Sokov stood in the observation center, raised his telescope and looked at the commanders and fighters who were approaching the enemy's position. He was secretly calculating in his mind how far they would be from the enemy's position before they could be intercepted by firepower.
Soon, the tanks that opened the road in front were only 150 meters away from the enemy's position, but the enemy still did not fire. They could only hear the sound of gunfire from afar and see the rolling smoke rising.
"Comrade Commander, what's going on?" Seeing that the enemy was slow to open fire, Ivanov, who was standing next to Sokov, also looked confused. He asked in confusion: "Why didn't the enemy open fire?"
Sokov was also puzzled. He felt that the enemy might have any conspiracy. He planned to wait until the tanks on the side approached their positions before destroying the tanks. As long as the tanks that were open to the front, the infantry following behind would be slaughtered. In the battle at Holm at the beginning of last year, the German army used this tactic to defeat the Soviet army with several times its strength.
"Comrade Commander, I don't understand why you don't understand the artillery bombarded the enemy's positions before the attack began?" Political Commissar Anisimov asked curiously: "You know, before our army launched an attack on the enemy's positions, they first bombarded the enemy's positions, and then dispatched tanks and infantry to attack."
"Comrade Political Commissar, we must use artillery reasonably according to the situation on the battlefield." Sokov explained to Anisimov: "The violent artillery before the attack can destroy some solid fortifications, but there are very few enemies that can be killed. Therefore, before the artillery began, except for leaving a few troops to monitor our army, the cunning enemies retreated to the second line of defense to avoid our shelling. When our shelling ended and the ground troops began to attack, the troops retreated to the second line quickly returned to the position through the traffic trench to block our army.
Our current number of shells is limited. Even if we launch a pre-bombing, the number of fortifications can be destroyed will be very limited. Instead of wasting precious shells for some small targets, it is better to let the artillery advance to the front of the enemy's position. Once we find a fire point that threatens our offensive forces, we will destroy it with direct aiming artillery fire."
As the three of them spoke, the tanks marched forward dozens of meters, and the German trenches were still quiet. Ivanov frowned and thought for a while, and put forward a new view: "Comrade Commander, do you think the Germans think we will not attack, so they transferred all their forces to the west to stop the attack of friendly forces?"
"I don't think it's like that." Sokov shook his head and denied Ivanov's statement: "Even if the Germans want to place their main forces in the west, they will definitely leave enough troops in the trenches to alert us. But look at the opposite side, the enemy seems to be in no preparation at all."
Just as everyone made various speculations, something unexpected happened. But when the leading tank was still more than fifty meters away from the German position, a white flag was erected in the trenches where there was no movement. Although there was no figure, the white flag was shaking constantly.
"Hey, the Germans surrendered." Sokov shouted in surprise when he saw this scene: "It's incredible that they surrendered to our army without a single shot."
In order to figure out what happened, Sokov walked to the phone and asked the radio operator to connect with the phone. He asked loudly to the sending machine: "Col. Bole, are the enemies in the trench shaking the white flag at you?"
"Yes, Misha." Bere said in confusion: "I also saw the white flag in the trench, so I sent a tank to check it out to figure out what was going on."
"Okay." After learning that Bere had sent someone to check, Sokov specifically instructed him: "Comrade Colonel, it is best for people who know German in the tank you sent, otherwise you will not know what the Germans want to do."
"Don't worry, Misha." Belle said confidently: "The captain of the tank I sent knows German, and he will figure out what happened."
Sokov returned to the lookout and raised his telescope to look into the distance. All the tanks of the Tank Brigade stopped moving forward, and the infantry following behind also slowed down, as if trying to figure out what was going on ahead. After a moment, a tank broke out of its formation and headed towards the enemy's trenches.
The tank stopped four or five meters away from the German position, but did not turn off the fire. The top cover of the turret was opened, and a tank soldier wearing a tank cap and black one-piece tanks poked out half of his body from inside. He looked around first, and saw that nothing was wrong, he boldly got out of the turret, jumped off the tank and trotted towards the position where the white flag was.
Seeing him disappearing into the trenches, Sokov's heart couldn't help but raise his throat. He was worried about the danger that the unknown tanker might have. He was even wondering whether Colonel Bere should remind Colonel Bere to point the gun at that position, and once there was any movement, he would immediately fire at the enemy.
But what Sokov was worried about didn't happen. He soon saw the tank soldier crawling out of the trenches, running quickly to the tank, and shouting something at another tank soldier who leaned out.
Not long after the tank soldiers who had half of their body exposed from the turret retreated, Sokov heard the radio operator shouting from behind: "Comrade Commander, Colonel Bie Lei wants to call you."
Sokov put down his telescope, walked quickly to the phone, took the headphones and the sender, and asked, "Comrade Colonel, what's going on there?"
"Misa, good news, the Germans surrendered." After Borei said this excitedly, he might not have expressed it clearly, and added: "My subordinates have asked that the German officers and soldiers in the trenches often come to eat. Now seeing us attacking them, I feel that there is no point in continuing to resist, so I took the initiative to put down my weapons and surrender to us."
"That's great, it's great." Sokov was overjoyed when he learned that the German army on the opposite side was willing to surrender voluntarily, because he knew very well that no matter how much advantage he had, if he wanted to seize the enemy's position and rush to join the 23rd Infantry Division, the casualties of the troops might be small. In the least, there would be two or three hundred casualties. Now that the Germans surrender voluntarily can avoid the casualties of the troops. For the German commander who made this decision, Sokov wanted to personally award him a medal. "Comrade Colonel, let the enemy come out of the trenches and let our troops take over their defense."
"I understand." Bie Lei agreed, "I will convey your order immediately."
