Managarov put down the phone and came over to me in a regretful tone: "Comrade commander, I'm sorry, but due to the new combat mission, according to the order of my superiors, my army group and I must be rebuilt before dark today. If this has caused you any inconvenience, please forgive me! ”

"It's okay, General Managarov." I said to him in an official tone: "We are all soldiers, and it is our duty to obey orders. Since you are in a hurry to go back, then I will not keep you. Good luck to you guys, and we'll see you later! After saying that, I took the initiative to reach out and shook his hand politely.

After shaking hands with Kirillov, Bezkov and others, Managarov raised his hand to salute us and said to us with enthusiasm: "Comrades, we will have a meeting later!" Then he left the headquarters with his men.

As soon as the commander of the 53rd Army left, the headquarters suddenly became much empty. Chistyakov looked at me with a worried look on his face and asked: "Comrade commander, many of the areas we are currently occupying are occupied by commanders and fighters of the 53rd Army, and now they have been violently withdrawn, what troops should we send to take over the defense of the vacated positions?" ”

I know that Chistyakov is telling the truth, and if a few divisions of troops are withdrawn from the defense zone at once, the area under our control will appear empty. Especially in the southern direction of the city, if the forces there were to be evacuated, the small remaining German troops in the city might escape from that direction.

Just as I was in a dilemma, there was a sudden sound of heavy footsteps at the door, and when an officer strode into the headquarters, a familiar voice sounded in the room: "Hello, comrades commanders! ”

When everyone saw the comer, they got up from their seats, raised their hands to salute each other, and at the same time politely shouted: "Hello, Comrade Marshal." ”

It was none other than Zhukov, who called me not long ago. He walked straight to the table and sat down, glanced down at the map spread out in front of him, raised his head and asked, "What are you doing, comrades commanders?" ”

"Comrade Marshal, allow me to report to you!" After glancing at me, Chistyakov straightened up and reported to him: "Since Commander Konev of the Steppe Front has just transferred the 53rd Army, we are discussing what troops to send to replace these defense areas vacated by friendly forces. ”

After listening to Chistyakov's report, Zhukov had a shocked expression on his face, and he turned his head to look at me and asked, "Why, you were discussing this matter just now?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." I saw that Zhukov had a trace of dissatisfaction on his face, and I was deeply afraid that he would be angry because of this, so I hurriedly replied: "Our group army has suffered heavy casualties in the battle from yesterday to today, and it may not be able to draw up so many troops to take over the defense area vacated by the 53rd Army. ”

"Did anyone tell you that the troops of the 53rd Army were to be transferred from your existing defensive areas?" After listening to my words, Zhukov turned his face and raised his voice and asked: "Who, who gave you this wrong information?" ”

Hearing Zhukov ask this, everyone was dumbfounded. You look at me and I look at you, all of them look dazed, and no one knows what happened. In the end, it was Chistyakov who mustered up the courage to ask: "Comrade Marshal, Commander Konev personally called Managarov and asked the 53rd Army to be rebuilt. ”

"That's right. It was my idea to return the 53rd Army to its establishment. Zhukov readily agreed with the first half of what Chistyakov said, but refuted the second half with displeasure: "After all, Managarov's troops belong to the Steppe Front. It turned out that it was assigned to you only to strengthen the forces for the offensive on Kharkov. Although the troops returned the formation of the Steppe Front, I did not let them withdraw from the existing defense area. ”

When everyone heard Zhukov say that they would not mobilize the troops of the 53rd Army, they all breathed a sigh of relief, after all, tens of thousands of troops were in many areas of the city, and it was easy to cause confusion if they were hastily mobilized. At this moment, I heard Zhukov say leisurely: "Although the 53rd Army does not need to be transferred, your Army needs to change positions. ”

"Comrade Marshal, what the hell is going on?" I glanced at my stunned colleagues, and then asked cautiously, "Didn't you say that our army group would rest in the city, and that we would replenish the soldiers lost in the battle in the shortest possible time?"

