Due to Zhukov's intervention, Rokossovsky's order to retreat had to be canceled less than ten minutes later. As soon as I put down the phone, Leviakin asked me what to do next.

I struggled to recall the plot of the movie, and I could never remember what situation the 16th Army would face after Zhukov forcibly canceled the order to retreat. But one thing is certain, that is, in the face of the powerful German offensive of the Soviet army, the entire defense line still moved towards Moscow little by little.

My heart beats violently at the thought that the Soviets were being defeated by the Germans, and that our situation in the midst of German encirclement was worrying. I squeezed out a smile to Leviagin, and said with difficulty: "After first trying to drag the Germans in the city and consume them in large numbers, we are choosing an opportunity to break through." ”

The general noticed the change in my expression, and had to say helplessly: "The strength of the enemy is too strong, and the tenacity is beyond our imagination, and what we can do at present is to find a way to delay the enemy here as long as possible and slow down their advance towards Moscow." As he spoke, he turned to the busy group of officers and shouted, "Where's the communications officer?" ”

At his shout, a second lieutenant ran over and stood in front of us and saluted. Leviakin ordered him straight to the point: "Immediately contact the troops outside and see how the battle goes?" ”

In less than five minutes, the outcome of the battle was in front of me. Judging from the results of the battle, this immature encirclement and reinforcement was still remarkable, destroying 10 German tanks and armored vehicles, killing more than 270 German soldiers and capturing 40 people, including a major Tolman.

"What time is it?" After reading the battle report, I looked up and asked Leviakin.

He raised his wrist, glanced at the time above, and replied, "Three o'clock." ”

I stood up, waved my hand, and said, "Let's go outside and have a look while it's still dark." After saying that, he took the lead and walked out.

Behind me and Leviakin, Lieutenant Ramis and a dozen fighters, we walked along a narrow road sandwiched between piles of rubble. In the seven or eight hours since the early morning fighting began, the area has been covered with shocking corpses, and the streets are littered with bomb craters. We walked on the road, no one spoke, everyone was silently thinking about their own thoughts. The psychological impact of bloody battles takes time to adjust the mentality.

The ruins and piles of rubble on both sides of the road have narrowed the already modest streets. The further you went, the more corpses were on the ground, and in the middle of several buildings, the wreckage of German tanks and armored vehicles was burning, and the heat could be felt from afar. Because the battle had just ended, the search for the remnants of the enemy continued, and the remains of our soldiers and the bodies of the Germans lay there untouched, and the guns and ammunition of the dead were scattered everywhere on the ground.

"Comrade division commander, you can't go any further." When I was still a dozen steps away from the burning tank, Leviagin suddenly rushed to the front, blocked my way, and said with some concern: "The battle has just ended, and there are still remnants of the enemy that have not been cleared, and if we go further, we may encounter cold gun attacks from the Germans." ”

In order not to worry him, I stopped and said to him, "Okay, let's go back." As he spoke, he bent down and picked up a submachine gun on the ground, turned around and walked back.

A trip to Lulu made me understand one thing: no wonder the street fighting is so difficult to fight, it turns out that due to the restrictions of the terrain, after the buildings on both sides were blown up, the falling rubble made the already narrow streets, and the German tanks and armored vehicles could not show off their strength as on the plains. Once the vehicle in front is destroyed, the road for the vehicle behind is completely blocked, and it can only be parked there for slaughter.

As night fell, and the battlefield fell completely silent, Leviagin and I returned to headquarters to discuss tomorrow's battle arrangements. However, after a short discussion, the two of us continued to hold on to the existing area, or boldly interspersed new places to harass the Germans, and a fierce dispute ensued.

We were so disputing that we were trying to convince each other with our own points of view, hoping that the final deployment would adopt our own point of view. The officers standing next to them were silent, perhaps thinking that it would be useless to express their opinions, so they simply remained silent.

Later, it occurred to me that I had forgotten my identity as a division commander by arguing with Leviakin, and that I could use my power to force him to obey. Don't look at the fact that so many German troops were wiped out here during the day, it is absolutely impossible to achieve the same victory tomorrow as today. Therefore, the best way to do this is to move to a new place overnight, seize the gap in the German army, and beat them up again.

Just when we couldn't get any results from the argument, Rokossovsky's phone call cleared me in time. I picked up the microphone, and before I could speak, he couldn't wait to speak: "Lida, I just received information that the Germans have gathered new forces in your direction, and they may attack you after dawn." Therefore I command thee to act at once, and to withdraw from the city at all costs. Do you understand? ”

I was a little embarrassed and said: "The 1077th Regiment is distributed in many places, and it is difficult to gather and break through overnight. ”

"You're a pig!" Rokossovsky scolded people for the first time: "Since there is no time to assemble, then it is better to disperse and break through." If you delay any longer, you will be completely surrounded by the Germans, and it will be too late to break through again. ”

"Just give up the city?" I asked retortingly, a little reluctantly.

The commander slowed down and said, "Yes, you have too few troops in the city, and if you encounter one or two more fierce attacks, you will be completely annihilated, so I order you to withdraw immediately, go outside the city to regroup your troops, and then establish a defensive line, and be sure to block the enemy." ”

"Yes!" Having said that, I can no longer object to it, but only obey orders.

Putting aside the phone, I said to Leviakin, with whom I had been arguing just now: "The commander has just given the order for us to break through the siege overnight, regroup outside the city, and build a new line of defense. Convey the task now. ”

As soon as my order reached the troops below by phone, and I and the personnel of the command were about to leave the place, there was a sudden rumbling explosion outside. The floor under our feet trembled slightly at the sound of the loud explosion.

"Damn it!" Just when everyone was at a loss, I don't know who shouted: "The Germans actually opened fire on us at night." ”

"Don't panic, everyone!" Leviakin's voice immediately sounded: "In accordance with the order just given, immediately start a breakout operation." ”

"Yes!" Everyone said yes and then poured out.