"What happened?" When Sokov heard what Belkin said, his first reaction was that something had happened. His superiors had discovered that he secretly led the team to perform the mission. He asked guiltily: "Yes
Wasn’t our action noticed by our superiors?”
"Comrade operator, please go out first." After Belkin dismissed the operator, he was about to say what was going on when he accidentally saw Yakov standing behind Sokov. He quickly asked Sokov
The husband cast a questioning look, meaning to ask: Who is this person? Do I need to let him leave?
Sokov shook his head and said: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, let me introduce him to you. He is the person we want to rescue. If you have anything to say, you can tell him directly."
When he learned that the strange man in front of him, whose face was covered with bandages and only his mouth, eyes and nose were exposed, was Stalin's son Yakov, Belkin couldn't help but look at him twice. However, he did not call him recklessly.
Instead, he turned to Sokov and said important things: "Comrade Battalion Commander, the situation is like this. Not long ago, the Army Group Headquarters prepared to join forces with the 61st Army on the right to seize the village of Popkovo occupied by the Germans.
"Our division also needs to participate in this attack. Due to the lack of troops in the division, the division commander Chernyshev called me and asked our battalion to dispatch two companies to participate in this battle."
Hearing that Chernyshev was going to transfer two companies from the battalion, Sokov couldn't help but frowned and asked: "When?"
"It was originally scheduled to be transferred out three days later, but there was a sudden call half an hour ago, ordering the transferred troops to arrive in Sushinich tomorrow morning." After Belkin finished speaking, he asked Sokov
Asked for instructions: "Comrade Battalion Commander, what should we do?"
Sokov was thinking in his mind that the time for mobilizing troops was suddenly advanced. Something unexpected must have happened, so he asked: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, did something happen during the past few days when I was away?
"
"Yes," Belkin nodded and replied: "According to the information I received, the German army launched a sudden attack on the defense area of the 61st Group Army and broke through two lines of defense of our army in a very short period of time.
"
"What, the German army carried out a counter-assault on the right wing?" Hearing the news, Sokov was a little surprised and quickly asked: "Have the superiors taken any measures?"
Belkin shook his head and replied: "I don't know. There is some information that commanders at your level and me cannot know."
Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch and said to Belkin: "If the enemy makes progress on the right wing, then our direction will also be attacked; once two companies are transferred, we will not be able to stop the enemy at all.
Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, I will rush to Susinich immediately to talk to the commander. I will leave the matters in the battalion to you."
"Wait a minute," Belgin saw Sokov and Yakov about to leave, and quickly stopped him. He turned around and took off a brand new military coat from the wall, and nuzzled at Yakov.
He said to Sokov: "Comrade Battalion Commander, it is not appropriate for your friend to wear this outfit to the headquarters. It is better to put on this outfit."
After thanking Belkin, Sokov took the military coat, handed it to Yakov and said: "Put it on, and the two of us will go to Sushinich to meet the commander."
Shortly after Sokov left with Yakov, the radio operator returned to the command post from outside and curiously asked Belkin: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, who is that weirdo who came in with the battalion commander?"
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Belkin glared at him and said seriously: "Comrade telegraph operator, your responsibility is to send and receive telegrams, and don't ask about things that have nothing to do with you."
…………
Half an hour later, the truck carrying Sokov stopped outside the headquarters.
After getting off the bus, Sokov said to the driver: "It's not far from here in the square. You park the car there and I'll come find you after I finish my work." Then he turned to Yakov who had just got off the car and said: "Let's go.
!”
Sokov brought Yakov to the entrance of the headquarters. As he was about to walk inside, he was stopped by a lieutenant on duty. The lieutenant asked politely: "Comrade Major, which department do you belong to? Come here."
What's the matter?"
"I am Major Sokov, commander of the Istria Battalion," Sokov revealed his identity to the sentry, "I have something urgent to do and want to see Comrade Commander."
The lieutenant was very vigilant. After Sokov finished speaking, he continued to ask: "Whose order did you receive to come here to see the commander?"
"I haven't received any orders from anyone." Sokov replied truthfully: "I have particularly important information and I want to report it to the commander immediately. Comrade Lieutenant, please let me in."
"No, Comrade Major!" the lieutenant said dryly: "You cannot enter the headquarters without an order from the head of the army group. This is an important area of the headquarters. Please do not stay here!"
Although Sokov hit a wall, he would never give up easily. He stepped forward and put his arm around the lieutenant's shoulders, and said to him in a consultative tone: "Comrade Lieutenant, please call the Chief of Staff, Colonel Malinin."
, just say that I have something urgent to see the commander. By the way, I almost forgot to tell you that the building where the headquarters is located was occupied by me and my troops."
Perhaps the last sentence had an effect. The lieutenant hesitated for a long time and finally nodded and said, "Okay, I'll call Comrade Chief of Staff. As for whether he agrees with you or not, I can't guarantee."
The lieutenant walked to the guard box nearby, picked up the phone and contacted Malinin. He said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff, I am the officer on duty at the door, and there is a major from the Istria Battalion...
"At this point, he couldn't help but look back at Sokov, indicating that he couldn't remember his name. Sokov quickly whispered "Sokov". After the lieutenant heard clearly, he immediately raised his voice and spoke into the microphone.
, "Major Sokov of the Istria Battalion, he said that he had something urgent to do and wanted to see Comrade Commander."
Malinin heard that Sokov was in a hurry and wanted to see Rokossovsky, and he quickly told the lieutenant: "Since he is in a hurry, let him in."
"Understood, Comrade Chief of Staff." After the lieutenant put down the phone, he made a gesture of invitation to Sokov and said with a smile: "Comrade Major, please come in."
