Sokov heard a sense of resentment in Malankin's tone, and quickly warned him: "Major General Malankin, I think it is necessary to remind you: the defense line can be broken through by the enemy, but you must stick to both wings of the defense line.
.”
"The defense line can be broken through by the enemy, but the two wings of the defense line must be defended?" After Malankin repeated these two awkward words of Sokov, he suddenly realized that the enemy's breakthrough of the position seemed to have been expected by Sokov.
The other party must be planning to use this matter to make some fuss.
After thinking about this, Malanjin couldn't help but feel refreshed, and he quickly replied excitedly: "I understand, Comrade Commander, I promise to complete the task you assigned me."
Sokov naturally heard the change in Malankin's tone, and guessed that the other party might have understood his intention, so he put down the phone with peace of mind, preparing to issue a new combat order when the time was right.
Ten minutes later, the German troops broke through the first line of defense. After a brief gathering, they launched an attack towards the defense line of the 81st Guards Division.
Malankin, who understood Sokov's combat intentions, issued an order to his commanders and soldiers: Once the enemy's offensive becomes too fierce, abandon the middle area as soon as possible and withdraw to the left and right wings of the position.
Faced with such a strange order from Malankin, although the commanders and soldiers did not understand it in their hearts, they still carried it out very thoroughly. The troops holding on to the middle area withdrew to their positions in an orderly manner after organizing manpower to blow up several German tanks.
both sides of.
The German officers and soldiers who carried out the assault did not realize that the Soviet army's retreat was planned and purposeful. They thought that the other side could not withstand its powerful offensive and was forced to abandon its position and retreat.
Seeing that the two blocking positions of the Soviet army were broken through one after another, although there were still many Soviet commanders and fighters on the position who had not been eliminated, the German commander responsible for commanding the offensive troops believed that they had achieved the final victory. He
Immediately reported the breakthrough of the Soviet blocking position to Huot via wireless phone.
Huot was currently being overwhelmed by the counterattacks of the 6th Guards Army and the 1st Tank Army. Although the 11th and 17th Armored Divisions fought very tenaciously and effectively contained the Soviet counterattack, the troops' ammunition
There is already a shortage of fuel and fuel, and there is not much support at all.
Just when Holt was about to ask Manstein to send out a transport plane to air-drop fuel and ammunition for his troops, he unexpectedly received a call from the forward commander: "Your Excellency, Commander, let me tell you good news. Our troops have successfully
It broke through the two lines of defense of the Russians and opened the passage to Belgorod."
But regarding the report of his subordinates, Hott asked with suspicion: "General, are you really sure that the road to Belgorod has been opened by your troops?"
"Yes, Your Excellency, Commander." The frontline commander said in a positive tone: "Although the Russians on the two lines of defense have not been completely eliminated, I have already opened a three-hundred-meter-wide breach in their defense line.
.”
"How many Russian troops are left?" Holt asked cautiously.
"According to my observation, the Russians have about a few hundred remaining troops on each line of defense." The frontline commander said confidently: "Even if they launch a counterattack, they will not pose a threat to us at all."
"Well done, Mr. General." After receiving a positive reply from his subordinates, Holt suddenly became excited: "If the main force of the group army can return to Belgorod smoothly, I will personally award you a
The Iron Cross."
After ending the call with the frontline commander, Holt said to his chief of staff Merinzin: "Chief of Staff, the road to Belgorod has been opened. Immediately order all troops to quickly pass through the Russian
position and return to Belgorod as soon as possible."
"What about General Balck's 11th Armored Division and General Etling's 17th Armored Division?" Merinzin reminded Holt carefully: "They are now entangled with Russian troops, and I'm afraid they won't be able to escape so easily."
"Chief of Staff, send a telegram to the two division commanders immediately." Holt was now thinking about how to save the main force of the Armored Group Army. For these two armored divisions, he could only give up hard-heartedly: "Let them use alternate cover, along the
They will retreat along the road towards the Belgorod defense line, and I will send troops to meet them in Yakovlevo."
