After arriving at his destination, Sokov hurried to Zhukov's office.
Although the room outside was still full of people in military uniforms and civilian clothes, patiently waiting to be received by Zhukov.
However, the lieutenant colonel sitting at the door saw Sokov entering and immediately came up to greet him. He said anxiously: "Comrade General, why are you here? Comrade Marshal is already waiting impatiently."
"Something happened to me on the way, so I was delayed." Sokov said: "I will sit for a while and wait until Comrade Marshal is free, then I will go in to see him."
At this moment, the door opened and a major walked out. It must be the lieutenant colonel who had just finished talking about work with Zhukov and was talking to Sokov. He hurriedly greeted him, as if he wanted to know something about the situation.
Sokov heard the people sitting next to him talking in low voices: "Who is he?"
"Major Poledenko, director of the General Staff Office." Sokov was curious, what are the responsibilities of this General Staff Office? Before he could speak, the person next to him continued: "The office is based on our cluster in Germany.
It is built on the model of the General Staff Office, through which the General Staff Office
In charge of all the work of the bureaus and offices of the Soviet military control agency in Germany. Major Peter Fedorovich Poledenko serves as the director of this office. In September of this year, in order to publish and publish the normative documents issued by the military control agency of our army in Germany
and the order, a printing house and a translation team were set up in the staff headquarters, with a staff strength of 7 and 47 people respectively. Although the printing house and the translation team were
They are independent agencies, but in terms of the nature of their work, they are very closely connected with the General Staff Office, so they have been integrated into the office since October."
Just when Sokov wanted to know more about the situation in the staff office, he heard the lieutenant colonel calling him: "Comrade general, go in now, don't keep the marshal waiting."
"Okay." Sokov agreed quickly and walked quickly to the door. After thanking the lieutenant colonel, he opened the door and walked into Zhukov's office.
As soon as he entered the door, Zhukov, who was working at his desk, raised his head. After seeing clearly that the person coming was Sokov, he snorted heavily.
"Hello, Comrade Marshal of the Soviet Union!" Sokov raised his hand and saluted Zhukov: "I have been ordered to come and report to you..." "General Sokov," Zhukov stood up and said in a dissatisfied tone: "As our army
As a senior general, you should know very well how important it is to keep time. You are later than scheduled
For nearly an hour, have you ever thought about the consequences if your troops arrive at the designated combat area an hour later than planned on the battlefield?" Before Sokov could finish speaking, Zhukov said
He walked out from behind the desk and quickly came to Sokov, pointing at his dusty military coat: "Also, the most important thing for a soldier is his appearance. Look at what you look like now.
What does it look like? Your clothes are all covered in dust, as if you just rolled on the ground."
When Sokov heard what Zhukov called him, he understood that the other party was angry because he was late, and quickly defended himself: "Comrade Marshal, I was attacked on my way here."
"What, encountered an attack?" Zhukov heard Sokov said that he encountered an attack on the way here, and his face immediately showed a nervous expression: "Misha, you are not injured, are you?" "No." Sokov
He reported the attack on himself to Zhukov in detail, and finally said: "I have asked the people from the garrison headquarters to take the captured accomplices of the attacker back for interrogation. Let's see if they are
Can you get anything out of that man's mouth?" "It's not an easy thing to get his confession." Zhukov said, came to the table, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.
He said into the microphone: "I am Zhukov! I have something to report to you. General Sokov, who once served as the commander of the 37th, 48th and 53rd Group Armies, was encountered on the way to my headquarters.
Unidentified persons attacked with rocket launchers. The attacker was killed as a suspect. The patrol and garrison
After the personnel from the headquarters arrived, they captured an accomplice of the attacker. Your Ministry of Internal Affairs immediately sent someone to the garrison headquarters to interrogate the man. Before dark, I want to get a complete confession. Do you understand?
"Sokov, who was standing nearby, was thinking to himself that he had seen a joke on the Internet before, saying that a rabbit escaped into the forest. If the FBI from the United States came out, they would hold a loudspeaker and shout outside.
