Although Rokossovsky verbally agreed to Lobachev's proposal, he felt in his heart that he was making a big fuss: the matter of awarding medals to fighters could be done by regimental units; The Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Red Star, which are slightly higher-grade medals, are generally issued by division-level leaders after they have been approved. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 info Even if the heroic deeds of several female soldiers are to be selected on a large scale this time, it is enough for the two leaders of the army group, himself and Lobachev, to award the medals, where is there any need to let Timoshenko personally go out.

But what happened next turned out far beyond Rokossovsky's imagination. Timoshenko also made a personal phone call after receiving the report sent by Lobachev. He said on the phone: "Comrade Rokossovsky, this is remarkable, several female soldiers who have just joined the army were able to bravely fight the enemy armed to the teeth, and with their own blood they composed a battle song, giving their young lives for the motherland. This deed must be publicized in a big way, not only to let our fighters know, but also to let our people know about it, so that everyone knows about their ......"

After Rokossovsky and Timoshenko finished talking, they knew that this matter was not as simple as he imagined, at least the significance of this matter had risen to an extremely high height. Not to mention that regimental or divisional leaders are not qualified to award medals to the wounded Lida, even themselves and Lobachev are also not qualified. The only one who could award her the title was Timoshenko or an envoy from Moscow.

Seeing Rokossovsky holding the microphone and thinking about his thoughts, Lobachev hurriedly asked with concern: "Comrade commander, what did Marshal Timoshenko say?" ”

Rokossovsky put down the microphone, turned his head to his military commissar and said with a smile: "Comrade military commissar, the marshal agreed to your application and decided to award Leda and the four girls who died with the Order of the Red Banner, and the award ceremony will be presided over by him personally!" Speaking of this, Rokossovsky suddenly thought of a key question and quickly asked, "By the way, where does the wounded Leda live now?" ”

"Where else?" Lobachev didn't know why Rokossovsky suddenly asked like this, and said casually: "Of course, I live at a medical station not far from us." ”

When he heard that Lida was at the medical station, Rokossovsky immediately called Malinin and instructed him: "Chief of Staff, perhaps tomorrow Comrade Marshal will come to our medical station to visit the wounded and award a medal to one of them, a female wounded named Lida." I now have two things to tell you to do: first, to do a good job of securing the medical station, where the medical staff are almost all Germans, whether they have a good opinion of us or not, but for the sake of safety, to move them elsewhere before the marshal arrives; Second, the wounded female soldier Lida is only a corporal, and I estimate that she is not eligible for a separate tent, so you should arrange for her to live in a separate tent as soon as possible, so that she can be visited and honored by Comrade Marshal. Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Malinin said understandingly: "I'll arrange it immediately." ”

When he heard that the German medical staff were to be temporarily transferred, Lobachev immediately agreed and said: "Comrade commander, this is a good arrangement. Regardless of how these paramedics have behaved in the recent past, for the sake of safety and to avoid accidents, they must not be allowed to come into contact with the leadership from the front command. ”

After laying down the task, Malinin returned to Rokossovsky, handed over a piece of information to Rokossovsky, and said: "Comrade commander, this is the reconnaissance report that I just received. ”

"What did it say?" Although Rokossovsky opened the browsing as soon as he turned out the information, he still habitually asked.

"The commander of the 108th Infantry Division, Colonel Orlov, reported," Malinin said, his eyes looked at Lobachev, who was sitting next to Rokossovsky, "the Germans on the west bank of the Wopi River are changing their guards. ”

"What, the Germans are changing their guards?" Lobachev couldn't help but be taken aback when he heard such news, and then turned his head to look at Rokossovsky: "No wonder it has been calm until now, it turns out that the enemy is changing guards." ”

At this moment, Rokossovsky had seen all the contents of the intelligence, he casually put it on the table, and then said: "This joint operation between us and the 19th Army, although it did not systematically destroy the German units above the regimental level, also caused huge losses to the enemy. I guess the Germans are going to take this motorized division down and recuperate and replace it with new units to take over their defenses. But that's fine, we can be quiet for at least two days. ”

At this time, the sound of a report was heard at the door. Lobachev hurriedly stood up and shouted at the door: "Please come in!" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, two officers walked in through the door. They came to Rokossovsky and Lobachev, and after raising their hands and saluting, the elderly colonel on the left spoke first: "Report to the commander, comrade military commissar, the new commander of the 16th Army Signal Corps, Colonel Maksimenko, report to you, I am waiting for your orders, please instruct!" ”

After he finished speaking, the middle-aged colonel next to him also raised his hand and saluted, "... The director of the armored tank and mechanized corps, Colonel Orel, reports to you ...

"Great, great." When Rokossovsky shook hands with the two colonels, he said excitedly: "When you two come, our command system will be even more perfect." On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the 16th Army, I would like to welcome you. ”

After waiting for Lobachev to shake hands with the two, Rokossovsky pointed to Colonel Maksimenko and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, don't look at his youth, but he is indeed a rare talent in communications. From now on, we will no longer have to worry about not being able to get in touch with the troops below, and Colonel Maximenko will handle these matters properly. ”

"That's right, that's right." Lobachev also agreed with Rokossovsky's statement: "Colonel Maksimenko will have clairvoyance and ears, and we will no longer have to worry about not being able to understand the battle situation at the front for a long time." ”

Rokossovsky then introduced the other members of the command to the two new colonels. When Oryol saw Kazakov, he immediately said: "It turns out that you are General Kazakov, the head of the artillery of the army group?" ”

"Yes, I am." Kazakov looked at the colonel, who he was completely unfamiliar with, and asked puzzledly: "Did you know me before?" ”

