Su Bojing, who had been beside him without speaking, waited for Rokossovsky to finish assigning the task, and asked cautiously: "Comrade Marshal, the people from the special service department have brought Gasang back, what should I do with him?" ”

"Gasan, which Gasan?" Rokossovsky asked casually when he heard the name, which seemed to have been heard. As soon as he said this, he remembered that it was the soldiers of the 1st Guards Tank Army who had shot and killed the officers and fighters who had stopped his robbery, and then asked: "Has his previous history been examined?" ”

Su Bojing nodded and said, "When you were still in the 50th Group Army, I led people to participate in the interrogation, and one of the soldiers on duty recognized him. It is said that the two of them were in the same unit, and last year during the battle for the assault on Mogilev, the two were unfortunately captured. When the Germans asked them to point out the officers, party members and Jews among the prisoners, this Gasang became a shameful traitor, and from the prisoners pointed out the platoon commander of their platoon, so that he was brutally killed by the enemy......"

"Looks like he's done a lot of bad things before." Rokossovsky did not have the heart to deal with the affairs of such a small person, so he instructed Su Bojing: "Comrade Military Commissar, I suggest that the Command of the Front Army, the Political Department, and the Special Service Section each assign a few people to form a temporary military tribunal, and you will be responsible for trying a traitor like Gasan and giving him the punishment he deserves. ”

When Su Bojing heard this, he understood in his heart that when Rokossovsky said this, it was tantamount to sentencing Gasang to death. The temporary military tribunal he organized was to find a justifiable reason for the execution of Gasang. However, what Gasang has done is not an exaggeration even if he dies ten times, so he nodded and echoed: "I understand, Comrade Marshal, the military tribunal that tried Gasang will officially exercise their rights early tomorrow morning. ”

For such trifles, Rokossovsky turned around and forgot about it, and his energy was mainly focused on the upcoming battle. He called the command of the 50th Army again and asked the acting commander, General Ozerov, about the progress of the troops in these hours.

Hearing that it was Rokossovsky who had called, Ozerov excitedly reported: "Comrade Marshal, our 307th Infantry Division moved quickly, occupied a bridge over the Anglap River and captured more than a hundred German officers and soldiers. ”

"Good job," Rokossovsky praised the 50th Army, although the results were not great, and then asked: "General Ozerov, what are the casualties of the troops?" ”

"Comrade Marshal, there were no casualties, not a single casualty." Hearing Rokossovsky's question, Ozerov said with some pride: "When our troops reached the Angrap River, a German engineering detachment was planting explosives on the bridge in an attempt to blow it up. Seeing that our troops were arriving, they did not put up any resistance and raised their hands to surrender to our troops. After the vanguard crossed the bridge, they found nearly 100 exhausted German officers and soldiers in the woods, and after seeing our troops arriving, they still did not exchange fire with us, but sent people out to negotiate, saying that they were willing to lay down their arms and surrender to our troops......",

From Ozerov's report, Rokossovsky realized that the German army was now demoralized and not resolute in its will to resist. But in order to prevent the troops from rushing too hard and causing the Germans to fight in a trapped, Rokossovsky specifically reminded Ozerov: "Comrade General, just slow down your vanguard and always keep in contact with the enemy; As for the follow-up troops, let them speed up their march and rush over to join the vanguard that had broken through the German defenses. ”

"Understood, Comrade Marshal." Ozerov assured Rokossovsky: "I assure you that by dawn tomorrow my follow-up troops will join forces with the vanguard and rush together into the depth of the German defense." ”

Trubnikov listened to the conversation between Rokossovsky and Ozerov, and after waiting for Rokossovsky to finish his call, he said: "Comrade Marshal, it seems that the decision of the Supreme High Command to order us to turn the direction of the offensive to the north and northeast is completely correct. The offensive launched by General Chernyakhovsky's Third Belorussian Front had already drawn the attention of the German army in East Prussia in his direction. ”

At this time, Bogolyubov came over and reported to Rokossovsky: "I have sent a telegram to the commanders of the four army groups, asking them to send a unit into the battlefield from the right flank of our army early tomorrow morning to pursue and attack the Germans, so that the enemy is constantly under the pressure of our army and cannot build an effective defense. ”

"Very well, Comrade Chief of Staff, you are doing well." Rokossovsky, after complimenting Bogolyubov, pointed to the map and explained to him: "Chief of Staff, you see that Oslikovsky's cavalry corps is now deployed in the area where we are about to attack, you call Oslikovsky and ask when they can enter the assault?" ”

As far as he knows, although Rokossovsky was born in cavalry, the last thing he wanted to use on the battlefield was cavalry, and Comrade Marshal always believed that the enemy's strong fortifications and powerful firepower made the cavalry useless, and putting the formed cavalry units into the battlefield was equivalent to sending them to death.

Therefore, after hearing this order from Rokossovsky, after hesitating for a while, he cautiously asked: "Comrade Marshal, did you just mean to let General Oslikovsky's 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps, from their current position, launch an attack on the enemy's defensive depths?" ”

"That's right, I gave the order." Rokossovsky saw the confusion on Bogolyubov's face and explained to him: "Although I have always been reluctant to use cavalry, in the area of the right flank of our front is not suitable for large-scale tank movements, and now it is necessary to use cavalry to hold the retreating enemy tightly." I hope that General Osilikovsky will achieve the desired results in the battle, and I will not be disappointed. ”

After Bogolyubov finished calling General Osilikovsky, he reported to Rokossovsky with a smile: "Comrade Marshal, General Oslikovsky said that his 6th Guards Cavalry Division, which will depart in half an hour, will take advantage of the darkness to advance in the direction of the retreat of the German troops. The troops of the 5th Guards Cavalry Division and the 32nd Cavalry Division will also attack after dawn. ”