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Read online “Sevastopol Strada. Belogorsky Evgeniy Aleksandrovich Sevastopol strada

Read online “Sevastopol Strada. Belogorsky Evgeniy Aleksandrovich Sevastopol strada

Author Evgeny Belogorsky

Belogorsky Evgeniy Alexandrovich

Sevastopol strada

Sevastopol strada.

Chapter I. Appointment by Hindenburg.

The meager light of a lamp from a diesel engine illuminated the map of combat operations at the headquarters of the N division, where Army Commander 16, Major General Rokossovsky, arrived two hours ago.

It was hard, very hard to advance at the very beginning of February, when all the momentum of the December offensive had already dried up, and Headquarters stubbornly demanded that the offensive be continued. It was difficult not only because all the reserves carefully prepared by Stalin for the counter-offensive had already been exhausted, and the enemy offered stubborn resistance. Fierce battles were fought for every city, every station and even village, which had to be taken, suffering losses at a ratio of 3 to 1.

Some of the commanders abandoned frontal strikes and began to use the tactics of delivering enveloping strikes, forcing the enemy to retreat under the threat of encirclement, but, unfortunately, there are still not enough of them. There were more of those who could not or did not want to comprehend Suvorov’s “science of winning.”

For this reason, in many units the interaction between tanks, infantry and artillery was very poor. There was no single orchestra whose powerful sound forced the enemy to retreat. Many division commanders had to be literally shoved, forced to advance, and not imitate vigorous activity.

It was for this reason that General Rokossovsky was forced to leave the headquarters of his army and go to the N division to explain to the division commander and his assistants the purpose and objectives of the upcoming offensive.

Fulfilling orders from Headquarters, the army commander managed to take an important stronghold of the German defense, Sukhinichi. Now they had to take Popovka, which the Germans had turned into a well-fortified fortress.

The division commander, summoned to army headquarters, impressed Rokossovsky as an intelligent person, but when Army Chief of Staff Malinin began checking the division’s readiness for an offensive, the picture turned out to be unsightly. The division commander either could not or did not want to attack, and the army commander was forced to pay him a visit.

Arriving at the division headquarters, the general demanded from each of the invited commanders a report on the execution of preparations for the offensive. With a gloomy face, he listened to their reports, then scolded or praised them depending on the report, and then gave new orders and set deadlines for their implementation.

Based on what they asked and how they made entries in their field books, the army commander determined for himself the degree of trust in this or that commander. Overall, their reports gave him a positive impression of the division. The division chief of staff fell out of the overall picture. If we take as a basis that a person who wants to solve a problem looks for ways to solve it, and someone who doesn’t wants to look for reasons, then the chief of staff belonged to the second category.

As soon as Rokossovsky arrived at headquarters, he began diligently listing to him the division's shortcomings, without which it could not continue the offensive. The picture for the army commander was familiar and understandable. In the Western direction there would hardly be a division that did not require urgent replenishment. The general did not like the boring tone of Lieutenant Colonel Gorshechkin. From his first words it was clear that he was deathly afraid to attack and was trying to hide his negative attitude with the needs of the division.

To the great displeasure of the general, in February 1942, there were a great many of these Gorshechkins in the Red Army, and it was extremely difficult to soak such a “cracker”. They always had hidden support, in the form of an influential colleague, a college classmate or a good friend.

Having made a note of memory, Army Commander 16 ordered the map to be presented and began to consolidate the goals and objectives of the division in the upcoming offensive. In the conversation that arose, he was very pleased that the commanders of regiments and brigades did not hesitate to clarify and ask the general about points that were unclear to them.

Thus, the division’s attacks on Rasteryaevka and Bezrukavka will create a threat of encirclement for the enemy garrisons of these villages. If everything is done exactly within the time frame I specified, the Germans will leave them and retreat to Olkhovka - the general, bending over the map, quickly drew a line in the air and pointed with a pencil at the desired point on the map.

Being a true staff worker, Rokossovsky always treated cards with care. Showing Olkhovka, he only lightly pressed on it with a pencil, but for an unknown reason the lead cracked and remained lying on the map.

Cursing to himself, the general extended his hand, brushed off the fragments of the stylus from the map and began to unhurriedly unbend, and at that moment a high explosive shell exploded near the headquarters.

