I just smiled at Yushchenko’s flattery, and then told him: "Comrade Captain, can you help me find a mirror? I want to see what I am now."

Hearing my order, Yushchenko’s smile froze on his face immediately, and after a while, he hesitated to confirm: "Comrade Commander, you mean to ask me to find a mirror, right?"

Seeing Yushchenko's drowsiness, a trace of dissatisfaction rose in my heart, and said angrily, "Yes, I did say that you should go find a mirror and come back." Seeing him turning to leave, I added. In one sentence, "Also, don't call me a commander anymore. I am an idler without a position. If someone with ulterior motives hears such a name, it may cause us unnecessary trouble."

Yushchenko agreed to walk out of the ward and went to find a mirror for me.

When Yushchenko left, I closed my eyes and thought about my current situation. Although I also understand that I am a brick, where I need to move, but from the bottom of my heart, I still hope to stay in a position I like and be able to fully demonstrate my ability. Neither Ustinov’s Weaponry Department nor Aleksandrov’s Red Flag Ensemble had much appeal to me. For me, only the front line is the place I am most yearning for. Only when I am there can I have the opportunity to establish immortal merits.

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 to regain its strategic initiative. This battle was a watershed in the Soviet-German War. If we say that before the battle, the German army still had a certain degree of strategic initiative. Can independently choose to launch an offensive campaign and offensive direction; then after the end of the campaign, the German army completely lost its strategic initiative and was forced to adopt a comprehensive strategic defense. The Soviet army also officially launched a large-scale all-round offensive to regain the country.

If I can rush to the battle before the outbreak, return to the army. And command a single force in charge of a certain direction. Then when the battle is over, my rank and position will be further improved. If I can’t return to the troops in time, I will miss a good opportunity to make achievements. In that case, when the Battle of Berlin breaks out, I can still only maintain my current military rank and a matching position.

"Comrade General. The mirror you want is here." While I was thinking about it, I suddenly heard Yushchenko's voice. He remembered what I had just told him, and no longer called me commander, but my rank. Seeing him hurriedly entering the room, he quickly reached out to him. At the same time, he said, "Bring me the mirror."

Yushchenko handed me a round mirror with a large palm, and said in a low voice, "I'm looking for a nurse to pick it up. I'll pay it back later."

Although I had long guessed that my image was embarrassing, when I saw my image in the mirror, I was still taken aback. I saw the left eye was swollen like a peach, and the eyeball was blood red, and it looked quite awkward. After seeing my ugly shape, I suddenly understood why Yushchenko said that. He might be afraid that after I looked in the mirror, I would fall off the mirror because of emotional out-of-control, so he suggested that the mirror would be returned later.

I handed the mirror back to Yushchenko. He sighed softly and said to him: "Well, Comrade Captain, go and return the mirror to someone else."

"You don't look in the mirror anymore?" Yushchenko didn't expect me to remain so calm after looking at my own image. He asked in disbelief, "Really let me return the mirror now?"

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

After Yushchenko left, I closed my eyes and continued thinking about the Battle of Kursk. Judging from the current situation. I want to command a single force before the battle breaks out. Is not realistic. But if I don’t command the troops, how can I make contributions?

While I was worrying, I vaguely heard the content of the soldiers talking with others outside. First, the soldier on duty asked: "...I said, aren't you in the tank unit, why have you become an infantry again?"

Then, an unfamiliar voice replied: "No way, all the tanks of our tank brigade were lost in the battle. Just as the infantry was short of manpower, I was assigned to the infantry unit. Not long ago, our company was transferred back. Moscow, after undergoing repairs, was sent to take charge of the security work of this hospital."

A key word in the conversation between the two people caught my attention. Tanks, yes, tanks! The battle of Kursk was not a battle of tanks between the Soviets and Germany. In the face of a large-scale German tank attack, the most conducive to defense is the famous Golan Trench. Although I didn't use this kind of fortifications in Mamayev Hill last time, this time, I can use this kind of anti-tank trench in the Battle of Kursk. Last time, there was no condition for digging anti-tank trenches, otherwise the German tanks would not be allowed to repeatedly drive down the hills to provide necessary artillery support for their troops' offensive.

Thinking that I could be useful in the battle, my mood became lightened. But the area of ​​the Kursk battle is so large that I can never dig Golan trenches in all places. I must repair the areas where tank battles will take place in order to give full play to the advantages of this anti-tank trench.

I vaguely remember that the German army broke through the two lines of defense of the Soviet army in a row, and repelled the counterattack time after time organized by Vatutin, arrived outside a certain city, and staged a decisive battle with Soviet tanks. But what is the name of this city, I can't remember it in a hurry.

If there is a map in hand at the moment, I only need to check the names of towns near Kursk, and I will remember which city the tank battle was conducted in. But at this moment, there is no map at all, so I can only work hard to meet where this famous battle started.

After thinking for a long time, I didn't think of a reason. When I was upset, I suddenly heard the voice of Yushchenko talking with others, and it seemed that he returned after paying his things. I hurriedly shouted outside: "Captain, Comrade Captain." Hearing him answering from outside, I quickly told him, "You come in."

