Rokossovsky, who has the memory of later generations, naturally understands the power of biological and chemical weapons better than anyone else, although in the history books, there has never been a record of the German army's use of biological and chemical weapons on the Soviet-German battlefield, but he did not dare to slack off in the slightest. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

He called the chief of communications, Maksimenko, and instructed him: "Colonel, immediately answer the telephone with the command of the Front, I have a hundred thousand urgent matters to report to Comrade Marshal." ”

The elderly colonel, guessing from Rokossovsky's serious expression, that this was not trivial, nodded, returned to the telephone, and personally contacted the command of the Front. Not long after, he reported to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, the call has been answered. ”

Rokossovsky picked up the phone in front of him, rushed into the microphone and said "Hey", and when he heard the voice coming from inside, it was not Timoshenko, but Military Commissar Bulganin, and quickly said: "Hello, Nikolai Alexandrovich, is Comrade Marshal here?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Rokossovsky." Bulganin politely said to Rokossovsky: "He has just returned from the 19th Army, he is already very tired and is resting." If you have anything, just say it to me. ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Rokossovsky said resolutely, fearing that Bulganin would not realize the seriousness of the possible use of biological and chemical weapons by the German troops, "something urgent has happened, and I need to report it immediately to Comrade Marshal, please help me wake him up, okay?" ”

When Bulganin heard that Rokossovsky called himself from his own name and patronymic to his position, he realized that this matter might be really serious, and he quickly said: "Rokossovsky, please wait a moment, I will go and wake up Comrade Marshal." With that, he put the microphone on the table, walked briskly to the camp bed in the corner, leaned down to shake Timoshenko who was lying on it, and at the same time whispered, "Wake up, Semyon Konstantinovich, wake up quickly." ”

Timoshenko, who had just fallen asleep, opened his eyes and asked weakly: "Is there something wrong, Nikolai Alexandrovich?" ”

"Rokossovsky called." Bulganin saw that Timoshenko opened his eyes and hurriedly reported: "It seems that something urgent has happened, and he seems to be in a hurry in his tone on the phone." ”

Timoshenko, who had been sleeping a little dazed, heard Bulganin say this, immediately turned over and sat up, looked at the latter and asked, "When did he call?" ”

Bulganin snorted at the microphone on the table, and said, "He's waiting to report back to you." ”

Timoshenko rushed to the table with a lunge, grabbed the microphone and put it to his ear, and then said in his sonorous voice: "Hey, Comrade Rokossovsky? I'm Timoshenko, do you have anything important to report to me? ”

"Hello, Comrade Marshal." As soon as Rokossovsky heard Timoshenko's voice, he immediately reported to him: "The enemy's planes dropped a large number of thick paper packets at the Willhouse. ”

When Timoshenko heard Rokossovsky say that the enemy's planes had dropped a large number of thick paper packets, he naturally understood in his heart that the enemy would definitely not drop bread or the like in the area controlled by the Soviet army, so he asked in a deep voice: "What is in the thick paper bag?" ”

"It's dead rats and all sorts of insects." Rokossovsky reported.

Hearing that the enemy had actually dropped dead rats and various insects in the area controlled by the Soviet troops, Timoshenko couldn't help but gasp, he immediately realized the seriousness of the problem, and after a moment of silence, he continued: "Have you taken any measures?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Rokossovsky replied: "As soon as I received the report, I immediately ordered the troops of the command station to collect the thick paper packets that the enemy had airdropped, sprinkle them with lime and gasoline and burn them. In addition, they were asked to send a few samples to Moscow for testing to see what kind of virus they carried. ”

"It's not enough to just do that." Timoshenko still felt that Rokossovsky's measures were not comprehensive, and hurriedly added: "If the Germans use biological weapons against our army, then this area should also be isolated." You should know that if we do not control it, once the plague spreads among the army, the hundreds of thousands of commanders and fighters of our front army will not only completely lose their combat effectiveness in a short period of time, but also not many people will be left alive in a short time, and then our defense line will be completely breached. ”

"I see, Comrade Marshal." When Rokossovsky heard Timoshenko say that he was going to be quarantined, he couldn't help but chuckle in his heart, saying that if the dead rats dropped by the Germans really carried the plague, the hundreds of commanders and fighters stationed in the garrison would have to leave them to fend for themselves. Therefore, after hesitating for a while, he finally made the most difficult decision: "I will immediately send someone to isolate the station from the other defense areas, and wait for the results of the Moscow inspection to come out, and then deal with it accordingly." ”

