Rostov-on-Don, headquarters of the German D Army Group. Marshal Brauchitsch, commander of the 2nd Army Corps and concurrently commander of the German D Army Group, was studying the war situation with a number of army commanders. Among these commanders, the German military and Ukrainian army generals undoubtedly held somewhat higher status. The Yugoslav and Italian generals, meanwhile, ranked relatively lower. It could not be helped—whose armies had such dreadful combat effectiveness and no achievements worth displaying? This left them a head shorter before the German and Ukrainian generals.
"Gentlemen, through the past week of fighting, we have inflicted considerable losses on the Russian Southern Front Army. Now, the Southern Front Army's forces have almost entirely huddled around Volgograd. I have decided to dispatch our main force to attack Volgograd, wipe out the Russian Southern Front Army in one stroke, and open the way for an attack on Yuzefgrad!" Marshal Brauchitsch ordered.
Marshal Brauchitsch had no choice but to do this. Through his connections at General Staff Headquarters, he knew that the three Army Groups in the north were brewing a large-scale offensive. Once it succeeded, the northern situation would become clear. It could even be concluded that the German military would hold an absolute advantage. Therefore, Marshal Brauchitsch did not want to fall too far behind either.
The generals of the D Army Group all nodded in agreement. At this stage of the war, the D Army Group's mission was to capture Yuzefgrad. They did not wish to waste too much time either. After all, once they launched an attack on Yuzefgrad, they would still have to face a bloody battle.
"In this operation, the German 2nd Army Corps, 19th Army Corps, and 20th Army Corps, along with the Ukrainian 1st Army Corps, 2nd Army Corps, and 3rd Army Corps,