After Leviagin received a call from Malinin, he couldn't help but look at a loss. www.biquge.info He covered the microphone with his hand and asked the chief of staff next to him, Xie Dulin: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, do you have troops from Huaxia in our division?" ”

Xie Dulin shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and said: "I'm sorry, Comrade Division Commander, I don't know. You must know that after the start of the counteroffensive, our troops have successively replenished a lot of troops, all of them from the Far East, but I don't know if there are any Chinese soldiers among them that the commander is looking for. ”

"Comrade division commander," just when the two of them couldn't figure out the situation, Yegorov, the political commissar sitting on the side, said: "Speaking of soldiers from China, I seem to have a little impression. First of all, ask Colonel Malinin, is it the unit that is holding on to Khimki? ”

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Leviagin quickly let go of his hand covering the microphone when he heard Yegorov say this, and asked carefully: "I wonder if the unit you are talking about is the small unit that held Khimki for the first two months?" ”

"Yes, yes, that's them." Ma Lining asked excitedly: "Is their current establishment still complete?" ”

When Levyagin relayed this question to Yegorov and Sedulin, both shook their heads, indicating that they did not quite understand. Leviagin had no choice but to say apologetically into the microphone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I will call you again in a quarter of an hour to report to you on the situation of this unit." ”

As soon as Levyagin put down the phone, he couldn't wait to ask Yegorov: "Comrade commissar, where have you seen this unit?" ”

"Comrade Division Commander, have you forgotten?" Yegorov looked up at Leviagin and said strangely: "After the start of the great counteroffensive, when our division was transferred from the direction of Klin to the area of the Istrian reservoir, we encountered this small army halfway. ”

"We've ever encountered this small force halfway through?" Leviakin frowned and pondered, trying to remember whether he had encountered any impressive troops on his way from Kling to the Istrian reservoir. He really thought about it, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade Political Commissar, are you talking about the fire-fighting troops?" ”

"That's right, it's that unit." Yegorov replied affirmatively: "I once asked the commander who led the team, and he said that they were from the anti-Japanese national coalition army from China. ”

"Division commander, political commissar, what are you talking about?" Xie Dulin, who was next to him, said with a blank face: "It's all confusing me." ”

Remembering that the chief of staff of the division really did not know about this, Yegorov briefly briefed him on the situation: "Comrade Chief of Staff, more than a month ago, the division commander and I were on our way from Kling to the Istrian reservoir. On the way, we passed a village burned by the Germans, and the raging fire and heat wave kept our soldiers and villagers out of the village. But in this case, I unexpectedly found that there was a small army of dozens of people in the village, who was using the village to fight the fire, and they rescued the trapped villagers from the burning wooden houses, as well as some of the villagers' daily necessities.

When the fire reached uncontrollable, they withdrew from the village with the rescued villagers. At that time, I also talked to one of the ensigns, and his Chinese name was quite awkward, what was Zhu Zhendong, and his Russian name was Valenkin. ”

After waiting for Yegorov to finish speaking, Shedurin said with some disapproval: "Comrade political commissar, even if they can brave the raging fire to rescue the villagers trapped in the fire, it doesn't mean that their army has combat effectiveness?" I have heard that their large army in the northeast was defeated by the Japanese and the remnants of the small army retreated to our territory. ”

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you are wrong." Yegorov said with a serious expression: "Don't look at the small number of this army, but their combat effectiveness is not weak at all. As far as I know, during their stay in Khimki, they first eliminated a German advance detachment, and then blocked the southward movement of a German army. ”

"What, a company blocking a regiment of the Germans?" Hearing Yegorov say this, Shedurin couldn't believe his ears, but since it was the commissar who said it, there would definitely be no falsehood, and he could only laugh at himself: "It's just incredible." If I were to command the troops, it would take at least two regiments to be sure to block the southward movement of the German army. ”