During his stay, the Germans fired several volleys from division guns at the square where the division headquarters was located. Without experiencing an acute shortage of ammunition, German artillerymen could afford to fire across areas. This was done regularly, regardless of the time of day, counting on blind luck, and so she smiled at them.

Exploding three steps from the headquarters of the N division, the shell literally filled the walls of the house in which Rokossovsky was at that moment with its fragments. The explosion, roar and acute pain in the right side of the back merged into one piercing sound for the army commander.

Hit in the back by a shrapnel, he managed to straighten up, say, “Lord, how painful it is,” and move towards the door.

The pain was really strong, tearing the whole body into pieces and became more and more unbearable with every step. The army commander managed to take a few steps before losing consciousness and collapsing into the arms of his orderly.

Rokossovsky woke up from a cold frosty wind that mercilessly burned his face. It turned out that he was lying on a snowmobile, quickly rushing along the night road.

For quick communication in winter off-road conditions, the army commander ordered each division to be allocated a pair of snowmobiles for fast movement, and now he himself was riding on them.

Seeing that the army commander had woken up, the orderly sitting next to him tried to tell him something, but because of the wind, Rokossovsky could not hear him well. The only thing he could make out were the words “Okay!” The general tried to clarify with the orderly, on whose cheek a tear flashed, what exactly was “good,” but at that moment the sleigh shook and he lost consciousness again.

The next time consciousness came to him right on the operating table, when the doctors were already finishing the operation.

“We were born in a shirt, Comrade General,” the surgeon assured him, routinely placing the last stitches on Rokossovsky’s injured back. - If you stood up at the moment of the explosion in full height, a penetrating thoracic wound would be guaranteed for you. And so, only a tangential injury to the soft tissues of the back, albeit with serious damage to the scapula. Of course, he hit you well, the scar will be big, but nothing. The ribs are intact, the lung is not damaged, so we got off happily, Comrade General.

Tell me, doctor, how soon I can return to command of the army. There are too many things to do for a long time,” Rokossovsky clarified, moving his numb lips with difficulty, and then the doctor discouraged him.

I'm afraid not a week or two. A bone injury can cause serious complications, and you have lost a lot of blood. In a word, you need to rest for a month, Comrade General, no less.

“Two weeks,” Rokossovsky outlined the length of his stay in the hospital, “I hope that we can understand each other.”

But here you are mistaken,” the doctor gently objected to him. - An order has been received to transfer you to the Central Hospital in Moscow immediately after the operation. As soon as your condition allows you to be transported, a special plane will be sent to pick you up.

It is difficult to argue with an order from a higher command, especially if the orders are given by VGK rate, represented by Stalin himself. Therefore, the general humbly accepted the decision of the Supreme Commander, although he categorically disagreed with him.

For people like Konstantin Rokossovsky, the worst punishment was not so much removal from office as dismissal from the case. Even lying in a hospital bed waiting for transport to arrive, he was constantly interested in the preparations for the attack on Popovka.

Having learned that the division commander of the N-unit was seriously wounded along with him and Gorshechnikov was performing his duties, Rokossovsky demanded his immediate replacement.

He is afraid to attack. He will only kill people in vain and ruin the whole business. I know such “pure comrades”, everything is correct on the papers, but there is no result, only reasons and circumstances - he told Malinin in a categorical tone to Malinin who came to visit him.

Don’t worry, Konstantin Konstantinovich, I will definitely carry out your instructions regarding the division commander, he assured the general chief of staff.

Who's in the army now?

For now, but they say Zhukov wants to appoint General Bagramyan as army commander.

I know, he's a smart commander. If you work together and will definitely take Popovka, Rokossovsky said and became sad. His army, at the very least, continued to advance to the west, and he had to go east.

Now, without him, combat missions will be solved and plans will be developed. Without it, hot offensive battles and fierce repulsion of the enemy’s fierce counterattacks will be fought. And you can no longer reach the regiments and battalions that have gone forward, you can’t reach them, you can’t see them behind the forest wall that is blackening to the very horizon, among fields densely covered with white snow.

The only joy for Rokossovsky in the Moscow hospital was meeting his family. After June '41, the general had the scant information about them from letters and conversations with the commander. I knew that they were being evacuated and that they were experiencing difficulties, but at that moment all of Russia was experiencing difficulties and half of the country was in evacuation.

