"Comrade Marshal," Huasilevsky did not refute Zhukov's statement, but said with emotion: "If Sokov's troops could have entered the battle earlier, the German army outside Prokholovka would have been defeated long ago."
"Yes," Vatuting agreed with Huasilevsky's statement. The Skeleton Division, which his troops could not stop, became vulnerable in front of Sokov. He quickly said: "From the speed of their defeat of the Skeleton Division tonight, if they could have been transferred to them earlier, they might have driven the enemy away from outside Prokholovka City."
"That's not necessarily." Zhukov shook his head and said, "A few days ago, the enemy who broke into the city of Prokholovka had powerful artillery and armored troops, and also received air support. Even if Sokov's troops were transferred, they would probably not play much role. On the contrary, if they fought with the enemy without artillery and air cover, they would inevitably make heavy sacrifices."
"But I heard that the officers and soldiers of the Sokov troops used all the assault rifles newly developed by our country, with the shooting speed of submachine guns and the accuracy of the rifles. With such equipment, they can suppress the enemy from firepower on the battlefield." Vatujing said somewhat dissatisfied: "In addition, there are new rockets that are easy to carry and anti-tank-specific rocket launchers. They use these equipment and it is naturally much easier to defeat the enemy."
Zhukov knew that Vatutin was telling the truth, but these weapons were designed by Sokov. In addition, he had a good relationship with Yakov and Ustinov, so the advanced equipment produced was naturally given priority to equip his troops. "Comrade Vatutin, you can't say that. Misha really has his own set of commanding operations. Only by equipting these newly developed weapons to his troops can he play a real role. Moreover, he was originally the designer, and personally tested the performance of these weapons on the battlefield and obtained first-hand information. He was undoubtedly the best candidate."
After thinking about it, Vatujing thought about it and felt that Zhukov had made sense, so he could only sigh. He felt that even if his troops were equipped with these weapons, whether they could block elite troops like the Skeleton Division would be a problem, let alone annihilated them in an integrated manner.
"Wait, comrades." Zhukov said at last, "I think Misha might surprise us even more when it dawn."
Zhukov was just talking and saying something, but what he didn't expect was that not long after, what he said became reality.
The propaganda car that Colonel Billing was riding was parked behind a ruined wall, which was only a hundred meters away from the German position. Unless the Germans bombed with mortars, it would be difficult to threaten his life. Although he knew that his location was safe, the soldiers still forced him to hide in a basement and shout at the Germans in the distance through the loudspeaker on the vehicle.
The German army was surrounded by more than 300 people, carrying five No. 3 tanks and more than a dozen 88mm anti-aircraft guns. Although this force seemed so small compared to the Soviet troops besieging them, if the Soviet army launched a strong attack on them, the German commander Major Fitmann would still be confident that the other party would pay a very heavy price.
When he heard the shouts from outside, Fitman didn't care at all. It was not the first time he heard such a shout, and there was no new at all. Just as he was drowsy, an elderly lieutenant ran in from outside and woke him up: "Mr. Major, the Russians were shouting outside, let us put down our weapons and surrender to them, saying that it would ensure the safety of all of us."
"Second Lieutenant." Fitman opened his eyes and looked at the other party and said, "Don't you know that the Russians hate our SS the most. As long as the people who capture us, whether they surrender voluntarily or were captured on the battlefield, their final outcome will be shot and executed on the spot. Think about it, how could they accept our surrender?"
"Mr. Major," said the lieutenant unyieldingly after hearing Fitman's words: "I think it is necessary for you to go out and listen to the Russians' voices. I think if you put down your weapons and surrender as the Russians said, maybe the rest of them will survive."
"Propaganda! This is all false propaganda by the Russians." Fitman said in an unquestionable tone: "They just want to trick us into putting down our weapons and surrendering. Lieutenant, I can tell you with certainty that once we put down our weapons, we will become lambs to be slaughtered and slaughtered by them."
"Mr. Major, if other troops were persuading surrender, my men and I would definitely fire the last bullet and fight the last man." The old lieutenant said to Fitman: "The book of persuading surrender that is being played outside was written by General Sokov. Although he is our enemy, I believe his promise will be fulfilled."
"How can we trust the Russians? Even if this is a promise made by the Russian general, he may still not keep his word..." When Fitman said this, he suddenly realized that the lieutenant had heard a familiar name. After pausing for a moment, he asked tentatively: "Lieutenant, who did you just say that the book of persuasion was written?"
"It's General Sokov of Russia."
"General Sokov?!" Fitman asked carefully: "Is it the General Sokov who captured Paulus in Stalingrad?"
"Of course it's him!"
"Are you sure?"
The lieutenant whispered outside and said, "Major, just listen carefully to the content of persuasion, you will know that this is the book of persuasion written by General Sokov."
When Fitman heard the lieutenant say this, he hurried to the door of the command post and listened to the radio room coming from afar. After hearing the unique content of the persuasion, Fitman couldn't help but tremble, as if he felt Sokov standing in front of him, pointing at him and sending him an ultimatum.
"Mr. Major," the lieutenant asked Fitmann without saying anything, and quickly asked him: "What should we do? Should we continue to resist, or put down our weapons and surrender?"
If the speaker not far away was playing the same words of persuasion, Fitman would definitely choose to continue to resist without hesitation. After all, his SS identity was destined to choose to die in battle rather than surrender to the Russians. But at this moment, the book of persuasion written by Sokov himself was played. Even if they put down their weapons and surrender, they could survive. It seems that there is no need to continue to resist?
