When Sokov learned that his troops were all transferred to the Prokholovka area, he slapped himself twice in the head. If his performance in the past two days had not been too eye-catching, how could Zhukov suddenly have such an idea? His troops have been staying in Shumakovo. After the battle is almost done, he will go out to pick peaches and check it out. Isn't it fragrant?
"Comrade Marshal," Sokov replied awkwardly: "Now our army has a lot of troops in the Prokhorovka area. If our army is transferred over, will it be too crowded and the troops cannot be deployed?"
"What did you think about it?" Zhukov unexpectedly did not get angry, but asked calmly: "Don't you think it's a waste to place an entire army in Shumakovo where there is a possibility that there will be no more battle?"
"Comrade Marshal, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of one. Don't see the German army being driven across the Pena River by us. It cannot threaten the safety of Shumakovo for the time being, but we cannot relax our guard." Sokov said carefully: "I think it is still very necessary to set up an army in Shumakovo as a reserve."
"Well, since you said you would leave a reserve team in Shumakovo, then leave all the 1st Division 3 Brigade that participated in the battle last night, and add another infantry division. This is enough." Zhukov said without saying a word: "The remaining troops will be transferred to the Prokholovka area. I believe that with your joining, you will be more confident to block the enemy's attack."
After hearing Zhukov's words, Sokov burst into tears: You treat me like a god and think that the Germans will definitely break through the defense line wherever I am, right? The tank war will soon take place in the Prokorovka area. It is said that thousands of tanks are involved. His own tank army has gone, which is not enough for the German armored troops to get stuck in the teeth. Therefore, Sokov tried his best to avoid this chore.
"Comrade Marshal, please listen to my quibbling... No, it's my explanation." Sokov said with a sad face: "My troops have become exhausted after a long hiking procession. Now they have not received enough time to rest. Haunted transfers them to the Prokorovka area may affect the combat effectiveness of the troops."
"Comrade Sokov," Zhukov did not call Sokov a nickname, but called his last name: "Since you said that, I can agree that you will stay in place, but you must agree to a condition for me."
When Sokov learned that his troops could stay in place, he almost jumped up excitedly, thinking that it was not a condition, but even a hundred conditions, I could agree. He pretended to be calm and asked: "Comrade Marshal, what are the conditions?"
"You take the time to meet Marshal Manstein and tell him that our army is not ready for combat, and ask him to order his troops to temporarily stop the attack. It is not too late to launch an attack after your army enters the Prokhorovka territory."
When Sokov heard Zhukov's conditions, he was stunned and said to himself, Marshal Zhukov, aren't you teasing me? If I could convince Manstein, would I still need to fight in the Battle of Kursk? I just ordered him to surrender to the Soviet army. He smiled bitterly and said, "Comrade Marshal, are you kidding me?"
"You joked with me first." After Zhukov said this, he asked bluntly: "Give me a word, when will your troops enter the Prokhorovka area?"
After hearing Zhukov's words, Sokov completely gave up. He understood very well that not only what he said, his troops would definitely not escape the battle in the Prokholovka region. He gestured on the map for a while, measured the distance between Shumakovo and Prokholovka, and finally said: "Comrade Marshal, there are about 80 kilometers from us to the Prokholovka region. If you use a hiking marching, it will take at least two days. The time required for the tank army to advance is also similar."
"Two days are only two days. Two days later, I will see your troops appearing in the north of the Prokholovka area." After giving this order, Zhukov asked casually: "Is there any difficulties?"
"There must be difficulties." Sokov thought that his large troops marched in broad daylight. If there was no air support from the air force, the troops' marching sequence would be disrupted. After thinking about it, he said cautiously: "I still hope that you can provide us with the necessary air support, otherwise we will not be able to march during the day."
Seeing Sokov change his voice, Zhukov smiled on his face, and then asked, "Where are you going to transfer those troops to Prokholovka?"
"I plan to leave the 254th Infantry Division and two independent tank battalions to assist the 1st Division 3 Brigade to defend the Shumakovo area." Since it is inevitable to go to the Prokholovka area, Sokov carefully arranged the troops' destination: "The 84th Infantry Division, 182nd and 188th Infantry Divisions, and the 4th Guard Tank Army will march towards Prokholovka after dawn tomorrow. In order to prevent the German air strike, I hope that the Marshal can provide us with necessary air support."
"Don't worry, Misha." Zhukov said confidently: "I will send no less than one air force in the air division to cover your transition from Shumakovo to the Prokholovka."
When Sokov put down the phone, Sameko immediately asked impatiently: "Comrade Commander, are you going to transfer us to the Prokhorovka area?"
"Yes," Sokov nodded with a serious expression: "But this time we did not provide any means of transportation, that is, our soldiers could only walk slowly to the Prokhorovka area on their own legs."
"Eighty kilometers of road, even if you march forty kilometers a day, it will take two days." Sameko said with some concern: "I wonder if it can be done?"
"It's time," Sokov said to Sameko: "Short after our army marched towards Shumakovo, the base camp assigned the 5th Guard Tank Army and the 5th Guard Army to the command of the Voronezh Front. After receiving these troops, General Vatukin issued the first order to make them head towards Prokholovka. According to my estimate, these troops will arrive in Prokholovka one after another tomorrow."
