Lobachev said that it might rain, and by noon it was pouring down. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

Looking at the sky as black as the bottom of the pot, Ma Lining muttered: "What the hell, how could it suddenly rain so heavily in the snow season in October." It seems that this winter will not be too cold this year. ”

"Chief of Staff, you're wrong." Rokossovsky, who was sitting next to him, smiled faintly after hearing him talk to himself, and then said with confidence: "I think this winter will be very cold, maybe we can also take advantage of the cold climate to completely crush the German attack on Moscow." ”

Ma Linin snorted in disbelief, and then asked: "Comrade commander, with such heavy rain, it is estimated that the road has become muddy. It is very difficult for the troops to march on such roads, and it is still night, so you will see if we can postpone the breakthrough plan we have formulated. ”

"No, the breakout operation cannot be postponed." Rokossovsky said categorically: "Every minute is precious to us, and if we do not break out of the gap left by the German encirclement before it is fully formed, we risk a complete encirclement." ”

Seeing that Rokossovsky's attitude was so resolute, Malinin had no choice but to say helplessly: "Okay, I'll go and inform the heads of the other two columns that tonight's breakout operation will continue as usual." ”

Seeing that Malinin was preparing to leave the earthen kiln, Rokossovsky stopped him and ordered: "Chief of Staff, the newly added tank battalion, under my own command, will act with our second echelon to deal with the enemy who may appear at any time. ”

"Understood." Malinin agreed, then put on a raincoat and walked out of the kiln.

After dark, the torrential rain subsided slightly. Before the official departure, Lobachev gathered all the staff officers, drivers and fighters in front of the earthen kiln, and then he shouted to them: "Comrades, we are about to begin a breakthrough. I am here to remind everyone not to disperse no matter what happens, but to walk together and fight together. Please remember the duty of a soldier: under no circumstances can we leave our wounded comrades to the enemy; As for the fallen comrades, if the circumstances do not allow us to transport the dead, then we will bury their bodies on the spot......"

When Lobachev was doing the mobilization work to the commanders and fighters of the troops, Rokossovsky, who was standing next to him, looked at the commanders and fighters who were standing neatly in the rain, and thought to himself: "The military spirit that Lobachev mentioned is probably the belief that the Seventh Steel Company of later generations will follow without abandoning or giving up." I hope that in tonight's breakout operation, everyone's performance will not disappoint you. ”

After Lobachev finished mobilizing the commanders and fighters, he turned his head to look at Rokossovsky and asked: "Comrade commander, do you want to say a few words to everyone?" ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Rokossovsky shook his head and said, "no need, you just said it very well, I don't have to waste everyone's time." After speaking, he glanced at Ma Lining, who was standing next to him.

Ma Lining, who understood it, hurriedly stepped forward and announced loudly: "Let's go!" With Malinin's order, the troops began to move according to the pre-divided column.

Braving heavy rain, the troops marched less than two kilometers on the muddy road, and Orel, who commanded the third column, pursued them from behind. He came to Rokossovsky's car, wiped the rain from his face and said loudly: "Comrade commander, the road is too difficult to walk, many of our vehicles have sunk into the mud, and the fighters have to get out of the car to push the carts, if the speed of our echelons is very slow. ”

"Comrade Colonel." Lobachev, who was sitting next to Rokossovsky, listened, and immediately preemptively said: "Order all the fighters to get out of the car, and all except the driver, get out of the car and walk." ”

"Do you hear that, Colonel Orel?" Rokossovsky agreed with Lobachev's arrangement, and when he saw that Oryol was still standing still, he ordered him: "Just do what Comrade Military Commissar says." ”

Who knew that after listening to Rokossovsky's order, Oryol still stood where he was and did not move, and he said a little anxiously: "Comrade commander, after the leading several trucks got stuck in the mud, they blocked the road. Until they were pushed out, the vehicles behind them were not able to pass at all. ”

"So what can we do?" Rokossovsky asked puzzledly: "Even if I help the fighters of the second echelon, it will not necessarily speed up your march." ”

