Putting down the microphone, I stood in front of the table without moving, looking at the telephone on the table in a daze, trying to digest the news I just got in my head: Zhukov actually appointed me as the commander of the 8th Guards Division?! Since I arrived in this time and space, although I have quickly become a well-known middle-level officer from an unknown person, except for a limited time in commanding troops, most of the rest of the time is just playing the role of playing tricks. And this time, a big pie actually fell from the sky, and I actually became the supreme commander of this heroic unit.

"Leda!"

"Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina!"

General Leviagin called me several times in a row before I woke up from my contemplation and quickly agreed: "Comrade General, you called me?" ”

The general looked at me dissatisfied, and then asked, "Who called just now, and why did you lose your soul after listening to it?" I called you several times in a row, and you couldn't hear me? ”

"Ahh I replied with some panic: "First the commander of the army group, General Rokossovsky, called, and he hung up the phone when he heard that General Panfilov had died; Then came the commander of the Western Front, General Zhukov, personally called......"

"What did Comrade Zhukov say on the phone?" Leviakin asked curiously.

I organized the language in my head for a moment before I replied: "Comrade General told me that because of the outstanding exploits of the 316th Division in the defense of Moscow, the Supreme Soviet has decided to award our division the glorious title of 'Eighth Guards Division' after studying it!" ”

After saying this, I glanced at the head of Leviagin in front of me and the political commissar Yegorov sitting on the ground. Leviakin looked at me listlessly in a daze, and the commissar on the ground, Yegorov, although he didn't talk to himself, kept his head down and didn't listen carefully.

I felt a little bored, and I was ready to continue to tell the news that Zhukov had appointed me as division commander. Who thought I hadn't opened my mouth yet, "Ah! Leviakin, who was in front of me, suddenly screamed, and a look of surprise appeared on his face, startling the unprepared me. Commissar Yegorov's movements were even more exaggerated, he raised his head sharply and pointed at me, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, his mouth opened and closed but he could not say a word.

"The Supreme Soviet awarded me the title of Guards Division of the Division?!"

"Exactly!"

Hearing my categorical answer, Leviakin's expression became more and more excited, and the muscles on his face trembled. The commissar on the ground, Yegorov, with the support of the fighters, trembled and got up from the ground, took a few steps forward, and asked in a completely transfigured voice: "Are you sure you heard it right?" ”

As soon as Yegorov said this, Leviagin calmed down from his initial excitement and looked at me silently, waiting for my answer. Although the political commissar's questioning was full of suspicion, there was infinite hope on the faces of the two of them.

"That's right!" I replied in the affirmative: "It was General Zhukov himself who told me." If you are not convinced, you can personally call Rokossovsky or Comrade Zhukov and recheck the matter with them. After saying this, I frowned slightly, stared at them with great dissatisfaction, and said in my heart: Isn't it worth conferring the title of a guard division, is it worth telling me to lie and fool you? Besides, it's an honor, are you worth being so excited about?

"No need," seeing that I said so categorically, Yegorov also felt that there was no need to verify it again, but asked the next question he was most concerned about: "Comrade General knows that General Panfilov has died, did he say to whom to give the command of the division?" Should a new division commander be sent in addition, or should one be appointed from among the existing commanders in the division? As he said this, he glanced at Leviakin, who was beside him.

I understand the meaning of this glance at the commissar, after all, Leviakin is a general, and now he is also the highest-ranking person in the division, so it is only natural for him to be the commander of the division.

I cleared my throat and said in a loud voice: "General Zhukov asked me to temporarily take over the command of the division!" "I'm afraid of irritating General Leviakin in front of me, after all, the other party is a general, and let an officer with a much lower rank than him, and he is also a woman's officer, his face is somewhat unbearable, so the word "temporary" was added.

