Sokov stood in the observation post, raised his binoculars and looked at the commanders and soldiers approaching the enemy's position, secretly calculating in his mind how far they had to be from the enemy's position before they would be intercepted by fire.
Soon, the tank leading the way was only 150 meters away from the enemy's position, but the enemy still did not fire. All they could hear was the sound of gunfire in the distance, and see billowing smoke.
"Comrade division commander, what's going on?" Seeing that the enemy still didn't open fire, Ivanov, who was standing next to Sokov, also looked confused. He asked in confusion: "Why didn't the enemy open fire yet?"
Sokov was equally puzzled. He felt that the enemy might have some conspiracy. He planned to wait for the tanks on his side to approach their position, and then let the anti-tank crew destroy the tanks. As long as he destroyed the tank in front of him, he would follow behind.
The infantry only ended up being massacred. In the battle at Holm at the beginning of last year, the German army used such tactics to defeat the Soviet army whose strength was several times greater than its own.
"Comrade Division Commander, I don't understand why you don't understand why artillery bombards the enemy's positions before the attack begins?" Political Commissar Anisimov asked curiously: "You know, before our army launches an attack on the enemy's positions,
, they all bombarded with artillery fire first, and then sent out tanks and infantry to attack."
"Comrade Political Commissar, we must use artillery rationally according to the situation on the battlefield." Sokov explained to Anisimov: "The violent artillery bombardment before the attack can destroy some solid defenses, but it can kill many enemies.
But very few. Therefore, before the bombardment started, the cunning enemy left only a few troops to monitor our army, and the rest retreated to the second line of defense to avoid our bombardment. When our bombardment ended and the ground troops began to attack,
The troops that retreated to the second line quickly returned to their positions through the communication trenches to block our army.
We now have a limited number of artillery shells. Even if we conduct artillery bombardment in advance, the number of fortifications that can be destroyed will be very limited. Rather than wasting precious artillery shells on some small targets, it is better to let the artillery advance in front of the enemy's position. Once we find that there is any threat to our attacking troops
Just use direct artillery fire to destroy the threatening firepower points."
The three of them were talking, and the tank moved forward for several dozen meters. The German trenches were still quiet. Ivanov frowned and thought for a while, then put forward a new view: "Comrade Division Commander,
Do you think the Germans thought we would not attack, so they transferred all their forces to the west to try their best to prevent the friendly forces from attacking?"
"I don't think so." Sokov shook his head and denied Ivanov's statement: "Even if the German army wants to deploy its main forces in the west, they will definitely leave enough troops in the trenches to attack us.
We are on alert. But look at the other side, the enemy seems not prepared at all."
Just when everyone was making various guesses, something unexpected happened. But when the leading tank was still more than fifty meters away from the German position, a white flag was actually erected in the trench where there had been no movement. Although it could not be seen,
There were no human figures, but the white flag kept waving.
"Damn it, the Germans surrendered." Seeing this scene, Sokov exclaimed in surprise: "They actually surrendered to our army without firing a shot. This is simply incredible."
In order to find out what was going on, Sokov walked to the radio and asked the operator to connect Bely. He asked loudly into the transmitter: "Colonel Bely, are the enemies in the trenches attacking you?"
Waving the white flag?”
"Yes, Misha." Bely said in confusion: "I also saw the white flag in the trench, so I sent a tank to check and find out what was going on."
"Okay." Knowing that Bely had sent someone to check, Sokov specifically told him: "Comrade Colonel, there had better be someone who understands German in the tank you sent, otherwise you won't be able to figure out what the Germans want.
What to do."
"Don't worry, Misha." Bely said confidently: "The commander of the tank I sent knows German. He will figure out what happened."
Sokov returned to the lookout, raised his binoculars and looked into the distance. He saw that all the tanks in the tank brigade had stopped advancing, and the infantry following him also slowed down, as if they wanted to figure out what was happening ahead.
What happened? A moment later, a tank broke away from the formation and drove towards the enemy's trench.
The tank came to a stop four or five meters away from the German position, but did not shut off. The top cover of the turret was opened, and a tank soldier wearing a tank cap and a black one-piece tank suit leaned out half of his body. He
First, he looked around, and seeing that nothing was going on, he boldly got out of the turret, jumped off the tank and trotted towards the location of the white flag.
