November 18 was a sad day for Rokossovsky. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 info He kept receiving calls from the front defense areas in the headquarters, saying that he was under heavy attack by the Germans, and asked for reinforcements from reserves.

To this kind of call for help, he always replied in the same way: "I have no reserves, you have to find a way to resolutely block the enemy." If you think you can't do it, you can ask me now, and I'll make another change. ”

The commanders who called for help, after hearing Rokossovsky's last words, silently put down their phones, and then ordered their deputies to gather the communicators, cooks, and all the logisticians and send them to positions to resolutely block the enemy's attack.

At noon, Rokossovsky, exhausted, had just sat down and wanted to rest for a while, when the telephone on the desk rang suddenly. He saw clearly that it was a high-frequency phone that could be used directly to Moscow, and his heart beat faster, and he was afraid that some bad news would come.

But even if it was bad news, he couldn't let the phone ring all the time, so he could only grab the microphone and put it to his ear and say, "I'm Rokossovsky." ”

"What happened to the Panfilov division?" Zhukov's voice came from the earpiece, and he asked bluntly without opening a remark, not even a salutation.

"Please rest assured, Comrade General," Rokossovsky did not hear any dissatisfaction from Zhukov's tone, and the stone hanging in his heart finally fell to the ground, and he replied respectfully: "The 316th Infantry Division has been holding out in Volokolamsk for three days, and General Panfilov has done his best to successfully repel all the attacks launched by the Germans. ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's report, Zhukov nodded with satisfaction, and then said slowly: "Comrade Rokossovsky, please call General Panfilov to congratulate him and tell him that General Zhukov has just received the Order of the Red Banner awarded to their division, and renamed them the 8th Guards Infantry Division." ”

"Thank you, dear Georgy Konstantinovich," Rokossovsky, after listening to the bad news for almost a day, finally heard the good news he wanted to hear, and he said to Zhukov gratefully: "I am really glad with this news, and I will call General Panfilov now." With that, he hung up the phone impatiently.

Lobachev, who was sitting next to him, saw that Rokossovsky had finished making a phone call, and he eagerly picked up another phone, and with uncontrollable joy on his face, he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade commander, what did General Zhukov call to say, I see how happy you are." ”

Rokossovsky had just picked up the microphone, and when he heard Lobachev ask, he casually put the microphone on the base, and said to Lobachev with a smile: "It's great news." After saying this, he turned to Ma Lining, who was busy, and beckoned, "Chief of Staff, a few of you should come over too, I have good news to tell you." ”

After several colonels of the command and General Kazakov came over, Rokossovsky said to everyone with a smile: "Comrades, I have just received a call from General Zhukov, who said that the 316th Infantry Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner by his superiors for its outstanding achievements in the defense of Moscow, and it was also renamed the 8th Guards Infantry Division. ”

"Guardsman?" After Ma Linin heard the news, he looked at Orel who was standing next to him with some blankness, and asked in surprise: "Colonel Orel, I heard you right, the superior awarded the Order of the Red Banner of the 316th Infantry Division and renamed it the Eighth Guards Infantry Division, is this true or my hallucination?" ”

After hearing this, Orel didn't say anything, but raised his hand and twisted it vigorously on Malinin's arm, grinning the latter's teeth in pain, and then said proudly: "How is it, Comrade Chief of Staff, are you dreaming or is it really happening?" ”

"Really, really," Ma Lining gasped in pain, and said at the same time: "I really didn't expect to hear such good news when bad news is coming one after another today." ”

"The troops of General Panfilov, awarded the Order of the Red Banner and renamed the 8th Guards Infantry Division, this is just the beginning." Compared to the excitement of the others, Rokossovsky showed much calmer, "In the future we will have more troops, and we will continue to receive the title of Guards Division." ”

After saying that, he waved at everyone and ordered: "You all go back to work, I will call General Panfilov to inform him of the good news." ”

After everyone dispersed, he picked up the microphone again and put it to his ear, and said to the operator: "I am the commander of the group army, give me the 316th Infantry Division." ”

A moment later, a voice came from the earpiece, and before he could hear who was speaking, he excitedly called out Panfilov's natal and patronymic name: "Hey, is it Ivan Vasilyevich?" ”

Unexpectedly, the person who answered the phone said in a deep voice: "Comrade division commander sacrificed? ”

"What?" When Rokossovsky heard the news, he was taken aback, he originally thought that with his arrival, history would shift in many places, and since the commissar Fomin had been successfully rescued from the Brest fortress by himself, then Panfilov would also get rid of the fate of sacrifice because of his arrival. He was afraid that he had heard it wrong, so he asked again: "What do you say, say it again." ”

"Comrade commander, I am political commissar Yegorov." The person who answered the phone identified himself and said with a crying voice: "There is a force of the enemy that has passed through our line of defense and broken into the vicinity of the division headquarters. The division commander was unfortunately shot and died while leading the personnel in the division headquarters to counterattack. ”

"How did the enemy rush to the division headquarters?" Rokossovsky asked loudly into the microphone: "Didn't I let you keep a platoon of guards?" With them, there is no problem in blocking the sneak attack of a small group of enemies. ”

"The guard platoon was not at the division headquarters at that time." Yegorov replied ashamedly: "At that time, the German troops broke through the positions of the 1973rd regiment, and the division commander ordered me and the deputy division commander to go with the guard platoon to reinforce the front line. And it was during this time that small units of the German army rushed to the division headquarters. ”

"Nonsense, it's nonsense." Hearing Yegorov say this, Rokossovsky was simply furious, and he shouted into the microphone: "And I have repeatedly told you that no one can transfer this guard platoon until I have my permission?" ”

Egorov wanted to defend himself, but he didn't know where to start, after all, when Panfilov asked the guard platoon to support the front, he did not hold his ground and asked the guard platoon to stay behind to defend the division headquarters.

After Rokossovsky lost his temper, he then instructed Yegorov: "Comrade commissar, immediately arrange manpower to send the body of General Panfilov to the headquarters of the army group, understand?" (To be continued.) )