4th Army in Romania, a large number of Soviet troops were found to gather!"

"Does the head of state know these situations?" Qin Chuan asked.

In fact, this sentence is just to confirm. It is impossible for Hitler to know such important information.

Sure enough, Alexander replied: "Of course I know, but he doesn't pay attention to it!"

"We sometimes don't understand why this is!" Another staff officer interrupted: "Our flanks are already in such a dangerous situation, why do the head of state still need to transfer the flanks to France!"

"Maybe it's because France needs troops!" Alexander replied.

"Yes, I know this!" the staff advised: "But can we ignore the Eastern Front because France is in danger? Stalingrad is located at the protruding part of the defense line between the two rivers. If the flanks are broken, the 6th Army will be in danger of being surrounded by the Soviets!"

The staff officer's words silenced everyone because everyone thought he was right.

Qin Chuan knew why, Hitler was too confident about the Eastern Front, thinking that the Southern Army could block the Soviet army's possible attack with its existing forces, or it could also be said that Hitler was deceived and believed in Canaris' intelligence that the Soviets were unable to organize a counterattack.

Qin Chuan knew very clearly that this was wrong. The Soviet Union's war potential was far beyond the imagination of the German senior management... This was related to the Soviet army's requirements for the quality of soldiers. If the requirements for quality were not high, a huge force could be organized in a short time. Even if these troops were surrounded and annihilated by the German army by hundreds of thousands or even millions, the Soviet army could immediately organize another force.

"We have several plans now!" Alexander said: "The first plan is to persuade the head of state to pay attention to the weak flanks on both sides of our army. If he can recognize the dangers, he will take corresponding measures!"

As for what measures were taken, Alexander didn't explain in detail, but everyone understood... either sent reinforcements to fill these weak parts, or they would shrink the defense line, that is, retreat.

"Another plan!" Alexander continued: "It is to draw troops from the 6th Army to defend the two wings."

Qin Chuan shook his head and said, "This plan is not realistic. The northern defense line centered on Kotluban has always been the focus of the Soviet offensive, and the defense of the two wings requires at least two mechanized armies!"

The 6th Army had only five armies in total, and they were all army with severely insufficient troops and equipment after the fierce battle of Stalingrad. If two more armies were drawn to defend the flanks, the defensive power in the Stalingrad area would become full of flaws.

"Then there is only the first plan!" Alexander said: "In fact, this is what General Paulus is doing. He tried to convince the head of state to make him realize the fragility of this line of defense!"

As he was speaking, a jeep stopped outside the door. Paulus and his guards, wrapped in windbreaker, jumped out of the car and walked into the command center quickly, with a very ugly face.

Alexander and Qin Chuan looked at each other and knew that Paulus's trip was not going well.

Qin Chuan was not surprised at all. Hitler's conceit and stubbornness were notorious. For example, he was deceived by the Allied forces' "meat filling plan" in the Battle of Sicily. Until the last moment, he thought that the Allied forces attacked Sicily was a bluff.

It would be fine if Hitler could recognize his mistake, but he pretended that nothing had happened, and the generals and staff around him also pretended that nothing was Hitler's fault. So such mistakes happened again and again, when Normandy landed, and now on the Eastern Front.

"Oh, Major!" Paulus seemed to have just seen Qin Chuan. He nodded at Qin Chuan and said, "Seeing you may be the only thing that makes people relax today!"

Alexander hoped Paulus would talk to them about progress, but Paulus was obviously unwilling to do so. He greeted the officers and walked into the lounge.

Major General Weber, an adjutant of Paulus, came up and explained: "Sorry, the general has been busy for two days and he needs rest!"

"The situation is not good, is it, General?" asked Alexander.

Major General Weber nodded: "The Head of State believes that we have enough troops to defend, and at the same time, he believes that the Soviets will not be so fast and there will not be so many troops to launch a counterattack!"

The staff members couldn't help but remain silent.

This is a very powerless feeling. Most of them know that the head of state is wrong, but they just can't change this. Qin Chuan is also one of them.

After a moment of silence, Alexander turned his attention to Qin Chuan: "Major, the head of state trusts you very much. If you are to convince the head of state, do you think it is possible..."

"Colin!" Qin Chuan interrupted Alexander's words: "If General Paulus cannot convince the head of state, do you think I can?"

Alexander couldn't help but speak in silence.

This is indeed a stupid method, because even though Hitler trusts Qin Chuan, Qin Chuan is a low-level officer after all, and he has no say in strategic matters.

"Maybe..." Then Alexander said: "We can prepare for the Soviet attack!"

"What, for example?" Qin Chuan asked.

"For example..." Alexander pointed to the map and said: "We can build fortifications or lay mines on the weak wings, so that when the Soviets attacked, their speed would not be too fast. Then the head of state realized that his judgment was wrong, and we could evacuate before the Soviets completed the encirclement!"

Qin Chuan shook his head.

This sounds indeed feasible, because once the Soviet counterattack was launched, the Germans would soon know the Soviet forces put into the attack, and then Hitler would realize his mistake, and then the 6th Army could evacuate before suffering greater losses or, or even before the Soviet army formed an encirclement.

but……

"Even so, will the head of state agree to retreat?" Qin Chuan asked back.

Qin Chuan hit the nail on the head, just like in the North African battlefield, when the situation was obviously unfavorable to the African Legion, Hitler still ordered not to retreat... This has almost become Hitler's catchphrase.

This is true. In history, there is no need to say that Hitler realized his mistake. Even though Paulus's 6th Army was surrounded by the Soviet army, Hitler still ordered Paulus to garrison on the spot instead of breaking through.

Hitler seemed to have forgotten a famous saying by Frederick the Great: "Those who want to keep everything will not be able to keep anything in the end!"

After thinking about it, Qin Chuan said, "We seem to have a third plan!"
Chapter completed!