From Rokossovsky's order, Zhukov found that all the troops sent to Warsaw were Chuikov's troops, except for the Polish 3rd Division, so he asked curiously: "Comrade Rokossovsky, how did I find out that the troops you sent to Warsaw were all subordinate to the 8th Guards Army?" ”

"Comrade Marshal, that's right." In response to Zhukov's question, Rokossovsky explained to him: "The 8th Guards Army had accumulated a lot of experience in street fighting during the defense of Stalingrad. Although they are experienced in defending cities, they are still very new to how to capture a city. I just want to let them accumulate rich experience in urban offensive and defensive warfare through the strategy of Warsaw City. In this way, in the future war against Berlin, they will be able to take the lead. ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's explanation, Zhukov said with a smile: "Comrade Rokossovsky, we haven't even conquered Warsaw yet, but you are already thinking about the issue of conquering Berlin, and you are really thinking far enough." ”

Rokossovsky grinned, and then said to Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, our command is too far from the troops at the front and not conducive to command. I'm going to move my headquarters somewhere else. ”

"Where are you going to move?" Zhukov asked.

Rokossovsky pointed to the map and said to Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, the Shedelce area is very good, and I plan to move the new headquarters here." ”

Zhukov looked at the map, then nodded in agreement: "This is a good location, it is relatively close to several army groups east of Warsaw, which is very conducive to the command of the troops." ”

After Zhukov finished speaking, Rokossovsky added: "We can establish a command in this area, and we can also get the cover of General Rudenko's 16th Air Force Army." After saying that, he called Malinin and Maksimenko over and ordered, "You immediately take people to the Shedelce area, choose a suitable place there, and proceed to establish a new front headquarters." ”

For Ma Linin, the establishment of a new command was a matter of ease for him, and he hurriedly nodded and agreed: "Yes, Comrade Commander, I will take people to Shedelce and choose a suitable area to establish a new headquarters." ”

After Malinin and Maksimenko left, Zhukov said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Rokossovsky, I see that I need to immediately return to Moscow and have a good talk with the Supreme Commander himself. If we were to stop attacking Warsaw at such a time, it would easily give the Germans a respite, and when we relaunched the attack in the future, we would have to pay a great price. ”

Rokossovsky knew in his heart that in order to liberate Warsaw and achieve military success, it was first necessary to achieve political success. If the ownership of Warsaw City is inconclusive, all the efforts he has made at present may be to make a wedding dress for them, so when he heard that Zhukov was going back to Moscow, he immediately nodded in agreement: "Comrade Marshal, you are right, you should indeed go back to Moscow as soon as possible and report the real situation here to the Supreme Commander himself." ”

Zhukov stretched out his hand to Rokossovsky and said: "Since this is the case, Rokossovsky, we will meet later." Good luck! ”

Zhukov left, and Rokossovsky made another call to Chuikov. On the phone, he said to Chuikov: "Comrade Chuikov, although our offensive has stopped for the time being, you must not stop trying to build a bridge over the Vistula River, and you must find a way to transport more tanks and artillery to the west bank." ”

"Understood, Comrade Marshal." In the face of Rokossovsky's instructions, Chuikov hurriedly replied: "Our sappers have prepared the materials for building the bridge, and they will start building the bridge as soon as it gets dark." However, Comrade Marshal, I also need the support of our air force for the air defense of the bridge section, lest the bridge be blown up by enemy planes as soon as it is built. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Chuikov." Rokossovsky knew very well that the air force, which was currently responsible for covering the left flank of the Front, was facing a shortage of fuel and ammunition, but General Porainin still sent as many fighters as possible into the air every day to drive away the German planes that bombed the landing site. "I will tell General Porenin to provide you with the necessary air support as much as possible."

Malinin and Maksimenko did not have a new command, and Rokossovsky had to be personally involved in the contact with each of the army groups. After ending the call with Chuikov, he connected to Porenin's command and said straight to the point: "General Porenin, can you tell me the number of fighters that can be lifted into the air every day today?" ”

Porenin pondered for a moment, then replied: "Comrade Marshal, due to the lack of fuel and ammunition, we can only fly a hundred sorties a day, and this number includes fighters and bombers. ”

"General Porenin, I understand your current situation." Rokossovsky said into the microphone, "You are indeed difficult, but if Chuikov's troops do not have your support, they will most likely not be able to hold the landing ground established on the west bank of the Vistula. What will happen if they are driven into the Vistula by the enemy, even if I don't say it, you should know what will happen, right? ”

After listening to Rokossovsky's harsh words, Porenin nodded again and again and replied: "Comrade commander, please rest assured that no matter how difficult our conditions are, we will provide sufficient help to the 8th Guards Army." ”

Malinin and Maksimenko were very efficient, and by about five o'clock in the afternoon. Malinin called Rokossovsky and reported to him: "Comrade commander, our command is ready, it is in the village of Kokolevitsa, not far from Sedelce, ready to be put into service. ”

Rokossovsky, anxious to get to the new command to direct the battle, took a group of staff officers and two truckloads of fighters and drove along the road in the direction of the village of Kokolevitsa.

As soon as the convoy arrived in the Radosine area, the staff officer, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, turned his head to Rokossovsky and Terekin, who were sitting in the back, and said: "Commander, military commissar, there are enemy planes in the air?" ”

"Where?" When Rokossovsky heard what the staff officer said, he immediately bent down and looked out the window, only to see a four-plane dive bomber in the air, flying towards the location of the convoy. Seeing this, Rokossovsky hurriedly shouted at the driver: "Hurry up and drive the car to the forest next to it." ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's order, the driver quickly turned the steering wheel to the right, turned around and rushed towards the forest, which was a few hundred meters away from the road. The cars in front and behind saw Rokossovsky's car drive off the road and rushed towards the forest on the side, and they did the same, turning their heads and rushing towards the forest.

