"Comrade Marshal," Xiang Dolin suitably Sokov said into the microphone: "My chief of staff also told me that we did not get any news about the fall of the town of Ruran. I would like to ask, your
Where did the news come from?”
Although Sokov also knew that his question seemed rude, but in order to find out the truth, he did not care whether this sentence would cause Rokossovsky's dissatisfaction.
"The intelligence unit of the Front Army Command intercepted the German army's telegram." Rokossovsky said with some displeasure: "In the telegram, they clearly mentioned the capture of the town of Luran."
After hearing this, Sokov pondered for a moment, and then said: "Comrade Marshal, can you give me some time? I want to use this time to understand the real situation on the frontier. After I figure out what is going on, I will report to you
Report."
"How much time do you need?"
"Three hours?"
"Three hours is too long. I can only give you one hour." Rokossovsky said forcefully: "When the time is up, I will get an accurate answer."
Knowing that Rokossovsky only gave him one hour to investigate what happened, Sokov was helpless and could only bite the bullet and said: "Okay, Comrade Marshal, I will be there in an hour."
Report to you."
After putting down the phone, Sokov called Sidorin and Ponedelin to him and said to them seriously: "Comrade Marshal just called and said that according to the German military messages they intercepted, the Germans
Occupied Luran Town."
"This is unlikely." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Ponedelin expressed his objection: "If the town of Luzhan is really lost, then General Nikitin will definitely report it to us." After saying this,
In other words, he thought of a possibility and quickly added, "Even if General Nikitin wants to hide such a big thing, he can't hide it enough. His troops on the left and right wings will report the matter to us."
"Comrade Deputy Commander, you are right." Sokov agreed with Ponedelin's statement: "Although Ruran Town is geographically important, if it is really occupied by the German army, Nikitin will
It is impossible for the general not to report it, and I think there may be some misunderstanding. Our current task is to find out what happened so that we can explain it to Comrade Marshal."
Sidorin acted quickly. He immediately picked up the phone he put aside and called the headquarters of the 120th Guards Division: "I am Chief of Staff Sidorin. Please call me General Nikitin...Nikitin
General? I am Xi Duolin. I heard that Luran Town was lost. Comrade Commander asked me to ask, what is going on?...What, what did you say, say it again."
After listening to the other party's story, Sidorin turned to Sokov and said: "Comrade Commander, General Nikitin reported that the town of Ruzhan did not fall into the hands of the Germans, and there was no discovery even near the town.
Traces of the Germans.”
After listening to Sidorin's report, Sokov couldn't help but frowned. He felt that it was impossible for Rokossovsky to joke with him about this kind of thing, so something must have gone wrong. He walked to the table
Bian took the phone from Sidorin's hand: "General Nikitin, this is Sokov. Please repeat what you just said."
Nikitin on the other end of the phone heard Sokov's voice and quickly reported to him: "Hello, comrade commander! I can tell you responsibly that Luran Town has definitely not been lost. My division commander
The department is still established in Luran Town."
"What's going on?" Seeing Nikitin's words, Sokov couldn't help but murmured: "Why did Comrade Marshal say that in the intercepted German telegram, the Germans said that they had occupied the town of Ruran?
?”
"Comrade Commander," Nikitin said cautiously after Sokov finished speaking: "Do you think it is possible that the Germans may be talking about other places, and our operator was translating the telegram?
, there were some mistakes, which led to such a misunderstanding?"
"Well, it's possible." Sokov nodded, and then asked: "But where is this place?"
"There is a Lurran Village two or three kilometers away from Luran Town. Could it be somewhere?"
"Lurzhan Village?" Sokov looked down at the map in front of him, but after searching for a long time, he could not find the place Nikitin mentioned: "General Nikitin, I did not find the place you mentioned on the map.
place."
"Comrade Commander, the map you use is different from the map I use." Nikitin explained: "On your map, the smallest places may be towns. But the map I use doesn't even include the villages.
You can see it from every location.”
"So that's it." After figuring out what was going on, Sokov held the microphone and thought for a while, and then said: "General Nikitin, I will go to your place later to see this Rurran with my own eyes.
What is the village like?”
"Comrade Commander, I think it's best for you not to come." Nikitin learned that Sokov planned to go to the front line to take a look in person, and he couldn't help but hesitated: "There are Germans in that village, and I'm thinking about your safety.
