As soon as they finished cleaning the horse manure in the carriage, Vlasov and his guards came back.
At this time, his driver also came over and asked: "Comrade General, you are going to Moscow by train. What should I do? Should I follow the truck team back to Nizhin?"
Only then did Vlasov remember that he had forgotten the driver. He thought for a while and said: "Comrade driver, you stay here. Maybe I will use your car when I return to Kiev."
"Okay, Comrade General." After hearing what Vlasov said, the driver said helplessly, "Then I'll wait for you here."
After entering the carriage, Vlasov also smelled the stench inside and couldn't help but frowned.
Sokov quickly explained to him: "Comrade General, the wagon provided to us by the station was originally used to transport war horses. I just saw that the ground was full of fodder and horse manure, so I asked the soldiers to clean it up.
But the smell cannot be dissipated in a short time.”
"It's okay." After listening to Sokov's explanation, Vlasov said magnanimously: "It will be fine in a while."
"Comrade General," Sokov asked curiously: "What will we do when we arrive in Moscow?"
"I just called the garrison headquarters." Vlasov said: "General Artemyev, the commander of the Moscow garrison, will send someone to pick me up at the station."
Knowing that someone would pick him up at the station later, Sokov felt at ease. In this way, this improvised unit would have a foothold when it arrived in Moscow.
After eight hours of turbulence, the train entered Moscow.
When the soldiers got off the train and were lining up on the platform, a major walked over quickly with two soldiers.
He came to Vlasov, raised his hand in salute, and said politely: "Hello, General Vlasov, I am General Artemyev, commander of the Moscow garrison, sent to pick you up. The car is at the platform.
Beside, please come with me."
But Vlasov stood still and said to the major: "Comrade Major, what should I do with these soldiers who came with me?"
When the major came over, he saw the troops lining up on the platform, but he didn't think much about it, thinking they were troops temporarily transferred from somewhere. After all, such troops appeared every day at the train station.
Hearing what Vlasov said at this moment, he turned to look at the troops on the platform and asked with some surprise: "Comrade General, they all followed you from Kiev?"
"It's a unit I temporarily recruited in Nizhen." Perhaps because he was worried that the major would look down on this unit, he specifically emphasized: "They have achieved great results on the battlefield, so I made a temporary decision to let them escort me to Moscow.
Come."
After hearing this, the major turned around and said a few words to a soldier beside him.
After the soldiers left, the major said to Vlasov: "Comrade General, I have asked someone to contact the station to see if they can lend us a few trucks so that these soldiers can follow us to the garrison headquarters."
A few minutes later, the soldier came back and reported to the major: "Comrade Major, the vehicle has been contacted and will arrive in a few minutes."
"Comrade General, the car has been contacted." The major said to Vlasov: "Let's go to the parking spot."
The troops arrived at the parking spot next to the platform. There were only two black cars here.
The major ran to one of the black cars, opened the rear door, and said to Vlasov: "Comrade General, please take this car."
"Wait a moment, Comrade Major." Vlasov said, "I'll wait until all the soldiers get on the bus, and it won't be too late to get on again."
Ten minutes later, the soldiers all boarded the oncoming truck and followed Vlasov's car towards the garrison headquarters.
"Sokov," Andrei asked curiously: "How do you think the garrison headquarters plans to arrange for us?"
Sokov looked out the window. He saw many patrols along the way, including soldiers and militiamen. Patrols composed of soldiers are usually in teams of five or six people, while patrols composed of militiamen are usually composed of five or six people.
Ranked as a unit.
"Andre, did you see those patrols on the street?"
"I saw it." Andre nodded and said, "The rifles carried by those militiamen are probably antiques from World War I. They are fine for scaring lawless elements in the city, but if they go to the battlefield, such weapons
They will suffer a big loss."
"Andre, I'm thinking that in order to block the advance of the German army, the Supreme Command has sent out all the troops of the faction. There are only a few garrison troops and some newly formed militia divisions left in the city. Don't
Speaking of fighting, I'm afraid we can't adapt to the task of patrolling in the city, so after we go to the garrison headquarters, we may be incorporated."
