Red Moscow

"General Potapov!"

"General Potapov?!" Sokov was unfamiliar with the name, and asked, "Which part did he belong to and what position did he hold before he was captured?"

Before Nikitin could reply, Sukov suddenly heard a "bang" sound from the side. He turned his head and saw that the tea mug that Ponedelin was holding fell to the ground, and the tea in it was full. land.

Just when Sokov was about to care about the other party and asked him if he was scalded by the tea, Ponejielin rushed to him at a brisk pace, blushing, and asked excitedly: "Comrade commander, do you think we Who did you rescue from the camp? General Potapov?"

"That's right, that's the name that Commander Nikitin said." Seeing Ponederin's excited expression, Sokov guessed that he should know Potapov, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade Deputy Commander, what are you doing?" Do you know him?"

"Not only are we acquainted, we are also old acquaintances and old friends." Pornejelin's voice became hoarse with excitement: "When the war broke out, I was the commander of the 12th Army, and he was the commander of the 5th Army. Later captured in the Battle of Kiev. By the way, when Marshal Rokossovsky was still serving as the commander of the 9th Mechanized Army, he was once his subordinate."

After knowing the identity of this Potapov, Sokov immediately said into the microphone: "General Nikitin, send someone to escort him to my headquarters immediately. Remember, we must ensure his safety. Understand ?"

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Although Sukov didn't know Potapov, Nikitin did, and knew the other party's identity, so he was naturally unambiguous: "I will definitely send someone to escort him to the headquarters safely. .”

After putting down the phone, Sokov tentatively asked Ponejielin: "Deputy Commander, do you think this matter needs to be reported to the Marshal?"

"It goes without saying." Ponedelin waited for Sukov to finish, and said without hesitation: "In any case, Comrade Marshal was once a subordinate of General Potapov. Now Comrade Marshal's old superior is taken from us. Rescue from a prisoner-of-war camp is a great event and must be reported to the marshal."

"Okay." Sokov also felt that he should report the matter to Rokossovsky. Rescuing a general-level figure in a prisoner-of-war camp is a big event. How to arrange the other party, let alone a small army commander, even Rokossovsky or Zhukov would not dare to do it without authorization. To call the shots, you must ask the Supreme Command: "I will call Comrade Marshal right now."

Another important reason for Sokov's rush to call is that Rokossovsky once explained that in order to avoid the enemy's intention to attack, he is not allowed to conflict with the German army without instructions . And Sokov sent people to the prisoner-of-war camp to rescue people, which was a violation of Rokossovsky's order, so naturally he needed to call for instructions.

After the call was connected, Sokov respectfully said to Bogolyubov who answered the phone: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, is the Marshal at the headquarters?"

"Yes." Bogolyubov glanced at Rokossovsky, who was sitting not far away, and asked, "Do you have something to do with him?"

"That's right, Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army." Sokov said respectfully, "I violated some of his regulations, and I have to make him admit his mistakes in person."

After listening to it, Bogolyubov, who was confused, said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, General Sokov called you. He said he made a mistake and needs to admit it to you face to face. "

"He wants to admit his mistakes to me?" Rokossovsky said equally puzzled: "What mistakes can he make?"

Rokossovsky thought this way out of his understanding of Sokov. He felt that Sokov didn't like someone who doesn't obey orders and likes to make his own decisions in everything, so after he took the microphone, he didn't talk nonsense. Instead, he went straight to the point: "Misha, what did you do wrong, why are you apologizing to me?"

"Comrade Marshal, this is how it happened." Sokov hurriedly sent his men to infiltrate the enemy's rear, but raided the prisoner-of-war camp and rescued the captured commanders. He told the truth to Rokossovsky, and finally Said: "I did not obey your order, sent people into the enemy's rear without authorization, violated your order, please punish me."

