red moscow

Chapter 3063

The unit that accompanied Rokossovsky was the 2nd Company of the 4th Battalion. The company commander's mission, which he received from Major Vasya, was to ensure Rokossovsky's safety along the way. However, two legs are no match for four wheels. Less than five minutes after setting off, the jeep carrying Rokossovsky disappeared from the sight of the 2nd Company's officers and soldiers.

Upon seeing that the jeep carrying the commander had vanished without a trace, the deputy company commander asked the second company commander with concern, "Company commander, the commander's car is nowhere to be found. How are we supposed to protect his safety now?"

Seeing this, the second company commander could only sigh and say helplessly, "Order the troops to speed up their march and keep a close distance from the commander. That way, even if he encounters an attack by scattered German soldiers, we can get there in time to provide reinforcements."

Rokossovsky originally intended to go to the Ruza River alone, but Lobachev insisted on going with him, and Rokossovsky, unable to persuade him otherwise, agreed to his request. The two, accompanied by an adjutant and four guards, traveled to the Ruza River in two jeeps.

Seeing that the escorting troops had been left far behind, the adjutant turned around and asked Rokossovsky with some concern, "Comrade Commander, the escorting troops have been left far behind. What if we encounter the enemy along the way?"

"It's alright," Rokossovsky said dismissively. "It's only a dozen kilometers from here to the Ruza River, and it's within our controlled area. Even if we encounter enemy stragglers, as long as we can hold out for about fifteen minutes, reinforcements will arrive."

After the adjutant sat back down, he turned his gaze to the window. The snow on both sides of the road was knee-deep; if anyone was moving nearby, they would surely leave traces in the snow. He carefully observed the snow beside the road for footprints, hoping to spot any lurking enemies immediately.

Fortunately, the adjutant's fears did not come true, and the jeep soon approached the Ruza River.

"Stop the car!" Rokossovsky suddenly shouted. "Stop the car immediately!"

Although the driver didn't understand why Rokossovsky had ordered the car to stop, he obediently stepped on the brakes and then turned to look at Rokossovsky, wanting to hear what the other man had to say next.

"Lieutenant!" Rokossovsky asked the adjutant sitting in the passenger seat, "Where are we now?"

The adjutant quickly took out a map from his satchel, examined it carefully, and pointed to a location, saying to Rokossovsky, "Comrade Commander, we are roughly in this location now, but we don't know where the cavalry corps headquarters is."

“Yes, I’m worried about this too,” Rokossovsky said, frowning. “We don’t know where the cavalry headquarters is. We’re just wandering around like headless flies, and we might just end up in an enemy encirclement. With our small force, we’re no match for them.”

"Comrade Commander!" the driver suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Cavalry! Look, it's our cavalry!"

The people in the car looked in the direction he was pointing and sure enough, they saw five horsemen emerging from the forest. Judging from their black cloaks and the high shoulder pads, they were Soviet cavalrymen.

Upon seeing the cavalry appear, the adjutant, without waiting for Rokossovsky's orders, pushed open the car door and jumped out, waiting for the cavalrymen to approach.

To everyone's surprise, the cavalry stopped a dozen meters away from the jeep. The lead cavalryman shouted at his adjutant, "Which unit are you from, and what are you doing here?"

"I am the commander's adjutant!" the adjutant shouted at the cavalryman. "Can you tell me where the cavalry corps headquarters is?"

But when the cavalryman heard the adjutant's question, he remained seated on his horse, looking down at the cavalry headquarters, and asked, "What do you want with the cavalry headquarters?"

Rokossovsky got out of the car, took two steps forward so that the cavalrymen opposite him could see him more clearly, and then said, "I am Rokossovsky, commander of the 16th Army. I have urgent business to attend to at the cavalry headquarters. Do you know where it is?"

Although the ordinary cavalrymen did not recognize Rokossovsky, upon seeing the rank insignia on his overcoat, they immediately realized that the man was not lying. They quickly dismounted and stepped forward to salute Rokossovsky: "Hello, Comrade Commander!"

"Comrades, cavalrymen!" Rokossovsky returned the salute and continued, "Could you tell us where the cavalry headquarters is located?"

“Yes, Commander!” said the leading cavalryman. “I’ll take you there right away!” He glanced at the jeep parked beside him and said with some difficulty, “The snow in the forest is too deep; the jeep can’t drive in.”

Rokossovsky turned and ordered, "The drivers of the two vehicles stay here; the rest of you come with me into the forest."

"Comrade Commander, the roads in the forest are hard to find, so I'll give you my warhorse."

