Speaking from his heart, Rokossovsky also wanted to immediately report this good news to Zhukov. At Lobachev's reminder www.biquge.info he reached for the phone in front of him, but as soon as the microphone left the telephone base, he suddenly changed his mind. After putting the microphone back in, he shook his head and said: "No, Comrade Military Commissar, it is not yet time, and I cannot report to Zhukov for the time being." ”

"Why?" Regarding Rokossovsky's decision, Lobachev asked puzzledly: "If our offensive is frustrated and our troops suffer heavy casualties, I can understand that such a result will be postponed." But now that we have won the battle and easily occupied the German defensive positions, why can't we report the good news to our superiors? ”

"Wait until our troops have assaulted the second line of defense," Rokossovsky patiently explained to Lobachev, "I want to find out first whether the loss of combat effectiveness of the German army because of the severe cold is an individual imagination or a general phenomenon." When Leviagin comes with a new report, I will report to Zhukov. ”

After explaining to Lobachev, after walking back and forth in the house for a while, he picked up the phone and called the 9th Guards Division, which was left in the direction of the Istrian reservoir, and asked the commander who answered the phone: "Hey, how is the situation there, is there any movement from the Germans?" ”

"No, Comrade Commander." The other party replied truthfully: "In the past, the Germans would constantly fire flares into the sky at night to prevent our scouts from touching them. But I don't know what's going on today, since 11 o'clock last night, there has been no movement at all, and it looks like they're dead. ”

The other party just said that casually, but the speaker did not intend to listen to the listener, and it was another thing to hear this to Rokossovsky's ears. He was silent for a moment, and then decisively ordered the other party: "Please tell your division commander to immediately send a company to attack the German positions in front of you." ”

"What, to launch an attack on the enemy positions in front with a company?" When the officer who answered the phone heard Rokossovsky say this, he almost thought that he was having auditory hallucinations and hurriedly asked again. After receiving an affirmative answer, he said in embarrassment: "Comrade commander, we now have only twenty or thirty men left in one company, and at least two hundred people in the German defensive positions opposite......

Although the commander did not finish his sentence, Rokossovsky had already understood his voice-over, saying that a small force of twenty or thirty people was used to attack the position defended by the German army of more than 200 people, and it was not this way of death to send them to death. He didn't care about explaining anything to his subordinates, but ordered in a stern tone: "This is my order, carry it out immediately." Twenty minutes later, report to me on the capture of the German positions. ”

When the commander put down the phone, he muttered dissatisfiedly, but he did not dare to disobey Rokossovsky's order, but immediately reported it to his division commander Beloborodov. Beloborodov was also taken aback when he heard this order, he grabbed his subordinate's arm and asked with a serious expression: "Are you sure you did not hear the wrong order?" ”

"No, Comrade Division Commander." The officer replied with tears in his voice: "Comrade Commander ordered us to launch a tentative attack on the German positions in front with the strength of one company. And in twenty minutes, report to him on the seizure of the position. ”

Beloborodov raised his hand and looked at his watch, looked up at his subordinates, and said dissatisfiedly: "Since it is certain that the order was given by the comrade commander himself, why not convey it immediately?" ”

Hearing Beloborodov speak to himself in such a stern tone, the officer wanted to justify himself by saying that he could not give the order to attack casually without your authorization. But before he could speak, Beloborodov continued: "Now there are eighteen minutes left, immediately order the troops to attack. ”

Two minutes later, a company in the forward position launched an assault on the German position a few hundred meters away. The soldiers fought with the Germans for several days, knowing that the enemy was stronger than their own, but the habit of obedience that they had developed for a long time made them full of doubts about this order from their superiors in time, but they still advanced to the enemy's position with their weapons in their hands without hesitation.

A platoon commander who led the charge, he was the only remaining officer in the company, and the rest of the officers died in the battle. With a pistol in his hand, he strode to the front of the troops, and behind him were two rows of sparse skirmishers.

500m, 400m, 300m...... Seeing that his troops had entered the range of the German army, but there was no movement at all in the German field fortifications, this strange phenomenon puzzled the platoon commander. But when there were only fifty meters left, there was still no movement on the position, but he could not care so much, he waved his pistol forward, and shouted loudly: "Comrades, rush! After shouting, he changed from striding to trotting, and running to sprinting speed. And the straggler line behind also followed him to speed up and quickly rushed to the German position.

Beloborodov, who was in the distant observation post, saw through his binoculars that his fighters had rushed into the enemy's position, and there was still no exchange of fire, and he could not help but be full of doubts. He hurriedly called the officer over and ordered: "Immediately send a signal corps, let them carry telephones, enter the German position and get in touch with our soldiers, and find out what is going on there." ”

However, before the communications troops he sent had time to get in touch with the troops that had stormed into the enemy's positions, Rokossovsky's phone call came in first. Hearing that it was him, Rokossovsky went straight to the point and asked: "Comrade Colonel, did the troops you sent rush into the enemy's positions?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Beloborodov, who was still confused, replied truthfully: "The company I sent has all rushed into the enemy's positions. ”

"There was no resistance, was there?" Rokossovsky then asked.

