After Asiya and others entered the Soviet position, two trucks carrying the corpses of German officers and soldiers, escorted by four three-wheeled motorcycles, headed to the location where the German armored vehicles were parked.
Asiya originally wanted to stay and watch the exchange ceremony, but Lieutenant Colonel Goryachkin, the leader of the 546th Regiment, came over and said to her: "Comrade Asiya, there is going to be a war here soon. I will let you
I'll take you back to the headquarters. I think Comrade Commander must still be worried about your safety at this moment."
Now that Goryachkin had already said this, Asya knew that if she stayed, it would definitely affect the subsequent military operations, so she nodded and agreed to Goryachkin's proposal.
Seeing that Asiya agreed to return to the headquarters immediately, Goryachkin called Zhelya to him and ordered him: "Comrade Captain, you immediately lead a platoon to escort Asiya and several other health workers to the headquarters.
.You have to promise me that you will protect their lives as much as you care for your own eyes."
"Don't worry, comrade leader." Zheliya vowed: "I will definitely send Comrade Asiya to the headquarters safely. If I don't complete the task, I won't come back to see you."
"Comrade Captain, I hope you can return as soon as possible." Goryachkin said with a smile: "I also hope you will lead your company to achieve more meritorious deeds in the following battles."
Asiya and others got on a truck without a tarpaulin and drove in the direction of the headquarters. Along the way, the female health workers started talking excitedly when they saw the oncoming soldiers and the artillery towed behind the truck.
: "Look, it's our troops. They are moving towards the front. Are they preparing to deal with the Germans?"
Hearing the discussion of her companions, Asiya did not speak, but turned to look at Zheliya sitting aside, hoping to get some useful information from him. After Zheliya understood what Asiya meant,
He said to everyone: "Girls, please be quiet! You guessed it right, we are about to launch an attack on the enemy, and now the superiors are mobilizing troops."
Knowing that the troops would soon launch an attack on the enemy, these girls who had just escaped from the clutches of the enemy suddenly became excited: "That's great. We can take revenge on us by wiping out all the bad guys who captured us."
"
"Zhelia," while the girls were cheering, Asiya asked Zhelia with concern: "Although we are all out of danger now, we were captured by the Germans after all. Will we be censored after we go back?
?”
Hearing Asiya's question, Zheliya hesitated obviously. After a long time, he said in an uncertain tone: "Comrade Asiya, reviewing you is a necessary procedure and cannot be avoided.
Yes. However, you were captured for a short time, and I believe the review will be over soon."
Sokov received a call from Goryachkin and learned that Asya and several female health workers had returned to the headquarters under the escort of Zhelia. From that moment on, Sokov felt a little confused.
Absentminded, he stopped what he was doing from time to time and listened to the noise coming from outside. Occasionally when a car passed by outside, he would look out the window to confirm whether it was the car Asiya was riding in.
Lunev saw Sokov's absent-mindedness, so he came over and said to him: "Comrade Commander, you must be tired after staying up all night. Why not go to sleep for a while first, so that you can have the energy to direct the battle."
After waving to him, Cove added, "Don't worry, I will wake you up when Asia arrives."
Sokov didn't have much time to sleep during this period, and what happened to Asya last night made him even more exhausted. Since Lunev said he would wake him up in time, he was not stubborn.
Instead, after giving some instructions to Sameko, he came to the corner and lay down on the camp bed.
Because he was too tired, he fell asleep within two minutes of lying down. In order not to affect Sokov's rest, both Samyko and Lunev ordered the communications soldiers and staff officers in the headquarters to keep their voices and footsteps away.
Be gentle so as not to wake Sokov.
About half an hour later, a staff officer hurried in from outside and reported to Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, according to the report from the observation post, the truck Asiya and the others are riding in will reach us in a few minutes.
here."
Knowing that Asiya's car was about to arrive, Lunev was about to step forward to wake Sokov, but saw him suddenly stand up from the cot and run out of the command post impatiently. Lunev
He thought that as a rule, all captured personnel would be subject to special scrutiny when they returned. Although he had a good personal relationship with Sokov, he still had to go through the necessary procedures. He shook his head gently, and then walked out.