When I said this, I suddenly noticed that the political commissar's face was covered with blood, and I immediately asked in surprise: "Comrade political commissar, what's wrong with you?" ”

Egorov wiped his face, then looked at the blood on his hands, and was stunned for a moment before replying: "It may have been scratched by shrapnel from a grenade just now." ”

"Medic!" Leviagin hurriedly greeted the military doctor standing next to him in a daze: "Hurry up and bandage Comrade Political Commissar." ”

The military doctor stepped forward and helped the commissar to the table and sat down, then put his small suitcase on the table, took out the medicine and bandages from it and began to bandage the commissar.

"Comrade division commander," I heard Leviakin's voice, and I habitually looked at the division commander lying on the marching bed, and found that his body had been covered with a blanket.

"Comrade Division Commander!" Leviagin shouted again, and I suddenly understood that he was calling me, I am now the commander of the 8th Guards Division, although only a temporary deputy, and hurriedly agreed: "Comrade General, is there something wrong?" ”

"What is the task of our division?"

"This ......" he asked, but it really stopped me, and Rokossovsky hung up the phone when he heard the news of Panfilov's death; And Zhukov only announced to me that my division had received the honorary title of Guards Division and asked me to take over the command of the division, and the rest was not ordered.

Just when I was embarrassed, the phone on the table rang again, and I quickly raised my hand and grabbed the phone: "Hey! ”

"Is it Leda?" Rokossovsky's voice came from the microphone.

"It's me, Comrade Commander!"

"Congratulations on your new position!"

"Thank you, Comrade Commander!" Rokossovsky's phone call just relieved me of the siege, and I hurriedly asked: "What is the task of our Eighth Guards Division in the coming period?" ”

"It's still the same sentence: nail it into the position like a nail, and you are not allowed to retreat a single step." The other party's answer was concise and to the point.

"Yes, mission guaranteed!" As soon as I said this, Rokossovsky hung up.

I put down the microphone, looked up at Leviagin in front of me, and said: "The order of the army group command still orders us to hold Volokolamsk firmly at all costs, and not to retreat a single step. ”

Leviagin groaned for a moment, and then asked: "Will the superiors replenish our troops?" After a long period of continuous fighting, the commanders and fighters of the three regiments are now suffering heavy casualties, and if I do not add to them, I feel that it is necessary to hold the existing position......"

I waved my hand, interrupted his words, and said: "At present, the defensive front of the army group is too large, and the strength is seriously insufficient. It is impossible to have new troops to our division without the replenishment of the rear reserves. ”

"I'll call all the regimental commanders here and reassign them tasks. Do you think it's okay, Comrade Division Commander? The one who said this was the commissar who was bandaging his wounds.

I glanced at Leviakin, and he nodded approvingly. I had just accepted the command, and I didn't know how to carry out my work, and since they proposed to call a meeting of the group-level commanders, I naturally had no reason to object, so I nodded and agreed. Seeing that the three of us were on the same page, the commissar picked up the phone from the table and began to dial.

While the commissar was on the phone, Leviakin gently tugged at my sleeve, waved his head to the door, and motioned for me to pass him. Although I was confused, I knew that he must have something important to tell me when he did this, so I followed him up the steps very obediently.

When I came to the door, I lowered my voice and asked him, "Comrade General, is there anything wrong?" ”

"Comrade division commander," he replied in a low voice, "I have come to the division headquarters because I have news for you." ”

I looked at him blankly, and muttered in my heart: What kind of thing could it be that he rushed to the division headquarters to find me?

He said: "I took the soldiers to inspect the road section that had been attacked by the Germans last night, and found several bombed-out trucks loaded with the wounded who had been evacuated. ......" When he said this, seeing that I was still silent, he went straight down: "We have carefully examined and most of the wounded and escorted soldiers have died, but there are still a few survivors, one of whom is Captain Oshanin!" ”

"Oshanin is still alive?!" Hearing this unexpected news, I involuntarily took a step back. But I forgot that I was standing on the steps, and as soon as I stepped into the air, my whole body fell backwards.