Rokossovsky was looking through the reports of the regiments and the results of the battles provided by the staff officers when the telephone rang in the observation post.

"Comrade Rokossovsky, I heard that you have repelled the enemy's attack again." Lukin asked with a smile on the phone: "What are the results of the battle, and how many fascist invaders have been eliminated?" ”

"We destroyed 17 tanks, 39 armored vehicles, more than a hundred trucks and motorcycles. The corpses of the enemy on the battlefield amounted to 700. Rokossovsky flipped through the report on the table and reported to Lukin. After reporting various data, he added: "The enemy has learned the lesson of yesterday's failed offensive, and before the offensive, he carried out a heavy artillery bombardment of our defensive positions, causing heavy casualties to our troops. ”

"How about the front position, is it still in our hands?" Lukin asked: "Also, what about Colonel Krasnoretsky, where did he go?" ”

"The forward position is still in our hands, and the enemy has paid a huge price to seize this position, and they simply cannot find any effective way to deal with the fire point under the wreckage of the tanks we have built. As for Colonel Krasnoretsky, he was wounded when he went to the front to direct the battle...... "Rokossovsky was about to report the colonel's wounds to Lukin when he suddenly stopped, because he saw two fighters carrying Krasnoretsky on a stretcher into the observation post, followed by two military doctors and hygienists in steel helmets.

Rokossovsky hurriedly covered the microphone with his hand and instructed the staff officer next to him: "Hurry up and find two benches and put the stretcher on it." Slow down, slow down, be careful not to throw Comrade Colonel off. His words were addressed to the soldiers who were carrying stretchers.

"Hey, hey, hey! Comrade Rokossovsky, what's wrong with you, why don't you speak? At this time, Lukin's displeased voice came from the receiver of the phone, "What happened to Colonel Krasnoretsky's injuries?" ”

Rokossovsky glanced at Krasnoretsky, who was lying motionless on a stretcher, his upper body was soaked in blood, and said vaguely: "The wound is serious. ”

"How's the Colonel doing?" Rokossovsky asked the medic standing next to the stretcher, "Are you seriously injured?" ”

"Very serious, Comrade General." The military doctor hurriedly straightened up and said to Rokossovsky: "He was hit by at least three pieces of shrapnel in the chest and four or five pieces in the abdomen. The operation had to be performed immediately, but the medical conditions in the divisional health camp were not good, and there was no military doctor to perform the operation. ”

"Can't you do it?" Rokossovsky looked at the military doctor and asked, "You must know that you are the military doctor in the division." ”

The military doctor shook his head, then raised his bandaged right hand, and said regretfully: "When I was operating on the wounded in the morning, the medical center where I was working was blown up by enemy shells, and more than a dozen wounded and medical personnel were killed, and my right hand was also injured, and I could no longer hold a scalpel in the short term. ”

"Comrade commander," Rokossovsky said into the microphone somewhat helplessly, "the colonel's condition is serious and requires immediate surgery, but the military doctor in the division ......"

"Alright, Comrade Rokossovsky, I heard everything, you immediately send someone to send him to me." Without waiting for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, Lukin interrupted his later words and categorically ordered, "I still have a military doctor here who can perform the operation, and when the operation is completed, I will immediately send someone to send him back to the military hospital in Kyiv for further treatment." ”

After there was no sound in the earpiece, Rokossovsky put down the phone, and then said to the military doctor: "Comrade military doctor, I will immediately arrange for someone to send you to the headquarters of the army group, where the conditions for surgery and the necessary manpower are necessary. After the operation, the colonel will be returned to the military hospital in Kiev for further treatment. ”

Then he said to a staff officer next to him: "Comrade staff officer, you prepare a truck for them, the distance from here to the headquarters is not close." ”

Seeing that his division commander was seriously wounded, the staff officer had long been anxious, and at this moment, when he heard Rokossovsky order him to prepare the car, he agreed very dryly, and then turned around and ran out of the observation post.

