While the heads of the headquarters were having dinner, Terekin suddenly said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, the fighting has been fierce in the past few days, and our soldiers have suffered great losses. But in a short period of time, we can't get a supplement from the base camp, how do you think we can solve this problem? ”

As soon as Terekin's words were finished, Malinin said: "Comrade Military Commissar, as far as I know, quite a number of wounded and sick are about to be discharged from the hospital, and we can replenish them to the troops. ”

"How many sick and wounded can be discharged from the hospital?" After hearing this, Terekin said disapprehantly: "It is simply impossible to replenish the manpower we lost in battle. ”

The shortage of soldiers has always been a problem that has plagued Rokossovsky. Before the start of the battle, the largest number of soldiers in the infantry division was only 70%, and the fewness was only 40~50%. Today's fighting is fierce, and thousands of commanders and fighters are killed or withdrawn from fighting every day because they are wounded.

Hearing Terekin's question at this moment, his mind was also thinking quickly, how could he quickly replenish the troops?

Seeing that Rokossovsky was silent, another military commissar, Ponomarenko, said tentatively: "Comrade commander, see if we can mobilize the local residents to join the troops, it would be great if there were militia from factories to join, they have all undergone military training and have a certain amount of combat experience, and they can immediately go into battle as long as they are reorganized." ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Rokossovsky said to Ponomarenko with a smile on his face: "The plan you are talking about has been prepared since we entered the Yelets region. Regrettably, in these areas, apart from the elderly, children and women, there are hardly any young and middle-aged men, who were either relocated to other places by the Germans or simply killed. ”

Boom! After hearing this, Ponomarenko slapped the table so hard that it even knocked over a teacup on the table. Kazakov found a rag and wiped the water on the table, saying: "The Germans, probably realizing that their days in the occupied territories were short, in order to prevent our army from recruiting new recruits from the local population after recovering these areas, moved away the young and middle-aged men, and did not hesitate to kill all those who did not want to leave." In doing so, they do not want our army to quickly regain its combat effectiveness, so as to buy them precious time. ”

"Since we can't get reinforcements from the base camp or the local area, we can only find a way from the wounded who have recovered and been discharged from the hospital." Rokossovsky looked at Terekin, who was still eating, and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, when you finish eating, we will go to the hospital to have a look." If possible, political workers were dispatched to the field hospital to carry out propaganda and agitation work, and some lightly wounded were discharged early. ”

Hearing Rokossovsky say this, Terekin could still sit still, he hurriedly threw the uneaten bread and dried sausages in his hand into the plate in front of him, stood up and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, let's go now, I really can't wait." ”

Terekin's words caused a good-natured laugh from his colleagues around him. Ponomarenko also stood up and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, I am also the military commissar of the Front, please allow me to go with you." ”

Rokossovsky nodded, and said to Malinin and Deputy Commander Trubnikov: "The affairs of the headquarters will be entrusted to the two of you." ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Ma Lining replied with a smile: "During the time you are away, I will definitely handle the work properly." ”

Rokossovsky and two military commissars, sitting in the same jeep, headed for the field hospital more than a dozen kilometers away. On the way, Ponomarenko, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, turned his head to Rokossovsky and said: "Comrade commander, before the Central Front, I had heard many high-ranking leaders discuss that if the commander of a group army or front army spends most of his time in his own command post or headquarters during the battle, then this is a bad commander. What do you think about this? ”

Hearing Ponomarenko's question, Rokossovsky paused for a moment, and then said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I do not agree with this opinion of theirs, I think there should be such a rule: where it is most convenient and best for the commander to command the troops, his position should be there. ”

When Terekin heard this, he felt that Ponomarenko had something to say, so he couldn't help but say: "Comrade Ponomarenko, when you say this, is it related to the deputy commander of the Voronezh Front, General Apanashchenko?" ”

"General Apanashchenko?" When Rokossovsky heard this name, he looked at Terekin with some blankness and asked: "Comrade Military Commissar, does it have anything to do with him?" ”、

"Of course it does." Terekin replied: "The former commander of the Far Eastern Front, since he became deputy commander of the Voronezh Front, has hardly spent much time at the headquarters of the Front, but haunts the headquarters of the army groups every day, and even personally goes to the regimental command post to observe the enemy situation on the opposite side. ”

"As a deputy commander, this is understandable, and he wants to learn more about the situation by contacting more commanders and fighters at the grassroots level." Rokossovsky said in a flat tone: "But as the commander of the front, it is not possible to do this." ”

"Why?" Rokossovsky's words aroused Ponomarenko's curiosity.

Rokossovsky looked at Ponomarenko and said: "As the commander of the Front, my position should be in the headquarters of the Front or the forward command post, not in the trenches of a division. In the preparation stage of the campaign, it is sometimes necessary to personally inspect the terrain and the readiness of the troops in important areas, but once the battle starts, I try not to run around. You must know that the staff officers and intelligence personnel of the headquarters, and the means of communication with the various units and the high command are all in the command post, and although one person runs to the forward position, although he seems to be brave, he actually gives up command of the entire front army, and the battle situation on the battlefield that I have seen in the hundreds of meters does not necessarily represent the situation on the entire front, which may give me a completely wrong impression of the battle situation.

I stayed in my command post the whole time, never leaving an inch. Because only in this way can I always feel the development of the military situation on the whole front, feel the pulse of the battle and react to changes in the situation in a timely manner. Do you understand? ”

Ponomarenko nodded thoughtfully, but instead of speaking, he wanted to hear if Rokossovsky had a more incisive point. Rokossovsky did not disappoint him, continuing: "I believe that in this complex and volatile situation, any action of the troops leaving the command will disconnect the commander of the front from the entire battle scene for a period of time, making him not good at maneuvering forces correctly, and this will lead to the danger of defeat. Of course, this does not mean at all that the commander should stay in the headquarters forever. It makes a lot of sense to have troops under the commander. But it all depends on the time and situation. ”

Several people were talking, and before they knew it, the jeep came to the field hospital.

