After a false alarm, Rokossovsky began to study the current situation again. Pointing to the map www.biquge.info Malinen said to him: "Comrade Commander, according to the interrogation of prisoners and the examination of the prisoners left by the Germans on the battlefield, the troops that are attacking the defense area of the 316th Division are the 7th Panzer Division of the German Army. ”

After hearing the call of the German troops, Rokossovsky snorted heavily, and then said indignantly: "It is this 7th Panmoured Division, at the beginning of the month, together with the 6th Panzer Division, that crossed the Dnieper River, rushed to Vyazma, joined the 10th Panzer Division that rushed from the south, cut off the road from Vyazma to Moscow, and encircled our four army groups. ”

"The division suffered setbacks after repeated attacks, and suffered heavy tank losses." After waiting for Rokossovsky to finish, Malinin continued to report: "The tanks of their 25th Panzer Regiment lost more than half of the battles and could not continue to provide fire support to the infantry. The main attack is now carried out by the division's 7th Infantry Brigade. ”

"However, I saw that the enemy's artillery fire was still very fierce." Rokossovsky frowned and said: "Could it be that they have hundreds of artillery guns in one artillery regiment?" ”

"In the formation of the division, there is only one 78th artillery regiment," Malinin pondered, "and they have a maximum of 36 105-mm howitzers. General Panfilov's defense zone must have been shelled from several directions at once. ”

"Comrade Commander, I think the Chief of Staff is right." As soon as Malinin finished speaking, Kazakov came over and continued: "The German artillery regiment has only 1,500 people, and in addition to 9 20-mm anti-aircraft guns, they should have 36 towed 105-mm howitzers, and 12 towed 150-mm howitzers. ”

"Comrade Chief of Artillery," Rokossovsky asked with a headache after hearing Kazakov, a professional artillery commander, say about the size of the German artillery regiment: "Are we capable of countering the German artillery?" You must know that every time they shell, they will cause a lot of casualties to our commanders and fighters. ”

"It's difficult, Comrade Commander." Kazakov said with a look of embarrassment: "As soon as our artillery fires, it will soon be locked in position by German reconnaissance planes, and then enemy bombers will come all over the world and indiscriminately bombard the exposed artillery positions of our army." ”

If it had been before, Rokossovsky might have asked the other side: "Why didn't you move your positions in time after the shelling?" But now, he knew very well in his heart that those areas where artillery positions could be established had long been the focus of the German army. As soon as the artillery fired, in less than five minutes, the enemy planes arrived. Except for the Katyusha who was able to escape, those towed artillery pieces were only able to take their lives.

Seeing that Rokossovsky was silent, Kazakov hurriedly continued: "However, the anti-tank guns we deployed behind the defensive line can also carry out direct fire on the German tanks that are rushing towards our positions." ”

…………

The German offensive resumed at noon. This time, the Germans concentrated more than 30 tanks, spread out battle formations, and covered the infantry to launch another assault towards the defense area of the 316th Division.

Rokossovsky, who was in the observation post, frowned tightly at the sight of the surging torrent of German steel, fearing that with only four or five anti-tank artillery batteries deployed in position, he would not be able to stop the German tanks from rushing in.

Just as he was grimacing, Orel walked into the observation post and excitedly said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, the comrades of the Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe are here, and they are in the shelter next to our headquarters. ”

Hearing that the Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe was coming, Rokossovsky was overjoyed, and he clearly remembered the past when several soldiers of the Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe used a few songs to boost the morale of the wounded at the station in Shepetovka. Thinking of this, he excitedly said to Orel: "Great, Comrade Colonel, this is tantamount to sending us reserves. Let's go, let's take a look. ”

The two walked along the trench and came to the shelter where the Red Flag Song and Dance Troupe was located. Rokossovsky walked through the door and saw a group of commanders and fighters in black military uniforms standing inside, and before he could see the people, a short man came up and took his hand and affectionately called him by his name and patronymic: "Hello, dear Konstantin Konstantinovich, it's a pleasure to meet you here." ”

