Considering that the 316th Infantry Division would not be able to fully enter the defensive zone assigned to them until evening at the earliest, Rokossovsky did not rush to see Panfilov and began to bury his head in work. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

Now what worries him is no longer the need to build a defensive line in the Volokolamsk region, but how many troops can his superiors send to him to participate in the defense of this area? At the same time, there is another question: if the troops sent by his superiors are far from meeting the requirements of defense, where should he go to gather enough men to complete this difficult task? You must know that the front of the 16th Group Army's defense area is as wide as 100 kilometers, and there are still 2 or 300 kilometers of defense depth, and without 60,000 or 70,000 people, it will not be able to hold this defense line at all, and the troops that can be mobilized at this moment are only more than 20,000 people when the battle is full.

Just as Rokossovsky, like an accountant at a factory, was repeatedly calculating the forces available to him, Malinin came over, placed one in front of him, and reported to him: "Comrade commander, this is the latest information that has just been received. On our left flank was the 5th Army under the command of General Lelyuschenko, and on our right flank was the 30th Army under the command of General Khomenko, which had just broken out of the German encirclement and had not yet established communication with us. ”

"That General Lelyushchenko's troops?" After listening to what Malinin said, Rokossovsky immediately asked rhetorically: "Have you established a connection with them?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." "Ten minutes ago, we had just established communication with the 5th Army. ”

Rokossovsky looked up at Malinin and asked: "Chief of Staff, in addition to the cavalry corps, the mixed cadet regiment and the 315th Infantry Division, have the superiors sent us new troops?" ”

"No, Comrade Commander." Malinin shook his head and said: "If the 18th Militia Division of General Chernyshov is added, we will only have a little more than 20,000 troops in our hands now. ”

"I know, I know." Hearing Malinin say this, Rokossovsky replied with some distraction: "Since the number of troops is small, then when arranging the defense, put all the troops on the front line." ”

"But then we don't have troops to defend in depth." Although Malinin saw Rokossovsky's ugly face, he insisted on saying everything he wanted to say: "At the same time, the army group has no reserves that can be used. In addition, General Dovatore's cavalry corps was able to play a very limited role in defensive operations. ”

"Chief of Staff, know that cavalry has a high degree of mobility, which is especially valuable at this time. We can use cavalry units to maneuver in dangerous directions. Rokossovsky, explaining to Malinin, deliberately emphasized: "Of course, it must be equipped with the corresponding technical equipment, otherwise it will be impossible for the cavalry to fight the enemy's tanks." ”

"Comrade commander," after Rokossovsky had finished speaking, Malinin asked respectfully, "We still have a large gap in the number of troops in the defensive line, and we don't know when the superiors will be able to replenish us with new troops." ”

"Chief of Staff," Rokossovsky sighed, and said to Malinin: "We can't wait passively, in the current situation, all the army groups are in urgent need of replenishment of troops, and the troops in the hands of the high command are very limited, they must give priority to the troops in those important areas, we are not estimated to be in the ranks, so you have to arrange more manpower to various intersections, to contain those troops, groups and individuals who rushed out of the enemy's encirclement, and replenish them to the defensive areas." ”

"Comrade Commander, I'm back." While the two were talking, they suddenly heard Lobachev's voice outside the tent, and then the curtain was raised, and Lobachev walked in humming a little song. Seeing that Rokossovsky and Malinin were sitting at the table, he casually asked: "Yo, you are all here, what are you discussing?" ”

"What else could there be, Comrade Military Commissar?" Ma Lining shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly: "Comrade Commander and I are discussing where to contain troops to enrich our existing defense line. ”

Lobachev glanced at Rokossovsky, and then nervously asked Malinin: "Have the discussions come to a conclusion?" ”

"Comrade Commander, I still mean to contain those units or battle groups that are protruding from the German encirclement." After repeating Rokossovsky's original words, Malinin took it upon himself to explain to Lobachev: "These commanders and fighters who can escape from the enemy's encirclement are veterans with rich combat experience, and after replenishing our troops, they can quickly become the backbone of the battle and raise the combat effectiveness of our troops to a higher level." ”

"By the way, Comrade Military Commissar, didn't you just go to the mixed cadet group?" Rokossovsky thought that Lobachev had just taken the initiative to invite him to the cadet group to see his alumni, and now he saw that he was coming back humming a song, so he asked curiously: "How do you feel after watching it?" ”

"Yes, very good." Hearing Rokossovsky's question, Lobachev replied with a smile: "The cadets are full of emotions and have a high enthusiasm for fighting. I think this is a very good and promising regiment, and they will definitely be able to create a series of brilliant results in the next battles. ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," after Lobachev finished speaking, Rokossovsky looked up and said, "After you left, there was an infantry division from the reserves of the Front, which joined the battle sequence of our army group. I deployed them on the left flank of the army group's defense zone, covering Volokolamsk from the west, southwest to the Ruzasa River. ”

After listening to this, Lobachev smiled and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, we used to have a division of labor, and you have the final say in all military matters. I'm only in charge of political work. As for how the troops should be deployed, you can just make an idea, and you don't need to ask for my opinion. ”

"That's right, Comrade Military Commissar." Rokossovsky knew that in the next battle, Volokolamsk would be the focus of the German offensive, but he could not let others feel that he had the ability to predict the future, so he pretended to be mysterious and said: "After my repeated analysis and research, the focus of the German army's next offensive will be the Volokolamsk area, so for the troops deployed in that area, we must personally make a trip." Talk to the commanders and fighters to find out what they think of the current form; At the same time, check the construction of their fortifications. ”

