Rokossovsky did not immediately agree to Chistyakov's request, but said angrily: "I will give you an answer in half an hour." Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ”

Rokossovsky immediately dialed Rudenko's phone and asked straight to the point: "Comrade General, if you give me an accurate word, can your air force take off and fight in such weather?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Rudenko replied without hesitation: "As long as we do not use large aircraft formations, but use two-plane formations or single planes to fight, we can still provide air support to the ground forces under such harsh conditions." ”

"Which force are you going to send on this mission?" Rokossovsky asked briefly.

"The 587th Dive Bomber Combat Regiment," Rudenko said with some hesitation, "they are up to the task." ”

"No, resolutely not." When Rokossovsky heard that Rudenko was going to risk the lives of a group of female pilots, he immediately spoke out against it, "Are all the men in your Air Force dead?" How do you want a group of girls to help you on this difficult and dangerous mission? ”

"Comrade Commander, I am Major Marina Roskova of the 587th Dive Bomber Combat Regiment." A young woman's voice suddenly came from the earpiece, "I beg you to entrust our regiment with the task of supporting the ground forces in this operation." ”

"No, Comrade Roslava." Hearing that it was a young woman talking to him, Rokossovsky's tone became much softer, but he decisively refused their request: "I have no right to let you young girls take such a risk. ”

As soon as his words fell, Roslava retorted: "Comrade commander, don't you think that we are already a neutral person? The war erased people's gender, and at least I never wanted to be seen as a woman. ”

Hearing Rokossova say this angrily, Rokossovsky could no longer refuse their request, and could only say euphemistically: "Okay, Comrade Major, I agree with your participation in the bombing of the German defense area, but for the sake of safety, you can only dispatch one squadron of aircraft at most, and the rest of the air force should be a flight formation composed of male pilots." Do you understand? ”

"A squadron is a squadron." Seeing that her request was granted, Roslava said with joy on her face: "We will definitely not fail your trust." ”

In this way, under the cover of the Air Force and artillery, Chistyakov again organized a new offensive. This time he threw in the 63rd, 76th, and 96th Infantry Divisions, as well as Volissky's 4th Tank Army, and launched a fierce assault on the strips defended by the Romanian army.

The assault finally yielded the desired results, as the positions of the 1st Cavalry Division and the 6th Infantry Division under the command of General Lasca of Romania were quickly broken through, and both divisions were severely damaged, and even General Lasca was captured by the 21st Army in the battle.

The 9th, 13th and 14th Infantry Divisions of the Romanian Army also collapsed one after another under the powerful offensive of the Soviet Army. In the end, it was surrounded by the 21st Army and surrounded the town of Raspopinskaya and its environs.

On the second day of the campaign, Chistyakov gathered the 63rd, 76th, and 96th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 119th, 124th, and 127th Infantry Divisions of the 5th Tank Army, to fight together and began to annihilate the besieged Romanian army.

After two days of fierce fighting, the Soviet 96th Infantry Division split the Romanian army in half and forced one of the Romanian troops to surrender on the same day. However, the main force of the Romanian army, located in the town of Raspopinskaya, was still resisting stubbornly. So Chistyakov transferred the 333rd Infantry Division to continue to put pressure on the Romanian army.

The desperate Romanian army, finally led by its commander, General Stniescu, stopped resistance and laid down its arms and surrendered to the Soviets.

While the Germans were focusing on the Don Front and the Southwestern Front, the Stalingrad Front, which remained on the banks of the Volga, also took action, and on November 20, from south to north, they launched an attack on the Romanian 4th Army deployed on the front, and successfully routed it.

On November 20, the 1st Tank Army of the Southwestern Front, with the cooperation of the 47th Guards Infantry Division, captured Peschane, an important stronghold of the German army. The 26th Tank Corps and the 4th Tank Corps, as well as the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps, advanced to the Manoylin area and turned around and advanced in the direction of Karachi.

On November 22, the 36th Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Army under the 51st Army of the Stalingrad Front took the Sovietsky farm occupied by the Germans with a swift assault, completing the set goals of the Stalingrad Front.

At the same time, the 26th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 14th Tank Army of the Southwestern Front took the lead in advancing to the line of the Don River, approaching the city of Karachi, and also successfully captured a complete bridge over the Don River.

On November 23, the main forces of the 5th Tank Army successfully recaptured the city of Karachi. On the same day, the 4th Tank Brigade of the 4th Tank Army of the 21st Army went to the Sovetsky farm before 14 noon to join the 36th Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Army of the Stalingrad Front, which had arrived here a day earlier.

At this point, Operation Uranus was carried out, and the troops of the three fronts finally completed the encirclement of the German 6th Army and the 4th Tank Army.