red moscow

Chapter 2937

Half an hour later, Alexa called Sokov and reported truthfully: "Comrade Commander, the soldier sent to contact came back and reported that the people who came were indeed the troops led by Captain Olga, the commander of the third company."

After confirming that Olga had brought the team over, Sokov finally felt relieved. He then asked, "Comrade Captain, how many people did Captain Olga bring back?"

"I'm not sure about the exact number." Alexa answered hesitantly, "It looks like a lot of people anyway. Once he enters the defense zone, I'll verify the number of people and report back to you."

After Sokov ended the call, he said to Belkin and Karsokov: "Deputy Brigade Commander, Chief of Staff, judging from the current situation, the retreat of our brigade's defense line is a foregone conclusion. Therefore, retaining more manpower will be very helpful for our subsequent operations."

"So where do you think we will retreat to?" Belkin asked.

"According to the situation on the map, we should have retreated to the vicinity of the Istrian Reservoir." Sokov thought that even if he didn't say it, anyone who could read the map would basically be able to tell that the defense line was moving eastward, and the best defense location was in the Istrian Reservoir area. So he said without hesitation: "According to my observation, the terrain here is more conducive to defense, and it can greatly reduce the width of our army's defense front."

"That's right." Belkin, staring at the map, nodded as Sokov finished speaking and said, "If the entire army retreats here to defend, not only can the width of the defensive front be reduced by nearly half, but the freed-up troops can also be used as a reserve on the second line."

Although Sokov and Belkin reached a consensus, Karsokov still raised his own doubts: "Comrades, if the commander can make the decision, I think he will definitely be very willing to do so. However, as the commander of the front, will General Zhukov agree to such a plan?"

Sokov knew what Zhukov would do. After a brief silence, he nodded slightly and said slowly, "Based on my understanding of General Zhukov, he will definitely not allow the troops to abandon their positions and retreat. Even if Commander Rokossovsky made such a request, he would reject it without hesitation."

As soon as Rokossovsky was mentioned, the phone on the desk rang without warning.

Sokov picked up the microphone and put it to his ear. Soon he heard Rokossovsky's voice coming from the receiver: "Misha, how is Lieutenant General Lukin doing?"

Sokov's expression froze when he heard this. He thought, "Didn't I just report Lukin's situation to you more than an hour ago? Why are you calling me again to ask about it?" Although he was full of doubts, he still repeated Lukin's situation to Rokossovsky.

"Misha, this is the situation." Rokossovsky waited for Sokov to finish speaking before explaining to him the reason for his call: "I just received an order from the Supreme Command to send Lieutenant General Lukin to Moscow as soon as possible. Therefore, Lieutenant General Lukin must be sent here in the shortest possible time and let him take the plane sent by his superiors to Moscow. Misha, can you go there in person?"

"Comrade Commander, the current situation is not favorable to our army." Regarding Rokossovsky's arrangement, Sokov said with some embarrassment: "The Germans may launch a fierce attack on my brigade's defense zone next. I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to leave at this time."

"Misha, I'm sure you know about the fall of Volokolamsk," Rokossovsky said. "We plan to launch a counterattack to take the city back from the Germans. After discussion at the army headquarters, we plan to move your troops as a reserve to the vicinity of the headquarters to wait for orders."

Sokov's heart sank suddenly. He transferred the troops to the vicinity of the army headquarters and arranged for himself to escort Lukin back to Moscow. Did this mean that he would lose his position as brigade commander and that his superiors would arrange for someone else to replace him?
"Misha, why don't you speak?" Rokossovsky asked again when he didn't hear Sokov's answer.

"Comrade Commander," Sokov hesitated for a moment, then asked the question in his mind: "Under the current circumstances, if I am asked to leave my troops behind and escort Lieutenant General Lukin to Moscow, does that mean that my superiors will soon send someone to take over my position?"

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Rokossovsky laughed and said, "Misha, what are you thinking about? How can I send someone to replace you at this time? After your brigade is transferred to the vicinity of the army headquarters, there will be no combat missions in the short term, so it doesn't matter whether you, the brigade commander, are here or not."

