Although the deputy division commander Chistyakov was sent to lead the remnants of the 389th Tank Division to rescue Rokossovsky's command. But I was still not at ease, and an hour later I called the forward positions in the north of the city, asked Shedurin to stay in command, and asked Rysdayev to immediately take a company of troops and rush by truck to the settlement of Sverchikovo, to join the defenders there, and after deploying, quickly set up defensive positions, waiting for Rokossovsky, who might have withdrawn.

After all this, my stomach began to ache faintly again, and I was going to go to the bathroom to change the mat, but I didn't expect Zhukov's phone call, and as soon as he heard my voice, he shouted angrily: "Lida, what is the matter with Colonel Buniachenko, the commander of the 389th Division?" ”

Who reported the news of Colonel Buniachenko's disappearance to Zhukov? My face sank as soon as I brushed the ground, and my eyes swept over the several commanders in the room, and although I didn't speak, when I saw my eyes that could kill people, everyone knew that something was wrong. Although I am dissatisfied with the person who leaked the news to Zhukov, the explanation that should be given is indispensable: "Comrade General, please listen to my explanation, this is the case. ”

"Say it." Zhukov snorted angrily.

"Yesterday the Germans sent tanks to attack our positions in the north of the city, and as soon as they fired two shots, they saw Colonel Bunyachenko's tanks rushing out from the flank, so they turned around and ran, and our tanks followed. Unexpectedly, this was a trap set by the enemy, using several tanks as bait to lead our tanks into the ambush circle. After some fighting, Colonel Buniachenko led half of the tanks to break through the enemy's encirclement, and in the process of retreating, they were again heavily shelled by the enemy. Only a few tanks escaped after the worst, among which there was no tank of Colonel Bunyachenko. ”

"Did you send someone to Colonel Buniachenko?"

Although Zhukov couldn't see it, I nodded vigorously and said, "I have looked for it, and I sent scouts to the battlefield that night to look for it." They found Colonel Buniachenko's tank, the body turned on its side in a crater. The bodies of four occupants were found inside and outside the car, but Buniachenko was not among them. Because our men are still searching for the whereabouts of the colonel, and because it is impossible to determine whether he died or disappeared, we have not reported this matter for the time being. ”

As soon as the words fell, I heard Zhukov slap the table hard, and the loud voice shook me: "What is missing!" It's captured! Captured!! Do you understand? It's captured! Captured by fascist bandits!! ”

Captured! Although I had already guessed the fate of Bunyachenko's captivity, I was a little surprised when the news was confirmed from Zhukov's mouth. I said with luck: "Comrade General, maybe you got inaccurate information. ”

"What inaccurate news." Zhukov said in an unusually stern tone: "The intelligence services of the Front should have intercepted a telegram from the enemy, and after deciphering it, it was learned that they had captured a Soviet division commander in battle yesterday, and this person was Colonel Bunyachenko, the commander of the 389th Tank Division. After saying that, he hung up the phone without giving me a chance to defend himself.

Putting down the phone, I looked around the room again, and realized that it was not any of them who had overstepped the level to report it, but that Zhukov had intercepted the information of the German army, and only then did I know that I had told Colonel Bunyachenko about it. I said lightly: "Just now General Zhukov called and asked about the situation of the division commander Bunyachenko, who, according to reliable information, was captured in yesterday's battle. Seeing what political commissar Yegorov wanted to ask, I hurriedly waved my hand and continued to explain: "This news was learned from a German telegram intercepted by the intelligence department of the Front Command. ”

Then he instructed Serebryakov, who was standing in the signal corps: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the division, you immediately contact the squad operating behind enemy lines, and let them quickly find out the whereabouts of the division commander Bunyachenko." Once you know the exact whereabouts of the colonel, you must rescue him at all costs! ”

Serebryakov immediately straightened up and loudly agreed: "Yes, comrade division commander, I will give orders to the scouts." ”

After the assignment, I quickly ran to the bathroom to change the pads. When I came out of the bathroom, I just wanted to go back to the headquarters, and I vaguely heard someone talking in the duty room, so I walked over. When I opened the door, I saw seven or eight people sitting against the wall in the small room. Before I could speak, someone had already stood up and saluted me: "Comrade Division, hello! I'm Iger on duty, do you have any instructions? ”

With the commander's exemplary effect, the rest of the group also stood up neatly and saluted me.

I waved my hand and whispered, "There's nothing going on, when I passed by here, I heard that you guys were quite lively here, so I stopped by and took a look." Seeing that everyone was standing straight like a stake, he hurriedly beckoned to them: "Don't be restrained, sit down." With that, I looked left and right and sat down on a chair by the door.

Seeing that I had taken the lead in sitting down, the second lieutenant beckoned the others to sit down, and personally picked up the teapot and poured me a cup of tea and handed it over. I took the teacup and took a sip, it was black tea with sugar in it, sweet with a hint of bitterness. I held the teacup in both hands and chatted with the second lieutenant: "I said comrade second lieutenant, you have quite a lot of people here. "As I said this, I was thinking to myself that if he could not give me a satisfactory answer, then to-morrow I would demote him to private and send him to the front. You must know how important the security work of the Lu Daoist Command is, and as an officer on duty, he actually hid in the house drinking tea with a group of people of unknown origin.

Hearing my question, the second lieutenant was a little flustered, and quickly explained: "They are all soldiers who have come to change the guard, because the time is still a little early, so they will come to my duty room to rest for a while." ”

Oh, I see! I made a mistake again, and the hanging heart finally put back in my stomach. But I'm a little dissatisfied with myself, how have I been doing it for the past two days, I'm always suspicious, and I always want to lose my temper. In order to hide my embarrassment, I deliberately diverted the subject and started a casual conversation with these warriors who were a little restrained in the face of me.

