Before confirming that the commander of the Sixth Armored Division, Hornadolph, died in his position, Sokov immediately understood why the German offensive was so abnormal.
After hearing the news, the commander of the Guard Division, Malankin, saw the body of Hornerdolph, asked Coida curiously: "Comrade Colonel, I heard that Hornerdolph was killed in a leopard tank?"
"Yes, he was in that tank when the Leopard tank was destroyed."
"But, except for the wounds on his chest and some of his clothes being burned, his body was basically complete." Marantine said in surprise: "In theory, shouldn't the corpses dragged out of the destroyed tank be burned?"
"I guess it was after the tank was destroyed, and the tank soldiers around him dragged his body out of the tank in time to preserve it so completely." Koida explained to Maranthin: "We sent a comrade to search for his body to report that his body was found in a crater near the tank. According to the analysis of the situation at the scene, it should be two loyal subordinates who wanted to take his body back, but were shot dead by our army and then fell into the crater."
"The enemy attacked the defense zone of our division and drew all the troops here. I guess he wanted to regain Hornadorf's body?" Marantine asked in confusion: "Since Hornadorf's body is lying in a crater not far from the tank, why didn't the enemy find it?"
"This, this..." Malankin's question really stopped Koida. He mumbled for a long time, but didn't say anything.
Fortunately, Sokov came out to rescue the siege in time: "Maybe the enemy thought that Hornadolph's corpse was still in the leopard tank. Because the tanks were burning, they could not get close to the tank at all, so they desperately attacked our position. They tried to organize people to find the body after seizing the position."
"So that's how it is." After Malankin figured out what happened, he asked Sokov tentatively: "General Sokov, I saw the enemy's offensive fiercely and was worried that relying on your strength could not stop their attack. Look, do I need to mobilize some of my troops to reinforce?"
"No, we can use two regiments." Although the German offensive was fierce, Sokov was unwilling to mobilize friendly troops easily. If their mobilization was noticed by the German army, the German army would use their defense zone as the breakthrough point to attack. Once the defense line was broken, he would be to blame.
"Comrade Commander," Koida felt ecstatic when she heard that Malankin was willing to send troops to support her, but after hearing Sokov rejected the other party's kindness, she couldn't help but feel anxious: "The enemy's offensive is very fierce. If this continues, the 562nd Regiment will be completely destroyed in one hour."
"The 562nd Regiment is all destroyed. Are there 564th Regiment and 568th Regiment?" Sokov said disapprovingly: "When the front is tight, you can throw them into battle."
"The 568th Regiment was deployed in the rear of the 305th Division as per your order to ensure that the enemy can block them in time when breaking through the defense line." Koida reminded Sokov: "With the enemy's fierce offensive, even if we put the 564th Regiment on the front line, we may not last long."
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov saw that Koida was always thinking about the little force in Malankin's hand, and reminded him: "With General Malankin's reinforcements, we can indeed enhance our strength. But have you ever thought that our left wing's defense will become weak, and once the enemy chooses it as a new breakthrough and implements an effective breakthrough, who will bear this responsibility at that time, is it me or you, or General Malankin?"
Sokov's words made Koida and Marantin silent. It was impossible to mobilize troops in broad daylight and not be discovered by the Germans. Once the German army discovered that the defenders had transferred new troops from the left wing, they might adjust the direction of the attack. After all, not long ago, their troops almost broke through the defense line of the defenders.
"What should we do?" Koida asked in a muffled voice: "Are we just letting the enemy break through our defense?"
"We need to find a way to temporarily stop the attack and give us a chance to repair fortifications."
"Will the enemy give us such a chance?"
"Yes, the Germans will definitely give it." Sokov smiled proudly, and then ordered Koida: "Comrade Colonel, please bring the captured German lieutenant Kahn."
"The captured German lieutenant?" Koida asked in confusion when he heard Sokov's strange order: "We have interrogated him, and he probably has nothing to explain."
"I plan to send him as my messenger to meet Manstein and let the other party stop the attack on our position."
Although Koida thought Sokov's statement was too absurd, out of habitual obedience, he picked up the phone, called the guard battalion, and ordered: "I am Koida, bring the captured German lieutenant Kahn to my command."
A few minutes later, German second lieutenant Kahn was taken to the command center. When he saw another elderly general in the room, he couldn't help but feel nervous, thinking that he was going to shoot him, right?
"Lt. Kahn," Sokov and other translators immediately spoke to him, "I want to ask you as my messenger to meet Manstein and let him cease fire immediately."
After listening to the translated content, Kahn couldn't help but sneer in his heart, don't think it's great to be a general, and think that with your few words, we want our great Marshal Manstein to stop attacking your positions? It's simply a fantasy.
After seeing the sneer on the corner of Kahn's mouth, Sokov said calmly: "By the way, Mr. Lieutenant, I forgot to introduce myself to you. My full name is Mikhail Mikhailnovic Sokov, and he is the commander of the 27th Army. If you tell Manstein my name after you go back, he will probably know who I am."
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Kahn immediately respected Sokov: "You are General Sokov, the commander who commanded the troops to hold Mamayev's hill for several months?"
"Yes, during the Stalingrad defense war, the troops that stood by Mamayev were indeed under my command."
After confirming Sokov's identity, Kahn quickly raised his hand and greeted Sokov with a solemn military salute: "Hello, General Sokov, Lieutenant Kahn is very happy to serve you."
