"You... Hello! This... Comrade Stalin! Rokossovsky thought that Stalin had called because of his failure to counterattack the city of Sol, and he had come to ask for the guilt, so he stammered a little. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"Dear Konstantin Konstantinovich," Stalin called Rokossovsky's real name and patronymic, and said in a gentle tone, "why are you so nervous? ”

Hearing Stalin call his real name and his patronymic name, Rokossovsky's heart suddenly became much more reassured, because as far as he knew, the only person who could enjoy Stalin's such title was Marshal Shaposhnikov, the General Staff of the Red Army. Since he called himself like this at this moment, it showed that he was not asking his teacher for sin, so the tone of his speech gradually returned to normal: "That's right, Comrade Stalin. We launched a counterattack against Cumbre del Sol today, and failed. The cavalry units, after fighting stubbornly on the offensive, were driven out of the occupied settlements by the Germans. ”

"Comrade Rokossovsky," Stalin asked in a puzzled tone after listening to Rokossovsky's report: "Since it is a siege, why do you use cavalry?" As a former cavalry commander, don't you know that cavalry can only exert its strongest combat effectiveness on open land? Various obstacles in the city prevented our cavalry from taking advantage of their speed. You know, the cavalry that has lost their speed cannot even match the infantry, they will only become a target for the enemy's slaughter. ”

Although Stalin's tone was very harsh, Rokossovsky still heard that the other party was not angry because of this incident, and hurriedly defended: "Comrade Stalin, our army group should not only hold the Istrian reservoir area, but also be responsible for defending the Klin-Sol line and preventing the German army from rushing to Moscow from the north. My forces were on the verge of exhaustion, and I threw in the cavalry to attack the city, so that they could quickly move to a new defensive zone by virtue of the rapid mobility of the cavalry after completing their mission. ”

After Rokossovsky's words, Stalin was silent for a long time, and then said slowly: "So, Comrade Rokossovsky, your defensive sector is currently very difficult, right?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Stalin." Seeing Stalin's question, Rokossovsky did not hide it, and replied truthfully: "Fortunately, the German army has also become very tired after a long battle, otherwise with our current strength, it would not be able to stop them at all." ”

"Comrade Rokossovsky, I understand that your situation is difficult." Stalin said in an understanding tone: "Please hold on a little longer, no matter what, and we will find a way to help your ......"

After Stalin hung up the phone, Rokossovsky raised his hand and touched the cold sweat on his forehead, and his mood suddenly felt much lighter. Although Stalin did not promise him how many reinforcements he would send here, since the Supreme Commander-in-Chief himself opened his mouth, it would not be long before a steady stream of valuable reinforcements arrived.

…………

In the defense zone of the 16th Army, fierce battles took place not only in the city of Cumbre del Sol, but also in the Istrian reservoir. A small German force, divided into fifteen three-wheeled motorcycles, bypassed the direction of the Soviet troops and was quietly advancing towards the weakened Khimki.

Due to the cold weather, the anti-union forces left behind in Khimki could not find suitable tools to dig up the frozen ground, so they could not build fortifications on the periphery of the town, so Tian Shuzi could only order everyone to pile up sandbags on the windowsill of the empty room and use them as fortifications.

Seeing that the sky was gradually darkening, Wang Erzhu, who was sitting around the brazier, asked Tian Shuzi, who was wiping his gun, with some concern: "Comrade Company Commander, did you say that the Germans would come?" ”

"Yes," Tian said without raising his head, "since the general said that the Germans would come, then he will definitely come back." At this point, he thrust the polished pistol into his waist, then stood up and said, "Why is my heart a little unsteady, no, I want to go out and have a look." ”

Wang Erzhu hurriedly picked up the sheepskin shoulder that was resting aside, handed it to Tian Shuzi, and said with concern: "Comrade Company Commander, it's cold outside, you put this shoulder on when you go out." ”

Tian Shuzi took the shoulder, but he didn't put it on his body, but put it on his arm, and said, "I'd better take it for the soldiers who stand guard at night." At night, it's as cold as the deep mountains and forests of the northeast. ”

