The news of the loss of Highland 252.2 was quickly reported to Rotmistrov at all levels. The general, who wore round glasses and a toothbrush mustache and looked like a country teacher, suddenly frowned.
He asked the Guards Commander who reported the situation: "Comrade Commander, as far as I know, the defenses on height 252.2 are the most complete outside Prokhorovka. Why were they destroyed by the Germans after just a few hours?"
Occupied?"
"Comrade Commander," the commander replied with a tearful face: "According to our prior analysis, the best terrain for attack should be the narrow area southwest of Prokhorovka. This area forms a good channel for tanks.
, which is very conducive to the German army deploying large-scale armored forces. Therefore, our defense focus is mainly placed in this direction. Unexpectedly, the Flag Guard Division and the Skeleton Division coming from the west actually used the 252.2 Highland as the first breakthrough point.
.”
"Comrade Commander, the order I am giving you now is to concentrate all the troops you can and launch a counterattack on Highland 252.2, and be sure to take it back from the Germans." Rotmistrov was deeply afraid.
The commander of the Guards ignored his own proposal and specifically emphasized: "Whether we can recapture the 252.2 heights is the key to us repelling the enemy."
When Rotmistrov put down the phone, he saw a group of people walking into the headquarters. He couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking who was so ignorant that he would cause trouble for him at this time. Just when he was
When he was about to step forward to scold the opponent, he saw Vasilevsky from the crowd. He quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Hello, Comrade Marshal."
"Hello, General Rotmistrov." Vasilevskiy held Rotmistrov's hand and said with a smile: "I came here specially to have a look. I hope there is nothing wrong with you."
It affects your work."
"No, no," thanks to the efforts of the chief of staff and a group of headquarters members, even if Rotmistrov is not in the headquarters, it will not affect the unit's operations. At this moment, hearing Vasilevsky's polite words, he
He quickly said: "Even if I am not in the headquarters, the chief of staff can handle everything."
"Since you have nothing to do, can you go for a walk with me?" Vasilevsky asked politely: "I want to know about the war on the frontier."
"Comrade Marshal, this is not easy." When he learned that Vasilevsky planned to go to the front to have a look, Rotmistrov was suddenly startled into a cold sweat. He quickly persuaded: "Now the battle is in Prolo
The shooting started outside the Horovka. If you go to inspect at this time, you may be in danger."
"Comrade General, I know that the enemy from the west is attacking Highland 252.2." Vasilevsky said: "I just want to see the fighting there with my own eyes to determine whether our upcoming counterattack can achieve the desired results.
The results of the battle."
"Comrade Marshal," Rotmistrov had an embarrassed expression on his face after hearing Vasilevskiy mention the 252.2 Hill: "Half an hour ago, the German Flag Guard Division had occupied the 252.2 Hill...
…”
"What, 252.2 Heights was lost?" Vasilevskiy did not expect that when he left Vatutin's headquarters, he would get the news that the defenders had repelled more than a dozen German attacks. He originally wanted to come to the Guards Tank Division.
After arriving at the 5th Army Headquarters, Rotmistrov personally praised the tenacious performance of this unit. However, he did not expect that the troops he saw actually lost their position, and a trace of anger appeared on his face:
"What about the defenders on the high ground? Have they all been withdrawn?"
"No," Rotmistrov said, shaking his head: "Not a single one has been withdrawn."
"No one was withdrawn?" Vasilevsky asked in surprise: "Did they all become prisoners of the Germans?"
"No, Comrade Marshal, none of them were taken as prisoners." Rotmistrov couldn't help but feel a little angry when he saw Vasilevsky doubting his subordinates. He raised his voice and said: "According to the observations of the rear observation post,
When the enemy rushed into the position, they detonated the explosives buried in the trenches and died together with the enemy who rushed up."
After listening to Rotmistrov's story, Vasilevsky was silent for a long time, and finally nodded slowly and said: "They behaved very bravely. In order to prevent their sacrifices from being in vain, I think we should carry out measures on Highland 252.2."
Counterattack and regain the position from the Germans."
