Burning Moscow

♂

Although there are hundreds of kilometers from my headquarters to Zhytomyr, the road is not very safe. You may encounter enemy stragglers. It is understandable to strengthen security measures. According to my opinion, there are two armored vehicles and a dozen trucks full of soldiers, which is more than enough. Sending two more tanks with them is indeed a bit too exaggerated.

But when I ordered the tanks to be kept and only the armored vehicles and truck convoys were on the road, I met with unanimous opposition from Kistyakov and Bezikov. The two emphasized that this was issued by Rokosovsky himself. Order, do everything possible to protect my safety. Seeing that they both carried Rokosovsky out, I couldn't argue with them anymore, and could only agree to let the tank escort.

When we were marching, one of the two tanks opened the road in front, the other was at the back of the convoy, with a long string of trucks in the middle, and the armored vehicle I was in was in the middle of the whole convoy.

Sitting in a sultry armored car, thinking that I would have to bump hundreds of kilometers to reach my destination, I felt like crying without tears. In all honesty, it is the most convenient to fly such a long way, and you can reach your destination within an hour at most. Secondly, it takes a jeep to reach the destination in seven or eight hours; but now there are two tanks in the convoy, our marching speed has been greatly slowed down, although the tank design speed is 50 kilometers per hour, but according to me It feels like the speed is only 30 kilometers per hour at most.

"Comrade Commander, has something serious happened?" Major Bukov, who was sitting next to me, approached my ear and asked, "The superior sent a tank to **** you. Something must have happened, right?"

"Yes, Comrade Major, something really happened," I replied casually, "Marshal Zhukov called me to Zhytomyr. The person who conveyed the order didn't say what it was."

Bukov looked around, then leaned close to my ear again, and asked in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, it is convenient to tell me what happened?"

The reason why I was eager to go to Zhytomyr, except for me, only Kistyakov and Bezikov knew, not even Kirilov. Although Bukov’s rank is relatively low, he, as my entourage, is responsible for protecting my safety. I don’t intend to hide this from him: "When General Vatutin was out today, he was ambushed by the enemy. , Was seriously injured. Then Marshal Zhukov sent an order through General Rokosovsky to rush me to Zhytomyr overnight."

"Ah, General Vatutin was injured?" When Bukov heard the news, he showed a surprised expression on his face, but he quickly realized it and said: "I now understand why the superior wants to equip us. There are two tanks in order to prevent accidents on the road. Although our army has won a series of victories in Ukraine, the Germans always have some small troops that have been defeated, hidden in unexpected places, with tanks. Protection, we can reach our destination safely."

"Comrade General is also too sensitive." Regarding the protective measures Rokosovsky provided, I was a little bit dumbfounded and said: "Actually, I sent me an armored vehicle and a guard company is enough. Unexpectedly, my superiors used two more tanks to equip me. In this way, it directly affected the marching speed of the entire army."

I thought Bukov would go along with me and even give me advice, secretly suggesting that I leave the tanks and convoys and take the armored vehicles directly to Zhytomyr at the fastest speed. Unexpectedly, after he listened, he said to me with a serious expression: "Comrade Commander, I think it is absolutely necessary for the superiors to take such security measures. After all, today, a senior commander was approached by the enemy on the road. "

"Comrade Major, you know something. When General Vatutin went out for inspection today, he brought only three jeeps." I don't know the true situation of Vatutin's fall. I can only follow the plot I have seen in the movie. Bukov introduced: "The first jeep was blown up when it was crushed by a landmine, and all soldiers in the car died. While sitting in the second car, Vatutin saw the car in front of it hitting a mine, and quickly jumped out of it. Command the entourage to continue fighting with the enemy rushing over. He was unfortunately hit by enemy bullets during the battle.” Having said that, I couldn’t help but smile, “If he brought as many entourages as I did, even Without tanks and armored vehicles, all the enemies can be wiped out."

"Necessary security should be paid attention to." Bukov’s responsibility is to protect my safety. After listening to me talking about the attack on Vatutin, he said solemnly: "Although we won the battle some time ago and wiped out The German army has a large number of active forces, but the remnants of the German army may have set up temporary positions on both sides of the road to ambush our convoys. And even if there is no established German army, there may be some soldiers who have left the army and will move towards them. The target I saw shot. All in all, I think the road from Moziri to Zhytomyr is dangerous."

I know that Bukov is a principled person. Since he thinks it is a matter of course for the superiors to send tank escorts, if I propose to get rid of tanks and armored vehicles and go to Zhytomyr by armored vehicles alone, he will definitely encounter strong opposition. of. I didn't speculate on the words, so I stopped talking, raised my body back, leaned my back in the chair, and started to close my eyes and rest.

At first I just wanted to take a nap, but unexpectedly fell asleep unknowingly while the armored vehicle swayed from side to side. I don't know how long I slept, but the armored vehicle suddenly stopped. I opened my eyes in a daze, and asked weakly, "Major, are we there yet?"

"It seems not yet, Comrade Commander." Bukov stood up as he said, pushed open the door forcefully, and asked loudly outside: "What happened, why did you stop?"

Soon, I heard a wave of footsteps coming from far and near. After the footsteps disappeared, someone reported to Bukov: "Comrade Major, we grabbed a person in front. After she saw our convoy appeared, instead of evading, she stood in the middle of the road to block the car. The tank soldier went down and caught her."

From his name, I heard that the man caught by the tank soldiers was a woman, and quickly told Bukov: "Major, let them bring the woman who stopped the car here."