Seeing him disappear into the trench, Sokov's heart couldn't help but rise to his throat. He was worried about what danger might happen to this unknown tanker. He was even wondering in his heart whether he should remind Colonel Bely and let him
The tanks all aimed their muzzles at that position, and if there was any sign of trouble, they would immediately fire at the enemy.
But what Sokov was worried about did not happen. He soon saw the tank soldier crawling out of the trench, running quickly to the tank, and shouting something at another tank soldier who leaned out.
Not long after the tank soldier with half of his body exposed from the turret retracted, Sokov heard the radio operator calling him from behind: "Comrade division commander, Colonel Bely wants to talk to you."
Sokov put down the telescope, walked quickly to the walkie-talkie, took the earphone and microphone, and asked: "Comrade Colonel, what's the situation there?"
"Misha, good news, the Germans have surrendered." After Bely said this excitedly, he may have felt that he did not express himself clearly, and added: "My subordinates have asked, and all the German officers and soldiers in the trenches have
They often come here to eat. Now that they saw us attacking them, they felt that there was no point in continuing to resist, so they took the initiative to lay down their weapons and surrender to us."
"Great, this is really great." When he learned that the German army on the opposite side was willing to surrender, Sokov couldn't help but feel elated, because he knew very well that no matter how much advantage he had, he had to seize the enemy's position and rush over to fight with the infantry.
When the 23rd Division joins forces, the casualties of the troops may not be small. At worst, there will be two to three hundred casualties. Now that the Germans surrender voluntarily, they can avoid the casualties of the troops. Sokov can't wait for the German commander who made this decision.
I personally awarded him a medal. "Comrade Colonel, let the enemies come out of the trenches and let our troops take over their defense."
"Understood." Bely agreed: "I will pass on your order immediately."
Sokov put down his earphones and microphone, returned to the lookout, and said to Ivanov and Anisimov: "Deputy division commander, Comrade Political Commissar, I got the exact news from Colonel Bely that the enemy has already
Surrendered to us. Let the soldiers of the flag guard take out the military flag, and we will go over now to join forces with friendly forces."
"Go there now?" Ivanov looked at the German position in the same distance and asked with some worry: "But the enemy hasn't left the position yet."
"Then just wait a few more minutes." Sokov picked up the telescope and looked at the German positions in the distance: "We will set off as soon as our commanders and fighters take over the enemy's positions."
The tank soldier in charge of the negotiation jumped into the trench again. In less than a minute, countless steel helmets appeared in the trench. Soon, the German soldiers wearing helmets climbed out of the trench on their hands and feet, raised their hands high, and greeted
They came with the Soviet infantry. Seeing that the enemies were coming out of the trenches, the commanders and soldiers in charge of the attack quickened their pace and went up to take over the prisoners and positions.
"Okay, Comrade Deputy Division Commander." Seeing that the surrendered prisoners were all being guarded by his own soldiers, Sokov turned to Ivanov and said, "Let's go meet the friendly forces."
When Sokov came here this time, he only brought Samoilov's guard platoon. When he went out, Ivanov saw that there was only one guard platoon, and said with some regret: "Comrade division commander, if I had known that I would be able to fight with friendly forces so soon,
Let’s meet, we should bring more people over.”
"Isn't Seryosha in the 122nd regiment?" Sokov suddenly remembered that in order to strengthen the anti-tank strength of each regiment, he specifically asked Seryosha to lead a guard company to move back and forth in the defense areas of the three regiments. Now he has to
We have joined forces with friendly forces, and it is just in time for them to participate in this grand occasion.
Seryosha has been panicking ever since he learned that Sokov came to the regiment command post. He knew that today he could achieve the rendezvous with friendly forces, and he wanted to follow Sokov to witness this great historical moment. But he didn't.
After receiving the order, he could not just go to the regiment command post.
Just when he was restless like an ant on a hot pot, a soldier suddenly ran over, saluted him, and said loudly: "Lieutenant Seryosha, the division commander has ordered you to assemble your men to participate in the rendezvous.
"
"What, to participate in the rendezvous?" Seryosha recognized the other party as a soldier from Lieutenant Samoilov's platoon. He knew that the news must be true, but he still asked cautiously: "Is this true?"
