"Comrade Marshal, even if you strengthen the artillery and infantry of the tank army, I am afraid it will be difficult to completely crush the enemy." Don't look at Su Bojing as a political worker, but he soon discovered the problem: "After all, their strength is too weak." ”

"Comrade Military Commissar, you are right." Rokossovsky did not deny this statement of Subotin: "According to reconnaissance intelligence, it is the units of the German Vistula Army Group that continue to fight us, including the 7th and 46th Tank Corps, the 18th Mountain Infantry Corps, the 20th, 23rd, 27th and 55th Infantry Corps. Although they suffered a lot of losses in the battle with our army, their existing strength is still very strong. ”

"After this period of fighting, our divisions have lost a lot of troops." Su Bojing sighed and said: "In order to ensure the morale of the troops and stabilize the morale of the troops, I have ordered the head of the Political Department, General Okorokov, to send all the political workers to the grassroots units, and strive to make every soldier understand his combat mission and spare no effort to complete it. The party organizations of the front armies, group armies, and divisions are also calling on everyone to move forward courageously and defeat the enemy as soon as possible. ”

"In order to defeat the enemy, we must first build up the confidence of our commanders and fighters in victory." Rokossovsky said approvingly: "A unit with high morale is more likely to win battles. After a pause, he continued, "But the difference in strength between us and the enemy is not compensated by high morale, and I feel it necessary to ask the High Command for reinforcements." ”

"Will the superiors agree?" Su Bojing asked tentatively.

Rokossovsky shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands and said: "We can only try our luck." After speaking, he picked up the high-frequency phone on the table, dialed a number, and after waiting for a while, he said into the microphone: "Operator, I am Marshal Rokossovsky, commander of the Second Belorussian Front, please help me pick up the office of Boskoryshev." ”

This time the wait was not long, and after less than ten seconds, Subotin saw Rokossovsky smiling and talking to the microphone and said: "Hello, Comrade Boskrebeshev, I am Rokossovsky, there is something important that needs to be reported to Comrade Stalin immediately. ”

"Comrade Marshal." Pos Krebeshev politely replied: "Comrade Stalin said that whenever you call, immediately transfer the call in. Please wait a moment, I'll transfer the phone right in. ”

"Hello, dear Konstantin Konstantinovich!" Stalin affectionately called Rokossovsky's patronymic and real name on the phone and asked: "Do you have any good news for me?" ”

"Report to Comrade Stalin," Rokossovsky reported in as calm a tone as possible: "General Panfilov's 3rd Guards Tank Army, having taken Kzlin, thereby completing the division of the enemy's East Pomeranian grouping. ”

"Kzlin took it." Stalin said slowly: "I'll see where this city is?" A moment later, Rokossovsky heard an exclamation coming from the earpiece, "This city is very close to the Baltic Sea, and by occupying it, you will not only cut off the land communication of the German army, but also threaten their sea transportation lines." ”

"That's right, Comrade Stalin, that's exactly what happened." Rokossovsky continued: "I intend to wait for the vanguard to advance to the coast, and then turn it head-on to the east, and to form a tighter and tighter iron pincer to flank the enemy in the face of the armies on the right flank of our front. ”

"That's a good idea." Stalin agreed with Rokossovsky's plan, and then asked: "I would like to ask, do you have the ability to annihilate these enemies?" ”

"It's okay to trap the enemy, but with our current strength, it is very difficult to annihilate them." Rokossovsky took the opportunity to say: "Therefore, we hope to have the support of the Supreme High Command. ”

Hearing Rokossovsky say this, Stalin fell silent. He did not want to give the other side the necessary support in order to annihilate more enemies in the shortest possible time, so that Zhukov's troops would be less resistant to the attack on Berlin. After a long time, he asked, "What support do you need?" ”

"Comrade Stalin, although I would love to destroy the besieged enemy as soon as possible, I lack in my hands sufficient mobile corps. If you can give me one of the two tank armies of the 1st Belorussian Front, even if it is temporarily borrowed. I will be able to destroy the besieged enemy in the shortest possible time. Rokossovsky, fearing that Stalin would continue to hesitate, added: "The sooner we destroy Hitler's bandits in East Pomerania, the sooner we can free up troops for the Battle of Berlin." ”

Perhaps it was Rokossovsky's last reason, which convinced Stalin, who, after a moment of silence, said: "Well, I will contact Zhukov immediately, you wait for my news." ”

Rokossovsky, having heard a blind voice coming from the earpiece, put down the microphone and said to Subozin: "Comrade Military Commissar, it seems that the Supreme Commander-in-Chief himself is very likely to agree to our request. As soon as Zhukov's tank army can be handed over to me, then we will be able to carry out a surprise attack on the besieged enemy and destroy them as quickly as possible. ”

And Subotin was obviously not as optimistic as Rokossovsky, he frowned and said: "Comrade Marshal, I personally believe that if we fight in concert with the troops of the First Front, they will be friendly forces with us. But once we want to draw troops from them to strengthen us, I am afraid that Marshal Zhukov will not be able to get through. ”

"Why can't it be done?" Rokossovsky asked puzzled: "We just borrowed his troops, and we didn't return them." ”

"Comrade Marshal, even if you emphasize that you are borrowing their troops, I guess Marshal Zhukov has concerns." Stalin smiled bitterly and said: "If it were me, I would also be worried that after the troops were handed over to you, when they were taken back, not only would there be heavy losses in equipment and personnel, but also many combat units with strong combat effectiveness would be replenished by you to other troops......

Hearing Su Bojing's words, Rokossovsky immediately realized that he had thought about the problem too simply, Zhukov had always regarded the two tank armies under his command as if they were treasures, and he had borrowed his troops so recklessly, I am afraid that he would be worried about returning one of his incomplete units in the future, as Su Bojing said.

Just when Rokossovsky and Subotin were discussing the success of borrowing friendly units, Zhukov received a call from Stalin personally, and when he heard that Rokossovsky intended to borrow a tank army from him, he immediately replied without hesitation: "No, Comrade Stalin, I do not agree to lend the tank army to Rokossovsky. ”