"Second Lieutenant," Fitmann did not make a decision immediately, but asked the lieutenant a question: "What are the reactions of the soldiers after hearing General Sokov's letter of persuasion?"
"What else can you do?" the lieutenant shrugged and said, "Since you have the chance to survive, why do you need to die in vain? Besides, everyone wants to live until the end of the war and go home to reunite with their relatives."
After listening to the second lieutenant's story, Fitman made a decisive decision. Since Sokov was persuading surrender, it would not be embarrassing to order the participating troops to put down their weapons to surrender. If it were a Russian commander, even if his subordinates wanted to surrender, the other party would not accept it.
Fitman said to the lieutenant: "Secretary, judging from the current situation, it is no point in continuing to resist. In order to save the living, I decided to order all officers and soldiers to lay down their weapons and surrender to General Sokov of Russia."
Fitman asked the officers and soldiers to put down their weapons and surrender at once. Many guns tied with white shirts or white handkerchiefs were immediately stretched out from the trenches, shaking desperately, announcing their intention to surrender to the Soviet army in the distance.
Colonel Billy did not expect that the German army opposite had surrendered only a dozen times, and he could not believe it was true. It was not until he saw many German soldiers coming out of their hiding place, holding their hands high with no weapons, and some people still holding a white handkerchief in their hands that Billy was sure that the Germans had really surrendered.
Bilin quickly ordered the radio operator who followed him: "Immediately send a telegram to the division headquarters, saying that the German army surrounded by our army on the outside of the farm had put down their weapons and came out to surrender to our army after listening to the commander's letter of surrender."
"Have the Germans surrendered?" Sokov was ecstatic in his heart when he learned the news, but he pretended to be nothing on the surface. He tried his best to say to Colonel Shechtman in a steady tone: "Comrade Colonel, since the enemy on the left has surrendered, please send some troops to take these enemies to the headquarters of the Army. The remaining troops immediately approached us and strive to break through the defense zone of the Flag Guard Division before dawn."
"Comrade Commander, what about the 18th Tank Army, which is fighting with us?" Shekhtman asked Sokov for advice: "Will they stay where they are, or let them move here with our troops?"
"I have no right to command the troops of the 18th Tank Army," Sokov felt that the next attack on the defense zone of the Flag Guard Division should be a tough battle. If he could get the support of the 18th Tank Army, the chance of breaking through the enemy's defense would be greatly improved. In order to effectively break through the German defense, he decided to ask General Rotmistrov for help: "But I will immediately inform General Rotmistrov of the situation here and ask him to let the 18th Tank Army act with us to eliminate the Flag Guard Division."
Sokov personally drafted a telegram and ordered the radio operator to send it to the headquarters of the 5th Army of the Guards Tanks, and then said to Shechtman: "Comrade Colonel, whether General Baharov's 18th Army of the Tanks is in concert with us, he must tell Colonel Bilin to lead the two regiments to come here to join our army in the shortest time."
Shechtman nodded desperately for Sokov's order. Although the battle on the right wing went smoothly, after all, the troops who were the main attacker suffered a lot of casualties, and some companies only had a dozen or twenty people left. To break through the defense line of the Flag Guard Division, more troops were needed.
Sokov felt a little uncomfortable when he was attacking the German division headquarters. He thought for a while and said to Shechtman: "Comrade Colonel, although there is a melee in front of you, you still have to send people to search for the whereabouts of Simon, the commander of the Skeleton Division. It is best to capture it alive. Even if you cannot capture it alive, you must shoot him to death. You must never let him slip away from our hands."
"Don't worry, comrade Commander." Shechtman knew that seizing Simon was a great achievement, so he would not miss such a chance to make meritorious contribution. He patted his chest and assured Sokov: "Although the enemy and us are in a melee, I have already sent two small teams to go deep into the enemy's defense zone to find the whereabouts of Simon and his division. I believe my soldiers, they will not disappoint me..."
Unexpectedly, before Shechtman finished speaking, a communications consultant walked over quickly and handed a telegram to Sokov, saying, "Comrade Commander, is the emergency telegram from Colonel Khochlov, the commander of the 182nd Division."
"Col. Khokhlov's emergency telegram?" Sokov muttered in his heart when he received the telegram: "If the focus of the battle was shifted outside Prokholovka City, what would happen to his defense zone?"
After Sokov saw the contents of the telegram, he was shocked and his breathing became rapid. Seeing Sokov's reaction aroused Shechtman's curiosity: "Comrade Commander, what is said on the telegram? Is there something wrong in the defense area of ​​the 182nd Division?"
"The Germans sent a force to penetrate into the depth of the 182nd Division and besieged the field hospital." Sokov sent the telegram in his hand to Shechtmann and said with a serious expression: "The battle is now ongoing near the field hospital."
When Shechtmann learned that it was the German army's sneak attack on the field hospital of the 182nd Division, he was shocked because many people knew that Sokov's wife, assistant military doctor Asia, is working in the field hospital of the 182nd Division. Now that the enemy attacks there, it means that Asia is in danger. No wonder Sokov acts so disobedient.
"Comrade Commander," Shechtman asked Sokov with a serious expression: "Do we need to draw troops to rush over to support?"
"No," Sokov waved his hand at Shechtmann and said, "Col. Khochlov's troops are enough to eliminate the enemies who attacked the hospital. You stay here to continue commanding the battle. I'll go over and see what's going on there."
After Sokov finished speaking, he turned around and shouted loudly at the outside of the command post: "Lt. Samoilov!"
"Come!" As Sokov shouted, Samoilov rushed in from outside, looked at Sokov straight and asked, "Comrade Commander, do you have any instructions?"
Chapter completed!