"You are really confused. Since you know that there is a gap of several kilometers in the German army's defensive junction, why didn't you report it earlier?" Rokossovsky said angrily: "If we had known that there was such a gap, we would have planned an offensive. When planning, we will take this factor that is beneficial to our army into consideration. But if you come here now, it is tantamount to telling the enemy that we have found a loophole in their defense. Next, they will strengthen the strength of the area and block the Cover the gap in the junction to prevent our army from breaking through here."

Rokossovsky said a lot in one breath, took a sip of the tea, and then asked back: "Did you gain anything from the surprise attack on the prisoner-of-war camp here?"

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Sokov quickly replied, "We not only rescued more than 2,000 commanders and fighters, but also rescued a general."

"A general, what general?" Rokossovsky asked, taking another sip from his teacup.

"It's General Potapov, who was the commander of the 5th Army at the beginning of the war." Sukov said cautiously: "It is said that he used to be your superior. I think it is necessary to inform you of this and see how you plan to place him. ?”

Rokossovsky had just drank the tea in his mouth and sprayed it all out, and even part of it splashed on Bogolyubov. He quickly apologized to the other party, and at the same time picked up the rag from the table and began to wipe the tea on the table.

Bogolyubov hurried forward to take the rag and helped wipe the tea so that Rokossovsky could make a call with peace of mind.

Rokossovsky nodded at Bogolyubov, and continued to speak into the microphone: "Misha, are you telling the truth? The commander you rescued from the prisoner-of-war camp is really the former Fifth Army Commander General Potapov?"

"That's right, Comrade Marshal, that's him." In order to increase his persuasion, Sokov deliberately pushed Ponegerin out: "This was confirmed by my deputy commander, General Ponegerin."

"Where is General Potapov now?" asked Rokossovsky.

"Still in the defense zone of the 120th Guards Division." Sokov said: "But I have told Nikitin to send him to my headquarters as soon as possible."

"Misha, listen." Rokossovsky said: "After the person is sent to your headquarters, let General Ponedelin carry out the identification again to see if it is Potapov himself. If so , remember to call me. Understand?"

"Understood!" Sokov understood Rokossovsky's meaning. If the general who was rescued was really his old superior, Major General Potapov, then he might go to his own Command came to see this man. So Sokov asked tactfully: "Look, do you need to shave him, take a bath, and change his clothes?"

"Help me treat him well, do what you want, and don't ask me for everything."

After Sokov finished calling Rokossovsky, he said to Ponedelin: "Comrade Deputy Commander, the Marshal said, after General Potapov arrives at our place, please carefully identify it. See if it's the General Potapov you know."

"Okay." Ponegerin nodded, and said, "I will identify it carefully."

After about half an hour, Nikitin walked in with a few people from the outside.

He came to Sokov, raised his hand to salute, and said, "Comrade Commander, I brought him here!"

Sokov looked towards the people brought by Nikitin, and saw a disheveled, bearded man who looked haggard and wore a military uniform that looked empty, as if hanging on a hanger.

Seeing this person's appearance, Bornejelin walked over quickly. When he got close, he looked at the other party carefully and asked cautiously: "Mikhail Ivanovich, is it really you?"

What Ponedelin said was Potapov's real name and father's name. When the man heard someone calling him that, he couldn't help shaking, as if he had been immobilized by someone, and stood still. He stared at Ponedelin for a long time, and finally said tremblingly: "You, you are Pavel Grigorievich, are you still alive?!"

Ponegerin grabbed the other person's arm and said with tears in his eyes: "It's me, it's me, I'm Ponegerin, and I'm still alive. I never thought that after so many years of separation, there is still a chance to see you alive. "

"Me too, Pavel." Potapov and Ponedelin gave a warm hug: "I was sad for a while when I heard that you died in the Battle of Uman. I really didn't expect that, actually I can still see you alive."

"Misha!" Sokov almost agreed when he heard Ponedelin's name, but the next moment, he remembered that Potapov's real name was also Mikhail, and Ponedeline's name was Misha. It was Potapov, Misha, and not himself.

