Red Moscow

When Sokov said that the interim headquarters could not go to Belarus, Ponedelin was secretly surprised. You know, the identities of myself, Muzichenko, and Kirillov are sensitive. If Sokov didn't protect them, I'm afraid they would have been sent to Siberia to dig potatoes. If you can't go to Rokossovsky's troops now, I'm afraid the future is not optimistic.

When Sukov said that he could go to Konev's troops, Ponejielin saw new hope. Hearing Sokov's question at this moment, he quickly replied: "Comrade General, although the students don't have much luggage to pack, I'm afraid it will take some time to prepare for leaving. I think it will take about an hour and a half. let's go."

Sokov knew very well in his heart that the time that Ponegerin mentioned was already the limit, so he said: "I will give you two and a half hours to prepare, and when the time is up, we will gather at the gate of the academy immediately."

"What means of transportation are we going to the front line?"

"Car." Sokov said, "I will contact the car and send you all the way to the front line."

"Okay." Ponegerin agreed, and then said to the students who were sitting upright: "Comrades, now go back to your dormitory, pack up your own things, and get ready to go."

The students in the classroom agreed abruptly, then stood up neatly, and filed towards the door.

When only Sokov and the members of the advisory group were left in the classroom, Sokov said to Pornegerin: "General Pornegerin, when you arrive at the front, you will be divided into two parts. One part will stay in the division. General Nev's headquarters will serve as a staff officer; the other part will be sent to the 53rd Army to serve as regimental commanders."

Pornegerin said with some surprise: "Comrade General, if you send students to the grassroots units, even as regimental commanders, it may be difficult to avoid casualties. I am worried that when you return to the army, there will be Many students were injured or even sacrificed."

"That's right, the possibility you mentioned completely exists." Sokov did not comment on Pornegerin's statement, but continued to say according to his own thinking: "Anyone who stays on the front line has The possibility of being injured or even sacrificed, even the commander of the group army cannot avoid this fate. But the more dangerous the place is, the more beneficial it is for the growth of our students."

"I understand, Comrade General." Ponegelin said: "For those students assigned to the 53rd Army as regimental commanders, this is a rare learning opportunity. High-intensity battles are enriching their operations. While gaining experience, it can also bring their commanding ability to a new level."

"General Ponedelin," Sokov nodded with a smile, "it's up to you to decide who will stay in General Konev's headquarters and who will serve as regimental commander in the 53rd Army."

Hearing that Sokov entrusted him with such an important task, Ponegerin seemed a little lacking in confidence: "Comrade General, is it appropriate for you to entrust me with such an important task?"

"There is nothing inappropriate." Sukov has always adhered to the principle of employing people, that is, to employ people without suspicion, and to use people without suspicion. Since he handed over the temporary headquarters formed by the students to Ponegelin, he expressed absolute trust in the other party: "Since I handed over the temporary headquarters to the advisory group, you, as the person in charge of the advisory group, naturally have right to make any decision."

After finishing speaking, he stretched out his hands to hold Ponegerin's hand, and said earnestly: "General Pornegerin, after you were captured, you have been held by the Germans in a prisoner-of-war camp along the Dnieper River. It is a good opportunity for you to take the interim headquarters to the Ukrainian Second Front Army. Not only can you get rid of your shame, but it is also a rare opportunity for the two generals Muzichenko and Kirillov to stand up. I hope You can hold it well."

"Don't worry, Comrade General." Pornegelin said gratefully, "I will definitely perform well and will definitely live up to your trust in me."

"Comrade General," after Ponedelin finished speaking, Muzychenko and Kirillov also said: "We swear to you with our lives and honor that we will behave well when we arrive at the new battlefield, It will definitely not live up to your expectations.”

The statements of the three made Sokov feel very comfortable. He nodded and continued, "It was my idea to arrange you to the 53rd Army. Guess why I did this?"

The three looked at each other, then shook their heads neatly, and Ponegelin asked on behalf of everyone: "Comrade General, what is your reason for doing this?"

"Is there a map?"

