Red Moscow.

Chapter 2817

"Comrade Commander," said Malinin, in order to better express his meaning, "If our counterattack against the Borechevo region can be successful, we can join the army of General Potapov, and thus The defense zones of the two armies are connected together.”

"Chief of Staff, you are right. As long as we complete the counterattack in the Borechevo area, we can connect our defense line with the defense line of the 5th Army on the left." Rokosovsky agreed. He said, "In this way, it will not be so easy for the German army to break through our defense. By the way, what troops can we engage in this counterattack?"

Malining hesitated for a moment and then said, "From the attack position, the most suitable unit is undoubtedly General Panfirov's 316th Infantry Division, but if they are put into the counterattack, then the defense of the Volokoramsk region It will become empty, and if the enemy chooses to attack from this area, we will have no strength to block them at all."

"Well, yes, what you said makes sense." Rokosovsky stared at the map and said, "Apart from the 316th Infantry Division, there is only Misha's infantry brigade..."

Malining said: "The infantry brigade was formed for too short and was not fully equipped. Even if they were put into battle, they would not be able to play a big role."

Sokov heard from Rokosovsky's tone that the other party was planning to put his infantry brigade into battle, and he couldn't help but feel scared. The newly formed troops had not been adjusted to the officers and soldiers, and they were up and down. There is no tacit understanding yet, and hastily entered the battlefield, and there may be situations where each person fights. Just as Sokov wanted to talk about the difficulties his troops faced, he heard what Malining said later.

As soon as Malining finished speaking, he quickly added: "That's right, Comrade Commander. It's less than a day since my infantry brigade was established, and the commanders and soldiers don't have time to get familiar with each other. The troops do not have any combat effectiveness at all. If they are rushed, they will be pulled up in a hurry. The battlefield may not play any role."

Rokosovsky didn't speak, but just clicked casually, and then asked Malining: "When will the troops provided by Moscow to us arrive?"

Sokov was stunned and thought that Moscow could still provide troops directly to the 16th Army?

Malining said again: "If nothing unexpected happens, three fighter battalions and seven fighter companies will arrive at noon. These troops are from the major factories in Moscow, all of which are strong working class and are completely reliable. ”

But the expression on Rokosovsky's face was very solemn: "These militia from the factory have no combat experience at all. If they participate in this counterattack, it may be difficult for them to achieve our predetermined goal."

"There is no way, Comrade Commander." Malining said helplessly: "The original regular army is almost all consumed in the Viajima area; and the new reserve team is still on the way and cannot reach us in a short time. Therefore, we can only add to the fighter companies and fighter battalions composed of militias."

Two people came in from outside, and one of them asked, "Comrade Commander, what are you discussing?"

Sokov turned his head and saw clearly that one of the two people who came in was Kazakov, the chief artillery of the army, and the other one was a political worker, who had never seen him.

"It's Kazakov." Rokosovsky said to the visitor: "The superior has issued us an order to counterattack and we are formulating a combat plan."

Kazakov came near and saw Romanov standing beside Lobachev, and couldn't help but ask Rokosovsky curiously: "Comrade Commander, I don't know who this general is? I've never been Have you seen it, it's a new one? "

"Kazakov, let me introduce you to you. This is Major General Roman Lov, the new deputy commander of the group army. He used to be the commander of the 172nd Infantry Division." Rokosovsky introduced Roman to Kazakov. After Luof, he said to Romanov: "Comrade Deputy Commander, this is Major General Kazakov, the director of the artillery of the Army. The next person is Comrade Romanov, the head of the Political Department of the Army, and the same surname as you."

After Romanlov shook hands with Kazakov and others, everyone began to study and implement the counterattack plan that would start in more than ten hours.

Before the plan was completed, the phone on the desk rang.

Malining picked up the microphone and listened, and handed it to Rokosovsky: "Comrade Commander, it's your phone number."

Rokosovsky took the microphone and stuck it in his ear: "I am Rokosovsky!"

