After the call, Rokossovsky sat in his seat and was stunned for a while, and only after his mood had returned to normal a little that he walked to the door and called Malinin and them in.

After everyone arrived, he said to everyone: "Commanders, Comrade Commander, just now Stalin told me on the phone that the situation of the Voronezh Front is very bad, that Chistyakov's 6th Guards Army has suffered a heavy blow from the Germans, and that Vatutin's constant counter-assaults on both flanks of Oboyan have not achieved much effect. Therefore, the base camp decided to officially transfer Konev's steppe front to Vatutin's defense area and fight side by side with them. ”

Hearing that the Grassland Front Army, a unit that could be relied on, could no longer provide help to itself, the commanders present were somewhat psychologically lost. In particular, Military Commissar Ponomarenko said with annoyance: "Without reserves, it will be much more difficult for us to launch an offensive against the Germans." ”

"Despite the fact that our counter-assault with the 17th Infantry Corps did not achieve the desired results, it prevented the enemy's advance in the direction of Olikhovatka." Rokossovsky pointed to the map and said: "I estimate that the direction of Moder's attack today will be adjusted accordingly. ”

Deputy Commander Trubnikov hesitated for a moment and said: "Comrade Commander, since the Germans have achieved a breakthrough in the area of the 13th Army, they will definitely continue to invest troops in this area until the collapse of our entire front." ”

"No, Comrade Deputy Commander." As soon as Trubnikov's words were finished, Malinin opened his mouth to retort: "The Germans should know that in the rear of the 13th Army, there is a section flooded by our army, and their tank units are impassable. If the German infantry had lost the cover of their tanks, their offensive intensity would have been greatly reduced. Therefore, I agree with the commander that the Germans will definitely choose a new lot as a direction for their breakthrough. ”

"Where will that be the direction?" The crowd began to ponder.

Rokossovsky, who came from later generations, was a little annoyed at the moment, although he clearly remembered the beginning and end of the Battle of Kursk and knew the final outcome of the Soviet and German sides. But it's a pity that his focus back then was on the side of Kursk, where Vatutin was, and he only remembered that he fought hard in that direction; The Central Front in the north, however, in the course of this campaign, held off the German offensive very smoothly and took the lead in launching an attack on the city of Orel. But these two days of fighting made him realize that the enemy in the north was fighting more tenaciously than he had imagined.

"Comrade Commander," Seeing Rokossovsky staring at the map in a daze, Terekin couldn't help but ask curiously: "Your vision has always been accurate, tell me, if you were Moder, where would you choose the direction of breakthrough?" ”

Terekin's words attracted everyone's attention, and everyone focused their eyes on Rokossovsky, quietly waiting for him to say what everyone wanted to know.

Rokossovsky pretended to look at the map for a while, and then said stubbornly: "Commanders and comrades, I think that if the Germans want to adjust the direction of their attack, the most likely place is in Boneri. There was only the 307th Infantry Division under the command of Major General Yanshen, and they were to defend the city of Boneri, and the surrounding area. ”

As soon as Malinin waited for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, he immediately focused his attention on the location of the small city of Boneri, and after repeated deliberations in his heart, he nodded and said: "Comrade Commander's analysis is correct. At the moment Boneri is indeed the weakest link in our entire defence, and if the Germans were not blind, they should know this. ”

"In other words, the Germans will put their new main direction of attack in the direction of the Boneri?" After a moment of silence, Trubnikov tentatively asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, am I right?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Deputy Commander, the situation you said is very likely to turn out to be a reality." Malinin pointed to the map with a red and blue pencil and continued: "Look at the map, Boneri is an important transportation hub, only a 307th Infantry Division is deployed, and there is no decent defensive line in the rear of the division, as well as a large formed force of our army. As long as the Germans occupy the city of Boneri, then they will be able to use it as a starting point for the offensive and push further into the depth of our defenses. ”

