At the beginning of the Battle of Kursk, Manstein on the southern front divided his troops into two. On the left was the 4th Armored Group commanded by Holt. The target of the attack was the Oboyan defense line on the left. After trying to break through the defense there, he directly Rushed to the city of Kursk; on the right was the Kef Combat Group, which attacked from south to north, trying to capture the city of Prokhorovka and open the road to Kursk.
Because Vatutin failed to accurately judge the direction of the German army's main attack, he did not concentrate the dispersed troops. Later, I saw Huot's troops rushing straight towards Oboyan, and they hurriedly drew some troops from nearby to block them. Troops entered the battlefield one after another, and were defeated by Hoth's troops one after another. One tank corps even lost its combat effectiveness due to indiscriminate bombing by the German air force before it even entered the designated combat position. .
Although General Katukov's 1st Tank Army was considered a highly effective unit among the Voronezh Front, their forces were too scattered and it was very difficult to block the German attack. If Sokov's troops had not blocked the gap opened by the Germans in the direction of Oboyan in time, Hoth's Armored Group Army might have rushed outside the city of Kursk.
Seeing that the offensive in the direction of Oboyan was not going well, Hoth took the initiative to transfer Hauser's 2nd SS Panzer Corps to the right wing to support the Kef Combat Group attacking Prokhorovka, trying to annihilate the main force of the Soviet army there. Reopen the passage to the north.
Now that Combat Group Kef was repulsed by the superior Soviet army, the 2nd SS Panzer Corps that he sent to support only had an incomplete Flag Guard division left, which followed Combat Group Kef back to Belgorod. Virtue. Holt found that only his own troops were still fighting the Soviet army in the Kursk area, and he couldn't help but want to retreat.
Holth and his chief of staff, General von Melinzin, stayed up all night discussing what to do next. It is obviously impossible to continue fighting. If the Kef Combat Group really returns to Belgorod, the Russians can mobilize more troops to besiege themselves, but their own troops are in danger of being surrounded.
Choose to retreat, whether Manstein agrees or not is still unknown. Even if he agrees, now that his positions are intertwined with the Russians, once he wants to retreat, he will definitely be discovered by the Russians. If during the retreat, he is actively pursued by the Russians who are sticking to the Oboyan defense line, and another force cuts off the retreat in front, Your own troops will fall into a situation of being surrounded.
Sometimes the more you worry about something, the worse it will happen. In the early hours of the morning, Holt received a call from one of his division commanders, saying that the Soviet army suddenly launched an attack on the Kochetovka area and that the troops holding on there had been defeated.
Knowing that Kochetovka was lost, von Melinzin quickly lowered his head to check the map to confirm whether it would threaten the retreat of the 4th Armored Group Army. After seeing the position clearly, he raised his head and frowned and said to Hott: "Your Excellency, Commander, the Russian occupation of Kochetovka not only threatens our flanks and rear, but may also cut off our retreat at any time. I suggest that we immediately Report this situation to Your Majesty the Marshal and ask him to allow us to retreat."
Huot commanded the troops to stay in the Oboyan area for a continuous period of time, attacking the Soviet positions every day. Although no progress was made, the Soviet army as the defender was unable to launch a counterattack due to heavy losses. The war between the two sides has been in a stalemate. Huot was very unwilling to retreat at this time.
"Chief of Staff," Holt said, staring at the troops: "Isn't Hermann Sturm's 3rd Armored Division currently closest to Kochetovka? Order them to launch a counterattack there immediately, and strive to defeat the enemy before dawn. Kochetovka was recaptured from the Russians.”
"Your Excellency, Commander," Melinjin raised objections to the plan proposed by Hott: "If we deploy armored forces at night, I am worried that a large number of tanks will be destroyed by Russian anti-tank crews. You know, what we have We are facing Sokov’s troops.”
When Merinjin mentioned that the enemy his troops were facing was actually Sokov's troops, the muscles on Holt's face twitched violently, and he gritted his teeth and said, "It's this damn Sokov again, He is really haunted. Chief of Staff, tell me, what should we do?"
