Early the next morning, Yumashev organized a military band and held a small ceremony at the airport, arranging for people to solemnly carry the coffin containing the body of the American pilot and board a transport plane parked on the runway.

After the transport plane, Warren's fighter plane, and two escorting naval fighters had taken off, Yumashev accompanied us to another transport plane parked nearby. He said apologetically to Khrulev: "Comrade Minister, I am sorry, although I would like to prepare you a better plane, but our conditions are limited, and this is already the best plane I can offer you." ”

Khrulev waved his hand at his old friend and said disapplaudively: "Dear Ivan. Stepanovich, we are all old friends, there is no need to talk about these false courtesies, it is already very good to have such a plane to ride. Don't worry, I'll report to the High Command when I get back and give you enough supplements. ”

When the hatch was closed, I asked Khrulev, who was sitting across from me, in a loud voice to the loud roar of the plane's engines: "Comrade Minister, can we rush back to Moscow today?" ”

When Khrulev heard my question, he said with some surprise: "How is this possible, Vladivostok is more than 9,000 kilometers from Moscow, and even the fastest plane will not be able to fly in a day." Moreover, although the C-46 transport plane we were flying on was designed and converted from a commercial high-altitude passenger plane, its speed did not exceed 300 kilometers per hour, and every 2,000 kilometers or so, we had to land at least four times just to replenish fuel. We will be able to reach Yekaterinburg in the middle of the night, rest there for the night, and then rush to Moscow early tomorrow morning, and arrive at our destination in the afternoon. ”

When I heard that it would take nearly thirty hours to fly, my head was big. But there was no way, the superiors demanded that we return to Moscow in the shortest possible time. On the way, you have to keep rushing back. If it weren't for the special attack yesterday, it would have been impossible to stay in Vladivostok for one night.

Our plane took off from Vladivostok and headed west. Landed twice along the way, both to refuel at a military airfield. Except that with Khrulev's consent, it was possible to get off the plane and walk. It is forbidden to move your muscles and bones casually.

On the third landing, we finally arrived in Yekaterinburg, which is located on the border between Europe and Asia, and it was already two o'clock in the morning. Khrulev greeted the person in charge of the airport who greeted him, asked them to check the plane and refuel, then turned to our group and said: "After flying for so long, I think everyone is tired." You'll still have four hours of sleep, and the plane will take off again at six o'clock in the morning. ”

As soon as he finished speaking, an airport staff member came over. Take our attaché to a nearby building to rest. I was hesitating whether to follow the staff as well, but I was stopped by Khrulev: "Comrade Oshanina, you don't need to squeeze with them, the person in charge of the airport has left us two rooms,"

As he spoke, he shouted to one of the ground crews standing next to him, "Hey, Comrade Corporal, please come here." ”

With his shouts. The ground crew, who was standing not far away, ran over and stood in front of us with some restraint. Khrulev pointed at me. He was instructed to say, "Corporal, take this general to the room that the commander has arranged for us." ”

The corporal turned his head to look at me, nodded, and then made a gesture of invitation to me, and said, "Please, Comrade General." Please come with me and I will take you to where you live. ”

I live in a row of wooden houses away from the runway. Before walking to the row of houses, I looked at the wooden houses near the runway and asked him curiously: "Comrade Corporal." The comrades who came together were all arranged in a house close to the runway, why did I live somewhere else? ”

"That's right, Comrade General." The corporal replied respectfully: "The pilots and mechanics live near the runway, and the place where you are going is where the commanders live, and the environment is much better, although there is no heating, but there is a fireplace burning in the house, and it will not be too cold to sleep at night." ”

Hearing what the corporal said, I was very satisfied with the arrangement of the person in charge of the airport, although we did not stay for a long time, only a few hours, but he was very thoughtful, and I felt a little good for the commander who had just been next to the plane without even seeing his face.

The next morning, Khrulev, who was sleeping in the room next to me, knocked on the door and urged me to get up and get on the plane. After washing up, when I walked with Khrulev to the plane parked on the runway, I couldn't help mentioning the person in charge of this airport, and Khrulev also said approvingly: "You are right, this commander thinks about the problem very comprehensively, and when there is an opportunity in the future, he can be put in charge of more important aspects." ”

Our plane was in the air for more than seven hours and finally landed at a military airfield in Moscow. As soon as Khrulev and I stepped down the gangway, an officer in a lieutenant colonel's uniform came over, raised his hand to salute Khrulev, and said in a deep voice: "Comrade Minister of Logistics, Stalin is waiting for you, please come with me." ”

After saying that, he waved into the distance, and a black sedan drove up to us and came to a slow stop. He opened the car door, asked Khrulev to get into the car, and when he turned around and saw that I was still standing still, he hurriedly greeted me: "General Oshanina, why don't you get into the car yet?" ”

"However, Comrade Minister of Logistics is going to see Comrade Stalin, so it is not appropriate for me to go with him, right?" Hearing the lieutenant colonel's question, I replied in a bit of a panic, "I'd better find another car to go back." ”

"Comrade Stalin hopes to see you when he meets Comrade Minister!" The lieutenant colonel said in a stiff tone: "Please get in the car, we have to rush back to the Kremlin as soon as possible." ”

When we arrived in the Kremlin by car, we went with the lieutenant colonel outside Stalin's office. After the lieutenant colonel handed us over to the chief of staff, Boskrebeshev, he turned and left. Boskrebeshev got up from his table, came and shook hands with us, told us to take off our general's coat and hang it on the coat rack, then he turned and went to the door that led to the inner room, pushed it open and went in, and closed it with his hand.