But not only local party bodies and the hospital administration were worried about the fate of the wounded general. The competent authorities were also interested in the patient’s condition at the request of Army Commissar 1st Rank Mekhlis Lev Zakharovich.

Getting to know this man was a difficult and most serious test for any Red Army general. Sent by Stalin to the Western Front to clarify the issue of the surrender of Minsk on the sixth day of the war, he left a bad memory of himself among the generals.

A true communist and commissar, Mehlis asked everyone who was to blame for the collapse Western Front and asked harshly. Despite past merits and high position guilty person.

Mehlis’s arrival at the front greatly shook up the general’s community. They feared him, they hated him, but they fulfilled all his demands and, on no other front, there was a mass surrender, with unfurled banners and regimental music.

It is difficult to give an unambiguous assessment of this person. He was not a kind and sympathetic curator who only scolded and patted the guilty person on the head. His main measure has always been the work that the state entrusted to him and for the sake of its implementation. Being a product of his era, he demanded...

Current page: 1 (book has 17 pages in total)

Annotation

Very often in life, an insignificant thing can play an important role. For example, an untimely broken pencil in the hand of General Rokossovsky.

Belogorsky Evgeniy Alexandrovich

Belogorsky Evgeniy Alexandrovich

Sevastopol strada

Sevastopol strada.

Chapter I. Appointment by Hindenburg.

“Thus, the division’s attacks on Rasteryaevka and Bezrukavka will create a threat of encirclement for the enemy garrisons of these villages. If everything is done exactly within the time frame I specified, then the Germans will leave them and retreat to Olkhovka - the general, bending over the map, quickly drew a line in the air and pointed with a pencil at the desired point on the map.

Hit in the back by a shrapnel, he managed to straighten up, say, “God, how painful it is,” and move towards the door.

Rokossovsky woke up from a cold frosty wind that mercilessly burned his face. It turned out that he was lying on a snowmobile, quickly rushing along the night road.

For quick communication in winter off-road conditions, the army commander ordered each division to be allocated a pair of snowmobiles for fast movement, and now he himself was riding on them.

The next time consciousness came to him right on the operating table, when the doctors were already finishing the operation.

“We were born in a shirt, Comrade General,” the surgeon assured him, routinely applying the last stitches to Rokossovsky’s injured back. – If you had stood up to your full height at the time of the explosion, you would have been guaranteed a penetrating thoracic wound. And so, only a tangential injury to the soft tissues of the back, albeit with serious damage to the scapula. Of course, he hit you well, the scar will be big, but nothing. The ribs are intact, the lung is not damaged, so we got off happily, Comrade General.

- Tell me, doctor, how soon I can return to command of the army. There are too many things to do for a long time,” Rokossovsky clarified, moving his numb lips with difficulty, and then the doctor discouraged him.

– I’m afraid not for a week or two. A bone injury can cause serious complications, and you have lost a lot of blood. In a word, you need to rest for a month, Comrade General, no less.

“Two weeks,” Rokossovsky indicated the length of his stay in the hospital, “I hope that we can understand each other.”

“But this is where you are mistaken,” the doctor gently objected to him. – An order has been received to transfer you to the Central Hospital in Moscow immediately after the operation. As soon as your condition allows you to be transported, a special plane will be sent to pick you up.

It is difficult to argue with the order of the higher command, especially if the orders are given by the Supreme Command Headquarters, represented by Stalin himself. Therefore, the general humbly accepted the decision of the Supreme Commander, although he categorically disagreed with him.

Having learned that the division commander of the N-unit was seriously wounded along with him and Gorshechnikov was performing his duties, Rokossovsky demanded his immediate replacement.

- He's afraid to attack. He will only kill people in vain and ruin the whole business. I know such “pure comrades”; according to the papers, everything is correct, but there is no result, just reasons and circumstances - he told Malinin in a categorical tone to Malinin who came to visit him.

“Don’t worry, Konstantin Konstantinovich, I will definitely carry out your instructions regarding the division commander,” he assured the chief of staff general.

- Who is in the army now?

- For now, but they say Zhukov wants to appoint General Bagramyan as army commander.

- I know, smart commander. If you work together and will definitely take Popovka, Rokossovsky said and became sad. His army, at the very least, continued to advance to the west, and he had to go to the east.

