Rokossovsky, who has the memory of later generations, knew very well in his heart that the Amber Room, which was snatched by the Germans, mysteriously disappeared during the war. There are many theories about the reasons for the disappearance: first, the British planes bombed Königsberg on a large scale, destroying the treasure hall where the amber room was stored in the royal castle; The second is that the Germans sank the packed amber room into the sea before the Soviets occupied Königsberg. Whatever the truth of history is, in a word, the Amber Room is nowhere to be found in the end.

For the sake of a cultural relic, to launch an offensive without any chance of winning, Rokossovsky would never do such a stupid thing. Therefore, he raised his hand to stop the discussion in the conference room and said to everyone: "Comrade commander, please be quiet. I would like to remind everyone that it would be suicidal to attack Königsberg with our current strength. ”

He got up and walked to the map hanging on the wall behind him, picked up his baton and pointed to it, and said: "If we want to carry out an assault on Königsberg in the north, we must break through the Liechen fortification area of the German Army Group Center in turn, and the Rastenburg and Helesburg fortification areas of the Northern Army Group in turn. Even if we succeed in achieving a breakthrough, it will be an impossible task to conquer Königsberg, which has a well-established defense system. If the assault force were to be cut off from the rear, there would be a danger of total annihilation. ”

In fact, what Rokossovsky said is known to all the commanders present. The reason why everyone thought of attacking Königsberg directly was because they knew the whereabouts of the Amber Room. Hearing Rokossovsky say this at this moment, everyone calmed down, feeling that the idea they had just made was indeed too risky, and the slightest carelessness would put the troops in a situation from which they could never recover.

Seeing that everyone seemed to be listening to their words, Rokossovsky waved his hand at them and announced: "Okay, now that the tasks are clear, let's all go back to our respective units for operational deployment." ”

After the commanders of the army group had left, Trubnikov asked Rokossovsky with concern: "Comrade commander, I heard that you suffered an old wound in Moscow and were admitted to the hospital. I was going to visit you in Moscow, but there are so many things going on here that I can't get out of it. ”

"It's okay." Rokossovsky waved his hand at him and said: "I am fine, but because Comrade Stalin is not worried about my health, he let me stay in the hospital for a while longer." ”

After the two chatted for a while, the chief of staff, Bogolyubov, walked in from outside. He saw Rokossovsky sitting at the conference table with a surprised expression on his face, and after a long while, he was sure that he was not mistaken, he hurriedly stepped forward to salute Rokossovsky and asked in surprise: "Comrade commander, when did you come back?" ”

"Not long after I returned," Rokossovsky got up and shook hands with Bogolyubov, saying, "After I returned, I also presided over a meeting of the commanders of the army group. ”

Knowing that Rokossovsky was presiding over a military meeting, Bogolyubov could not help but throw an unexpected glance at Trubnikov, and he thought to himself: he is the chief of staff of the Front, and why did no one inform himself about holding such a meeting?

The expression on Bogolyubov's face was seen by Rokossovsky, and he sighed secretly, saying in his heart that the acting commander had convened such an important meeting, and the chief of staff of the front army did not know about it, and if he came back a little later, the command system of the troops might fall into chaos.

Thinking of this, he beckoned Bogolyubov to sit down and briefed the other party on the deployment he had made. After listening to this, Bogolyubov nodded and said: "Comrade commander, you have correctly analyzed, the German army's build-up of troops on the right flank of our army is an illusion. I made a special trip to Augustov today to observe the local terrain, which is not conducive to the deployment of large-scale armored forces at all. What we can find is something that the Germans who have been here for hundreds of years can't find out? I would have liked to come back and talk to the acting commander about not moving troops to the right flank, but I didn't expect you to arrange it a long time ago. ”

…………

The feints of the Soviet troops, as expected, confused the Germans, who, believing that the Soviets had been fooled, launched an attack on the left flank of the Second Belorussian Front. After an hour and a half of artillery preparation, sixty tanks of the German 7th Panzer Division, followed by a regiment of motorized infantry, launched an attack on the defensive area of the 307th Infantry Division of the Soviet 50th Army.