"Very good," Sokov smiled and nodded, and then said, "I want you to go back to see your 48th Armored Army Commander General Knobel Steff, and ask him to tell Marshal Manstein that the body of the commander of the Sixth Armored Division, Hornerdolph, had fallen into our hands. As long as he stops the attack, we can exchange it."
Kahn was relieved to learn that Horndorf's body had fallen into the hands of the Soviet army. He knew very well that even if both sides were enemies, the Russians could not do anything to a corpse. After a moment of pause, he continued to ask: "Mr. General, can I ask, what should we use to exchange for the corpse of Horndorf's body General?"
"I hope Marshal Manstein can exchange the captured commanders and fighters of our army for the body of Hornadolph." Sokov didn't know what kind of response Manstein would make to his proposal, so he said cautiously: "If your Marshal Manstein agrees to the exchange, we can arrange the next negotiation."
"Mr. General," Kahn thought for a while and asked Sokov: "Look, can you write a handwritten letter so that I will be more convincing when I report to General Knobelsdorf."
Regarding Kahn's proposal, Sokov thought it was very reasonable, so he picked up paper and pen at the table and wrote a letter to General Knobel Steff and Marshal Manstein each. The contents were similar, saying that he was willing to exchange Hornerdolph's body for the captured Soviet commanders and fighters. He wrote the letter and handed it to Kahn. Kahn took the letter and carefully put it in his top pocket.
Sokov considered that his defense was in full swing, even if Kahn was holding the white flag, he would be killed. So he asked for help from Malankin sitting beside him: "General Malankin, I want to ask you one thing to send this German lieutenant from your defense zone to the enemy."
Marantin agreed readily to Sokov's proposal: "Don't worry, General Sokov. I will definitely send someone to the enemy safely."
Marantin took Kahn back to his command center, found two smart soldiers, and ordered them to drive a jeep with a white flag to send Kahn to the enemy's side.
Although most of the enemies opposite the Guards Division were transferred to the left wing to attack the defense zone of the 188th Division, they saw a jeep with a white flag coming from a distance, and immediately a German lieutenant brought his subordinates to meet him.
In order to avoid misunderstandings, the jeep stopped more than ten meters away from the German officers and soldiers. The car stopped and asked. Kahn pushed open the car door and got out of the car, raised his hands and walked towards the other party, and shouted loudly: "Don't shoot, don't shoot. Your own people are your own people!"
When the lieutenant heard the shout, he quickly ordered his subordinates to lower their guns, then walked to Kahn and asked sternly: "Which part of you are?"
After Kahn clearly stated his name, position and the number of the troops he was in, he said to the lieutenant: "Mr. Lieutenant, please send me to see General Knobelsdorf immediately. I have important information to report to him."
Although the lieutenant was full of suspicion, since the other party said that there was something important to meet the commander, he did not dare to neglect it. He quickly arranged for someone to send Cohen to the location of the 48th Armored Army headquarters.
At this moment, General Knobel Steff, the commander of the 48th Armored Army, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, paced back and forth in his command cabin. He received Manstein's death order to take down the Russians' positions at all costs and snatch Hornerdolph's body back.
However, a few hours passed, and although the troops' offensive was fierce, they still could not break through the position ahead. When he was anxious, a staff officer came in outside and reported to him: "Your Excellency, there is a second lieutenant outside who wants to see you."
Heard that it was just a lieutenant who wanted to see him, Knobel Stewart waved his hand and said impatiently: "See you, go out and drive him away."
"Your Excellency," the staff officer saw that Knobel Steff was unwilling to see Kahn, and quickly explained: "This lieutenant was just captured by the Russians not long ago. It is said that the Russians sent him back to deliver the letter."
"The Russians sent him back to deliver the letter?" The counselor's words aroused the curiosity of Knobelsdorf, and he quickly ordered: "Let him come in."
After Kahn followed the small staircase into the command cabin, he raised his hand to salute Knobelsdorf and loudly reported his name, military rank and position. Knobelsdorf waved his hand and said impatiently: "Tell me, the Russians sent you back to deliver the letter. What did they say? Are you planning to surrender to our army?"
"No, Mr. Commander, they are not going to surrender." Kahn replied.
"Since you're not going to surrender, what's there to say." Knobel Stewart didn't hear the answer he wanted, so he waved his hand to Kahn, preparing to bombard him: "You go out first."
Unexpectedly, Kahn stood there and said respectfully: "The Russian who asked me to send the letter was Major General Sokov. He also wrote a handwritten letter to you and Marshal Manstein."
"What, Lieutenant, who did you say sent you to deliver the letter?" Knobelsdorf asked in surprise.
"Major General Sokov," Kahn replied clearly, "Major General Sokov, the commander of the 27th Army of Russia."
Knowing that Kahn was delivering the letter by Sokov's order, Knobelsdorf couldn't help but breathe: "So, is Sokov's troops defending the position that we have been unable to break through for a long time?"
"Yes, Your Excellency Commander." Kahn replied: "The Russian troops standing in front of us are indeed commanded by Major General Sokov."
"No wonder." When Knobelsdolf found out that his opponent was actually Sokov, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. If he was defeated by other Russian generals, he still felt very cowardly. When he learned that the troops commanded by Sokov were ahead, he felt that the attack he launched could not make progress, which seemed to be a matter of course.
"Where is General Sokov's handwritten letter?" asked Knobelsdorf.
"Here." Kahn quickly took out the letter and handed it to Knobel Stewart.
Knobel Stewart opened the letter and saw that it was all in Russian, and he couldn't understand it at all. He ordered the staff officer next to him: "Go and find a Russian translator, and I want to figure out what is written in the letter."
Chapter completed!