:You have
If you are surrounded, quickly put down your weapons and surrender. But if the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the KGB comes forward, they will rush directly into the forest. Before long, a bear with a bruised nose and face will be brought out. The injured bear
As he walked, he muttered: "I am the rabbit, I
It’s the rabbit.”
When Zhukov put down the phone, Sokov asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, if someone from the Ministry of Internal Affairs interrogates the conspirator, will he give in?"
Zhukov stared at Sokov and didn't speak for a long time. Sokov seemed a little at a loss when facing Zhukov's direct gaze. "Misha," after an unknown amount of time, Zhukov finally spoke: "Some Western media published it in newspapers
Question: It is said that in the area we control, the management is too strict, so that the local people have complained privately. What happened today is just an opportunity. If there is any media again that accuses us of our strict management, we will
You can use the incident of the attack to refute. A senior general of our army was alive in the occupied area.
Whenever there is a movement, there is a possibility of being attacked by lawless elements, so what is wrong with strengthening public security management?" Regarding Zhukov's plan, Sokov did not raise any questions. He quickly took out the plan he had written from his pocket.
He held it in both hands and handed it to Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, this is the plan I wrote out overnight. Please
Take a look."
Zhukov took the plan written by Sokov, sat down behind his desk again, and read through it carefully.
There wasn't much content, and it only took him a few minutes to read it.
After seeing it, he did not immediately express his opinion. Instead, he read it from beginning to end twice, then threw the plan aside, leaned back on the chair and began to think.
Sokov felt uneasy when he saw that Zhukov did not express any opinions after reading his plan. He asked cautiously: "Comrade Marshal, I don't know what you think of the plan I wrote?" "I gave it to Stalin this morning.
Comrade called." Zhukov did not answer Sokov's question immediately, but said to himself: "I reported to him on the formation of a new German army and cooperation with us in managing Germany. At the beginning,
He firmly disagreed with reorganizing an army composed of Germans only half a year after Germany surrendered. After my persuasion, he reluctantly agreed that it could be formed, but the new army
The size of the army must be strictly controlled." "Comrade Marshal," Sokov said quickly after learning that Stalin had agreed to form a new German army: "My plan is to first establish a garrison headquarters, organized into a battalion-level unit.
The garrison commander will be appointed by someone from our side
Ren, the German army can only serve as deputy commander. If you feel that one battalion has too many troops, we can reduce it to two companies, and add another company from our army to form a new garrison headquarters."
"Your idea is very good." Zhukov asked: "Then where do you think the security headquarters should be established first?"
"Comrade Marshal," Sokov said with some embarrassment: "I have just arrived in Berlin not long ago and I don't know much about the situation here. Where do you think the garrison headquarters should be established first?" "I think Karls can be established first.
The security headquarters in Holst." When Zhukov said this, he saw a confused expression on Sokov's face. He guessed that he must not know where this place was, so he explained to him: "Misha, maybe
You don’t know what place I’m talking about, but if I tell you one thing, you’ll understand the importance of this place. The Germans’ unconditional surrender was in Karlsho, southeast of Berlin.
"It was signed in the hall of the Military Engineering School building in Ulster." "Oh, it turns out to be the place where the Germans signed the unconditional surrender document." After Zhukov's explanation, Sokov naturally understood the importance of this place: "Then
We can locate the first security headquarters here
." Zhukov clicked and then said: "I think so too. We can select ordinary soldiers from prisoner-of-war camps, and we can also recruit some volunteers from civilians. But it is difficult to select officers who hold command positions.
, do you have a suitable candidate?”
Hearing Zhukov's question, Sokov immediately thought of several names in his mind and said casually: "Yes."
"Oh, you have a suitable candidate, who is it? Tell me!" "When I went to the US prisoner of war camp yesterday, I met several German officers." Sokov said: "They are Peterson from the 19th Armored Division.
