The night before Rokossovsky led his troops to break through in the rain, Zhukov, who had received a summons from Stalin, rushed to Moscow overnight after handing over the command of the Leningrad Front to General Fedyuninsky. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

When Zhukov opened the door and walked into Stalin's office, he was surprised to see the Supreme Commander himself lying sick on the couch in the room, with a white towel on his head. He walked lightly to the sofa, bent down slightly, and reported to Stalin, who had his eyes closed: "Comrade Stalin, in accordance with your instructions, I am returning to Moscow. ”

Hearing the voice of the former Chief of the General Staff, Stalin opened his eyes and glanced at him, lifted the stall covering his body and sat up lazily. After a slight pause, he stood up and walked slowly to the wall, raised his hand and turned on the switch of the light, and the office, which had been a little dark, suddenly became brightly lit.

Then he walked up to Zhukov, who was standing on the side and kept his posture upright, and asked in a calm tone: "Comrade Zhukov, how is the situation in Leningrad?" ”

"The enemy's assault on the city weakened." Zhukov straightened his back and replied: "They suffered heavy losses in the September battles, and in Leningrad they really had to move from offensive to defensive. Comrade Stalin, our aerial reconnaissance discovered the enemy's motorized and tank units, which launched an operation from the Leningrad region to the south. According to my analysis, they presumably intend to transfer these troops in the direction of Moscow. ”

After listening to this, Stalin walked to the table with a blank face, glanced down at the map spread out on the table, and then shook his head at Zhukov and said: "Comrade Zhukov, come and see." ”

"You see, there's a complication here." Stalin took advantage of Zhukov's downward look at the map, picked up the pipe on the table, pressed the cigarette and said with a serious expression: "Comrade Zhukov, the situation in the Western Front is very bad. With the surprise attack of the Germans the day before yesterday, Konev's forces are all encircled, and we don't know what happened to them now. I believe that it is necessary to find a way to rescue them, and the tragedy of Kyiv must not be repeated in the Vyazma region. ”

Zhukov did not expect that after only a month in Leningrad, the situation of the Western Front would become so bad. He frowned and thought for a moment, and then asked: "Comrade Stalin, as far as I know, among the commanders of the armies of the Western Front, there are quite a few excellent commanders. Lieutenant General Lukin, for example, was particularly good at fighting in a closed circle, and could even organize some scattered troops in the shortest possible time to meet the German armored forces. I believe that with his extremely strong military command ability, he will definitely be able to crush the ferocious offensive of the German army. ”

"The first thing the Germans broke through was their junction with the 30th Army, and only then they split our lines and cut off the contact between the armies." Stalin, having struck a match and lit his pipe, said angrily: "And his communication with us has been severed." ”

Zhukov squinted his eyes at the map in front of him, carefully checked the distribution of the various armies under the Western Front, pointed to the defense area of the 16th Army, looked up and said to Stalin: "Comrade Rokossovsky is also an excellent commander, he once dealt a heavy blow to the German army in a bad environment. He contributed to the fact that the defense line of the Western Front was able to maintain stability all along. ”

Stalin pointed to the map with his fist clenching his pipe, and said with an angry face: "If Rokossovsky had not led his command out of the troops without authorization, our defense line would not have collapsed so quickly." ”

"What, Rokossovsky led the command out of the troops without authorization?" Hearing Stalin say this, Zhukov couldn't help but widen his eyes and asked in surprise: "Comrade Stalin, when did this happen?" How could Rokossovsky suddenly break away from his own troops? ”

Stalin shook his head and said helplessly: "I don't know the specific situation, but I have ordered Molotov and Voroshilov to form an investigation team and go to the headquarters of the Western Front to find out the reasons for the defeat in the battle and Rokossovsky's detachment from the troops." ”

Hearing this, Zhukov was a little breathless, and he took the initiative to ask Ying: "Comrade Stalin, please immediately send me to the headquarters of the Western Front to find out the situation of the troops, find out where the enemy is, and with what kind of forces to attack us, so that the Supreme High Command can make a correct judgment." ”

When Stalin heard Zhukov say this, he nodded with satisfaction and said: "Okay, Comrade Zhukov, you, as a representative of the base camp, will go to the headquarters of the Western Front." As soon as they learned the details of the situation, they called me to report it. I am waiting for your intelligence from the command of the Western Front. ”

After Zhukov left Stalin's office, after learning from Shaposhnikov about the new position reported by the Western Front, he drove over without even bringing a guard.

