I just smiled at Yushchenko's flattery, and then instructed him: "Comrade Captain, can you help me find a mirror, I want to see what I look like now." ”

Hearing my command, Yushchenko's smile immediately froze on his face, and after a long while, he hesitated to confirm: "Comrade commander, you said that I should go find a mirror, right?" ”

Seeing Yushchenko's grinding appearance, a trace of dissatisfaction rose in my heart, and I said angrily: "Yes, I did say that you should go and find a mirror to come back." Seeing that he turned to leave, I added, "Also, don't call me any commander in the future, I am an idler without a position, and if someone with ulterior motives hears such a name, it may cause us unnecessary trouble." ”

Yushchenko agreed and walked out of the room to find a mirror for me.

When Yushchenko left, I closed my eyes and thought to myself about my current situation. Although I also understand that I am a brick and move where I need to, from my heart, I still hope to stay in the position I like and be able to fully show my ability. Neither Ustinov's armament department nor Aleksandrov's Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe appealed to me. For me, only the front line is the most desirable place, and only there can I have the opportunity to establish immortal feats.

In my memory, in a few months, the famous Battle of Kursk will begin. This was not only one of the decisive battles on the Soviet-German battlefield, but also the last large-scale strategic offensive launched by the German army against the Soviet Union in an attempt to regain the strategic initiative. This battle was a watershed in the Soviet-German war, if we say that before the battle, the German army also grasped a certain degree of strategic initiative, and was able to independently choose to launch an offensive campaign and the direction of attack; Then after the end of the battle, the German army completely lost the strategic initiative. Forced to adopt a comprehensive strategic defense, the Soviet army also officially launched a large-scale all-out offensive to regain the territory.

If I can get back into the army before the battle breaks out, and take command of a single unit in a certain direction. Then when the campaign is over, my rank and position can be further promoted. If we fail to return to the unit in time, we will miss a good opportunity to make a difference. In that case, I may have to keep my current rank and position when the Battle of Berlin breaks out.

"Comrade General, here comes the mirror you wanted." I was thinking about it when I suddenly heard Yushchenko's voice. He remembered what I had just told him, and instead of calling me commander, he called me my rank. Seeing that he was hurrying into the room, he hurriedly stretched out his hand to him and said, "Quickly bring me the mirror." ”

Yushchenko handed me a palm-sized round mirror. He whispered, "I'm looking for a nurse to pick it up, and I'll pay it back to someone later." ”

Although I had long guessed that my image was embarrassing, I was still shocked when I saw my image in the mirror. I saw that my left eye was swollen like a peach, and my eyeball was blood-red, and I looked quite embarrassed. After seeing his ugly appearance clearly, I suddenly understood the reason why Yushchenko had just said that, he was probably afraid that I would look in the mirror. The mirror will be dropped due to emotional out-of-control, so it is deduced that the mirror will be returned later.

I handed the mirror back to Yushchenko. Sighing softly, he said to him: "Okay, Comrade Captain, go and return the mirror to others." ”

"You're not looking in the mirror anymore?" Yushchenko didn't expect me to be able to maintain such a calm mood after looking at my own image, and asked with some disbelief: "Really let me go and return the mirror now?" ”

"Go, go, go." I said impatiently, "Hurry up and return the mirror to someone else." ”

After Yushchenko left, I closed my eyes and continued to think about the Battle of Kursk. Judging from the current situation, it is unrealistic for me to command a single unit before the outbreak of the campaign. If you don't command the troops. How can I make a difference?

Just as I was feeling worried, I vaguely heard the conversation between the warrior and the other outside. First, the soldier on duty asked, "...... I said, aren't you in the tank army, how did you become infantry again? ”

Then, an unfamiliar voice replied: "There is no way, all the tanks of our tank brigade were lost in the battle, and it happened that the infantry was short of manpower, so I was assigned to the infantry unit." Not long ago, our company was transferred back to Moscow, and after being reorganized, it was sent to take charge of the security of this hospital. ”

In the conversation between the two, a key word caught my attention. Tanks, yes, tanks! Isn't the Battle of Kursk a tank battle between the Soviet Union and Germany? In the face of a large-scale German tank attack, the most defensible was the famous Golan trench. Although I didn't use this kind of fortification at Mamayev last time, this time, I was able to use this kind of anti-tank trench in the Battle of Kursk. Last time, there were no conditions for digging anti-tank trenches, otherwise the German tanks would not have been allowed to repeatedly drive under the hill to provide the necessary artillery support for their troops' attacks.

The thought that I could be useful in the battle lightened my mind. But the area of the Battle of Kursk is so large, I can't dig the Golan trench everywhere, and I have to build it in the area where there will be a big tank duel in order to give full play to the advantages of this anti-tank trench.

I vaguely remember that the Germans broke through two lines of Soviet defense in succession, repelled one counterattack after another organized by Vatutin, reached the outside of a certain city, and staged a decisive battle with Soviet tanks. But what the name of the city was, I couldn't remember in a hurry.

If I had a map in hand at the moment, I only had to look at the names of the towns near Kursk and I would remember the city in which the tank battle was fought. But I couldn't find a map at the moment, so I could only try to see where this famous battle was taking place.

I thought about it for a long time, but I didn't come up with a reason, and when I was upset, I suddenly heard the voice of Yushchenko talking to someone else, and it seemed that he had returned his things again. I hurriedly shouted outside: "Captain, Comrade Captain." Hearing him answer outside, he hurriedly ordered him, "Come in." ”

After a moment, Yushchenko stood in front of me and asked respectfully: "Comrade General." What are your instructions? ”

"Do you know what cities are near Kursk?" I asked.

