Chapter 1237 Breaking through the defense line

"General Hausser, according to the information we have, the Russians are continuously marching towards Prokhorovka." Manstein did not get angry, but said slowly: "Wait two more God, do you think you can use two divisions to break through the new line of defense formed by the new Russian army?"

After listening to Manstein's speech, Hausser pondered carefully in his mind: Although he only has one division in his hand at the moment, with the combat power of the Skeleton Division, he must break through the battle held by one or two infantry divisions with incomplete organizational structures. There shouldn't be much of a problem. But once the opponent's reinforcements arrive, even if he adds another flag guard, if he wants to break through the opponent's position, he will probably pay a heavy price.

  After trying to understand this, Hausser said into the microphone: "Your Excellency, I understand. I will immediately order the troops to attack the Russian defense zone."

As soon as he put down the phone, Hausser said to Max Simon, the commander of the Skeleton Division sitting in his headquarters: "General Simon, Marshal Manstein ordered our army to attack the Russian positions immediately. I entrust this task to Your division is here to complete it, and I hope you can break through the Russian defenses before dark."

   "Your Excellency, Commander," Max Simon said hesitantly to Hausser's order, "We only have one division, and what stands in front of us is an army group of the Russians."

   "General Simon, you worry too much." Seeing Max Simon looking forward and backward, Hausser was full of displeasure. But he still said patiently: "Although the Russians have a group army, their forces have been seriously dispersed due to the multi-point attack launched by our army. The Russians standing in front of you now are just one or two units." Incomplete infantry divisions, with your strength, can completely break through their defenses."

"Can't we wait until the Banner Guard Division arrives before attacking the Russian positions." Max Simon continued: "When our strength becomes stronger, we can easily destroy the resistance of the Russians in front of us." .”

"General Simon, I think the same as you. I also want to wait for the arrival of the Banner Guard Division before attacking the Russians, so that I can be more sure of winning." Hauser said to Max Simon earnestly: "But A large number of Russian reinforcements are coming towards the Prokhorovka area. If we delay our attack longer, we will face more Russian troops in the future. Therefore, we must , quickly overwhelmed their defenses, rounded to Kursk's flank, and encircled the Russian forces deployed on the salient."

Hausser's words made Max Simon realize that if he really had to wait until the Banner Guard Division arrived, the resistance his troops would face would be even more tenacious, and he should rush to the Russian reinforcements to arrive. Before, strike decisively and destroy the Russian defenses ahead.

   "Understood, Your Excellency Commander, I will go back immediately and prepare for the attack."

   An hour later, the 3rd Armored Regiment of the Skull Division, covering the two battalions of the 5th Grenadier Regiment, launched a fierce attack towards the defense line of the 305th Soviet Division. The tactic used by Max Simon was that the tanks charged at the forefront, while a large number of armored vehicles followed closely behind, and the infantry followed far behind.

  The commanders and fighters of the 305th Division standing firm on the ground are not equipped with rocket launchers that can destroy enemy tanks from a long distance like Sokov's troops. Facing the galloping tanks, the commanders and fighters in the position could only climb out of the trenches, and when the enemy tanks approached them, they stood up from the ground and dropped bombs.

  However, what they didn't expect was that the armored vehicles that followed were responsible for covering the tanks. As soon as they saw the Soviet troops climbing out of the trenches and trying to blow up the tanks that opened the way ahead, the machine guns on the armored vehicles began to shoot wildly, knocking down those commanders and fighters who were trying to blow up the tanks.

  The enemy tanks quickly crossed the first Soviet trench and rushed forward again. Part of the armored vehicles that followed continued to move forward, while the other part stopped in front of the trenches. The soldiers in the vehicles swarmed in and started a battle with the Soviet army in the trenches.

   When the commander of the 305th Division learned that his defense line had been breached, he was taken aback for a moment, and then ordered all the personnel in the division headquarters to take up weapons and go with him to participate in the counterattack, trying to block the gap opened by the Germans.

  In the battle, the commanders and fighters were extremely tenacious, but when the strength and equipment were at a disadvantage, this bravery became a meaningless sacrifice. When the division commander took the lead in charging with a submachine gun, a shell landed beside him and exploded, knocking him to the ground in a blast of air.

   Seeing the division commander fall, several soldiers stepped forward to check immediately. But the division commander quickly struggled to stand up staggeringly, a stream of blood dripped from his helmet, but he ignored the dressing, and shouted to the soldiers around him: "Brothers, don't stop!" Get down and charge! Drive the enemy from our lines."

  But as more and more German soldiers poured into the breach, the counterattack organized by the Soviet division commander was unsuccessful. When he was shot again and fell down, several soldiers came over immediately, put him on a stretcher, carried him back and retreated.

   The stretcher jolted a bit, waking the commander out of a coma. He opened his eyes and asked loudly, "Where am I?"

   "Comrade Commander," a staff officer approached the stretcher and said loudly to him, "The position has been lost. We want to take you back to the rear for treatment."

   "No, let me go back." The division commander roared angrily: "Even if we fight to the last person, we can't take a step back."

  Hearing the commander's order, the soldiers carrying the stretcher became hesitant. They didn't know whether they should carry the division commander and continue to retreat, or return to the battlefield immediately. Fortunately, the staff officer relieved them: "Continue to retreat to the rear. At this moment, to bring the division commander back to the position is to make him a prisoner. We must not let this happen."

   On the battlefield, who would be willing to be a prisoner? Since it was the staff officer of the division headquarters who ordered him to retreat, the soldiers who carried the stretcher did not hesitate and continued to trot all the way carrying the stretcher. As for the division commander lying on the stretcher, knowing that the general situation is over, even if he forcibly returns to the position, he may not be able to reverse the situation. He can only sigh deeply, close his eyes tightly, and intends to wait until the group army headquarters, and then report to the commander. The staff explained the loss of the defense line.

  The troops of the Skeleton Division broke through the defense line of the 305th Division and continued to move forward. Soon, they came to the second line of defense stationed by the 658 regiment. The German armored commanders who led the assault never dreamed that they would suffer heavy losses in front of this line of defense, and finally had to retreat in despair to the first line of defense they had just occupied.

  (end of this chapter)