"Comrade Rokossovsky, you arrange manpower as soon as possible to send what the German troops airdropped in the concession to the headquarters of the Front, and I will send someone to Moscow for inspection." Timoshenko knew that in the immediate situation, there could be no woman's kindness, so he said decisively: "If it turns out that these things dropped by the German army are so-called biological weapons, then in order to take care of the overall situation, the only way to give up the commanders and fighters in the station is to give up." ”

Timoshenko knew that the stakes were high, and as soon as he ended his phone call with Rokossovsky, he contacted the General Staff in Moscow by high-frequency telephone. Since by this time Budyonny had been appointed commander-in-chief of the south-western direction, having left Moscow; Zhukov was also dismissed from the post of chief of the General Staff by Stalin and demoted to the commander of the reserve front because he strongly advocated abandoning Kiev and withdrawing the Southwestern Front to the other side of the Dnieper River to avoid being surrounded by the German army. The person in charge of the General Staff today is Marshal Shaposhnikov, who has just taken up the post of Chief of the General Staff.

Shaposhnikov, who received a call from Timoshenko, could hardly believe his ears, and he repeatedly asked Timoshenko: "Semyon Konstantinovich, is your report accurate?" ”

"That's right, Boris Mikhailovich." Timoshenko said in a serious tone: "The information I reported has been verified. And in a maximum of another hour, Comrade Rokossovsky will send me a sample of the enemy airdropped on the camp, and then send it to the relevant troops in Moscow for examination. ”

Shaposhnikov realized the seriousness of the problem from Timoshenko's words, and hurriedly said: "This information is very important, I need to report it to the Supreme Commander himself immediately, I will call you later." ”

Immediately after he finished the phone call with Timoshenko, he called Stalin's secretary Boskrebeshev and asked respectfully: "Does Comrade Stalin have time?" I have important things to report to him. ”

Poskorebeshev, who answered the phone, flipped through the schedule, and then politely replied: "Comrade Stalin will meet with comrades from the Baltic Fleet in five minutes, please come back in half an hour." ”

Half an hour later, the gray-haired Shaposhnikov stood in front of Stalin, and when he had finished reporting the information reported by Timoshenko, he quietly waited for Stalin's reply.

Stalin held his pipe and walked slowly up and down the room, as if pondering what to do with the matter. But soon he stopped, looked at Shaposhnikov, raised his hand holding the cigarette butt slightly, and asked in a calm voice: "Tell me, Boris Mikhailovich, do you think that the enemy is going to let the airdrop be their biological weapon?" ”

Shaposhnikov was silent, helplessly asking himself: "Will the enemy let what they have dropped really be their biological weapons?" Perhaps it will be necessary to wait for the samples to be sent to Moscow and tested before an accurate answer can be obtained. ”

"Why don't you speak?" Seeing that Shaposhnikov was slow to speak, Stalin could not help but urge: "I want to hear what you really think. ”

"I think it should be, Comrade Stalin." Shaposhnikov replied loudly. But for the sake of safety, he hurriedly added: "But what exactly it is, we still need to go through a special agency to test before we can know." ”

Stalin took the cigarette butt in his mouth, struck a match and lit it, took a slow puff, and continued: "We should find out as soon as possible what the Germans are dropping in the camp." So let's do it, you send a plane to Timoshenko, and as soon as Rokossovsky delivers the samples to him, immediately return them by plane. ”

"Okay, Comrade Stalin, I'll arrange it." When the old marshal had answered, he bowed slightly to Stalin, then turned and left the office.

As soon as Shaposhnikov returned to his office, he called Timoshenko and told him: "Semyon Konstantinovich, I have already reported to the Supreme Commander himself. In order to find out as soon as possible what the enemy is dropping, he ordered me to send a plane to you to receive samples. The plane will land near your headquarters in forty minutes, so clear the area for the plane to land as soon as possible. ”

From Shaposhnikov's words, Timoshenko heard that Stalin also attached great importance to this matter, and hurriedly said: "Don't worry, Boris Mikhailovich, I have a special area for planes to take off and land, and when the planes from Moscow arrive, my men will guide him to land." (To be continued.) )