Lobachev raised his hand and looked at his watch, then said to Rokossovsky with a frown: "Comrade commander, it's seven o'clock in the evening, wouldn't it be a little too late to go at this time?" Why don't we wait until tomorrow? ”

"No," Rokossovsky said, shaking his head and resolutely, "if I don't see the troops of the 315th Infantry Division with my own eyes, my heart will never be at ease." ”

"Well, since you're so insistent." Lobachev, who saw that Rokossovsky was stubborn and did not want to argue with him, sighed, and then said: "I will go with you." ”

The two, an hour later, arrived at the division headquarters in Panfilov. Panfilov, who was working on the same work as the commissar, noticed that someone had entered his headquarters, looked up and saw Rokossovsky standing at the door. He got up from his seat in a panic, stood in place and raised his hand in salute and reported: "Comrade commander, Major General Panfilov, commander of the 316th Infantry Division, reports to you......"

Before he could finish speaking, Rokossovsky walked up to him, pulled his hand from his forehead, shook it tightly and shook it vigorously, and said: "Hello, General Panfilov! ”

"Hello, Comrade Commander." After shaking hands with Rokossovsky, Panfilov pointed to Yegorov, who was standing next to him, with his hand: "Let me introduce you, this is my political commissar Comrade Yegorov." ”

"Hello, Comrade Political Commissar." After waiting for Panfilov's introduction, Rokossovsky shook Yegorov's hand and said in a friendly manner: "On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the 16th Army, I would like to welcome your arrival. ”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries between the two sides, they began to get down to business. Panfilov first reported to Rokossovsky: "I placed a regiment in the section from Boricevo to the Ruzha River. Here we did not find any trace of fortifications, so we could only order the troops to rush to repair the fortifications overnight. ”

"You're doing the right thing, General Panfilov." Rokossovsky was very satisfied with Panfilov's report, he nodded and said: "The area we are defending does not have any decent fortifications at all, so we can only build it ourselves. But Comrade General, I would like to remind you that the Germans will not leave much time for us to repair the fortifications, so you must hurry up. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Egorov said beside him: "We have sent political workers to go deep into the company to educate the commanders and fighters about the importance of building fortifications. Before you came, we had just received a call from the commander of the 1075th Regiment that their regiment had dug a kilometer-long anti-tank trench in front of the fortifications and had laid a minefield. ”

"Yes, well done." To the infantry regiment, which was moving so quickly, Rokossovsky said approvingly: "Comrade General, if your troops are as active as this, I estimate that by dawn tomorrow all the fortifications of your defense zone will be completed." ”

Rokossovsky and Lobachev stayed at the division headquarters until ten o'clock in the evening, when they said goodbye to Panfilov. Hearing that Rokossovsky was leaving, Panfilov hurriedly and enthusiastically said: "Comrade commander, it's getting dark, the road is not easy to walk, you better stay here for one night, and go back tomorrow." ”

"No." Rokossovsky waved his hand and said: "There are still many important matters in the headquarters that I need to go back to deal with, so I should come back to visit you later." With that, he stretched out his hand to Panfilov, "Comrade General, don't leave it at that, we'll meet later." ”

On the way back, Lobachev suddenly asked Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, I have a good impression of General Panfilov, I don't know what you think of him?" ”

"General Panfilov?" Thinking of this heroic division commander who later died in the battle to defend Moscow, Rokossovsky was silent for a long time before he spoke: "This commander is reasonable, knowledgeable, and practically experienced, and he can make his suggestions well-founded and fully explain the reasons. His honest face gives people a sense of honesty and simplicity, and he is even a little shy at first, and you can feel from him that he has strong energy, and can show iron will and endurance in critical moments. General Panfilov respected his subordinates, and he always commented on them in a respectful tone. I could tell that he knew every commander under him very well.

Many people you often don't know right away, and you often don't know what he can do and what he is capable of. General Panfilov, on the other hand, made it easy for me to understand and developed a good impression of him, and I immediately felt trust in him for some reason. ”

After listening to Rokossovsky's comments on Panfilov, Lobachev couldn't help but be stunned, and he said with some surprise: "Comrade commander, although we have been in contact with General Panfilov for a short time, the conclusions I have drawn are completely consistent with what you just said. ”

After a while, he said meaninglessly: "I have come into contact with some commanders and fighters of the 316th Infantry Division, and through talking with them, I feel that they are full of confidence in crushing the German attack on Moscow." ”

Returning to the army group headquarters, Lobachev told Malinin, who remained here, what they had seen in the Panfilov division, and then said confidently: "I think this infantry division may give us an unexpected surprise in the next battle." ”

But Malinin was obviously not as optimistic as him, but turned his head and asked Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, as far as I know, this infantry division has just been formed and has not participated in any battles. Do you think they will be able to hold off the enemy's attack? ”

Hearing Malinin's question, Rokossovsky couldn't help but laugh dumbly, other troops didn't dare to say it, but this 316th Infantry Division, the future Eighth Guards Infantry Division, no matter how good it performed during the Great Patriotic War, even in the Russian army decades later, it is a force that should not be underestimated, so he nodded vigorously and said affirmatively: "Chief of Staff, I agree with Comrade Military Commissar that this unit will achieve brilliant results in the next battles." (To be continued.) )