After dark, the regiment commander gathered all the battalion commanders under his command, drew a sketch for them on the ground, and said: "Comrade battalion commander, let me briefly explain the situation to you. The enemy prisoner of war camp was enclosed by three layers of barbed wire, and between the innermost and middle floors, were patrolling sentries in case anyone escaped; Between the middle layer and the outer layer of barbed wire, there is a minefield. Tell me, what should we do? ”

Hearing the regiment commander say this, several battalion commanders remained silent. In the end, it was the third battalion commander who broke the silence with his mouth: "Comrade regiment commander, that is, unless we get the assistance of the engineers, if we want to break through the barbed wire and go in to save people, we will definitely suffer heavy casualties in the minefield." ”

"That's right, that's right." The regiment commander nodded and gave the third battalion commander an affirmative answer.

"I would like to ask, how is the frontal defense of the prisoner of war camp?"

"Since the enemy did not expect our troops to quickly break through their lines of defense in Belarus, the facilities in the prisoner of war camps were rudimentary." The regimental commander pointed at the entrance with his hand and said: "At the entrance, there are two sandbag fortifications of the enemy, equipped with machine guns. After entering the prisoner of war camp, on the right side of the road, there is a two-story brick and concrete building, where there is a German firing point. ……”

After the second battalion commander finished speaking, he also expressed his opinion: "Comrade regiment commander, that is, as long as we find a way to destroy the German firepower points, we will be able to smoothly storm the prisoner of war camp and rescue our comrades-in-arms?" ”

The regiment commander did not give a timely answer to the question of the second battalion commander, but continued to say to several battalion commanders: "We can only rush into the prisoner of war camp after we have eliminated the three fire points at the entrance, and we do not know what other fire deployment the enemy has inside." Therefore, I would like to remind you that we must not think that we can take it lightly by eliminating the fire point at the door, and perhaps there will be enemy bullets fired from the wooden houses where the prisoners of war are kept. ”

…………

While the commander of the 351st Regiment was assigning tasks to his battalion commanders, Rokossovsky was walking around the headquarters in a state of distraught at the headquarters of the Front, far away on the outskirts of Warsaw.

Terekin saw that Rokossovsky had been walking for more than ten minutes and still showed no signs of stopping, so he jokingly asked: "What's the matter, Comrade Commander, is there something that you can't let go of so much?" My eyes are glazed with you, and if you keep walking, I'll probably faint. ”

Rokossovsky stopped and said to Terekin with a forced smile: "The two divisions of the 70th Army have already reached the vicinity of the prisoner of war camp, but they have not taken any action for a long time, which makes my heart very irritable. ”

Telegin opened his mouth, and was about to say something when the phone on the desk suddenly rang. Rokossovsky noticed at a glance that it was a high-frequency telephone that could be contacted from the outside line, so he called Terekin, who was about to answer the phone: "Comrade Military Commissar, I'll answer it!" ”

He picked up the microphone and put it to his ear, trying to say in a calm tone: "I'm Rokossovsky, where are you?" ”

"Hello, Marshal Rokossovsky." Antonov's voice came from the earpiece, "I am on the order of the Supreme Commander himself, and I ask when you plan to move the headquarters of the Front to Warsaw?" ”

"Comrade Chief of the General Staff," Rokossovsky has always been more polite to Antonov, the newly appointed chief of the General Staff, "at present there are still a few remnants of the enemy in Warsaw, and the Krajov army, which is not friendly to us, still occupies a lot of territory. I think it would be very inappropriate to move the headquarters to Warsaw until the situation in Warsaw is completely stable. ”

"I see." After hearing this, Antonov said lightly: "I will truthfully report your reply to the Supreme Commander himself." ”

"Comrade Chief of the General Staff, please wait a minute." Rokossovsky knew Antonov very well, and knew that he would make such a phone call, and he would definitely not ask him about such an inconsequential matter as when his command would move to Warsaw, so he cautiously asked: "You called, is there anything else?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Rokossovsky." Antonov, who was on the other end of the phone, seemed to be afraid that someone around him would hear it, and deliberately lowered his voice and said, "I heard a small rumor that the Supreme Commander himself intends to merge the First and Second Belorussian Fronts. ”

Hearing the news of the imminent merger of the two fronts, Rokossovsky could not help but be shocked, and secretly said that in real history, Stalin did not soon send Zhukov to take over the post of commander of the First Front, but transferred Rokossovsky to the Second Front. But now there is news that the two fronts are going to merge, what is going on, is it really because he sent troops to occupy Warsaw half a year in advance, so that the known history has shifted here?

Antonov heard that Rokossovsky did not speak, and thought that the other party was speechless because of the news, so he added: "Of course, Comrade Marshal, this is just a rumor, and whether it can become a reality depends on what the Supreme Commander himself thinks." ”

Long after Antonov hung up, Rokossovsky was still holding the microphone and standing at the table in a daze. Terekin got up and took the microphone in his hand, gently placed it on the base of the telephone, and then asked curiously: "Comrade commander, what's wrong, how can I see that you look a little distracted?" ”

"Comrade Chief of Staff, please come over for a moment. And you, Orel, Kazakov, all come here, I have something important to tell you. After the names of the people who had been named had come to him, Rokossovsky whispered to the crowd: "I have just received unconfirmed information from the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army that the Supreme High Command intends to merge the 1st and 2nd Fronts. ”

"What, the merger of the two fronts?" The people who heard the news of this earth-shattering attack were a little dumbfounded, knowing that the two front armies were combined, and the total strength of the army would reach millions of people. Kazakov said in a skeptical tone: "Comrade commander, do you think this is possible? ”

"How can't it be." As soon as Kazakov's words were finished, Orel retorted: "A few months ago, after Marshal Konev became the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, didn't the Supreme Command merge the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts? Later, due to strategic needs, a new Second Front Army was reorganized. ”

"If it is really merged, who do you think is likely to be the commander?" In response to Orel's rebuttal, Kazakov was not only not angry, but excitedly asked: "Tell me, who will be the commander of this position?" ”

"Do you need to talk about that?" Malinin looked at Rokossovsky with his eyes and said: "The post of commander of the Front Army will definitely be held by Comrade Marshal, after all, he is incomparable to the commander of the Second Front Army in terms of ability and results. ”

The news of the merger of the two fronts, although it has not yet been confirmed in the final vein, is enough to make the heads of the first Belorussian front happy to talk. But they did not know that shortly after Antonov's call, Zhukov appeared in Stalin's office.

