Butovo was lost, and Yakovlevo was hit by heavy German troops, which gave me a headache. At this time, Danilov reminded him again: "Comrade commander, it seems that the situation of the 51st Guards Division is very dangerous, maybe under the enemy's assault, they will not be able to hold their positions at all." So I propose that the 89th and 91st Guards Divisions, which are directly under the group army, be immediately thrown into battle. ”

"I disagree, Comrade Deputy Commander." When I heard what he said, I was immediately angry, but for the sake of my own image, I didn't break out, but said in a stern tone: "The two divisions you just mentioned are our general reserves, and they cannot be used lightly until the last moment. Moreover, it was almost fifty kilometers from their station to Yakovlevo, and even by car, it would take two hours at the earliest. Enemy planes are flying over us right now, and if a convoy of more than 200 trucks appears on the road, it will certainly become a target for enemy planes. It is estimated that before they could reach Yakovlevo, they would have already collapsed under the indiscriminate bombardment of enemy planes. ”

Who knows that after Danilov heard this, he said disappreciatively: "Comrade commander, if we do not implement reinforcements for the 51st Guards Division in time, I am afraid that they will not be able to withstand the German attack." Besides, in order to ensure that the defense line was not broken by the Germans, I felt that it was worth the sacrifice. ”

After listening to his words, I pursed my lips and smiled bitterly in my heart: "This is the fixed thinking of the older generation of soldiers, who only rely on their personal bravery and enthusiasm in order to achieve victory. For them, as long as they can achieve the final victory, they will not hesitate to pay no matter how big the sacrifice. And me. All that is done is at the lowest cost. Get the biggest wins. ”

I'm still thinking about how to reply. Povsky, who was next to him on the phone, suddenly reported to me: "Comrade commander, according to the artillery observers, the positions of the artillery group in the early hours of the morning were heavily bombarded by the German air force a few minutes ago. Several heavy artillery pieces, which had not had time to be transferred, were all blown up in the bombardment, and nearly 100 artillery members were killed or wounded. ”

Hearing the bad news, I was so angry that I slammed the table on the table. Rushing at Povsky: "Comrade Colonel, didn't I ask you to order the artillery to withdraw to the original defense zone as soon as the shelling is completed?" Why are there still artillery and artillery left in their original positions, don't you think that the enemy will retaliate with artillery shelling or bombardment of the area? ”

Povsky, who was criticized by me, bowed his head and replied ashamedly: "Comrade commander, this is the case. After the end of the early morning shelling, the heavy artillery battalion also received an order to transfer. Due to the fact that during the transfer, a truck towing artillery had a problem and broke down halfway. The battalion commander waited for that car. So he ordered the whole battalion to stop. Who knows, that car was not repaired for a long time. The German planes came first. ”

"Colonel, immediately remove this battalion commander from his post and send him to a court-martial." I couldn't help but be furious when I heard the erroneous order of an artillery battalion commander, which directly led to the destruction of several heavy artillery pieces of our army and the casualties of hundreds of commanders and fighters. I raised my hand and pointed at Povsky and told him, "Go and give this order at once." ”

When Povsky heard my order, he said with a bitter face: "Comrade commander, I beg your pardon, I think it may not be possible to send this artillery battalion commander to a military court? ”

"Why?" I asked angrily, thinking to myself that even if this artillery battalion commander had any origins, I would never spare him.

"Because, because ......," Povsky suddenly mustered up the courage to continue, "During the bombing of enemy planes, the truck in which the artillery battalion commander was traveling was directly hit by the bomb, which caused the shells in the compartment to be detonated, and his bones were blown to pieces. ”

Since the battalion commander who gave the wrong order had died, I no longer dwelled on this matter, but instructed Povsky: "Comrade Colonel, at present, our air force has not yet been able to grasp the air supremacy on the battlefield, so our artillery should pay attention to concealment and not become a target for enemy planes. If all the artillery is lost, we will not be able to fight the next battle. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." With a serious expression, Povsky assured me: "I will greet the regimental commanders again to avoid something like this from happening again." ”

I turned the subject to Yakovlevo again, "Colonel, at the moment the Germans are rushing to the positions of the Tavart Kiradze Division, can our artillery help them?" ”

"No problem." "Behind the first line of defense, we have a cannon regiment and a battalion of Guards rocket artillery, and they are always on standby except for the early morning shelling, and I can order them to carry out artillery interception of the German columns attacking Yakovlevo. ”

"Colonel, if that's the case, what are you still standing here for?" Hearing this proposal from Povsky, I hurriedly urged him: "Hurry up and give the artillery an order to open fire, and try to wipe out as many German tanks as possible in the open field." ”