After Hoth's order was issued, all the troops except the 11th and 17th Armored Divisions rushed to the direction of the broken blocking position as quickly as possible, trying to return to Belgorod through here.
Furthermore, after the frontline commander received Huot's order to clear out the Soviet troops in the blocking position, he asked his subordinates to launch several attacks. However, due to the complex terrain, the Soviet commanders and fighters on the two wings relied on the fortifications to resist tenaciously, and the German army's
All attacks ended in failure.
The frontline commander found that his troops could not eat the remaining Soviet troops for a while, so he ordered the troops to deploy defenses on the left and right wings of the defense line to prevent possible Soviet counterattacks.
When the officers and soldiers of the Armored Group Army were unable to open the way south and learned that the Soviet troops in the direction of Oboyan had launched a counterattack, an atmosphere of panic spread among the troops. Everyone was worried that if the Soviet troops in the direction of Oboyan were to surround them,
It is possible that he will become the second in the 6th Army and be surrounded by the Soviet army in the Kursk salient.
At this moment, after receiving the order from their superiors and knowing that the road to the south had been opened, the German officers and soldiers could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. As soon as the order to leave was given, all the troops rushed to the opened breach, trying to escape from this place in the shortest possible time.
Dangerous area, return to Belgorod.
Although Sokov did not visit the battlefield in person this time, he was well aware of the situation on the battlefield through various reports. When he learned that the German army had begun to move south in a large scale, he knew that the final moment of counterattack had arrived, and he quickly called the communications team
Director, said to him: "Comrade Director of the Communications Corps, immediately connect me to the 4th Guards Tank Corps, the 1st Artillery Division, the 2nd Artillery Division, the 84th, 254th and 384th Infantry Divisions, and the 46th Infantry Brigade. I
We must assign combat missions to them."
When the director of the communications corps was ordered to call the combat units named by Sokov, Lunev asked Sokov tentatively: "Comrade commander, are you launching a general attack on the enemy?"
"Yes, Comrade Military Commissar." Sokov frowned and looked at the map in front of him, and said with a wry smile: "The troops are just a little short, but I think there shouldn't be much of a problem in defeating Hott's troops."
Sameko also said with emotion: "Yes, our troops suffered huge casualties in the early battles. Now we only have this small amount of troops at our disposal."
"By the way, isn't the 384th Division all destroyed?" Lunev said from the side: "How can they participate in the attack?"
"Comrade Military Commissar," Samyko said to Lunev with a smile: "Comrade Commander has already considered this, so he ordered Major General Gritsenko not to use the rest of the food without getting the order from his superiors.
A regiment goes into battle."
Not long after, the director of the communications corps reappeared in front of Sokov and reported to him: "Comrade Commander, the combat units you named have all been connected, and combat orders can be issued to them at any time."
After the director of the communications corps finished speaking, he took a step back and winked at an operator who followed him. The operator quickly put the walkie-talkie in his arms on the table.
Samyko looked at Sokov and reminded him in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, can we start the attack?"
Sokov nodded, then stood up, picked up the headphones and put them on his head, put the microphone close to his mouth, and said loudly: "Comrade commanders, I am now issuing a general attack order: One, in ten minutes, to
Hoth's Panzer Army launched a general attack.
Second, the 1st Artillery Division and the 2nd Artillery Division carried out a five-minute rapid artillery attack on the German troops passing through the blocking position, and then extended in the direction of Yakovlevo, making it impossible for the enemy to build defensive positions there.
After the artillery fire extended, Major General Polubyarov's 4th Guards Tank Corps, as the main force of the entire army, covered the infantry to attack the retreating enemy.
3. After the general offensive is launched, the attack should be carried out continuously and should not be stopped or requested to be delayed for any reason.
Fourth, each unit should complete its mission at all costs and actively assist neighboring troops to achieve victory.
Fifth, commanders of all armies, divisions, and brigades must strictly enforce battlefield discipline and never tolerate panicked elements who waver in the face of battle and miss the opportunity to fight."
After deploying a series of attack orders, Sokov officially announced: "All ministries begin to prepare!"
