Rokossovsky did not immediately return to the question, but turned his head and asked Lobachev: "Military commissar, if such a thing is known to our commanders and fighters, will it affect the morale of the army?" ”

Lobachev stared at Rokossovsky for a while, nodded vigorously, and replied affirmatively: "That's right, comrade commander, you are quite right, once our commanders and fighters know about this, it will definitely affect the morale of the army. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ”

"So what to do?" Lobachev's words made Rokossovsky in a dilemma, he frowned, his fingers kept tapping on the table, and said to himself: "After all, they are our fighters, you can't kill them, right?" ”

"Comrade commander," Zakharov said, looking at Rokossovsky, word for word, "don't forget, this wounded man was captured by our troops in German uniforms. Besides, the weather outside is so cold now, and the road is not easy to walk, if he has any accident on the way here, he will not attract the attention of others. ”

"I agree with Comrade Deputy Commander." Lobachev echoed Zakharov with a serious expression: "These commanders and fighters who carry out top-secret missions may have been ready to sacrifice for a long time, whether they are killed by the Germans or killed by their own people, for them, it is no different." ”

Rokossovsky did not speak, but stood up and paced back and forth in the command headquarters. Seeing Rokossovsky's solemn expression, Malinin, who was busy, couldn't help but ask: "Comrade commander, what happened?" ”

Rokossovsky knew that this kind of thing should not be hidden from his chief of staff, so he called him to the front and whispered about the top-secret operation of the Supreme High Command to burn villages and settlements outside the city, and finally asked: "Chief of staff, do you have any good ideas?" ”

From Rokossovsky's words, Malinin could tell that the commander was in a dilemma, so he volunteered and said: "Comrade commander, leave this matter to me, and I will definitely handle it." ”

Seeing Rokossovsky's nod of approval, he picked up the phone that was placed in front of Lobachev and Zakharov and dialed the headquarters of the 9th Guards Division. As soon as the phone rang, he said into the microphone: "Colonel Belorodov, I am Chief of Staff Malinin." I want to ask you, how many people know about that? ”

When Beloborodov heard Malinin's question, he was stunned for a moment, but quickly understood what was going on, and hurriedly replied: "In addition to me and my chief of staff, there are also members of the squad on the mission who know. ”

"How many people are in the squad?" Malinen continued to ask solemnly.

"There are thirty of them." Beloborodov was afraid that he would not be able to speak clearly, and deliberately explained: "This was originally a company of 120 people, and after a long battle, only this few people remained." ”

"Alright, Comrade Colonel, I know everything." Malinin decisively ordered the other side: "Let them leave the wounded in the village and continue to search for the Germans in the next village or settlement, understand?" ”

"But, Comrade Chief of Staff," Beloborodov said with some embarrassment, not understanding why Malinin had suddenly given such an order, "the village was almost burned down, and if there was no place to hide, if the wounded were left there, he would have frozen to death in less than half an hour." ”

"It's an order, carry it out." When Ma Linin put down the phone, he also muttered: "This is war!" ”

"Very well, Comrade Chief of Staff," Lobachev nodded at Malinin with such ease as he finished dealing with a thorny problem, an approving expression on his face; And Zakharov patted him on the shoulder, gave him a thumbs up and said: "Good job!" ”

Malinin smiled bitterly, and then said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, if there is nothing to do, I will go back and continue to be busy." ”

"Wait a minute, Comrade Chief of Staff." Rokossovsky stopped Malinin and said to him in a consultative tone: "General Zhukov asked us to continue the offensive to the west, and you can see if we can assemble the 8th and 9th Guards Divisions to take up the main attack task." And other units to carry out the task of clearing the remnants of the German army from villages and settlements? ”

"Comrade Commander," the expression on Malinin's face regained his composure, and he said dryly: "Now both Guards Divisions are carrying out clearance tasks in the area near Volokolamsk, not all companies are equipped with communications equipment, and it will take at least a week to assemble them all. ”

"No, a week is too long." Rokossovsky shook his head and said: "Listen to what General Zhukov meant, he wants us to resume the offensive against the Germans in these two days." ”

"If the offensive is to be relaunched in these two days, I propose that General Priev's 2nd Guards Cavalry Army, General Katukov's 1st Guards Tank Brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Mlagintsev's mixed cadet regiment be the first echelon to take the lead in attacking the Germans." "In this way, we will have enough time to assemble the Eighth and Ninth Guards Divisions," he said. Comrade Commander, do you think this will work? ”

"Yes," Rokossovsky nodded, then asked, "How long do you think it will take to complete such a build-up?" ”

"If the order to assemble is given immediately," said Malinin, looking up at his watch, "by tomorrow morning at the latest, the offensive against the German defensive positions to the west will be renewed." ”

"Well, Comrade Chief of Staff, immediately go and give an order to the commanders of the first echelon and ask them to hurry up and assemble their troops." Rokossovsky also raised his hand and looked at his watch, "Tomorrow at eight o'clock in the morning, I like that they can launch an attack on the German army." ”

As soon as Malinin walked away, Zhukov's call came in. He anxiously asked: "Comrade Rokossovsky, can you tell me when you plan to relaunch the offensive against the Germans?" ”

"Tomorrow, Comrade Zhukov." Rokossovsky confidently said: "Our troops will be able to relaunch the offensive against the Germans at eight o'clock tomorrow morning." ”

"Very well," Zhukov said with satisfaction to Rokossovsky's answer, "then I will wait for your good news." ”

At this moment, Lobachev, who was sitting in Rokossovsky, whispered: "Hey, comrade commander, don't forget to tell Zhukov about that." ”

"By the way, Comrade Zhukov, I have one more thing of special importance that I need to report to you."

