After listening to Artem's report, both Sokov and Karsokov were silent.

Karsokov picked up the cigarette box on the table and handed it over: "Comrade Brigade Commander, come one!"

Seeing Sokov waved his hand and refused, he put the cigarette box back on the table, and muttered, "What's wrong with the Germans? They have made such a big noise, why haven't they launched an attack yet?"

"Maybe the enemy feels that the time is not yet ripe, and they will probably end in failure." Sokov listened to the explosion outside the tent. This should be the enemy planes bombing the fourth battalion's position: "Listen, the enemy is bombing the fourth battalion's position. I think they should wait until our army's defensive position is completely destroyed before launching a new attack."

Karsokov frowned: "The fourth battalion's positions are simple field fortifications, and there are no solid permanent fortifications at all. After the fierce bombardment and bombing of the German army, the soldiers may not have fortifications that can rely on fortifications to rely on fortifications."

"After the German bombardment and bombing, let alone the fortifications are gone, I'm afraid the casualties of the troops will be very heavy."

Hearing Sokov said this, Karsokov immediately reached out to grab the phone and prepared to call Vasia to learn about the situation on the front line, but was stopped by Sokov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, don't call first. The position is being bombed by the enemy at this moment. Even if you contact Major Vasia, he will not be able to verify the casualties of the troops under such circumstances."

"What should I do?" Karsokov was a little anxious: "If the fourth battalion's position is broken through by the enemy, they can drive straight in and rush directly to the location of the Group Army Command."

Karsokov's words reminded Sokov. He remembered that Lobachev told himself that in order to break the rumors spread by the Germans, Stalin would inspect the Army Command in the past two days. If the German tanks were really allowed to rush to the nearest headquarters, even if no losses were caused, his brigade commander would probably end up being the end.

Thinking of this, he picked up the phone and contacted Belkin in the forest behind the Fourth Camp's position: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, I am Sokov."

"Comrade Brigade Commander, what instructions do you have?"

"Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, judging from the current situation, after the enemy's fierce shelling and bombing, the fortifications on the fourth battalion's positions may be destroyed. Without fortifications to support, the fourth battalion may not be able to defend the position." Sokov said: "So if it can block the enemy's progress, you can only put your hope on the reserve team you command."

"What are you going to let us do?" asked Belkin.

"Snap time to repair the fortifications." Sokov said: "You dig a few trenches in the forest, and even if the fourth battalion's position is broken by the enemy, it can last for a while."

"I understand, comrade comrade," replied Belkin, "I will organize the manpower immediately and repair the fortifications in the forest."

As soon as the work was safe, Romanlov handed a telegram he had just received to Sokov: "Brig Commander, this is a telegram just sent by the headquarters."

Sokov received the telegram and found that it was Malining asking if the enemy had been found near the defense zone of the infantry brigade.

Karsokov next to him came over to see the contents of the telegram, looked at Sokov and asked, "Comrade Brigade Commander, how should we report?"

Sokov looked at him with a strange look and said, "Of course, he reported to his superiors truthfully, saying that the fourth battalion's position was violently bombarded and bombed by the enemy, and no enemy was found to be dispatched to ground troops for the time being."

A few minutes later, Malinin, who received a call from the infantry brigade, came to Rokosovsky with a telegram and reported to him: "Comrade Commander, Major Sokov reported that the enemy only carried out violent shelling and bombing on the fourth battalion's positions, but never dispatched ground troops."

After hearing this, Rokosovsky nodded and walked to an old man wearing a gray military coat, gray hair, two beards, holding a pipe in his hand, and said respectfully: "Comrade Stalin, the infantry brigade reported that the enemy only carried out shelling and bombing a certain part of their defense zone, and there was no sign of launching a ground attack for the time being."

After hearing this, Starlin nodded, then pointed at Rokosovsky with the pipe in his hand and asked, "Comrade Rokosovsky, please tell me, will the enemy choose to make a breakthrough in this direction?"

"Comrade Stalin, I can't give you a positive answer." Rokosovsky organized the words in his mind, and then replied cautiously: "But if the enemy wants to break through the defense line of our army, he will definitely choose the area responsible for the infantry brigade as his first choice."

"Why?"

"The reason is very simple." Rokosovsky said: "This unit is newly formed, with incomplete structure and lacks heavy weapons. The commander and the soldiers are not familiar with each other. Compared with friendly forces, the combat effectiveness should be slightly weaker. More importantly, they do not have our troops behind them. Once the German army's breakthrough is successful, they can rush to the nearer to the headquarters in a very short time."

"What about Volokoramsk?" Stalin asked: "In the battle report I saw, the enemy gathered heavy troops here, trying to break through the defense line of the 316th Infantry Division and open the road to Moscow."

"Although the troops that defended Volokoramsk had only one division nominally, they could get the cooperation of militias in the city, police officers and several guerrillas near the city during combat. In addition, they had strong fortifications, even if the German offensive was fierce, they could hold on for a while."

After hearing this, Stalin nodded and continued to ask: "So after three days, do you have the ability to launch a counterattack against the enemy and drive them farther from Moscow?"

Hearing the other party's question, Rokosovsky twitched his mouth and replied with an awkward expression: "I'm sorry, Comrade Stalin, with our existing troops, equipment and material reserves, we do not have the ability to fight back at all."

Stalin was obviously dissatisfied with Rokosovsky's answer, and his face darkened: "Comrade Rokosovsky, do you know that if we do not launch a counterattack as soon as possible and disrupt the German offensive steps, the situation in Moscow will become even more serious."

Rokosovsky knew what Stalin said, but he was a clever man now. Except for the 316th Infantry Division and the Cavalry Army, the rest of the troops were picked up by him on the road. The system was incomplete and the equipment was also very poor.