Orel shook his head and replied: "Comrade General, I am also seeing you for the first time today. Before I came here, the leadership of the Front asked us to bring you an artillery battalion, and they wanted you to bring this battalion to the limit. ”

When Kazakov heard that Orel had brought him an artillery battalion, an expression of joy suddenly appeared on his face: "Great, Comrade Colonel, it's really good." We currently have a limited number of artillery to provide more support to the infantry commanders and fighters, and now with this artillery battalion, I believe that the situation will be greatly improved. ”

"Yes, Comrade General." Orel said with a smile: "What I brought is not an ordinary artillery battalion, but the 'Katyusha' rocket artillery battalion, and one of their battalions can at least be compared to an ordinary artillery regiment." ”

"What, the 'Katyusha' rocket artillery battalion?" Hearing Orel say this, Rokossovsky and Kazakov couldn't help but ask in unison: "Is this true?" ”

"Of course it's true," Orel replied affirmatively, "the artillery battalion commander is outside, you can call him in and ask." With that, he took it upon himself to shout outside, "Come in, Comrade Captain." ”

With his shout, a young captain wearing a large-brimmed hat walked into the headquarters with his head held high, raised his hand and saluted the commanders present, and said loudly: "The commander of the 'Katyusha' rocket artillery battalion, Captain Liaoenka, has been ordered to come!" ”

Rokossovsky hurriedly took two steps forward, shook the captain's hand, and said a little excitedly: "Comrade captain, welcome, with you, I believe that the combat effectiveness of our artillery units will be able to rise to a higher level, so that our infantry units can get more fire support in battle." ”

When Kazakov also stepped forward to shake hands with Onka, Lobachev gently pulled Rokossovsky's sleeve, and when the former looked back at him, he asked curiously: "Comrade commander, this is just an artillery battalion, is it worth your pleasure?" ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Rokossovsky, who knew the power of rocket artillery, said to Lobachev with a smile: "You may have never seen the power of such rocket artillery, right?" When you get a chance to meet them, you'll know why I value them so much. ”

After Lobachev heard this, he snorted in disbelief. Just as he saw that Kazakov and Oenka had finished shaking hands, he also stepped forward to shake hands with the new artillery battalion commander and gave a warm welcome to the other party.

After he finished speaking, the middle-aged colonel next to him also raised his hand and saluted, "... The director of the armored tank and mechanized corps, Colonel Orel, reports to you ...

"Great, great." When Rokossovsky shook hands with the two colonels, he said excitedly: "When you two come, our command system will be even more perfect." On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the 16th Army, I would like to welcome you. ”

After waiting for Lobachev to shake hands with the two, Rokossovsky pointed to Colonel Maksimenko and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, don't look at his youth, but he is indeed a rare talent in communications. From now on, we will no longer have to worry about not being able to get in touch with the troops below, and Colonel Maximenko will handle these matters properly. ”

"That's right, that's right." Lobachev also agreed with Rokossovsky's statement: "Colonel Maksimenko will have clairvoyance and ears, and we will no longer have to worry about not being able to understand the battle situation at the front for a long time." ”

Rokossovsky then introduced the other members of the command to the two new colonels. When Oryol saw Kazakov, he immediately said: "It turns out that you are General Kazakov, the head of the artillery of the army group?" ”

"Yes, I am." Kazakov looked at the colonel, who he was completely unfamiliar with, and asked puzzledly: "Did you know me before?" ”

Orel shook his head and replied: "Comrade General, I am also seeing you for the first time today. Before I came here, the leadership of the Front asked us to bring you an artillery battalion, and they wanted you to bring this battalion to the limit. ”

When Kazakov heard that Orel had brought him an artillery battalion, an expression of joy suddenly appeared on his face: "Great, Comrade Colonel, it's really good." We currently have a limited number of artillery to provide more support to the infantry commanders and fighters, and now with this artillery battalion, I believe that the situation will be greatly improved. ”

"Yes, Comrade General." Orel said with a smile: "What I brought is not an ordinary artillery battalion, but the 'Katyusha' rocket artillery battalion, and one of their battalions can at least be compared to an ordinary artillery regiment." ”

"What, the 'Katyusha' rocket artillery battalion?" Hearing Orel say this, Rokossovsky and Kazakov couldn't help but ask in unison: "Is this true?" ”

"Of course it's true," Orel replied affirmatively, "the artillery battalion commander is outside, you can call him in and ask." With that, he took it upon himself to shout outside, "Come in, Comrade Captain." ”

With his shout, a young captain wearing a large-brimmed hat walked into the headquarters with his head held high, raised his hand and saluted the commanders present, and said loudly: "The commander of the 'Katyusha' rocket artillery battalion, Captain Liaoenka, has been ordered to come!" ”

Rokossovsky hurriedly took two steps forward, shook the captain's hand, and said a little excitedly: "Comrade captain, welcome, with you, I believe that the combat effectiveness of our artillery units will be able to rise to a higher level, so that our infantry units can get more fire support in battle." ”

When Kazakov also stepped forward to shake hands with Onka, Lobachev gently pulled Rokossovsky's sleeve, and when the former looked back at him, he asked curiously: "Comrade commander, this is just an artillery battalion, is it worth your pleasure?" ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Rokossovsky, who knew the power of rocket artillery, said to Lobachev with a smile: "You may have never seen the power of such rocket artillery, right?" When you get a chance to meet them, you'll know why I value them so much. ”

After Lobachev heard this, he snorted in disbelief. Just as he saw that Kazakov and Oenka had finished shaking hands, he also stepped forward to shake hands with the new artillery battalion commander and gave a warm welcome to the other party. (To be continued.) )