The purpose of the Soviet Supreme Command's formation of the Voronezh Front Army was to improve the combat command situation in the area. Therefore, the command organization of the Bryansk Front Army and some units on the left wing were transferred to form this new front army. The former commander of the Bryansk Front Army Goli
Kokov was transferred to the command of the unit, and his vacated position was taken over by Rokossovsky.
Rokossovsky took Malinin, Kazakov and others by car to the front headquarters 15 kilometers east of Yelets. Still far away, Malinin, who was sitting in the front row, turned to Roko
Sovsky said: "Comrade Commander, the remaining commander of the Bryansk Front has come out to greet you."
Rokossovsky looked out through the car window and saw a group of officers, including a general, standing at the door of a light yellow two-story building. They were lined up in a neat formation.
It's like waiting to be reviewed.
As soon as the car stopped, the general trotted all the way to the car, took the initiative to open the door for Rokossovsky, and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Commander! I am Kazakov, Chief of Staff of the Front Army.
Major General, on behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the Bryansk Front, I welcome you!"
"It turns out it's you, Comrade Kazakov." Rokossovsky couldn't help but be overjoyed after seeing the other person clearly: "We haven't seen each other for many years, many years."
The Chief of Staff of the Front Army named Kazakov was once a comrade-in-arms with Rokossovsky through life and death. Now that they are reunited here, he is still very excited: "Yes, since you entered the Frunze Military Academy as a senior
We haven't seen each other since we were in the chief's advanced training class, almost ten years ago."
Although Rokossovsky knew that the Chief of Staff of the Front Army was named Kazakov before he came here, he did not expect that he would be his old comrade-in-arms. After all, there were many people with the same surname, including the artillery commander who came here with him.
Member, also named Kazakov. He looked at the other party and said: "I never expected that I would meet you here."
"I was ordered to leave and hand over the command of the troops to you," Kazakov said to Rokossovsky: "After completing the handover, I will immediately rush to the Voronezh Front to assume a new position."
In the headquarters, after Kazakov handed over command to Rokossovsky and Malinin, he said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, I have given orders to the 3rd, 13th, and 48th
Call the commander of the 38th Group Army and ask them to come here to meet you as soon as possible. Major General Chibisov, the former deputy commander of the Front Army, did not go to the Voronezh Front Army. He specifically applied to the base camp, hoping to continue to stay in this heroic army.
The army headquarters agreed to his request and appointed him commander of the 38th Group Army."
Hearing Kazakov's words, Rokossovsky couldn't help but have a strong interest in Chibisov. He wanted to see what kind of person he was. In order to stay in the Bryansk Front, he actually gave up.
He assumed the position of deputy commander and served as an ordinary group army commander.
However, before several subordinate group army commanders arrived, a call came from Moscow. Stalin said to Rokossovsky on the phone: "Comrade Rokossovsky, you have arrived in Bryansk.
Are there front troops?"
"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Rokossovsky quickly and respectfully replied: "I have assumed the post of commander of the front army."
"Very good." After Stalin waited for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, he continued: "The plane I sent to pick you up has arrived in Yelets. You rush to the airport immediately and take the plane to Moscow. I need to meet you
You have a good talk."
Three hours later, Rokossovsky appeared in Stalin's office. Stalin shook hands with him and asked with concern: "How are you, Konstantin Konstantinovich? Your injuries are all healed."
?”
"Yes, Comrade Stalin, my injury has long been cured." Rokossovsky replied with a smile on his face: "I think my current body is fully capable of front-line work."
"Very good, very good!" After Stalin said "very good" twice, he called Rokossovsky to the wall, pointed to the large map hanging on it and asked: "Tell me, what are the Germans' intentions?"
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Rokossovsky looked at the map, staring intently at the Soviet defense line marked with red lines and the German offensive direction marked with blue. After looking at it for a long time, he turned to Stalin and said: "Comrade Stalin, the Germans are attacking us.
A new offensive."
"Yes, Comrade Rokossovsky," Stalin lit his pipe and said impatiently: "I know that the Germans have restarted their offensive, and someone has reported this to me in detail a long time ago. I
Now I just want to know, what is the German army’s intention?”
"Continue to seize our cities and destroy our troops." Rokossovsky didn't know how to answer Stalin's question. He could only say vaguely: "This is their intention..."
"Comrade Rokossovsky," Stalin interrupted Rokossovsky: "The Germans want to occupy our city and destroy our army. This is something everyone knows. But what kind of methods do they use?
With the strength of our troops, which of our cities should we attack? This is something that we, as decision-makers, should and must understand. Only by seeing through the enemy's plans and guessing their true intentions can we take the correct approach.
, smash their conspiracy."
"Comrade Stalin," Rokossovsky suddenly remembered Adelina who escaped from Bryansk some time ago, and asked tentatively: "Didn't one of our intelligence agents return last week with important information?
I wonder if her intelligence contains the German army’s next action plan?”
"Yes, the intelligence officer brought back an important piece of information." Stalin walked to the table, took off the pipe from his mouth, knocked on the ashtray a few times, shook out all the ashes, and then
He sneered and said: "It said that the Germans' next move is to Stalingrad. But it is obvious that this is a conspiracy of the Germans. They want to use this intelligence to shift the focus of our army's defense to the wrong direction.
.In this way, they can send troops to seize Baku and obtain oil from the Caucasus; they can even continue to attack Moscow northward."
If Sokov were here, he would definitely be surprised by the intelligence brought back by Agelina, because the next direction of the German attack is Stalingrad, which is named after Stalin himself. But unfortunately, Soko
My husband was not here, but Rokossovsky, who was standing in front of Stalin, knew nothing about the direction of the German army's next attack. Therefore, he had no doubts about Stalin's analysis.