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you must not underestimate these Chinese soldiers." Yegorov said in a serious manner: "It was not easy for them to fight the pirates armed to the teeth for ten years with outdated weapons. I estimate that the command of the army group is in a hurry to find them, and there must be some important task to be entrusted to them. Chief of Staff, you immediately call a few regiment commanders and ask to see which regiment this unit is in now and how many people are left. ”

"That's right, that's right, Comrade Chief of Staff, hurry up and call the heads of the regiments." As soon as Leviagin and Yegorov finished speaking, he also urged Shedurin: "Since the headquarters of the group army is so eager to find them, I estimate that there must be some important combat mission, and we can't delay the fighters." ”

Yegorov took the opportunity of Shedurin's phone call to several regiment commanders and quietly asked Leviakin: "Comrade division commander, what tasks do you think the superiors will give them this time?" ”

Leviagin shook his head and said, "I can't say this clearly. However, in the current cold weather, although it is not suitable to launch a large-scale attack, it is still possible to carry out some small-scale harassment. ”

"It's possible." Egorov nodded and replied: "Fighting guerrillas is their forte. Since they were able to deal with the Japanese in the snow field for ten years, it should be easy to deal with the German army opposite us. ”

After the phone call, Shedurin reported to Leviakin: "Comrade division commander, the situation has been clarified. This small unit was incorporated into the 1079th regiment, and after a long battle, only 17 men remained in the company, under the command of the platoon commander, Second Lieutenant Valentin. I have informed the commander of the 1079th Regiment to send these fighters to the division headquarters to report. ”

"Well done, Lieutenant Colonel Schedurin." Leviagin picked up the phone in front of him, dialed the headquarters, and said into the microphone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the situation has been clarified, the small unit from Huaxia was incorporated into the 1079th Regiment, and now there are only 17 people left, and I have notified them to come to my headquarters. ”

After listening to Leviakin's report, Malinin turned his head to Rokossovsky, who was standing aside, and said: "Comrade commander, General Leviagin has figured out that the small unit from China is now in the 1079th regiment, but after a long battle, there are only 17 people left, and they are now rushing to the division headquarters to receive orders. ”

Rokossovsky nodded and said: "I see, Comrade Malinin. I beg you to tell General Leviakin to send this small force to Sushnych at once to reconnoiter the enemy's disposition there, and to take appropriate some sneak attacks against the Germans. In a word, how they used to deal with the Japanese in the northeast of China, today they use the same method to deal with the Germans. ”

"Understood." Malinin agreed, and repeated Rokossovsky to Leviakin.

At the same time as Malinin and Levyagin were on the phone, Zhukov, who was staying at the headquarters of the Front, also received a call from Stalin from Moscow. Stalin asked slowly on the phone: "Comrade Zhukov, have we stopped our offensive against the Germans for the time being?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov stood up from his seat, stood upright, and replied with his head held high: "Because the weather is too cold, our troops cannot carry out large-scale offensive operations, so we can only temporarily turn to the defense on the spot, and when the temperature warms up, we will launch a new attack on the German army." ”

"Comrade Zhukov, I want to hear the truth from you." Stalin asked with some hesitation: "Do you think that when the weather improves and our troops turn to the offensive again, we will be sure to drive the Germans out of our land?" ”

"Comrade Stalin, I don't think it's realistic." To Stalin's question, Zhukov answered truthfully: "Hitler was not Napoleon, and his army was not the France / army of those years." After being fiercely attacked by our troops, except after the initial panic, the Germans quickly stabilized their positions and, by virtue of the defensive areas they occupied, took a step forward to resist our army's attack, so as to weaken the vital forces of our army. ”

Hearing Zhukov's answer, Stalin said with some annoyance: "Comrade Zhukov, should we just watch the Germans regain their strength and launch a new attack on Moscow again?" ”

"Comrade Stalin," Zhukov replied without humility or arrogance, "after the start of the counteroffensive carried out by us, the enemy's north-south assault groups have been crushed and repulsed by our troops for 100~300 km, and at the moment the direct threat to the capital has been lifted. After the beginning of spring, our strength will become stronger, and even if the Germans try to attack Moscow again, their attack will be crushed by us. ”