When the two fighters lifted Krasnoretsky and prepared to go out, Rokossovsky was surprised to find that the female hygienist who came in with the stretcher was actually Katya, who had just joined the army yesterday. She wore an ill-fitting military uniform, which was more appropriate to wrap around than to wear, and if it were not for the belt around her waist, it would have resembled an Arabic robe. He took two steps forward, walked to Katya's side, frowned and asked, "Katya, where did you get this military uniform, don't you think it's a little too big?" ”

Katya's face flushed, and he replied a little shyly: "Comrade General, there is no way, this is already the smallest military uniform, after all, these military uniforms were originally prepared for men." ”

Rokossovsky knew that she was telling the truth, and after nodding, he said to the military doctor next to him: "Comrade military doctor, if possible, I still try to help Katya get a set of clothes that fit a little better." Instinctively, he looked down at Katya's feet, and saw that she was wearing a pair of boots that were almost twice as long as her feet, and added, "And the boots, change them to a pair that fits." She is like this, but there is no way to go to the battlefield to treat the wounded. Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade General." The military doctor politely replied, "When I go back to the health camp later, I will help her solve the problem of military uniform and boots." ”

After Krasnoretsky was carried away, Rokossovsky suddenly thought that due to the wounding of the division commander, the 109th Infantry Division is now leaderless, although he can concurrently serve as the division commander, but due to the fierce fighting, maybe one day Pulkaev and they will remember themselves again and transfer themselves to other defensive areas, and the division will fall back into the situation of being leaderless. Thinking of this, he picked up the phone on the table and connected to Lukin's headquarters through the communication corps.

After hearing Rokossovsky's voice, Lukin asked with some surprise: "Comrade Rokossovsky, you called me, did something happen to Krasnoretsky?" ”

"No, Comrade Commander." Rokossovsky said politely: "I have arranged for a vehicle to send Colonel Krasnoretsky to you." I'll call you, it's because the 109th Division doesn't have a division commander now, which is not good for the next battle. ”

Hearing what Rokossovsky said about this matter, Lukin said with some disapproval: "Since you are in the 109th Division, then you will act as the commander of this division." ”

"Comrade commander, I am not fit for the post of division commander." After explaining the reasons why he could not hold the post of division commander, Rokossovsky added: "It is better to find one of the regiment commanders to act as the division commander." ”

"Then who do you think is the most suitable person for the position of acting division commander?" Lukin asked curiously.

After Rokossovsky thought about the commanders at and above the regimental level that he knew in the 109th Division, he felt that the most ideal candidate was the commander of the 327th Regiment, Major Portoprigora. After making up his mind, he said to Lukin: "Comrade commander, I think it is most appropriate for Major Pudoprigora to assume the position of acting division commander. ”

"Major Pudo Prigora?!" After Lukin repeated the name, he immediately shook his head in disagreement, "No, no, he is just a major, the military rank is too low, you must know that the other two regiment commanders are lieutenant colonels, and it is inappropriate to let a commander with a low rank lead a commander with a high rank." I think it would be most appropriate for Lieutenant Colonel Kranov of the 326th Regiment to take up this position. ”

Lieutenant Colonel Kranov of the 326th regiment, Rokossovsky, heard the name and couldn't help but smile bitterly. If there is anyone in the 109th Division who likes to raise the bar with himself, it is this lieutenant colonel. If he comes to act as division commander, it is estimated that in the next few days, many of his orders will not be able to reach the grassroots commanders. Thinking of this, he hurriedly retorted: "Comrade commander, according to my understanding, Major Pudo Prigora is not only a commander with a very fighting spirit, but also has rich combat experience. In my opinion, he is more suitable for the post of division commander than the other two regimental commanders. ”

Lukin was not a stubborn person either, and when Rokossovsky insisted on recommending Major Podo Prigora as the acting division commander, he no longer insisted, and said: "Okay, I will personally call later and inform Major Podo Prigora of this appointment." By the way, judging from the current situation, the enemy from Dubno will continue to launch onslaught on your defensive lines, and whether we can hold Shepetovka or not depends entirely on whether you can hold off the German onslaught. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Although Rokossovsky had limited forces at the moment, he confidently said: "If the enemy wants to pass through us, unless all the defenders of our city are sacrificed, the enemy can rush into Shepetovka with our corpses." (To be continued.) )