As soon as dinner was served, Yegorov, Chistyakov, and Serebryakov, who had handed over the defense to the friendly forces in Kryukovo, also arrived in time.

Seeing the appearance of Commissar Egorov, Bakannidze, who was sitting opposite me, actually stood up excitedly, and then shouted: "Dear Yegorov, is it you?" ”

The political commissar was startled by the sudden shout, and after seeing the other party clearly, he asked hesitantly: "Lie Zhuo, is it you or your ghost?" ”

"Of course it's me! I didn't expect to be able to stand in front of you alive! Bakanidze got up and walked over to the commissar.

"I heard that you died in the defense of Smolensk, I didn't expect to see you here again." Yegorov also came over.

Hearing the next conversation between the two, I realized that Yegorov and Bakannidze were actually old acquaintances, they had known each other since they were in exile in Siberia, and they had both participated in the Battle of Nomenkan commanded by Zhukov, and now the unexpected reunion of old comrades-in-arms is a separate intimacy. Watching the two of them hug each other tightly and slap each other's backs hard, I immediately got goosebumps all over my body, and said in my heart that you don't have kissing shots, I'm eating, watching the two big men hug each other and gnaw non-stop, even if I know that this is a kind of etiquette, I can't stand it psychologically, maybe I'll spit out all the things I eat. Luckily, the two old comrades-in-arms were limited to hugging and patting each other on the shoulder, and there were no scenes that would cause me to have an appetizing taste.

"Alright, two commissars, you're all hungry!" I didn't know how long they would hug, so I quickly interrupted them: "Let's sit down and eat something first." ”

Bakannidze let go of Yegorov and said with a smile: "If Chief of Staff Oshanina doesn't remind, I almost forgot that you didn't eat either." Let's sit down and have a bite to eat. So saying, he took Egorov and sat down opposite me with him. Serebryakov sat down to my right and sat with the deputy division commander, Lieutenant Colonel Valery. Chistyakov and Gryaznov sat on my right side together.

When everyone was seated, I asked Chistyakov in a low voice: "Comrade Colonel, is the transfer of defense completed?" ”

Chistyakov had just stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth, and when he heard me ask, he nodded desperately as he swallowed the bread in his mouth. After swallowing the bread, he took a deep breath and replied: "Please rest assured that the division commander has completely handed over the defense line to the comrades of the 16th Army." Our division has now all returned to Klin. ”

I nodded in satisfaction, then made a gesture of please, and said, "I have no problem, you can continue eating." Then he looked at Colonel Gryaznov beside him.

Seeing that I was looking at him, the colonel put down the bread in his hand in time, so as not to be embarrassed like Chistyakov again. I asked curiously, "What happened to that captive just now?" ”

The colonel looked at his commissar and replied, "That's a German tank lieutenant, and during the battle, his tank lost contact with the other tanks, and because Kling was still in their hands, he drove straight towards the city." His tank was destroyed by our fighters with bazookas in the east of the city, and the remaining three crew members were killed on the spot because of their stubborn resistance, and they were captured by our soldiers because they were wounded and unconscious. ”

After the colonel answered my question, Lieutenant Colonel Valery, on the right, suddenly spoke: "Comrade commissar, I heard that before you returned to the army, you went to the Kremlin to meet Comrade Stalin. Can you give us the inside scoop? ”

After seeing Stalin, the lethality of this sentence was really great enough, and the people who had been eating stopped chewing one after another, and their eyes invariably looked at Bakanidze. I also looked at the old commissar opposite with interest, knowing that in the purge that began in 36, many of Stalin's close comrades-in-arms were purged, and he survived, in addition to his luck, perhaps his friendship with Stalin was also extraordinary.

Bakanidze glared at his deputy division commander dissatisfiedly, looked around, but did not speak.

I also looked left and right, and in addition to the commanders of several of our divisions, there were also several staff officers, orderlies, and guards, and I immediately understood that he was afraid of a lot of people, and if what he said was spread out, the matter would be serious. So I coughed, stood up and said to the idlers, "We have to study important matters, so you should go out first." ”

The commanders and fighters who were standing around immediately stood upright, turned around and walked out of the room without saying a word.