"The current situation has changed," Zhukov sighed, stood up with his hands on the edge of the table, looked at me and asked, "At present, which army is more complete in your hands?" ”

Hearing Zhukov's question, I quickly went through the situation of all the troops in my head, and then replied: "The 51st Guards Infantry Division of General Tavart Kiradze is the latest unit to be put into battle, and their formation should be the most complete in the entire army group at present. ”

"Tawart Kiradze?!" After repeating the name, Zhukov asked with some confusion: "Isn't he the commander of the 23rd Guards Army?" Why, hasn't his post of division commander been handed over yet? ”

"Comrade Marshal," Chistyakov hurriedly explained with a smiling face: "Since most of the commanders of the 51st Guards Division above the regimental level died in the battle to defend Yakovlevo, there is no suitable candidate to take over the post of division commander for the time being, so General Tavart Kiradze will continue to serve as the commander of the division. ”

"Leda, come and see," Zhukov said, after greeting me, pointing to the map on the table, and said to me, "Our Southwestern Front is near the Severodonets River, and the battle with the Germans has entered a stalemate. The 6th and 12th armies, after the forced crossing of the Severodonets River, established a landing ground in the right-bank area. Regrettably, however, their attacks from this area have failed. ”

"Comrade Marshal," I waited for Zhukov's words to come to an end, and then asked tentatively, "do you intend to draw our army group south, launch an attack from the enemy's rear, and flank the enemy with the 6th and 12th armies?" ”

"You're half right." Seeing my dazed look, Zhukov specially explained to me: "At noon today, the Southwestern Front again set out from the landing site and launched a fierce attack on the enemy's defensive operations. The troops that can be used for the offensive are not the 6th and 12th armies, but a unit that you are familiar with. ”

"A troop I'm familiar with?" Zhukov's words confused me, although I said that I had been in the Southwestern Front before, but they all belonged to the ******** team, and I had almost no interaction with other troops, how could there be familiar troops? Thinking of this, I shook my head and replied in a daze: "I'm sorry, Comrade Marshal, I really can't remember any other unit in the Southwestern Front that I am familiar with. ”

My words made Zhukov's face show a disappointed expression, and he sighed and said: "Alas, if Comrade Chuikov knew that you said this, I don't know how sad it would be? ”

"Chuikov?! General Chuikov's Eighth Guards Army ?! Zhukov's words surprised me, and then I asked curiously: "Aren't his troops in the Central Front of General Rokossovsky?" When were they transferred to the Southwestern Front again? ”

"What is the Central Front, the Eighth Guards Army has always been in the formation of the Southwestern Front." Zhukov, after a brief explanation, stopped talking nonsense with me and gave the order bluntly: "Immediately assemble the 51st Guards Division, advance to Chuhuev in the southwest after dark, and occupy the city before dawn." ”

I looked in the direction of Zhukov's finger and found that the distance was not too far, about thirty or forty kilometers, and the commanders and fighters of the 51st Guards Division could arrive in trucks in an hour at most. However, although I had in my hands the strength of a division, the strength of the attack was seriously insufficient, so I said to Zhukov euphemistically: "Comrade Marshal, although our infantry commanders and fighters have shown great courage in battle. However, without the support of heavy technical equipment, it is estimated that it will be difficult to take Chuhuif before dawn. ”

Zhukov's gaze scanned the room, then stopped on the body of Kravchenko, the commander of the Fifth Guards Tank Army, and he asked with a smile: "Comrade General, how many tanks does your tank corps currently have?" ”

Seeing that Zhukov called his name, Kravchenko hurriedly stepped forward and replied respectfully: "Report to Comrade Marshal, at present there are 156 tanks of various types left in the whole army, and after a short period of maintenance and repair, they can be put into battle." ”

After Zhukov heard what he said, he turned his head and asked me: "Lida, if I remember correctly, you should also have a tank 33rd Army in your hand, and the commander is Major General Berey." Is that right? ”

"Yes, Comrade Marshal."

