After listening to this, Vashukin stood up and slapped the table and shouted: "Enough, Comrade Kamenev." The Germans are about to attack us, but what kind of military tribunal are you talking about, trying to evade your responsibilities? I tell you now that I now authorize Rokossovsky to issue a combat mobilization to the troops, bringing all the commanders and fighters of the mechanized corps to combat readiness at the first level. If something goes wrong and I need to be held accountable in the future, I'll be responsible! With that, he turned and strode out.

Kamenev, who knew that he had caused trouble, also stood up in a hurry and chased after Vashukin: "Comrade Military Commissar, you misunderstood, I didn't mean that......"

Vashukin's performance was indeed unexpected by Rokossovsky, and he saw Vashugin in later films, a stubborn and self-serving man, because of his blind obedience to the counterattack orders issued by the headquarters of the high command based on unrealistic war reports, and replaced calm and scientific analysis with political command, so that the Eighth Mechanized Army, which lacked fuel and ammunition, launched a suicidal attack on the German army. When I saw this episode, I hated this political worker so much that I couldn't help but clap my hands when I saw him shoot himself. But judging from today's contact, Vashukin is not only not bad in nature, but also a man who dares to act. His affection for Vashukin couldn't help but rise to another level because of it.

Rokossovsky picked up the phone on the table, dialed the switchboard of the 15th Infantry Corps, and asked the operator to transfer the call home, considering that Fedyuninsky must be sleeping. When Fedyuninsky's lazy voice came from the earpiece, Rokossovsky said solemnly: "Hello, Ivan Ivanovich, I'm Rokossovsky. ”

Fzyuninsky, who was still a little dazed, heard Rokossovsky's voice on the phone, and the whole person suddenly woke up, and he nervously asked: "Dear Konstantin Konstantinovich, is something wrong?" ”

"Although there is no accident yet, it is almost there." Rokossovsky asked briefly: "Please tell me first of all how long it will take if your troops are to be assembled?" ”

Fedyuninsky, who was sitting at the table answering the phone, hurriedly picked up the watch on the bedside table, looked at it, and said: "Three hours, Comrade Rokossovsky, to assemble all the troops, at least until four o'clock." When he put his watch back in, he said apologetically: "You know, it's the weekend, most of the commanders are in their homes, and it will take time to gather them......

"Comrade Fedyuninsky, time is running out now." Rokossovsky interrupted him, but he did not rush the other side, because he knew that three hours would not be enough to assemble several divisions of troops, so he said: "You had better first draw a battalion and quickly rush to the defense warehouse by car to collect enough guns and ammunition to arm your troops." Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Rokossovsky." Fedyuninsky kept nodding his head, and as soon as Rokossovsky finished speaking, he immediately asked: "Has that moment finally come?" ”

Hearing Fedyuninsky's question, Rokossovsky was silent, he glanced at Putukhin and Maslov, who were sitting in front of him, although he knew that Fedyuninsky could not see his expression, he nodded vigorously and said in an affirmative tone: "Yes, it has finally come." ”

When Putukhin saw Rokossovsky put down the phone, he sat up straight and said, "Comrade Rokossovsky, it seems that you have been prepared for a long time. If the 15th Infantry Corps can also reach the battlefield in time, then with the strength of your two armies, it will be no problem to block the enemy who has broken into our borders. But then he asked worriedly: "It's almost two hundred kilometers to get from you to Cowell, and it will take at least two days on foot alone, can you get enough vehicles?" ”

Rokossovsky replied uncertainly: "As long as the military representatives at the bus station and the imperial capital carry out my orders, then the vehicles that transport the troops to the front are barely enough." As for tractors for towing cannons, it was probably possible to do so only from collective farms outside the city, but in this case the city leadership of Zhytomyr would have to do so. ”

"Then you should first call the military representative at the station and put the matter of the vehicle in place." Putukhin said softly: "As for the tractor that pulls the cannon, we can wait for the military commissar to come back, and we will ask him for his opinion to see if we can convene a temporary military conference overnight and invite local leaders to attend as well." With the presence of the local leaders, I am sure you will be able to get the sufficient number of tractors you want from the collective farm. ”

When the phone rang in the station office, there was a heated argument between the military representative Vasya and the stationmaster. Because in order to carry out Rokossovsky's order, without reaching an agreement with the station master, he arbitrarily reduced the frequency of flights to other cities. After the bus bus was closed, he forcibly ordered that all vehicles except the tram must be filled with fuel so that they could be put into service at any time. The stationmaster had an argument with him over this matter and threatened to accuse him at the relevant authorities.