Seeing Zhukov suddenly appear in the headquarters, both Konev and Bulganin were taken aback. Zhukov walked straight to the table with the military map and sat down, then looked up and asked Konev, who was still in a state of distraction: "Comrade Konev, are several of the main members of your command here?" ”

"Yes," Hearing Zhukov's question, Konev didn't even have time to ask what the other party's identity was now, so he nodded his head hurriedly and said, "They're all here, do you need to call them all over?" ”

"Comrade Stalin appointed me as a representative of the base camp to come to you to find out the reasons for the defeat of the Western Front." Although Konev did not ask, Zhukov took the initiative to identify himself: "In addition to you and the military commissar, the chief of staff, the head of the war department and the head of the political department will be called to the meeting." ”

After the commanders named by Zhukov had arrived, Konev glanced at the people present, pointed to Zhukov sitting in the middle, and said slowly: "Comrades, General Zhukov came to us as a representative of the base camp to understand the reasons for the defeat in the battle. I wonder who wants to speak first? ”

After some humble concessions, Chief of Staff Sokolovsky gave a detailed report to Zhukov on the current situation of the Western Front. When he reports, he tries to keep his voice steady, like a radio presenter in a press release, trying not to mix his emotions into it.

After listening to this, Zhukov took off the large-brimmed hat on his head and put it on the table, turned his head to the silent Konev and said: "General Konev, why do you use general language to perfunctory all this in your report to Comrade Stalin, and do not report the real situation at the front?" ”

"Because we don't know," Konev said somewhat absent-mindedly, "we didn't know how bad things could go." ”

"No, you know very well." Zhukov looked at Konev and said with a serious expression: "You know that the troops on the front line have been surrounded by the German army, but you do not have reserves in your hands that can resolve this crisis. ”

"Comrade General," said Sokolovsky, who had just finished his briefing, "the current situation is indeed very unstable, and even changing every hour, and we hope that the situation will change for the better." ”

After hearing this, Zhukov snorted and asked rhetorically: "Do you think that the troops of the Front Army will be able to break out of the encirclement of the German army?" Seeing that everyone remained silent, Zhukov continued: "According to the information I have, the troops of the Front could have avoided being encircled, and for this reason, it is necessary for you to determine the direction of the enemy's main assault in a timely and accurate manner, and concentrate all reserves to meet the enemy. But unfortunately, although you were given two months to prepare, you did not take effective measures. I'm not wrong, am I? ”

Zhukov's words left everyone speechless. Seeing that everyone was silent, he had no choice but to continue to sing a one-man show: "In general, it is not difficult to figure out the strategy of the Germans, they are nothing more than the old way, which has been repeated many times, is to concentrate forces on our flanks for a surprise attack. Comrade Rokossovsky, commander of the 16th Army, saw through this trick of the enemy, which is why he smashed the enemy's plots again and again. ”

Speaking of this, he turned his gaze to Konev again and asked with some curiosity: "Comrade Konev, I would like to ask Rokossovsky what is going on, why did he leave the troops with his own command without authorization before the enemy launched a large-scale attack?" ”

"This... This..."Konev didn't expect Zhukov to suddenly ask this question, and he didn't know how to answer in a hurry, and he seemed a little confused.

"Comrade General, can I say a few words?" At this moment, Redesev, who was observing the meeting, spoke: "Maybe I can give you a little information about General Rokossovsky. ”

Zhukov looked at Rityev with a little surprise and asked in surprise: "Comrade Director of the Political Department, so you have met Rokossovsky?" Seeing that Lestyv nodded affirmatively, he hurriedly asked, "Where did you meet him?" ”

"In Vyazma." When Lestyv said this, he gave Konev a cautious look. Seeing that the other party was sitting in place, staring at the map in front of him in a daze, as if he had not heard what he was saying at all, he continued: "I went to Vyazma yesterday to meet with some local leading comrades who were stranded there, and I happened to meet Rokossovsky who came to the city to receive troops. ”

