I leaned down again and said to him: "That's right, Comrade Colonel, we intend to rebuild the 22nd Tank Brigade. You have been invited today to take charge of accepting the flag we have awarded you at the rebuilding ceremony, and to make you temporarily acting as the commander of the tank brigade. At this point, I looked at Bere, who was being held by two fighters, both of whom were shaking slightly, and added with some regret, "But judging from your current physical condition, you may not be up to the task." ”

"Comrade Commander, if I am not mistaken, the 22nd Tank Brigade, which is part of the Belarusian Special Military District, was completely wiped out shortly after the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War and was revoked by the Supreme High Command." As a tank colonel, Bereh knew more about mechanized troops than I did, and as soon as I said the number of the 22nd tank brigade, he told what he knew: "How did you come up with the idea of reorganizing this unit? ”

"Colonel, you're right." After first affirming what Bere said, I explained to him: "It is true that this tank brigade was almost depleted after the outbreak of war, but they also had a tank company cut off behind enemy lines, which not only lasted two years of guerrilla warfare, but also kept their flag intact. ”

"Comrade Commander, where is that glorious military flag?" Hearing that there were units that had been abolished, and that there were still complete military flags preserved, Colonel Berey became emotional, he grabbed my arm and asked nervously, "Hurry up and let me see." ”

I straightened up and ordered Pugachev, who was standing next to me: "Major, go and bring the flag to Colonel Bere." ”

Pugachev agreed. Out of the command. After a while. He walked in front of us with the neatly folded silk flag in both hands. When I saw the flag in Pugachev's hand, I nodded at him, and then ordered: "Major, unfurl the flag and let the colonel see it." ”

Pugachev grabbed the two corners of the flag, shook it violently, and unfurled the flag of the tank brigade.

Colonel Bere looked at the military flag in front of him. Reach out and touch the sickle in the middle of the flag, the hammer to push the case, and the number of the unit to which it belongs. While touching the flag, he said excitedly: "Comrade commander, that's right, that's right, this is the flag of the 22nd Tank Brigade, and when the tank brigade was formed, I accompanied Marshal Timoshenko to give the flag. I thought that this glorious flag had been lost in battle with the destruction of the tank brigade, but I didn't expect to see it again. By the way, where did you find this flag? ”

"That's right. Comrade Colonel. "It was Kirillov who came out to explain him. He told Colonel Berey about Captain Shamrichh's glorious exploits and how the flag had been preserved.

After listening to Kirillov's story, Beray wiped the tears of excitement from his face, looked up at Kirillov and asked: "Comrade commissar, where are these glorious tank soldiers, I want to meet them." ”

"No problem, I'll arrange for you to meet them right away." After I said this, I asked Pugachev: "Major, where are Captain Shamlikh and the others now?" ”

"I arranged for them to rest in the next room." When Pugachev heard me ask, he straightened up and replied: "Do you need to call them over?" ”

"Needless to say, Comrade Major." When I heard that the Sharmich and the others were resting in the next room, I immediately ordered Pugachev: "Call them all over at once, and let them all come and meet the acting commander of the tank brigade, Colonel Bere." ”

After Pugachev left, Colonel Beray raised his head and said to me with difficulty: "Comrade commander, I would like to ask, what units do you plan to draw from the rebuilt tank brigade?" ”

As soon as Bere's question was finished, I replied: "Each of the three infantry divisions in the army has its own tank battalion. Although in continuous battles, several tank battalions lost tanks, there were still quite a few tank crews. I plan to concentrate all the tank crews in the three divisions and rebuild the 22nd Tank Brigade. ”

"Comrade Commander, do we still have tanks at the moment?" Berey asked with some regret, "If there is not a single tank, then the importance of this reconstruction ceremony will be greatly reduced." ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Colonel." After hearing his concern, I hurriedly comforted him and said: "The tank battalion of the 22nd Guards Division, there are still six tanks, and I have ordered the battalion commander Major Perstian to immediately lead his troops from the village of Zhuofia to participate in the rebuilding ceremony of the tank brigade. ”

"How do you plan to arrange the formation of the tank brigade?" Colonel Bere then asked.

