Unexpectedly, after listening to Sokov's words, Belkin said firmly: "Comrade Brigade Commander, this matter is extraordinary. If it is not handled well, the consequences may be unimaginable, so I must go back with you." Speaking of this, he glanced at Bere and Yakov, adding, "As for the work here, it can be left to Colonel Bere and Major Yakov to take charge."
Sokov was eager to return to Mamayev, so he did not object to Belkin's suggestion, but nodded and said, "Well, comrade of the political commissar, let's go back to Mamayev's club together as you said."
On the way, Sokov thought angrily: "What the hell is this Guchakov doing? We rescued him from the prisoner-of-war camp when we captured Kursk. Just a few months later, he became a prisoner again, which is simply inappropriate."
After returning to the brigade command, Sokov and Vitkov said hello, they couldn't wait to ask Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, where is that Guchakov? Take him here immediately."
Sidolin quickly picked up the phone on the table and ordered to the microphone: "Bring Guchakov here, the brigade commander wants to see him."
While waiting for Guchakov to arrive, Sokov decided to understand the general situation and asked Vitkov: "What's going on when the deputy brigade commander, Lieutenant Guchakov was captured?"
"I don't know much about the specific situation." Witkov replied: "It was the third battalion commander who sent him to him, saying that some soldiers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs saw him captured by German soldiers with their own eyes, but they quickly released him again, suspected that he might have been rebellious..." At this point, Witkov paused for a moment and continued to say, "Comrade Brigade Commander, it is an extraordinary period. Logically speaking, Lieutenant Guchakov's situation should be shot immediately or sent to the punishment camp. But I considered that he was a commander you valued, so I called the political commissar and hoped that you would deal with him personally."
"You are right, comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-comrade-com
When Guchakov was escorted into the command center by two soldiers, he unexpectedly discovered that Sokov was also here, and his face suddenly showed a surprise expression. He knew that with Sokov's personality, he would definitely not deal with him in a hasty manner, but would carefully interrogate the causes and consequences. In this way, his chances of survival will greatly increase.
"Lieutenant Guchakov." Sokov asked someone to bring a stool to Guchakov. After the other party sat down, he asked, "Tell me, why did you get captured by the German army? Why did the other party release you on his own initiative?" In order to prevent Guchakov's resistance, he deliberately did not mention the word "rebellion".
"Report to the brigade commander," Guchakov stood up and replied respectfully: "I was ordered to stick to the Sun Street. Our mission is to resolutely prevent the enemy from occupying this street..."
"Okay, Lieutenant Guchakov, we all know what your mission is." Sokov was eager to know the truth of the matter and was not interested in these minor things. He interrupted Guchakov and asked bluntly: "I want to know how you were captured?"
"That's right, comrade comrade comrade." Seeing that Sokov wanted to know the truth, Guchakov explained to him: "I led a row of people to stand in a building on the south side of Sun Street to block the German troops rushing in along the street. After the enemy launched two consecutive attacks, we repelled, the enemy used two 75mm anti-tank guns. They used direct aiming and shooting, bombarded the fire points exposed by high-explosive grenades, and took advantage of the fact that we were suppressed by artillery fire and could not observe, rushed to the building and threw the grenades into the window, causing us great casualties..."
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help but think in his heart: "It seems that the Germans have also learned the tactic of bayonets on cannons. We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible, otherwise it will cause great losses to the defenders in the city."
"... As soon as the grenade explosion stopped, the German infantry broke into the building through the gate or window and started a battle with us layer by layer." Guchakov continued: "Although we fought tenaciously, due to the huge gap in the troops on both sides, our people were fighting less and less. When I retreated to the door of the basement, I found that there was no warrior around me. I guess they all died. There was a ton of explosives stored in the basement. I wanted to go in and detonate and bury all the Germans who rushed into the building in the ruins. Who knew... "
"Comrade Lieutenant, what's going on in the basement?" Sokov suddenly paused when he saw Guchakov talking about this and hurriedly urged: "Why didn't you detonate these explosives?"
"Because I found,..." Guchakov said this, his breath suddenly became heavy: "At some point in the basement, a group of residents, including elderly people, women and children, and even a young woman holding a baby. In the dim candlelight, I found that they were all staring at me with horror. At that moment, I realized that I had no right to decide the life and death of these people, so I gave up the idea of ​​detonating the explosives and walked out of the basement again.