"What's the matter?"

So Rokossovsky reported to Zhukov about the burning of villages and settlements outside Moscow by disguising himself as Germans. He finally asked, "What do you think we are going to do about this?" ”

Zhukov was silent for a long time before he spoke: "Since it is a top-secret mission, the fewer people who know about it, the better, and we must control the scope of those who know." You have handled this matter very well, and I will report it to Comrade Stalin at the appropriate time. Now, you should concentrate all your energy on the attack on the German army. ”

In this way, the 16th Army again concentrated its superior forces and launched a new round of offensive on the areas occupied by the Germans. Although the Germans put up stubborn resistance and inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking Soviet troops, they still advanced westward little by little under constant blows.

In mid-January, the 8th Guards Division, the vanguard of the 16th Army, advanced to a point 90 kilometers west of Moscow. The commanders and fighters of the 1075th Infantry Regiment pursued the fleeing Germans to a village called Petrishevo. Due to the tactics adopted by the regimental commander to attack head-on and detour left and right, none of the enemies who fled into the village escaped, except for those who were killed, the rest were taken prisoner.

Seeing their troops rushing into the village, the villagers who had been hiding in their houses poured out to meet the commanders and fighters who had freed themselves from the clutches of the Germans. In particular, the women with headscarves rushed up and hugged the commanders and fighters, crying and laughing, and kept kissing the soldiers' faces.

When the regiment commander entered the village, an elderly man rushed to him from the crowd and asked loudly: "Comrade commander, are you the supreme commander of this unit?" ”

"Yes, sir, I am the supreme commander of this unit." The head of the regiment stretched out his hand to hold the old man's hand and said, "We are too late to make you suffer." ”

The old man grabbed the regimental commander's hand, pulled him to the other end of the village, and said as he walked: "Comrade commander, please come to me, I will show you the heinous crimes committed by the Germans." Seeing that his regiment commander was pulled away by an old man, the surrounding soldiers were afraid of any danger, and they also followed.

The old man took the regiment commander to a clearing, pointed to a broken rope buried in the snow, and said: "Comrade commander, there is a girl buried here who was brutally killed by the Germans, you have to avenge her." ”

The regiment commander didn't know what was going on, so he hurriedly called a few soldiers and asked them to dig up the place with a sapper shovel. Fighters hold sapper shovels to shovel the snow off the surface before they begin digging into the hard frozen soil. Ten minutes later, a body that had been shallow buried in the dirt was dug up.

The head of the regiment stepped forward to see that it was the remains of a girl, her upper body was bare, and her left breast had been cut off.

"Tomorrow, Comrade Zhukov." Rokossovsky confidently said: "Our troops will be able to relaunch the offensive against the Germans at eight o'clock tomorrow morning." ”

"Very well," Zhukov said with satisfaction to Rokossovsky's answer, "then I will wait for your good news." ”

At this moment, Lobachev, who was sitting in Rokossovsky, whispered: "Hey, comrade commander, don't forget to tell Zhukov about that." ”

"By the way, Comrade Zhukov, I have one more thing of special importance that I need to report to you."

"What's the matter?"

So Rokossovsky reported to Zhukov about the burning of villages and settlements outside Moscow by disguising himself as Germans. He finally asked, "What do you think we are going to do about this?" ”

Zhukov was silent for a long time before he spoke: "Since it is a top-secret mission, the fewer people who know about it, the better, and we must control the scope of those who know." You have handled this matter very well, and I will report it to Comrade Stalin at the appropriate time. Now, you should concentrate all your energy on the attack on the German army. ”

In this way, the 16th Army again concentrated its superior forces and launched a new round of offensive on the areas occupied by the Germans. Although the Germans put up stubborn resistance and inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking Soviet troops, they still advanced westward little by little under constant blows.

In mid-January, the 8th Guards Division, the vanguard of the 16th Army, advanced to a point 90 kilometers west of Moscow. The commanders and fighters of the 1075th Infantry Regiment pursued the fleeing Germans to a village called Petrishevo. Due to the tactics adopted by the regimental commander to attack head-on and detour left and right, none of the enemies who fled into the village escaped, except for those who were killed, the rest were taken prisoner.

Seeing their troops rushing into the village, the villagers who had been hiding in their houses poured out to meet the commanders and fighters who had freed themselves from the clutches of the Germans. In particular, the women with headscarves rushed up and hugged the commanders and fighters, crying and laughing, and kept kissing the soldiers' faces.

When the regiment commander entered the village, an elderly man rushed to him from the crowd and asked loudly: "Comrade commander, are you the supreme commander of this unit?" ”

"Yes, sir, I am the supreme commander of this unit." The head of the regiment stretched out his hand to hold the old man's hand and said, "We are too late to make you suffer." ”

The old man grabbed the regimental commander's hand, pulled him to the other end of the village, and said as he walked: "Comrade commander, please come to me, I will show you the heinous crimes committed by the Germans." Seeing that his regiment commander was pulled away by an old man, the surrounding soldiers were afraid of any danger, and they also followed.

The old man took the regiment commander to a clearing, pointed to a broken rope buried in the snow, and said: "Comrade commander, there is a girl buried here who was brutally killed by the Germans, you have to avenge her." ”

The regiment commander didn't know what was going on, so he hurriedly called a few soldiers and asked them to dig up the place with a sapper shovel. Fighters hold sapper shovels to shovel the snow off the surface before they begin digging into the hard frozen soil. Ten minutes later, a body that had been shallow buried in the dirt was dug up.

The head of the regiment stepped forward to see that it was the remains of a girl, her upper body was bare, and her left breast had been cut off.