Hearing the phone ringing, the stationmaster picked up the phone and said angrily: "This is the stationmaster's office, where are you?" ”

Although Rokossovsky heard the anger in the tone of the person who answered the phone, he did not bother with him, but said bluntly: "I am Major General Rokossovsky, commander of the garrison, please find me the military representative at the station, Lieutenant Vasya." ”

The stationmaster, who was originally sitting to answer the phone, quickly stood up, and after respectfully agreeing, he handed the phone to Vasya, and at the same time said with a smile: "Comrade lieutenant, it's the phone number of the garrison commander." ”

Vasya also hurriedly stood up, took the phone from the stationmaster's hand, and said a little nervously: "Hello, Comrade General, I am the military representative Vasya ......"

Before he could finish his sentence, Rokossovsky quickly interrupted him, "Lieutenant Vasya, we will soon start transporting troops with vehicles, how many vehicles can you provide there?" ”

Vasya had been silently muttering about the data on the vehicles in his mind for a day, and when he heard Rokossovsky ask about it, he immediately replied unequivocally: "Since I have reduced the number of shuttle buses to other cities on Fridays and Saturdays, there are currently 90 buses at the station, and in addition to the 18 trams that cannot leave the city limits, you can provide you with 72 buses to transport troops." ”

Rokossovs basically thought that there were fifty or sixty cars in the station, which was already the limit, after all, there were quite a few people who had to go out on vacation on weekends, but he didn't expect that there were nearly a hundred cars. Although the tram could not leave the confines of the city, it was used for the transportation of armed personnel and various military supplies in the city.

After listening to the report, he smiled and said, "Good job, Captain Vasya, I think what you did today will definitely go down in history in the future." ”

"Go down in history?!" Rokossovsky's words plunged Vasya into shock, and after a moment he carefully reminded Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, I am a lieutenant, not a captain. ”

Rokossovsky said boldly: "Comrade Vasya, I said that you are a captain, you will be a captain from now on, and you will remember to add a small square to the collar badge later." I'll send troops to the station to take over the vehicles later, and you'll be in charge of the reception. Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." The newly promoted captain Vasya replied loudly.

Rokossovsky put down the phone and explained to Putukhin and Maslov, who were looking at him in amazement: "If this is war, every minute counts. And this military representative has prepared for us a sufficient number of vehicles to enable us to quickly put our troops into battle, and for that alone he should be rewarded. After saying that, he instructed Maslov, "Comrade Chief of Staff, please go and get the military commissar back, saying that we have important matters to discuss with him." ”

Maslov knew in his heart that what Rokossovsky was talking about was definitely referring to the convening of a joint meeting of the army and the local government to discuss matters related to the arming of the city and the requisition of civilian vehicles, so he immediately stood up, turned around and walked out of the office.

As soon as Maslov left, Rokossovsky said to Putukhin: "Comrade General, the outbreak of war is imminent, and I beg you to follow Moscow's orders to evacuate all the planes from the airfields near the border to other field airfields and to camouflage them well. ”

In response to Rokossovsky's proposal, Putukhin thought only for a moment, and then readily agreed: "You are right, Comrade Rokossovsky. If the Germans really were to attack, our airfields would be their first target. In order to prevent them from succeeding in their scheme, I went to get in touch with the commanders of the front-line airfields and asked them to evacuate the planes at the airfield as soon as possible and disguise them. ”

Vashukin did not go far, but smoked in front of the window in the corridor outside. Hearing Maslov call himself, he extinguished his cigarette butt and returned to the house, just in time to meet Putukhin, who was about to go out. He asked the other telecommunications room to contact the airport in front of him, and urged: "Hurry up, Comrade General, it may be too late to do so." ”

Rokossovsky proposed to convene a joint military-civilian conference, which was agreed by Vashukin, and then reminded the other side: "Comrade Military Commissar, I am afraid that the Germans will send small forces to sabotage our communication lines before the attack, so that communication between the command and the troops will not be possible. ”

After hearing this, Vashukin frowned and asked, "Then is there any way to deal with them?" ”

Rokossovsky shook his head and said helplessly: "We don't know for the time being what kind of troops they have and in what areas they will carry out sabotage, so we can only strengthen the security forces of the communications department in a targeted manner." At this point, he suddenly remembered the phone call between Vashukin and the border guards, and added, "Our telephone contact with the border guards may be interrupted by the outbreak of war." Would you like to have Lieutenant Colonel Tarukin keep you informed by telegram of the situation on the border, so that we can draw up a battle plan based on the information he provides? ”

"You are right to be reminded," said Vashukin approvingly, "I will call Lieutenant Colonel Tarukin and ask him to report the situation there by telegram if telephone contact is not possible." ”