"Sokov, is everything you said true?" Andrei asked in surprise after hearing this: "Will we really be absorbed by the garrison headquarters? But on the way here, didn't General Vlasov keep saying, I hope
As his security force, shall we escort him back to Kiev after his new appointment?”
"Before coming to Moscow, I really didn't know that the situation in the city had become so bad." Sokov shook his head and said: "If the enemy rushes into the city and fights them in the future, I am afraid it will not be regular troops, but
These improvised militias."
"I'm talking about Comrade Soldier," the conversation between Andrei and Sokov was overheard by the driver. When he heard Sokov saying that the enemy might rush into Moscow, he couldn't help but said: "You are simply
It’s a defeatist argument.”
"Defeatist argument?" Hearing what the driver said, Sokov was stunned: "Why do you say that?"
"Have you forgotten that the city we are in is called Moscow?" the driver said with a straight face: "Except for Napoleon who once broke into this city, no invader has ever entered this city. Never before and never will in the future.
There will be."
Sokov muttered in his mind: "The descendants of Genghis Khan also conquered this city. Even Kiev on the right bank of the Dnieper River was occupied."
"Although the Germans are approaching with great ferocity, I heard that they have been blocked by the Southwest Front Army in Ukraine, and Belarus has been blocked by the heroic Western Front Army." The driver said confidently: "I believe it won't be long before they
They will be driven out of our country, let alone anywhere near Moscow."
When Sokov heard this, he understood that this driver had probably never seen a real battlefield. Everything he knew was from battle reports or what he heard from other people's mouths, so he was so blind.
He had just met the driver not long ago and was not interested in arguing with him. Instead, he listened quietly to him explaining his point of view.
"Comrade soldier," the driver saw that Sokov did not refute, thinking that he had silenced him. He couldn't help but feel complacent, and continued: "It is impossible for the Germans to approach Moscow at any time. Your assumption is completely unfounded.
. Your thoughts, to put it mildly, are panic; to put it seriously, they are defeatist arguments. Fortunately, you said these words in front of me. If someone from the Ministry of Internal Affairs hears them, you will definitely
Will be imprisoned in Lubyanka."
"Comrade driver, how can you say that?" Hearing what the driver said, Andrei became angry: "You can say that others can, but you can't say that about Sokov. You know, he was alone two days ago.
He captured a German armored column. If such a record were known to the Supreme Command, the Supreme Commander himself might personally award him a medal."
Unexpectedly, the driver sneered at Andre's statement: "Pull him down, he can kill a German tank by himself, which is considered very impressive, and he also captured an armored column, which is simply a fantasy."
Seeing that Andre was still arguing with the other party, Sokov raised his hand to stop him: "Andre, stop talking. Comrade driver obviously doesn't believe that I have such ability. No matter how much you say, he will
Thought we were bragging."
Andrei closed his mouth. He felt that what Sokov said made sense. The driver was simply unreasonable. He was just chatting with Sokov. He was a driver. He was talking nonsense. Listen to his tone.
, as if he were from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
But Sokov realized a serious problem from the driver's attitude. Since the Soviet army had not been defeated in Kiev at this moment, everyone did not have a clear understanding of the cruelty of this war and thought that the war would happen soon.
If the situation reverses, the arrogant German army will suffer a devastating blow and be driven out of the country. It is precisely because of this blind optimism that people like the driver think that it is impossible for the German army to reach near Moscow.
The convoy arrived at the compound where the garrison headquarters was located. After all the soldiers got off the bus, the driver drove back to the train station.
"Comrade General," Sokov came to Vlasov and asked him for instructions: "What should we do?"
"Comrade Major," Vlasov turned around and asked the major beside him: "I wonder how you plan to arrange my men?"
The major called a captain who was in the yard and told the other party: "Captain, this is a company from the Southwest Front Army. You are responsible for placing them in the barracks. After arranging their accommodation, you will take them to the restaurant for dinner."
