On the surface, I am enthusiastic about him, but in my heart I don't think so. I knew in my heart that the chief of staff of the group army, who had only one face, had come to me not to learn from me about the situation of the 62nd Army, after all, I had also been a member of the group army.

When Krylov entered the house, I hurriedly beckoned him to sit down at the table, and at the same time said to him apologetically: "I'm sorry, Comrade Chief of Staff, I also moved here, there is nothing in the room, and I can't entertain you for tea." ”

"It's okay, Comrade Oshanina. I'll just sit down for a while and have a casual conversation with you. Krylov replied heartily, and then changed the subject, "I heard that you were in the 62nd Army, and I have come to ask you something." ”

There were words in Krylov's words, and I pretended not to understand, did not answer his words, pretended to pretend to be regretful, and deliberately sighed and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, although I would like to help you too, I have been in the 62nd Army for a short time, and almost all of them are by General Kolpakchi's side, and I don't know much about the situation of the troops below. ”

After hearing this, Krylov looked at me with a smile and said: "Comrade Oshanina, I once inquired that when you arrived in the 62nd Army, you were only a major, and you were promoted because you commanded a battle and achieved great results. Am I right? ”

Hearing Krylov turn out all my old roots, I knew that if he was prevaricating, it would inevitably cause him to be unhappy. From the present situation, it is entirely possible that I will be transferred back to the 62nd Army, and if I have not even gone in, I will offend the chief of staff of the Group Army. After that, my life will not be mixed. So I had to fight my spirits. Squeeze a few smiles out of your face. He asked, "I wonder what Chief of Staff wants to know?" You can rest assured, as long as I know the truth, I will know everything and say everything. ”

Krylov nodded with satisfaction and asked straight to the point: "What do you think of General Korpakchi?" ”

His question stunned me for a moment, and I said in my heart that the Front Army was not planning to let Chuikov take over as commander of the 62nd Army? Why did you suddenly ask about Kol Pakchi again, could it be that the appointment of Chuikov was canceled?

"Why didn't you answer me?" Seeing that I was slow to answer, Krylov asked a little unhappily.

I quickly gathered my thoughts and said carefully: "Kolpacic is a commander with a lot of combat experience. Under his command, the commanders and fighters of the 62nd Army fought stubbornly with the enemy. Although the enemy advanced from the front of the army group to the Koska and Don rivers, the enemy also paid a huge price for this. ”

"And what do you think of his dismissal?" Krylov continued to ask.

"Comrade Chief of Staff, General Kolpakchi was removed from his post by order of his superiors. As a grassroots commander, I have no right to say anything about this matter. "This issue is too sensitive, and I can only use diplomatic rhetoric to perfunctory him.

"Alright, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, don't talk about these useless things." Krylov interrupted me. "Let me tell you the truth," said mysteriously, the commander of the Front intends to return General Kolpakchi to the post of commander of the 62nd Army. ”

I was taken aback by this unexpected news. I hurriedly asked, "What about General Chuikov?" How did I hear that his superiors intended him to succeed General Lopatin as commander of the army group? ”

This time it was Krylov's turn to sigh, and he said helplessly: "We have lost contact with Comrade Chuikov for eight hours, and we must know that generals like him who are running around on the battlefield are missing, captured, or sacrificed from time to time, and we must prepare for the worst." ”

When I heard him say this, I tentatively asked, "Do you think something may have happened to General Chuikov?" ”

"Yes." He replied affirmatively: "When General Yeremenko and I met with General Gordorff, the commander of the Front, he told us in an unusually sad tone that Chuikov was missing, and that his wrecked car had been found in the steppe, and that he himself was also unlucky. General Lopatin had already been relieved of his post as commander of the army group by the Supreme Commander himself because of his panic and command errors. It's just that because his communication with us has been cut off, this order cannot be conveyed to the troops for the time being. After his dismissal, a competent commander is needed to take over the command of the troops, and since Chuikov is now missing, we can only consider reinstating Officer Kolpacchi for the time being. ”

"Comrade Chief of Staff," I said calmly, "the situation may not be as bad as you think, General Chuikov has only temporarily lost contact, and he should not have suffered any misfortune yet." ”

Krylov looked at me in surprise and asked curiously, "Why are you so sure that Chuikov is fine?" I heard Commander Gordorff say that you once mentioned something similar in front of him. As far as you know, the search team found two charred bodies in the destroyed vehicle, one of which we suspect is Chuikov. ”

Of course, I could not have told him that I had read from the history books that Chuikov was not in danger and that he had made a name for himself because of the Battle of Stalingrad, and that he had become a famous general in the Soviet army. As for his question, I can only turn the topic to the last time the Air Force accidentally bombed the 208th Division, and after briefly recounting what happened, I said euphemistically: "Comrade Chief of Staff, we encountered the bombing of our own planes at that time, and when the radio station was destroyed, we completely lost contact with the other troops. ”

There was a cough at the door, and I turned my head to see that it was General Nikishev, the chief of staff of the Front who had just left, and he looked at Krylov and asked, "Krylov, are you ready?" Ready to start? ”

Krylov stood up and replied: "General Nikishev, we are ready. Then he shook his head at me and said, "Let's go, Comrade Oshanina." ”

"Where are you going?" His actions startled me, and I thought to myself, I wouldn't arrest me, I didn't do anything wrong. Then I thought about it again, and I couldn't help but laugh dumbly. Even if I'm wrong. It should also be someone from the Ministry of Internal Affairs who came to arrest me. How could it be possible for two generals to personally come out and arrest me, a little man.