"Why should we wait until spring?" Stalin asked, somewhat unwillingly: "Isn't it possible to completely crush the Germans now?" ”

"This is a task that simply cannot be done, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov replied in a heavy tone: "Long before approaching the area of the Rama and Ruzha rivers, the command of the Western Front began to tend more and more frequently to build groups in one sector at one time and on another at another. To this end, part of the forces was transferred from one army group to another. We are looking for ways to increase the strength to continue the offensive. This ad hoc approach has helped to achieve some victories, but it is a partial victory and has a limited impact on the overall situation. ”

"So it's because we have limited troops and not enough equipment." Stalin muttered: "I understand, Comrade Zhukov, I understand all this." After speaking, without waiting for Zhukov to say anything more, he put down the phone.

Rokossovsky nodded and said: "I see, Comrade Malinin. I beg you to tell General Leviakin to send this small force to Sushnych at once to reconnoiter the enemy's disposition there, and to take appropriate some sneak attacks against the Germans. In a word, how they used to deal with the Japanese in the northeast of China, today they use the same method to deal with the Germans. ”

"Understood." Malinin agreed, and repeated Rokossovsky to Leviakin.

At the same time as Malinin and Levyagin were on the phone, Zhukov, who was staying at the headquarters of the Front, also received a call from Stalin from Moscow. Stalin asked slowly on the phone: "Comrade Zhukov, have we stopped our offensive against the Germans for the time being?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov stood up from his seat, stood upright, and replied with his head held high: "Because the weather is too cold, our troops cannot carry out large-scale offensive operations, so we can only temporarily turn to the defense on the spot, and when the temperature warms up, we will launch a new attack on the German army." ”

"Comrade Zhukov, I want to hear the truth from you." Stalin asked with some hesitation: "Do you think that when the weather improves and our troops turn to the offensive again, we will be sure to drive the Germans out of our land?" ”

"Comrade Stalin, I don't think it's realistic." To Stalin's question, Zhukov answered truthfully: "Hitler was not Napoleon, and his army was not the France / army of those years." After being fiercely attacked by our troops, except after the initial panic, the Germans quickly stabilized their positions and, by virtue of the defensive areas they occupied, took a step forward to resist our army's attack, so as to weaken the vital forces of our army. ”

Hearing Zhukov's answer, Stalin said with some annoyance: "Comrade Zhukov, should we just watch the Germans regain their strength and launch a new attack on Moscow again?" ”

"Comrade Stalin," Zhukov replied without humility or arrogance, "after the start of the counteroffensive carried out by us, the enemy's north-south assault groups have been crushed and repulsed by our troops for 100~300 km, and at the moment the direct threat to the capital has been lifted. After the beginning of spring, our strength will become stronger, and even if the Germans try to attack Moscow again, their attack will be crushed by us. ”

"Why should we wait until spring?" Stalin asked, somewhat unwillingly: "Isn't it possible to completely crush the Germans now?" ”

"This is a task that simply cannot be done, Comrade Stalin." Zhukov replied in a heavy tone: "Long before approaching the area of the Rama and Ruzha rivers, the command of the Western Front began to tend more and more frequently to build groups in one sector at one time and on another at another. To this end, part of the forces was transferred from one army group to another. We are looking for ways to increase the strength to continue the offensive. This ad hoc approach has helped to achieve some victories, but it is a partial victory and has a limited impact on the overall situation. ”

"So it's because we have limited troops and not enough equipment." Stalin muttered: "I understand, Comrade Zhukov, I understand all this." After speaking, without waiting for Zhukov to say anything more, he put down the phone.

Zhukov, who knew Stalin's character, felt that if he did not take any special action, he would cause Stalin to be seriously dissatisfied. Therefore, after thinking for a while, he picked up the phone in front of him and said into the microphone: "Pick me up from the headquarters of the 16th Army." ”