Although the Soviet army first built defensive positions, laid minefields and barbed wire in front. But after intensive shelling, there were very few mines left in the minefield that did not explode, and the tanks that opened the way in front easily broke the barbed wire, opening a way for the infantry behind to attack.

In the face of the onslaught of the Germans, the commander of the 50th Army, Borkin, gave the commander of the division a death order, telling him to hold his position no matter what. At the same time, tank brigades and infantry divisions were mobilized from other directions to reinforce the 307th Division.

Having learned that the battle was first fought in the defense zone of the 307th Infantry Division, Rokossovsky asked the Chief of Staff Bogolyubov: "Chief of Staff, how many troops has the enemy committed in this area?" ”

Without hesitation, Bogolyubov replied: "According to the information we have received, the German 7th Panzer Division dispatched the 25th Panzer Regiment, and the 6th Panzergrenadier Regiment, as well as a motorized regiment. ”

Hearing that the Germans had only dispatched this amount of troops, Rokossovsky said with some disapproval: "It seems that the Germans think that with only such a small number of troops, they can break through the defenses of our army." Immediately called General Borkin and ordered him to intensify the counterattack and try to attract the main forces of the enemy to it. ”

"Comrade commander," Bogolyubov waited for Rokossovsky to finish, and then asked: "When do you think we will put the 2nd Shock Army and the 5th Guards Tank Army into battle?" ”

"It's early, my Comrade Chief of Staff." Rokossovsky did not say a specific time when these two forces would be put into battle, but asked rhetorically: "What happened to Augustov on the right flank of our army?" Did the forces deployed there by the Germans maneuver to the left flank of our army? ”

"According to the reports of the scouts, the enemy is gradually withdrawing troops from this area." Bogolyubov said to Rokossovsky with a smile on his face: "Comrade commander, it seems that you are still right in your analysis, the enemy's build-up on the right flank of our army is nothing more than an illusion. Their real goal is to try to break through from the left flank of our army. ”

Seeing that Bogolyubov was going to make a call, he also specifically advised: "Tell General Borkin to report to me at any time about the situation there." ”

In the next two hours, the Soviets not only did not repel the attack of the 7th Panzer Division, but on the contrary, lost several fire support points in a row. Seeing this, Trubnikov was a little anxious, he walked up to Rokossovsky's side and said: "Comrade commander, the Germans have successfully wedged into the defense zone of our army, do you think the 2nd Shock Army should be thrown into battle?" ”

"Comrade Deputy Commander." Rokossovsky glanced at Trubnikov and said to him with a smile: "At present, the main force of the German army has not yet been dispatched, we have hurriedly put the 2nd Shock Army into battle, if we cannot repel the enemy's attack in the shortest possible time, and let the war fall into a stalemate, once the enemy's main force arrives, what kind of troops should we use to block their attack?" ”

Rokossovsky's question, silenced Trubnikov. He stared at the map for a long time, then raised his head and said to Rokossovsky: "Judging from the performance of the 307th Infantry Division, they will not be able to stop the enemy's attack at all, and if this continues, our front may be cut apart by the enemy." ”

"Don't worry," Rokossovsky pointed to the map to comfort Trubnikov's concern: "Even if all the positions of the 307th Infantry Division are lost, our front will not be divided, and the 121st Infantry Army placed here can contain the German offensive." ”

"Once the positions of the 307th Infantry Division are completely lost, it will have a negative impact on our morale." Trubnikov continued to persuade Rokossovsky: "I should at least give them some help. ”

"Give them some help?!" Rokossovsky, after repeating Trubnikov's words, said: "General Borkin has already sent a tank brigade and two infantry regiments here to launch a counter-assault from the flank of the German army. Regrettably, however, little has been achieved. I think that such help is enough for them, after all, the Germans have only sent three regiments, and the main forces are still in the fortified area. ”