As Mr. Powski assigned his men tasks, the phone on the desk in front of me rang again. Danilov picked it up and listened to it for a moment, then covered the microphone with his hand and handed it over, and at the same time kindly reminded me: "It's Commander Vatutin's call, and his attitude is not friendly." ”

I knew very well that Vatutin had called at this time, and eighty percent had come to Xingshi to ask for guilt about the loss of Butovo, so I silently took the phone from Danilov's hand, put it to my ear, and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Commander of the Front, I am Oshanina, do you have any instructions?" ”

After a few moments, Vatutin's roaring voice almost burst my eardrums, so much so that I had to remove the earpiece from my ear a bit, only to hear him say angrily: "Comrade Oshanina, please explain to me why you lost Butovo and why you didn't report it to me in time?" If I had not seen the news of the German occupation of Butovo from the intelligence intercepted by the intelligence services, I would not have known that the defense line of our front had been broken through by the Germans. ”

I couldn't help but laugh at Vatutin's duties, as I had reported to Butovo when it was bombed by the Germans and attacked by armored forces on the ground, and I had asked him to send air support. Unexpectedly, at this moment, he put all the responsibility for Butovo's loss on me. However, the official level crushed people to death, and when he finished speaking, I had to accompany him carefully and say: "Comrade commander, I have ordered Colonel Baksov, commander of the 67th Guards Division, to organize a counterattack of the troops, and asked him to take Butovo back before it gets dark. ”

After listening to my answer, Vatutin snorted coldly and said unceremoniously: "Comrade Oshanina, you remember that although the German offensive this time is fierce, you must hold Butovo no matter what. Even if you can't hold it, you will have to drag the enemy there for at least three days. Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." I raised my hand and looked at my watch, and explained to him: "I have sent a new regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Sederikov to assist the Baksov's division in the counterattack against Butovo, and I am sure that the city will be recaptured." ”

"Is this regimental commander reliable?" After listening to my words, Vatutin asked with some hesitation: "I mean, is this Lieutenant Colonel Sederykov reliable, and does he have relevant combat experience?" ”

"Rest assured, Comrade Commander." Sederikov has always been one of my very important subordinates, whether it is a defensive war or an offensive war, he is very skillful, and when I heard Vatutin's question, I naturally want to help him say a few kind words: "Lieutenant Colonel Sederikov has been my subordinate since the formation of the independent division in Stalingrad, and he is an excellent commander with rich combat experience. ”

After I had finished introducing Sederikov, I heard Vatutin's obvious relief, and he continued: "In that case, then report to me in three hours' time, at two o'clock in the afternoon, about the attack on Butovo." ”

Seeing that I had put down the phone, Danilov hesitated for a moment and then said to me: "Comrade commander, the current situation is not optimistic, our first line of defense is already in jeopardy, and we must provide some help to our commanders and fighters. Or, transfer Colonel Chernzhov's 90th Guards Division to reinforce the 67th Guards Division? ”

I stared at Danilov without speaking, and my mood at the moment was extremely conflicted, like a shareholder who had just bought a ticket and immediately encountered a falling limit. Is it a strong man who unravels his wrist and decisively comes out? Or wait patiently until the capital is protected before selling? But before I make this decision, I first need to figure out whether this plunge is a general trend or a technical adjustment.

After walking back and forth in the house with my hands behind my back a few times, my thinking gradually became clear: the Battle of Kursk ended in the victory of the Soviet army and the defeat of the German army, so the difficulties encountered at present are all temporary, and the Guards Division, which has been partially reequipped, should be able to do it with its own strength, whether it is to block the German attack or counterattack on Butovo.

Thinking of this, I stopped, turned around and walked quickly to the table, and said to Danilov: "Comrade Deputy Commander, my determination has been made, and the reserves will not move. Seeing that he wanted to say something, I hurriedly raised my hand to stop him, and said to myself: "I believe that both General Tavartkiradze and Colonel Baksov, with their strength, can hold Yakovlevo or recover Butovo." ”

Seeing that I was so stubborn, Danilov had nothing to do, so he could only pinch his nose and promise: "Well, Comrade Commander, since you say so, I respect your decision." ”

Towards twelve o'clock, the head of communications, Lopukhov, sent two telegrams: one from Major General Tavartkiradze, and the other from Colonel Baksov.

Tavartkiradze's telegram reads: "The German offensive has been crushed by our valiant Guards soldiers. Having left behind nearly forty burning tanks and more than five hundred corpses in front of our position, they retreated to their starting positions in disgrace. ”

And Baksov's telegram was simpler: "Butovo has been retaken!" (To be continued.) )

PS: Bow and thank the book friend for the support of the red sheath knife and the monthly pass!!