, they have been traveling all day, they must be starving."
The captain nodded, turned and walked to Second Lieutenant Dennis, and asked: "Second Lieutenant, are you the company commander of this unit? Please bring your people with me, and I will arrange a place for you to stay."
Unexpectedly, as soon as the captain finished speaking, Vlasov, who was standing not far away, came over and said to him: "Comrade Captain, you are mistaken. He is not the company commander, but the deputy company commander. The company of this company
There is someone else."
The captain glanced at the collar insignias of the soldiers and found that except for Second Lieutenant Dennis, no soldier wore an officer rank. He couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Who is it, Comrade General?"
"Here, it's him." Vlasov pointed to Sokov and said to the captain: "He is the captain of this company."
"What, he is the company commander of this company?" the captain said in surprise: "But he has no military rank at all?"
"Although he does not have a military rank now, it does not mean that he cannot be a company commander." After Vlasov said briefly, he urged the captain: "Captain, take them to the barracks quickly."
"Comrade company commander," the captain said to Sokov respectfully, "please take your company with me and I will arrange a place for you to live."
After the major waited for his subordinates to leave with Sokov's company, he said to Vlasov: "General Vlasov, comrade commander should be impatient. Let's go there now."
Vlasov shook hands with Artemyev in his office and said with a smile: "Comrade Artemyev, the last time we met was before the war broke out."
"That's right." Major General Artemyev, commander of the Moscow garrison, nodded and said, "To be precise, we met once during the May Day military parade this year. We had a long talk and discussion at that time.
Will there be a war?"
"Well, I remember." Vlasov continued: "I also said at that time that the chance of a war breaking out was very small, because the Germans could not fight on two fronts at the same time. But now it seems that I underestimated
Mustache’s madness, he actually dared to launch an attack on our country before the war with Britain was over.”
"How is the situation in Kiev?" Artemyev continued to ask: "I heard that you have successfully smashed the German army's conspiracy to occupy Kiev during the march. It will not be long before a full-scale counterattack against the Germans will be launched.
Bar."
"Comrade Artemyev, I think you may be disappointed." The expression on Vlasov's face became serious: "According to my observations and the changes in the battlefield situation, in a very short period of time,
It is simply impossible to launch a comprehensive counterattack against the enemy."
"Ah, why?" Artemyev asked in surprise: "However, the reports we have seen and heard say that the enemy's attack has been successfully contained by our army, and there has even been a reaction within the German army.
The war organizations were unwilling to continue to participate in this unjust war. In addition, the workers in the rear munitions factories also began to slack off in their work and provided substandard ammunition to the front line."
After listening to Artemyev's story, Vlasov couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Comrade Artemyev, these are just a propaganda method for the sake of military morale and people's morale. The actual situation on the battlefield is worse than you imagine.
It’s even more severe.”
"Is the situation in Kiev really as General Zhukov said, and it has reached an point where it is difficult to save?" Artemyev said cautiously: "I heard that General Zhukov suggested to Comrade Stalin that based on the existing situation in Kiev
The situation no longer required holding on, so we planned to withdraw the main force of the Southwest Front to the vicinity of Moscow. For this reason, he was relieved of his post by Comrade Stalin and changed to the commander of the Reserve Front."
"Comrade Artemyev, it was the end of July when General Zhukov said this, and the situation in Kiev today is more serious than then." Vlasov said with a solemn expression: "With the mechanized troops of the Southwest Front in Ukraine,
We suffered all losses in the Battle of Mann. Now we no longer have enough tanks to deal with the German armored forces, and can only use infantry to fight tanks. Therefore, our army will pay a heavy price when facing the enemy's armored assault."
While the two were talking, the phone on the table rang. Artemyev picked up the phone and listened for a moment, then replied: "I understand. I will immediately send General Vlasov to report to the Kremlin."
Putting down the phone, Artemyev said to Vlasov: "Vlasov, it's time for us to go to the Kremlin."