Since the Germans were still far away from Moscow at the moment, the city was not subject to light control, and although there were sandbag barricades and anti-tank tripods everywhere, ordinary citizens could still be seen leisurely scattered in the bright streetlights.

Seeing this situation, Rokossovsky couldn't help frowning slightly, how could everything he saw in front of him be so different from the history he knew? He remembers that before the Battle of Moscow began, the city's metro was closed, the trams were out of service, and people were scrambling to flee the city, so much so that for days on end, the roads leading outside the city were overcrowded. But at this moment, if it weren't for the barricades and tripods that abounded, he even thought he had come to Moscow before the war.

He curiously asked the officer sitting in the co-pilot's seat: "Comrade officer, why is it so calm in the city?" ”

The officer glanced back at Rokossovsky and said with some strangeness: "Comrade general, this is normal, after all, the war is still far from here." As a resident of Moscow, who lives in the heart of the Motherland, there is nothing to panic about. ”

From the phrase that the war is still far away, Rokossovsky understood that this statement represented the general thinking of the inhabitants of Moscow: although the Germans had rushed to Smolensk, which was only 400 kilometers from Moscow, the inhabitants of the city did not believe that the Germans were capable of reaching the city of Moscow. And even if they get to Moscow, will they be able to fight down? Even if they are defeated, they will not be able to hold it at all. Napoleon had occupied Moscow, but in the end he had to withdraw from the city in disarray, and only a small part of the French army fled back to Paris under the pursuit of the Russians.

Thinking that the famous Battle of Moscow would break out in almost three months, Rokossovsky turned his thinking in other directions. His mind began to recall the order that Budyonny had just given him: "On this road from Moscow to Yaltsevo, all the troops you encounter can be integrated into your new combat group. ”

This order may sound like a good order at once, but it is very difficult to carry it out. As soon as I saw the troops on the road, I jumped out of the car to stop them, and then confidently announced: "From now on, you are all under my command." ”

If the troops have a fixed number and station, so that they can gather a lot of troops along the way, but now they have given themselves a general combat cluster organization, so it is strange to recklessly recruit troops without touching a nose.

The convoy drove on the road for almost ten hours before finally arriving at the location of the headquarters of the Western Front. Rokossovsky, after identifying himself to a patrol, was taken outside a wooden house by a fighter. The soldier who brought him politely said: "Comrade General, the headquarters of the Front Army is inside. With that, he raised his hand and saluted before turning to leave.

Rokossovsky walked up to the sentry at the door and said to him: "Comrade soldier, I am Lieutenant General Rokossovsky, I have just come from Moscow, and I have an urgent need to see Comrade Marshal. ”

After glancing at him, the sentry leaned sideways and made a gesture of invitation, and said, "Comrade General, please come in, Comrade Marshal is inside." ”

Rokossovsky felt a little strange to see the sentry let himself in so easily, but at this time he was in a hurry to see Timoshenko, so he didn't think so much, walked to the closed door, raised his hand and knocked a few times. Then a majestic voice was heard from inside: "Come in!" ”

He pushed through the wooden door and walked in, and was confronted by a tall commander with a shaved head, and the large gold star inlaid on the opponent's collar badge, Rokossovsky recognized at a glance that this was the Marshal Timoshenko he was looking for.

Before he could speak, the other party had already frowned and asked, "Comrade commander, who are you?" ”

Seeing that Timoshenko did not recognize himself, Rokossovsky was very surprised, he quickly straightened his waist, maintained a straight posture and reported to the other party: "Comrade Marshal, Lieutenant General Rokossovsky, the former commander of the Ninth Mechanized Army, reports to you, I was ordered to report to you, please instruct!" ”

"Commander of the 9th Mechanized Corps, Rokossovsky ?! That's right, it was I who gave the order to report to the General Staff in Moscow. Timoshenko looked him up and down, frowned and asked, "I remember that you were a major general, when was you promoted to lieutenant general." ”

"Just a dozen hours ago." Rokossovsky, facing the aggressive Timoshenko, said with some embarrassment: "When I was in the General Staff, I had the privilege of meeting Comrade Stalin, and he personally promoted my military rank. ”

Hearing Rokossovsky say this, a smile appeared on Timoshenko's face, and he took the initiative to stretch out his hand and said in a friendly voice: "Comrade Rokossovsky, I congratulate you on receiving a higher rank. Let's get to know my deputy. With that, he turned to the side and exposed the two two commanders sitting at the table.