"Hello, Comrade Rokosovsky." A voice that made Rokosovsky feel very familiar came from the microphone: "I am Romanchenko, Director of the General Police Bureau!"

"Comrade Director, why do you remember to call me?"

"That's right, Comrade Rokosovsky." Romanchenko said with a smile: "I formed a 50-person police detachment to be sent to the defense zone of your group army. They are well-equipped and have certain combat. Experience, I wonder if you welcome them.”

Romachenko's words made Rokosovsky excited: "Great, Comrade Director! On behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the 16th Army, I welcome the arrival of the police detachment."

"Since you don't object, I will arrange for them to set off as soon as possible," said Romanchenko. "If the way goes well, they will arrive at your defense zone in the evening."

After the call with Romachenko, Romachenko said to several colleagues: "Comrades, Comrade Romachenko, Director of the General Police Bureau, told me that he sent a well-equipped and had certain combat experience. The police force came to our army to report.”

"Is this appropriate to let the police go to the battlefield?" Romanlov raised his own question.

"If they were allowed to enter the position and compete with the enemy face to face, I think it might be difficult." Rokosovsky said cautiously: "It is better to send them behind enemy lines, which may play a greater role."

"I think it's OK," Malining said in agreement.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Rokosovsky told Malining, "the police detachment will arrive at our defense zone in the evening. You can arrange personnel to pick them up and don't let them get lost."

"Don't worry, comrade Commander." Malining assured Rokosovsky, "I will arrange this."

At noon, Sokov returned to the base of the infantry brigade.

When he walked into the tent, he saw Belkin talking to a strange lieutenant colonel, and asked Belkin directly: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, who is this?"

"Comrade Brigade Commander, are you back?" Seeing Sokov return, Berkin showed a joyful expression on his face. He introduced Sokov to the strange lieutenant colonel: "I'll introduce it to you, This is Lieutenant Colonel Cherkasov. He turned out to be a regiment chief of staff in the 20th Army. He just escaped from the German encirclement today. "Sokov heard that the other party was the regiment chief of staff, with a face The upper party couldn't help but show a surprise expression. He quickly reached out to the other party and said in a friendly tone: "Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Cherkasov, welcome you to join my army."

Cherkasov glanced at Sokov's collar, hesitated for a moment and said, "Major, no, it's a comrade commander. I am very happy to join your army. Please arrange a position for me as soon as possible, even if you go to the bottom. The troops can be a platoon leader."

"Ltd. Colonel Cherkasov, look at what you said. Your military rank is higher than mine. How can you be the platoon leader? If the commanders of other troops know about this, I will not criticize you if I don't criticize you. Employ people." Sokov asked Cherkasov sincerely: "I want you to serve as the chief of staff of the brigade. I wonder if you agree?"

Cherkasov didn't expect Sokov to be so generous. He entrusted himself with important tasks when he met for the first time. He couldn't help but say with some concern: "Comrade Brigade Commander, I'm worried that I'm not qualified for this position. I think you'd better find something else. People."

If Sokov had the right candidate in his hands, he might not have chosen Cherkasov. But now there is a shortage of commanders, so I can only temporarily persuade Cherkasov to serve as the chief of staff of the brigade. When I meet a suitable candidate in the future, it will not be too late to change others.

"It's okay, Lieutenant Colonel Cherkasov." Sokov said with a smile: "If you don't try it, how can you know if you are suitable for this position?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel Cherkasov." Seeing that Sokov intended to appoint Cherkasov as the chief of staff of the brigade, Berkin immediately persuaded: "I think you can accept this appointment, no matter what, It is said that this is all the wishes of the brigade commander.”

Seeing that Sokov and Berkin both advised him to make this appointment, Cherkasov was not easy to refuse, so he nodded and agreed: "Since you think I am suitable for this position, I will try it first, I will try it. Don't let you down."

Since Cherkasov had agreed to serve as the chief of brigade staff, Belkin turned his attention to Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, have the superior agreed to your proposal?"

"Agree."

No mistakes, one song, one content, one in 6, one book, one bar, one reading!