"But once our brigade withdraws from the current defense zone, the enemy on the left wing can march straight in and join forces with the enemy occupying Volokolamsk, which will then pose a more serious threat to our existing defense line."

"The Panfilov Division has been forced to retreat under the fierce attack of the German army." Rokossovsky replied: "If your brigade continues to stay where it is, it is possible that it will be surrounded by the German army. How long do you think your current 2,000 to 3,000 people can hold out if their logistical supplies are cut off?"

Sokov thought to himself that since Rokossovsky had issued such an order, it meant that he had already considered all the issues that needed to be considered. He didn't need to worry about it and could just follow his orders.

"Okay, Comrade Brigade Commander, I will escort Lieutenant General Lukin to the Army Headquarters as soon as possible."

After Sokov finished his conversation with Rokossovsky, he immediately called the field hospital.

The person who answered the phone was a nurse. Perhaps because she was overworked, her voice was weak: "This is the duty room of the field hospital!"

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, the brigade commander." Sokov said into the microphone, "Immediately ask the head nurse Vera or the military doctor Tonya to answer the phone."

The nurse who answered the phone immediately perked up: "Okay, Comrade Brigade Commander, I'll go get them to answer the phone right away."

Soon, Tonya's voice came from the receiver: "Misha, why are you calling me at this time? What's the matter?"

"Donya, I just received a call from my superiors asking me to immediately escort Lieutenant General Lukin to the army headquarters and take the plane waiting there to Moscow."

"Ah, we are leaving now?" Tonya said in surprise, "But Comrade Lukin is still sleeping. It would be inappropriate to wake him up at this time."

"Donya, this is an order from our superiors. There is no room for negotiation." Sokov said into the microphone, "Prepare a stretcher and a truck for him immediately. I will personally escort him to the army headquarters."

Ten minutes later, Sokov took Khabarov towards the field hospital.

On the way, Khabarov asked in confusion: "Misha, tell me what's going on. Why did they ask us to take Lukin to the army headquarters in the middle of the night?"

"The commander didn't elaborate, he just said it was an order from his superiors." Sokov replied casually, "We just have to carry it out."

"The current situation is not favorable to our army. As the brigade commander, how can you leave the troops casually?"

"The commander told me that he was going to move the infantry brigade to the army headquarters and keep it there as a reserve force."

Khabarov was even more confused when he heard this. He didn't understand how his superiors could think of moving the infantry brigade to the vicinity of the army headquarters as a standby reserve under such circumstances. When they arrived at the field hospital, Tonya had already arranged for someone to carry Lukin out of the tent where he lived.

Since there was no special ambulance, Lukin's stretcher had to be placed in the truck bed.

Sokov stood on tiptoe and looked at Lukin lying in the carriage, and whispered to Tonya beside him: "Tonya, how is Comrade Lukin doing?"

"Don't worry, his injuries are no longer serious after the operation." Tonya replied, "The medical conditions in the Moscow military hospital are better. If Comrade General goes there, he may recover faster."

After a few pleasantries, Sokov invited Khabarov to sit in the carriage with him and stood beside Lukin's stretcher.

The truck had not driven far when the bumpy road conditions woke Lukin up.

He opened his eyes and looked around, then fixed his gaze on Sokov and asked in confusion: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, where are we going?"

"Comrade General," Sokov leaned forward and said, "I have been ordered to take you immediately to the army headquarters, where a plane sent by the Supreme Command is waiting for you."

"Oh, you are in such a hurry to send me to Moscow. Has something happened?"

Sokov comforted him, "Comrade General, I think the Supreme Commander must be worried about your injury, so he issued such an urgent order to send you to Moscow overnight for better treatment."

"Maybe." Lu Jin nodded slowly, and then said, "I'm a little sleepy, I'll take a nap first, and call me when we get there."

The trucks soon arrived at the army headquarters.

Seeing the truck coming, a major waiting at the entrance of the command office immediately came forward and asked with concern: "Are you a comrade from the infantry brigade?"