Rokossovsky looked at it, and it turned out to be Aleksandrov, the head of the Alexander Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe, and hurriedly and politely called the other party's full name: "Hello, Alexander Vasilyev Aleksandrov, welcome you and your Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe to perform with us." ”

Aleksandrov gently patted the back of Rokossovsky's hand with his empty left hand and said: "Comrade commander, we are here to perform, please send someone to take us to the front, where we will sing for the fighters who are fighting." ”

"No," Rokossovsky unequivocally refused Aleksandrov's request, and said with a serious expression: "The front line is under heavy enemy fire, and we cannot let you take the risk." You must know that you and your song and dance troupe are the precious wealth of our Red Army, and if something goes wrong with you, no one can afford to pay this responsibility. ”

Hearing Rokossovsky say this, Aleksandrov listened attentively to the dense artillery fire ahead, and did not become stubborn, but asked Rokossovsky: "If we can't go to the front, then where should we sing for the fighters?" ”

Regarding Aleksandrov's question, Rokossovsky just smiled, turned his head and ordered Orel: "Comrade Colonel, you go and find the chief of the communications corps, Colonel Maksimenko, and ask him to send more telephones here." ”

"Send the telephone?" Hearing this order from Rokossovsky, Orel couldn't help but be stunned.

Seeing Orel standing still, Rokossovsky guessed that the other party must not have understood his intentions, so he explained: "Colonel, let the comrades of the song and dance troupe sing into the microphone. Then he explained to Aleksandrov, "In this way, the warriors will be able to hear your song at the front." ”

Only a few minutes after Orel ran away, Colonel Maksimenko arrived with a dozen communications soldiers, all with a telephone or two in their hands.

Alexander Rov, seeing that almost everyone in his song and dance troupe had a phone call, coughed lightly, and then loudly announced: "Everyone get ready!" Then he raised his hands in the air. When the two accordions had played the melody, he waved his hands violently and began to beat. The members of the song and dance troupe began to sing in unison with his gestures.

"Rise up, huge country, fight to the death to destroy the evil forces of fascism......" Rokossovsky, who was standing outside the shelter, turned his head to Colonel Maksimenko and said to Colonel Maximenko: "Comrade Colonel, do you hear me? How inspiring this song is, I believe that the commanders and fighters at the front line will already show more heroism and tenacity after hearing this song. ”

After hearing this, Colonel Maksimenko nodded and echoed: "Comrade commander, I agree with you. ”

"Alright, let's go back to the observation post." Rokossovsky shook his head at Colonel Maximenko, who was listening with some fascination, and then took the lead towards the observation post.

The German tanks had approached the position of the 316th Division, and they stopped more than a hundred meters from the trench to suppress the Soviet commanders and fighters in the trench with tank gun and machine gun fire, covering their infantry to charge forward.

Rokossovsky stood in the trench and raised his binoculars to look at the battlefield, only to see two fighters crawling out of the second trench, bending over, towards the anti-tank gun position set up between the two trenches. The soldier running in front was holding a microphone in his hand, and the soldier in the back was holding a spool, putting the telephone line as he ran. After a short while, they ran into the artillery position, and the two of them crouched down and handed the microphone to a commander who was also squatting.

The commander took the microphone and listened to it for a moment, then stood up sharply, and pulled off the cotton military hat on his head, revealing his bandaged forehead. I saw him raise his military hat high, shout loudly at the artillerymen, and after shouting two words, he waved his hand downward. With this action of his, the artillerymen came with a salvo.

Rokossovsky turned his binoculars to look at the German ranks, only to see the shells whizzing down. In the explosion, the charging infantry was blown up on their backs and howled wolf, the turret of a tank that was directly hit was directly torn off, and a crew member covered in fire struggled to climb out from under the car, ran backwards for a few steps, and fell headlong on the snow.