"Yes." Kirillov agreed, picked up a map on the podium, and handed it to Sokov.

Sokov just glanced at it, then shook his head and said, "This is a map of Belarus. What I want is a map of Ukraine, preferably from the Cherkasy region."

Muzichenko quickly picked up another map and handed it to Sokov: "Comrade General, this is the map you want."

"You guys come and see here." Sokov took the map, looked at it for a while, pointed to the position south of Cherkasy, and said to the three: "Now the tens of thousands of German troops are defeated by General Vatutin's Ukrainian First Army." The Front, as well as General Konev's Ukrainian Second Front, are besieged in the Cherkasy area, while the 53rd Army is deployed in the southernmost part of the encirclement."

After tilting his head and looking at the map for a while, Ponedelin tentatively asked Sokov: "Comrade General, do you think that the Germans will open a breakthrough in the defensive zone of the 53rd Army and rescue the besieged troops. "

Seeing that Ponegerin guessed his thoughts, Sokov smiled: "That's right, General Ponegerin, I think the Germans will definitely do this."

"I think Comrade General's analysis is very reasonable." Muzichenko said: "There is a big river behind the 53rd Army, and it is the coldest season of the year. The ice on the frozen river is not only for people. Walking on it, even armored vehicles can pass. In such an area, it is difficult to build a solid fortification. The Germans chose this place as a breakthrough, and there is a very high possibility.”

Sokov knew the direction of the German army's breakout in half a month from the history books of later generations. However, Muzichenko drew a conclusion based on his more than 20 years of experience, which made Sokov look at him with admiration.

"General Muzichenko, he is a man who has been the commander of the group army. He sees the problem thoroughly." Sokov gave Muzichenko a thumbs up and said in admiration: "I believe that the interim headquarters is under your command. Under the leadership of the three, we will definitely grow into an excellent group quickly."

When Sokov stood at the entrance of the college and watched the two military buses carrying all the members of the Provisional Command leave, the car driven by Koshkin stopped beside Sokov.

"Misha!" Seeing that Sokov didn't notice her, Assia called out to him, "What are you looking at?"

Sokov turned his head to see Asiya sitting in the car, with a surprised expression on his face: "Asiya, you are back!"

"Yes, Lieutenant Koshkin picked me up." Assia said, opened the door and got out of the car, and reached out to support Sokov: "Misha, let's go home."

After Sokov and Asya sat in the car, Koshkin drove the car towards Lenin Avenue.

Looking at the two military buses in the distance, Koshkin asked Sukov tentatively: "Comrade General, are the trainees you recruited sitting on the two military buses ahead?"

"Yes, they are indeed on the two military buses ahead."

After hearing this, Koshkin shook his head and said, "So many regimental commanders are packed into two buses, if any accident happens along the way, the loss will be huge."

Sokov couldn't help but thumped in his heart, thinking that if it was true as Koshkin said, the bus was run over by landmines on the road or was shelled by the German army, even if only one car had an accident, dozens of people might be killed. The casualties of regiment-level commanders will indeed bring huge losses to themselves.

"Koshkin," Sokov thought of this, temporarily changed his mind, and told Koshkin: "We won't go home yet."

"Not going back?" Koshkin asked in surprise, "Why?"

"Lieutenant Koshkin, you are right." Sokov frowned and said, "If these two military buses are really used to transport the members of the interim commander to the front line, in case something happens on the way, We will suffer huge losses. I am going to see Lunev to see if there is any other way to send these people to the front."

Koshkin knew that the matter was of great importance, so he didn't dare to neglect, so he quickly turned the car around and drove in the direction of Lubyanka.

The car soon arrived outside the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but was stopped by the sentry on duty at the door.

Although the sentry obviously knew Koshkin, he still asked Koshkin to show his ID, and even took the photo on the ID to compare with Koshkin himself during the inspection.

Facing such a 13 sentinel, Sokov wanted to give him a big slap in the face immediately. But considering that this is the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he just frowned slightly. Seeing the sentry handing back the certificate to Koshkin, he asked quickly, "Can I enter?"