After Sokov put down his headphones and microphone, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, sat down again, picked up the tea cup in front of him, and drank a few sips of tea.
Lunev saw Sokov's nervousness. It's no wonder. If Holt's vitality cannot be consumed in large quantities, most of his main forces can successfully return to Belgorod for the next battle.
will have adverse effects.
He reached out and took the teacup from Sokov's hand, carried it to where the samovar was, turned on the faucet under the samovar, filled the teacup with water, and then walked back with it.
After placing the tea cup in front of Sokov, he asked with a smile: "Comrade Commander, are you a little nervous?"
"A bit." Sokov picked up the tea cup that Lunev put in front of him, took another big sip, and said with a wry smile: "I have encountered battles of this scale before, but I have never been as nervous as today.
.”
"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Lunev raised his hand and patted Sokov on the shoulder, smiling and said: "I have confidence in your plan. Our all-out attack will definitely succeed."
…………
At this time, the German officers and soldiers were in a hurry, so several troops gathered together from different places.
However, Holt did not think of arranging manpower to maintain traffic, causing the infantry division and armored division to be crowded together, moving slowly on the road like a snail.
The Soviet blocking position was broken through by the Germans. Seeing the opened passage, many German officers and soldiers felt vaguely relaxed, thinking that they would no longer be blocked by the Soviets in the front and that they could return to Belgorod smoothly.
But no one would have thought that such relaxation would be absolutely fatal.
When people are nervous and desperate for survival, due to the secretion of adrenal glands, all fear and fatigue will be ignored, allowing people to exert their body's limits at the most critical moment. But once they relax, the whole person's breath will suddenly release.
Fear and fatigue will become more apparent.
Seeing that the passage back to Belgorod was opened, the German officers and soldiers' combat awareness suddenly faded. They just wanted to get out of this dangerous area quickly and return to Belgorod as soon as possible.
When more than two hundred artillery pieces of various types from the 1st Artillery Division and the 2nd Artillery Division opened fire violently, groups of artillery shells drew arcs in the air, then landed in the crowded German ranks and exploded, blowing the soldiers to pieces. The tanks,
Armored vehicles and trucks were blown into piles of burning scrap metal.
If on other battlefields, German officers and soldiers were attacked by Soviet artillery fire, the first thing they would think of would be to quickly find a place to hide, and then wait for the Soviet artillery fire to stop, then occupy defensive positions to prevent the Soviet army from attacking them.
But at this time, the German officers and soldiers were all thinking about returning to Belgorod as soon as possible. As soon as the artillery fired, they immediately became wasps that exploded in the nest, fleeing in all directions. No one thought that they should first avoid the artillery bombardment and then block the Soviet army's response.
They all wanted to leave this hellish place and return to Belgorod as soon as possible.
"Escape, escape from here and you will survive!" This idea was the true thought of most German officers and soldiers.
They dragged their weapons and jumped from one bomb crater to another amidst the intense Soviet artillery fire, hoping to escape from this death zone as soon as possible.
But what they never dreamed of was that the Soviet artillery fire only lasted five minutes and then began to extend southward. As they fled southward, they were quickly caught up in the artillery fire, and fell into pieces in pieces under the artillery fire.
The artillery fire extended to the south, and the tank corps and the infantry divisions on both wings, which had been prepared for battle for a long time, also entered the battle one after another. Those officers and soldiers who were lucky enough not to be killed by the artillery shells and did not have time to escape had just gotten up from the ground.
After understanding the situation, Soviet tanks and infantry had already rushed in front of us.
As a result, these unlucky German officers and soldiers either became the dead souls under the tracks of the Soviet tanks, or were knocked down in pieces by the assault rifles of the Soviet infantry. Fortunately, some soldiers saw that the situation was not good, and quickly raised their hands to attack the Soviet soldiers who were rushing over.
Surrendering, I was lucky enough to save a small life.
Holt and his chief of staff were riding in a barrel truck as they retreated south with their direct troops. When they heard the sudden sound of artillery in front of them, they immediately realized something was wrong and quickly ordered the convoy to drive into the nearby forest.