In addition to the accelerated firing rate of the anti-tank artillery battery, the firing rate of the artillery deployed further behind was also greatly accelerated, and the thousands of German infantry in front of the position of the 316th Division were like sitting in the erupting crater, tightly wrapped in the rising black smoke. The frightened and desperate soldiers scurried around like headless flies, and some curled up on the ground holding their heads and howling desperately, and were blown up and torn apart by the nests.

"It's amazing, it's amazing." Maksimenko, who was standing beside Rokossovsky, could not help but applaud after seeing this scene: "Comrade commander, our artillery is really amazing, beating the Germans to the point of howling wolves." ”

"Comrade Colonel," Rokossovsky put down his binoculars, turned his head to look at Maksimenko, "didn't you notice that our artillery fought better than usual?" ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's question, Maksimenko scratched the back of his head and said a little embarrassed: "Comrade commander, you also know that I am the director of the communications corps, and I usually stay in the command almost all of them, and I have no chance to see how our artillery strikes the enemy. So I really don't know what the artillery's performance today is different from usual. ”

Rokossovsky pointed to the place where the artillery was burning in front of him and said to Maksimenko: "Colonel, look at it, whether it is the anti-tank artillery company or the artillery unit in the rear, after listening to the singing of the Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe, they have performed extraordinarily. Originally, I was worried that it would be difficult for our troops to stop in the face of such a dense tank assault formation, but now it seems that I am too worried. ”

While he was talking, the shelling on the battlefield had stopped. Of the more than 30 German tanks that were still raging more than ten minutes ago, only a few fled into the distance with full power in smoke; The German infantry, who had survived the shelling, also ran back in a hurry.

Seeing this, Rokossovsky was about to make a phone call to Panfilov and order him to let the troops take advantage of the victory to pursue, but he saw countless commanders and fighters, jumping out of the trenches with the smoke of gunpowder, holding the weapons in their hands, and rushing towards the fleeing enemy.

"Not bad, not bad," seeing that the commanders and fighters of the 316th Division decisively grasped the fighters, Rokossovsky nodded with a smile and said with satisfaction: "It seems that the commanders and fighters under General Panfilov are all good." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, the telephone on the desk rang. He picked up the microphone and put it to his ear, and immediately Panfilov's voice came from it: "Comrade commander, the German attack has been repulsed by us, and we are pursuing the fleeing enemy. ”

"I see it, Comrade General." Rokossovsky, fearing that Panfilov would be hot-headed for a while, asked his troops to attack the German fortified positions, so he reminded him: "Don't let the soldiers rush too far, otherwise they will have to pay a huge price when they are attacked by German artillery on open ground, and then they will have a chance to withdraw." ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander. Our division has not been fighting defensive battles for a day or two, and the commanders at the front have experience. When Panfilov said this, he suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, Comrade Commander, I just heard the singing of the Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe, and I feel really excited. If there were fascist bandits standing in front of me at that time, no matter how many of them numbered, I would not hesitate to rush forward and fight them stubbornly. ”

When Rokossovsky returned to the hidden department, the fighters of the Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe, under the command of Aleksandrov, were tirelessly singing loudly. After they finished singing, Rokossovsky stepped forward to shake Alexandrov's hand and said gratefully: "Your singing has well boosted the morale of our commanders and fighters. We were able to repel the enemy's attack, and you are indispensable. ”

"Where, where, we just did what we had to do." Aleksandrov modestly said: "The main thing is that our fighters fought bravely and tenaciously in order to successfully repel the enemy's attack." ”

At this moment, a staff officer ran over and reported to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, there is a phone from General Zhukov in the command. ”

"Aleksandrov, the fighters are tired of singing, you let them rest for a while." Rokossovsky let go of Alexandrov's hand and said apologetically: "I still have important things, so I won't stay with you." ”

"It's okay, if you have something to do, go and get busy." Aleksandrov waved his hand at Rokossovsky, then turned around and shouted at his men: "Comrades, everyone rest for five minutes, drink some water to moisten their throats, and then continue to perform for the fighters!" (To be continued.) )