Seeing the two hugging each other and telling each other about the past, Sokov can confirm that the rescued person is indeed Rokossovsky's old superior and commander of the 5th Army Potapov major general. He walked to the corner, picked up a phone, connected to the headquarters of the front army, and prepared to report the situation here to Rokossovsky.

The call was connected quickly, and Rokossovsky's urgent voice came from the receiver: "How is it, Misha, are you sure?"

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Sokov replied briefly, "I think it can be confirmed. My deputy commander hugged him after meeting him, and he is now talking about the past."

When he first heard Sokov talking about his deputy commander, Rokossovsky was taken aback for a moment, and then remembered that Sokov should be talking about Ponejielin, the general who was the commander of the 12th Army. Potapov is a good friend. The two have not seen each other for so many years, so there must be a lot to talk about.

"Misha." Rokossovsky thought about it, decided not to go there for the time being, and said to Sokov, "Take good care of him, and it won't be too late to go see him when I have time in two days. "

"Comrade Marshal," Sokov didn't know how to place Potapov in the future, so he tried to understand Rokossovsky's views on this matter: "I don't know how you plan to place General Potapov? "

Hearing Sokov's question, Rokossovsky was silent for a long time, and finally said: "This matter is a bit troublesome, let me think about it first, and then I will tell you." After speaking, he hung up the phone directly.

"Comrade Marshal," Bogolyubov, who was standing next to him, couldn't help asking curiously when he saw Rokossovsky hang up the phone: "I don't know how to arrange General Potapov when you interrupted?"

"According to the usual practice, after a person of his level is rescued, he must be sent to Lubyanka in Moscow immediately." Rokossovsky said with a solemn expression: "There he will undergo strict scrutiny and screening."

"So you intend to send General Potapov to Moscow?"

"That's right, that's what I thought about it." Rokossovsky looked at Bogolyubov and said, "Actually, even if I don't send it, the superiors will order us to send it when they know that General Potapov has been rescued. Send it over as soon as possible, and we will be able to take the initiative."

"It seems that this is the only way to go." Bogolyubov said helplessly: "It seems that none of the generals who were sent to Lubyanka came out."

"That's not necessarily true." Rokossovsky shook his head and said, "At least Ponedelin, Kirillov, and Muzichenko, who were rescued by Misha's troops, were all released and arranged to work in the army."

"I know that." Bogolyubov nodded and said, "But I seem to have heard that the three of them were released because General Sokov was their guarantor. A certain job."

"I'm going to discuss with Zhukov to see how to deal with Potapov's matter." Rokossovsky worried that Bogolyubov didn't understand why he was looking for Zhukov, so he explained to him specifically: "Zhukov used to Served as the commander of the Kiev Special Military District, and Potapov was his subordinate. He is a nostalgic person, and if he knows about this, he will definitely help Potapov speak well."

Rokossovsky quickly contacted Zhukov and told him the news of Potapov's rescue.

After Zhukov heard it, his face was full of shock: "When I heard that Kiev fell, he died in the battle, but I didn't expect that he was still alive."

From Zhukov's tone of voice, Rokossovsky heard that the other party meant to help Potapov out of danger, so he tentatively asked: "According to the usual practice, after General Potapov is rescued, he should be sent to Moscow immediately." , to the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for review and screening. I wonder what you plan to do?"

Zhukov thought for a while, and then said: "Koschka, I will call Poskrebyshev when I have time and ask the Supreme Commander how he is feeling recently. Pick a day when he is in a good mood and report this to him. Maybe there will be extrajudicial mercy, and Potapov will be given a lighter sentence."

"That's a good feeling," Rokossovsky said with relief: "Pick the Supreme Commander himself when he is in the best mood and tell him about it. I think his treatment of General Potapov will not be the same as that of General Potapov. It’s as strict as before. If we say a few more good words in the later stage, maybe we can return to the army like Ponedelin and Kirillov.”