A true communist and commissar, Mehlis asked everyone who was responsible for the collapse of the Western Front and asked harshly. Regardless of the past merits and high position of the guilty person.

It was impossible to please or please him. He was deaf to flattery, and he could not stand idle talkers and lovers of loud reports and festive reports. He could only show himself on the good side in the case, more than once or twice, and only then was Mehlis ready to support the person, vouch for him with his commissar’s word.

Faced with a terrifying situation in the command environment of the Red Army in June of forty-one, when it turned out that all the assurances of the people's commissar and chief General Staff The Red Army differed greatly from the true one, he did not give up. He didn’t shoot himself and didn’t go on the run, but tried to somehow correct the current situation.

Being far from stupid person, he understood perfectly well that repressions alone could not correct the matter. Once, having shaken up the Red generals well at the beginning of July '41, he never again insisted to Stalin about repeating this. Neither after the Kyiv disaster, nor after the tragedy of Vyazma and Tallinn, was there mass punishment among the guilty generals.

As a rule, only a few representatives of the upper command class received penalties, in the form of demotion in rank and position, and being sent to the front. Mehlis, like Stalin, saw the correction of illiterate command in the promotion of new commanders capable of fighting the enemy on equal terms. Behind him was the whole of Europe and his officers and generals had a lot of serious military experience, unlike the nominees of the Civil War.

There certainly were such commanders. Their character and skills were forged in brutal battles with the enemy. You just had to look at them, lend your shoulder, and help them take a step in the right direction. And the sooner this is done, the better it will be for everyone.

As Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, he was aware of all the military successes and failures of the huge front stretching from White Sea to the Black Sea. Carefully looking through them, he “penciled” and wrote down in a special notebook those who were worth paying attention to in terms of growth.

Among the people Mehlis was interested in was General Rokossovsky. The deputy of defense remembered him from Battle of Smolensk and could be convinced of the correctness of his judgments during the battle for Moscow.

From the beginning of the forty-second year, Lev Zakharovich was sent by a representative of Headquarters to the Crimea, where the Soviet troops, which had successfully landed, could not get through to Sevastopol, besieged by the Germans and Romanians.

Arriving at the scene, he quickly determined the reasons for the failure and insisted on separating Crimea into an independent front from the general North Caucasus direction. The step was correct and very timely, but the expected success never came. The front commander, General Kozlov, clearly could not cope with the position of front commander.

So, due to the fact that air defense systems were not delivered to Feodosia liberated from the Germans in a timely manner, the cruiser "Red Caucasus" was seriously damaged by enemy aircraft fire. In the liberated territory of Crimea, not a single medical hospital was organized and all the wounded had to be sent by sea to Kuban. The formations of the 51st and 44th armies that landed in the Crimea poorly coordinated their actions, which is why the offensive impulse of the landing was wasted, and a protracted positional war began.

Any war is never without mistakes and Lieutenant General Kozlov was not immune from them like anyone else Soviet general that time. However, taking poorly thought out and poorly prepared actions, he did not seek to draw proper conclusions from the failures that befell him.

Moreover, he resisted in every possible way the actions of Mehlis to restore order to the front troops, doing everything that the representative of the Headquarters said, as they say, “under pressure.”

It took a lot of effort for Lev Zakharovich to achieve the transfer of the front headquarters from Tbilisi, from where Kozlov led the troops to the Crimea. Only Stalin’s intervention forced the commander to leave the quiet and cozy capital of Georgia and go to Kerch, where every day he could be bombed or shelled.

Such tense relations between the front commander and the representative of the Headquarters could not end in anything good and the offensive undertaken by the Crimean Front at the end of February ended in vain. The front's troops were unable to break through the enemy's defenses to their entire depth, despite some successes at the beginning of the operation.

And if Kozlov explained the failure that befell him by the understaffing of the divisions, fatigue of personnel and a small number of artillery and tanks, then Mehlis directly accused him of inability to lead troops.

In a telephone conversation with Stalin immediately after the end of the operation, he demanded the removal of Kozlov from his post as front commander.

– Kozlov, a Soviet gentleman who loves to eat and drink sweets, and does not like to do business, gave an unflattering description of the Mehlis commander. – He is lazy, does not like painstaking and everyday work, does not check the fulfillment of the orders and instructions given to him. He is not interested in operational issues, he leads the troops exclusively from headquarters, any trip to the frontline area is “punishment for him.” For this reason, he does not enjoy authority among the personnel of the front armies; the troops do not know their commander. I urgently ask you to replace Kozlov, Comrade Stalin.