"So where do we draw troops to strengthen them?" Trubnikov asked as if talking to himself and as if asking everyone: "Even if reinforcements are to be sent, there is only a little more than an hour before dawn at the moment, can it be in time?" ”、

Rokossovsky raised his hand and glanced at the time, and immediately ordered Malinin: "Chief of Staff, call the commander of the 70th Army, Lieutenant General Galanin, and tell him that it is possible for the Germans to choose the direction of the new breakthrough in the Poneri, which is defended by the 307th Infantry Division, and ask him to inform the troops to be ready for battle." ”

"Comrade Commander," Malinin waited for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, and immediately expressed his opinion: "The other defensive areas of the 70th Army have also been attacked by the Germans, and I think it will be very difficult for them to hold back the enemy rushing towards Boneri by their own strength. ”

Rokossovsky has always been a good person, and as soon as Malinin finished speaking, he immediately asked: "Do you have any good advice?" ”

"I propose that the 5th Breakthrough Artillery Division, the 13th Anti-Tank Destroyer Brigade, the 11th Mortar Brigade, and the 22nd Guards Heavy Rocket Artillery Brigade be immediately transferred to the city of Boneri. As far as I know, these troops have been in a state of readiness and could enter the city of Boneri within an hour. After Malinin finished speaking, he suddenly found that he still had something missing, and hurriedly added: "There is also the 1st Guards Engineer Brigade stationed in the south, they have rich experience in street fighting, and I suggest that they also be transferred to Boneri." Once the Germans stormed the city, they could rely on this force and drive the enemy out. ”

If it had been at the beginning of the war, Malinin would have made a mistake in saying this, because it was not even permissible to assume that the Germans might be close to such and such a city, and it would be defeatist to say that the enemy might storm the city. Fortunately, these members of the Front Command had long since adapted to various assumptions, so after listening to Malinin's words, not only did no one raise objections, but instead suggested that Rokossovsky immediately transfer his troops.

"Well, now that everyone's opinion is unified." Seeing that everyone agreed with Malinin's opinion, Rokossovsky nodded and said: "Then immediately give an order to the troops, let them rush to Boneri as soon as possible, and before the start of the German offensive, all enter the designated defensive positions." ”

……

……

The German attack on Boneri did not start before the dawn of the Buddha, because according to the information they knew, there was only one Soviet infantry division in the city, which could not stop their attacking force consisting of three infantry divisions and two tank divisions. There were even optimistic estimates from officers: perhaps in three hours, or less, the heroic German soldiers would be able to storm the city and destroy the Russians entrenched in the city.

At seven o'clock in the morning, the Germans began to shell the city of Boneri, while the tank units also advanced. For a time, the explosion of shells, the roar of artillery, and the roar of tank motors made the Soviet troops who were holding their positions feel that the ground was trembling incessantly.

The artillery, which had just been transferred to the area, also began to return fire fiercely. Not only did they have to counter the German fire, but they also had to intercept the German tanks on the move with intensive artillery fire. Several exposed German artillery positions were destroyed in a short time under the powerful Soviet artillery fire; Tiger tanks and Ferdinand self-propelled guns, on the way to the Soviet positions, were hit, overturned, exploded, and became piles of burning scrap metal.

The tanks that had managed to get close to the Soviet positions were also destroyed by Soviet commanders and fighters hidden in trenches or craters because they were not covered by infantry. Thanks to the assistance of artillery, the units of the 307th Infantry Division managed to repel five German attacks.