Originally, when I first entered the door, I felt that my stomach hurt a lot, but after drinking hot tea, I felt that my abdomen didn't hurt so much, and I also erected an image of being close to the people among these soldiers, so I put down the teacup, stood up and walked slowly to the headquarters.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I entered the door, before I could sit down, the political commissar ran to me in a panic and said with a panicked expression: "Lida, we got in touch with Commander Rokossovsky through the communication equipment of our division. ”

I looked at him with some confusion, and it took me a long time to understand what he meant, and I asked in surprise: "Is it good to get in touch with Commander Rokossovsky?" With our communications equipment, it means that our rescue force has converged with their headquarters. Which troops joined them, the tank corps under Colonel Chistyakov, or the infantry unit of Major Rysdaev? ”

"It's Colonel Chistyakov's troops!" As he spoke, Egorov pulled me to the walkie-talkie, took the headset and microphone from the hands of the communications soldier and stuffed them into my hands.

As soon as I put on my headphones, I couldn't wait to call them: "I'm Oshanina, who are you?" Please speak. ”

"Leda, it's me." From the other end came Rokossovsky's familiar voice.

"Hello, Comrade Commander!" Although I am not under his jurisdiction, my respect for him has not diminished at all, so I still speak to him politely: "How is the situation on your side?" ”

"Leda, to tell you the truth, it's bad, it's very bad!" Rokossovsky sighed and began to tell me about his situation with emotion: "A sudden attack by the enemy, disrupting our defensive deployment. After a fierce battle, the troops led by General Zakharov who had withdrawn from Kling had retreated in the direction of the city closer to Moscow. And my command was forced to withdraw from Lyalovo. There were also several cars carrying 4 anti-aircraft machine guns in tow, which were supposed to protect us, which were damaged in German air raids. The car we were travelling in was overtaken by German tanks on the edge of the forest, about three kilometers from the settlement of Sverchikovo. Seeing that we were cornered, fortunately at this time, the troops led by Colonel Chistyakov arrived. They first used their anti-tank gun battalion to take out several of the enemy's heavy tanks, and then launched a tank charge, crushing the pursuers who were following us in one fell swoop. ”

Hearing this, I became more and more confused, didn't Chistyakov already join you and repel the pursuers? So what's the problem? I was afraid that Rokossovsky might not be able to explain things clearly if he spoke for another half an hour, so I hurriedly asked: "Comrade commander, since you have already joined up with the troops I sent to the rescue, why don't you quickly withdraw to the Sverchikovo settlement?" ”

Hearing my question, Rokossovsky sighed and said: "When the tank pursuit of our troops was over and returned, ready to cover our return to the settlement of Sverchikovo, it was discovered that German tanks appeared on the western side of the forest, and it seemed that the situation was detouring from both flanks. Our tank soldiers attacked the enemy very tenaciously, but because they were outnumbered, all of them died heroically. At the moment I and Colonel Chistyakov and the anti-tank artillery battalion are trapped in the forest and cannot break through. ”

I was scared into a cold sweat, how is this Rokossovsky out of shape, it was not long after he saved him last time, why is he in a desperate situation again. I heard that it was the enemy's tank forces that surrounded them, and what I lacked most at the moment was the strength of the anti-tank force, and even if I tried to, I couldn't help it. At this time, I realized that the political commissar was so panicked just now, and I was at a loss in the face of this situation, and I didn't know what to do.

I gritted my teeth and asked, "Comrade Commander, how long can you support there?" ”

"Colonel Chistyakov constructed an anti-tank gun position in the forest, and we were housed in a makeshift tent. There are all kinds of indications that the enemy is massing forces here, and it is estimated that an attack will be launched in another hour or two. ”

"I understand," I comforted him, "Comrade commander, please rest assured, I will do my best to rescue you from danger." ”

Immediately after the communication was terminated, I instructed the signal corps: "Give me the commander of the front, General Zhukov." As soon as I got through, hearing Zhukov's voice, I immediately and eagerly reported to him: "Comrade General, I have important information to report to you. Then he gave him a detailed report on Rokossovsky's current situation.

After listening to my statement, he was silent for a long time before he replied in a deep voice, "I know what I said." I'll send someone to save him right away. You give me the coordinates of his location. ”

I hurriedly turned my head and asked Serebryakov, who was standing next to me: "Comrade Chief of Staff, report to me where Commander Rokossovsky is located." ”

Serebryakov immediately reported to me a set of coordinate figures, which I immediately reported to Zhukov.

After he finished recording the data, he spoke again: "Reinforcements will arrive soon, and you tell him that as soon as you find out that the enemy's battle ranks are in disarray, you will immediately break through." As long as people can stand out safely, it doesn't matter if they discard all the technical equipment. ”

Although Zhukov's words baffled me, I relayed them to Rokossovsky. Although I would like to ask Commander Vlasov to send reinforcements from tank units, far water cannot save the close fire, so I just give up. Chistyakov went to arrange the breakout, and Rokossovsky and I continued to communicate with each other.

Twenty minutes passed like this, and I suddenly heard Chistyakov's surprised voice from the headphones: "Comrade commander, we are saved, come out and see, the plane, the sky is our plane." ”

Then there was a series of explosions, sounding like bombs rather than shells. When I heard this, I realized that Zhukov had just asked me to report the coordinates, that he was going to send planes to bomb the German tank units besieging Rokossovsky and create conditions for them to break through.

In the midst of cheers, muffled by the sound of successive explosions, I heard Rokossovsky's decisive and resolute voice: "All of them, break through immediately!" ”