"That's right, Comrade Commander." Grappling with both hands on the window, Orel approached Rokossovsky and said loudly: "I would like to ask you to send me two tanks, so that I can pull the car out of the mud with the help of the tanks." ”

In response to Orel's request, Rokossovsky nodded, and then instructed Malinin, who was sitting in the co-pilot, unknown: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you and Colonel Orel go to the tank battalion commander and ask him to send two tanks to assist the cars of the third echelon through the muddy and difficult sections. ”

"Yes!" Malinin agreed, pushed the car door and got out of the car, and went to the tank battalion commander with Orel before.

According to the original breakout plan, the troops, after fifteen kilometers along this terrible country road, were to take a temporary rest in a small village on the side of the road. But when the first echelon led by Kazakov approached the village, it was met by the Germans who had just arrived here.

When the Germans saw that Soviet troops were approaching in the rain, they immediately seized the advantageous terrain on the side of the road and opened fire on the Soviet troops who came into firing range.

Fierce gunfire came from a distance, and Rokossovsky hurriedly ordered to stop, then pushed the car door and leaned out, with his feet on the pedals, holding the car door with one hand and holding the telescope in the other, looking in the direction of the distant fire. Lobachev, on the other hand, was a little flustered, and he hurriedly urged Malinin, who was sitting in front: "Chief of Staff, find out what happened in front as soon as possible?" ”

At that moment, a cavalryman rode his horse from the front. He rushed to the jeep and reined in his horse, shouting: "Comrade commander." ”

Rokossovsky hurriedly put down his binoculars, looked down at the cavalry in front of him and asked, "What happened ahead?" ”

The cavalry reported: "Comrade commander, General Kazakov asked me to report to you that we had encountered a German unit that had just arrived in the village, and that there was an exchange of fire. ”

"How many troops did the Germans have?" Rokossovsky asked with a frown.

The cavalry replied: "The enemy has two truckloads of infantry, and a dozen three-wheeled motorcycles, estimated at seventy or eighty people." They carry no less than five machine guns and have an advantage in firepower, and General Kazakov wants you to send support. ”

"Support, what do I take to support the front." After muttering something in a low voice, Rokossovsky raised his voice and said to the cavalry: "Okay, comrade warrior, you go back and tell General Kazakov to keep an eye on the German offensive resolutely, and I will soon send someone to support him." ”

The cavalry agreed, turning his horse's head and returning quickly.

When the cavalry left, Malinin hurriedly asked Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, we don't have any combat troops here, how can we support the first echelon?" ”

Rokossovsky retracted into the car, leaned back on the back of the chair, frowned and thought for a moment, and then said decisively: "Chief of staff, please go to the tank battalion again, and ask the battalion commander to send two tanks to support the first echelon." ”

After five minutes, two BT-7 tanks drove past the jeep in which Rokossovsky and the others were traveling, heading towards the section where the battle was raging. Looking at the tanks driving ahead, Lobachev said a little worriedly: "Comrade commander, we will send two tanks over, can we defeat the enemy?" ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Military Commissar." Although Rokossovsky's heart was not at ease at the moment, he still comforted Lobachev and said: "Didn't you hear the report of the cavalry? The enemy is all infantry, I think they probably didn't carry any anti-tank weapons, two tanks against them, there should be no problem. ”

After speaking, Rokossovsky stopped talking, but listened intently to the movement outside. Lobachev listened to the movement outside the car in the same way, but unfortunately he heard nothing except the sound of hula rain and the fierce gunfire in the distance.

