When Rokossovsky returned to the headquarters with a feeling of great loss, it was already dawn.

Bogolyubov, who remained at the headquarters, saw Rokossovsky returning and immediately reported to him: "Comrade Marshal, our 49th, 70th and 65th armies have reached the defense zone of the 61st Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. The commander of the army group, General Belov, is handing over defense to three of our commanders. ”

"The defensive position of the 61st Army, what is the situation of the enemy." Rokossovsky, who had been busy all night, felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier as if they had been filled with lead, and just wanted to find a place to sleep immediately, so he asked somewhat absent-mindedly: "How many Germans are still active in that area?" ”

"This, this ......" who knew that after Bogolyubov heard Rokossovsky's question, he became a little flustered: "Sorry, Comrade Marshal, General Belov does not know much about the situation of the enemy. ”

"What, not very well aware of the enemy's situation?!" Bogolyubov's answer immediately made Rokossovsky's sleepy worm disappear: "Our troops went to take over their defense, but they couldn't even tell what the enemy's situation was, so how could our troops make a defense plan?" ”

"Comrade Marshal, I spoke to General Belov, and according to him, his troops have been stationed in the existing defense zone for less than three days." Bogolyubov said helplessly: "He simply did not have enough time to understand the situation of the enemy. ”

"It's ridiculous, it's ridiculous." Rokossovsky said angrily: "They have been stationed there for three days, and they know nothing about the enemy's situation, and our new troops are even more blinded. Tell me, how is this defense deployed? ”

Seeing that Rokossovsky was angry, Bogolyubov showed a bitter expression on his face: "Comrade Marshal, the matter has come to this point, the friendly forces can no longer be counted on, we can only order the troops below to send a reconnaissance group to continue reconnaissance of the local area." ”

"Okay," although he knew in his heart that he was being cheated by friendly forces, Rokossovsky said that since his troops had been stationed in this area, he had to rely on his own reconnaissance to find out what the enemy situation was. He waved his hand at Bogolyubov and said weakly: "Call them to Batov and immediately send a reconnaissance group to find out the situation of the enemy in the defense zone." ”

Seeing Rokossovsky's tired face, Bogolyubov said with concern before leaving the office: "Comrade Marshal, you didn't rest all night yesterday, so let's hurry up and sleep for a while." If there's anything, I'll call you up and deal with it. ”

Rokossovsky thought that when he was away, Bogolyubov did have the ability to take charge of himself, and he was not pretentious, so he nodded, walked to the marching bed by the wall, lay down in his kimono, put the blanket on his body, and began to close his eyes and recuperate.

It stands to reason that if you haven't slept all night, you should be able to fall asleep soon, but Rokossovsky has something on his mind, but he can't sleep. His hearing had become unusually sensitive, and he could hear the footsteps of the officers walking in the corridor outside, the ticking sound of the radio next door, and the faint voice of someone nearby.

Since he couldn't sleep, Rokossovsky simply sat up from the bed and shouted outside: "Someone! ”

The adjutant, who was sitting outside the door of the office, heard Rokossovsky's shout, hurriedly pushed the door in, straightened up and asked: "Comrade Marshal, what instructions do you have?" ”

"Let the security department arrange a vehicle for me, and I'm going to inspect outside."

The adjutant did not expect that Rokossovsky would go out again as soon as he returned, and hurriedly asked: "Comrade Marshal, I wonder where you plan to inspect?" ”

"Batov's 65th Army is already approaching the Oder, and I intend to go to his headquarters to have a look." Rokossovsky glanced at the closed door through the war room, and said to the adjutant: "Go and inform the chief of staff and let him help me with the immediate trip and the accompanying guards." ”

"Yes!" The adjutant agreed, turned and walked to the door, opened it and walked in.

After a few minutes, the door opened again, and Bogolyubov hurried in with the adjutant, who, seeing Rokossovsky, who was sitting on the marching bed, hurriedly asked: "Comrade Marshal, how did you remember to go to Batov?" You know, our troops are taking over, and there's a mess everywhere......"

"It's because it's not on track that I need to rush there." Rokossovsky told Bogolyubov: "Only by knowing the situation on the ground in a timely manner can we work out the next course of action for the deployment and defense of the enemy." ”

"Well, Comrade Marshal." Seeing that Rokossovsky was determined to inspect the newly stationed area of the troops, Bogolyubov knew that he could not persuade him, so he could only reluctantly say: "I will immediately arrange for you to accompany the guards, and at the same time notify the three commanders and ask them to send people to meet you along the way." ”

Rokossovsky did not object to Bogolyubov's arrangement, he knew that the battlefield had entered the countdown, and if something happened to him on the eve of victory because of the lack of guards, it would be a big loss.

Since the location of the Batov headquarters was more than 200 kilometers away, and there was a possibility of encountering enemy stragglers along the way, Bogolyubov not only arranged for a guard company to accompany him, but also dispatched two tanks and several armored vehicles. One tank was in front and the other was broken behind, and Rokossovsky was sitting in one of the armored vehicles, and even if he was attacked by the enemy, the enemy would not know exactly which vehicle he was in.

Just as the convoy was about to leave, an officer walked quickly to Bogolyubov's side and whispered a few words to him. After listening to this, Bogolyubov hurriedly waved at the armored car where Rokossovsky was located, and desperately shouted: "Comrade Marshal, wait a minute, wait a minute!" ”

Rokossovsky pushed open the door, looked at Bogolyubov, who was trotting outside, and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, is there something wrong?" ”

"That's right," Bogolyubov hurriedly replied, "the commander of the Air Force Group, General Vershinin, said that there is work to report to you. ”

"Where is he?"

"His car is heading here," Bogolyubov said, looking up at his watch, "I guess in five minutes he will be there!" ”

"Since it's coming in five minutes, I'll wait for him for a while." Rokossovsky felt that the air force would play a decisive role in launching a new offensive against the German army, and if he took Vershinin to the front to have a look, it would be conducive to carrying out the work of air-ground coordination in the next stage of the operation. "If possible, I would like to take him with me to Batov's headquarters."

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