Pointing to one of the political workers with a mustache, he said: "Comrade Rokossovsky, this is Comrade Bulganin, Military Commissar of the Front. ”

In Rokossovsky's memory, this Bulganin was a big man, and it seems that he had a good relationship with Khrushchev, but further information is not very clear. He hurriedly stepped forward, leaned forward slightly, stretched out his hands and said with a smile: "Hello, Comrade Bulganin. ”

"Hello, Rokossovsky!" Bulganin took Rokossovsky's hand, shook it a few times, and said kindly: "Comrade General, we have been looking forward to your arrival. The troops under your command, who fought well in Shepetovka, taught the Germans a hard lesson. ”

Then, Timoshenko pointed to another political worker and said: "This is Comrade Lesdev, director of the Political Department. ”

"Hello, Comrade Lesdev." Because the political worker was not well-known, Rokossovsky shook hands with him in a polite and distant manner.

Timoshenko beckoned Rokossovsky to sit down and began to brief him about the situation here. The marshal said worriedly: "Comrade Rokossovsky, the situation here is terrible. The enemy Army Group Center is continuing the offensive with powerful tank and mechanized corps, which in some sections break through our line and rush into depth in an attempt to encircle and destroy our troops near Smolensk. The enemy, believing that the forces of our army had been greatly weakened and that it was impossible to put up effective resistance in the strategic direction of Moscow, decided that Hitler's high command would clear the last obstacle here in one fell swoop.

Analyzing the current situation, the German tank groups of the 2nd and 3rd will not wait for the arrival of the 9th and 2nd field armies, but will break through in several directions of our Western Front in an attempt to encircle and destroy the main forces of the Western Front in Smolensk and open the way to Moscow for themselves. ”

After Rokossovsky waited for Timoshenko to finish speaking, he immediately asked: "Comrade Marshal, what is my task?" ”

Timoshenko glanced at Rokossovsky, and then replied: "We have formed a unified opinion after study. It is to organize the few forces we have now to carry out defensive operations against the German Korko.

The 1st Campaign Echelon, led by the 20th Army under General Kurochkin and the 19th Army under General Konev, fought stubbornly with the enemy in the Smolensk and Vitebsk directions. However, Kurochkin was in an extremely difficult situation, and his army fought for a long time in defensive battles against an enemy who was superior in both men and technology. Fortunately, however, the 20th Army, relying on the units of the 16th Army, which had arrived not long ago, was gradually enriched and strengthened, and Alekshchenko's 5th Mechanized Army was also scattered into battle.

In addition, General Konev and his friendly forces tried unsuccessfully to capture Vitebsk, which had been attacked by the enemy. The intensive assault of the counter-offensive forces by German aircraft wiped out all the attempts of our troops and forced them to retreat.

…… Lukin led two divisions of troops, which for the time being were still held in the Smolensk region.

……”

After listening to Timoshenko's briefing, Rokossovsky got up from his seat and asked again: "Comrade Marshal, what is my task?" ”

"I'll give you two or three divisions, and the rest of the troops need you to contain them along the way." Timoshenko looked at Rokossovsky and said: "As soon as the morning dawns, you will go to Yaltsevo and form your combat group." As for the name of the cluster...... Speaking of this, he paused and thought for a moment, and then said decisively, "It's called the 'General Rokossovsky Cluster', and your task is to fight the Germans in Yatsevo and ensure the stability of our entire Smolensk defensive line." ”

