After daylight, Rokossovsky and Lobachev had a hearty breakfast in the dining room and prepared to leave for the headquarters of the army group. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

As the jeep drove along the side of the Moskva River, Rokossovsky looked through the window at the European-style buildings on both sides of the river, covered with camouflage nets, and could not help but ask Lobachev curiously: "Comrade Military Commissar, this is the so-called consular district." I don't know if these European and American diplomats are still in these houses? ”

"How is this possible, my comrade commander." Lobachev sneered, and then said: "These timid capitalist bureaucrats, when the Germans approached Moscow, fled to Kuibyshev in a hurry. You see, the British consulate on the left side of the road has no police standing guard at the door; There is also no flag on the flagpole in the yard, this is an empty house. ”

Not long after, the red walls of the Kremlin appeared in view, and Lobachev asked on a whim: "Comrade commander, do you want to visit Lenin's tomb?" ”

"Forget it," Rokossovsky immediately shook his head in refusal to this proposal of Lobachev: "As far as I know, the crystal coffin of Comrade Lenin, shortly after the outbreak of the war, was transferred to the Tyulin. ”

Although he heard Rokossovsky politely reject his proposal, Lobachev stubbornly persuaded: "Let's go and see, comrade commander, we don't know when we will be here again next time." Without waiting for Rokossovsky to speak, he directly ordered the driver: "Comrade driver, drive the car to the Vasily slope." ”

Due to the peculiarities of Red Square, vehicles without a special pass are not allowed to enter Red Square. Rokossovsky: When they were going to visit Red Square and Lenin's Tomb, they had to park their cars in the parking lot next to St. Basil's Church.

Lobachev and Rokossovsky got out of the car and walked along the slope, where the snow had been shoveled clean, towards Red Square, while chatting. Lobachev opened his mouth and asked: "Comrade commander, how long have you not been to Red Square?" ”

Rokossovsky thought for a moment and replied: "I haven't been here since September last year." It's a shame that even the military parade of the Great October Revolution was missed. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Seeing that Rokossovsky was a little lost, Lobachev smiled and comforted him and said: "It doesn't matter if we missed last year's parade, we still have the opportunity to participate in future parades." ”

When the two came to Lenin's tomb, they saw two guards standing upright at the door, and near the viewing platform not far away, there was also an officer on duty. He saw two senior commanders stop in front of Lenin's tomb and hurriedly walked over. After coming to a stop in front of Rokossovsky, the officer, after raising his hand and saluting, asked politely: "Comrade commanders, may I have anything to serve you?" ”

"Comrade officer," Lobachev asked in a friendly manner, "can we go in and visit?" ”

"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander." The officer replied dryly: "Since the crystal coffin of Comrade Lenin has been transferred to the rear, the opening of Lenin's tomb has been suspended indefinitely." ”

Just as Lobachev and the officer on duty were asking and answering, Rokossovsky turned to look at the empty square, and suddenly remembered the scene he had seen before the crossing: the supreme leader of China and the leader of Russia sat on the viewing platform behind him, talking and laughing. Under the guidance of the bright red military flags, the commanders of the three detachments of the army, navy, and air force marched side by side for the first time, and for the first time adopted a long formation of 8×12 to accompany the music of "Katyusha," and marched through the square with firm and powerful steps.

"Comrade Commander," just as Rokossovsky was thinking back to the past, he heard Lobachev shouting himself from behind. He turned his head to look at his military commissar with a blank expression, only to hear the other party say disappointedly: "The officer on duty said that since the crystal coffin of Comrade Lenin was transferred, it has been closed indefinitely and is not allowed to be visited. Let's go back. ”

To be honest, if Lobachev hadn't made his own decisions, Rokossovsky really wouldn't have wanted to come here. Hearing him say this at this moment, he immediately agreed: "It's a pity that I can't visit." Let's go back. ”

Kaluga is not far from Moscow, and it took only half an hour for the driver to drive into Kaluga.

As soon as you enter the city, you can see many traces of the war, such as bombed-out houses on the side of the road, destroyed armored vehicles or trucks in the middle of the road, motorcycles or ammunition boxes abandoned by the Germans on the side of the road when they fled in a hurry.

Since Rokossovsky had informed Malinin last night and ordered him: to make the new command work today. So you can see military vehicles coming or staggering by in the city from time to time, and troops marching by the roadside.

"Comrade commander," Lobachev asked casually, looking out the window, "I don't know what problem Ma Linin has set up the new army headquarters in, how can we find him?" ”

From the moment he entered Kaluga, Rokossovsky kept looking out the window and at the same time searched for the new command with his eyes, but unfortunately never saw it. Just when he was in a hurry, a small group of thirty people came to him, and from the red sleeve on their right arm, Rokossovsky knew that this was the patrol responsible for the security of the city. Hurriedly instructed the driver: "Stop!" ”

The driver applied the brakes and the car stopped on the side of the road. After Rokossovsky and the other patrol team walked in, he pushed the car door and asked the officer leading the team: "Comrade second lieutenant, do you know where the headquarters of the army group is?" ”

The captain of the patrol, apparently knowing Rokossovsky, raised his hand and shouted: "Stop!" Then he stepped forward and saluted Rokossovsky, turned sideways and pointed in the direction they came, and said: "Comrade commander, keep moving forward, and at the third junction to the right, you will see a light blue church, where the new command is located." ”

"Thank you, Comrade Ensign." After Rokossovsky closed the door, he instructed the driver: "Drive!" ”

After waiting for Rokossovsky's motorcade to pass in front of him, the patrol leader turned to the patrol and shouted: "Listen to my orders, start - go!" ”

Thanks to the guidance of the patrol, Rokossovsky and the others easily found the headquarters of the army group. When he and Lobachev walked through the sandbag fortifications erected at the doorway, walked up the steps of the church, and entered the hall, they found that work had already begun to work, and quite a few staff officers were busy nervously.

