The major stepped back, took off his military cap, opened his hands, and said helplessly: "Comrade General, please take a closer look. Can you recognize who I am?"

I stepped off the pedal, stood opposite him, and looked at the middle-aged officer carefully. The more I looked, the more I became familiar, but I just couldn't remember where I saw him.

Seeing that I hadn't recognized myself for a long time, the major sighed, putting the general cap on his head again, and said leisurely: "Comrade General, have you forgotten the red Bresno subway station and that strange train?"

Subway station, train, these two words were connected together, and suddenly a name that was almost forgotten appeared in my mind. I pointed at each other and said excitedly: "I remember, you are Bukov, Bukov. The lieutenant is the battalion commander of the militia annihilation battalion." When I stretched out my hands to shake hands with him, I caught a glimpse of the rank of major on his epaulettes, and couldn't help saying, "I didn't expect you to be a major now."

"Comrade General," Major Bukov, who shook hands with me, said sensibly, "When I first saw you that year, you were still a lieutenant colonel, but now you are a general."

Seeing that Bukov and I were talking and laughing, the commanders around the truck spread out and returned to their guard positions so as not to hinder my chat with Bukov. Because they can also tell that their commander and I are old acquaintances.

When the commanders and fighters around us were almost gone, and we were left with Captain Yushchenko, I asked Bukov curiously: "Major, are you still commanding the destroyer battalion now?"

"No, Comrade General." Bukov reported to me truthfully: "When our army launched a major counteroffensive against the Germans under Moscow City, my unit was incorporated into the 16th Army and participated in quite a few. In February 1942, I was injured and returned to Moscow. After I was discharged from the hospital, I was transferred to the Moscow Garrison Command. Not long ago, I was promoted to the rank of major."

I looked around. Then asked in a low voice: "Why do you have so many people on duty here, and what about these tanks?"

Bukov heard my question. Feeling a little excited, he said, "General Oshanina, don't you know that we will have the'May Day Parade' tomorrow. These new tanks are all technical equipment to be consulted."

parade? ! Bukov’s words puzzled me. As far as I know, during the entire Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union seemed to have only held a military parade when the German soldiers were near the city. It was not until the surrender of Germany in 1945 that the military parade was held again, and now I am puzzled at what "May National Congress Parade" is going to be held inexplicably.

But I didn't ask Bukov why the military parade was held, because he certainly didn't know the inside story at his level. But in this way, I vaguely guessed that Zhukov's reason for urging me back to Moscow was probably related to this military parade.

I looked at the officers and men on duty standing around the tank, and curiously asked Bukov: "Comrade Major, what happened just now. If you show up a little later, maybe we'll fight together."

Listening to what I said, Bukov smiled embarrassedly. A little embarrassingly explained to me: "General Oshanina, you don't know, the order we received is to closely guard this batch of technical equipment, and no one is allowed to approach it without the permission of the superior. Once a person trying to get close to the new equipment is discovered, regardless of their rank, they can be killed directly."

Bukov's words scared me into a cold sweat. It turned out that the soldiers pointed their guns at us just now. It is not a bluff, but it is entirely possible to pull the trigger and fire at us. If it really fought together. We are under the siege of so many people, the possibility of annihilation is too great. Even if a responsible person like Bukov was severely punished afterwards, it would not make any sense to the four of us.

"Comrade Major," Captain Yushchenko next to him pointed to the pedestrians on both sides of the street and asked unwillingly: "Since you have not imposed martial law on this street, what will you do with ordinary citizens passing by these technical equipment? What?"

Regarding Yushchenko’s question, Bukov said sternly: “Lieutenant, have you not seen that every tank is guarded by two soldiers? One person is responsible for guarding the center of the street and stopping vehicles that attempt to park next to the tank queue; the other A soldier was on the street, urging the passing citizens to speed up and leave here as soon as possible." Then he said to Yushchenko in a reproachful tone, "Comrade Captain, do you know how risky your behavior was just now? If one of the commanders gets nervous and the weapon in his hand goes off, then something serious will happen."

