When he learned that Zhukov planned to transfer all his troops to the Prokhorovka area, Sokov's mind was shocked. He wanted to slap himself twice. If his performance in the past two days hadn't been too eye-catching,
, How could Zhukov suddenly come up with such an idea? His troops have been staying in Shumakovo, and when the battle is almost over, he will go out to pick peaches and inspect them. Isn't it delicious?
"Comrade Marshal," Sokov replied with some embarrassment: "Now our army already has a lot of troops in the Prokhorovka area. If our group army is transferred there again, will it be too crowded and the troops will not be able to
How about unfolding it?”
"Then what did you think about it?" Zhukov unexpectedly did not get angry, but asked calmly: "Don't you think it is a waste to place an entire army group in Shumakovo, a place where there may not be another battle?
?"
"Comrade Marshal, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the worst. Don't see the German army being driven across the Pena River by us. It won't threaten Shumakovo's safety for the time being, but we can't relax our vigilance." Sokov said cautiously.
: "I think it is very necessary to set up a reserve force in Shumakovo."
"Well, since you said you want to keep a reserve team in Shumakovo, then keep the first division and three brigades that participated in the battle last night, plus an infantry division. That will be enough." Zhukov couldn't help but say
He said: "The remaining troops will be transferred to the Prokhorovka area. I believe that with your participation, we will be more confident in blocking the enemy's attack."
After hearing what Zhukov said, Sokov burst into tears: You treat me as a fairy, thinking that wherever I am, the Germans will definitely not be able to break through the defense line, right? Soon they will be in the Prokhorovka area
It is said that thousands of tanks participated in the tank battle that took place. His own tank corps was gone, but it was not enough to fill the teeth of the German armored forces, so Sokov tried his best to get rid of this drudgery.
"Comrade Marshal, please listen to my sophistry... No, this is my explanation." Sokov said with a sad face: "My troops have become exhausted after a long march on foot. Now they have not been given enough time.
Rest and recuperation, and hastily transferring them to the Prokhorovka area may affect the combat effectiveness of the troops."
"Comrade Sokov," Zhukov did not call Sokov by his nickname, but by his surname: "Since you say so, I can agree to you staying where you are, but you must agree to one condition."
Knowing that his troops could stay where they were, Sokov almost jumped up with excitement, thinking that I could agree to not just one condition, but a hundred conditions. He pretended to be calm and asked: "Marshal
Comrade, what are the conditions?"
"You take the time to meet with Marshal Manstein and tell him that our army is not ready for battle yet. Please ask him to order his troops to temporarily stop the attack and wait until your army enters the Prokhorovka area before launching another attack."
It’s not too late to attack.”
Upon hearing Zhukov's conditions, Sokov was dumbfounded and said to himself, Marshal Zhukov, aren't you kidding me? If I could convince Manstein, would the Battle of Kursk still be fought? I directly ordered him to report to
The Soviet army surrendered. He smiled bitterly and said: "Comrade Marshal, are you kidding me?"
"You were the one who joked with me first." After Zhukov said this, he asked bluntly: "Give me a word, when will your troops be stationed in the Prokhorovka area?"
After listening to Zhukov's words, Sokov completely gave up. He knew very well that not only what he said, but his troops would definitely not be able to escape from the battle in the Prokhorovka area. He drew signs on the map with his hands.
After a while, he measured the distance between Shumakovo and Prokhorovka, and finally said: "Comrade Marshal, it is almost 80 kilometers from us to the Prokhorovka area. If we march on foot, it will take two days at the fastest."
Days. And the tank army’s advance takes about the same amount of time.”
"Two days is all. Two days later, I want to see your troops appear in the north of the Prokhorovka area." After Zhukov gave this order, he casually asked: "Are there any difficulties?"
"There must be difficulties." Sokov thought about his large army marching in broad daylight. If there was no air force to provide air support and encounter a German air attack, the marching order of the troops might be disrupted. After thinking about it,
Finally, he said cautiously: "I still hope you can provide us with the necessary air support, otherwise we will not be able to march during the day."
Seeing Sokov's change of tone, Zhukov's face showed a smile, and he then asked: "What troops do you plan to transfer to the Prokhorovka area?"
"I plan to leave the 254th Infantry Division and two independent tank battalions to assist the 1st Division and 3rd Brigade in defending the Shumakovo area." Since going to the Prokhorovka area was inevitable, Sokov made serious arrangements.
Where the troops are going: "The 84th, 182nd and 188th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 4th Guards Tank Corps, will march in the direction of Prokhorovka after dawn tomorrow. In order to prevent being attacked by German air attacks, I hope Marshal
Comrade can provide us with the necessary air support."
"Don't worry, Misha." Zhukov vowed: "I will send no less than one aviation division of the air force to cover your transfer from Shumakovo to the Prokhorovka area."
When Sokov put down the phone, Samyko immediately asked impatiently: "Comrade Commander, are the superiors planning to transfer us to the Prokhorovka area?"
"Yes," Sokov nodded and said with a serious expression: "But this time we were not provided with any means of transportation, which means that our soldiers can only walk slowly on their own two legs.
To the Prokhorovka region."
"A journey of eighty kilometers, even if we march 40 kilometers a day, it will still take two days." Sameko said with some worry: "I wonder if I can make it in time?"
"It's totally in time," Sokov said to Samyko: "Shortly after our army moved towards Shumakovo, the base camp placed the 5th Guards Tank Army and the 5th Guards Tank Army under the command of the Voronezh Front.
After General Vatutin received these troops, the first order he issued was for them to move towards Prokhorovka. According to my estimation, these troops will arrive at Prokhorovka one after another by tomorrow morning at the latest.
.”