As soon as I entered the door, a German corporal pushed my gun to his chest. I was worried that my actions would cause a bloody killing, so I took the initiative to put down the gun in my hand. Seeing that I gave up my resistance so easily, the German soldier curiously wanted to know what was in the basement, so he pointed the gun at me and came to the door of the basement and looked inside. After seeing the situation inside clearly, he put down his gun, and without saying anything, he turned around and left..."
After hearing Guchakov's story, Sokov waved to the two soldiers and ordered: "Take Lieutenant Guchakov down first, we must discuss how to deal with him. Remember, don't make things difficult for him, do you understand?"
"I understand, comrade brigade commander!" The two soldiers agreed and took Guchakov out.
"Comrades in Command," Sokov's eyes swept over his three deputy ones one by one after another, and asked, "What do you think should you deal with Lieutenant Guchakov's story after listening to Lieutenant Guchakov's story?"
Sokov's words caused a silence, and no one took the lead in expressing their opinions.
"Comrade Brigade Commander, I'm very curious." After a long time, Cidolin asked, "Why didn't the German soldier shoot him, and even let him go?"
"I think that German soldier, perhaps a member of the German Communist Party, was also an anti-Fashissist at the least. Therefore, after seeing the women and children in the basement clearly, he did not shoot at Guchakov." After Berkin expressed his point of view, in order to enhance his persuasion, he also gave an example: "Since the enemy attacked Stalingrad, there will always be some bombs dropped by their air force. The fuses of these bombs were destroyed by the anti-Fashis soldiers in the German arsenal."
"No matter what the soldier did not shoot, tell me, how should we deal with Lieutenant Guchakov?" Sokov raised this question again and first expressed his attitude. "I think it's a bit too much to say that he rebelled and surrendered to the enemy. After all, he was captured by the German army in order to protect the residents in the basement. There is no need to take any severe punishment measures against him."
Since Sokov had set the tone, Belkin quickly echoed: "I agree with the opinion of the brigade commander. Guchakov was captured by the German army in order to protect the residents. But we must note that his capture did not cause any losses to our army, so I suggest to be lighter."
"Actually, if Lieutenant Guchakov was not seen by the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, no one would have mentioned it." After pondering for a long time, Vetkov proposed his own solution: "Although Lieutenant Guchakov's starting point is good, no matter what, his behavior of putting down weapons to the enemy must be punished. If he let him go easily, other commanders and fighters will learn from him, isn't that a mess?"
"Yes, the deputy brigade commander is right." Sidolin expressed his support for Vitkov's proposal: "This time Guchakov was lucky. He and the residents could escape without any hostility to us. But not everyone has such good luck. If our soldiers took the initiative to put down their weapons, wouldn't they become lambs to be slaughtered in front of the enemy?"
Seeing that all the three of them expressed their opinions, Sokov stood up and made his final summary speech: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't think he is suitable to continue as the company commander of the Ninth Company. I will call the third battalion commander later and choose the right comrade to take over the position of company commander. As for Guchakov himself, I think he will be a soldier in the Guard Company and demoted his military rank to a corporal. How about it, do you have no different opinions, right?"
Seeing that Sokov almost knocked Guchakov to the end, everyone would have any different opinions, and quickly replied: "No objection!"
Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch. There were still four or five hours before dawn. He said to Belkin: "Comrade Political Commissar, I plan to go back to the factory area. Don't go. Stay here to assist the deputy brigade commander and chief of staff in their daily work."
When Belkin heard Sokov's proposal, he knew that no matter what he said, the other party would not let him go to the factory anymore, so he no longer insisted. Instead, he said with concern: "Comrade Brigade Commander, when you return to the factory this time, take a row from the guard company. With the soldiers of the guard company by your side, at least your safety is guaranteed."
When Sokov came back this time, he really wanted to draw some commanders and soldiers from the guard company and go to the factory with him. In this way, they could still be used as reserve teams when the war was in crisis. Therefore, when he heard Berkin say this, he quickly ordered Sidolin: "Chief of Staff, call Selyosha and ask him to send the third platoon of Lieutenant Samoilov to go to the factory with me. Remember to bring Corporal Guchakov with him."
Chapter completed!