When he saw Tian Shuzi open the door and was about to go out, Wang Erzhu also grabbed the submachine gun that was put aside, put it on his shoulder, trotted over, and said to Tian Shuzi: "Comrade Company Commander, I'd better go with you to check the sentry." ”

The two of them walked out of the room and into the deserted street, shivering at the biting wind. Wang Erzhu crossed his hands in his arms, and said tremblingly: "My God, I haven't noticed the cold in the house, and when I go out, I feel like I'm about to freeze people into popsicles." ”

"Alright, stop talking nonsense." Tian Shuzi raised his hand and slapped him heavily on the back, urging: "Let's hurry up and send the shoulder to the sentry, so as not to freeze him to death." ”

Before the two of them could get out of town, suddenly there was a roar of motorcycles ahead. Because it was night, the movement was heard more and more clearly. Tian Shuzi stopped and asked vigilantly, "Erzhu, did you hear any sound?" ”

"I heard you, the sound of the electric donkey." Wang Erzhu said disappreciatively: "When I was in the Northeast before, didn't the Japanese also ride this kind of electric donkey, and we also went to ambush them a few times." ”

"At this time, how can there be the sound of an electric donkey?" Tian Shuzi frowned and said with a puzzled expression.

"Maybe the front line sent them back to deliver information." After Wang Erzhu finished speaking disappreciatively, he urged again: "Okay, comrade company commander, don't be grinding." Let's finish checking the sentry early, let's go back to rest, it's so cold outside that people can freeze to death. ”

As soon as his words fell, a crisp burst of gunfire came from ahead. Tian Shuzi's ears were sharp, and he immediately heard that the gunfire was not from the Mosin Lagan rifle or the Bobosha submachine gun, but the sound of the German MP40 shooting, and hurriedly shouted: "Not good!" The Germans are coming! ”

The gunfire soon stopped, and then the sound of motorcycles became louder and louder, Tian Shuzi judged that the German army was rushing towards him quickly after eliminating his own sentry, and hurriedly ordered Wang Erzhu: "Hurry up and issue a battle alarm and let everyone enter the combat post." ”

In fact, when the gunshots rang out, the anti-United Nations fighters who lived in the houses had already been awakened. However, because they are scattered in different places and have no contact work, they are still in a state of confusion and do not know what to do. But soon this confusion disappeared, because Wang Erzhu's broken gong-like voice sounded outside: "Battle alarm!" … Battle Alert! … The Germans stormed the town, and everyone was ready for battle..."

With Wang Erzhu's shout, the anti-union fighters all stood in front of the windowsill, put their weapons on sandbags, and aimed at the street, ready to shoot as soon as they found the enemy appearing.

Listening to the enemy's motorcycles getting closer and closer to the town, Tian Shuzi really complained, and he regretted that he should not let the soldiers all disperse into civilian houses, so that after the battle started, everyone would go their own way, and it would be difficult to form a limited combat effectiveness. When the enemy attacks, it is impossible to inflict heavy damage on them; When the enemy fled, he could not pursue them effectively, but could only watch them flee.

"What's going on, what's going on?" At this moment, the only two police officers in the town appeared. Since the two of them ran out of the house after hearing the gunshots and shouting, they didn't even get dressed. The police corporal buttoned his clothes and asked Tian Shuzi, who was standing in the middle of the road: "Comrade Lieutenant, what's wrong?" ”

Tian Shuzi didn't know Russian at all, and the police corporal talked to him for a long time, but he didn't get the answer he wanted. Tian Shuzi had no choice but to call Wang Erzhu, who was shouting in the distance with a broken gong, and asked him to be a translator for himself.

When the civilian corporal heard that it was a small unit of the German army that had come to attack the town, he immediately said nervously: "Comrade lieutenant, immediately report to Moscow that the enemy has stormed Khimki." ”

"Where can I make a call?" Tian Shuzi asked nervously.

"The post office in town will be able to call." As soon as the corporal of the police said this, there was a sudden dense sound of gunfire at the entrance of the town, and occasionally one or two grenade explosions, which should have been exchanged fire between the anti-United Nations fighters in the house near the entrance and the German motorcyclists who were about to rush into the town.