"As far as I know, Sokov's army has no artillery and only a tank corps with more than a hundred tanks. But after such a long battle, I believe there are not many tanks left. If there is a head-on confrontation, it will definitely They are not our opponents." Merinzin said to Hott: "We can order the 3rd Armored Division to move near Kochetovka, wait until daybreak, and then launch a surprise attack to catch the Russians by surprise."
"Well, you make sense." Hott nodded and said: "Chief of Staff, then do what you said, notify General Sturm immediately and ask him to seize the time to move the armored regiment to Kochetov near Kochetovka, and as soon as daylight comes, attack the Russians occupying Kochetovka.”
After the two reached an agreement, Merinjin picked up the phone and called Sturm, commander of the 3rd Armored Division. After the call was connected, a lazy voice came from inside: "This is the duty room of the 3rd Armored Division. Where are you?"
"Let Mr. Sturm answer the phone." Merinjin said briefly into the phone.
"I'm sorry, sir." The officer in the duty room said disapprovingly: "The division commander is taking a rest. If you have anything to do, please open it after dawn." After saying that, Mei Linjin hung up the phone directly without waiting for another word.
Mei Linjin held the microphone from which the blind tone came, and was stunned for a while before he realized that the other party had hung up the phone on him. He quickly ordered the communications staff to help him get through to the division headquarters of the 3rd Armored Division again. As soon as he heard someone speaking this time, he immediately identified himself: "I am General Mei Linjin, the chief of staff of the group army. I don't care whether Division Commander Sturm is sleeping or drinking, I will call him over immediately to answer the phone."
The officer on duty was startled when he heard Mei Linjin self-identify and said hurriedly: "Understood, Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, I will immediately ask the division commander to answer the phone."
Two or three minutes later, the voice of Sturm, commander of the 3rd Armored Division, came from the receiver: "I'm Hermann, Chief of Staff, what's the matter with calling me so late?"
"General Sturm, Kochetovka is missing, did you know that?"
"Ah, Kochetovka was lost?" Sturm was shocked when he heard the news: "When?"
"Half an hour ago, Sokov's troops occupied Kochetovka, seriously threatening our army's retreat." Merinjin said into the microphone: "The commander ordered your division to immediately mobilize troops to Kochetovka." In the Chetovka area, wait until daybreak and use armored forces to drive away the Russians."
"Understood, Chief of Staff." Sturm replied loudly and quickly: "I will mobilize the armored regiment to rush there and attack the Russians at dawn."
As soon as the combat order was issued, Manstein's adjutant, Colonel Burke, called Holt. He asked respectfully on the phone: "General Huot, your Excellency the Marshal ordered that your troops break away from the Russians after dawn and use alternate cover to withdraw to Belgorod."
"I understand." Although the other party was only Manstein's adjutant, Holt said politely: "I will formulate a retreat plan with the Chief of Staff General Merinjin as soon as possible, and then report to the Marshal."
"Your Excellency, Commander," Merlinjin saw that Holt put down the phone and quickly asked him for instructions: "Marshal Manstein ordered us to retreat. What should we do next?"
After staring at the map for a while, Holt said: "Chief of Staff, if we withdraw all our troops from Oboyan immediately, the Russians who hold their positions will definitely come out to pursue us, which may cause chaos in our army. Therefore, , we must withdraw our troops from the battlefield in batches.
First, the Grossdeutschland Division took the lead in breaking away from the battlefield and retreating to Yakovlevo, where it established a new line of defense and was ready to receive the subsequent retreating troops;
Second, after the Grossdeutschland Division arrived at the designated location, the 11th and 17th Armored Divisions continued to maintain contact with the Russians, and the remaining infantry divisions withdrew to Yakovlevo;
Third, after the infantry division reached Yakovlevo, the 11th and 17th Armored Divisions broke away from the Russian contact and moved in the direction of Yakovlevo. As they passed Kochetovka, the 3rd Armored Division began to retreat. "
After Huot finished describing his retreat plan in one breath, he asked Mei Linjin: "Chief of Staff, do you have any different opinions on my retreat plan?"
