In Rokossovsky's later memory, Khimki was occupied by only a small German force, and not long after entering the town, it was driven away by the militia that rushed to hear the news. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 It was precisely because he knew this history that he was able to confidently and boldly hand over Khimki to the special company defense of Tian Shuzi.

However, for the sake of safety, when leaving Khimki, he also specially told Tian Shuzi that there was a large factory two or three kilometers away from the town, and asked him to send people to establish contact with the militia as soon as possible, so that when the troops were attacked, they could get timely support from friendly and neighboring troops.

After the two got back into the jeep, Lobachev asked worriedly: "Comrade commander, is it appropriate for us to put a company in Khimki?" Moreover, this unit is still adapted from a guerrilla unit, and I am worried that they have little experience in regular warfare. ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Rokossovsky said helplessly, "I also want to leave more troops here in Khimki, but where do we have surplus troops?" Zhukov said to give us a battalion, but only one company was sent, and it was very difficult for us to defend the existing territory, where can we draw more troops to strengthen the defense here? ”

Seeing Lobachev's face full of worry, he hurriedly added: "Don't worry, Comrade Military Commissar, I assure you, don't see that the troops holding Khimki are guerrillas from China, but I believe that they will fight stubbornly no matter how ferocious the enemy is." ”

Although Lobachev did not understand why Rokossovsky was so optimistic about this partisan force, which had just been reorganized into a regular army, he did not dwell on this topic anymore, but moved on to other directions: "Comrade commander, we have limited forces today, how can we hold the area of the Istra reservoir? ”

"Hard fighting, definitely not. The Germans had more troops and better equipment than us, and if we fought a positional war with them, we would be in their hands. Rokossovsky leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands in front of his chest, frowned, and said: "It seems that we have to change our tactics." ”

"How do you change tactics?" Lobachev asked puzzled.

"I think we should let the Cavalry Corps and the 9th Guards Division, which are defending in the front, make way for the Germans." Rokossovsky looked ahead with his eyes and said thoughtfully: "When the Germans rush in through the passage left for them, we will destroy them with artillery fire." When the Germans suffered heavy losses, we attacked from both flanks and inflicted heavy losses on them. ”

"I don't know where Kazakov is." After listening to Rokossovsky, Lobachev said with a wry smile: "Since the defeat of Klin, we have cut off contact with him. ”

While the two were talking, they saw a staff officer running from behind, came to the car, handed a telegram to Rokossovsky, and reported: "Comrade commander, the telegram I have just received is from the chief of staff. ”

Rokossovsky took the telegram and bowed slightly at the staff officer, who raised his hand and saluted, then turned and left. After reading the telegram in his hand, Rokossovsky casually handed it to Lobachev and instructed the driver: "Driver, let's go to Klin." ”

When the driver heard Rokossovsky's order, he couldn't help but shudder, and said in his heart that Kling was not occupied by the Germans? Isn't it tantamount to going to be a prisoner when we pass at this time? But since he received the order, he did not dare to disobey, so he had to start the vehicle, step on the accelerator and drive along the road in the direction of Klin.

When the car was starting, Lobachev also finished reading the telegram, he looked at Rokossovsky and asked puzzledly: "Comrade commander, before we get reinforcements, what force should we use to capture Klin?" ”

"This is not important, we want to think about where to create a new army group command." Rokossovsky said as he pulled out the map from his briefcase, spread it out and looked inside the bumpy car. After looking at it for a while, he pointed to a place and said to Lobachev: "Comrade Military Commissar, let's set up our headquarters here." This position, which is only a dozen kilometers from Klin, is very beneficial for us to grasp the situation at the front. ”

Lobachev looked in the direction of his finger and saw that the location where Rokossovsky wanted to establish a new command was a small village called Peshki, and he couldn't help frowning and said euphemistically: "Comrade commander, you have to think carefully about whether this is suitable for establishing our command headquarters, after all, this is a small village, our troops cannot build a defense well, and in the event of an enemy attack, we will have to move." ”

After listening to Lobachev's scruples, Rokossovsky nodded, and after thinking for a moment, he said decisively: "In this way, Comrade Military Commissar, we will set up the temporary command in the village of Peshki, and the main command in charge of the chief of staff will be transferred to Lyalovo." When we arrived at our destination, we telegraphed the situation and informed Malinin of the address of the new headquarters. ”

"But we will need at least a few hours to get to the village of Peshki." As soon as Lobachev waited for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, he immediately reminded him: "Won't it be a little too late to inform Malinin when you get to your destination?" ”

"No," Rokossovsky said stubbornly, "when we arrived in Peshki, it was already dark, and it was to inform Malinin that they would move, and on the way there would be no German air raids." ”

"Well, then wait until Peshki" Seeing that Rokossovsky was so stubborn, Lobachev couldn't say anything more, so he reluctantly agreed with him.

The convoy came to the south of the village of Peshki, and Rokossovsky saw in the distance that the open space outside the village was full of large and small vehicles. And Lobachev, who was sitting next to them, also saw those vehicles, and said with a smile: "Comrade commander, look, this place has become a parking lot, there are so many gas cars, it seems that there will be many big people in the village." ”

After Rokossovsky and Lobachev got out of the car, they instructed the communications staff officers sitting in the back car to send a telegram to Malinin ordering that he had moved the new command to Lyalovo.

