"Where are the Russians preparing to negotiate?" Major General Val asked.
The officer replied: "It is said to be in their 67th Guard Division."
"Send someone to contact the Russians immediately," Major General Val ordered: "Just say we are going to negotiate with them, and please be sure to ensure the safety of our negotiators."
"Your Excellency," the chief of staff, who was standing beside him, quickly reminded him: "Are you really planning to negotiate with the Russians?"
"Chief of Staff, can't we negotiate with the Russians in our current situation?"
"Sir, please be honest." The Chief of Staff said to Major General Val: "The Russians may also treat those captured Defense Force officers and soldiers, but they are basically shot directly to the officers and soldiers of our SS. In other words, no matter whether we continue to fight or put down our weapons to surrender to the Russians, we cannot escape the fate of death."
"But if there is no negotiation, the Russians will use their rockets to attack us." Major General Val said: "Do you think our officers and soldiers can withstand the Russian rocket attack?"
The Chief of Staff also witnessed the power of rockets with his own eyes. The offensive team of thousands of people was attacked by the Soviet rockets, and they were killed or injured. If they fired into the forest again and caused a forest fire, then the surviving officers and soldiers who are now surviving will be burned alive even if they are not bombed to death.
Seeing that the Chief of Staff was silent, Major General Val continued: "We send people to negotiate to understand the bottom line of the Russians. If it is beneficial to us, even if we put down our weapons and surrender, there is nothing great. But if we find that they just want to destroy us, it will not be too late to continue to resist."
After hearing Major General Val's words, the Chief of Staff nodded silently and then asked: "Sir, you know who you plan to send to negotiate with the Russians?"
Major General Val sighed softly and said, "I think I should be the negotiator in person to understand the Russians' true intentions."
"Ah, Master Division, do you want to go to negotiate in person?" The Chief of Staff was startled when he heard Major General Val say this: "No, this is too dangerous, you can't go."
"Chief of Staff, I don't want to go either." Major General Val said with a wry smile: "But if I just send ordinary officers over, if the Russians put forward any excessive conditions, he doesn't know how to bargain. Once the Russians are angry, they may launch an attack in advance, and our situation will be bad at that time."
Seeing that Major General Val had made up his mind and knew that it would be useless to persuade him, the Chief of Staff said tactfully: "I think I'll let someone notify the Russians and say you want to go over to negotiate in person. I think the Russians' middle and senior officers may not be detrimental to you, but are afraid that the soldiers below will fire cold guns at you."
Major General Val agreed with the Chief of Staff’s proposal. He quickly called another officer and told him: “Go and tell the officer just now that when you contact the Russians, you must tell the other party, and that I will go and negotiate with their supreme commander in person, hoping that the other party can ensure my life safety.”
Besides, Merkulov had just learned that the German army was going to send people to negotiate, and suddenly heard that Major General Val was going to be the representative to negotiate in person, and was shocked. He quickly picked up the phone, called the headquarters, and asked: "I am Merkulov, I want to ask, has the commander set off?"
The person who answered the phone was Chief of Staff Witkov. He quickly asked, "Comrade General, has something happened?"
"It's like this, Comrade Chief of Staff." Merkulov said: "We have just received a notice from the German army that their division commander, Major General Val, is preparing to come here to negotiate in person and ask us to send someone to protect their safety."
"Comrade General, you can agree to the enemy's request." Witkov said: "The division commander and the military commissioner will soon arrive at your place. Then you will report this to them in person."
Sokov and Lunev, under the protection of the guard platoon, came to Merkulov's division headquarters.
When they saw the two of them entering the door, someone shouted loudly: "Standing at attention!"
With the shouts, everyone stopped their work and stood up straight toward Sokov and Lunev who were walking in. Merkulov even stepped forward and raised his hand to report to the two: "Comrade Commander, Comrade Military Commissioner, on behalf of the commanders and fighters of all the divisions, I welcome your arrival."
After Sokov raised his hand and returned the salute, he asked Merkulov: "Comrade General, have the Germans sent someone to negotiate?"
"They have sent someone to contact us and say that the division commander Valle will come to negotiate in person." Merkulov reported to Sokov: "He hopes we can but put his personal safety."
"No problem." Sokov replied without thinking: "Comrade General, please inform the other party that we will ensure the safety of the other party when we come to negotiate with the white flag. Remember, we must let them sing the white flag."
When Merkulov heard Sokov say this, he was stunned at first, and then replied loudly: "I understand, Comrade Commander, I will definitely let the enemy come over with the white flag."
After waiting for more than half an hour, a soldier came in and reported to Merkulov: "Comrade Commander, Major General Val of the Imperial Division has arrived at the door. Should he come in?"
Merkulov quickly turned his head to look at Sokov. Seeing Sokov nodding, he ordered the warriors: "Let him come in!"
A moment later, Sokov saw a German general wearing a big-brimmed hat and a German captain following the soldiers.
The general crossed the soldiers leading the way, took two steps forward, and stopped, and spoke a lot in German arrogantly. After saying that, he turned his head to the German captain behind him and waved his head, signaling him to be a translator for himself. The captain nodded and translated what the general said to everyone: "This Major General Val, who is the Imperial Division, is here to negotiate with you as the representative of the German army. I hope we can end this battle in a peaceful way so that no one on both sides will be injured."
"What does he mean?" After hearing the translation, Merkulov turned his head and said angrily to Sokov and Lunev: "I heard the Germans' tone, as if they had the upper hand and came here to persuade us to surrender. They were simply unscrupulous bastards."
Sokov did not get angry, but asked lightly: "Where is our translation?"
When Merkulov heard Sokov say this, he quickly called a sergeant and introduced him to Sokov, "This is the translator in our teacher."