Next, the task assigned by Stalin to Rokossovsky was to actively take various offensive actions to contain the German forces in Bryansk, Orel and Voronezh, making them unable to attack Moscow and unable to attack Moscow.
Allocate troops to support the troops attacking the Caucasus.
After the conversation between the two ended, Rokossovsky looked at Stalin and asked: "Comrade Stalin, do you allow me to leave?"
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Stalin waved his hand to him and said: "Wait a minute, I have a conversation here, which may be very interesting to you. You sit down for a while." After that, Stalin walked to his office.
At the table, he picked up the phone and said into the receiver, "Comrade Boskrebyshev, ask Kozlov to come to my place."
When he heard Kozlov's name, Rokossovsky couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Based on the battle report some time ago, he knew that due to the tragic defeat of Kerch, Kozlov himself was relieved of Crimea.
He was assigned to the front army position and was demoted in rank at the same time. But what was Stalin’s purpose in allowing him to stay and listen to the conversation between him and Kozlov?
According to Rokossovsky's idea, Stalin would definitely be furious when he saw Kozlov, and even threatened to send him to a military court. However, when Kozlov walked in, Stalin acted unusually calm, his face
There was no anger or dissatisfaction at all. After shaking hands with Kozlov, he said politely: "General Kozlov, tell me, you asked me to see you. Do you have any questions?"
I said?"
"I'm not convinced, Comrade Stalin." When Kozlov heard Stalin ask this question, he was extremely excited and even a little hysterical: "I feel that the treatment given to me is unfair, and I should not bear such responsibility for this failure.
"
Stalin did not interrupt him, but calmly listened to his complaint and asked calmly: "Are you finished?"
"That's it!"
"You complained that we treated you unfairly?"
"Yes. The reason for Kerch's fiasco was that the representatives from the base camp seriously hindered my command."
"Why did Mehlis hinder you?" Stalin continued to ask.
"He hindered my command. When our army was about to take combat operations, he had to hold meetings and even issued contradictory orders. As a representative of his base camp, he suppressed me, the commander."
"That is to say, he hindered you." Stalin asked calmly: "Comrade Kozlov, please tell me, who among you knows who is the commander of the front army, you or Mehlis?"
Kozlov replied guiltily: "It's me."
"So, you are the commander of the front army, and Mehlis is not." Stalin asked with a normal expression: "That is to say, you should be commanding the troops, not Mehlis, am I right?
"
"Yes, but..."
Stalin interrupted Kozlov's next words: "You just said that you are the commander of the front army."
"Yes, I am the commander of the front army." Kozlov nodded vigorously and replied: "But Mehlis placed his cronies everywhere, replaced those commanders with rich combat experience, and did not let me
Command the troops to fight."
"Have you forgotten that the headquarters of the Supreme Headquarters that handed over the front army to your command was Mehelis?" When he said this, a trace of anger appeared on Stalin's face: "There is a high-frequency telephone in your headquarters, right?"
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"some."
"Since there is a high-frequency phone, why don't you report it to me?" Stalin stared into the other person's eyes and said sternly: "Even if you only report to me once that someone is obstructing your command, then I will personally investigate the matter.
."
"I want to call." Kozlov replied in a panic: "But there is no chance."
Hearing what Kozlov said, Stalin asked curiously: "Why?"
"He is always by my side," Kozlov said with a guilty conscience: "I dare not accuse you of the representatives you appointed in front of him."
"Why can't you call me in front of him?" Stalin asked: "Maybe we can solve the problem quickly."
Kozlov remained silent in response to Stalin's inquiry.
Stalin snorted coldly and then said: "If you think it is you who are right and not him, then why don't you dare to call me when he is around? Obviously, Comrade Kozlov, you are afraid of Mekhli
He beat the Germans, right?"
"No, Comrade Stalin." Kozlov shouted with some excitement: "You don't understand Mehlis."
"Comrade Kozlov, I know Mekhlis very well. Although he lacks experience in commanding operations, I heard that when the troops began to collapse, he acted very bravely. He even rushed to the front line in a jeep to stop the rear.
Withdraw the troops and organize them for defense." Stalin took a puff of cigarette and continued: "In the report handed over by Vasilevsky, various reasons for your failure were pointed out: such as weak defense depth configuration
, improper use of the reserve force, poor coordination of operations, poor commander's adaptability, lack of resolute execution of orders by the main leaders of the front army, etc. As the commander of the front army, you should bear all responsibility for the failure of the front army, rather than attribute the failure of the battle to
Mekhlis interfered with you. I personally think, Comrade Kozlov, what we did to you was completely correct and you should be punished."
After Kozlov walked out, Stalin turned to Rokossovsky and said: "Comrade Rokossovsky, this was a very interesting conversation, and I hope I can learn from it."
"I will learn from General Kozlov's lesson, Comrade Stalin." Rokossovsky was afraid that Stalin would send Mekhlis to his army as a base camp representative on a whim, so he asked tentatively: "I
I would like to ask, who do you plan to appoint as the military commissar of the front army?"
Fortunately, Stalin's next words reassured Rokossovsky: "I will send Comrade Susaikov, the military-level political commissar, to the Bryansk Front to serve as military commissar."
When Rokossovsky walked out of the supreme commander's office, Poskrebyshev came up to him and asked: "General Rokossovsky, are you going back to the front line now?"
"Yes, Comrade Poskrebyshev." Rokossovsky nodded with a smile and said, "I need to return to the front line immediately. Can you arrange a car for me to take me to the airport?"