The corporal stared for a moment at the entrance of the town, where the fire was rising and there was a loud noise, and said to Tian Shuzi in a bit of a panic: "Comrade lieutenant, let's hurry up and make a call, if we wait for the Germans to rush over, it will be too late." ”

He ran a few steps with Tian Shuzi and Wang Erzhu, turned his head, and saw that his only subordinate, the little policeman was still standing in a daze, and hurriedly rushed over and kicked the other party, shouting: "What are you still doing standing here, waiting for death?" Hurry up and follow me to the post office and call the police in Moscow. ”

There was only one operator on duty at the post office, and when the police sergeant arrived, he had just received a call from the nearby defense headquarters, and the other party asked him why there was a gunshot in Khimki and whether something had happened, and he didn't know how to answer, when he saw a group of people rushing in from outside, and the leader was the police corporal he knew, so he hurriedly said to the microphone: "Please wait a moment, I will let the police in the town report to you!" ”

The police corporal took the microphone and just put it close to his ear when he heard someone inside hurriedly asking: "Hey, comrade policeman, what happened to you there, why are there gunshots?" ”

Although the corporal did not know who the other party was, when he heard the other person ask, he knew that he must be someone who could help him, so he truthfully reported: "Comrade Command, there is a group of German troops on motorcycles who are trying to storm the town of Khimki, and the troops in the town are exchanging fire with them. ”

"How many people are on the other side?" The caller then asked.

The corporal of the police set his sights on Tian Shuzi, hoping to get an answer from him. Although he didn't say anything, Tian Shuzi understood what he meant, and hurriedly said to Wang Erzhu: "Tell him that the enemy will not be less than one platoon." ”

After listening to Wang Erzhu's translation, the corporal said into the microphone: "The Germans have at least one platoon of troops. ”

"How long can you hold out?" The man asked anxiously, "Even if I send reinforcements now, it will be at least forty minutes before I can reach you." ”

"Forty minutes?" After Tian Shuzi knew how long they had to hold on, his heart became steady, and he said that although his troops were scattered, it would not be a problem at all to hold the enemy for forty minutes. So he nodded at the police corporal and signaled that there was no problem in holding on for forty minutes.

"Don't worry, comrade commander." Seeing that Tian Shuzi was so confident, the police corporal also confidently said into the microphone: "Don't say forty minutes, even if it is four hours, we can hold on." ”

After making the call, Tian Shuzi immediately began to assign tasks to Wang Erzhu: "Erzhu, you immediately find ten people to come here, the Post and Telecommunications Bureau is an important place for us to keep in touch with the outside world, there must be no mistakes, understand?" ”

"Understood, I'll go." After Wang Erzhu finished speaking, he ran out of the post and telecommunications office with a submachine gun and went to a nearby house to gather people.

The German troops who entered the town suffered seven or eight casualties after being raided by the anti-Union fighters. However, the cunning enemy soon found that the fighters who were sticking to the town were going their own way, so they split into two lines, some of them hiding behind motorcycles, and firing at the anti-union fighters in the houses; Others, on the other hand, went around to the back of the house, smashed the glass, threw grenades into the house, and killed the fighters inside.

The anti-United Nations fighters, who fought the German army at night for the first time, had little experience in defense, and as a result, in just five minutes, the Germans occupied seven or eight houses in a row, and gradually advanced along the streets towards the center of the town.

Although Tian Shuzi stayed in the post and telecommunications office, he could tell from the sound of shooting outside that his men had suffered losses in the battle, and the Germans were advancing step by step towards the center of the town. Therefore, after Wang Erzhu rushed to the post and telecommunications station with people, he immediately ordered: "Erzhu, you lead people to hold on here, as long as there is one person alive, you must not let the Germans occupy here, understand?" ”

Wang Erzhu heard that the tone of the company commander was a little wrong, and he couldn't help but ask nervously: "Company commander, where are you going to go?" ”

"Our warriors are scattered in their houses, and now they are fighting on their own. The Germans seem to have sensed this and are breaking through each of our defensive points. Tian Shuzi said very quickly: "I want to gather the rest of the people and continue to fight with the Germans in a different tactic." ”