"I'm sorry, Comrade General." Unexpectedly, the sentry put on a businesslike expression and said to Sokov, "Please show your ID."

People had to bow their heads under the eaves. Since Sokov was at the entrance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs building, he could only cooperate with the other party's inspection. He quickly took out his ID, took the ID from Asiya's hand, and folded it together Passed to the sentinel.

Unexpectedly, after the sentinel finished reading, he said coldly: "I'm sorry, Comrade General, you and this female military doctor are not from our Ministry of Internal Affairs, so I cannot let you in."

Facing the Sentinels who obstructed him, Sokov, in order to keep the overall situation in mind, could only patiently explain to the other party: "Comrade Sentinel, I need to see Deputy Minister General Lunev immediately, please accommodate me."

"No, Comrade General." Unexpectedly, the sentinel was as smelly and hard as a stone in a latrine, and he still insisted, "Here at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, your ID is not valid."

"Enough, stop making trouble." Koshkin said to the sentinel: "Don't you know that the deputy minister and Comrade General used to be partners? Quickly pull up the railing and let us enter the door."

"I'm sorry, Koshkin." The sentry shook his head and said, "I have no right to let you in."

Koshkin was angry: "We have an urgent matter and need to see Comrade Deputy Minister immediately. If because of your obstruction, the incident goes out of control and causes huge losses, can you bear the responsibility?"

Koshkin's attack made the sentry hesitate, but he still didn't raise the rail in front of the car, but said in embarrassment: "Koshkin, why don't you call Comrade Deputy Minister , as long as he says let it go, I will let you in immediately."

Seeing that the sentinel was so stubborn, Koshkin pushed open the car door and angrily walked towards the duty room not far away, where he was going to call Lunev.

Hearing Lunev's voice coming from the receiver, Koshkin quickly said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Deputy Minister, I am Koshkin."

"It turned out to be Lieutenant Koshkin." Lunev, who was busy, asked casually, "Do you have anything to do?"

"Yes, Comrade Deputy Minister." Koshkin reported to Lunev: "General Sokov and his wife came, but the car we were traveling in was stopped at the door."

"Stopped?!" Lunev asked inexplicably, "Why did you stop you?"

Koshkin looked at the sentry standing by the car and reported to Lunev: "The sentry said that the documents of General Sokov and his wife are not valid at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so they are determined not to let them in."

"Nonsense, it's just nonsense." After Lunev figured out why Sokov was stopped, he exploded: "What qualifications does he have to stop a general without authorization? You give him the phone immediately, and I will take care of him." Teach him a lesson."

After Lunev greeted them, Sokov and Asya finally entered the Lubyanka headquarters building smoothly.

Asiya, who came here for the first time, may have heard too many legends about the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which made her seem extra nervous. She tightly grasped Sokov's arm, and followed behind step by step, not daring to overstep.

"Assia, don't be nervous." Sokov patted Assia's arm lightly with his hand, comforting her and said, "With me by your side, nothing will happen."

When she came to Lunev's office, Asiya saw a familiar person, and her nervousness finally eased. After waiting for Sokov to greet Lunev, she also stepped forward and said, "Lunev, it's a pleasure to meet you here."

"Me too, Assia dear."

Lunev briefly exchanged greetings with Asya, and then asked Sokov directly: "Misha, what do you want to do here?"

"It's like this, Lunev." Sokov said to Lunev: "Didn't you help me arrange two military buses to send dozens of people from the temporary headquarters to the front line?"

"Yes, although the current capacity is tight, I still managed to get two military buses." Lunev asked in surprise, "Misha, is there anything wrong?"

"Lunev, I don't think it's appropriate to use a bus to send the members of the interim headquarters to the front line."

"why?"

"Lunev, think about it." Sokov said: "There are about 30 trainees who can serve as regimental commanders in one vehicle. Once the vehicle runs over a mine or is attacked by German artillery fire, the personnel Casualties, for us, are a terrible disaster."