"
Hearing Nikitin say that there were enemies in Lurran Village, Sokov knew better, and he became more determined to go to the left bank landing site to have a look. However, in order to find out the truth of the matter, he decided to secretly go to Lurran Town.
Let's see if the situation is as Nikitin said, there is no enemy at all.
"I understand, General Nikitin, thank you for your kindness!" After saying that, Sokov hung up the phone without waiting for the other party to speak again.
Just as Sokov was preparing to set off, an unexpected person appeared in his headquarters. Seeing this person's appearance, the entire headquarters suddenly became silent, and all staff and communication personnel stopped.
With the work in hand, stand up straight and pay attention to those who come by.
Sokov hurriedly ran to the other party, raised his hand in salute, and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Marshal, you are welcome to come to my headquarters to inspect the work."
After Rokossovsky looked Sokov up and down, he frowned and asked: "Misha, where are you going?"
"Reporting to Comrade Marshal, I plan to go to Luran Town to have a look in person to see what the situation is like there." After Sokov explained to Rokossovsky, he suddenly remembered that the other party's headquarters was more than 200 meters away.
Kilometers, how come it only took half an hour to get there?
In order to clarify the matter, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, how did you get here?"
"How else could we have come here?" Rokossovsky snorted and said, "Of course he came by plane."
Hearing that the other party came by plane, Sokov thought it was possible. After all, the two places were nearly two hundred kilometers apart, and it would take at least four or five hours by car.
"Misha, since you are going to Luran Town, I will go with you." Rokossovsky said, "I also want to see with my own eyes what the situation in Luran Town is like."
"Comrade Marshal, you can't do that." Hearing that Rokossovsky also wanted to go to Luran Town, Ponejelin quickly tried to persuade him: "It's too dangerous there. I suggest you stay here at the headquarters and wait for news?"
"
Unexpectedly, Rokossovsky had already made up his mind. No matter what Ponedelin said, he would not change his decision casually: "This matter is settled. Misha, let's go."
Since Rokossovsky came by plane, he had two staff officers, a telegraph operator and two guards with him. This security force was obviously not enough to go to a place like the left bank landing site.
So Sokov ordered Koshkin to bring a reinforced company to be responsible for security along the way.
On the way, Rokossovsky asked Sokov: "Misha, do you really believe in your subordinates? Do you think the Germans did not occupy the town of Rujan?"
"Yes, Comrade Marshal. I believe in my men." Sokov replied in a positive tone: "I just called and asked Major General Nikitin, commander of the 120th Guards Division stationed in Luran Town, and he told
I, the town is still under the control of his troops, and there is no trace of Germans around the town."
Hearing Sokov's explanation, Rokossovsky's brows knitted into a knot: "Misha, if the town of Luran was not lost, why did the German telegram say that they occupied the town of Luran?
Woolen cloth?"
"Comrade Marshal, I have discussed this matter with Ponedelin and Sidorin." Seeing that Rokossovsky was doubtful about what he said, Sokov specifically explained: "Major General Nikitin said,
There is a place called Lurzhan village near the town, and there are Germans there. It may be the place mentioned in the German telegram, but our telegraph operator mistranslated it on the ground, so this misunderstanding occurred."
"Is that true?" Rokossovsky asked.
"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Sokov nodded and said, "I think this possibility is very high."
The convoy passed the pontoon bridge erected on the Narew River and entered the town of Ruran.
It is indeed a peaceful scene here. Not only can you see Soviet commanders and fighters walking around on the streets, but you can even see some Polish people. Seeing this scene, Sokov's hanging heart returned to his stomach.
, he felt that Nikitin was indeed not lying to him. If the town was really occupied by the Germans, the commanders and civilians walking on the streets would definitely not be so calm.
Under the guidance of the patrol, the convoy of Sokov and others stopped at the entrance of the division.
The officer on duty at the door knew Sokov. When he saw Sokov and Rokossovsky appearing at the division headquarters at the same time, he quickly raised his hand to salute. At the same time, he nervously reported to Sokov: "Report to Comrade Commander.
, the division commander is not inside."
"What, the division commander isn't here?" Sokov frowned, "Where did he go?"
"He went to Lurran Village."
"Went to Lurran Village?!"
Rokossovsky interrupted and said: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, take us to Lurzhan Village immediately."
Since it was an order given by the marshal himself, there was no reason why the officer on duty could not agree. He got into a jeep parked on the roadside and guided the convoy towards Lurran Village.