But Rokossovsky waved his hand and refused the other's offer: "No need, comrade soldier! There are many of us here. I can't be the only one sitting on horseback while the others walk behind me, can I?"

Seeing that Rokossovsky was unwilling to ride a horse, the cavalrymen naturally could no longer ride either, and could only lead their own warhorses and follow beside Rokossovsky.

“Comrade soldier!” Rokossovsky asked the soldier leading the way tentatively, “Which unit are you from, and what are you doing here?” “Reporting to the commander, we are from the 103rd Regiment of the 20th Cavalry Division,” the cavalryman replied. “We are here on orders to conduct reconnaissance and see if there are any traces of the enemy.”

“Oh, so you’re one of Colonel Tagliev’s men.” Rokossovsky asked, “If I’m not mistaken, your regimental commander is named Linika, right?”

“That’s right, Commander, you’re right. Our regimental commander is indeed Major Linica.”

"Where is he? In the regimental command post?"

Upon hearing this, the cavalryman's eyes immediately reddened: "No, Commander, Major Linica was killed in battle."

"Ah, sacrificed?" Rokossovsky quickly asked, "And what about your division commander, Colonel Tavliev? How is he now?"

"They were killed too!" The cavalryman lowered his head even further.

Although Rokossovsky felt heavy-hearted upon learning from Sokov's telegram that the commander of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps, Dovator, and most of the corps' command had been killed in action, and that Colonel Tavliev, the commander of the 20th Cavalry Division, had also been killed, he still harbored a sliver of hope that Sokov might have made a mistake and that Dovator and the others were wounded rather than killed. But upon hearing the cavalrymen's affirmative reply, his heart sank to the bottom. His familiar comrades-in-arms were indeed gone.

For the rest of the journey, no one spoke; they simply kept their heads down and pressed on.

Several cavalrymen led Rokossovsky and his men to the vicinity of the small wooden hut where the army headquarters was located, and then stopped: "Comrade Commander, the army headquarters is just ahead. However, there are probably not many people left inside, since almost all the members of the army headquarters have been killed."

“I understand, Comrade soldier.” Rokossovsky nodded to the other man. “We’ll take care of the rest of the way ourselves. You can continue with your mission.”

After saluting Rokossovsky, the cavalryman mounted his horse and turned it back in the direction he had come from.

“Comrade Military Commissar!” Rokossovsky said to Lobachev, “The cavalry headquarters is just ahead, let’s go.”

As the group approached the cabin, a cavalry lieutenant immediately came up and politely asked, "I am Lieutenant Kulikov from the army command. May I ask what brings you here, comrades?"

"I am Lieutenant General Rokossovsky, Commander of the 16th Army, and this is Comrade Lobachev, Military Commissar." Rokossovsky looked at the other man and said, "I heard that General Dovator was killed in battle, so I came here specifically for this purpose. Where is his body?"

"It's right inside the wooden cabin."

"Take me inside quickly."

Kulikov dared not delay and immediately led Rokossovsky and Lobachev into the cabin.

On the floor of the wooden hut lay several stretchers covered with white sheets. Kulikov solemnly explained to Rokossovsky, “Comrade Commander, almost all the members of the army command were killed in action. Only with the cooperation of our infantry brigade was we able to break through the enemy’s defenses and retrieve the remains of the army commander and political commissar.”

Rokossovsky bent down and carefully lifted the white sheet covering the body, searching for his old comrade-in-arms, Dovator. With Kulakov's help, he finally saw his fallen comrade with his own eyes. Thinking of Dovator, who had been eating and laughing with him just yesterday, and now being separated from him by death, his eyes couldn't help but redden.

When Lobachev heard Kulakov mention the infantry brigade, he naturally thought of Sokov and quickly asked, "By the way, where is Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, the brigade commander, now?"

"It should be in the village of Dyakovo on the other side of the river," Kulakov explained to Lobachev. "The remaining cavalry units and infantry brigade commanders are launching an attack on the remnants of the German 252nd Infantry Division under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Sokov."

Rokossovsky stood up and said to Lobachev, "Comrade Military Commissar, let's go to the village of Dyakovo on the other side of the river to find Misha and see what he's doing."

"Comrade Commander!" Upon learning that Rokossovsky was preparing to go to the village of Dyakovo on the other side of the river, Kulakov hurriedly asked with concern, "Although it's not far from here to Dyakovo, for your safety, I'll still send someone to escort you across."

“There’s no need for that,” Rokossovsky said, waving his hand. “Just arrange a guide for us.”

(End of this chapter)