When he learned that Zhukov planned to transfer all his troops to the Prokhorovka area, Sokov's mind was shocked, and he wanted to slap himself twice. If his performance in the past two days had not been so eye-catching, why would Zhukov suddenly have such an idea? My troops have been staying in Shumakovo. When the fighting is almost done, I will go out to pick peaches and inspect them. Isn't it delicious?
"Comrade Marshal," Sokov replied with some embarrassment: "Now our army already has a lot of troops in the Prokhorovka area. If our group army is transferred there again, will it be too crowded and the troops will not be able to How about unfolding it?”
"Then what did you think about it?" Zhukov unexpectedly did not get angry, but asked calmly: "Don't you think it is a waste to place an entire army group in Shumakovo, a place where there may not be another battle? ?"
"Comrade Marshal, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the worst. Don't see the German army being driven across the Pena River by us. It won't threaten Shumakovo's safety for the time being, but we can't relax our vigilance." Sokov said cautiously. : "I think it is very necessary to set up a reserve force in Shumakovo."
"Well, since you said you want to keep a reserve team in Shumakovo, then keep the first division and three brigades that participated in the battle last night, plus an infantry division. That will be enough." Zhukov couldn't help but say He said: "The remaining troops will be transferred to the Prokhorovka area. I believe that with your participation, we will be more confident in blocking the enemy's attack."
After hearing Zhukov's words, Sokov burst into tears: "Emotionally, you regard me as a god. You think that wherever I am, the Germans will definitely not be able to break through the defense line, right?" The tank battle that will soon take place in the Prokhorovka area is said to involve thousands of tanks. His own tank army has gone, and it is not enough to fill the teeth of the German armored forces. Therefore, Sokov tried his best to avoid this incident. Drudgery.
"Comrade Marshal, please listen to my sophistry... No, this is my explanation." Sokov said with a sad face: "My troops have become exhausted after a long march on foot. Now they have not been given enough time. Rest and recuperation, and hastily transferring them to the Prokhorovka area may affect the combat effectiveness of the troops."
"Comrade Sokov," Zhukov did not call Sokov by his nickname, but by his surname: "Since you said so, I can agree to you staying where you are, but you must agree to one condition."
Knowing that his troops could stay where they were, Sokov almost jumped up with excitement, thinking that I could agree to not just one condition, but a hundred conditions. He pretended to be calm and asked: "Comrade Marshal, what are the conditions?"
"You take the time to meet with Marshal Manstein and tell him that our army is not ready for battle yet. Please ask him to order his troops to temporarily stop the attack and wait until your army enters the Prokhorovka area before launching another attack." It’s not too late to attack.”
Upon hearing Zhukov's conditions, Sokov was dumbfounded and said to himself, Marshal Zhukov, aren't you kidding me? If I could convince Manstein, would the Battle of Kursk still be fought? I just ordered him to surrender to the Soviet army. He smiled bitterly and said: "Comrade Marshal, are you kidding me?"
"You were the one who joked with me first." After Zhukov said this, he asked directly: "Give me a word, when will your troops enter the Prokhorovka area?"
After listening to Zhukov's words, Sokov completely gave up. He knew very well that not only what he said, but his troops would definitely not be able to escape from the battle in the Prokhorovka area. He traced the map with his hand for a while, measuring the distance from Shumakovo to Prokhorovka, and finally said: "Comrade Marshal, it is almost 80 kilometers from us to the Prokhorovka area. If If we march on foot, it will take at least two days. And the tank army's advance will take about the same amount of time."
"Two days is all. Two days later, I want to see your troops appear in the north of the Prokhorovka area." After Zhukov gave this order, he casually asked: "Are there any difficulties?"
"There must be difficulties." Sokov thought about his large army marching in broad daylight. If there is no air force to provide air support and encounters a German air attack, the marching sequence of the troops may be disrupted. After thinking about it, Finally, he said cautiously: "I still hope you can provide us with the necessary air support, otherwise we will not be able to march during the day."
Seeing Sokov's change of tone, Zhukov's face showed a smile, and he then asked: "What troops do you plan to transfer to the Prokhorovka area?"
"I plan to leave the 254th Infantry Division and two independent tank battalions to assist the 1st Division and 3rd Brigade in guarding the Shumakovo area." Since going to the Prokhorovka area was inevitable, Sokov made serious arrangements. Where the troops are going: "The 84th, 182nd and 188th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 4th Guards Tank Corps, will march in the direction of Prokhorovka after dawn tomorrow. In order to prevent German air attacks, Marshal Hope Comrade can provide us with the necessary air support."
"Don't worry, Misha." Zhukov vowed: "I will send no less than one aviation division of the air force to cover your transfer from Shumakovo to the Prokhorovka area."
When Sokov put down the phone, Samyko immediately asked impatiently: "Comrade Commander, are the superiors planning to transfer us to the Prokhorovka area?"
"Yes," Sokov nodded and said with a serious expression: "But this time we were not provided with any means of transportation, which means that our soldiers can only walk slowly on their own two legs. To the Prokhorovka region."
"A journey of eighty kilometers, even if we march 40 kilometers a day, it will still take two days." Sameko said with some worry: "I wonder if I can make it in time?"
"It's totally in time," Sokov said to Samyko: "Shortly after our army moved towards Shumakovo, the base camp placed the 5th Guards Tank Army and the 5th Guards Tank Army under the command of the Voronezh Front After General Vatutin received these troops, the first order he issued was to have them move towards Prokhorovka. According to my estimation, these troops will arrive at Prokhorovka one after another by tomorrow morning at the latest. .”