"No, Your Excellency Commander." Mei Linjin shook his head and said, "Your plan is perfect, I can't see any flaws."
"Since you have no objections, convey my order to the division commanders." Hott said to Merinjin: "The retreat should begin when the 3rd Armored Division retakes Kochetovka. .”
"Your Excellency, Commander, you are very thoughtful." Merinzin nodded and said: "If the Russians are allowed to occupy Kochetovka, they can bombard our retreat route with artillery fire, and use tanks to attack people on the road. Vehicles and marching columns carried out assaults. Although Sokov did not have these weapons and equipment, we had to guard against them."
Just as Holt and Melinjin explained the retreat to their men, a reconnaissance team under Sokov had already appeared in the forest near Yakovlevo. The team is led by an old sergeant named Lakuri, who is in his fifties. He has been in the army for more than thirty years, has participated in many battles, and has rich combat and reconnaissance experience.
He originally led a five-person reconnaissance team to operate in this area. After receiving the telegram from the Army Reconnaissance Office, he immediately took his team to conduct reconnaissance in the forest here.
Watching Sergeant Lakuri leading the reconnaissance team into the forest, a young soldier from Sashiko asked curiously: "Comrade Sergeant, why are you taking us into the forest? There won't be any Germans there." What kind of important military stronghold is this?"
"Sahiko, who told you that we were looking for a German military stronghold?" Lakuri turned to look at the young soldier and said to him: "We are looking for a more important target."
Hearing Lakuri say that he was looking for an important target, Sashiko's eyes suddenly lit up and he couldn't help but curiously asked: "Is it Manstein's headquarters?"
Lakuri was really angry and funny when he heard Sahiko's question. He raised his hand and slapped the opponent's helmet, and said without interest: "Do you think a big shot like Manstein would hide in the forest? ?”
"Is there anything impossible?" Sahiko said reluctantly after being slapped: "As far as I know, the wolf's den that Mustache likes to stay the most is in the forest, isn't it? Since their head of state likes it If the headquarters is located in the forest, then it is not surprising that Manstein located his headquarters in the forest."
Lakuri shook his head with a wry smile and decided to tell the order he received.
"Your Excellency, Commander, you are very thoughtful." Merinzin nodded and said: "If the Russians are allowed to occupy Kochetovka, they can bombard our retreat route with artillery fire, and use tanks to attack people on the road. Vehicles and marching columns carried out assaults. Although Sokov did not have these weapons and equipment, we had to guard against them."
Just as Holt and Melinjin explained the retreat to their men, a reconnaissance team under Sokov had already appeared in the forest near Yakovlevo. The team is led by an old sergeant named Lakuri, who is in his fifties. He has been in the army for more than thirty years, has participated in many battles, and has rich combat and reconnaissance experience.
He originally led a five-person reconnaissance team to operate in this area. After receiving the telegram from the Army Reconnaissance Office, he immediately took his team to conduct reconnaissance in the forest here.
Watching Sergeant Lakuri leading the reconnaissance team into the forest, a young soldier from Sashiko asked curiously: "Comrade Sergeant, why are you taking us into the forest? There won't be any Germans there." What kind of important military stronghold is this?"
"Sahiko, who told you that we were looking for a German military stronghold?" Lakuri turned to look at the young soldier and said to him: "We are looking for a more important target."
Hearing Lakuri say that he was looking for an important target, Sashiko's eyes suddenly lit up and he couldn't help but curiously asked: "Is it Manstein's headquarters?"
Lakuri was really angry and funny when he heard Sahiko's question. He raised his hand and slapped the opponent's helmet, and said without interest: "Do you think a big shot like Manstein would hide in the forest? ?”
"Is there anything impossible?" Sahiko said reluctantly after being slapped: "As far as I know, the wolf's den that Mustache likes to stay the most is in the forest, isn't it? Since their head of state likes it If the headquarters is located in the forest, then it is not surprising that Manstein located his headquarters in the forest."
Lakuri shook his head with a wry smile and decided to tell the order he had received.
