After learning the news of the loss of the city of Mount Del Sol again, Rokossovsky instructed Malinin with his usual expression: "Chief of Staff, give an order to the troops defending the Istrian reservoir, let them hold their positions, and as long as there is one person alive, not a single German must be allowed to pass through our lines." Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Ma Lining had been dealing with commanders at all levels of the group army for a long time, and he knew very well what kind of people they were. Therefore, after listening to Rokossovsky's words, he immediately replied without hesitation: "The commanders of the various units have expressed their determination to me that unless they die, it will be possible for the enemy to step on their corpses and pass through their lines. ”

After listening to this, Rokossovsky snorted softly, and then said to Malinin: "Chief of Staff, please tell the commanders at all levels below that I want to let the corpses of the Germans cover the front of our positions as long as the positions do not want their corpses." ”

Ma Lining nodded vigorously, "That's right, Comrade Commander, you are so right, I will relay your words to the commanders and fighters of the subordinate units to give them confidence in victory." ”

Looking at the map hanging on the wall, Rokossovsky's brow tightened, because he saw that if the German troops were allowed to rush to Moscow, the enemy's vanguard would reach Khimki in less than two days. But with the limited forces at his disposal, how can he stop the enemy who is rushing towards Moscow regardless of it?

After thinking about it for a long time, he felt that he could only find Zhukov to ask for reserves, and thinking of this, he picked up the phone on the table and called the headquarters of the front army.

The operator probably knew that he was familiar with Zhukov, so after hearing his voice, he immediately transferred the call to the landline in front of Zhukov. When Zhukov heard that the call was from Rokossovsky, the expression on his face did not change in the slightest, he just asked lightly: "Rokossovsky, is there something wrong?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Zhukov." Rokossovsky said very quickly: "You also know that the loss of Kling and Sun Hill City is due to a serious shortage of troops. Now the Germans rushed to the defensive positions of the Istrian reservoir in two directions, and the other to Moscow. ”

Rokossovsky, knowing that at the moment there was a large number of troops from the Far East massed in Moscow, added euphemistically: "In order to prevent the German troops from coming to the city, I ask you to send me reserves." Even if it's just one division, it's fine. ”

In peacetime, the number of a division is quite large. But on the battlefield outside Moscow, which can be called a meat grinder, the strength of a division can be completely wiped out in two days at most. Therefore, even if he knew that Zhukov sent a division, it would be only a drop in the bucket, but Rokossovsky still made such a request, because his forces were stretched thin.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Zhukov's request was made, Zhukov vetoed: "No, Comrade Rokossovsky, I don't have mobile troops in my hands now, and you can only rely on your existing strength to resist the German offensive." ”

"Comrade Zhukov," Rokossovsky couldn't help but feel a little anxious when he heard Zhukov say this, and he raised his voice and said into the microphone: "My mobile forces have all been exhausted in the counterattack of the previous two weeks. Two days ago, at the risk of weakening the defensive zone of the Istrian reservoir, I sent a few troops to the city of Klin-Mount del Sol to establish a defense, thus making my already limited forces even weaker. ”

"Don't talk about a division, even if it's a regiment, I don't have it in my hands." Although Zhukov had some reserves in his hands, he was ready to carry out a major counteroffensive, so he was unwilling to use the tactics of adding fuel and filling the crumbling defense line one division at a time, so he stubbornly said: "You can only rely on your own strength to resist the German attack." ”

Seeing that Zhukov had rejected his request, Rokossovsky unwillingly continued: "Since there is no regiment, then give me a battalion headquarters?" After he said this, he laughed at himself in his heart and said that he had become a beggar for food, and he could even look up to hundreds of people in a battalion.

Zhukov pondered for a moment about Rokossovsky's proposal, and then replied: "Well, I'll send a battalion that has just come from the Far East and give it to you later." But you have to go to Khimki to receive it yourself. ”

"All right, Comrade General." When Rokossovsky heard Zhukov say this, he couldn't help but secretly rejoice in his heart, saying that I was worried about where to send troops to defend Khimki, so you asked me to go to Khimki to receive troops. "I immediately rushed to Khimki."

After handing over the work to Malinin, Rokossovsky was about to leave the command, but Lobachev followed, stopped him from behind, and said quite dissatisfied: "Comrade commander, where are you going?" ”

"Go to Khimki to receive the troops that General Zhukov gave us." Rokossovsky didn't know why Lobachev asked this, but he answered truthfully, and finally asked curiously: "Didn't I tell you about this just now, didn't you hear it?" ”

"I hear you." Lobachev nodded, still with a displeased expression on his face, and then he asked rhetorically: "What I want to ask you is, since I am your military commissar, why don't you ask me to go with me to receive such a thing as receiving troops?" ”

Lobachev's words made Rokossovsky cry and laugh, and he said with a bitter face: "Comrade Military Commissar, it's not that I don't want you to go. But the problem is that the road is not safe now, and don't forget, we had several dangers on the way to Kling the other day, and if it weren't for luck, we might not have been able to come back. No, I can't let you follow me on an adventure this time no matter what. ”

"Comrade Commander, don't say it." Lobachev got up from his seat, put the mink cylinder military cap on the table on his head, and said resolutely: "Since I am the military commissar of the army group, then I will follow the commander wherever he goes." As for danger, where is there no danger on the battlefield? Even if you sit in this headquarters, you are also in danger of being hit by shells or killed by bombs. ”

Seeing that Lobachev had said everything to this point, Rokossovsky knew that he was rejecting the other party, and it was a little too hypocritical, so he got off the donkey and said: "Okay, Comrade Military Commissar, since you want to go to Khimki with me, let's go together." ”

It was about five hours from the headquarters of the army group to Khimki, and this time, for the sake of safety and to prevent further German air raids, Rokossovsky also brought two cars towing quadruple anti-aircraft machine guns.