"Comrade Marshal, my troops are already doing this." Rotmistrov replied: "The 26th and 28th Airborne Regiments are gathering to prepare to regain their positions from the enemy."
"Comrade General, since your troops are preparing to launch a counterattack, I think it is even more necessary for us to go to the front line to take a look." Vasilevsky urged Rotmistrov and said: "Turn over the work here to the Chief of Staff.
, you go to the front with me."
Seeing that Vasilevsky had made up his mind, Rotmistrov could no longer refute, so he could only hand over the work of the headquarters to the chief of staff, and then led a guard platoon, plus Vasilev
The guards brought by Ski were divided into three jeeps and two trucks and headed towards the area where the fighting was taking place.
When the convoy was driving on the road, Vasilevsky saw a convoy full of fuel and ammunition driving on the right, and an oncoming ambulance convoy full of wounded people on the left. Seeing this, Vasilevsky saw this situation.
Fsky said with emotion: "Comrade General, it seems that the battle ahead is fierce, and so many wounded people have been transported down."
After driving forward for a while, Rotmistrov saw that the road ahead was covered with large and small craters, and destroyed trucks and other vehicles could be seen everywhere, so he said to Vasilevsky:
"Comrade Marshal, if we continue to drive forward along the road, we will easily become the target of the German Air Force. Why don't we change the road?"
"Okay." Vasilevsky had no objection to Rotmistrov's proposal: "You are familiar with this place, so it's up to you."
Soon, the convoy changed direction, passed through a mature wheat field, and headed towards the forest in the distance.
When the convoy entered the forest, Rotmistrov suddenly felt much more at ease. With the cover of the trees, even if a German plane appeared in the sky at this time, he did not have to worry about being attacked by air raids. He asked with interest
Vasilevsky introduced the situation: "To the north of the forest is the offensive starting position of the 29th Tank Army, and on their right wing is the 18th Tank Army..."
While listening to Rotmistrov's report, Vasilevsky observed the situation outside through the car window. Based on the smoke rising in the distance, he knew that this place was only a few inches away from the area where the fighting took place.
Two or three kilometers.
At this moment, he heard the roar of a tank engine from near to far, and quickly ordered the driver: "Stop!" As soon as the car stopped, he immediately opened the door and jumped out. Rotmistrov did not know
What happened? He quickly opened the door on the other side and got out of the car, looking at Vasilevsky in surprise.
The convoy was at the edge of the forest and could see the situation outside. Vasilevsky walked to the roadside, raised the telescope in his hand, and carefully observed the situation outside. It didn't take long.
, he put down his telescope, turned around and got angry at Rotmistrov: "Comrade General, what's going on with these tanks?"
Seeing Rotmistrov's confused look, Vasilevsky continued to himself: "Comrade Vatutin has not said hello to you. Before the counterattack begins, the enemy must not be allowed to
Do you know that a large number of our tanks have already entered the attack position? But you are lucky, so many tanks are actually marching in broad daylight, under the eyes of the enemy. Do you think the enemy is blind or deaf?"
Rotmistrov quickly took the telescope from Vasilevsky's hand and looked at the tank group operating outside the forest. He quickly saw clearly that these tanks, which stopped and fired from time to time while driving, and their equipment
Basically, they were short-barreled artillery pieces. It only took him a few seconds to understand in his heart that the tanks that appeared in front of him at this moment were not his own tank army at all, but the enemy's tanks.
He quickly turned back and reported to Vasilevsky: "Comrade Marshal, I feel it is necessary to explain to you that the tanks you see are all German..."
"What, is it a German tank?" Vasilevsky heard what Rotmistrov said, and quickly snatched the telescope from his hand and observed it carefully again. The difference between the Soviet and German tanks was still quite big.
Not long ago, Vasilevskiy was so excited that he didn’t see the models of the tanks clearly. Now when he saw clearly that they were German tanks No. 3 and No. 4, his face couldn’t help but turn livid: “Comrade General, look.
The situation here is not good. If enemy tanks appear here, it means that the starting position where you ordered the attack has been occupied by the Germans."
"Yes, Comrade Marshal, the current battlefield situation seems to be worse than we expected." Rotmistrov said to Vasilevsky: "I think it is necessary to formulate a new attack plan."