Stalin, who was working at his desk, heard someone walk in, quickly stopped the pen in his hand, picked up the cigarette butt that was put aside, and walked towards Zhukov. He was the first to stretch out a hand and said enthusiastically: "Hello, Comrade Zhukov, welcome back to Moscow." ”

After shaking hands with Stalin, Zhukov politely asked: "Comrade Stalin, I wonder if there is anything important about your urgent recall of me back to Moscow?" ”

Stalin lit the butt of his cigarette and, after taking a deep breath, walked around the room unhurriedly, and said slowly: "Comrade Zhukov, I am thinking about whether it is necessary to merge the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts, and then keep only one commander." I wonder what you think about this? ”

Zhukov did not expect that Stalin would say this, and he did not have any news in advance. After a moment of silence, he spoke: "Comrade Stalin, when Marshal Konev was in charge of the First Ukrainian Front, we used to merge the First and Second Fronts, which made it easier for the senior commander to command the troops. Therefore, I think that the same effect will be achieved after the merger of the two fronts of Belarus. And Comrade Rokossovsky is undoubtedly the best candidate for the new commander of the Front. ”

"Comrade Zhukov, you are mistaken." After Zhukov finished speaking, Stalin actually waved his hand at him and said: "I do have the idea of merging the two Belarusian fronts, but I do not plan to let Rokossovsky take the post of commander of the new front." ”

What Stalin said, once again took Zhukov by surprise, and he asked in surprise: "Comrade Stalin, the current commander of the Second Front, General Zakharov, has been Rokossovsky's deputy since the beginning of the war, and I know very well what he is capable of, and I do not think that he is more suitable than Rokossovsky for the post of commander of the New Front." ”

Stalin, waiting for Zhukov to finish, shook his head again and said: "I do not want Rokossovsky to be the commander of the new front, and I do not intend to put Zakharov in this position." ”

"And who are you going to put in this position?" Zhukov's mind was thinking at high speed, and he was wondering who else was qualified for the post besides Rokossovsky. But after thinking about it for a long time, he didn't come up with a suitable candidate, he shook his head and said helplessly: "I really can't think of anyone more suitable for this position than Rokossovsky." ”

"You're wrong, there's a guy who's better than him." Stalin pointed at Zhukov with his hand holding the cigarette butt and said: "You are more capable than him, so I intend to make you the commander of the new front." ”

The news of the merger of the two fronts, although it has not yet been confirmed in the final vein, is enough to make the heads of the first Belorussian front happy to talk. But they did not know that shortly after Antonov's call, Zhukov appeared in Stalin's office.

Stalin, who was working at his desk, heard someone walk in, quickly stopped the pen in his hand, picked up the cigarette butt that was put aside, and walked towards Zhukov. He was the first to stretch out a hand and said enthusiastically: "Hello, Comrade Zhukov, welcome back to Moscow." ”

After shaking hands with Stalin, Zhukov politely asked: "Comrade Stalin, I wonder if there is anything important about your urgent recall of me back to Moscow?" ”

Stalin lit the butt of his cigarette and, after taking a deep breath, walked around the room unhurriedly, and said slowly: "Comrade Zhukov, I am thinking about whether it is necessary to merge the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts, and then keep only one commander." I wonder what you think about this? ”

Zhukov did not expect that Stalin would say this, and he did not have any news in advance. After a moment of silence, he spoke: "Comrade Stalin, when Marshal Konev was in charge of the First Ukrainian Front, we used to merge the First and Second Fronts, which made it easier for the senior commander to command the troops. Therefore, I think that the same effect will be achieved after the merger of the two fronts of Belarus. And Comrade Rokossovsky is undoubtedly the best candidate for the new commander of the Front. ”

"Comrade Zhukov, you are mistaken." After Zhukov finished speaking, Stalin actually waved his hand at him and said: "I do have the idea of merging the two Belarusian fronts, but I do not plan to let Rokossovsky take the post of commander of the new front." ”

What Stalin said, once again took Zhukov by surprise, and he asked in surprise: "Comrade Stalin, the current commander of the Second Front, General Zakharov, has been Rokossovsky's deputy since the beginning of the war, and I know very well what he is capable of, and I do not think that he is more suitable than Rokossovsky for the post of commander of the New Front." ”

Stalin, waiting for Zhukov to finish, shook his head again and said: "I do not want Rokossovsky to be the commander of the new front, and I do not intend to put Zakharov in this position." ”

"And who are you going to put in this position?" Zhukov's mind was thinking at high speed, and he was wondering who else was qualified for the post besides Rokossovsky. But after thinking about it for a long time, he didn't come up with a suitable candidate, he shook his head and said helplessly: "I really can't think of anyone more suitable for this position than Rokossovsky." ”

"You're wrong, there's a guy who's better than him." Stalin pointed at Zhukov with his hand holding the cigarette butt and said: "You are more capable than him, so I intend to make you the commander of the new front." ”