After a while, the door opened again, and Boskorebyshev came out of it and said to us with a smile: "Comrade Minister, Comrade Oshanina. Comrade Stalin, please come in. ”

As I followed Khrulev into the room, I couldn't help but be startled by what was going on, the conference table next to the right wall was full of people, as if some important meeting was going on.

Compared to my panic, Khrulev had apparently seen such a scene many times, and he raised his hand to Salute Stalin, who came by. Then he reached out and took Stalin's outstretched hand and said calmly: "Hello, Comrade Stalin! ”

Stalin, shaking hands with him, said: "Hello, Comrade Khrulev, welcome back." ”

When Stalin and Khrulev shook hands and walked up to me, I hurriedly raised my hand and saluted, and at the same time nervously said: "Hello, Comrade Stalin. Nice to meet you! ”

Stalin's large, warm and powerful hand took my hand, shook it vigorously, and said, "Hello, Leda. I heard Comrade Molotov say that you have behaved very well in the United States this time. When the meeting is over, stay and talk to me about what happened to you in the United States. ”

When he let go of his hand, he pointed in one direction of the meeting and said to me and Khrulev: "We are in a meeting, you can sit down and listen." ”

I found a corner and sat down. When I looked around the conference table, I realized that I knew all of them. There are Zhukov, Voroshilov, Timoshenko, Ustinov, Rokossovsky, Vatutin, and others.

When Stalin announced the continuation of the meeting, Zhukov stood up from his position and continued: "Comrade Stalin, our troops are exhausted after a long battle on the right bank of Ukraine, and are in urgent need of replenishment of weapons, ammunition and soldiers. It will not be possible to launch a new attack in the short term, so I suggest that the troops should continue to build fortifications......"

"Comrade Zhukov." Before Zhukov could finish speaking, Stalin interrupted him and said unceremoniously: "We are now discussing how to launch an attack on the enemy's defensive positions to rescue the precarious defenders of Kiev." Instead of discussing defense. ”

"The defense I am talking about is a measure of last resort, Comrade Stalin." To Stalin's duties, Zhukov replied without humility or arrogance: "After the completion of the rearmament, the troops can be fully prepared for the offensive." ”

"I know that, Comrade Zhukov." Stalin said impatiently: "But we see that the defenders of Kyiv are fighting alone, and if nothing is done, they will be annihilated by the Germans." At this point, he turned to look at the commanders sitting around the conference table and said slowly, "Let's listen to the opinions of the commanders of the various armies." ”

As he spoke, he slowly walked back to his seat and sat down, and said, "Start with General Rokossovsky's Central Front." Comrade Rokossovsky, what do you think Zhukov thinks, right? ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Rokossovsky got up from his seat and resolutely expressed his support for Zhukov: "I think Marshal Zhukov's opinion is this, after my troops suffered huge losses some time ago, the replenishment of men, weapons and ammunition has not yet been completely completed, and I think it would be unwise to rush into the offensive. ”

Stalin listened to him, turned his head to the side, looked at Vatutin, who was sitting precariously, and asked noncommittally: "Comrade Vatutin, what is your opinion?" ”

Vatutin also quickly stood up and replied respectfully: "Comrade Stalin, our current forces are to be used to defend against the German offensive that may come from Kharkov, so it is impossible to draw troops to participate in the attack on the German Army Group Center. ”

After listening to this, the expression on Stalin's face did not change, but continued to sweep over the commanders present one by one. I was thinking about who he would ask next, when I heard him call out my orders.

"Lida, Kyiv was captured by the troops under your command." As Stalin filled his pipe with shredded tobacco, he asked me: "At the moment neither the Central Front nor the Voronezh Front can help them. Tell me how the defenders of Kyiv should get out of the predicament in front of them. ”

I got up from my position, tried to ignore the gazes of the senior generals, looked directly at Stalin and replied: "Comrade Stalin, if the defenders of Kiev do not receive reinforcements and necessary replenishment, I think they will not be able to support for long." Rather than let them be wiped out in the end, let General Rybalko abandon Kyiv......"

"What, abandon Kyiv." Stalin abruptly got up from his seat, pointed at me with his right hand holding his pipe, and then at the door where I had just entered, and said with a blank face: "You go out first." ”

Although I don't know why Stalin let me out, I honestly left my place, opened the door and walked out.

As soon as I arrived in the outside room, Boskorebeshev, who was sitting at the table, stood up, looked over my shoulder, looked behind me, and asked with some surprise: "Comrade Oshanina, the meeting is over?" ”

I shook my head and replied, "No, the meeting is still going on." ”

"But why did you come out of it?" Boskrebeshev was particularly surprised that I suddenly came out of the conference room, so he asked in a serious way: "What the hell is going on?" ”

When I briefly told Boskrebeshev what had just happened, he had the same expression on his face and said to me: "I understand, Comrade Oshanina. Just stand in this room for a while, Comrade Stalin will call you in shortly. ”

Seeing Boskorebeshev sitting down with a smile on his face and continuing to keep his head down and busy with his work, it dawned on me that what I had just said had angered Stalin, and that he had asked me to come to the outside room to punish him. If that's the case, he'll let me in soon.

After a while, the calling bell on the desk rang, and Boskrebeshev raised his head and said to me: "Comrade Oshanina, you can go in. ”

I nodded my thanks to Poskorebeshev, then turned and walked to the door, pushed it open and walked in.

Seeing that I was back in the office, Stalin approached me and asked in a calm tone: "Leda, have you thought it through?" How can we get the defenders of Kyiv out of the predicament in front of them? ”

"Comrade Stalin," I said, still stubbornly, "I think that the defenders of Kiev, with their insufficient equipment, limited strength and no reinforcements, have no other way to avoid being annihilated by the Germans, is to abandon Kiev and decisively jump out of the encirclement of the Germans." (To be continued.) )