"That's great." After Belkin shouted, he immediately asked Sokov: "Will our brigade participate in this counterattack?"

"It's not clear yet," Sokov replied, "Comrade Commander let our brigade serve as a reserve force. If the battlefield situation is not good for our army, our brigade will be put into battle."

I heard that the infantry brigade was going to participate in this counterattack, even if it was just a reserve team, it still made Belkin feel uneasy: "Comrade Commander, our brigade has a lot of troops, but the commander and the soldiers are not familiar with each other. , lacking the minimum tacit understanding. If you have to rush to the battlefield, you will probably be dispersed. "Maybe because you are worried that Sokov criticized himself for being greedy for life and fear of death and panic, he also added specifically, "Besides, the troops are all light weapons , lack of anti-tank weapons, if you encounter German equipment troops, you may be easily defeated."

"There is no way, this is the order of the superior." Sokov went to the headquarters and naturally knew that the main members of the Army Command did not want to launch a counterattack without any chance of victory this time, but in front of his subordinates, he only He pretended to be helpless and said, "We can only obey our superiors' orders unconditionally."

Seeing Belkin's expression full of disappointment, Sokov suddenly remembered the shelter today and asked quickly: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, I wonder how many troops have been sheltered today?"

Belkin, who was originally depressed, immediately became excited after hearing Sokov's question: "Comrade Brigade Commander, guess how many people we have taken in the morning?"

Sokov thought that he had accommodated nearly 2,000 people yesterday, and today may not be as many people as yesterday, and there were only half a day. It would be almost the same as that of three or four hundred people. He asked carefully: "I wonder if it is three hundred or four hundred?"

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Belkin showed a bright smile on his face: "Comrade Brigade Commander, if you guessed wrong, you can be more courageous."

Sokov looked at Belkin and thought in his mind: Looking at his expression, could there be thousands of people? Thinking of this, he asked tentatively: "Are there eight hundred to one thousand people?"

"This time I guessed it more accurately." Belkin said with a smile: "Although the specific numbers have not yet been released, the number of people being housed today has exceeded 1,000."

"Have you really exceeded a thousand people?" Although Sokov was mentally prepared, he was still shocked when he heard Belkin confirm his guess: "How come there are so many people?"

"When we broke through yesterday, we opened a breakthrough." Berkin replied: "I think the German army has not found the breakthrough, so the commanders and fighters who are in charge today should have broken through here."

"If this is true, it means we may be able to accommodate the same number of commanders and fighters in the afternoon."

"This is entirely possible." Belkin suddenly remembered another thing and asked again: "By the way, comrade comrade, the German prisoner of war named Georg, has he provided it after he arrived at the headquarters. What important information?”

"No, he didn't provide anything."

Hearing Sokov say this, Belkin couldn't help but be surprised: "Didn't he say that there is important information to report to our superiors? Why did he still say nothing when he arrived at the Army Command?"

"Analysis from all signs, this person is most likely an intelligence officer lurking within the German army." Sokov said to Belkin: "After I sent him to the Army Command, he said that the commander's level is not Gao, he can't provide any situation."

When Berkin heard this, he couldn't help but get angry: "Who is this? We asked us to send him to the Army Command, but he didn't say anything. Do you still want our people to send him to Moscow? ”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Sokov give him a thumbs up: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, you guessed it right. After he arrived at the Army Command and had a secret code with Chief of Staff Malining, he He said that he had important intelligence and wanted to report to the Moscow intelligence forces. Now, Chief of Staff Malining has arranged personnel to send him back to Moscow."

"If this person has any important information, he still needs to report to Moscow." After Berkin said this, he raised his own question: "Comrade Brigade Commander, do you think that German prisoner is a mysterious person? To confuse us?”

"I think it's not possible." Sokov was not at ease when he said this. If he was unfortunately told by Belkin, Georg was not an intelligence officer of the Soviet army at all, and everything he said was a mysterious thing. , then you will definitely be implicated.

(End of this chapter)