Krylov said as he walked towards the door: "Let's go to the communication room and call Comrade Zhukov." ”

Led by Nikishev, we came to the innermost room of the communication room. After a communications soldier made a call to Moscow with a high-frequency telephone, he handed the phone to Nikishev, turned around and walked out of the room, and closed the door with his backhand.

Nikishev opened his mouth and said: "Hello, General Zhukov, I am Nikishev, Chief of Staff of the Stalingrad Front. I have an important situation to report to you. General Chuikov, who was supposed to take over the post of commander of the 62nd Army, disappeared unexpectedly. Yes, our search force found his car in the steppe, which had been blown up by enemy planes, and found two charred bodies in the car, among which we suspect General Chuikov. ”

Because I was a little far away, I couldn't hear what Zhukov was saying on the phone, but I saw Nikishev's face change several times in a row, and I explained to him in a low voice: "...... Yes, we got the news later. Commanders who knew Chuikov were dispatched to urgently rush to the location where the car was found, in order to confirm whether the victim was Chuikov himself. ”

I heard Nikishev suddenly say: "Comrade General. Please wait a moment, there is a commander who wants to talk to you. After speaking, he covered the microphone and whispered to me: "Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, come here and say a few words to Comrade Zhukov." Remember, mention General Kolpacic and try to reinstate him. ”

I nodded, walked over and took the phone from him. Zhukov's impatient voice came from the microphone: "Which one?" ”

"Hello, Comrade General, I'm Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina." In fact, before I spoke, I was also beating a drum in my heart, and the chief of staff of the front army like Zhukov and Lenny Kishev had no good words, and he would definitely not be polite to me. But now that it's hard to ride a tiger, I can only bite the bullet.

Hearing that I reported to my home, Zhukov obviously did not come back to his senses, and was silent for a moment, and then a slightly startled voice came: "It turned out to be Lida." How have you been? I heard that you have been promoted to lieutenant colonel because of your outstanding military achievements. Why, forget about me Zhukov, I don't even make a phone call. Zhukov's attitude was much better than I expected, at least his tone was relaxed and casual, without the slightest impatience, and there was a faint hint of the concern of the elders for the younger ones.

I hurriedly smiled: "Comrade General, I'm not afraid of disturbing your work, so I haven't dared to call you." Today, I happened to be at the headquarters of the Front Army, and when I saw Comrade Chief of Staff calling you, I wanted to say a few words to you. After saying these few lies, cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

Zhukov said with a smile: "I heard that you performed well after you arrived at the Stalingrad Front, and you have made a lot of military achievements. If it weren't for your lack of qualifications and combat experience, I would have decided to let you serve as chief of staff in any group army. ”

I am really grateful for Zhukov's love, but in front of the two unfamiliar generals, I can't say too much, so I can only talk about it. After two or three minutes of calling, Krylov held up a piece of paper in front of me with only one name: Kol Pakci. Only then did I lead the topic to the most critical part: "Comrade General, General Chuikov cannot be contacted for the time being, and the 62nd Army needs a commander who is familiar with the situation to take command, do you see if General Korpakchi can temporarily return to his combat post, and then let General Korpakchi transfer his post to General Chuikov after re-contacting General Chuikov?" ”

After saying this, my heart rose to my throat, and I was afraid that Zhukov would scold him. Just when I was nervous, Zhukov smiled and said, "Lida, I understand this, it should be Nikishev or Krylov next to you who asked you to say it, right?" Forget it, just do as you say, for the time being, let Kolpacchi return to the command of the 62nd Army, and when Chuikov returns, let him hand over the command. ”

Hearing Zhukov say this, I was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly: "Thank you, Comrade General. I immediately conveyed this order to Generals Nikishev and Krylov. Just as I was about to put down the telephone, I didn't expect Zhukov to say again: "Lida, don't hang up in a hurry, I still have something to say to you." ”

I hurriedly straightened up and said loudly: "Comrade General, please speak, I will listen to your instructions." Resolutely carry out your orders. ”

Zhukov smiled with satisfaction. He said slowly, "Leda." Remember. Don't have an opinion of your superiors at any time, and no matter what position you hold, you must firmly follow the orders of your superiors and not have any dissatisfaction. After saying that, he hung up the phone directly.