I still have some responsibility for the matter just now. If it were not for my whim and want to see a new tank parked on the side of the road, Yushchenko would not have a conflict with the commanders on guard. Seeing his embarrassed expression at the moment, I immediately took the initiative to apologize to Bukov: "Major, this matter is all my responsibility. If I hadn't ordered the parking to see the new tank on the side of the road, my guard battalion commander would also There will be no conflict with your subordinates."

"Comrade General, it's not like that." Listening to what I said, Bukov shook his hands quickly: "You are not the fault of this matter. My subordinates are too reckless." After speaking, he turned his head and rushed to stand nearby on duty. The two soldiers ordered: "Come over and apologize to General Oshanina and her guard battalion commander."

Following Bukov’s order, the two soldiers who were the first to point their guns at Yushchenko walked over in frustration, and reluctantly apologized to Yushchenko in a low voice: "Sorry, Comrade Commander, we were wrong. Please forgive us."

Originally, Yushchenko still had an angry expression on his face when he watched the two come over. When the two apologized to him, he became a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and said with a hey smile: I'm sorry, comrades soldiers, you are doing the right thing." After speaking, he walked over, raised his hand and patted the shoulders of the two in a friendly way, in order to resolve the conflict between the two parties not long ago.

In order to find out why Zhukov urged me to return to Moscow, I didn't dare to delay too much time here. After a brief chat with Buko, I boarded the car again and rushed to Zhukov's headquarters.

When our truck drove to the door, it was stopped by a sentry standing at the door. Yushchenko poked his head out of the car window and said to an officer who came by: "General Oshanina is in the car. She is in a hurry to see Comrade Marshal immediately."

After hearing what he said, the officer looked into the car and raised his hand to salute me. Then he turned and rushed to the sentry standing at the door and shouted: "Let go!" Following the order he gave, the railing that was originally at the door was horizontal. He was lifted high by the sentinel and let the way in.

When the truck drove to the parking lot and stopped, I found that there were a lot of cars parked outside. In addition to seven or eight black cars, there were more than a dozen three-wheeled motorcycles. Many of them were obviously guards who served as guards. Chat in a circle. Seeing our car stopped, they all cast curious glances at us.

After I get out of the car. The officers and men who were sitting on or leaning on the motorcycle quickly straightened their bodies and raised their hands to salute me. After paying a gift, I quickly passed through them and walked into the headquarters building.

When I entered the conference room where Zhukov held the meeting, I was immediately frightened by the many high-level commanders sitting around the conference table. In the crowd, I saw Vasilevsky, Rokosovsky, Terekin, Vatutin, Khrushchev, Konev, and Sokolovsky who called me.

Seeing me entering the door, Zhukov, who was talking, stopped. He pointed his finger at the place opposite him and said to me: "Lida, you are back. Sit down first."

I just took my seat. Zhukov went on to say: "Everyone remembers the military parade on November 7, 1941. In order to ensure the military parade, we launched a large-scale counterattack against the areas occupied by the Germans in early November. General. The front is stabilized at a relatively far distance from the city. At the same time, a large number of anti-aircraft guns and aircraft have been mobilized from various places to ensure safety over Moscow."

Almost all the commanders present witnessed the military parade. When Zhukov mentioned the military parade, their faces showed joy. It is important to know that the troops participating in the review at that time included troops temporarily transferred from the front line, Dzerzhinsky Division, the most powerful combatant under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and troops from the Far Eastern Military Region that had just been transferred from Siberia.

"...In addition to our regular army. There is also a special unit." Zhukov gushed: "They don't even have uniform uniforms, and their ages are also uneven. Even the weapons in their hands are worn-out antiques. They are. It is the Moscow militia. Although their equipment is backward and they have not undergone rigorous military training, their performance on the battlefield is good, not worse than our regular army.