I thought for a moment and replied: "The whole brigade is temporarily organized into four battalions, the three infantry divisions are divided into tank battalions, which are organized into the 123rd battalion, and the unit of Captain Shamrikh is reorganized into four battalions. Judging from your physical condition, there is no way to accept the flag presentation in person. In this case, when the rebuilding ceremony begins, you and the leaders of our army will watch the ceremony, and the honor of receiving the flag will be handed over to Major Persten. ”

"Comrade commander, I have no opinion, I will obey your arrangement!" When Beray heard me say this, he immediately replied without hesitation.

While he was talking, Pugachev walked into the command headquarters with three tank commanders and stood in a row facing Bere's stretcher. Seeing that their eyes were involuntarily turned to Bere, I hurriedly walked around the stretcher and walked in front of them. From left to right, Bere is introduced: "Comrade Colonel, let me introduce you to these three tank commanders: Captain Shamrichh, the commander of the tank company; political instructor Shabvalenko, tank company instructor; Lieutenant Yakuda, deputy company commander of a tank company. ”

After introducing the identities of the three people, I turned to face them again, pointed to Bere, who was sitting on a stretcher, and said: "Three comrades commanders, now it is my turn to introduce you, this is Colonel Bere, the commander of the 84th Tank Brigade, and now he is the acting commander of your 22nd Tank Brigade. Go and say hello to your commander. ”

After hearing what I said, the three of them hurriedly stepped forward, raised their hands to give a solemn military salute to Bere, and said in unison: "Hello, Comrade Brigade Commander." ”

"Hello. Comrades. Colonel Bere sat on a stretcher and returned the salute to the trio. He smiled and said to them, "Please forgive me for my rudeness. Because the injuries are so severe, I can only sit and talk to you. ”

"Comrade brigade commander, you have injuries, don't be so polite." So saying, Captain Shamrich walked over to the stretcher and spoke to Bere in a low voice. Seeing that the company commander was talking to the brigade commander, the instructor and deputy company commander who were standing next to me also walked over.

Taking advantage of their conversation, I turned my head and asked Pugachev, who was standing next to me: "Major, has Persjian's tank battalion arrived?" ”

He shook his head. He replied, "I have asked the observation post in the south of the city, and they have not yet seen the tank troops." Seeing my anxious look, he asked in a low voice, "Do you need me to call and urge?" ”

"No, Major Perstian is not a slow commander." I immediately shook my head in rejection of Pugachev's proposal, and at the same time defended Perstian, saying: "He must have met with something on the way, otherwise he would have been in the city long ago." By the way, have you gathered all the tank crews in the city? ”

"Yes. Comrade Army Commander. Pugachev replied respectfully: "The officers and men of the tank battalion of the 22nd Guards Division who remained in the city have been assembled, and the officers and men of the tank battalions of the 171st and 308th divisions. They are heading towards us in a truck, and they are expected to arrive in the evening. ”

I was talking to Pugachev when I suddenly heard the phone ringing on the table, and I thought that Vitkov was right next to the phone, and I didn't have to worry about no one answering the phone, so I continued to say to Pugachev unaffected: "In the newly formed tank brigade, the largest number of troops is the fourth battalion of Captain Shamrich, but I estimate that there are not a few real tank soldiers in it, so you have to draw technical backbones from the other three battalions, and exchange them with ordinary soldiers drawn from the fourth battalion, to ensure that the entire tank battalion can be in the shortest possible time, Forming a strong combat force. ”

At this moment, I heard Vitkov shouting at me: "Comrade army commander, comrade army commander!" ”

I hurriedly ended the conversation with Pugachev, turned to Vitkov and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what's the matter?" ”

Vitkov raised the microphone in his hand at me and said: "Comrade Army Commander, it is the Deputy Army Commander General Romanov who has called and he has important information to report to you. ”

When I heard this word, I couldn't help but chuckle in my heart, and I wondered if something had happened to Alexandria? Otherwise, why didn't he report to Vitkov directly, but specifically to me? I walked around the stretcher, walked to the other side of the table, took the phone from Vitkov's hand, and said into the microphone: "Hey, is it Comrade Deputy Commander?" I'm Oshanina. ”

