Korpakchi looked at the burning battlefield in the distance and asked worriedly: "Comrade Chuikov, I think it can be a little slow to investigate who gave the troops the order to retreat. The first thing that should be done at the moment is to immediately give an order for the troops to stop crossing the river, to organize a defense on the right bank, and to support the two flanks on the bank. ”

"You have a point, I'll use all the communications equipment in the observation post to give orders to the troops." After Chuikov finished speaking, he went to his first communications staff officer and asked them to inform the troops of his decision to stop crossing the river and organize defense on the spot by radio and telephone.

Seeing that the staff officers of the observation post were busy, Chuikov couldn't help but bring up the old story again: "Kolpakchi, tell me, who will give the order for the troops to retreat?" ”

Kolpakci frowned at Chuikov's question, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, as if trying to figure out how to answer.

Seeing that Korpakch was slow to speak, Semykov couldn't help but take a step forward and said to Chuikov: "Comrade General, can I say a few words?" ”

If someone else suddenly came out to speak like this, Chuikov might not give the other party a good look, but Semykov once saved his life, and the relationship between the two is different. He nodded at Semikov and motioned for the captain to continue.

Semykov said: "I think maybe the Germans who infiltrated the rear of our army, disguised themselves as our army, and then gave this fake order to the troops. ”

Unexpectedly, as soon as this hypothesis of Semikov came out, Chuikov shook his head and denied his inference: "Comrade Captain, this possibility does not exist. The Germans even if they falsely passed the order. At most, the commanders at the grassroots level were deceived. After receiving a fake order. One or two companies withdrew from the battle, I believe that. But now the troops that have retreated from their positions are not one or two companies, but a division and two brigades, which also include a tank brigade. It proves that the person who conveyed the order directly conveyed the order to the division and brigade commander, and the person who received the order was still familiar with the other party after all, otherwise they would definitely not be at the height of the battle. Withdrawn from the battlefield from the troops. ”

Kolpacic, who had not spoken, interjected: "As long as we can contact the senior commander of the retreating unit, we can find out who gave this ridiculous order." ”

While he was talking, a staff officer ran over from outside the observation post and shouted excitedly: "Report to Comrade Commander, we have contacted the commander of the 214th Division, Major General Biryukov, who has ordered the troops to stop crossing the river and quickly return to their original defensive positions. ”

Hearing that a senior commander of the river-crossing unit had been contacted, Chuikov breathed a long sigh of relief, and then asked: "Where is General Biryukov?" ”

"After receiving a new order, he was rushing to us with the division's political commissar Sobaoli. It is estimated that it will be there in ten minutes. ”

While waiting for the arrival of Bilyukov and his commissar, Gurov called the observation post. As soon as the phone was connected, he asked Kolpacchi with concern: "Comrade commander, how is the situation on your side?" ”

"The enemy attack has been repulsed, the artillery of the Marine Brigade is building fortifications, and those units that are flocking to the crossing are returning to their positions one after another. How is the situation on our side, Comrade Military Commissar. Kol Parkucci replied.

"At present, the enemy's counter-attack has been suppressed by our troops, and the defensive line is still stabilized in the area of actual control at noon. I had my troops fortified overnight to cope with a possible German counterattack tomorrow. ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Kolpakchi hesitated, but couldn't help asking, "I want to ask, how is the 168th Tank Brigade?" ”

Gurov was silent for a moment, sighed, and said: "Alas, don't mention it, after the defeat of the German tank troops, there were only three tanks left in the brigade, and the tank on which the brigade commander Colonel Rogin was riding was destroyed by shells, and he himself was seriously wounded. ”

While he was talking, the division commander and political commissar of the 214th Division arrived. As soon as the two entered the observation post, the major general said in a loud voice: "Comrade commander, what is going on?" My troops fought well in their positions, and suddenly ordered us to withdraw from our positions and cross the Chir River to build a new defensive line. ”

Chuikov looked at him with a look of surprise and said, "General Biryukov, when did I give the order to retreat?" If I had to order the troops to retreat, I wouldn't have stayed in this observation post. If there were no troops in front of the attack, it would only take a few minutes for the enemy tanks to rush to the observation post. ”

"But Comrade Commander, this retreat order was indeed issued by the headquarters of the group army."

"What? General Bilyukov, what do you say? The order was given by the command of the army group? ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." As he spoke, General Biryukov took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his coat pocket, handed it to Chuikov, and said: "Look, this is a written order from the army group command to let us retreat. The order was personally sent by the communications staff officer of the command. ”

"Who signed the order?" After Chuikov took the file, he didn't open it immediately, but asked with a frosty face.

Biliukov was taken aback by his expression, but he still answered honestly: "Report to Comrade Commander, it was Colonel Novikov, chief of staff of the army group, and Abramov, a member of the Military Council and a divisional commissar, who signed the order."

After hearing this, Chuikov slapped the table angrily, gritted his back molars and said: "Confused, at the most critical juncture of the war, without my permission, who gave them the right to order the troops to retreat at will. Speaking of this, he paused for a moment and ordered a staff officer: "Immediately pick me up from the group army headquarters, and I will talk to the military commissar." ”

When Abramov's phone call was connected, Chuikov said in a stiff tone: "Comrade Military Commissar, I would like to ask Wen, why do you want to give the troops the order to retreat?" ”

The other party heard Chuikov's displeasure and explained to him: "Comrade commander, this is the situation. I received information that the Germans, with the superiority of their air force and artillery, under the cover of tanks, swooped down on the Chilskaya area. As you know, our troops were reorganized from the reserve army, and most of the soldiers were new recruits who lacked combat experience, so in order to avoid the end of the whole army being annihilated after the troops were encircled, I decided, after consultation with the chief of staff, Colonel Novikov, to let the troops cross the river quickly while the enemy's encirclement had not yet been formed, and then quickly establish a new defensive position after crossing the river. So we gave the order to withdraw to the left bank of the Don by radio to the 214th Infantry Division, two Marine Brigades and the 137th Tank Brigade. ……”

Chuikov said with a gloomy face: "Comrade Military Commissar, do you know the truth? Is it because of this wrong order that you have paid us how much we have paid? One division and three brigades withdrew from their positions at the same time, and tens of thousands of people together poured to the Don and Chir river crossings. In order to stop the flow of people and convoys rushing to the ferry, I sent General Browder to the ferry with my staff officers. Enemy planes spotted the crowd of people and cars at the crossing and immediately launched a heavy bombardment of the crossing. During the enemy bombardment, General Browder, Lieutenant Colonel Sidorin, Colonel Brilov and many other commanders of the army group headquarters died honorably. When he spoke of the last day, Chuikov's voice became choked. After speaking, he didn't wait for the other party to speak, and hung up the phone decisively.

After Chuikov put down the phone, he looked at Bilyukov and his political commissar standing in front of him, stabilized his emotions and asked: "Comrade General, in the air raid just now, did your troops suffer large casualties?" ”

The corners of Biryukov's mouth twitched, and he replied: "Report to Comrade Commander, there is a regiment with heavy casualties, the soldiers have suffered a third of the casualties, the regiment commander and the regimental political commissar have died, and the commanders of the four battalions are left with only one deputy battalion commander and seven company commanders. (To be continued......)