Rokossovsky made the difficult decision to send the air force to support Kursk after repeated reflections. You must know that the 2nd Air Force Army, which is affiliated with the Bryansk Front, nominally consists of 8 aviation divisions and
There are two independent aviation regiments, but in fact, only the 205th, 206th and 227th Air Force Divisions can participate in the battle. They undertake heavy combat tasks and compete with the German Air Force for air supremacy in the direction of Voronezh to provide ground forces for the front.
Air cover. Once they are transferred to Kursk, it means that the front troops will not be able to receive air support for a period of time.
Seeing Malinin going to send a telegram to Sokov, Military Commissar Shabalin walked up to Rokossovsky and asked with a serious expression: "Comrade Commander, have you really made a decision?"
Rokossovsky understood what Shabalin was asking, so he nodded and said solemnly: "Yes, Comrade Military Commissar, I have decided. As long as Kursk can be held, the German Army Group Center and
The front line of Army Group South is split, and even if the main force of the front army has to fight the enemy without air support for a long time, it is completely worth it."
"Comrade Commander," Shabalin disagreed with the decision made by Rokossovsky. He felt that Rokossovsky was taking too many risks. If all the air force was sent to Kursk,
, the front troops who have lost their air cover may be defeated by the German army. If Kursk cannot be defended by then, as the military commissar of the front army, I have an unshirkable responsibility, and may even be sent to a military court.
Thinking of the fate of General Pavlov and his chief of staff and other colleagues, Shabalin shuddered. In order to avoid repeating the same mistakes, he felt that he should persuade Rokossovsky: "Have you considered,
Even if we send the air force to support Sokov's Istria Battalion, no, it is now called the 73rd Infantry Brigade, it may not be able to hold Kursk. Do we need to take this risk?"
"Although we have sent the air force to support, we may not be able to hold Kursk; but if we do not send the air force to support, Kursk will definitely not be able to hold it." Rokossovsky looked at Shabalin and said solemnly:
"If we destroy the strategic intention of the base camp to establish the Kursk salient, we will lose our heads."
Rokossovsky's words made Shabalin silent. After a long time, he said: "Well, Comrade Commander, it seems that it is completely necessary for us to provide air support to Kursk.
"
Sokov, who had just returned to the headquarters, felt much more at ease after receiving the telegram from Malinin. He handed the telegram to Belkin and said: "Comrade Political Commissar, look, this is the commander of the front army.
According to the telegram from the Ministry, starting from tomorrow, they will provide us with sufficient air cover."
"This is really great." After Belkin quickly read the contents of the telegram, he said excitedly: "With the support of the air force, we are sure to hold Kursk."
Considering that there will be support from the air force tomorrow, Sokov decided to make full use of the artillery, so he picked up the microphone in front of him and called the artillery company commander Porochenko: "Comrade Lieutenant, come to my headquarters immediately.
One trip.”
After Belkin waited for Sokov to finish the call, he asked curiously: "Comrade Brigade Commander, why did you ask the artillery company commander to come over?"
"I estimate that the German army will launch a new attack tomorrow. In order to reduce the casualties of the troops, it is necessary to intercept the enemy's attack with artillery fire at the beginning to reduce the pressure on the defending troops."
"Comrade Brigade Commander, if we shell the Germans when they attack, we will easily be suppressed by German artillery fire." After hearing this, Belkin said with some worry: "We only have a dozen artillery pieces, but we can't fight with the enemy.
The artillery group competes with it."
"Comrade Political Commissar, you don't have to worry about this." Sokov said confidently: "As long as we have the support of the air force, we don't have to worry. As soon as the enemy's artillery positions are exposed, our air force will destroy them."
When Porochenko arrived at the headquarters, Sokov immediately said to him: "Comrade Lieutenant, judging from the current situation, the German army may launch another attack tomorrow. The task I give you is to use
Artillery fire intercepted them to reduce the defensive pressure on the third battalion. Can it be done?"
Porochenko did not know that he would receive air force support the next day, so he seemed a little embarrassed by Sokov's order: "Comrade Brigade Commander, judging from the situation of today's battle, there are more than two German regiments in one regiment alone.
Ten artillery pieces. If they order a division-level unit to attack, their number of artillery pieces will be even greater. Once we encounter their counterattack, there is a risk of the entire army being destroyed."
"Don't worry, Comrade Lieutenant." Seeing that Porochenko was also worried that if he used artillery too early tomorrow, he would be retaliated by the superior artillery of the German army, he comforted him and said: "Tomorrow there will be an air force to support us. If the German army does not fire artillery, then
Already, whenever it's time to fire, our bomber formation will blow them to pieces."
"Is it true?" Hearing that there was cooperation from the Air Force, Porochenko had a surprised expression on his face: "Comrade Brigade Commander, if this is the case, we no longer have to worry about the enemy's artillery."
The German army, which suffered a defeat, quickly made a comeback. Early the next morning, the German division commander Major General von Dreibel used forty-eight 150mm artillery pieces to bombard the Soviet position in the east of the city. The originally quiet position suddenly turned into a sea of fire.
Although the officers and soldiers of the third battalion were hiding in the solid concrete fortifications, they were still shaken by the dazzling fireball outside and the loud thunder-like noise.
Not long after the German artillery bombardment started, Sokov heard the sound at the city headquarters. He was anxious to know the situation ahead, so he called the commander of the third battalion, Andrei, but when he picked up the phone, there was no sound at all. He
Thinking there was something wrong with the phone, he immediately called the communications company commander Maxim over and asked sternly: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, what's going on? Why can't I contact the third battalion?"
Maxim took the phone, listened, and then replied: "Comrade Brigade Commander, it may be that the German artillery fire was too fierce and the phone line was blown down."
"Immediately order someone to check the line," Sokov waited for him to finish and immediately ordered: "I need to know the situation of the third battalion."
"Comrade Brigadier, don't worry." Seeing Sokov's angry face, Maxim hurriedly explained: "Although the phone lines were cut off, they are equipped with radio stations and can communicate through telegraph or wireless calls.
"
"Send a telegram to Captain Andrei immediately," Sokov listened to the rumble of artillery coming from the east of the city. He knew that even if wireless communication could be used, the communication effect would probably be affected. It would be more convenient and convenient to use a telegraph.
Instructed Maxim: "Have him report the situation on the position immediately."
Captain Andre, who was hiding in the command post, had no idea that the phone line between him and the brigade had been cut off by German artillery fire. He felt like he was sitting in the crater of an erupting volcano, surrounded by smoke.
It was wrapped tightly, and the explosions of gunpowder smoke continued one after another. There were explosions and flames everywhere. The logs as thick as a bowl used to reinforce the fortifications in the trenches were also blown up by artillery shells.
It shattered into pieces and flew everywhere in the air.
He was so stunned that the operator shouted several times in succession, but he didn't hear it. It wasn't until the operator put his hand on his shoulder and shook it twice that he realized that the operator was calling.
Himself. "What's the matter?" As soon as Andre said the words, he found that he could hardly hear his own voice, and then he realized that his ears had been shaken by the explosion of the shell.
The operator did not speak, but handed a telegram in his hand to Andre. After reading it, Andre instinctively wanted to dictate the order. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly realized that even if he said something, the operator would not be there.
In order to be able to hear clearly, I picked up a pencil and wrote a few sentences on the north side of the telegraph newspaper, and handed it to the operator, instructing him to call back to the brigade headquarters.