After a while. Yushchenko stood in front of me and asked respectfully: "Comrade General, what instructions do you have?"

"Do you know any cities near Kursk?" I asked.

"Near Kursk?" Yushchenko repeated what I said and nodded. "Know a few cities."

"Tell me the names of those cities!"

"Orel, Oboyan..." Yushchenko seemed familiar with the cities near Kursk, and when I asked him to report the place name, he opened his mouth and said seven or eight.

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

"Yes, like Prokhorovka..."

"Stop. It should be this place." As soon as I heard Yushchenko talk about the city of Prokhorovka, my memory became clear. I quickly interrupted Yushchenko's words again, excited. He said: "The terrain outside the city is open, and it should be a good place for a decisive battle."

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

"Okay, Comrade Lieutenant. There's nothing for you here, go out." I naturally won't tell Yushchenko that in a few months, there will be a world-renowned tank battle on the outskirts of this city. He said lightly to him: "Leave one person on duty at night, and the rest will go to rest."

"Yes!" Yushchenko did not continue to ask, but he said yes, then turned and walked out of the ward.

Now that the specific location is known, the rest is easy to handle. The enemy attacking Kursk must be from Ukraine. Therefore, the construction direction of this Golan trench should be south of Prokhorovka.

Early the next morning. The nurse had just finished dripping the eye drops for me, and Bezikov came to my ward. Considering that he is the easiest person to approach Zhukov. I asked him to sit down at the table and talk to him: "Comrade Colonel, how is the fighting going on in Ukraine? Have our two fronts drove the enemy across the Dnieper?"

Hearing this question from me, Bezikov replied bitterly: "Oh, forget it, our two fronts were unable to defeat the German army, which has only one-fifth of our strength, and let others stop Hal. Cove is surrounded. Judging from the current situation, the defenders in the city can only hold on for a week at most."

I thought that Kharkov was still in the hands of the Germans during the Battle of Kursk, so I no longer cared about the fate of the Voronezh front. I asked Rybarko about the situation: "So what about the situation in Kiev?"

"The troops of the German Central Army Group are pressing from the north to Kiev; and the German troops from Romania, after repelling our southern front, are also advancing north." Bezikov replied with a serious expression. : "In the face of the fierce German offensive, General Rebarko is organizing troops for a tenacious defense. However, if they cannot be supplemented in the near future, then their fate will be encircled or defeated."

In real history, on October 12, 1943, the Soviet army who won the Battle of Kursk launched the battle to liberate Kiev, but due to the strong resistance of the German army, both Soviet offensives have failed. It was not until the third offensive was launched on November 3 that General Rebarko’s troops successfully rushed into Kiev. But today's history has been changed because of my unexpected appearance, and the time of liberation of Kiev has been advanced by eight months. Therefore, I care more about Kiev’s gains and losses than anyone else: "Since the situation in Kiev is so bad, I wonder if Marshal Zhukov has taken any measures?"

"Comrade Marshal has transferred five divisions and three tank brigades from General Rokosovsky’s central front to move closer to Kiev." Bezikov briefly introduced to me: "As long as this force arrives. Kiev, then the defensive power of the city can be greatly strengthened, even in the face of the enemy's crazy attack, we can firmly hold. We absolutely cannot tolerate this "Pearl on the Dnieper", once again falling into the hands of the Germans in."

Hearing Zhukov's firm attitude to stick to Kiev, my heart suddenly became more at ease. I changed the topic again and asked cautiously: "Colonel, I have another question, if, I mean if. If our troops can't hold Kharkov and let the enemy retake the city, then Where will the troops of the Voronezh Front retreat?"

Regarding my question, Bezikov was silent for a while, and then said leisurely: "Where else can I retreat, maybe I can only retreat to Kursk and build fortifications in the area. Know that Kursk is away from Moscow. With only more than 500 kilometers, German tanks can rush out of Moscow in two days. In order to prevent this worst situation from happening, we must build the necessary fortifications in the Kursk region."

After listening to Bezikov’s remarks, I did not ask Zhukov’s original remarks ~lightnovelpub.net~ or just his personal judgment, but at least it explained one thing: the Soviet command was based in Kul Skr's plan to fight the Germans. In this way, my proposal to Bezikov to build an anti-tank trench in Prokhorovka would not seem so obtrusive. I smiled and said to him: "Comrade Colonel, if the Germans really reoccupy Kharkov, they will definitely continue to advance north and threaten Moscow."

"Of course, if the Germans recapture Kharkov, they will definitely use this as the starting position for the offensive and launch an offensive against Moscow again." When Bezikov said this, the expression on his face became more solemn: " Then Kursk may become a crucial battlefield."

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

"Suggestion, what advice?" My words aroused Bezikov's keen interest, and he urged me: "Let’s listen, and when I see Comrade Marshal later, I will be able to relay your suggestions to him. Up."

"In the south of Kursk, build several lines of defense to form a wide defense depth." I told Bezikov calmly about my thoughts: "The entire defense system consists of a large number of closely coordinated trenches, It consists of barbed wire, anti-tank firepower points, anti-tank trenches, and minefields, and gathers a large amount of troops and firepower in the most likely direction of the German attack." (To be continued)