At the other end of the line, the leader patiently let his “left hand” speak, and then spoke.

- Comrade Mehlis. You paint a portrait of the commanders who make up about forty percent of the generals of the Red Army, and you know this no worse than I do. At the moment, we do not have Hindenburg at hand, who can correct all the mistakes made by the front leadership and defeat the enemy in the Crimea. We fight with what we have at our disposal and I dare to assure you, we fight well. I really hope that you will draw the appropriate conclusions and follow our example. As a representative of Headquarters, you have enough authority to solve such problems.

“I’m not asking you to send me the Hindenburg, Comrade Stalin.” To correct the situation, an intelligent and decisive general is needed. A month ago I asked to send me General Klykov, but you refused me. Now, as a representative of the Headquarters, I kindly ask you to send General Rokossovsky to Crimea.

- Whom? – Stalin asked in surprise.

“Major General Rokossovsky, former commander of the 16th Army,” Mehlis repeated confidently and there was silence on the phone for a few seconds. The leader of the world proletariat had an excellent memory, and he soon continued the conversation without looking at the papers or notebook.

– As far as I know, General Rokossovsky was wounded and is now being treated in one of the hospitals in the capital. Or do you have other information? – Stalin said slowly.

- No, that's right. But according to doctors, the general’s wound is not dangerous and by the beginning of next month, they plan to discharge him.

– Rokossovsky himself told you this? Have you talked to him?

- No, I spoke with the chief physician of the hospital, and he was on the phone with me, asking the general’s attending physician.

- Let's not rush, Comrade Mehlis. The man has not yet recovered from his wound, and you are already driving him to the front. Perhaps he needs to undergo proper treatment before returning to duty. Let's not rush - Stalin drew a line in the conversation, but the interlocutor did not agree with him.

“According to the doctors, the general insists on an early discharge and asks for this to be done by the end of March,” the deputy people’s commissar demonstrated his good knowledge.

“I’m afraid that General Zhukov will not agree with such a decision.” He has long been waiting for the return of General Rokossovsky to the position of army commander - the leader pointedly hinted to his interlocutor, but he remained deaf to his hints.

– General Zhukov acts based on his front-line interests, while here in Crimea the fate of an entire direction is being decided. If we are not able to turn the tide of events in the near future, then by the summer we may lose Sevastopol, Comrade Stalin. As a communist and a representative of Headquarters, it’s hard for me to talk about this, but I have to tell you the truth. The situation is very serious and if we don’t throw Manstein into Sivash, then he will throw us into the Black Sea, there is no other option.

After these words, silence fell again on the phone, which lasted a little longer this time. Mehlis knew which buttons to press and used it.

– I think that we should not overdramatize the results of our failures in Crimea, Comrade Mehlis. Marshal Shaposhnikov and I are not inclined to see everything that happens in your country in black terms. Perhaps everything is not as bad as you think.

“I’m not exaggerating at all, Comrade Stalin, but I’m trying to report everything to you as it is.” And what I see here now reminds me in many ways of the events of August last year near Luga. It is necessary to change the leadership of the front as soon as possible and I don’t see a better candidate for the post of commander of the Crimean Front than General Rokossovsky, I speak honestly, as if in spirit - the commissar honestly admitted and Stalin heard the voice of his envoy.

– Thank you for your frankness, Comrade Mehlis. The rate will try to respond to your request as quickly as possible.

The Supreme Commander never wasted his words, and after several days, Rokossovsky, in a brand new lieutenant general’s uniform, was taken to a reception with Stalin.

Such a rapid change in the rank of Konstantin Konstantinovich was due to two facts. Firstly, he fought well in the battle for Moscow, was wounded, and Stalin always promoted wounded commanders to the front before being sent to the front. On the part of the leader, this was a cunning move, which, on the one hand, paid tribute for the blood shed, and on the other hand, obliged him to justify the trust placed in him. Secondly, Stalin got acquainted with the general’s registration card and was forced to agree with Mehlis’s opinion. The general really showed great promise. He could have been tried as a front commander, but the rank of major general did not in any way correspond to this high position.