After the car was started, Lobachev also deliberately looked behind him, and when he saw the car towing four anti-aircraft machine guns, he was following behind his jeep, and he couldn't help but smile and say: "Comrade commander, you are really thoughtful. In this way, even if they encountered German planes, the anti-aircraft machine guns that followed behind would be able to knock them down. ”

Rokossovsky understood in his heart that the probability of shooting down a target with an anti-aircraft machine gun was very low. But hearing Lobachev's question, he couldn't bear to pour cold water on the other side, so he could only say vaguely: "Comrade Military Commissar, these anti-aircraft machine gunners have rich combat experience, and I believe that they are fully capable of knocking down the enemy's planes." ”

Fortunately, the journey went smoothly, and there were no enemy planes along the way, and there were no small German units passing through the Soviet lines, and they came to Khimki safely.

Khimki is just a small town and has no military value at all, so here there is not even a militia, only two people's policemen to maintain order. The two policemen were patrolling the southwest side of the town when they suddenly saw a small convoy approaching. The young policeman asked the older policeman: "Comrade corporal, there are quite a few cars, I don't know if they are ours or Germans?" ”

The corporal raised his hand and slapped the back of the head of the little policeman, and said angrily: "Our army has so many defensive positions outside the city, how can the Germans break through the defense line of our army?" ”

The little policeman touched the back of his head and said unconvinced: "However, I heard those drivers who transported the wounded say that our army lost the battle at the front, are they still lying?" ”

"I can't say for sure," said the police corporal, staring at the approaching convoy, "Maybe these drivers have never been to the front line at all, but they just heard about some things on the battlefield, and then they made up stories to tell you." ”

As he spoke, Rokossovsky's jeep heard the two policemen. Rokossovsky pushed open the door, leaned out half of his body, and asked the corporal of the police: "Comrade policeman, do you know where our troops are in the vicinity of here?" ”

When the corporal saw that it was a general who was talking to him, he hurriedly raised his hand and saluted, and replied in a somewhat panicked manner: "Comrade General, you passed through the town to the forest northeast of the town, where there seems to be a unit of our army. ”

After thanking the police, Rokossovsky urged the driver to continue driving forward and go outside the town to find the unit he could receive.

The car drove through the town and along the bumpy road to a forested area. Just as Rokossovsky's eyes were wide open and looking around for where a troop might be hiding, from behind a dirt slope at the edge of the forest, several warriors in white camouflage suits, steel helmets, and Mosin Lagan rifles suddenly appeared.

As soon as they stopped Rokossovsky's jeep, two Asian-faced fighters approached, and after bending down to look into the car, a slightly older fighter asked: "Which part of you are from?" ”

Rokossovsky was stunned when he heard the questioning of the fighters. Because this warrior did not speak Russian, but Chinese, he had traveled to many places before the crossing, and he could immediately hear that the warrior was speaking with a northeastern accent.

Just when he thought he had misheard, the soldier next to him repeated the same words in Russian.

Rokossovsky understood in his heart that the probability of shooting down a target with an anti-aircraft machine gun was very low. But hearing Lobachev's question, he couldn't bear to pour cold water on the other side, so he could only say vaguely: "Comrade Military Commissar, these anti-aircraft machine gunners have rich combat experience, and I believe that they are fully capable of knocking down the enemy's planes." ”

Fortunately, the journey went smoothly, and there were no enemy planes along the way, and there were no small German units passing through the Soviet lines, and they came to Khimki safely.

Khimki is just a small town and has no military value at all, so here there is not even a militia, only two people's policemen to maintain order. The two policemen were patrolling the southwest side of the town when they suddenly saw a small convoy approaching. The young policeman asked the older policeman: "Comrade corporal, there are quite a few cars, I don't know if they are ours or Germans?" ”

The corporal raised his hand and slapped the back of the head of the little policeman, and said angrily: "Our army has so many defensive positions outside the city, how can the Germans break through the defense line of our army?" ”

The little policeman touched the back of his head and said unconvinced: "However, I heard those drivers who transported the wounded say that our army lost the battle at the front, are they still lying?" ”

"I can't say for sure," said the police corporal, staring at the approaching convoy, "Maybe these drivers have never been to the front line at all, but they just heard about some things on the battlefield, and then they made up stories to tell you." ”

As he spoke, Rokossovsky's jeep heard the two policemen. Rokossovsky pushed open the door, leaned out half of his body, and asked the corporal of the police: "Comrade policeman, do you know where our troops are in the vicinity of here?" ”

When the corporal saw that it was a general who was talking to him, he hurriedly raised his hand and saluted, and replied in a somewhat panicked manner: "Comrade General, you passed through the town to the forest northeast of the town, where there seems to be a unit of our army. ”

After thanking the police, Rokossovsky urged the driver to continue driving forward and go outside the town to find the unit he could receive.

The car drove through the town and along the bumpy road to a forested area. Just as Rokossovsky's eyes were wide open and looking around for where a troop might be hiding, from behind a dirt slope at the edge of the forest, several warriors in white camouflage suits, steel helmets, and Mosin Lagan rifles suddenly appeared.

As soon as they stopped Rokossovsky's jeep, two Asian-faced fighters approached, and after bending down to look into the car, a slightly older fighter asked: "Which part of you are from?" ”

Rokossovsky was stunned when he heard the questioning of the fighters. Because this warrior did not speak Russian, but Chinese, he had traveled to many places before the crossing, and he could immediately hear that the warrior was speaking with a northeastern accent.

Just when he thought he had misheard, the soldier next to him repeated the same words in Russian.