"Comrade Commander, I have something important to report to you." Romanov's deep voice came from the earpiece: "The Germans sent a lieutenant colonel to my command and said that they would negotiate with us. ”

"What is there to talk about?" I thought of the last time Lieutenant Colonel Berg tried to persuade me to surrender, and I was immediately angry, so I angrily said into the microphone: "We have nothing to talk about with the Germans, Comrade Deputy Commander, you just blow the people away." ”

"Comrade Commander, I think you should come to Alexandria in person." After a moment's hesitation, Romanov said to me decisively: "They came this time to exchange us. ”

"Swap?" What Romanov said stunned me for a moment, and then I asked in confusion: "Deputy commander, what the hell is going on?" Did the Germans say what kind of exchange they would have with us? ”

"The German lieutenant colonel who came to negotiate is called Huber, and he said that he had dealt with you before......"

"Yes, Comrade Deputy Commander, he is right." I said angrily, "Last time he tried to persuade us to surrender, I scolded him and left. I didn't expect him to be a thief now, and he actually came again. ”

"Lieutenant Colonel Huber said he wants us to return the body of General Ike, the commander of the 'Skeleton Division'. In return, "Romanov, perhaps a little excited, spoke very quickly:" he will return the body of the commander of the 6th Army, General Khalidonov, as well as the two hundred wounded who were captured. ”

If the other conditions proposed by the Germans, I guess I will not pay attention to them at all, but what they proposed this time was to exchange the body of the commander of the 6th Army and 200 captured wounded in exchange for the body of Ike buried in the earth. After a moment of thought, I decisively said to Romanov: "Comrade Deputy Commander, you first stabilize the German negotiators, and I will rush over immediately." ”

As soon as I put down the phone, I turned to Vitkov and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, do you know where Ike's body is?" ”

"Ike's corpse?" When Vitkov heard me say this, he was stunned for a moment, and then replied: "It seems to be buried somewhere outside the city, and Major Pugachev is in charge of this matter, and only he knows the exact location." ”

Hearing what Vitkov said, I immediately turned around and instructed Pugachev: "Major, you immediately take a few people and go and dig up Ike's body from the cemetery, wipe it clean, and put it on the truck." Do you understand? ”

Pugachev did not ask me why for the order at all, but only agreed and turned away from the command.

After Pugachev left, Kirillov asked in surprise: "Lida, what do you want Ike's corpse for?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Commissar." The exchange with the Germans had the most to do with it, so I had to talk to Kirillov and Vitkov: "The Germans sent negotiators to Alexandria and put forward conditions to the deputy commander. Said that as soon as we returned Ike's body, then they would hand over to us the body of General Kharytonov, as well as two hundred captured wounded. I asked the deputy commander to stabilize the negotiators first, and then I personally went over to talk to the representatives of the German army. ”

"Then you won't participate in the flag ceremony for the reconstruction of the tank brigade?" Kirillov waited for me to finish speaking, and then asked cautiously: "Who are you going to send to replace you and preside over this ceremony?" ”

"Who else, of course, is you, my comrade commissar." The flag ceremony and the prisoner exchange are both very important, and I can only choose to preside over the exchange ceremony when I can't have it both ways. They must have been disappointed to think that they would not be able to attend the flag ceremony, so after explaining a few words to Kirillov, I walked to Bere's stretcher, shook his hand, and said apologetically: "Comrade Colonel, although I would like to personally preside over the flag presentation ceremony for the reconstruction of the tank brigade, I can only say sorry to you because there are more important things that I need to deal with." As for the ceremony, it will be presided over by the political commissar and the chief of staff. ”

"Comrade Commander, I just heard it all." In response to my apologies, Colonel Bere said very understandingly: "Although I would like you to personally preside over our flag-awarding ceremony, there are two hundred soldiers waiting for you to rescue Alexandria, so you can go with confidence, I am sure that the commanders and fighters of the whole brigade will understand you." (To be continued......)