"Comrade Sergeant," Sokov said to the translator: "If you tell the other party, they are already trapped in our siege, the reinforcements will definitely not come. If you don't want to be completely annihilated by us, the only way is to put down your weapons and surrender to us."
The arrogant German general was Major General Val. After seeing a young Russian general saying a few words to the translator, the other party translated the original words truthfully. Major General Val looked at Sokov and then looked at Merkulov. No matter how he looked at him, Merkulov was much older. Logically speaking, in such an occasion, shouldn't the first person to speak be an older general? Why was a young general pointing fingers there?
He looked at Sokov and asked tentatively: "I want to ask, who am I honored to talk to?"
After hearing the translation, Sokov sneered and said, "I am Major General Sokov, the commander of the Sixth Army, Major General Val. I have long admired you. You used to be the commander of the police division. Because the troops under your command achieved good results on the periphery of Leningrad, you were transferred to the commander of the Imperial Division. Am I right?"
Major General Val was stunned when he learned that the person standing in front of him was Sokov, who was afraid of many German generals. He was stunned for a long time before he asked tentatively: "Are you the Russian colonel Sokov who is standing by Mamayev?"
"Yes, it's me."
Major General Val, who was originally arrogant, immediately turned a 180-degree turn when he learned that the young Russian general in front of him was Sokov, who was frightened by the German army. He took a step forward, reached out to Sokov, and said politely: "Hello, General Sokov, I'm glad to know you."
"Hello, General Val." Sokov held the other party's hand and said in a polite and estranged tone: "I think it is a gratifying thing to see you here."
As soon as Sokov said, not only Major General Val was confused, but even the other commanders and soldiers did not understand why Sokov said this. Finally, Major General Val asked his question: "General Sokov, I don't quite understand what you mean. Can you say more details?"
"General Val, your troops are now trapped in our encirclement, and from all signs, Hauser may not be able to send reinforcements to you. It is inevitable that your entire army will be destroyed." Sokov said calmly: "I originally wanted to order the troops to fire rockets directly into the forest and use artillery fire to completely eliminate you. But with your appearance, we have an additional way to end this battle."
"What method?" Major General Val asked tentatively: "Is it that we will put down our weapons and surrender?"
"Yes," Sokov nodded and replied, "this is the only way you don't want to be wiped out by our artillery fire."
"General Sokov," said Major General Val with a bitter face: "Realistically speaking, we are surrounded by a lot, and there is extremely shortage of ammunition and supplies. Choosing to surrender is our only way. But..."
"But what?" Merkulov asked first.
"I heard that the officers and soldiers of the National Defense Forces surrendered to you will usually be treated as prisoners of war." Major General Val said: "But the SS officers and soldiers who were caught by you, whether they took the initiative to put down their weapons or were captured after fighting, were all shot by you. I am worried that if my troops surrendered to you, they would probably be shot. If this is true, we would rather choose to fight to the last person and shoot out the last bullet."
Although Sokov kept saying that he wanted to use rockets to destroy the remnants of the Imperial Division in the forest, he knew in his heart that all the rockets were exhausted and he could only launch an attack in a conventional way. If the Imperial Division officers and soldiers in the forest fought to trap beasts, even if they could wipe out all the enemies, there would be no small casualties.
In order not to allow the troops to suffer unnecessary casualties, Sokov decided to make his own decision. He told Major General Val: "That's right, all the SS officers and soldiers captured by our army were shot, because they committed numerous heinous crimes on our territory. They could only use death to forgive the things they had done."
When Major General Val heard Sokov say this, he silently recalled what the imperial master did after entering the Soviet Union. He did indeed do many inhuman things. Even if they were shot ten or eight times, it would be difficult to forgive one percent of the sins.
Seeing Major General Val remained silent, Sokov knew in his heart that he had touched the other party's worries and continued: "Of course, we can also adapt to the situation according to the specific circumstances on the battlefield. If you are willing to take the initiative to put down your weapons and surrender, reducing unnecessary losses from both sides, I can guarantee you that I will surely ensure the safety of the lives of the surrendered officers and soldiers."
"General Sokov," Major General Val seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw when he heard Sokov say this and asked quickly: "Can you really ensure the personal safety of our remaining officers and soldiers?"
"Yes, General Val." Sokov nodded and replied in a positive tone: "I can assure you."
Major General Val said to Sokov after pondering for a long time: "General Sokov, I have a request, I hope you can agree."
"Mad, you are desperate and you still have to ask us." The Chief of Staff of the Division said gritting his teeth beside Merkulov: "I think it's just a rocket that will blow them all to death or burn them to death. Now the world will be quiet."
"Don't talk." Merkulov turned his head and glanced at him, glaring at him: "Let me tell you what the commander said."
"General Val," Sokov heard Major General Val say that there was a request, thinking that as long as it was not too much, he could agree to him, so he nodded and asked, "If you have any request, just say it."
"I hope that when you announce the results of the war, you must emphasize that all the officers and soldiers of our division were captured one after another after tenacious battles, exhausted all their ammunition, and fought fierce hand-to-hand combat with you." Major General Val asked nervously after saying his request: "General Sokov, can you agree to my request?"
"Why do you want us to promote this?" Merkulov asked in confusion: "What are the conspiracies you have in doing this?"
"General Merkulov, he asked us to promote this way, and there was no conspiracy." Seeing that Merkulov stared at Major General Val with a vigilant look, Sokov quickly explained: "He was worried that Hitler knew that he ordered the troops to take the initiative to put down their weapons and surrender, which would definitely affect his family in the country."
"That's right." Seeing that Sokov guessed his thoughts, Major General Val showed a bitter expression on his face: "If the news of my voluntary surrender spread, it would definitely affect my family, and I don't want to implicate them."
Chapter completed!