After a few minutes, sitting in the car, I saw two soldiers approaching with a woman wrapped in a turban and tightly wrapped. The two brought the woman to Bukov, who was standing under the car, raised their hands to salute, and reported: "Major, we have brought people."

Bukov nodded to the two of them, and then asked the tightly wrapped woman: "Comrade woman, who are you, where are you from, and why did you stop our convoy?"

Hearing Bukov’s series of questions, the woman pulled off the scarf covering her face and asked Bukov, "Are you such a supreme commander?" When she unwrapped the scarf, I saw clearly. After clearing her profile, it turned out to be a pretty young girl.

"Your identity, is there anything to do with me as the Supreme Commander?" Bukov was confused by the girl's question. He turned his head and glanced at me who was still sitting in the car, and then said: "Please first answer my question."

"I will not identify myself until I see your highest commander." I heard that Bukov is not the highest commander. The girl stubbornly said: "This is related to the life and death of more than two dozen people."

"Girl, if you have anything, just tell me." I saw that the situation outside was a bit bad, so I hurriedly said, "I am the highest commander here."

When the girl talked to Bukov, she might not have thought that I was sitting in the armored car with the open door. When I spoke suddenly, she shivered with fright. When she turned her head to see me, there was a puzzled expression on her face. She looked me up and down and asked in a suspicious tone: "Comrade Commander, are you really their highest commander? "

"Yes, my name is Oshanina, the highest commander of this force." I did not get up, and continued to sit in my seat, smiling and talking to the girl, "Now you can show your identity."

"Oxianina?" After the girl repeated my name, she covered her mouth in surprise and stared at me with wide eyes. After a while, she put down her hand covering her mouth and asked tentatively, "You are General Oshanina, commander of the Sixth Guards Army?"

If I surprised the girl just now, it is the girl who surprised us all at the moment. I asked myself that my reputation was not so big that any pedestrian on the road would know it. At this moment, I doubted the identity of the girl in front of me, and wondered whether this was sent by the Germans to assassinate me?

Just as I was about to put my hand on the holster and take precautions, Bukov, who was standing next to the girl, had already started. He cut the girl's left hand behind his back, then held the girl's head with a pistol, and asked viciously: "Quickly, who are you, why do you know our commander?"

The girl didn't expect that a casual sentence of hers would cause such a big reaction to the people behind her. He hurriedly struggled and said nervously: "My own person, I am my own person. I know General Oshanina, there is a reason. ."

I saw the girl crying when she spoke, and there were tears flickering in her eyes. From her reaction, I judged that she should not be a German agent, so I waved to Bukov and ordered: "Major, let her go and let her get in the car."

"Comrade Commander," Bukov let go of the girl's hand, but the pistol in his hand was still pointing at the other person, and at the same time nervously reminded me: "You can't let her get in the car until she knows her identity. Too dangerous."

I know that Bukov is where his duty lies. He will definitely not let her get in the car before he can figure out the identity of the girl. So I smiled and asked the girl: "Can you tell me, what is your name? What is it for? And why you know my identity."

"Comrade General," the girl stood up straight and said to me with red eyes: "My name is Sasha. I am a member of an underground resistance organization in a nearby village. I know your identity because of me. I heard your name in the battle report of the Soviet Intelligence Agency before. You once commanded the troops to successfully liberate Kiev from the enemy at the beginning of the year..."

"Damn it," Bukov heard this and couldn't help interrupting Sasha's words. "As far as I know, after the Germans occupy the village, they will cut off the power to all villagers' homes to prevent them from listening through the radio. The battle report of the Soviet Intelligence Agency. I want to ask you, how did you listen to the program when there was no electricity?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander, the electricity in the village is strictly controlled by the Germans and can only be used by them. Even if we are lighting, we can only light candles or oil lamps." Sasha turned to look at Buko who was attacking her. Husband said, "But there is a wire passing through my uncle's house. When it gets dark every day, he uses the hook tied to the bamboo pole to tie the wire to the German wire, so that our radio will be There is power."

Sasha's narration is very lively. I seem to see an old man with a beard. Every day when it gets dark, he takes a long bamboo pole and carefully comes out of the house, and then puts the hooks connected to the wires. On the German dedicated wire.

Sasha’s explanation allowed Bukov to dispel her suspicion. He even reached out to help her get into the car, and at the same time said to Sasha in a gentle and polite tone: "Girl, you have been outside for so long. It must be frozen, right? Get in the car and get warm, and set off with us."

After the girl got in the car~www.wuxiaspot.com~ Bukov also took out a stainless steel hip flask, pulled off the lid and handed it to the girl: "Come on, dear Sasha, take a sip, so that you can Be warm." Sasha raised her head to look at the man who was courting her, took the jug from his hand, but did not drink it immediately, but turned her questioning eyes on me.

"Drink, Sasha." Although I basically don't drink alcohol, I don't object to others drinking some alcohol to keep out the cold without excessive amounts. At this moment, seeing Sasha looking embarrassed, I hurriedly said in a soft tone: " You must be frozen, take a couple of sips to keep out the cold, so that your body feels warmer."

Hearing what I said, Sasha looked up at Bukov, smiled sweetly and said "thank you", then brought the hip flask to her lips and took a big sip.

Seeing that Sasha was going to hand the jug back to herself, Bukov quickly said politely: "Some more!"

Sasha shook her head vigorously, and resolutely handed the flask back to Bukov. At the same time, she said: "Don't drink any more, get drunk again, thank you!"

After Bukov put the flask away, I looked at Sasha and asked solemnly: "Okay, Sasha, now you can tell us, why are you stopping our convoy?" (To be continued.)