"I don't think he's here," Zhukov's gaze swept over all the commanders in the room again, and then decisively gave me the order: "Call him immediately and ask him to come here to report." ”

Such a trivial matter of informing Bere to the command headquarters was naturally the responsibility of the chief of staff, Bezikov. And I took this opportunity to review my mistakes to Zhukov: "I'm sorry, Comrade Marshal. Since we have too few troops deployed in the south direction of the city, and as a result, large German forces have fled, and I ask you for punishment! ”

"Lida, since the Germans have all run away, let them go, you don't have to blame yourself." In order to comfort me, Zhukov patiently explained to me: "Comrade Stalin once said: If it is a panicked coward who is surrounded by him, then he will immediately lay down his arms and not even check whether there is a way out of the siege; If he is surrounded by a fierce enemy, then he will fight to the last man. There are very few examples in the history of warfare in which the enemy has been surrounded by water. Kutuzov, the great commander in Russian history, tried to encircle and divide the French army, but why did he not succeed? Simply because the French fled much faster than Kutuzov's pursuit. Since we annihilated Paulus's Sixth Army at Stalingrad, the enemy has become more cunning, and the German high command has always preserved their strength by withdrawing from the areas where their troops are in danger of encirclement, thus frustrating our plans to encircle the enemy. ”

After Zhukov said this, he saw that I seemed to have some scruples, so he continued: "If the Germans are determined to break through, don't let you put one division, even if you put two or three divisions or even four or five divisions, you may not be able to stop the fierce German breakthrough." This will not help the whole situation except to add more unnecessary casualties to our army. ”

After listening to Zhukov's words, my hanging heart finally relaxed. Hurriedly smiled and said to him: "I fully understand, Comrade Marshal, when I hear you say this, I will understand everything." As long as the Germans found that they had a chance of escape, they would not desperately resist stubbornly, so that the resistance we would face in attacking Kharkov would be greatly reduced. ”

"That's right, that's it."

As we talked, Bere hurried in from outside. When he saw Zhukov sitting at the table, he hurriedly walked over, raised his hand and saluted, and then said politely: "Hello, Comrade Marshal." The commander of the 33rd Tank Army, Major General Bere, was ordered to come, and I am waiting for your orders, please instruct! ”

Zhukov, who had just sat down, saw Belei standing in front of him, stood up with a smile, stretched out his hand to shake him, and then asked amicably: "Comrade Berey, how are you doing?" ”

"I'm fine, Comrade Marshal." Although Berey and Zhukov were old acquaintances, at this moment he put himself in the position of a subordinate, straightened up and replied briefly: "But our troops paid great casualties when attacking. There are currently only 34 tanks left in the entire army. ”

When I heard the figures reported by Bere, my heart felt as if I had been pulled by something, and I felt a great pain, but I didn't expect that there were only so many tanks left in the tank army now.

After listening to Bere's report, Zhukov also frowned slightly, and then decisively announced: "In this way, Comrade Berey, since you are about to go on a new combat mission, there is no time to replenish you, so I will first merge you into the Fifth Guards Tank Army." You are temporarily serving as the deputy commander of General Kravchenko, do you have no opinion? ”

When I heard Zhukov's arrangement, I was stunned at first, but after thinking about it, I was relieved. At such a time, for the needs of the war situation, let alone let Major General Bere be the deputy commander of the tank army, or let him be the commander of the tank company, he probably will not have any objections. Sure enough, Beray immediately replied loudly: "Comrade Marshal, I resolutely obey your orders!" ”

"General Kravchenko," Zhukov said to the tank commander next to him, "you and Comrade Berey are now going to assemble the tank troops and prepare to go south with the 51st Guards Division." ”

"Yes, I'll go gather troops right away." Kravchenko also readily agreed, and then left our headquarters with General Berey.

After Kravchenko and the others left, Zhukov said to me with a serious expression: "Lida, I hope you will set off with the 51st Guards Division, after all, you are familiar with Comrade Chuikov, and if you want to cooperate in battle, you can also form a tacit understanding." As for the rest of the troops, they will follow you southward as the second and third echelons after a short period of reorganization. (To be continued.) )