...... The heavy equipment to be read includes both new tanks that just rolled off the assembly line from the arsenal, and antique cannons used during the Mala War in the Crimean War. ...

Although many officers and soldiers participating in the military parade were dusty and sloppy, the scene where the military parade was held was also chaotic, and the formation of the phalanx on foot was not neat. "I have the same feelings as a participant in the military parade about what Zhukov said, so when he said this, I instinctively nodded and agreed. "It is this who is called'unsightly' by some people with ulterior motives." The military parade here is undoubtedly a model of bravery and the five. The inspiration it brings to the whole people cannot be underestimated. This military parade played the role of boosting morale to the extreme, so our high morale commanders could finally repel the German offensive and drove them far away from Moscow. "

As soon as Zhukov finished speaking, Vasilievsky, who was sitting on his right hand, went on to speak: "Comrades, this military parade was proposed by Comrade Stalin. He did this to celebrate what we achieved in Stalingrad. The great victory is also to help all people build confidence in defeating the fascist invaders."

Speaking of this, Vasilevsky showed a triumphant expression on his face: "The troops participating in this military parade are composed of various fronts, military academies, and the National Defense Commission, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Moscow garrison. Regiment, each mixed group consists of 1,000 fighters, and there are also 20 mixed group commanders, including the group commander, deputy commander, regimental chief of staff, battalion commander, company commander, and so on.

As for the heavy weapons and equipment to be read, I must have seen the long queue of tanks covered with camouflage nets parked on Gorky Street on the way here, right? "

Hearing his question, almost all the commanders replied in unison: "Yes, we saw it."

"As a representative of the base camp," Vasilievsky said with a smile on his face: "I am honored to announce to you that you will see a new type of tank at tomorrow's military parade. This type of tank is for all German troops. The nemesis of tanks, as long as they control the air dominance on the battlefield, then our armored forces will crush all the resistance of the Germans on the ground and drive them out of our land."

After Vasilevsky's words were spoken, the commanders whispered one after another. Although I can't hear what they are talking about, from the joy on their faces, I know it must be some exciting news. And Zhukov, who was sitting opposite me, did not speak to stop everyone, but looked at the scene in front of him with a smile.

After a while, seeing everyone talking about it, Zhukov knocked on the table. After everyone was quiet, Zhukov opened and said: "Because the preparation time for this military parade is very short, it will be temporarily taken from the Central Front and Voronezh Front. It must be too late to deploy troops. So the base camp decided temporarily to let those reserve troops that will be supplemented by the above two fronts participate in the inspection on their behalf. Comrade Rokosovsky and Comrade Vatutin!" Zhukov said later. , Suddenly clicked the names of the commanders of the two fronts.

Rokosovsky and Vatutin are veterans with more than two decades of military service~lightnovelpub.net~ Hearing Zhukov calling themselves, they immediately jumped up from their seats, stood straight and stood in the distance. Waiting for Zhukov to say the next thing.

Seeing the two men in such a standard military posture, Zhukov smiled and nodded, and then asked: "Do you have any comments on the arrangement of the base camp?"

"No!" The two agreed in unison, and sat down again.

After hearing Zhukov’s arrangement, I finally understood why such a large-scale military parade, as the chief of staff of the Central Front Army, Ma Lining, did not know why. It turned out that the reference troops of the Central Front Army and the Voronezh Front Army were not drawn from the front at all. Instead, the troops prepared to be supplemented to them would take their place in the parade tomorrow.

Seeing that the two had no objection, Zhukov turned his head and murmured a few words with Vasilevsky, then turned his head and said to everyone: "There are only less than 20 hours left before the preparation ceremony for tomorrow. Everyone will be there immediately. Go to the army to see if there are any problems that need to be resolved, so that there will be no mistakes in the review tomorrow. Do you understand?"

All the commanders except Zhukov and Vasilevsky stood up and shouted: "Understood!" (To be continued.)