While the Germans from the east were almost wiped out, the Germans in the west were similarly crushed by Soviet artillery. Seeing this, Novikov immediately made a suggestion to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, let all the remaining tanks attack, maybe you can crush the German army in the west at once!" ”

Rokossovsky raised his binoculars, looked at the German units to the west, which were suffering from artillery bombing, and then said decisively: "Since this is the case, Comrade General, let's hurry up and attack with our tanks!" ”

"Yes!" Novikov excitedly agreed, ran over and gave orders to the tank units on the radio. He was so excited that he didn't even hear Rokossovsky's last words: "...... Be sure to destroy this enemy before the German Air Force can be dispatched! ”

By the time dozens of tanks rumbled out of the hidden forest, the fate of the Germans, who were under artillery fire, was already sealed. In the face of the roaring steel behemoths, the German infantry, having lost tanks and armored vehicles, could not organize an effective resistance, and the bullets from the machine guns on the tanks were like splashes of water, so that they could not raise their heads.

After only ten minutes, this battle without suspense ended, except for a few soldiers who ran fast on their legs and feet escaped, the rest of the soldiers raised their hands to surrender to the Soviet army. Even the colonel, who was pulled out of the pile of corpses by the soldiers, was reluctantly taken prisoner.

When Rokossovsky saw the troops cleaning the battlefield in the distance, he hurriedly turned back and ordered Chernyaev: "Colonel, let the artillery immediately withdraw into the forest." ”

"Why, Comrade Commander?" Chernyaev wondered: "Didn't you see that the enemy's technical equipment was destroyed by our artillery fire?" There is no danger at all in artillery outside the forest. ”

Rokossovsky pointed into the air and said angrily: "Comrade Colonel, don't forget, at the moment the German army occupies air supremacy on the battlefield. As soon as the news of the ambush of the German fast column came back, do you think their air force would stand idly by? Have you forgotten the air raids we received on our way back to Lutsk? ”

Although Chernyaev immediately gave the order to the artillerymen to immediately withdraw to the forest, it seemed to be a little late, and several black spots appeared in the sky. Soon these black dots became larger and larger, and even without a telescope, it was possible to see that it was several enemy planes. Seeing the plane appear, Novikov turned around and ran to the radio station and loudly ordered the operator: "Hurry up and contact the commander of the tank unit and ask them to withdraw immediately." Be fast, or you'll be bombed by enemy planes......"

In fact, without Novikov's order, the commanders and fighters who were cleaning the battlefield also spotted the enemy planes in the air, and they stopped what they were doing one after another, and drove the prisoners towards the forest. The tank, which was originally on guard, was also immediately mobilized and retreated to the forest at full speed.

Enemy aircraft flew over the battlefield and, seeing the tanks and infantry retreating in the direction of the forest below, immediately reduced their altitude. Bombs whizzing down from the air hit several retreating tanks, which burned and smoke billowed in the wind. The fast-running infantry, under the strafing and bombing of enemy planes, from time to time fell to pieces of flesh and blood, and the rest of the people continued to run forward without stopping.

"Damned fascist invaders!" Seeing the continuous casualties of his commanders and fighters in the air raids, Chernyaev was furious, and he shouted angrily: "What about our air force, where are they? Why don't you come and teach these damned fascist invaders a lesson, do you want to watch our people die under the bombardment of enemy planes? ”

Rokossovsky put his hand on Chernyaev's shoulder and comforted him: "Colonel, remember this blood debt, sooner or later we will recover it from the Germans with interest." ”

Fortunately, the tank troops and fighters quickly rushed into the forest, and although more German planes appeared in the air, they lost accurate bombing targets, and the German air attack effect was greatly reduced. They hovered over the forest, swooping down again and again, dropping bombs aimlessly, and strafing the vast forest to no avail, until they had run out of bombs, and then reluctantly returned in the direction they had come.

Seeing the enemy planes moving away, Rokossovsky breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered the two division commanders: "Comrades division commanders, hurry up and count our casualties, and then prepare to transfer." ”

"No need to count, Comrade Commander." Novikov looked at the wreckage of the tanks burning outside the forest and gritted his teeth and said: "Five tanks were blown up, the infantry suffered almost a hundred casualties, and two more artillery pieces were blown up." ”