After the convoy entered the forest, Holt climbed into an armored vehicle with the help of several soldiers. He stood in the carriage, raised his binoculars and looked into the distance.
Just like that, Holt stood in the compartment of the armored vehicle, listening to the rumbling of artillery in the distance, watching the artillery shells flying in the sky, and the soldiers dancing in the air after being blown away by the artillery shells. His heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar.
Especially when he saw artillery fire extending southward and Soviet tanks and infantry appearing on the battlefield, he immediately understood that he had fallen into Sokov's trap. His troops could break through the defense line set by the opponent, but it was just a trap.
, and he stupidly got in.
"Your Excellency, Commander!" Merinjin also climbed into the armored vehicle. He asked loudly to Holt: "It seems that we have fallen into the Russian trap. What should we do next? Should we withdraw to the direction of Oboyan?"
"Chief of Staff," Holt put down the telescope and looked at Merinjin and said, "Do you think I can still withdraw to Oboyan?"
"Then what should we do?" Seeing the continuous artillery fire ahead, Merlin was anxious. Now it is death to advance, and death to retreat. What should we do? We can't stay here as prisoners, right? Because he is anxious, he thought so in his heart
As he spoke, the words came out unconsciously.
"I will never be a prisoner." Holt has the arrogance of a German soldier. Even if he is at a disadvantage, he is not willing to admit defeat easily: "If the Russians really rush over at this time, I will shoot myself in the head."
Gun, and will never be their prisoner."
"Your Excellency, Commander," Mei Linjin, as the chief of staff, was already confused at this moment. He anxiously asked Holt: "Then what should we do? Please come up with an idea quickly."
Holt looked at the surrounding environment and said to Merinjin: "Chief of Staff, if we retreat southward, we will either be killed by Russian artillery fire or become their prisoners; and retreating in the direction of Oboyan will also face
Same fate."
After a brief pause, he said to Merinzin: "The only way is to go west through the forest, via Bogatoye and Red Yaruga, and take a detour to Kharkov."
"But, Your Excellency, Commander." Although the route via Hongyaruja had been considered before, it was later rejected because the road conditions were not ideal and not suitable for large troops to pass. Now I heard Holt mention this again.
Mei Linjin quickly reminded him: "If we want to take this route, we must pass through more than ten kilometers of forests and swamps. Our tanks and armored vehicles cannot pass."
After hearing what Merinjin said, Holt gritted his teeth and made the most difficult decision: "Throw away all the tanks and armored vehicles, and everyone turned west on foot, passed through the forests and swamps, and jumped out of the Russian encirclement."
"Do we need to blow up all the tanks, armored vehicles, and the barrel trucks we are riding in?" Merinjin reminded Holt: "Even if we leave, we cannot leave these things to the Russians."
"There is no time, my chief of staff." Holt was in a hurry to move at this moment, worried that if he blew up these abandoned tanks, armored vehicles and barrel trucks, his target would be exposed, and even if he wanted to leave, he might not be able to leave.
"If we blow up these vehicles, we will definitely alert the Russians. If they discover our whereabouts, we will not be able to escape."
"There are still many wounded in the army. Taking them along for the march may slow down our march." Mei Linjin had an idea in his mind to deal with these wounded, but it was too cruel, so he hesitated for a long time before tentatively
Question: "Should they be disposed of on site?"
Holt understood in his heart what Merlinjin meant by dealing with the situation on the spot, which was nothing more than giving each wounded person a shot in the back of the head to give them a good beating. But after thinking about it carefully for a while, he shook his head and said: "Forget it.
Let's leave them to the Russians. I believe Sokov will never massacre our prisoners at will. After all, compared with the SS, the discipline of our troops is quite strict."
Not long after, all the vehicles and wounded were abandoned on the spot. Holt and Merinjin led more than two hundred German officers and soldiers into the vast forest. They planned to pass through the forest and swamp, and there was no Soviet garrison.
area, return to Kharkiv.
This chapter has been completed!