Seeing the convoy on the ground, the enemy planes in the air were rushing toward the forest not far away, and hurriedly lowered their altitude and swooped down, strafing and dropping bombs in an attempt to wipe out the convoy in one fell swoop.

Bombs falling from the sky fell on the soft ground and exploded, sending puffs of dirt into the sky and smashing onto the speeding vehicles below. Rokossovsky sat in the car and listened to the sound of dirt on the roof of the car, feeling powerless, and he thought to himself that if a German bomb hit the jeep, he would go to see Marx. Even if it misses and explodes next to the jeep, the air wave is enough to turn the car on all fours.

However, fortunately, the Kyrgyzstan people have their own nature, and although the danger is fraught, Rokossovsky's jeep is the first to rush into the forest. The two trucks and several jeeps that accompanied them all rushed into the forest with them. Seeing that they had lost their target, the enemy planes unwillingly circled over the forest and refused to leave for a long time.

Rokossovsky pushed the car door and got out of the car, and the commanders and fighters who rushed over asked loudly: "Are you all right?" ”

A staff officer replied: "Report to Comrade Marshal, no one died except for a splash of dirt. ”

Hearing that there were no casualties, Rokossovsky's heart was a little more reassured. He looked up at the enemy planes hovering above the forest, called a communications staff officer, and instructed him: "Immediately contact General Rudenko, say that we have been attacked by enemy planes, and ask him to immediately send fighter planes to relieve us." ”

It didn't take long for Rudenko to receive a telegram from Rokossovsky's accompanying staff officer and was immediately taken aback. He hurriedly called the division commander of the fighter division and said anxiously: "Comrade division commander, something has happened, Comrade Marshal's convoy has been bombed by the Germans in the area of Radosine, and I order you to immediately send fighter planes to relieve them." ”

When the division commander heard Lu Tengko say this, he was immediately taken aback, and he hurriedly replied: "Comrade commander, I will immediately personally lead the team to relieve the marshal." ”

A few minutes later, eight fighter planes rose into the air in turn and flew towards the Radosine area. The division commander said to his subordinates in the communicator: "Comrades, Rokossovsky was bombed by German bombers in the Radosine area, and we are now rushing to rescue him. According to the report, there were four enemy aircraft, all dive bombers, no fighters. The order is very clear, shoot down all the enemy planes, and not a single one is allowed to be spared, understand? ”

"Understood!" As soon as the division commander finished speaking, a neat reply came from the communicator: "We will never let one of the enemy planes escape." ”

The enemy planes hovering over the Radosine area saw Soviet fighters twice as large as their own flying over, and they were so frightened that they immediately turned around and fled. The pilots, who had received the order of the division commander, could not allow the German bombers to successfully escape, and immediately followed the bombers in a group of two planes and chased after them.

Rokossovsky, who was hiding in the forest, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw that the enemy plane that had just almost killed himself was driven away by the Soviet fighter plane. He raised his hand and looked at his watch, and instructed the commanders and fighters around him: "The enemy plane has been driven away, we should hurry up and rush to the new headquarters." ”

When Rokossovsky's convoy arrived at the village of Kokolevica, a worried Malinin was waiting outside the village. Seeing Rokossovsky's car stopped, he hurriedly stepped forward and opened the door, and asked anxiously: "Commander, military commissar, I heard that you were bombed by enemy planes on the way here, how are you all?" ”

"We're fine." Rokossovsky waved his hand and said to Malinin: "Since we spotted the enemy plane in time and quickly took refuge in the nearby forest, the enemy plane did not cause us any casualties. He paused for a moment, then asked, "Will the communications equipment of the new command be used normally?" ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Malinin assured Rokossovsky that "everything is ready for use in the new command." ”

Rokossovsky walked into the headquarters quickly, raised his hand to return the salute to Maksimenko, who greeted him, and instructed the other party: "Immediately connect me to the headquarters of the 16th Air Force Army, and I will talk to General Rudenko." ”

The call was quickly connected, and Rokossovsky turned to the microphone in Maksimenko's hand and asked Rudenko bluntly: "Comrade General, have all the enemy planes that bombed us been killed?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Because his subordinates managed to shoot down four German bombers, Rudenko was able to reply with confidence: "Of the four bombers, many of them were shot down." ”

"Very well, Comrade Rudenko." Hearing that the enemy planes had been shot down, Rokossovsky finally let out a sigh of evil in his heart, and he said to Rudenko in a slow tone: "Please convey my gratitude to those fighter pilots, it is precisely because of their timely arrival that we were rescued from danger." ”

"For the service of the Soviet Fatherland!" Hearing Rokossovsky's thanks, Rudenko first replied in accordance with the regulations, and then said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, I have one more important thing to report to you. ”

"Please, General Rudenko." Rokossovsky smiled and said: "If there is anything, just say it." ”

"That's right, Comrade Marshal." Rudenko reported: "Our planes, while pursuing the enemy's bombers, discovered a German command at a distance of about forty kilometers to the west, and I intended to send bombers to bomb there and paralyze the enemy's chain of command." ”

Hearing that a command of the German army had been discovered, Rokossovsky suddenly became interested: "General Rudenko, what level of command is that?" ”

"According to the pilot's report," Rudenko replied, "there are quite a few cars and motorcycles parked outside the door, and there are a large number of antennas on the houses, and I am definitely at least a military command." ”

Hearing that a command of the German army had been discovered, Rokossovsky suddenly became interested: "General Rudenko, what level of command is that?" ”

"According to the pilot's report," Rudenko replied, "there are quite a few cars and motorcycles parked outside the door, and there are a large number of antennas on the houses, and I am definitely at least a military command." ”