As a rule, Stalin made the final decision on the appointment of a front commander only after a personal meeting with the candidate, and therefore Rokossovsky was taken to the Kremlin.

- Hello, Comrade Rokossovsky. Glad to see you in good health. How are you feeling after the injury? The doctors say that you are threatening to escape from the hospital and return to the front,” the leader smiled slyly, shaking hands in a friendly manner with the taken aback general. From so unexpected question Rokossovsky hesitated, which made Stalin smile.

Soldiers and commanders are running to the front - I still understand this. But if the generals begin to leave the hospital without permission, then, excuse me, the devil knows what. “It’s a mess,” the Supreme General scolded and immediately pointed him to one of the chairs at the long conference table. – Sit down in Voroshilov’s place. He is not in Moscow now, so feel free to settle down.

He liked that the general did not shy away when he got into the office of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and sat down with a certain dignity on the indicated chair.

– So, how do you feel, Comrade Rokossovsky, just tell me honestly. It seems to me that it is too early for you to return to the front?

- No, Comrade Stalin. “I feel good, and if the doctors allow it, I’m ready to go to my army immediately,” Rokossovsky assured the leader, but he only shook his head in response.

– There’s no need to rush so much. The war will not get away from you, and we need you strong and healthy. As for your army, according to the latest reports received from the headquarters of the Western Front, it is at war. Not as good as we all wanted. She took Popovka and is going to attack Kirov and Zhizdra with her forces. Do you think your comrades will take them?

– If they receive human reinforcements, howitzer divisions and at least a tank regiment, they will definitely take it, Comrade Stalin.

– And without howitzers and tanks, will they be able to capture these cities? After all, the main forces of the enemy have been defeated, and he desperately clings to every locality for fear of being in the middle of an open field and freezing. You just need to skillfully strike at the enemy’s flanks and drive him to Smolensk, as the great Russian commander Kutuzov did - the leader nodded his head at the portrait of the field marshal that adorned the wall of his office.

“That’s right, Comrade Stalin,” Rokossovsky agreed, “but the German is no longer the same as he was in December.” With the arrival of General Model, their fear disappeared, they believed in themselves, and that’s why they fight so stubbornly, despite the fact that our forces are still equal to them. Their only advantage is the number of shells; they do not experience the shortage that our artillerymen suffer. And we still lack aviation in battles with the enemy.

– There will definitely be shells, tanks and planes. Everything is already being supplied to the troops, but not in the quantities we wanted. I think that by the second half of this year we will be able to cover the needs of the front by 65-70 percent, and by the end of the year we will increase this figure to 90 percent. In the meantime, we need to make do with what we have and be sure to continue the offensive.

“It will be a great help to the front troops if our troops operating in the rear near Model manage to cut off the supply routes for the enemy’s Rzhev group.” At least a train connection.

“They have been given this task, but it is unknown when they will be able to do it.” They cite supply difficulties, losses, and German resistance. Then the spring thaw will probably start, a lot of other reasons will appear and people will start talking about the need to stop the offensive. As Comrade Vlasov tells us about this, that he has been trampling around Lyubanya for almost a whole month, Stalin got up from his chair and began to leisurely walk around the office.

“Tell me, Comrade Rokossovsky, what you think should be done.” Should we sit, wait for the second half of the year, accumulate strength, or continue to advance, not allowing the enemy to gain a foothold? – asked the leader, stopping next to the general. As soon as he did this, Rokossovsky immediately stood up from his chair and, straightening his still sagging figure, spoke.

– I am always for the offensive, Comrade Stalin, but in the current situation it is impossible to attack on all fronts. It is necessary to carry out small, local operations, which, if not changed general position, it will seriously complicate the enemy’s offensive campaigns this summer. You should strike not with your fingers, but with your fist, creating numerical superiority in the desired section of the front and thereby breaking through the German defenses, as they did last summer.

“That is, you propose to take the enemy’s tactics and strategy and completely copy it,” the leader asked a tricky question, but the general was not embarrassed.

- No, I am against blind copying. We need to take the best from German military art and use it wisely in our armies.

- For example?

– To debug the connection between aviation and ground connections, as the Germans have. Make it obligatory to have an artilleryman in the advancing infantry formations, who can adjust the cannon fire by radio if such a need arises, and they always exist - upon hearing these judgments, Stalin grinned.

