Receiving a call from Beloborodov, Rokossovsky said with satisfaction: "Well done, Comrade Colonel, because of your stubborn fighting, the Germans were unable to advance a single step in the defense zone of our army group. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info"

Receiving the commander's compliment, Beloborodov grinned and asked casually: "Comrade commander, how is the situation in other defensive areas?" Did they also hold back the ferocious offensive of the Germans? ”

Beloborodov's words made the expression on Rokossovsky's face become serious. He hesitated for a moment, and decided to tell the truth to his subordinate: "Comrade Colonel, I don't want to hide from you that the current battlefield situation is very bad for our army. ”

"The situation is very bad for our army?" Beloborodov was taken aback by Rokossovsky's words, and he cautiously asked: "I don't know how bad the situation is?" ”

"The enemy continued the offensive on the left flank, forcing our friendly units to retreat. While squeezing our troops eastward, the enemy forced the Istrian River and occupied several landing grounds on the east bank of the river. And south of the Volga reservoir, the enemy broke through the defenses of the 30th Army and advanced using tank and motorized corps in an attempt to expand the breakthrough. Rokossovsky gushed: "The enemy advanced to the flanks and entered the rear of the 126th Infantry Division, which was defending on the right flank of our troops, which had been greatly weakened before that, and they fought hard in the face of an enemy who was flanking from both sides at once. At the same time, the enemy carried out a surprise attack from the area of Teriaeva-Sloboda, advancing with tanks and infantry towards the city of Mount Del Sol, bypassing the Istrian reservoir from the north. ”

After listening to Rokossovsky's introduction, Beloborodov couldn't help but gasp. Although he had long been familiar with the terrain of the defense area, he habitually glanced down at the map in front of him, and then said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, if we continue to fight like this, our troops may fall into the encirclement of the German army. ”

Rokossovsky saw that Belorodov had also discovered this problem, and he couldn't help but sigh softly, and secretly said in his heart that the evil consequences of Zhukov's arbitrary cancellation of the retreat order began to be revealed at this moment. However, in front of his own subordinates, he definitely couldn't speak ill of Zhukov, so he could only follow the other party's words: "That's right, the command of the group army also judged it this way." Comrade Colonel, be mentally prepared that as soon as you receive an order from your superiors to retreat, you will immediately lead your troops, alternately covering the withdrawal of the existing positions, to the area of the Itrian reservoir to build a new line of defense. ”

After Rokossovsky put down the phone, Zakharov, deputy commander of the army group, walked up to him and said to him with a wry smile: "Comrade commander, although our army group stubbornly blocked the advance of the German army, with the breakthrough of the defense line of friendly forces, we may not be able to support it for long. ”

"That's right, the current situation is dangerous." Rokossovsky also had a feeling of powerlessness in the current erosive situation, and he nodded and said: "But no matter how critical the situation is, we must find a way to continue to remedy it, otherwise the enemy will soon rush under the city of Moscow." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Linin, who was standing not far away, shouted to him: "Comrade commander, your phone call is from the headquarters of the front army. ”

As soon as Rokossovsky said "hey" into the microphone, he heard Zhukov's familiar voice coming from the earpiece: "Hey, is it Rokossovsky?" ”

"Yes, it's me!" Rokossovsky hurriedly and respectfully replied: "What instructions do you have?" ”

"Comrade Rokossovsky, according to the latest information that we have. In the direction of Kling and Solhill City, the situation became dire. The German High Command threw six tank divisions, two infantry divisions and one motorized division into battle, establishing a huge superiority over our troops in these areas. Zhukov said in a stern tone: "You must immediately organize forces to strengthen the defenses in the Kling direction, and you must not let these two cities fall into the hands of the Germans." ”

Hearing Zhukov's order, Rokossovsky immediately became a little dumbfounded, and said in his heart that the troops in my hands are not enough to defend the existing positions, where are the surplus troops to strengthen the defense of Kling and Sun Hill City?

When Zhukov heard that Rokossovsky had not replied for a long time, his heart became more and more unhappy, and he raised his voice and asked: "What's the matter, Comrade Rokossovsky?" Are you still there and why don't you speak? ”

Rokossovsky took a deep breath and immediately replied: "Comrade General, I do not think I am capable of completing the task you have given me. Fearing that Zhukov would be angry and interrupt his later words, he deliberately quickened his speech, "My mobile forces were exhausted in the counter-assault a few days ago. The troops that can be commanded now are struggling to defend even the existing defensive areas, where are the surplus troops to strengthen the defense in the Kling direction? ”

In response to Rokossovsky's difficulties, Zhukov thought for a moment, and then said in an irrefutable tone: "Now the 30th Army on the right flank of your army group has been routed by the Germans, and it is difficult to organize decent resistance. Your mission is to contain these defeated soldiers and build a new defense in the Kling area. Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade General." Rokossovsky replied with difficulty: "I will immediately send someone to the Kling direction, gather troops, and create a new defense." ”

After putting down the phone, Rokossovsky stared at the map in front of him for a moment, then raised his head and said to Zakharov and Malinin, who were standing at the table: "The situation in the Klin direction is precarious at the moment, if we don't go there to block the enemy, the enemy can quickly rush from Klin to Moscow." As soon as the Germans rushed to the city of Moscow, the troops of our army group would fall into the encirclement of the German army. ”

"Comrade commander," Zakharov, waiting for Rokossovsky to finish, immediately asked two sharp questions: "Who should we send to command the defeated 30th Army?" Also, what other troops do we have at our disposal? ”

Rokossovsky frowned, pinched his chin with his fingers, and said slowly: "General Zakharov, you are my deputy, let you go to Kling to contain those defeated troops and establish defenses." ”

Zakharov did not object to Rokossovsky's order, but asked in embarrassment: "Am I going to contain the troops alone?" ”

"No, how could I possibly let you go to contain the troops alone." When Rokossovsky heard Zakharov's question, he hurriedly waved his hand and said: "None of us know what the current situation of the 30th Army is. Therefore, even if our forces are tight, if we want to strengthen the defense in the Kling direction, we still have to send some troops over. ”

"Which troops should we send over?" Hearing Rokossovsky say this, Malinin asked with a sad face.