Sokov looked down and saw an officer he didn't recognize, but he answered truthfully: "Yes, I am Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the infantry brigade, and I have been ordered to send Comrade Lukin here." After saying that, he was about to call the two soldiers sitting next to him and ask them to carry Lukin's stretcher out of the car.

"Wait a moment, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, don't take the stretcher down yet." The major raised his hand to stop Sokov's action and continued, "Please wait a moment, I will go and inform the commander, he has something to say to you."

Soon after the major entered the room, he came out with a few people.

Sokov had sharp eyes and immediately recognized that the person walking next to the major was Rokossovsky, followed by Military Commissar Lobachev and Chief of Staff Malinin.

Rokossovsky came to the side of the car, saw Lukin lying in the car clearly, and quickly climbed into the car using his hands and feet, then squatted down next to Lukin's stretcher.

Lukin opened his eyes and saw Rokossovsky squatting in front of him. A look of joy suddenly appeared on his face: "Koschka, I never thought that I could still see you alive. This is so great!"

Rokossovsky shook Lukin's hand and said with a smile: "Comrade Lukin, I heard that your troops were surrounded by the Germans. I have been worried about your safety and was afraid that something might happen to you. I never thought that you would appear in front of me safely."

Having said this, Rokossovsky turned his head to look at Sokov next to him and nodded at him: "Misha, thank you!"

Facing Rokossovsky's praise, Sokov chuckled twice: "Comrade Commander, this is just a piece of cake." After a pause, Sokov asked tentatively, "Do you need me to step aside for a moment?"

“No, no,” Rokossovsky waved his hand and said, “Lukin and I are old friends. Let’s just chat about the past. You don’t have to avoid it.”

Although Rokossovsky did not allow him to report, Sokov still drove several soldiers including Khabarov out of the car, sat as far away from them as possible, and turned his eyes to other places so as not to disturb the two old comrades-in-arms from reminiscing about the past.

After the two chatted in low voices for a while, Rokossovsky stood up and said to Sokov, "Misha, the plane that takes you to Moscow is not far from here. I will send someone to take you there. You must take good care of Comrade Lukin on the way."

"Koschka, don't worry." Lukin heard what Rokossovsky said and said with a smile: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov took good care of me. If he hadn't appeared in time, I might have become a cripple even if I hadn't become a prisoner of the Germans."

After Rokossovsky got off the bus, Military Commissar Lobachev and Chief of Staff Malinin got on. Malinin was not familiar with Lukin, so he just chatted a few words and then left the bus. Lobachev was once Lukin's partner, so when the two met, they naturally had a lot to talk about, and they were filled with emotion.

Finally, it was Rokossovsky who urged from below: “Comrade Military Commissar, it’s getting late. Don’t let the pilots wait too long.”

After Rokossovsky's reminder, Lobachev realized that he was so absorbed in the conversation that he had forgotten the time. He quickly shook Lukin's hand and said, "Comrade Lukin, the plane that will take you to Moscow is waiting not far away. Let's stop here for now. I will visit you in Moscow when I have the chance. I wish you a speedy recovery!"

After Lobachev got off the car, the leading officer sat in the driver's seat and prepared to take Sokov and others to the location where the plane was parked.

When Khabarov and others were about to climb into the carriage, they were stopped by Malinin: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, send Lieutenant General Lukin to Moscow. I think you are enough. The rest of you can return the same way."

If it were any other soldier, Sokov would have agreed to Malinin's arrangement without hesitation and asked them to return to the troops immediately. But Khabarov was among the entourage, and this return to Moscow was a good opportunity to meet Victoria, so how could he give up so easily?

"Comrade Chief of Staff." Sokov pointed at Khabarov, who was resting his hands on the fender of the carriage, and said to Malinin, "Can I take this soldier with me?"

He was afraid that Malinin would disagree, so he added: "He is the soldier who designed the new rifle. If possible, I would like to take him to the weapons and equipment department to see whether a prototype of the rifle he designed has been produced."

(End of this chapter)