– I’m glad that Comrade Mehlis was not mistaken when he characterized you as a thinking person whose soul is rooted in the cause. It is no secret that we have many generals who are ready to sacrifice their entire army for the sake of a victorious report to Headquarters. Yes, you sit down, sit down, Comrade Rokossovsky, the conversation has just begun.

Seeing the awkwardness of his interlocutor, the leader sat down on the chair next to him, and looking intently into his face, said.

- Headquarters has an opinion to appoint you commander of the Crimean Front instead of General Kozlov, Comrade Rokossovsky. He is unable to develop our offensive in the Crimea and lift the siege of Sevastopol. I tried twice, but nothing, as they say, is still there. We gave Comrade Kozlov a lot of troops, but he cannot use them correctly, and time, as you understand, is working for the enemy.

You performed well at Smolensk and during the defense of Moscow. Headquarters believes that you will be able to correct the current situation in Crimea and help the people of Sevastopol. Do you agree? - Stalin asked a question, which in the current situation had a purely rhetorical meaning.

- I agree, Comrade Stalin. This is of course a great honor for me, but to be honest, it was completely unexpected. I will do my best to justify the high trust placed in me by the party, the government and you personally. When to leave? – Rokossovsky asked clearly in a military manner, which pleased the leader even more.

– According to doctors, you need a week to completely improve your health. According to intelligence data, you are ready to fly to the front right now. Headquarters gives you four days to recover your health and get up to speed, Comrade Lieutenant General,” Stalin specially emphasized the new rank of general.

– All the documents you need will be delivered to you at the hospital. If you have any questions or need additional information, call the phone number they will give you and they will bring everything to you. It is very important for us that you arrive at the front fully armed and ready. Now there is a lull in Crimea, there is no urgent need to send you there, so take advantage of the moment you have. After you take over the business from Comrade Kozlov, look around and report to us your opinion on the situation at the front, as well as your proposals for correcting it.

- I obey, Comrade Stalin.

- And here’s another thing. Mehlis asked you to be sent personally to replace Kozlov, but knowing his character, I do not exclude the possibility that you and him may have disagreements. Comrade Mehlis is an honest, but rather complex person. Try to find him mutual language. As a representative of Headquarters, he will be able to help you in many ways, but remember that you are the front commander, not Mehlis. And first of all, Headquarters will ask you, and not the 1st rank army commissar. If you have serious disagreements, call us, we will support you, but we need Crimea, we don’t need a free Sevastopol. I hope that everything will work out for you, Comrade Rokossovsky,” Stalin lightly touched the general’s shoulder with his hand, as if in parting words. – Do you have any questions or suggestions?

– Starting a new business in a new place is always difficult. I would like to ask your permission to take several people from the 16th Army with me. I know them well, they know me, and I don’t want to waste time getting used to the new team.

– Take everyone you think needs to be taken with you to Crimea. Prepare a list and the Headquarters will approve it. Anything else?

– Sevastopol is primarily a sea fortress, like Kronstadt on the Baltic. Therefore, I want to ask about the interaction between the front and the fleet. To what extent can you count on support from seafarers?

Knowing how sensitive admirals are to the integrity of their ships, Rokossovsky wanted to know whether he would be subordinated Black Sea Fleet Crimean Front or will provide assistance after agreement with People's Commissar Kuznetsov. The question was important. Mekhlis had already raised it in conversations over the direct line, but Stalin was in no hurry to make his decision. On the one hand, knowing Stalin’s love for big ships, the sailors pressed him, insisting on maintaining their autonomy. On the other hand, he did not see a person among the military who could be given such an expensive thing as a fleet without fear that he would use it ineptly.

Yes, General Rokossovsky impressed the leader, but this was not enough; in addition to the new rank, position and complete freedom of hands, he also received the fleet under his command. It had to be earned, and Stalin made a half-hearted decision.

– Vice Admiral Oktyabrsky will provide you with full support in all your actions related to the offensive on the Crimean Peninsula, Comrade Rokossovsky. You can do it, don’t worry about it,” the Supreme General assured, and he obediently accepted his decision.

Belogorsky Evgeniy Alexandrovich

Sevastopol strada

Sevastopol strada.

Chapter I. Appointment by Hindenburg.