Just seven or eight minutes later, the convoy stopped at an observation post outside the village of Lurzhan. The officer on duty got off the jeep, walked to the car of Sokov and others, and reported: "Comrade Commander, Division Commander
It’s right inside.”
After thanking the other party, Sokov got out of the car and walked into the observation post with Rokossovsky.
Nikitin, who was standing at the lookout with a telescope to observe the situation outside, heard many people coming in. He was about to have a fit and said that no one was allowed to enter the observation post without his own order.
But when Nikitin turned around, he saw clearly that the person who walked in was Sokov, and there was even Rokossovsky behind him. He hurriedly raised his hand to his forehead and saluted the two of them: "Commander, Comrade Marshal
, why did you come to my place?"
Rokossovsky walked up to Nikitin, frowned and asked: "Major General Nikitin, is this the village of Didovo?" After receiving Nikitin's affirmative reply, he asked in confusion, "You guys
When did you capture the village?"
"Comrade Marshal," Rokossovsky asked, Nikitin replied aggrievedly: "The village has always been in the hands of our army, and I don't know where you heard the rumor that it was occupied by the German army.
?.”
"Where are the enemies who occupied the village?" Rokossovsky finally realized at this moment that his intelligence might be biased, and he quickly ordered Nikitin: "Hurry up and point it out to me."
Nikitin came to the lookout, pointed into the distance and said: "Comrade Marshal, you can see the area occupied by the Germans from here."
Rokossovsky raised his telescope and looked into the distance for a moment. Suddenly he let out an unexpected sigh, then turned to ask Nikitin who was standing next to him: "Major General Nikitin, you mean, the Germans will occupy
Those wooden houses on the hillside in the distance?"
"That's right, Comrade Marshal." Nikitin replied with a complicated expression: "That's exactly where it is."
Rokossovsky turned around and said to Sokov, who was standing in the middle of the observation post: "Misha, come and see what area the enemy has occupied."
Sokov quickly walked to the lookout, took the telescope in Nikitin's hand and looked into the distance. At this sight, he couldn't help but froze. In his field of vision, he could only see the distant soil slope.
, there are four or five small houses built of logs, and there is a German soldier standing guard outside the door of one house.
Sokov put down the telescope, turned to Nikitin and asked: "General Nikitin, how many Germans are there in the house?"
"The number is not large," Nikitin said with certainty: "According to the report of our scouts, there is at most one platoon of troops."
"Are there just so many Germans?" Rokossovsky asked dubiously.
"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Nikitin looked at Rokossovsky and said, "After our repeated confirmation, there are only twenty or thirty Germans, and the firepower they possess is one mortar.
One machine gun, and about twenty submachine guns and rifles."
"Since there are only so many Germans, why don't you eliminate them?" Rokossovsky said displeasedly: "Major General Nikitin, you should organize troops immediately to drive away or eliminate all the Germans who occupied the wooden house.
Lose."
"Yes, Comrade Marshal, I will carry out your order immediately." Since it was Rokossovsky's personal order, Nikitin naturally did not dare to disobey it. After he agreed, he picked up the phone on the table and prepared to call
The troops issued combat orders.
"Wait a minute." Just when Nikitin picked up the microphone and was about to assign combat missions to his troops, Sokov stopped him: "There is no need to use your troops. The reinforced company I brought is enough.
Destroy the enemies in the cabin."
"Captain Koshkin," Sokov shouted outside the observation post: "Please come in!"
Soon, Koshkin appeared in front of everyone. He straightened his back and waited for Sokov to give him combat orders.
"Koshkin, look over there." Sokov pointed to the wooden house occupied by the Germans in the distance and said to Koshkin: "There is about a platoon of Germans in that wooden house. Your task is to take them all out."
Eliminate it. How about it? Do you have confidence?"
Koshkin squinted his eyes and observed the terrain, feeling confident, and then replied: "Don't worry, Comrade Commander, I am confident that we will destroy this enemy."
"Comrade Captain," unexpectedly at this moment, Nikitin interrupted: "The wooden house is surrounded by open areas, and there is not even a shelter. If you don't have the cover of heavy firepower, if you want to destroy this enemy, I'm afraid it will be difficult.
It will cost a lot of casualties."
"Comrade General, please rest assured. I am confident that when I eliminate this group of Germans, I will minimize the casualties of the troops." After Koshkin finished speaking, before Nikitin could speak again, he saluted Sokov and others.
He bowed, turned around and walked out of the observation post.