Rokossovsky thought for a moment, and then ordered: "Now the 126th Infantry Division and the 17th Cavalry Division have not many troops left, and they may not be able to be used for battle, but they can still be used to collect the rout." ”

"Disabled infantry and cavalry divisions." After listening to Rokossovsky's assignment, Zakharov said a little unwillingly: "There are no heavy weapons, and if you encounter the German armored forces, it is estimated that you will only be slaughtered." ”

Rokossovsky glared at Zakharov fiercely at Zakharov's whining words, and then continued: "In this way, I will hand over the 25th tank brigade to you again, there are still 12 tanks left in the brigade, and even if it meets the German armored forces, it has the ability to fight." ”

Zakharov secretly calculated the strength of his hand in his heart, and felt that this was already the limit of what Rokossovsky could take, so he nodded and said: "Comrade commander, with so many troops, I can gather the troops of the defeated 30th Army in the shortest possible time and build a new defense in the Klin area." ”

"Chief of Staff, immediately go and assemble the troops I just mentioned and hand them over to Comrade Deputy Commander." Seeing that Zakharov agreed to go to the Kling direction to contain the rout, the stone hanging in Rokossovsky's heart finally fell to the ground. He believed in Zakharov's abilities, which would certainly be able to solve the crisis in the Kling direction.

Seeing that Malinin was about to go out, Zakharov hurriedly stopped him, and at the same time turned his head to Rokossovsky and said: "Comrade commander, time is pressing, I will go with the chief of staff, and as soon as the troops are assembled, I will set off immediately." ”

Rokossovsky did not keep Zakharov, but stepped forward to hold his hand and admonished: "Comrade Zakharov, I have two things to tell you, you must contain the defeated troops in the shortest possible time and build a new defensive ...... in the Kling direction."

Zakharov nodded and agreed: "I see." Then he asked, "What else?" ”

"Also, you have to pay more attention to your own safety." When Rokossovsky said this, he felt his nose sour for a while, but he still tried to control his emotions and said: "I must come back alive!" ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander! I'll definitely come back alive. After Zakharov said this, he withdrew his hand from Rokossovsky's palm, raised his hand in salute, and walked out of the command headquarters behind Malinin.

Watching Zakharov's back disappear from the door, Rokossovsky couldn't help but fall into deep thought: most of his understanding of the Battle of Moscow comes from the movie "The Battle of Moscow", it seems that after Zhukov forcibly canceled the retreat order, not long after, the Soviet army launched a major counteroffensive under the city of Moscow, as if there was no mention of Klin.

Thinking of this, Rokossovsky walked quickly to the wall, looked up at the map hanging on it, stared at Klin, located northwest of Moscow, and searched his mind for information related to this place name. His gaze moved down the Klin-Moscow highway little by little, and suddenly he saw a place name called "Khimki" on the outskirts of Moscow, and at that moment a memory suddenly flooded into his mind.

He remembered a comrade-in-arms who had been to Moscow and had told him that on the side of the road in Khimki there were three huge tripods, and this was said to be where the German troops had once arrived. For this reason, he also searched the Internet for the corresponding ladder, and learned that there was a small German army that once rushed to the Khimki area, but was quickly wiped out by the militia forces in the city.

"Comrade Commander, what are you looking at?" A sudden voice sounded next to him, interrupting Rokossovsky's musings. He turned his head to look and saw that it was Military Commissar Lobachev standing beside him, and he looked like he had just returned from outside. Seeing that Rokossovsky noticed him, Lobachev continued: "As soon as I entered the door, I saw you standing in front of the map in a daze. From what I know about you, you only react like this when you encounter something particularly upsetting. ”

Rokossovsky did not immediately answer Lobachev's question, but pointed to Khimki's position, looked at Lobachev and asked: "Comrade Military Commissar, tell me, if the Germans were going to rush to Khimki, where would they break through the defenses of our army?" ”

Lobachev was taken aback by Rokossovsky's words, and said to himself, how can you make such a dangerous hypothesis, this is simply defeatist arguments. However, seeing that Rokossovsky looked serious, not like he was joking, he also had to look at the map seriously, and then replied: "If the Germans want to rush to Khimki, then they must first break through the defenses of our army group." ”

"If they are not able to break through the defenses of our army group at all," Rokossovsky saw that this answer was not the answer he wanted, and then asked: "Where do you think they will pass and get to Khimki?" ”

Lobachev studied the map again for a long time, then pointed at Klin, and replied decisively: "There is another way, which is to break through the defenses of the 30th Army, occupy Kling and the city of Sun Hill, and then rush along the road to Moscow, so that they will occupy Khimki, which is located on the northern outskirts of Moscow, it is a logical thing." As soon as he said this, he couldn't help but shudder, and then looked at Rokossovsky with a look of horror and asked in an incredulous tone, "Comrade Rokossovsky, do you think that the German army will pass through Kling and rush into Moscow?" ”

"Comrade Military Commissar, it's not what I think," Rokossovsky, after getting the answer he wanted, his expression calmed down, and he pointed to the map and said to Lobachev, who did not know the situation: "General Zhukov called me and said that the troops of the 30th Army had been routed by the Germans. At present, the main force of the German army is rushing towards Kling and the city of Cumbre del Sol, and I am ordered to send troops to strengthen the area and block the German army's advance towards Moscow. ”