Although Zhukov's words were a bit clueless, I understood the meaning of his words. I nodded into the microphone. I still keep in mind the rules of the army. As long as it is decided by the superiors, whether the individual wants it or not, it is necessary to show resolute obedience. Otherwise, there will be a slight resistance. In the eyes of the higher-level commanders, they will become an alternative who is ignorant and disobedient to the arrangement, and will basically be beaten up and left in the cold palace soon. In a hierarchical army, ups and downs are commonplace, and we must withstand the test and endure loneliness, otherwise, there will be no future. No first-level commander will reuse a person who is incompatible with other commanders.

Putting down the phone, I turned to Nikishev, who was standing next to me, and reported: "Comrade Chief of Staff, General Zhukov has agreed to make General Korpakchi temporarily act as commander of the 62nd Army. After General Chuikov returned to the troops, he handed over command. ”

Nikishev's face beamed. He gently patted me twice on the shoulder and said excitedly: "Comrade Oshanina, you are amazing. We are all at a loss, and as soon as you get out of the way, you solve it immediately. Then he said to Krylov: "Comrade Krylov, let's go, let's go and get General Kolpakchi out." ”

As I walked out with the two of them, I thought to myself that General Kolpakci had been arrested and transferred to the headquarters in Stalingrad, where he might have been imprisoned.

My guess was right, and we walked up the stairs into the basement. On both sides of the long corridors were closed doors, each with a soldier standing guard outside each door. Seeing the arrival of the three of us, a lieutenant came over and asked in a stiff manner: "Comrade commander, may I ask you for something?" ”

Nikishev put on a straight face, put on a condescending posture, and said to the lieutenant: "I am General Nikishev, Chief of Staff of the Front, this is General Krylov, Chief of Staff of the 62nd Army, and Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, commander of the 35th Guards Division. We were ordered by the commander of the Front, General Gordorf, to release General Kolpakchi. ”

The lieutenant stretched out his hand and said in a businesslike tone: "Comrade General, please show the relevant orders. ”

Nikishev, who had been dismissed, said with some unhappiness: "Comrade lieutenant, don't you know me? I am the Chief of Staff of the Front, do I need any written orders to release a person? ”

"I'm sorry, Comrade General." The lieutenant said without humility or arrogance, "You can't let people go without an order." ”

Seeing that the two were at a stalemate, Krylov walked over, took off the telephone hanging on the wall, dialed a number, and after saying a few words, he stretched out the microphone to the lieutenant and said lightly: "Comrade lieutenant, your superiors asked you to answer the phone." The lieutenant glanced at us suspiciously, then obediently walked over and took the microphone.

After a while, the lieutenant put down the microphone, walked up to Nikishev, raised his hand and saluted, and said coldly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I was ordered to release General Kolpakchi, please come to me." ”

Nikishev and the lieutenant walked forward along the corridor, and I asked Krylov in a low voice: "Comrade Chief of Staff, to whom did you call just now, why did this lieutenant agree so quickly to release General Kolpakchi?" ”

Krylov just smiled and didn't answer my question.

Soon, General Kolpakchi, accompanied by Nikishev, came to us. Kol Pakchi did not wear a hat, his hair was disheveled, his face was unkempt, and his rank was ripped off his collar badge, and he looked particularly haggard.

Krylov greeted him, took the initiative to reach out to him, and introduced himself: "Hello, General Kolpakchi. I am the new Chief of Staff of Army Group Krylov, and it is a pleasure to meet you. ”

I was hesitating whether to go up and say hello to Kol Parkic, who had already walked up to me. He reached out and patted me on the shoulder, trying to say something but didn't say anything, just added some strength to his hand, nodded at me, and turned away. Looking at his back, I knew in my heart that everything was in plain sight, and he was sincerely grateful to me for my efforts to rescue him this time. Although he didn't say a word, his actions had already taught me that there were some things he would keep in mind.

General Krylov took a few steps up the steps, and when he saw that I was still standing in a daze, he stopped and turned back to me: "Hey, I said, Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, what are you still standing there in a daze, come up quickly." When Kolpacchi met the commander, we were to rush to the front. ”

When the three of them went up to the second floor to look for General Golddorf, I came to the gate, found the officer on duty, handed him the receipt for the gun, and asked him to help me take it out.

The officer on duty took the receipt, looked at it, then turned around and walked into the duty room, took out the submachine gun and pistol from it and handed them to me, and at the same time asked with a smile: "Comrade commander, are you going back to the front?" ”

I put my pistol in my holster, slung my submachine gun over my right shoulder, and replied lightly: "Comrade officer, this is a military secret, and I can't tell you casually." ”

Seeing that I was reluctant to say more, the officer raised his hand to salute me, and then went out on duty. (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank book friends: It is also a monthly ticket voted by Angry Qing, Chu Xiangshui, the dog who climbed the mountain, and the old godfather.