"Lida," Zhukov asked first with concern, "are you healed from your injuries?" ”

"It's all right, thank you for your concern!" I knew that he was talking to me on the phone, not to understand my injuries or simply to talk about the past, but to definitely be more important, so I asked straight to the point: "Comrade General, may I ask you for me, is there anything important?" ”

"Where is your division now?"

This question made me feel a little embarrassed, although I had a meeting for a long time just now, I only heard that everyone had always mentioned the word "my division's defense area", and there was no specific place name, so I couldn't help but turn my head and look at Leviakin standing next to him. Seeing my gaze for help, Levyagin hurriedly said loudly: "It's in the Kryukovo region, comrade division commander!" "Before I could report the name to Zhukov, he had already heard it. Then I heard him say, "Oh, that's here." This place, as I know, is just north of the village of Peshki, not far from the city of Mount del Sol. ”

When I heard him mention the name of Sun Hill City, I couldn't help but beat faster, and I said that he wouldn't let my division also participate in this hellish counterattack. Unexpectedly, the more afraid he was of something, he really said: "I just gave your commander General Rokossovsky a combat order, asking you to organize a counterattack on Sun Hill City tomorrow and drive the fascist bandits out of our city, but he actually said that there are no soldiers available under him, and this is an impossible task. Now I give you a direct order, and at ten o'clock tomorrow morning, I will send the air force to cooperate and cover your division for a counteroffensive. Can you complete the task? ”

My cold sweat came down at that time, you must know that we are already too busy to take care of ourselves, where are the extra troops to participate in this hopeless counterattack? But since Zhukov had already spoken, I couldn't answer it, so I gritted my teeth and asked the question I was most concerned about: "I don't know how many reserves the Ludao Front can replenish my division?" ”

"Reserves?" When Zhukov heard my question, he was a little surprised and said, "Lida, don't you know what to do?" I don't have any reserves at all, and the whole counterattack can only rely on your own strength. ”

Without reserves, my heart suddenly became half cold, and when I was in a dilemma about whether I should explain to Zhukov or not, the microphone in my hand had already been snatched away by Rokossovsky, and he brought the microphone close to his mouth and said in a somewhat unceremonious voice: "Comrade General, you are giving an unfinishable task to Division Commander Lida. ”

"What do you mean, I don't understand?" Rokossovsky's interjection confused Zhukov.

"After a series of fierce battles, the 8th Guards Division suffered heavy casualties, and the entire division had less than 5,000 men left, and there were still a considerable number of wounded. The artillery regiment has been exhausted, and only a third of the strength of the three Class A infantry regiments remains. Now the fascist forces had wedged the line and divided their defense zone into three irregular areas, one of which was still surrounded by the enemy. Under the current circumstances, with the limited strength of the Eighth Division, it is a question of whether it can hold the existing area, and where can we talk about sending surplus troops to participate in the counteroffensive? ”

"If you have few troops, you don't need to counterattack, and you will lose our city to the fascist bandits before your eyes?" Zhukov's tone became extremely harsh again, and the two began to pinch each other again: "Even if the 16th Army is completely destroyed, the counteroffensive must be carried out." We are going to use our own sacrifices to firmly contain the enemy here and buy time for the build-up of our army's reserves. ……”

While the two were confronting each other, I stumbled upon several telegraph machines that began to send telegrams again, not from ordinary communications soldiers, but from the communications officers of the group army headquarters who had just come with us. I asked Ma Linin quietly with some surprise: "Comrade Colonel, what's going on?" Who are they sending a report to? ”

Malinin leaned close to my ear and whispered: "I am ordering them to send a telegram to the troops below, hoping to contact one or two retreating troops, with enough troops, then our chances of victory in tomorrow's counterattack will be higher." ”

"Can you get in touch?" I asked excitedly.

He shook his head with a bitter face and said, "It's a pity that so far, none of the troops have called back. ”

"Don't worry, my Comrade Chief of Staff!" I gently patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, "Don't be in a hurry, be patient, maybe in a while, we will hear the good news." ”

"Good news? What's the good news? Perhaps it was because I spoke too loudly that it actually alarmed Rokossovsky next to me, and he asked me loudly: "Leda, what good news did you and the chief of staff say there?" ”

"Comrade Commander, this is what is going on," since he had heard our conversation, there was no need to hide anything from him, so I answered him honestly: "Just now Chief of Staff Malinin ordered the communications officer to communicate with the troops below by telegram, hoping to gather a few troops as soon as possible to participate in tomorrow's counterattack. ”

"Got in touch?" Rokossovsky also asked the question I had just asked.

"Not for the time being, Comrade Commander." I replied: "Comrade Chief of Staff is also anxious about this, so I comforted him and told him not to be anxious, but to wait patiently, and perhaps good news will come soon." ”

"Oh, I see." Rokossovsky nodded, and handed the microphone in his hand to the communications soldier next to him. Seeing this scene, I hurriedly reminded him: "Comrade commander, aren't you talking to General Zhukov on the phone?" ”

"Zhukov called the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and said that he was discussing a counteroffensive tomorrow." With that, he limped over to the telegraph, patted one of the communications officers on the shoulder, and asked, "How is it, have you made contact with the troops below?" ”

Then the communications officer, who was wearing headphones, turned around and found that it was the commander who patted him on the shoulder, so he quickly got up and stood upright, and reported loudly: "Report to Comrade Commander, not for the time being." ”

Rokossovsky put his hands on his shoulders, pushed him to his seat, and commanded: "Don't stop, continue to send reports to the troops, be sure to contact them." At this point, he took off his military hat on his head, combed his hair with his hand, and said in a confident tone: "I don't believe that so many troops will be wiped out by the enemy, and we will not be able to contact any of them?" ”

As soon as the words fell, suddenly a communications officer excitedly shouted: "Comrade commander, I have been contacted, I have been contacted, I have been contacted with the troops of Political Commissar Lobachev!" ”