"What, Rokossovsky went to Vyazma to receive troops?" Zhukov was taken aback again by Lestyev's words, he turned his head to look at Konev in a daze, turned his head to look at Lestyv again and asked, "Can you tell me why he didn't build a defense there after receiving the troops?" ”

"Comrade General." Lestyev said with a wry smile: "I heard from the local leadership that Rokossovsky will receive five infantry divisions there, some of the technical equipment that has been replenished by the superiors. But when Comrade Rokossovsky appeared, I realized that there were no troops at all, and there were only a small number of civilian police in the entire city of Vyazma. If the German armored forces had not taken the opportunity to escape with us in his car if it had not been for Rokossovsky's quick decision to escape with us, it is estimated that we would have all become prisoners of the Germans by now. ”

"What troops did Rokossovsky go to Vyazma to receive?" Lestyev's report made Zhukov a little confused, and after glancing at Konev again, he said loudly: "Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on." ”

"Comrade General, after Rokossovsky left Vyazma, he came into contact with me." As soon as Zhukov's words fell, General Malankin, head of the War Department, spoke: "At first, I thought that he was greedy for life and afraid of death, so he led the headquarters to leave the unit without authorization. But after talking with him, I learned that the reason why he led his headquarters to Vyazma was because he received an order from the command of the Front to hand over his troops to the commander of the 20th Army, General Yershakov, and to himself lead the headquarters of the army group to Vyazma to receive five infantry divisions, and technical equipment transferred by superiors, to launch a counterattack on the flank of the German army. However, when he arrived in Vyazma, he found that there were no troops there at all. When the Germans stormed into the city, because of the weakness of his men, they had no choice but to retreat. ”

Zhukov didn't fully believe Malankin's statement, he stared at the other party for a while, and then said in a stern tone: "General Malankin, is what you said true?" ”

"That's right, I vouch for it on my own credit, everything I say is true." Malankin immediately assured Zhukov.

"Comrade General," Lestyev echoed after glancing at Marankin, "I can prove that everything that Comrade Chief of Operations said is true. ”

"Comrade General, I think I can also prove that everything that General Marankin and Comrade Lestyev said is true." Sokolovsky, who was sitting next to Konev, also spoke: "When the command of the Front was transferred, I once met Comrade Lobachev, the military commissar of the 16th Army, outside the city of Vyazma, and he also told me that their command broke away from the troops because it received an order from the command of the Front. ”

"Comrade Konev, please explain to us." After listening to the words of several commanders, Zhukov understood in his heart that the reason why Rokossovsky was wronged was that he had a close connection with General Konev beside him. So he looked at Konev and asked sternly: "General Konev, please tell me, what is going on?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Zhukov." Things have come to this point, Konev knows that there is no point in denying it, and even if he doesn't say it, Military Commissar Bulganin will say it, after all, the order Rokossovsky received was signed by the two of them, "I did give such an order." I took into account that Rokossovsky was a great commander, and it was only fitting that he should be entrusted with the task of counterattacking the German flank. ”

"Even if you want him to command a counterattack on the German flank," Zhukov was on the verge of anger at the moment, but he still tried to control his emotions, "Then you want to give him a combat unit?" He must not be allowed to lead the command and the guards to counterattack the enemy. That would be tantamount to sending them to death. ”

Speaking of this, Zhukov put the military cap on the table back on his head and asked Malankin: "General Malankin, do you know where they are at the moment?" ”

Marankin thought for a moment, and then replied: "When we left his headquarters, he was actually preparing to move his headquarters to the northeast, probably preparing to jump out of the German encirclement from this area." ”

After Malankin finished speaking, Zhukov stood up, buttoned up his open leather jacket, and said: "Please rest assured, I am not here to reproach you, but to learn some about the situation at the front and talk about my own personal opinion. You are so good that you take your leave. With that, without waiting for the rest of the commanders of the Western Front to react, he strode towards the door.

Seeing Zhukov's back disappear from the door, Bulganin, who had never spoken, asked a little nervously: "Comrade Konev, what should we do next?" ”

Hearing Bulganin's question, Konev seemed to wake up from a nightmare, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and then ordered Sokolovsky: "Chief of Staff, immediately order the communications office to contact the 16th Army, and after figuring out their location, order them to move closer to us." (To be continued.) )