After listening to Rotmistrov's words, Vasilevsky only thought about it for more than ten seconds before announcing without hesitation: "Let's go back to your headquarters and make new plans to prevent the situation from going south."
It is developing in an uncontrollable direction.”
After the two returned to the headquarters, Vasilevsky immediately called Vatutin through a dedicated line. Rotmistrov called his chief of staff to him, pointed to the map and told him: "
Comrade Chief of Staff, we have found a large number of German tanks here, probably more than fifty."
The chief of staff only glanced at the map and immediately showed an expression of astonishment: "Comrade Commander, all the offensive starting positions we set in advance have been occupied by the Germans. What should we do?"
"In order to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, we must take corresponding measures." Rotmistrov gave an order to the chief of staff: "You immediately call General Kirichenko and ask him to send two tank brigades to fight.
These German tanks penetrated deep into our defense zone and prevented them from continuing to advance deeper into our defenses."
After Vasilevsky and Vatutin got on the phone, they said to Rotmistrov with a serious expression: "Comrade General, the 1st Tank Army, which was originally scheduled to launch a counterattack with you tomorrow, has now been defeated by the German 3rd Tank Army.
The 48th Armored Corps is entangled and cannot reach the specified starting point for the attack within the specified time. This means that tomorrow's attack on the German army can only be completed by your 5th Guards Tank Army alone."
What Vasilevsky said had long been expected by Rotmistrov, so he did not show any excitement. After Vasilevsky finished speaking, he immediately issued his own statement
Opinion: "Comrade Marshal, since the German army has occupied our offensive starting position, we have to readjust our offensive deployment, especially the pre-selected artillery positions and offensive routes, all must be adjusted."
While Vasilevsky and Rotmistrov were discussing how to change the deployment, Vatutin, who had just put down the phone, said bitterly to Zhukov sitting next to him: "Comrade Marshal, this is really strange.
Logically speaking, it was Sokov's troops that blocked the Flag Guard Division and the Skeleton Division. It would take at least two or three days for the enemy to break through their defense lines. How could they rush to Prokho from the west in such a short period of time?
What about outside Lovka? I think there might be something wrong with it."
"Is there a problem?" Zhukov raised his eyebrows and asked warily: "What's the problem?"
Vatutin thought about the friendship between Sokov and Zhukov and knew that if he analyzed the reasons, he would definitely offend someone, so he hesitated. The deputy commander Apanashenko sitting next to him said without hesitation
: "Needless to say, Sokov's troops must have made way for the Germans. Otherwise, how could the enemy reach the outside of Prokhorovka in such a short period of time?"
Although Apanashenko said his true thoughts, Vatutin deliberately blamed Zhukov in front of him and said: "Comrade Deputy Commander, you can't say that. I believe that in the face of the ferocity of the Germans,
During the attack, General Sokov's troops should have put up a tenacious resistance, but due to insufficient strength to hold the entire position, the enemy opened a gap in the defense line. The German troops that broke through the defense line were able to march straight in and rush directly to Prokho.
Outside Lovka."
Zhukov did not think that Sokov would open the way for the Germans at all, but the speed at which the Flag Guard Division and the Totenkopf Division advanced towards the city of Prokhorovka was a little too fast. Even the paratroopers defending the city were too fast.
There was no time to further consolidate the position. In order to find out what was going on, he called the director of the communications corps and told the other party: "Comrade director, please put me through Sokov's headquarters. I have important things to find."
he."
Fortunately, the director of the Communications Corps knew that Sokov was now staying at the headquarters of the 188th Division, so he did not contact the 27th Army Headquarters, but directly connected to the headquarters of the 188th Division. When he heard someone answering the phone, the Communications Corps
The director said politely: "I am the communications director of the Voronezh Front Army Headquarters. Comrade Marshal has important matters and he wants to talk to General Sokov."
A moment later, Sokov's voice came from the receiver: "I am Major General Sokov."
"General Sokov, please wait a moment." Hearing Sokov's voice, the director of the communications corps quickly said politely: "I will ask Comrade Marshal to speak to you immediately."
This chapter has been completed!