Rokossovsky's words surprised Beloborodov, and he said in his heart that the commander was really a god, although he was not here, but he guessed the situation on the battlefield so accurately. Thinking of this, he hurriedly flattered and said: "Comrade commander, you are really wonderful, although you are far away from the headquarters of the group army, you have guessed the situation here is roughly not bad. Rest assured, I have sent a communications officer to carry a telephone to establish contact with the troops rushing into the enemy's position, to find out what is really going on there, and why the enemy is turning a blind eye to our attack. Could it be that they have already retreated overnight. ”

"Comrade Colonel," Rokossovsky took the initiative to call Beloborodov because he had already received Leviagin's second battle report, or because he reported to him that most of the German officers and men in the trenches had frozen to death, and that the remaining officers and soldiers could not form an effective resistance, and that they had crushed the sporadic resistance of the positions. "The 8th Guards Division began the attack on the enemy in Lialovo from three o'clock sharp, and by now it had successively captured two lines of defense of the enemy."

"What, to capture two lines of defense of the enemy so quickly?" Beloborodov was once again struck by Rokossovsky's astonishing news, he raised his hand and looked at his watch, it was not yet four o'clock, and then he said enviously: "General Leviakin is really good, he managed to capture two lines of the enemy's defense in such a short time. By the way, Comrade Commander, what about their casualties? ”

"The casualties are basically negligible." Rokossovsky said slowly: "When they rushed into the enemy's defensive positions, they found that the enemy in the trenches was basically frozen to death. Those who survived also became delirious and could not pose any threat to our army at all. ”

"What? Comrade commander, what are you talking about, the enemy is all frozen to death? If Rokossovsky hadn't said this, maybe Belorodov would have gotten angry at him and said he was talking nonsense. However, since it was said by the commander himself, it must not be wrong, and he asked tentatively: "If the German troops in the defensive positions in the area of Lialovo are frozen to death, then the enemy opposite us may also face the same problem?" ”

"That's right, I think so too, that's why I'll order you to send a company of troops to launch a tentative attack on the enemy's position." Although Beloborodov was not able to provide him with more detailed information at the moment, Rokossovsky knew in his heart that there had also been a large number of attritions caused by the sudden cold on many German positions in the Istrian reservoir area, and he said into the microphone: "Okay, Comrade Colonel, if you have any updates there, report to me in time." ”

Just as Rokossovsky was about to put down the microphone, he suddenly heard Beloborodov exclaim: "Wait a minute, Comrade Commander, please don't hang up the phone, I will report the good news to you right away." Then he heard Beloborodov asking, "Tell me, what did you see even after you stormed into the enemy's position?" ”

And at this moment, in the headquarters of the 9th Guards Division, a soldier who had just run back from the newly occupied German position, panting and reporting to Beloborodov: "Comrade division commander, we have just stormed the positions of the Germans and found that the Germans who were squatting in the trenches were frozen to death. ”

"All frozen to death?" When Beloborodov heard the soldier's report, he asked with some disbelief: "Have you checked it carefully?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Division Commander." The soldier nodded and said excitedly: "The acting company commander took us to carefully inspect the entire position, and found that all the Germans were dead, and not a single one was alive. He knows I'm fast, so let me come back and report back to you. ”

"Well done, comrade warrior, you are really good." Beloborodov gave the soldier a thumbs up and said approvingly: "When the battle is over, I will award each commander and fighter of your company with a medal." Now there's nothing for you to do here, so you can go out and rest first. ”

As soon as the fighters left, Beloborodov excitedly said into the microphone: "Comrade commander, did you hear me?" The Germans in the position occupied by the company we sent also froze to death. ”

"I hear you." Rokossovsky heard what the fighters reported when they reported to Beloborodov, so he now said lightly: "Comrade Colonel, immediately send more troops and launch a counterattack on the German positions in front of you." Before dawn, to seize as many enemy positions as possible, understand? ”

"Understood." Beloborodov replied loudly: "I immediately deploy troops and launch an attack on the enemy positions in the front." ”

When Rokossovsky put down the phone, Lobachev, who was sitting next to him, asked tentatively: "Comrade commander, can we report the specific situation here to General Zhukov now?" ”

Having received similar reports from two directions at the same time, Rokossovsky was sure that the war reports he had received were true, and that he would have taken the initiative to report to Zhukov even if Lobachev had not said anything at the moment.

And at this moment, in the headquarters of the 9th Guards Division, a soldier who had just run back from the newly occupied German position, panting and reporting to Beloborodov: "Comrade division commander, we have just stormed the positions of the Germans and found that the Germans who were squatting in the trenches were frozen to death. ”

"All frozen to death?" When Beloborodov heard the soldier's report, he asked with some disbelief: "Have you checked it carefully?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Division Commander." The soldier nodded and said excitedly: "The acting company commander took us to carefully inspect the entire position, and found that all the Germans were dead, and not a single one was alive. He knows I'm fast, so let me come back and report back to you. ”

"Well done, comrade warrior, you are really good." Beloborodov gave the soldier a thumbs up and said approvingly: "When the battle is over, I will award each commander and fighter of your company with a medal." Now there's nothing for you to do here, so you can go out and rest first. ”

As soon as the fighters left, Beloborodov excitedly said into the microphone: "Comrade commander, did you hear me?" The Germans in the position occupied by the company we sent also froze to death. ”

"I hear you." Rokossovsky heard what the fighters reported when they reported to Beloborodov, so he now said lightly: "Comrade Colonel, immediately send more troops and launch a counterattack on the German positions in front of you." Before dawn, to seize as many enemy positions as possible, understand? ”

"Understood." Beloborodov replied loudly: "I immediately deploy troops and launch an attack on the enemy positions in the front." ”

When Rokossovsky put down the phone, Lobachev, who was sitting next to him, asked tentatively: "Comrade commander, can we report the specific situation here to General Zhukov now?" ”