After weighing the pros and cons, he said cautiously: "Comrade Stalin, if the Supreme Command can replenish me with new troops, especially tanks and cannons, and a considerable amount of combat supplies, I can launch a counterattack against the current enemy in three days."

After Rokosovsky finished speaking, Stalin did not speak, but stood up and said, "Comrade Rokosovsky, I already know your request. After returning, I will discuss this with the members of the Supreme Command and strive to supplement you with the required soldiers and weapons and equipment. During this period, you should prepare for a counterattack in advance."

As he watched Stalin's convoy leave, Lobachev, who was standing next to Rokosovsky, whispered: "Comrade Commander, do you think the person you came here is true or false?"

Rokosovsky had obviously heard of the substitute. After hearing this question from Lobachev, he showed a bitter smile on his face: "Whether it is true or false, we are going to start preparing for the counterattack he mentioned."

Several people returned to the command center and began to discuss the three-day counterattack plan.

"Comrade Commander," Malinin asked at Rokosovsky, "Where do you think we should fight back?"

Lobachev was stunned and then asked, "Can't we launch a full-scale counterattack?"

"No." Malining replied very simply: "The defense front of our army is 100 kilometers wide, and its troops are already very short of strength. If we want to launch a comprehensive counterattack, our superiors must at least add three infantry divisions, the same number of tank brigades, a large number of artillery, etc., otherwise the counterattack will not work."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, the supplies you mentioned are impossible." Fortunately, Rokosovsky was sober and did not immerse himself in unrealistic fantasies. He said to Malining and Lobachev: "After the war broke out, our army lost a large number of troops, and the formation of a new force took time. Therefore, under the current circumstances, it is impossible for the Supreme Command to replenish us much force."

"If our superiors don't replenish our troops, what should we do if we counterattack three days later?" Malining asked with a worried look: "You can't put all the existing troops into counterattack, right? If the counterattack fails and all our existing troops are lost, then a position without troops to defend will become a decoration, and the door to Moscow will be completely open to the Germans."

"We must not let the Germans rush into Moscow." Rokosovsky said, biting his back teeth: "So we must do everything we can to block the enemy's progress."

Malining was silent for a moment, then asked in a muffled voice: "Comrade Commander, where do you think we should choose to launch a counterattack?"

"How is the location of the infantry brigade now?" Rokosovsky said: "In the counterattack plan of the superiors, they are preparing to launch a counterattack from there, but due to some accidents, the counterattack operation had to be announced before it even began."

"The defense area of ​​the infantry brigade was bombarded and bombed by the German army today. Although the ground attack has not been launched yet, based on my experience, once the German army launches an attack, our army will be difficult to resist." Malining reminded Rokosovsky: "In this case, are you still planning to choose to launch a counterattack in this area?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, look at the terrain here." Rokosovsky pointed to the map in front of him and said to Malining: "Except for the forest on the front of their defense zone, the rest of the places are flat and open lands, which is very conducive to the development of armored forces. In other words, as long as we can break through the enemy's front line during the counterattack, we can then put tanks into the battlefield in batches through the breakthrough."

Malining stared at the location of the infantry brigade and scratched the back of his head and said, "Comrade Commander, the area where the infantry brigade is located is being bombarded and bombed by German troops. Perhaps they will be attacked by infantrymen covered by tanks in the future. I am skeptical about whether the infantry brigade can defend its position. Otherwise, let's change to other locations."

"Other location?" Rokosovsky laughed and retorted: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what do you think can be more ideal than the location of the infantry brigade? Don't look at the sky where artillery fire is everywhere today, you must know that the enemy's strength is only one regiment, plus a certain number of tanks, I don't think they can break through the defense line of the infantry brigade."

"I think I'd better wait a little longer." After Malining said this, he might be worried about some misunderstandings from Rokosovsky, and he explained specifically: "At present, the positions of the infantry brigade were only bombarded and bombed by the enemy, and there has not been a ground attack yet. What is the purpose of their doing this? I think there should be an answer before darkness, so I suggest waiting for a while and then formulating a corresponding combat plan after the situation there is clear."

After listening to Malining's suggestion, Rokosovsky said in a good manner: "Okay, we won't discuss the counterattack three days later. It's not too late to make a combat plan after asking about the infantry brigade in the evening."

Seeing Rokosovsky pushing the discussion, Malining couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and then said, "I just called General Panfirov. He said that with his current strength, he could at least block the Germans for three to five days, and gain valuable time for the arrival of the subsequent troops. Comrade Commander, I would like to ask, when will our reinforcements arrive?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, I cannot answer your question for the time being." Rokosovsky said helplessly: "But according to my analysis, Zhukov does not have any reserve team at all. How can we strengthen our troops? If we want to alleviate the shortage of troops, unless we transfer troops from other battlefields, or send new troops that have just been formed, we can only be supplemented by doing this."

"Comrade Commander, do you need to report to the Commander of the Front?"

Rokosovsky thought for a while and then said, "I call Zhukov in person."

After saying that, he picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, and said to the operator: "Operator, I am Rokosovsky, please pick me up the Front Command and find Zhukov."

The phone was connected soon.

When Zhukov heard that the person who called him was Rokosovsky, he couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Koschika, what are you doing to call me?"

"Comrade General," Rokosovsky said with a serious expression: "A few minutes ago, I just sent off Comrade Stalin who came to inspect."

"What, Comrade Stalin went to your place?" Zhukov asked in surprise: "What did he do to your place?"

"Two days ago, the enemy either threw leaflets on the position, saying that Comrade Stalin had been assassinated by them," Rokosovsky explained: "He came to the 16th Army today to inspect the rumor and make the rumors self-defeating."
Chapter completed!