Although the officer standing at the gate on duty did not receive a notice from the commander of the front army that he would inspect the hospital, when he saw a small convoy of four jeeps, he knew that a big man was coming, and hurriedly ordered the soldiers to raise the crossbar at the door and let them go. After the convoy entered the hospital, he entered the duty booth and called the director of the field hospital.

The dean who received the call began to think that it was the leader of a division who came to the hospital to visit the patient, so he asked disapprenously: "Comrade officer, do you see clearly which division is the commander?" ”

When the officer heard the dean say this, he couldn't help but be stunned, and then replied: "Comrade dean, this is definitely not a division-level leader. I could see very clearly that there were four jeeps, one of which was a commander, and the other three were guards. On such a scale, at least the head of the army group. ”

"I see, comrade officer, thank you." After the dean put down the phone, he thought to himself that when the battle was so fierce, since the head of the group army came to see him, he must have visited some wounded man, and it would be a bit rude for him not to accompany him as the dean. He walked out of the room, came to the office of the political commissar opposite, raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The political commissar opened the door and saw that it was actually the dean standing outside, so he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade dean, is there anything wrong?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Commissar." The dean politely said to the political commissar: "The officer on duty at the gate reported that a small convoy of four jeeps had just entered the hospital, and it could be the head of the army group. ”

"The head of the army?" The political commissar was also very surprised when he heard the dean say this, since he became the political commissar of the hospital, it seemed that a leader at the level of a group army had never come to the hospital. He hurriedly said: "Comrade Dean, I estimate that they have come to the hospital to visit a certain comrade-in-arms, and I suggest that we contact them immediately and accompany them for a visit. ”

The dean nodded and said, "That's right, Comrade Political Commissar, I also think so, let's go over now." If I'm not mistaken, they should still be parking in the parking lot outside the building. ”

The two walked out of the building side by side, and at a glance they saw a group of people standing next to the four jeeps parked in the parking lot, and the two hurriedly walked over.

They first saw Terekin in the crowd, saw the other party carrying the general star on his shoulder, thought that he was the highest level in this group, and hurriedly greeted him and shook hands with the other party, and at the same time said: "Hello, Comrade General, we are the director and political commissar of the hospital. We warmly welcome the head of the group army to inspect the hospital. ”

When Terekin heard the other party call himself the head of the group army, he couldn't help but laugh dumbly. After shaking hands with the two of them, he turned his body to the side of Rokossovsky, who was blocked by the fighters and jeeps, and said to the two with a smile: "Comrade Dean and Political Commissar, let me introduce to you, this is Comrade Rokossovsky, the commander of the Front, and that is General Ponomarenko, the military commissar. I am Terekin, military commissar of the Front. ”

The dean and the commissar couldn't help but be a little dumbfounded after seeing clearly the epaulettes of Rokossovsky's general. It was rare for the two of them to see even the head of the group army, but they didn't expect that the commander of the front army would come directly to the hospital today. However, the dean quickly reacted, and after raising his hand to salute Rokossovsky, he said respectfully: "Comrade commander, I am the director of the hospital, I obey your orders, please instruct!" ”

The political commissar saw that the dean had already saluted Rokossovsky, and hurriedly saluted and reported in the same way.

After Rokossovsky raised his hand and returned the salute, he shook hands with the two of them one by one. smiled and said: "It turns out that you are the director and political commissar of the hospital, that's great, I just have something to look for you." Can I come to your office and talk? ”

"Of course, of course." When the dean heard Rokossovsky say that he was going to his office, he immediately smiled and made a gesture of invitation to the side of his body: "Comrade commander, please come with me, and I will take you to my office." ”

They first saw Terekin in the crowd, saw the other party carrying the general star on his shoulder, thought that he was the highest level in this group, and hurriedly greeted him and shook hands with the other party, and at the same time said: "Hello, Comrade General, we are the director and political commissar of the hospital. We warmly welcome the head of the group army to inspect the hospital. ”

When Terekin heard the other party call himself the head of the group army, he couldn't help but laugh dumbly. After shaking hands with the two of them, he turned his body to the side of Rokossovsky, who was blocked by the fighters and jeeps, and said to the two with a smile: "Comrade Dean and Political Commissar, let me introduce to you, this is Comrade Rokossovsky, the commander of the Front, and that is General Ponomarenko, the military commissar. I am Terekin, military commissar of the Front. ”

The dean and the commissar couldn't help but be a little dumbfounded after seeing clearly the epaulettes of Rokossovsky's general. It was rare for the two of them to see even the head of the group army, but they didn't expect that the commander of the front army would come directly to the hospital today. However, the dean quickly reacted, and after raising his hand to salute Rokossovsky, he said respectfully: "Comrade commander, I am the director of the hospital, I obey your orders, please instruct!" ”

The political commissar saw that the dean had already saluted Rokossovsky, and hurriedly saluted and reported in the same way.

After Rokossovsky raised his hand and returned the salute, he shook hands with the two of them one by one. smiled and said: "It turns out that you are the director and political commissar of the hospital, that's great, I just have something to look for you." Can I come to your office and talk? ”

"Of course, of course." When the dean heard Rokossovsky say that he was going to his office, he immediately smiled and made a gesture of invitation to the side of his body: "Comrade commander, please come with me, and I will take you to my office." ”