"Comrade Commander, there is already a defense line of our army in the Prokhorovka area, and there are many troops stationed there. Now we have added a tank army and a guard army. We have enough troops to hold on there. Why? Do you want us to be transferred as well?"
"I have said before that the terrain of the Prokhorovka area is very conducive to the German army deploying large-scale armored forces." Sokov said thoughtfully: "Although a tank group was transferred there, but To block the large-scale German armored forces, our army needs more tanks."
When he learned that Zhukov planned to transfer all his troops to the Prokhorovka area, Sokov's mind was shocked, and he wanted to slap himself twice. If his performance in the past two days had not been so eye-catching, why would Zhukov suddenly have such an idea? My troops have been staying in Shumakovo. When the fighting is almost done, I will go out to pick peaches and inspect them. Isn't it delicious?
"Comrade Marshal," Sokov replied with some embarrassment: "Now our army already has a lot of troops in the Prokhorovka area. If our group army is transferred there again, will it be too crowded and the troops will not be able to How about unfolding it?”
"Then what did you think about it?" Zhukov unexpectedly did not get angry, but asked calmly: "Don't you think it is a waste to place an entire army group in Shumakovo, a place where there may not be another battle? ?"
"Comrade Marshal, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the worst. Don't see the German army being driven across the Pena River by us. It won't threaten Shumakovo's safety for the time being, but we can't relax our vigilance." Sokov said cautiously. : "I think it is very necessary to set up a reserve force in Shumakovo."
"Well, since you said you want to keep a reserve team in Shumakovo, then keep the first division and three brigades that participated in the battle last night, plus an infantry division. That will be enough." Zhukov couldn't help but say He said: "The remaining troops will be transferred to the Prokhorovka area. I believe that with your participation, we will be more confident in blocking the enemy's attack."
After hearing Zhukov's words, Sokov burst into tears: "Emotionally, you regard me as a god. You think that wherever I am, the Germans will definitely not be able to break through the defense line, right?" The tank battle that will soon take place in the Prokhorovka area is said to involve thousands of tanks. His own tank army has gone, and it is not enough to fill the teeth of the German armored forces. Therefore, Sokov tried his best to avoid this incident. Drudgery.
"Comrade Marshal, please listen to my sophistry... No, this is my explanation." Sokov said with a sad face: "My troops have become exhausted after a long march on foot. Now they have not been given enough time. Rest and recuperation, and hastily transferring them to the Prokhorovka area may affect the combat effectiveness of the troops."
"Comrade Sokov," Zhukov did not call Sokov by his nickname, but by his surname: "Since you said so, I can agree to you staying where you are, but you must agree to one condition."
Knowing that his troops could stay where they were, Sokov almost jumped up with excitement, thinking that I could agree to not just one condition, but a hundred conditions. He pretended to be calm and asked: "Comrade Marshal, what are the conditions?"
"You take the time to meet with Marshal Manstein and tell him that our army is not ready for battle yet. Please ask him to order his troops to temporarily stop the attack and wait until your army enters the Prokhorovka area before launching another attack." It’s not too late to attack.”
Upon hearing Zhukov's conditions, Sokov was dumbfounded and said to himself, Marshal Zhukov, aren't you kidding me? If I could convince Manstein, would the Battle of Kursk still be fought? I just ordered him to surrender to the Soviet army. He smiled bitterly and said: "Comrade Marshal, are you kidding me?"
"You were the one who joked with me first." After Zhukov said this, he asked directly: "Give me a word, when will your troops enter the Prokhorovka area?"
After listening to Zhukov's words, Sokov completely gave up. He knew very well that not only what he said, but his troops would definitely not be able to escape from the battle in the Prokhorovka area. He traced the map with his hand for a while, measuring the distance from Shumakovo to Prokhorovka, and finally said: "Comrade Marshal, it is almost 80 kilometers from us to the Prokhorovka area. If If we march on foot, it will take at least two days. And the tank army's advance will take about the same amount of time."
"Two days is all. Two days later, I want to see your troops appear in the north of the Prokhorovka area." After Zhukov gave this order, he casually asked: "Are there any difficulties?"
"There must be difficulties." Sokov thought about his large army marching in broad daylight. If there is no air force to provide air support and encounters a German air attack, the marching sequence of the troops may be disrupted. After thinking about it, Finally, he said cautiously: "I still hope you can provide us with the necessary air support, otherwise we will not be able to march during the day."
Seeing Sokov's change of tone, Zhukov's face showed a smile, and he then asked: "What troops do you plan to transfer to the Prokhorovka area?"
"I plan to leave the 254th Infantry Division and two independent tank battalions to assist the 1st Division and 3rd Brigade in guarding the Shumakovo area." Since going to the Prokhorovka area was inevitable, Sokov made serious arrangements. Where the troops are going: "The 84th, 182nd and 188th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 4th Guards Tank Corps, will march in the direction of Prokhorovka after dawn tomorrow. In order to prevent German air attacks, Marshal Hope Comrade can provide us with the necessary air support."
"Don't worry, Misha." Zhukov vowed: "I will send no less than one aviation division of the air force to cover your transfer from Shumakovo to the Prokhorovka area."
When Sokov put down the phone, Samyko immediately asked impatiently: "Comrade Commander, are the superiors planning to transfer us to the Prokhorovka area?"
"Yes," Sokov nodded and said with a serious expression: "But this time we were not provided with any means of transportation, which means that our soldiers can only walk slowly on their own two legs. To the Prokhorovka region."
"A journey of eighty kilometers, even if we march 40 kilometers a day, it will still take two days." Sameko said with some worry: "I wonder if I can make it in time?"