When the two reached the entrance of the village, they were stopped by several soldiers standing there. After looking Rokossovsky and Lobachev up and down, a sergeant asked vigilantly: "Comrade commanders, who are you and what are you doing here?" ”

After hearing this, Lobachev sneered, then looked at Rokossovsky and said: "Comrade commander, you heard, this fighter asked who we are and what are we doing here?" ”

Rokossovsky grinned at Lobachev, and then said to the fighters in a serious manner: "Comrade Sergeant, I am Lieutenant General Rokossovsky, commander of the 16th Army, and I was ordered to come here to establish a temporary command. At this point, he summoned the sergeant and the few soldiers standing next to him, and then asked, "What part are you from?" ”

When the sergeant heard that Rokossovsky was behind him, he immediately raised his hand and saluted him, and replied politely: "Report to Comrade General, we are from the headquarters of the Front, and we have sent two generals, Carmela and Kurkin, to the front to inspect the front. ”

Hearing that there were two commanders in the village who he knew, Rokossovsky couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, and hurriedly asked: "Comrade Sergeant, where are they?" ”

"Comrade General, they are in a wooden house in the west of the village." The sergeant pointed to the road ahead and said respectfully: "You go along this street, and when you see the second junction, go west, and the house where two soldiers are standing guard at the door is it." ”

After thanking the corporal, Rokossovsky took Lobachev and several staff officers and walked down the street towards the place where the superior commander had gathered. When he reached the intersection and turned west, he not only saw a wooden house with soldiers standing guard at the door in the distance, but also saw a T-34 tank parked next to the house.

Seeing a group of people walking towards their position, the fighters standing at the door suddenly became vigilant, and the two of them quickly took off the rifles on their shoulders and aimed them at Rokossovsky, who was walking over, and at the same time shouted loudly: "Hey, stop, which part of you are from?" ”

Rokossovsky saw that the turret of the tank also slowly turned, and pointed the muzzle of the gun to his side. In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, he asked the staff officers to stop where they were and wait, and he walked slowly forward with Lobachev, while saying loudly: "Comrade soldiers, I am Rokossovsky, commander of the 16th Army, and I have come to General Carmela and General Kurkin. Excuse me, are they here? ”

Hearing that it was a commander of the army group, or came to find the commander in the wooden house, the two soldiers secretly breathed a sigh of relief, put the rifle in their hands on their shoulders again, and hurriedly stepped forward to salute Rokossovsky.

When he and Lobachev entered the wooden house, they saw a number of officers standing in the room, around a long wooden table, studying a map placed on it. Everyone discussed the current situation word by word, making the room as lively as a vegetable market. Seeing that no one noticed his arrival, Rokossovsky raised his voice and said aloud: "Hello, comrades commanders, what are you discussing? ”

The sudden sound made the room quiet. The officers gathered around the table turned their heads to look in the direction from which the voice came, and after seeing Rokossovsky and Lobachev standing clearly in the doorway, the officers with lower ranks than them quickly straightened up and turned to face them.

"Who did I think it was, it turned out to be Comrade Rokossovsky." Kurkin, who was standing on the other side of the table, saw that it was Rokossovsky, and immediately walked around the table and walked over with a smile on his face. After shaking the other party's hand, he asked with concern: "Comrade General, if I am not mistaken, you are planning to establish a headquarters here, right?" ”

"That's right, General Kurkin, I intend to establish my temporary command here." Rokossovsky, shaking hands with Kurkin, asked curiously: "How did you and General Carmela end up here?" ”

"It's not about fighting back against Klin." Kurkin shrugged his shoulders and said: "The German army has an advantage in strength and technical equipment, and the two of us have come here to investigate the suitable location for the deployment of our artillery." ”

"Did you find it?" Rokossovsky asked casually.

"Nope." Kulkin shook his head and said helplessly: "You also heard, we are discussing, but unfortunately we have not discussed a result." ”

Carmela also came over at this moment, and after shaking hands with Rokossovsky, she turned to Kurkin and said, "General Kurkin, I see that there is no need for us to discuss any further, since the person in charge of the defense of this area has arrived, we should not stay here and interfere with his work." ”

Hearing Carmela say this, Kurkin nodded helplessly, and then said to the commanders standing in the room: "Okay, comrades, since Rokossovsky and his members of the command have arrived, we don't have to stay here any longer, let's go back to the front headquarters." ”

The commander standing in the room said yes, and then began to pack up the maps and some miscellaneous items on the table. When they were done, they left the room again.

Seeing that his subordinates were leaving one after another, Kurkin once again shook Rokossovsky's hand and said: "Comrade Rokossovsky, we are going back to the headquarters of the Front, and here we will get rid of you completely." ”

When Kamela shook hands with Rokossovsky, she said to him: "There is a tank company in the village, a total of four tanks, I will leave it to you, and in the future when you counterattack Klin, it should be of use." ”

"Thank you, General Carmela." Hearing that there were four tanks in the village, Rokossovsky was immediately distracted, as long as these tanks were there, even if a small group of German troops rushed in, it would be enough to drive them all away.

Hearing Carmela say this, Kurkin nodded helplessly, and then said to the commanders standing in the room: "Okay, comrades, since Rokossovsky and his members of the command have arrived, we don't have to stay here any longer, let's go back to the front headquarters." ”

The commander standing in the room said yes, and then began to pack up the maps and some miscellaneous items on the table. When they were done, they left the room again.

Seeing that his subordinates were leaving one after another, Kurkin once again shook Rokossovsky's hand and said: "Comrade Rokossovsky, we are going back to the headquarters of the Front, and here we will get rid of you completely." ”

When Kamela shook hands with Rokossovsky, she said to him: "There is a tank company in the village, a total of four tanks, I will leave it to you, and in the future when you counterattack Klin, it should be of use." ”

"Thank you, General Carmela." Hearing that there were four tanks in the village, Rokossovsky was immediately distracted, as long as these tanks were there, even if a small group of German troops rushed in, it would be enough to drive them all away.