Seeing that the idlers and others had left, Yegorov, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but say curiously: "I said old man, there are no outsiders here, so you can tell everyone." ”

"Yes, Commissar Bakaniezze." I chimed in, "Just tell us about it." You can rest assured that there are reliable people here, and nothing you say will be leaked. ”

Seeing that everyone was looking at him intently, Bakannidze knew that he would not say anything and that everyone would not give up today, so he cleared his throat and reminded everyone that what he had heard today must be kept secret, and then he said: "Before I left Moscow this morning, I received a notice that Comrade Stalin wanted to see me. Of course, I made an appointment a few days ago for this meeting. ”

Hearing him speak so slowly and methodically, Yegorov beside him seemed to be more anxious than anyone else, and hurriedly urged him: "I said dear Lezo, let's not talk about these insignificant things for the time being, let's just talk about the main point, everyone is waiting." ”

"Actually, nothing was said," said Bakdanidze, still unhurriedly, "Comrade Stalin just chatted with me for a while and asked me about my family and health. ”

"And then?" This time asked Colonel Gryaznov.

"During the conversation, when talking about the differences between our army and the German army in terms of technology and equipment, Comrade Stalin mentioned the assistance provided to us by the American allies."

"The assistance that the U.S. allies have given to us has only been paid lip service, and they have not actually given us any equipment." Valery couldn't help but grumble.

"That's not what I said, my deputy division commander." Bakaniezze unceremoniously corrected his statement, "Do you know how much material the U.S. allies help us every month? ”

"How many can there be? Aren't they just a few broken jeeps? Valery retorted somewhat unconvinced.

Bakanidze shook his head and said: "The real aid data is classified. But listen to Comrade Stalin, the assistance of the American allies to us is four hundred planes, five hundred tanks, a thousand tons of armored steel, four hundred tons of barbed wire, five thousand jeeps. There was also a large number of anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank weapons. ”

"Are there so many?" His stats startled everyone, including me. I thought that the American aid to the Soviet Union, except for a large number of jeeps, and anti-tank weapons, and such a distant and empty promise as sending several divisions of troops into the war and opening up a second battlefield, no one had anything, but I did not expect that there would be so much technical equipment.

There was silence in the room.

After a long time, I broke the silence: "It's getting late, let's all go back and rest, and tomorrow we will leave for Botovo." Listening to what Commissar Bakannidze said today, I forgot it all when I got out of this door, understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Chief of Staff (Division Commander) of the Group Army." Everyone present replied in unison. Commissar Bakaniezze on the other side also threw me a grateful glance.

I stood up and was about to go out when Colonel Gryazhnov suddenly stopped me and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Army Group, how is the sequence of tomorrow's march arranged?" ”

I pondered for a moment and replied: "Tomorrow the 7th Division will set out first, followed by the 8th Division, the Far Eastern Independent Division, and at the end a few cannon regiments. ”

After arranging the sequence of tomorrow's march, I went back to the room that Colonel Gryazhnov had arranged for me to rest.

Early the next morning, it was Chistyakov who knocked on the door and woke me up with the news that the vanguard of the 7th Division, led by Commissar Bakanidze, had set out, and the troops of Colonel Gryaznov and Lieutenant Colonel Valery were close behind. The Eighth Division has also been assembled and can set off at any time, and I have come to ask me to move with the division headquarters.

As soon as I walked out of the building, I suddenly saw a jeep rushing towards me, and I felt a little uneasy in my heart, and secretly wondered if there was another accident there?

The car stopped, and jumping out of the car was the deputy division commander, Lieutenant Colonel Valery, who ran up to me quickly, saluted in a panic, and reported in a low voice: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Group Army, it's not good, something is wrong!" ”

I was suddenly scared out of a cold sweat, grabbed his shirt, and nervously asked: "Tell me, say quickly, what's wrong?" Did the troops encounter an ambush from the Germans? ”

Valery shook his head, lowered his head, and said with some sadness: "The jeep in which Commissar Bakanidze was riding was blown up by German mines. The commissar and several fighters in the same car died. ”

"What?! Sacrificed?! "This news was like a thunderbolt from the blue, and my mind went blank, and if it hadn't been for Chistyakov in the back to support me, I would have collapsed to the ground.