"Of course it's true, Comrade Lieutenant." The soldier said impatiently: "Division Commander and the others are preparing the flag for the meeting and are about to set off. Please hurry up."
"The guard company must assemble!" Seryosha learned that Sokov and the others were about to set off, so he dared not hesitate. He quickly walked out of the shelter, stood in the trench and shouted loudly: "The guard company must assemble urgently!"
Following the shouting, the first three platoon commanders ran out. They all asked Seryozha: "Comrade company commander, do we have any combat missions?"
"The division commander's order!" Seryozha said in a loud voice: "Let us gather immediately and escort the division leaders to join the friendly forces!"
"Hurrah!" The three platoon leaders cheered after hearing the mission clearly. They ran to the door of the shelter where their platoon was located and shouted inside: "Comrades, assemble, assemble. We are going to escort the division commander and
The friendly forces have joined forces, so be quick in your actions."
The soldiers of the guard company who had been in the shelter had long been frustrated. When they heard the good news from the platoon leader, they dared not neglect it. They quickly loaded up their weapons, rushed out of the shelter, and lined up in a row in the trench.
When Seryosha arrived at the designated location with more than a hundred soldiers from the guard company, he found that Sokov and the others had already set off. I saw Samoilov's guard platoon and the soldiers sent by the regiment lined up in three rows
, there were thirty people in each column. Sokov, Ivanov and Anisimov were walking in the middle of the second column. A sergeant holding the flag of the Guards Division high walked in the middle of the second column.
Sokov's side.
Seeing this situation, Seryosha quickly divided his guard company into four columns, followed Sokov and the others obediently, and walked towards the area where the fighting was still taking place in the distance.
Although the German troops on the position where the 122nd Regiment was preparing to attack had all surrendered, the German troops in the distance were still blocking the attack of the 23rd Infantry Division. After discovering Sokov and his party, they immediately bombarded them with mortars.
A cannonball landed more than ten meters away from the team and exploded, stirring up a pillar mixed with snow powder and mud. Apart from the snow powder and mud being scattered all over a few soldiers, it did not cause any casualties.
Seeing German mortars bombarding the military flag in the distance, the Soviet commanders and soldiers who occupied the position immediately rushed along the communication trench to another German line of defense, trying to eliminate the enemy's mortars and ensure the safety of the military flag.
The German officers and soldiers who were desperately resisting the attack of the 23rd Infantry Division never imagined that the troops behind them would lay down their weapons and surrender to the Soviet army without firing a shot. Facing the Soviet army rushing up from behind, their morale was at a loss.
They were depressed to the extreme. After firing random shots, some people began to put down their weapons and surrender to Sokov's troops.
With the leader taking the lead in surrender, the officers and soldiers nearby who had long been unwilling to fight immediately imitated the same example and raised their hands to surrender. The commanders and soldiers of the 23rd Infantry Division, who had been suppressed by the enemy's firepower and found it difficult to advance, saw that the enemy's resistance weakened.
, or even stopped, they all got up from the ground and bravely rushed towards the enemy's position with weapons in hand.
The enemy's resistance ceased. The troops of the 23rd Infantry Division and Sokov's troops were less than a hundred meters apart. Both sides stopped at the same time and faced each other along the criss-crossing trenches and communication trenches.
Sokov, who was walking forward beside the military flag, suddenly saw a bright red military flag rising in the crowd opposite. Surrounding the military flag, there were also several commanders wearing big-brimmed hats. He turned his head
He said loudly to the people on the left and right: "Comrades, Colonel Sivakov of the Allied Forces has come to join us. Everyone, please move faster."
The commanders and fighters on both sides stopped where they were, watching quietly as the two small troops guarding a military flag continued to approach.
When the two small troops were less than five meters apart, they all stopped at the same time. Sokov, Ivanov and Anisimov walked out of the queue with the flag bearer holding the military flag high, and came to the opponent's side.
In front of a famous colonel.
Sokov raised his hand to salute the other party, and said with a smile: "Hello, comrade colonel, I am Colonel Sokov, commander of the 41st Guards Division. Are you Colonel Sivakov?"
"Yes, I am Sivakov." Sivakov raised his hand in return, opened his arms and said, "Heroes who defended Stalingrad, let's give him a hug."
This chapter has been completed!