"Understood." Rokossovsky replied loudly, and then he politely asked: "Comrade Marshal, can I leave?" ”

"Leave? No, on the contrary, Comrade Rokossovsky, you have to stay a little longer. Timoshenko continued: "I will set up a headquarters for you composed of staff officers, so that it will be convenient for you to command. After speaking, he picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, and said into the microphone: "Hey, the cadre department?" I'm Timoshenko. A command with 20 staff officers was immediately formed. Yes, form as soon as possible, I'll wait for your news. ”

After Timoshenko hung up the phone, he looked up and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade General, I believe that with this command, the formation of your combat cluster will be easier. Then he pointed to the empty stool with his hand, "It will take a certain amount of time for the cadre department to set up a command headquarters for you, so you can sit down for a while." ”

After Rokossovsky sat down, seeing that Timoshenko did not say anything more for the time being, he asked curiously: "Comrade Marshal, when I first came, the sentry at the gate let me in without checking my documents. Will this bring any harm to the command? ”

After hearing this, Timoshenko laughed twice, and then said: "Why, Comrade General, are you worried that your command will be attacked by the Germans?" Without waiting for Rokossovsky to make a statement, he continued to himself: "Since our command is with the troops, then we must put our own life and death on the line. If the Germans really want to attack our headquarters, do you think they can be stopped with just a few sentries at the door? So don't worry about it, just concentrate on commanding the troops to fight. As long as they can hold off the enemy's attack, your command can be guaranteed absolute safety. ”

"Comrade Rokossovsky, we all know that you played well in Shepetovka." Bulganin suddenly asked: "I have heard some panicked people babbling that the Germans are unstoppable, that they now have the strength to destroy all the armies that stand in their way." Unfortunately, the Germans broke through our borders and advanced the battle into our territory, a terrible situation that discouraged many people. However, when you hold Shepetovka, not a single German has been able to pass, can you tell me what is going on? ”

Rokossovsky was embarrassed by Bulganin's question, because he knew that the other side was thinking more about the problem from the political aspect than from the military aspect, and if he blindly talked about how to organize the defense of the troops, it was estimated that he would not be satisfied.

Seeing that Rokossovsky did not answer for a long time, Timoshenko was a little unhappy, and he raised his voice and asked: "Hey, comrade general, didn't you hear the military commissar asking you, why didn't you answer?" ”

"I'm sorry, Comrade Marshal," Rokossovsky said with some hesitation, "I find it difficult for me to answer the questions posed by the military commissar at once. ”

"It's okay, Comrade Rokossovsky." Bulganin said kindly: "Say whatever you want, we can talk as if we were friends." ”

Hearing Bulganin say this, Rokossovsky began to analyze the reasons why he was able to hold on to Shepetovka: "First of all, we prepared for the defense, built the necessary fortifications, so that the enemy could not rush into the city from the outskirts at once; Secondly, the commanders and fighters showed great courage and tenacity, and in the face of the enemy's fierce attack, no one retreated......"

After Rokossovsky analyzed the reasons for holding Shepetovka from a military point of view, Bulganin kissed again: "Is there any other reason?" ”

Remembering that the other side was a military commissar of the Front, Rokossovsky probably wanted to hear something about the reasons for the political factor, added: "...... The commanders and fighters understood that they were fighting not only for themselves, but also for the defense of our great Motherland, the defense of the great Russian nation, and the defense of Stalin, so that they could exert extraordinary combat effectiveness and keep the invincible enemy out of Shepetovka. ”

After saying these somewhat insincere words, Rokossovsky couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he found that not only Bulganin was nodding his head constantly, but even Timoshenko and another political worker were nodding their heads in approval.

Just then, the phone on the desk rang. Timoshenge picked it up and listened to it for a while, then said angrily, "I see." As soon as he put down the phone, he said to Rokossovsky, "Comrade General, your command has been formed. Later, when you go out and walk to the right, you will see another wooden house, which is where our cadre office is located, and where your headquarters members are. (To be continued.) )