The attack started at 0450 in the morning. The enemy threw his main forces against the flanks. Precisely because of the artillery fire coming from these flanks along the Storozhevoe and the left bank of the river a dense fire corridor was created that did not allow the Germans to break through towards Prokhorovka on July 10th, after having captured "Komsomolets." The 2nd SSPzGrenR, advancing slowly, began to push back the 169th TB, 15th Tank Regiment of the 2nd TC and units of the 183rd RD to the north-west of Storozhevoe.
Heavy fighting also raged on the left bank of the river Psel. In the sector of Vasilevka and Andreevka the defending units were parts of the 11th MRB, supported by tanks of the 99th TB and two batteries of the 1502nd Destroyer-Antitank Artillery Regiment of the 2nd TC. Further towards v. Prelestnoe was defending the 26th TB of the 2nd TC. Because the units of the 9th GAD were late, the sector of the Prelestnoe -"Oktiabrskii"- Petrovka was reinforced by the 109th Penal Company and the 287th GRR of the 95th GRD with one battalion of this division's 233rd Guards Artillery Regiment.
The enemy's first attack was repelled. The fighting raged for more than four
hours. What helped was a carefully organized defense, strengthened by tanks,
and also the absence of the enemy's airforce because of the weather conditions.
Only after 0800 in the morning did the weather improve, and enemy planes in
groups of 15-20 started pounding our positions, then the tanks entered the battle.
The power of the advancing enemy was modestly portrayed by the numbers in the
Front's commander's report to I.V. Stalin: "183rd RD, with parts of the
2nd TC, up to 1200 had repelled the enemy attack with about 30 tanks and infantry
from the region of the state farm "Komsomolets" along the highway
towards Prokhorovka. At 1300 the enemy renewed the attack but now with up to
150 tanks..."Our units, bled in the previous battles, suffered heavy losses under such a powerful blow and were forced to retreat. At that time the main forces of the 9th GAD had already reached the hill 252.2. The soldiers and the commanders of this division had it the hardest on that day. The trenches were not finished at that sector, the forward positions were only hastily mined.
"There
was no continuous front, - remembered A.S. Zhadov. - Because of this, the units
of the 95th GRD and the 9th GAD, without having time to occupy the defenses,
were forced to enter the fighting against the attacking parts of the 2nd SSPzC
immediately from the march." The artillerists of the 58th MRB of the 2nd
TC, having arrived to that sector in the middle of the day, fought bravely and
tenaciously in that battle. A 19 year old spotter First Sergeant Mikhail Borisov
showed exceptional bravery and high skill on that day. During one of the attacks,
the entire crew of a 76mm AT gun was killed. M. Borisov quickly threw himself
to the gun. The first tank went into flames at a medium range, the second and
the third - near the gun's firing position...The artillerists' duel against the tanks had always been very brutal. The crews of the gun and the tank, entering the duel, realized that one side was destined to perish. Either you destroy the tank, or it will bury you together with the gun. Frequently, the first shell killed the gun's whole crew, the German optics used on the tanks were famed for high quality, but in this battle a lone gunner not only survived but also destroyed 7 vehicles. For this heroic feat at the Prokhorovka field First Sergeant M. Borisov was awarded the title of a Hero of the Soviet Union.
The enemy superiority was noticeable. Having pushed aside the 26th GARegiment, a group of 60 tanks charged along the railroad toward the hill 252.2. At the same time another group of 40 tanks reached the outskirts of Petrovka.
"Because of your carelessness and poor command, the enemy broke through towards Petrovka and Prokhorovka, - read N.F. Vatutin's order to the commanders of the 69th Army and the 2nd TC, signed at 1945 that day. - I order you, under your personal responsibility, together with the units of Rotmistrov and Zhadov to destroy the enemy wedge and reach the frontline Vasilevka-Belenikhino today."
This dramatic moment was later recalled by the commander of the 5th GA this way: "I have to admit, we did not expect that the events will develop so rapidly, and that we won't have enough time to prepare defenses along the line Oboiani - Prokhorovka."