"Comrade Commander, there is already a defense line of our army in the Prokhorovka area, and there are many troops stationed there. Now a tank army and a guard army have been added. The troops holding there are enough. Why?
Do you want us to be transferred as well?"
"I have said before that the terrain of the Prokhorovka area is very conducive to the German army deploying large-scale armored forces." Sokov said thoughtfully: "Although a tank group army was transferred there, but
To block the large-scale German armored forces, our army needs more tanks."
Sokov walked up to Polubyarov: "Comrade General, please tell me truthfully, how many tanks can your army still use today?" Naturally there is a reason for him to ask this, tanks are no better than cars.
, after a long march, some malfunctions will occur more or less, and maintenance personnel will need to repair them before they can be put into battle.
Upon hearing Sokov's question, Polubyarov answered truthfully: "Comrade Commander, our army has 3 tank brigades and 1 motorized infantry brigade, with a total of 7,500 soldiers, 168 tanks and
76 artillery pieces of various calibers. But after a long march, we had less than a hundred tanks that could be put into battle."
"What, there are less than a hundred cars left?" Sokov asked in surprise: "Why is this happening?"
"Comrade Commander, you don't know that many of the tanks equipped by our army were produced in 1941 and have participated in many battles. They all have more or less malfunctions. After a long march,
, the tank's faults were gradually reflected." Polubyarov explained to Sokov: "Otherwise, I would not have asked you for the 29 captured tanks."
"Comrade General," Sokov knew very well in his heart that even though his troops were equipped with a lot of rocket launchers, the best weapon for the enemy's tanks was still the tank. Facing the swarming torrent of steel, they must use it.
A sufficient number of tanks to resist: "Order your maintenance technicians to eliminate tank faults in the shortest possible time. When setting off at dawn tomorrow, even if not all tanks can be dispatched, at least 80% of the tanks must be able to attack Proho.
Departure from Lovka area."
As the transfer order was issued, all units began to get busy. The busiest one was Colonel Khokhlov's 182nd Division, which was ordered to hand over defensive positions to Colonel Shechtman's 254th Division.
Samyko found a map of the Prokhorovka area and asked Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Commander, how do you plan to arrange our troops."
Sokov, who had already made up his mind, pointed to the map and said to Samyko: "The three infantry divisions are divided into three echelons and deployed to the north of the Prokhorovka area. Among them, Major General Fomenko's 84th Division is the first.
The first echelon is deployed on the left bank of the Pushor River; Colonel Koida's 188th Division and Colonel Khokhlov's 182nd Division, as the second and third echelons, are deployed on the right bank of the Pushor River."
Samyko had no objections to Sokov placing Colonel Khokhlov's troops at the end of the entire defensive area. After all, when the army troops entered Shumakovo, they were the first division to engage in firefights with the Germans.
And there are still many casualties. Putting them behind will allow them to use this time to rest and recuperate. More importantly, Sokov's wife Asya is now working in the field hospital of the 182nd Division.
Such an arrangement would prevent her from being in danger.
He only asked a question casually: "Comrade Commander, where do you plan to place General Polubyarov's tank corps?"
"Let them stay with Major General Fomenko's 84th Division." Sokov said: "This will also help our tanks attack."
After daybreak, Fomenko's 84th Division and General Polubyarov's tank corps set off at the same time. The infantry formed four columns and walked on the right side of the road, leaving the road on the left to the tank corps.
tank.
Naturally, Sokov would not wait for all the troops to be in place before rushing to the Prokhorovka area. He came to a hill on the roadside early and looked at the troops marching on the road below.
.
Samoilov, standing next to him, asked cautiously: "Comrade Commander, do we really want to rush to the Prokhorovka area to fight the German army?"
"Yes, Comrade Lieutenant, our troops are going to the Prokhorovka area to teach the Germans a lesson." Sokov turned to look at Samoilov and asked with a smile: "What, are you scared?"
"Comrade Commander, look at what you said. In any case, I have followed you from birth to death for so long, when did you run away?" Samoylov smiled and replied: "I just want to ask, how much do you need?"
How long will it take to crush the German attack in the Prokhorovka area?"
Seeing that Samoylov had so much confidence in him, Sokov felt uncertain. Although he knew that the battle in the Prokhorovka area ended with the victory of the Soviet army, but now with his appearance
, many things in history have gone awry. Whether this decisive battle will end with the victory of the Soviet army is still unknown to him.
Therefore, facing Samoilov's curiosity, he could only say euphemistically: "The final outcome of this battle will definitely be for our army to crush the enemy's attack, but I really can't say how long it will take."
, maybe two or three days, maybe it will take a week or even longer.”
"Comrade Commander, I think we can not only crush the enemy's attack, but also achieve greater victory."
"Why?" Seeing Samoylov speaking so confidently, Sokov couldn't help but asked curiously.
"It's very simple. We have invested so many troops in the Prokhorovka area, and your superiors have ordered you to lead the troops there for reinforcements." Samoilov said with a smile: "I have known you for so long, and you have never
I have never seen you lose a battle. I am thinking in my heart, if the enemy hears that you have appeared in the Prokhorovka area with your troops, will they retreat without a fight?"
Sokov knew clearly that Samoylov was flattering him, but he still felt quite good. He smiled and waved his hand and said: "Comrade Lieutenant, you really think highly of me. I was just lucky and got the chance to win."
Just a few victories. This battle in the Prokhorovka area will be more brutal than any battle you have ever seen before."
While the two were talking, Sokov suddenly saw black smoke coming out of the rear of a tank. Then the vehicle body shook a few times and then stopped in place. As soon as the tank stopped, the tank behind it
A long line of tanks also stopped one after another.
Seeing this, Sokov couldn't help but frowned and told Samoylov: "Comrade Lieutenant, go over and see what's going on with that tank and why it stopped here?"
This chapter has been completed!