Seeing Rokossovsky coming back, Deputy Commander Zakharov hurriedly greeted him, shook hands with the two of them one by one, and asked politely: "Commander, military commissar, you have come back, is the journey still smooth?" ”

"We've had a good journey." Rokossovsky looked around and asked, "Where is the chief of staff?" ”

Zakharov raised his hand and pointed upwards and said: "The chief of staff is on the bell tower, and he said that the city has just been recaptured, and he is afraid of a lurking enemy, so he is ready to set up an observation post and a machine-gun fire point on the roof of the building to ensure the safety of the headquarters." ”

Hearing Zakharov say this, Lobachev smiled and said approvingly: "Or the chief of staff is thoughtful, the buildings near this church have been destroyed in the war, we can't deploy alert forces in these places, and if the Germans use these ruins to approach the headquarters, we really can't find out in advance." ”

As he spoke, Malinin came downstairs. Seeing that Rokossovsky and the others had returned, he came over to salute the two and reported what had happened to the troops during Rokossovsky's absence.

After waiting for Malinin to finish his report, Rokossovsky asked with some surprise: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't quite order, General Golikov's 10th Army has so many troops, why was it defeated by the Germans?" ”

"Comrade Commander, please come here." Malinin guided Rokossovsky to the map, and then began to introduce the situation: "The reason for the defeat of the 10th Army was that the units in the process of advancing to the west were drawn into a long line, which was neither convenient for command nor time to organize defense, as a result of which they were easily repulsed by the enemy. ”

"Chief of Staff, according to the order of our superiors, we are going to receive some units of the 10th Army." Rokossovsky pointed his finger at Mechevsk and said: "Those troops are here." ”

After waiting for Rokossovsky to finish, Malinin said with a smile: "Comrade commander, early this morning, I have ordered a detachment of troops to rush to Mechevsk and stationed there. They were also given orders to speak in plain language, and in radio calls they were to often mention the numbers of the 16th Army and its subordinate divisions, as well as the names of the commanders, and so on. In short, frequent radio contact is required. ”

"Wait a minute," Lobachev couldn't help but interject when he heard this: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you just said that one unit is in Mechevsk, so where did the other divisions come from?" ”

As for Lobachev's layman's question, before Malinin could speak, Zakharov next to him had already explained with a smile: "Comrade Military Commissar, the numbers of the divisions we have mentioned are all fictitious, and they are only intended to give the Germans the illusion that we have sent a large number of troops in that area and disrupt their judgment. Doing so will also help us in the next step of recovering the Hinich region. ”

"I see?" Lobachev nodded, and then asked: "Is there a new reconnaissance report for the reconnaissance team sent to Suchinich?" ”

"Early this morning, an update from General Leviakin." Malinin said, picking up a telegram on the table and handing it to Rokossovsky, continuing: "They say that in the Suchinich area, a place of artillery and tank assembly of German troops was discovered. However, due to the long distance, they need to get close to reconnoitre, and the latest information may not arrive until tonight or tomorrow. ”

As he spoke, Malinin came downstairs. Seeing that Rokossovsky and the others had returned, he came over to salute the two and reported what had happened to the troops during Rokossovsky's absence.

After waiting for Malinin to finish his report, Rokossovsky asked with some surprise: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't quite order, General Golikov's 10th Army has so many troops, why was it defeated by the Germans?" ”

"Comrade Commander, please come here." Malinin guided Rokossovsky to the map, and then began to introduce the situation: "The reason for the defeat of the 10th Army was that the units in the process of advancing to the west were drawn into a long line, which was neither convenient for command nor time to organize defense, as a result of which they were easily repulsed by the enemy. ”

"Chief of Staff, according to the order of our superiors, we are going to receive some units of the 10th Army." Rokossovsky pointed his finger at Mechevsk and said: "Those troops are here." ”

After waiting for Rokossovsky to finish, Malinin said with a smile: "Comrade commander, early this morning, I have ordered a detachment of troops to rush to Mechevsk and stationed there. They were also given orders to speak in plain language, and in radio calls they were to often mention the numbers of the 16th Army and its subordinate divisions, as well as the names of the commanders, and so on. In short, frequent radio contact is required. ”

"Wait a minute," Lobachev couldn't help but interject when he heard this: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you just said that one unit is in Mechevsk, so where did the other divisions come from?" ”

As for Lobachev's layman's question, before Malinin could speak, Zakharov next to him had already explained with a smile: "Comrade Military Commissar, the numbers of the divisions we have mentioned are all fictitious, and they are only intended to give the Germans the illusion that we have sent a large number of troops in that area and disrupt their judgment. Doing so will also help us in the next step of recovering the Hinich region. ”

"I see?" Lobachev nodded, and then asked: "Is there a new reconnaissance report for the reconnaissance team sent to Suchinich?" ”

"Early this morning, an update from General Leviakin." Malinin said, picking up a telegram on the table and handing it to Rokossovsky, continuing: "They say that in the Suchinich area, a place of artillery and tank assembly of German troops was discovered. However, due to the long distance, they need to get close to reconnoitre, and the latest information may not arrive until tonight or tomorrow. ”