Moder learned that his five successive charges had been repulsed by the Soviets, and ordered his troops to suspend the attack. His chief of staff asked curiously: "Your Excellency, commander, why should we stop the offensive?" ”

Moder glanced at him, and then said in a contemptuous tone: "My chief of staff, don't you see that the artillery of the Russians is too much of a threat to us?" ”

Hearing Moder say this, the chief of staff immediately understood the measures he was about to take, but still lowered his eyebrows and asked, "Your Excellency, commander, I don't know what you think?" ”

"It's simple, send the air force to attack." Moder tapped his hand twice on the map on the wall, "Destroy the artillery positions exposed by the Russians with bombs, cover our troops to continue the assault on the Boneri." ”

The Soviet commanders and fighters who stayed in the trenches saw that the German attack was repulsed by themselves, and hurriedly seized the time to repair the fortifications and prepare to resist the enemy's next attack. Just when everyone was busy, suddenly the roar of the aircraft engine was heard in the air, and one of the veterans listened for a moment, and then shouted at the top of his voice: "The German plane is coming, everyone hide quickly!" Hide, everyone, the planes of the Germans are coming! ”

The commanders and fighters who were busy immediately stopped what they were doing and rushed to the nearest shelter and anti-artillery hole, and the scene was extremely chaotic for a while.

After a short while, the German bombers reached the sky above the Soviet defensive positions. Since there were no Soviet fighters in the air and no Soviet anti-aircraft artillery fire on the ground, the German planes could confidently and boldly lower their flight altitude, carry out wanton and indiscriminate bombardment of targets found on the ground, and also use machine guns to strafe the sporadic targets they discovered.

The German bombardment was extremely fierce, and the Soviet artillery positions, which had just been showing their might, were destroyed by the Luftwaffe one after another. Seeing that the Soviet artillery fire had become sparse, the German armored forces again launched a charge.

Due to the loss of artillery support, the 307th Infantry Division, which had no tanks and lacked sufficient anti-tank weapons, was successively broken through on many fronts in the face of the onslaught of the German army. The 307th Infantry Division, which lacked defensive depth, could only abandon those isolated positions, adopt the tactics of fighting and walking, and gradually retreat into the city.

Rokossovsky learned that the Germans had really chosen the direction of the attack here, and specially called the commander of the 70th Army, Galanin: "General Galanin, judging from the current situation, the main direction of the German attack will be yours." I now order you to hold your position, and no one is allowed to retreat until you have received orders from your superiors. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." The commander of the army group, Galanin, who did not realize the intensity of the German offensive, even stated to Rokossovsky: "As long as we have one soldier alive, we will definitely not let the Germans move forward." ”

As soon as his words fell, the chief of staff of the group army ran over and whispered to him: "Comrade commander, something has happened!" ”

Garanin hurriedly covered the microphone with his hand and asked nervously, "What's wrong?" ”

"The German troops have broken through the lines of our army and have already rushed into the city of Boneri." The chief of staff asked Kalinin a little anxiously: "Comrade commander, do you think you ordered the troops to abandon the city and start a field battle with the Germans outside the city?" ”

"No, resolutely not." As soon as Garanin and the other chiefs of staff finished speaking, they immediately put their heads on a rattle: "We must not give the city to the Germans." Immediately call Major General Yanshen and order him to use all the forces at his disposal and also resolutely hold the city. ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." The chief of staff said with relief: "I will call Major General Yanshen and order him to hold on to the city and not allow it to be abandoned under any circumstances." He was also worried that on a whim, Garanin had ordered the city to be abandoned, and that he might be court-martial if his superiors held him accountable in the future.

Garanin hurriedly covered the microphone with his hand and asked nervously, "What's wrong?" ”

"The German troops have broken through the lines of our army and have already rushed into the city of Boneri." The chief of staff asked Kalinin a little anxiously: "Comrade commander, do you think you ordered the troops to abandon the city and start a field battle with the Germans outside the city?" ”

"No, resolutely not." As soon as Garanin and the other chiefs of staff finished speaking, they immediately put their heads on a rattle: "We must not give the city to the Germans." Immediately call Major General Yanshen and order him to use all the forces at his disposal and also resolutely hold the city. ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." The chief of staff said with relief: "I will call Major General Yanshen and order him to hold on to the city and not allow it to be abandoned under any circumstances." He was also worried that on a whim, Garanin had ordered the city to be abandoned, and that he might be court-martial if his superiors held him accountable in the future.