They were representatives selected by the US military yesterday and were responsible for answering questions raised by representatives of the International Red Cross." Unexpectedly, Zhukov frowned and said displeasedly: "Since they are representatives selected by the US military from prisoner-of-war camps,
It shows that they are very close to the American personnel. If they are allowed to serve as the garrison headquarters,
Officer, maybe it's not suitable?" "Comrade Marshal, that's what I think about it." Sokov didn't know that Zhukov was full of resistance to these German prisoners of war detained in the US prisoner-of-war camp.
Naturally, he would not agree to serve as an officer of the soon-to-be-formed garrison command. Therefore, he said cautiously: "Although these three officers are representatives elected by the United States, they have also been tortured in the U.S. prisoner-of-war camp and cannot wait.
I wanted to get out of there.
If they can really return to our control area and let them serve as officers in the security headquarters, I think it is okay." "Misha, have you ever thought about it." But Zhukov shook his head and said: "
If before they returned to our control area, they accepted some secret mission from the United States and specifically entered our area to carry out sabotage, let them bear the responsibility.
What consequences will it bring if he takes up important positions?" Seeing that Zhukov vetoed his proposal, Sokov was not discouraged. Anyway, he had other candidates: "Comrade Marshal, since you do not agree with the three of them in the new
If you hold a position in the established garrison headquarters, then change it to another one.
Candidate."
"Oh, do you have other candidates?" Zhukov said in surprise: "Tell me about it." "One is called Ernst, and the other is called Hosenfeld." After Sokov said these two names, he couldn't help but wonder.
When Zhukov asked a question, he took the initiative and said: "Ernst was captured by me in Istria after the big counterattack outside Moscow began.
He was captured by the reservoir. After he was captured, he has stayed in our army as a translator and has a good impression of our army..."
"The man named Ernst sounds good," Zhukov said thoughtfully: "But I don't know where to find him?" "Comrade Marshal, it's a coincidence that on the day I arrived in Berlin, he was
I met him at the train station." Sokov said: "I also chatted with him for a few words. He said that he came to Berlin with our troops and now lives in Wilhelm University.
Street, I can go to him at any time."
"Don't be anxious, let's talk about the other one first." Zhukov said: "What's that person's name?"
"William Hosenfeld!"
"Yes, yes, that's the name. Tell me quickly, what is he like?" "Hosenfeld is a captain of the German army stationed in Warsaw." Sokov introduced to Zhukov: "While he was in Warsaw,
, using his authority, he helped more than fifty Jews. Later, when our army occupied Warsaw,
, he became a prisoner of our army and was imprisoned in one of the prisoner-of-war camps to undergo transformation."
"In the prisoner of war camp in Poland?" Zhukov tapped his fingers gently to ponder, and asked in a low voice: "Then how did you know him?" "The train I was traveling on was attacked by gangs in Poland.
, the car body was seriously damaged, and when it arrived in Warsaw, the train stopped there for repairs." Sokov said: "Agelina and I had nothing to do, so we were wandering around Warsaw, but unexpectedly we met a man named Spielman.
A Polish pianist, he was at the place where German prisoners of war were working. He asked about an unknown German captain, saying that this man had selflessly helped him. Now he learned that he was imprisoned.
He was in a prisoner of war camp in Warsaw, so I came here specifically to help him."
Zhukov smiled: "I can't believe that this Polish pianist was a man who repaid his kindness and actually went to the prisoner of war camp to look for an unknown benefactor. By the way, how did he find him later?" "
After I learned about this at the time, I decided to help him, so we went to the garrison headquarters. Through the officer in charge of the prisoner of war camp, we found the German officer who had helped Spielman in one of the prisoner of war camps.
I found out that his name was Wilhelm Hossenfeld, and I rescued him and took him back to Berlin. Coincidentally, we met Ernst when we got off the bus, and he and Hossenfeld turned out to be cousins.
brother."
"Misha, tell me the truth." After Zhukov waited for Sokov to finish speaking, he asked seriously: "Do you think these two people are reliable?" Facing the question raised by Zhukov, Sokov seemed very confident.
Hesitating, he didn't know whether his answer was reliable or unreliable. After hesitating for a long time, he finally plucked up the courage and said: "Comrade Marshal, I think you can let them try. If you think they are not qualified for their jobs, put them both together again."