As soon as he went out, Lunev saw Sokov standing next to the truck, putting his hand on Asiya's armpit and helping him get out of the truck. He knew that the two of them had not seen each other for a long time, and they must have a lot to say.
He stopped and did not come forward to disturb the two of them.
Don't see Asiya acting particularly strong when she was trapped in the enemy camp, but seeing Sokov at this moment, her tense nerves relaxed immediately. She hugged Sokov tightly, and her whole body was shaking like chaff.
I couldn't say a word.
Seeing that Asiya was still intact in his arms, Sokov finally let go of the huge stone in his heart. He gently patted Asiya's back with his hand, comforted her and said: "Asiya
Ya, don't be afraid, everything is over and you are back with me. I promise you, those who captured you will be punished soon."
Asiya's body was still trembling. She heard clearly what Sokov said, and she felt particularly moved. She wanted to say a few words, but it was as if something was stuck in her throat and she could not speak.
"Comrade Asiya," Lunev stood in the distance for a while. Seeing Sokov and Asiya hugging each other tightly and not parting for a long time, he stepped forward and coughed twice.
, and then said: "It's great to see you come back safely."
When Asia heard Lunev's voice, she quickly pushed Sokov away gently, wiped the tears on her face with her hand, and said to Lunev with some embarrassment: "Hello, Comrade Military Commissar, can you
I am also very happy to see you alive."
"Comrade Asiya, you have been wronged." Lunev stepped forward and held Asiya's hand, comforting her and saying, "Don't worry, we will seek justice for you soon."
"Comrade Military Commissar," Sokov saw Lunev's appearance and realized that the other party might start the review process, so he took the initiative to say: "Asia and the others have just returned from the enemy. According to regulations, they should conduct a review. This
I’ll leave it to you to take charge.”
"Comrade Commander, I will review Asya and the others according to normal procedures." Lunev comforted Sokov and said, "Don't worry, it won't take long for the review to be completed."
When Luniev took Asya and others to a nearby place for review, Sokov returned to his headquarters. As soon as he entered, Samyko reported to him: "Comrade Commander, both artillery divisions have
Already deployed."
"Where are the tank corps and the attacking troops?" Sokov asked with his hands behind his back: "Have they all arrived at the designated position?"
"The tank army is still on the march. It is estimated that it will take another forty minutes to an hour to reach the designated attack position." Sameko reported: "Do I need to urge them?"
"No need," Sokov shook his head and said, "They can definitely catch up with the attack."
He then asked: "Is the exchange ceremony with the enemy over?"
"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sameko said: "We have handed over all the corpses of the German soldiers who died in the field hospital to the enemy on the opposite side."
"Very good." Sokov raised his hand, looked at his watch, and said to Samyko: "Call the two commanders of the artillery division and order them to carry out artillery bombardment on the targets provided to them in fifteen minutes.
"
"Comrade Commander, how long do you plan to let them shell for?"
"At least forty minutes." Sokov said: "When the bombardment is over, the tanks of the tank army should have entered the designated positions. At that time, the infantry can be mounted on the tanks and launch an assault on the enemy's defense area."
Although Sameko knew that this battle with the 19th Armored Division was unavoidable, it seemed a bit too much to shell their positions and launch an attack just after the exchange ceremony with the Germans today. He was cautious.
He reminded Sokov: "Comrade Commander, as soon as we completed the exchange ceremony with the enemy, we bombarded their positions and launched a ground attack. Is this appropriate? Otherwise, we change the attack time to tomorrow?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, have you forgotten that the last time we exchanged the corpse of the commander of the 6th Armored Division for our captured personnel, the enemy also launched a fierce shelling on us after the exchange ceremony," Sokov said.
He said with a straight face: "If the enemy can do this, why can't we fight an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?"
"I understand, Comrade Commander." After Sokov's reminder, Sameko immediately remembered the exchange ceremony that took place not long ago. If Sokov hadn't been clever at that time, he deliberately delayed the German representatives who came to negotiate.