Sokov led Yakov into the building and found Malinin inside. Malinin glanced at the "weirdo" behind Sokov and asked: "Major Sokov, what do you want to see the commander for?"
"
Hearing Malinin's question, Sokov hesitated for a moment. He weighed the interests in his mind and decided not to tell Malinin about the matter. He said vaguely: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what I want to say is normal.
, need to report to the commander privately.”
Malinin already had a good impression of Sokov. When he heard that he wanted to talk to Rokossovsky in person, he did not make things difficult for him. Instead, he led the two of them to the room where Rokossovsky was.
Rokossovsky was working with several other group army chiefs to study how to strengthen the defense of the right wing. When he saw Malinin and Sokov coming in, he casually asked: "Chief of Staff, what's the matter?"
"Comrade Commander," Malinin walked up to Rokossovsky and whispered to him: "Major Sokov said that he had something important to say in private. I asked him what it was about, but he didn't answer.
Ken said, it seems this matter is quite serious."
Rokossovsky turned around, faced Sokov and asked: "Sokov, do you have something to tell me?"
When Sokov entered the door, he carefully observed the people in the room, including Army Deputy Commander Zakharov, Artillery Commander Kazakov, Armored Corps Master Orel, Military Commissar Lobachev, etc. At this moment, he heard
What Rokossovsky said, he said with some embarrassment: "Comrade Commander, I want to talk to you alone."
"Come with me." Rokossovsky walked to the wall, opened a door, and nodded to Sokov, "If you want anything, come in and talk."
Just as Sokov was about to step into the small room, Malinin stopped him and said politely: "Major Sokov, please hand over your sidearm."
Sokov knew that this was a rule, so he handed over the submachine gun and pistol to Malinin very cooperatively. Seeing Malinin's eyes fixed on Yakov again, he quickly said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, don't worry, he doesn't have any
Any weapon."
Rokossovsky waited for the two Sokovs to enter the room, then closed the door and said with some displeasure: "Misha, don't be shy, if there is anything important, just say it directly. I am holding a military meeting."
Where’s the meeting?”
"Comrade Commander, please wait a moment, the answer will be revealed soon." After saying that, Sokov reached out to help Yakov untie the bandage on his face.
Rokossovsky sat next to him, wanting to see what Sokov was up to. But when the bandages on Yakov's face were untied, revealing his true face, Rokossovsky stood up from his seat.
Jumping up, he rushed in front of Yakov, looked him up and down carefully, pointed at him, and said in surprise: "You... you are... Yakov?!"
"Yes, Comrade General." Yakov nodded and gave Rokossovsky a positive answer: "I am Yakov Dzhugashvili."
"Weren't you captured by the Germans? Why are you here?" The shocked Rokossovsky turned to Sokov and asked: "Misha, tell me, what is going on?"
"Comrade Commander, I led the people to rescue Yakov from the prisoner of war camp." Sokov then told how he learned about Yakov's whereabouts and how he organized a small team to surprise the prisoner of war camp in Duminich.
Everything was told to Rokossovsky one after another.
After understanding the ins and outs of the matter, Rokossovsky looked at Yakov and asked Sokov: "How many insiders are there in this matter?"
"There are three people in the Istria camp, one is me, one is the political deputy battalion commander Belkin, and the other is Valerian who reported the news, but he has already died in the battle." Sokov.
After finishing speaking, he suddenly thought that Rokossovsky also knew about this, and quickly added: "I made a mistake, there should be four people, and the other one is you."
When Rokossovsky saw that Sokov had limited the number of insiders to such a small range, he guessed what he must be thinking, and then asked: "Misha, what do you think about this matter?"
?”
"Comrade Commander, the Germans have been making a fuss about Yakov's capture. We should fight back." Sokov already had a complete plan in mind: "Let's send Yakov back to Moscow first.
Then it was announced to the outside world that Yakov had never been captured, but was only wounded in the battle and hid in a collective farm to recuperate. Now he has returned to Moscow after recovering from his injuries."
Regarding Sokov's proposal, Rokossovsky thought for a long time before nodding and saying: "This is a way, but I want to ask Stalin first to see what his opinion is."
As soon as he finished speaking, the phone on the table rang. Sokov instinctively looked towards the place where the ringing sound was, and found that it was a high-frequency phone. His heartbeat could not help but accelerate suddenly, and he thought to himself: "This
Could it be a call from Stalin?"
Soon, his suspicion was confirmed, and Stalin's voice came from the receiver: "Comrade Rokossovsky, let me ask you, the German army broke through the 61st Army on your right wing, have you taken any measures?
ah?"
"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Rokossovsky quickly replied: "We sent troops reinforced with tanks to the right wing, firstly to consolidate our defense line, and secondly to prepare for the attack when the 61st Army cannot support it.
Go support them..."
After reporting on his work, Rokossovsky noticed that Stalin was about to hang up the phone, and quickly said: "Comrade Stalin, I have a very important person here who wants to talk to you. Do you have your permission?"
If the person who said this was not Rokossovsky, Stalin would have hung up the phone long ago. He was silent for a moment and told Rokossovsky: "Give him the phone."
Yakov walked over, took the microphone from Rokossovsky's hand, and pressed it tightly to his ear. But he did not speak for a long time. Sokov, standing aside, could clearly see that he was holding the microphone.
The hand holding the microphone was shaking slightly.
"Why don't you speak?" Stalin asked angrily when he heard the delay in speaking, "Who are you?"
"It's me!" Yakov said in a voice that became hoarse with excitement: "I am Yakov Dzhugashvili!"