"Near Kursk?" Yushchenko repeated the place I had said in his mouth and nodded, "Know how many cities." ”

"Tell me the names of those cities!"

"Orel, Oboyan......" Yushchenko seemed to be quite familiar with the city near Kursk, and when I asked him to report the name of the place, he opened his mouth and said seven or eight in a row.

I listened and listened. I couldn't help frowning, because the places he reported to me were relatively short, and the name of the city where I remember the tank battle was quite long. Thinking of this, I raised my hand to interrupt his words and asked, "Comrade Captain, is there a longer name for that city?" ”

"Yes, let's say Prokhorovka......"

"Stop, this should be the place." As soon as Yushchenko was heard talking about the city of Prokhorovka. My memory became clear, and I hurriedly interrupted Yushchenko's words again, and said excitedly: "The terrain outside the city here is open, and it should be a good place for a decisive battle. ”

"Comrade General, what are you talking about?" Confused, Yushchenko asked: "What is a good place for a decisive battle?" Are we going to fight, and with whom will we fight? You know, this city is currently under the control of our army. ”

"Alright, Comrade Captain, there's nothing for you here. You go out. "Naturally, I would not have told Yushchenko that in a few months there would be a world-famous tank Armageddon on the outskirts of the city. So he said to him lightly: "Leave one person on duty at night, and the rest go to rest." ”

"Yes!" Yushchenko did not continue to ask, agreed, and turned and walked out of the ward.

Now that you know the exact location, the rest is easy. The enemy attacking Kursk must have come from the territory of Ukraine. Therefore, the direction of the construction of this Golan moat should be in the south of Prokhorovka.

The next morning, as soon as the nurse finished dropping my eye drops, Bezikov came to my room. Considering that he was the easiest person to approach Zhukov, I asked him to sit down at the table. Talk to him: "Comrade Colonel, how is the fighting going on the territory of Ukraine, did our two fronts drive the enemy across the Dnieper?" ”

Hearing my question, Bezikov replied with a bitter face: "Alas, don't mention it, the troops of our two fronts could not defeat the German army, which was only one-fifth of our strength, not to mention, and let others surround Kharkov." Judging from the current situation, the defenders of the city could only hold out for a week at most. ”

I remembered that Kharkov was still in the hands of the Germans at the time of the Battle of Kursk, and I no longer cared about the fate of the Voronezh Front, but instead asked about the situation with Rybalko: "And what about the situation in Kyiv?" ”

"The forces of the German Army Group Center are pressing towards Kiev from the north; And the German units from Romania, having repulsed our Southern Front, were also advancing north. Bezkov replied with a serious expression: "In the face of the fierce offensive of the German troops, General Rybalko is organizing troops for a stubborn defense. However, if they are not replenished in the near future, then the fate that awaits them will be to be encircled or defeated. ”

In real history, on October 12, 1943, the Soviet army, which won the Battle of Kursk, launched a battle to liberate Kiev, but due to the stubborn resistance of the German army, both Soviet attacks ended in failure. It was only after the launch of the third offensive on November 3 that General Rybalko's troops managed to storm Kiev. But now history has changed because of my unexpected appearance, and the time for the liberation of Kyiv has been advanced by eight months. Therefore, I care more than anyone about the gains and losses of Kiev: "Since the situation in Kiev is so bad, I wonder if Marshal Zhukov has taken any measures?" ”

"Comrade Marshal has drawn five divisions and three tank brigades from General Rokossovsky's Central Front to move closer to Kyiv." Bezikov briefly told me: "As soon as this force reaches Kyiv, the city's defenses will be greatly strengthened, and we will be able to hold it even in the face of the enemy's frantic attack." We absolutely cannot tolerate this 'pearl on the Dnieper' falling into the hands of the Germans again. ”

Hearing that Zhukov was resolute in holding on to Kyiv, my heart suddenly became much more steady. I changed the subject again and asked cautiously, "Colonel, I have one more question, what if, I mean what if." If our troops cannot hold Kharkov and let the enemy retake the city, then where will the troops of the Voronezh Front retreat? ”

To my question, Bezikov was silent for a while, and then said leisurely: "Where else can you retreat, you may only retreat to Kursk and build fortifications in the area." Knowing that Kursk is only more than 500 kilometers from Moscow, and German tanks can rush outside Moscow in two days, in order to prevent this worst-case scenario, we must build the necessary fortifications in the Kursk region. ”

After listening to Bezikov's words, I did not ask whether it was Zhukov's exact words or just his personal judgment, but at least it made one point: the Soviet high command had the intention of engaging the Germans at Kursk. In this way, my proposal to Bezikov to build an anti-tank trench in Prokhorovka does not seem so abrupt. I smiled and said to him: "Comrade Colonel, if the Germans really reoccupy Kharkov, then they will definitely continue to advance north to intimidate Moscow. ”

"Of course, if the Germans recapture Kharkov, they will definitely use this as a starting point for their offensive and launch another attack on Moscow." When Bezkov said this, the expression on his face became more and more solemn: "Then Kursk may become a vital battlefield." ”

"I have a suggestion, I hope you can help me convey it to Marshal Zhukov."

"Advice, what advice?" My words aroused Bezikov's great interest, and he urged me: "Tell me, and when I see Comrade Marshal later, I will be able to relay your proposal to him." ”

"To the south of Kursk, build several lines of defense to form a sufficiently wide defensive depth." I did not hesitate to tell Bezikov what I thought: "The whole system of defense consisted of a large number of closely coordinated trenches, barbed wire, anti-tank fire points and anti-tank trenches, and minefields, and a large number of troops and firepower were gathered in the most likely direction of the German attack. (To be continued......)