Hammer of God (Kirov Series Book 14) Read Online Free PDF Page B

proposed dramatic new changes to German war doctrine,
Manstein became a bridge between the old infantry tactics and the new emphasis
on the slashing maneuver of armor. When then Chief of the Army General Staff,
Ludwig Beck, opposed Guderian’s ideas about tanks, Manstein proposed the
creation of the Sturmgeschutz self-propelled assault gun to work in direct
support with the infantry.
    Many thought Manstein would soon
take Beck’s place, but the politics of OKW saw another man rise to that post,
Franz Halder, and the incident embittered the relationship between Halder and
Manstein for years to come. Yet as a skilled planner with a sharp strategic
mind, Manstein was at the heart of all the early German successes at war. It
was he who had guided the plan for operations against Poland, and it was his
decisive change to the German Fall Gelb plan to attack France that
resulted in the swift defeat of that nation.
    Halder was none too happy about
that. He had drafted a plan for a sweeping attack in the north, but Manstein
instead insisted that the armor could emerge from the unexpected axis of the
Ardennes forest in a “sickle cut” behind the enemy that would unhinge the
entire defense. Halder had Manstein transferred to get rid of the man and his
ideas, but they prevailed when Hitler ordered a version of the plan that was
much in accord with Manstein’s thinking. The result was now history.
    It was no surprise then, as
Hitler now contemplated an array of many options in the months ahead, that he
summoned Manstein again, much to Halder’s chagrin.
    “Greetings, General.” The dark
eyes flashed with energy, but the handshake was cold, as if the man had no
soul. Manstein never forgot that observation he soon made about Hitler, though
he would nonetheless serve his country to the best of his considerable
abilities. Now he wondered what this meeting was all about, and why he would be
privileged to be granted an audience with the Führer himself. Hitler wasted no
time getting to the reason.
    “My generals in OKW are still
debating the future course of the war,” he said flatly. “They are full of
numbers and statistics, analyzing all the deployments of the enemy, but never
seem to add those numbers up to the same sum. So I have called you here to
listen to your thoughts on the matter. I was very impressed with the
alterations you proposed for Fall Gelb . You have seen the plans for
Barbarossa?”
    “I have, my Führer.”
    “Your thoughts?”
    Manstein wanted to be careful
here, as he knew his arch rival Halder most likely had his hand on the tiller
where Barbarossa was concerned. “It is top heavy again,” he said with
confidence. “The emphasis on taking Leningrad, and then Moscow, commits the
bulk of our forces in Army Group North and the central attack.”
    “Yet Leningrad is the seed bed of
Bolshevism,” said Hitler.
    “It was, but as we have seen the
seeds have spread considerably. Taking Leningrad is merely theater. The same
can be said for Moscow. We should instead focus on the south, moving north only
after we have effectively joined with the forces of the Orenburg Federation.”
    “Interesting,” said Hitler
enthusiastically. “I am surprised to hear you say this, as you are presently
assigned to 56th Panzer Korps in Army Group North. Your forces would be leading
the way there.”
    “Correct,” said Manstein,
removing his cap and tucking it under his arm to reveal his closely cropped
white hair. “While taking Leningrad removes a strong economic and production
center from Kirov’s control, it would not be decisive in and of itself, and it
would eventually pull the axis of our attack towards Moscow. Where else? While
a prominent political center and symbol of Soviet power, its capture really
affords us no military strategic value. That fruit is all in the south, in the
Crimea and the Caucasus.”
    “Precisely,” said Hitler with a
smile. “Finally I hear a general I can agree with. My thought is to