After a long while, the rumble of tank shells exploded outside. Hearing this voice, Rokossovsky couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, turned his head to Lobachev and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, our tanks have already opened fire on the enemy, and I believe that it will not be long before the battle can be resolved." ”

"I hope so." Hearing Rokossovsky's confidence, Lobachev said worriedly: "If we don't destroy this enemy, it is estimated that we will be trapped here." ”

Ma Linin, who was sitting in the passenger seat, did not speak, but silently counted the explosions coming from outside, and when he counted to the eleventh sound, the fierce gunfire in front of him became sparse. When he heard this, he couldn't help but smile on his face, because he felt that the battle ahead was nearing the end, and the final winner would definitely be his own side. So he turned his head and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, the gunfire in front has become sparse, it should be our troops who have won the victory." ”

"But it's also possible that our troops have suffered heavy losses." Lobachev said with some concern: "After all, our first echelon has only one cavalry company and two guard platoons, and the strength is a little too thin. ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Rokossovsky, who was more confident in Malinin's judgment in the current situation, said to Lobachev with a smile: "Wait a little longer, I am sure that General Kazakov will bring us good news." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a rapid sound of horses' hooves in front of him. The cavalryman, who had come, again rode his war horse to Rokossovsky's car, "Comrade commander. ”

Rokossovsky didn't hear the slightest panic in his voice, and knew that he must have brought good news, so he pushed open the door, leaned out and asked with a smile: "Comrade soldier, how is the battle ahead?" ”

"Report to Comrade Commander," the cavalry reported with a little emotion, "the enemy in front has already been repulsed by us, one of their trucks and five motorcycles has been destroyed by us, more than forty more have been killed, the rest have turned around and fled." ”

Hearing that the enemy had been beaten away, Lobachev's heart was finally reassured. He looked at Rokossovsky to see what instructions he would give next. I heard the cavalry then ask: "General Kazakov asked me to ask for instructions, have we entered the village to rest according to the original plan?" ”

"No, you can't enter the village." Rokossovsky knew that the fleeing Germans would definitely discover the situation of their troops and expose them to their superiors, and if they stayed as originally planned, they would be surrounded by German troops, so he said decisively: "You go back and tell General Kazakov that our whereabouts have been exposed and we can no longer enter the village to rest." It is necessary to move on immediately, so that you can get rid of the enemy. Also, you tell the general to send small groups of cavalry into the forests on both sides of the road to cover the flanks of the main forces. ”

What happened next proved how correct Rokossovsky's precautionary measures were. In the process of continuing the march, from the forests on both sides of the road, the sound of shooting was not heard. Hearing this voice, Malinin turned his head to look at Rokossovsky, who was sitting in the back row, and said with admiration: "Comrade commander, listen, this is the cavalry we sent to the forest, and we are exchanging fire with small groups of enemy troops. Thankfully, you've been safe beforehand, otherwise we'd have had to take a lot of time to get rid of these enemies hiding in the shadows and firing cold guns. ”

Rokossovsky raised his hand and looked at his watch, and then ordered: "Ten kilometers further on, there is a small village, where we will take a short rest and eat something, if there is no enemy there." The commanders and fighters must have been very tired from walking such a long way all night, and they should be given a good rest so that they can recover their strength and continue the rest of the march. ”

When the gunfire on both sides of the road stopped, one of the cavalrymen rushed over, and from a long distance away, he shouted loudly: "Comrade commander, where is comrade commander?" ”

From his voice, Rokossovsky heard that it was Captain Gosha, the commander of the cavalry company, who hurriedly ordered the driver to stop, and shouted at the captain who was slowing down the horse: "Captain Gosha, I'm here, is there something wrong?" ”

Gosha rode up to Rokossovsky and reported with some emotion: "Comrade commander, my fighters have found a German military warehouse in the forest to the north, which contains a lot of grain, what should we do?" ”

"Grain?!" Hearing Gosha's report, Rokossovsky's eyes lit up, because he didn't know how many days the troops would have to walk before they could jump out of the German encirclement, so he had been worried about the food and ammunition needed by the troops, and at this moment he heard that a grain warehouse of the German army had been discovered, and he immediately asked: "Where is it, how many enemies are guarding?" ”

"There are only a dozen German soldiers, and they have been wiped out by our cavalry." After giving a brief report on the battle situation, Guo Sha asked again: "Comrade Commander, what should we do next?" Do you want to take all the food away, or set it on fire? (To be continued.) )