"Comrade Commander, Prokholovka has a defense line of our army, and there are many troops stationed. Now a new tank army and a guard army have been added. The troops there are enough. Why do we need to be transferred too?"
"I have said before that the terrain of Prokholovka is very conducive to the German army's large-scale armored forces." Sokov said thoughtfully: "Although we have transferred a tank army to the past, to block the large-scale armored forces of the German army, our army needs more tanks."
Sokov walked to Poluboyarov: "Comrade General, please tell me truthfully how many tanks your army can use now?" He asked, of course, there was a reason. Tanks are not as good as cars. After a long-distance marching, there will be some failures. Maintenance personnel need to repair them before they can be put into battle.
Hearing Sokov's question, Poluboyarov answered truthfully: "Comrade Commander, our army has three tank brigades and one Motor Infantry Brigade, with a total of 7,500 troops, as well as 168 tanks and 76 artillery pieces of various caliber. But after a long march, there were less than a hundred tanks that we could put into combat."
"What, there are less than a hundred vehicles 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 had participated in many battles, and they had more or less faults. After a long marching, the faults of the tanks were reflected one after another." Poluboyarov explained to Sokov: "Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked you for the 29 captured tanks."
"Comrade General," Sokov was very clear in his heart. Although his troops were equipped with a lot of rocket launchers, the best weapon for the enemy's tanks was still tanks. Faced with the influx of steel, a sufficient number of tanks must be used to resist: "Order your maintenance technicians to eliminate the tank's fault in the shortest time. When you set out tomorrow dawn, even if you cannot all of them, at least 80% of the tanks can be driven to the Prokholovka area."
With the order to transfer, the troops began to become busy. The busiest one was Colonel Khochlov's 182nd Division, who were ordered to hand over the defensive positions to Colonel Shechtman's 254th Division.
Sameko found a map of the Prokholovka region and asked Sokov for advice: "Comrade Commander, how do you plan to arrange our troops."
Sokov, who had already been firm, pointed to the map and said to Sameko: "The three infantry divisions are divided into three echelons, which are respectively deployed in the north of the Prokholovka area. Among them, Major General Fomenko's 84th Division was the first echelon, which was deployed on the left bank of the Pushore River; Colonel Koida's 188th Division and Colonel Kochlov's 182nd Division were the second and third echelons, which were deployed in the right bank of the Pushore River."
Sameko had no objection to Sokov's placing Colonel Khokhlov's troops at the end of the entire defense area. After all, when the army group was stationed in Shumakovo, it was the first division to exchange fire with the German army, and there were many casualties. Putting them behind them just so that they could use this time to rest. More importantly, Sokov's wife Asia is now working in the field hospital of the 182nd Division. Such an arrangement can prevent her from encountering danger.
He asked only one question casually: "Comrade Commander, where are you going to place General Poluboyarov's tank army?"
"Let them stay with Major General Fomenko's 84th Division." Sokov said: "This will also help our tank attack."
After dawn, the 84th Division of Formenko and General Poluboyarov's tank army set out at the same time, and the infantry formed a four-way column, walking on the right side of the road, leaving the road on the left to the tanks of the tank army.
Sokov naturally would not wait until all the troops were in place before rushing to the Prokholovka area. He came to a hill on the roadside early and looked at the troops marching on the road below.
Samoilov, who was standing beside him, asked cautiously: "Comrade Commander, are we really going to rush to the Prokhorovka area and fight with the German army?"
"Yes, comrade Lieutenant, our troops are going to the Prokholovka area to teach the Germans." Sokov turned his head and looked at Samoilov and asked with a smile: "Why, are you scared?"
"Comrade Commander, look at what you said. No matter what, when did I run after you after you were born and died?" Samoilov replied with a smile: "I just want to ask, how long does it take to smash the German attack in the Prokhorovka region?"
Seeing that Samoilov was so confident in him, Sokov was in a loss of confidence. Although he knew that the battle in the Prokholovka region ended with the victory of the Soviet army, now with his appearance, many things in history have deviated. Whether this decisive battle can end with the victory of the Soviet army is still an unknown for him.
Therefore, in the face of Samoilov's curiosity, he could only say tactfully: "The final outcome of this battle is definitely our army to smash 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 victories."
"Why?" Sokov couldn't help asking curiously when he saw Samoilov speak so confidently.
"It's very simple. We have invested so many troops in the Prokhorovka area, and our superiors have ordered you to lead the troops to rescue." Samoilov said with a smile: "I have known you for so long and have never seen you lose a battle. I was thinking to myself, if the enemy heard that you appeared in the Prokhorovka area with your troops, would they retreat without fighting?"
Sokov knew that Samoilov was flattering himself, but he felt pretty good. He smiled and waved his hand and said, "Comrade Lieutenant, you really look down on me. I was just lucky and won several battles by chance. This battle in the Prokorovka region will be more cruel than any battle you have ever seen before."
As the two were talking, Sokov suddenly saw black smoke coming out of the tail of a tank, and then the body shook a few times before stopping. As soon as the tank stopped, a long list of tanks following behind also stopped in turn.
Chapter completed!