, then the troops may suffer heavy casualties. "I immediately notified the two artillery division commanders and ordered them to prepare for artillery bombardment."
A quarter of an hour later, the Soviet artillery group began to unleash its power, and countless artillery shells fell on the German position and exploded. In a short time, the German position was shrouded in smoke and fire. The German officers and soldiers on the position moved quickly and hid in
They were in bomb holes or shelters; those who responded slowly were either blown to pieces on the spot, or were blown to death by the shock wave of the explosion.
Less than five minutes after the bombardment started, Zhukov in the rear learned that the 19th Armored Division's position had been hit hard by Soviet artillery fire. He quickly called Sokov and asked straight to the point: "Misha, I heard
Say you are ordering the two artillery divisions I just gave you to carry out a violent artillery bombardment on the positions of the German 19th Armored Division?"
"Yes, Comrade Marshal, I am ordering the artillery to bombard the German positions." Sokov knew better than anyone in this era how terrifying the strength of the 19th Armored Division was. They fought in the Battle of the Vistula River in 1944.
, parked a battalion of tanks on the road and destroyed dozens of Soviet tanks like target practice, causing a tank corps to almost lose its combat effectiveness.
He took the initiative to attack the 19th Armored Division today, just to inflict pain on the enemy. When he meets the opponent again in the Battle of the Vistula River in the future, he will make the enemy fear him, thereby reducing the casualties of the troops.
"What are your plans?" Zhukov asked.
"Comrade Marshal," Sokov reported to Zhukov: "After the bombardment is over, I will order the 182nd Infantry Division and the 384th Infantry Division, under the cover of the 4th Guards Tank Corps, to launch an attack on the defense area of the 19th Armored Division.
General attack. Even if we cannot completely annihilate them, we must drive them away from the Prokhorovka area to weaken the enemy's strength in this area."
Zhukov felt a little disappointed when he heard that Sokov did not say total annihilation, but drove away the enemy. But then he thought about it, Sokov was attacking from the front of the enemy, and the German army would definitely choose to retreat if they could not resist it.
, it is very difficult to completely wipe out the enemy.
He pondered for a moment and then asked: "Misha, is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Comrade Marshal, although the troops I can use to attack include two infantry divisions and a tank corps, there are also two artillery divisions to provide long-range artillery cover." Since Zhukov took the initiative to speak, Sokov naturally would not miss this opportunity.
, said quickly: "But the enemy will definitely put up a desperate resistance. In order to reduce the resistance to our attack, I ask you to let the 81st Guards Division on the left flank of our army and General Trufanov's tank unit also launch an attack at the same time.
In order to contain the enemy's strength, we can easily destroy the enemy in front of us."
Zhukov looked at the map in front of him. If Sokov's troops launched an attack, and the 81st Guards Division on their left flank and General Trufanov's tank troops did not cooperate, Schmidt, the commander of the 19th Armored Division, would
You can leave a small number of troops to monitor, and then transfer the main force to your left wing to strengthen the defense of the area under attack.
Wanting to understand this, Zhukov nodded and said: "Okay, Misha. When you launch the attack, I will let your troops on the left wing also take offensive actions to reduce the resistance you encounter during the attack.
.”
But what Sokov didn't expect was that just after Zhukov ended the call with him, the deputy commander of the front army Apanashenko came back from outside. When he heard Zhukov explaining the mission to Vatutin, he couldn't help but interrupt.
: "Comrade Marshal, I have a bold idea that can speed up the elimination of the 19th Armored Division."
"What do you think?" Apanashchenko's words aroused Vasilevsky's curiosity. "Tell me what you think."
"My idea is that when Sokov's troops on the right attack the 19th Armored Division, the 81st Guards Division and the tank troops on the left will not move."
"Comrade Deputy Commander," Vatutin frowned when he heard Apanashenko say this: "If the troops on the left don't move, the enemy can safely and boldly transfer troops from here to strengthen their left.
That will make Sokov's offensive troops pay an even heavier price."