Just when Rokossovsky was sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai platform, Fedyuninsky, after learning about the situation on the front line, was a little breathless and took the initiative to call Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, I heard that the German army has broken through several lines of defense of the 307th Infantry Division one after another, and I don't know when you plan to send us to attack. ”

"Don't be in a hurry, Comrade Fedyuninsky." Regarding Fedyuninsky, who took the initiative to ask for help, Rokossovsky said lightly: "The time is not yet ripe, at least wait for the enemy's main forces to enter the defensive zone of the 307th Infantry Division, and then consider throwing you into battle." ”

"Comrade Marshal," Fedyuninsky anxiously asked, "then how long do we have to wait?" ”

"This depends on the performance of the 307th Infantry Division, as long as they can attract the main German forces into their defensive areas, you will be able to attack." Rokossovsky stared at the map in front of him and said, "At that time, you and Volsky's troops can encircle these enemies who have broken into our defense area, so that none of them can escape." ”

Fedyuninsky, who had taken the reassuring pill, suddenly felt much more at ease, and he said to Rokossovsky: "Understood, Comrade Marshal, as soon as the time is ripe for an attack, please notify us immediately." ”

After Fedyuninsky's call, Rokossovsky contacted Borkin again: "General Borkin, how is your situation there?" Did you organize a counterattack that repelled the enemy? ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's series of questions, Borkin said with shame: "I'm sorry, Comrade Marshal, I have betrayed your trust, although I sent troops to reinforcements, but I did not achieve the desired results. The Germans were armed with a large number of Leopard tanks, and our T-34 was simply no match for them. Both sides opened fire at a distance of eight hundred meters, and our armor-piercing shells could only leave a crater on the body of their tank; And they can blow our turrets off with one shot......"

"I see." For Borkin's report, Rokossovsky was also helpless, who made his tanks inferior to the tanks of the Germans, it seems that in the next battle, he can only use the advantage of numbers to win. "Order the 307th Infantry Division to gradually withdraw from its existing positions and retreat to the defensive positions of the 121st Infantry Corps by means of continuous resistance."

Regarding Rokossovsky's arrangement, Borkin nervously said: "Comrade Marshal, if you really let the Germans advance to the defensive zone of the 121st Infantry Army, it will be tantamount to wagging them into a distance of ten kilometers of our army's defense line. ”

"Don't worry, General Borkin." Rokossovsky said with a smile: "As long as the Germans can put their main forces into the battlefield, let alone let him advance ten kilometers, even if it is twenty kilometers, I will do it." Speaking of this, he snorted coldly, "When the time comes, I will tell them to come in and not get out." ”

Borkin, hearing from Rokossovsky's tone, that he was laying out and preparing to eat the 7th Panzer Division and the Greater German Division, the most elite of the German army, hurriedly replied: "Don't worry, Comrade Marshal, I will faithfully carry out your order and draw the enemy into the depth of our army." ”

The battle continued into the evening, and the remnants of the 307th Infantry Division had withdrawn to the defense zone of the 121st Infantry Army. After a day of fighting, the Germans found that although the Soviet army resisted stubbornly, its strength was limited, and the tanks equipped could not be compared with the tanks on its side. Therefore, the German commander decided to put the main forces of the 7th Panzer Division, the Großdeutsche Division and the 58th Infantry Division into the battlefield from the breakthrough in an attempt to expand their occupied area.

Knowing that the Germans had entered the urn, Rokossovsky gave orders to Fedyuninsky and Volsky, telling them to immediately attack and cut off the retreat of the German troops wedged into the defensive line.

Two forces, which had long been preparing for action, decisively launched an attack from both flanks of the Germans after receiving orders from Rokossovsky. Fierce fighting continued all night, and by dawn the three German divisions that had entered the Soviet defense zone were surrounded by three army groups.

When Rokossovsky learned the news, he breathed a sigh of relief, straightened up, threw the red and blue pencils in his hand on the table, and said to Bogolyubov, who was standing in front of him: "Since the Germans have been surrounded, then our next task is to eat them." Chief of Staff, you immediately call General Grischen of the 49th Army and order his troops to take part in this encirclement and annihilation operation as well. ”