Just as the battle in Kursk was in full swing, a German soldier was looking into the distance with his rifle in the ruins on the southern battlefield.

Most of the German soldiers fighting on the southern front were equipped with Mauser 98k rifles, which was not much different from the German equipment in real history.

Because the former Southern Army Group, which was renamed the D Army Group, had strong troops, was not the main offensive force. This is why the southern front has not completely captured Odessa.

Speaking of Odessa, the battle here has reached its end, and the German army has been stationed in this ruin for a day.

The city defense war, to this point, may be even more tragic than Moscow. Odessa has also become a tragic battle with a street battle comparable to that of the Battle of Moscow. Unfortunately, the final outcome has long been destined, and it is only a matter of time before the German army occupy this place.

Now, in the ruins opposite, a white flag was finally raised. They have been waiting for this flag for several hours.

The last little resistance force stationed in the city of Odessa finally chose to surrender because of the exhaustion of ammunition and food.

The moment they raised the white flag, the German troops on the southern front also began to march straight into Sarne.

The main force of the German Army Group that has captured Lviv is advancing towards Khmelnikki.

The most important Odessa has been captured, and the situation of the German army on the southern front is very good. It is just mid-July, and the German army has captured almost one-fifth of Ukraine.

As Guderian's B Army Group moved south, the German army began to surpass the Soviet army Zhukov cluster in Ukraine in terms of total force.

In fact, on the front battlefield, the German Army D Group had more than 800,000 troops. Although most of them were infantry, there was no shortage of troops.

The two wings of these 800,000 German troops are Italy's 400,000 expeditionary forces and 400,000 joint troops dispatched by Romania and other minion countries.

What they faced was the Soviet Zhukov cluster about 1.5 million combat troops. In this way, the total strength of the front Axis powers actually had a little advantage.

After all, Zhukov's combat troops have now drawn about 500,000 to defend the German B Army Group that headed south from near Moscow.

Similarly, the German B Army Group went south with more than 200,000 troops. These troops were extremely elite, with thousands of tanks, and their combat effectiveness was very strong.

In the Kursk area, the Soviet army was not able to gather strength. Zhukov personally commanded and dispatched the troops and collected less than 200,000 troops near Kursk.

Whether from the frontal battlefield or from the Kursk battlefield, the Soviet army had no counterattack power and could only defend passively.

Things are sometimes very simple, sometimes very complicated. For example, the battle situation in Kursk, from a simple perspective, actually influences the battle situation in Ukraine.

However, from a complex perspective, the results of the battle here cannot really affect the situation in Ukraine.

Because of the loss of Odessa, Ukraine's Black Sea route is now the areas that the Axis powers seek.

On the day Odessa was captured by the German army, a warship hung with the German navy passed through the Turkish-controlled strait and appeared on the Black Sea.

Although this is not a large warship, it is just a destroyer. Even the ship is full of new sailors, and its combat effectiveness cannot be guaranteed.

However, from the perspective of political significance, the warships of the Axis powers began to enter the Black Sea, which means that the strategic balance between the Soviet and Germany in the Ukrainian war zone was finally completely broken.

Because the navy moves faster, Ukraine will be surrounded on three sides in just a few days and become the target of the German army's attack.

"What the Germans said is true? Did they really take Odessa?" Standing on the coast, a Turkish officer asked the politicians around him.

He felt really uncomfortable when he watched the warships flying other people's national military flags passing through the straits of his own country.

The politician sneered and then replied: "I heard that it was after Odessa raised the white flag that the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave his comments to our ambassador."

Türkiye now pursues a completely neutral policy. Therefore, its straits must also be passed by ships from various countries.

"So, Ukraine is over?" Odessa was captured by the German army, and the Axis navy entered the Black Sea at least on the surface, the Soviet army was already at a disadvantage in Ukraine.

"Yes, it's almost over." Politicians are in a very bad mood because Türkiye is facing more and more problems now.

Türkiye did not participate in the war, not because Türkiye loves peace, but because Türkiye is not ready to take sides.

The question now is how Türkiye chooses to take sides... If it seeks to join the powerful Germany, then whether the interests of Türkiye surrounded on three sides can be guaranteed has become a question.

But now it seems too late to stand in the Soviet Union and resist the powerful Germany. With the Turkish combat troops, they may not be able to resist the second-rate German troops under Marshal Liszt stationed on the Balkans.

Who would have thought that the German army's attack speed was so fast that it could easily take Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union.

All of this happened in just 4 months, which made Türkiye not have time to change its diplomatic strategy and came to this day in a daze.

"That bastard Rommel was swaying in the south of our city, afraid that we didn't know that he had returned to the Middle East." The officer looked angry when he mentioned this.

The force threat effect of the Axis powers is really amazing. Türkiye is not only facing a great enemy, but even Montgomery stationed in Iraq is shocked three times a day.

The famous reputation of the desert fox Rommel not only scares the princes in the Middle East, but also puts pressure on all potential opponents.

After all, this man was a cruel man who led thousands of soldiers to chase the British expeditionary force from Libya to Egypt. At the same time, he was also the most powerful spokesperson for the head of state in the Middle East.

If we add Marshal Liszt who is eyeing him on the Balkans... the pressure Türkiye feels is really unprecedented.

It is precisely because of this that the Turkish diplomatic department finally agreed to the Axis powers’ request to pass the Istanbul Strait.
Chapter completed!