From the report of AM Vasilevsky to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of December 18, 1942.
"I ask you to approve the following plan for the further planning and actions of Yakovlev.
On the night of the 21st and 21st deploy the Yakovlev's Guards Rifle Corps along the Myshkov River at the Nizhne-Kumsky-Kapkinsky Front and the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps in the area of Overtry, Aksai, Shelestov and in the morning of 22.XII go to active operations. 22.XII Guards infantry corps, striking the main blow in the direction of Gromoslava, Shestakov and further along the railway to Kotelnikovo, together with the corps of Volsky, will finally defeat the enemy in the Verkhne-Kumsky area, clear the northern bank of the Aksai River and exit to the southern bank of the Aksai River fix it with you. 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps from the Aksai area, actions on the flank and rear of the enemy through the Dargans, by the evening of 22.XII will, having captured the strong advanced detachment of Kotelnikovo, the main forces to leave for the Pimen-Cherni region, Gremyachaya and thereby firmly sit on the rear of the grouping enemy, operating north of Kotelnikovo.23. XII - liquidation of the enemy to the northeast of Kotelnikovo, with a strong barrier from the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps towards Dubovskoe and the exit of the Guards Rifle Corps in the evening to the Verkhne-Yablokochny line-Pimen-Cherni-Darganov.
24. XII - the exit of the Guards Rifle Corps to the line of Majorsky - Kotelnikovo - Transverse with the ejection of the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps and the Volsky Corps on the Sal River, a saddle railway. Yakovlev was assigned from the east to entrust the indicated actions to the Trufanov army in the 38th, 302nd, 126th and 91st infantry divisions, 2 tank brigades, and later the Shapkin cavalry corps, which in the next few days began to enter the area of the Fertile . Popov to oblige 20.XII with a blow from the northwest to take possession of Nizhne-Chirskaya and further joint actions with Romanenko in the direction of Tormosin by the evening of 24.XII to enter the river Tsymla ... ".