Sokov put down his headphones and the megaphone, returned to the lookout, and said to Ivanov and Anisimov: "Deputy Division Commander, Comrade Political Commissar, I have received the exact news from Colonel Bere, that the enemy has surrendered to us. Let the soldiers of the flag guarding squad take out the military flag, and we will go and meet with friendly troops now."
"Let's go now?" Ivanov looked at the German position in the distance and asked with some concern: "But the enemy has not left the position yet."
"Then wait a few more minutes." Sokov picked up his telescope and looked at the German positions in the distance: "As soon as our commanders and soldiers take over the enemy's positions, we will set out."
The tank soldiers responsible for negotiations jumped into the trenches again. Less than a minute later, countless steel helmets emerged from the trenches. Soon, the German soldiers wearing steel helmets climbed out of the trenches with their hands and feet, raised their hands, and came towards the Soviet infantry. Seeing that the enemies were coming out of the trenches, the officers and soldiers in charge of the attack speeded up and went up to take over the prisoners and positions.
"Okay, comrade of the deputy division commander." Seeing that the surrendered prisoners were all taken care of by their own soldiers, Sokov turned his head and said to Ivanov: "Let's go and welcome the friendly forces."
Sokov came here this time and only brought Samoilov's guard platoon. When he went out, Ivanov saw that there was only one guard platoon and said with regret: "Comrade Commander, if we had known that we would be able to meet with friendly troops so soon, we should bring more people here."
"Isn't Selyosha in the 122nd Regiment?" Sokov suddenly remembered that in order to strengthen the anti-tank power of each regiment, he specially asked Selyosha to lead a guard company to move back and forth in the defense zones of the three regiments. Now he is going to meet with friendly forces, so they are just allowed to participate in this grand occasion.
Since Seryosha knew that Sokov had arrived at the regiment command post, he had been panicked. He knew that today he could meet with friendly troops, and he wanted to follow Sokov to witness this great historical moment. However, he could not go to the regiment command post casually.
Just as he was restless like an ant on a hot pan, a soldier suddenly came over, saluted him, and said loudly: "Lieutenant Seryosha, the division commander, ordered you to gather your subordinates and participate in the meeting."
"What, go and participate in the meeting?" Selyoshao recognized the other party as a soldier in 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: "The division commander and the others are preparing the flag for the meeting. They are about to set off. Please hurry up."
"Assemble the Guards Company!" Selyosha learned that Sokov and the others were about to set off, so he dared not be negligent. He hurried out of the shelter and stood in the trenches and shouted loudly: "Assemble the Guards Company urgently!"
Following the shouts, the three platoon leaders ran out first. They asked Selyosha in a verbal manner: "Comrade Commander, do we have any combat missions?"
"Teacher Commander!" Xie Liaosha said in a loud voice: "Let us assemble immediately and escort the division leaders to meet with friendly troops!"
"Ula!" After hearing the mission clearly, the three platoon leaders cheered, ran to the door of the shelter where their platoon was located, and shouted in it: "Comrades, we have gathered, we have gathered. We want to escort the division commander to meet with friendly troops. Your actions are quicker."
The soldiers of the guard company who had been frustrated in the cover department heard the good news that the platoon leader said, but they dared not be negligent. They quickly put on their weapons and rushed out of the cover department, forming a row in the trenches.
When Selyosha led more than 100 soldiers from the guard company to the designated location, he found that Sokov and the others had set off. The Samoilov guard platoon and the soldiers sent from the regiment lined up in three rows, with thirty people in each row. Sokov, Ivanov and Anisimov walked in the middle of the second row, and a sergeant holding the flag of the Guard Division, walked with his head held high and his chest held high beside Sokov.
Seeing this, Selyosha quickly divided his guard company into four columns, followed Sokov and others honestly, and walked towards the area still fighting in the distance.
Although all the German troops on the positions that the 122nd Regiment were preparing to attack had surrendered, the German troops in the distance were still blocking the attack of the 23rd Infantry Division. After they discovered Sokov and his party, they immediately bombarded with mortars.
A shell landed more than ten meters away from the team and exploded, stirring up a pillar mixed with snow powder and soil. Except for the snow powder and soil, which caused no casualties.
Seeing the German mortars bombarding the military flag in the distance, the Soviet commanders and soldiers occupying the positions immediately rushed to another line of defense of the German army along the traffic trench, 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 dreamed that the troops behind them took the initiative to put down their weapons and surrender to the Soviet army without firing a single shot. Faced with the Soviet army rushing up from behind, their morale was extremely low. After setting a random gun, some people began to put down their weapons and surrender to Sokov's troops.
With the people who took the lead in surrendering, the officers and soldiers who had long wanted to continue to follow suit and also raised their hands to surrender. The commanders and fighters of the 23rd Infantry Division, who were originally suppressed by the enemy's firepower, saw that the enemy's resistance weakened and even stopped, got up from the ground and bravely rushed to the enemy's position with weapons.
The enemy's resistance stopped. The troops of the 23rd Infantry Division and Sokov's troops were less than 100 meters apart. Both sides stopped at the same time and followed the crisscrossing trenches and traffic trenches.
Sokov, who was following the military flag, suddenly saw a bright red military flag rising from the crowd opposite. Around the military flag, there were also several commanders wearing big-brimmed hats. He turned his head and shouted to the people on both sides: "Comrades, Colonel Sivakov of the Otoyo Army is here to meet us, let's go quickly."
The commanders and soldiers of both sides stopped in place and quietly watched the two small troops protecting a military flag, constantly approaching.
When the two small troops were less than five meters apart, they 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 other colonel.
Sokov raised his hand and saluted the other party, and smiled and said, "Hello, Comrade Colonel, I am Colonel Sokov, the commander of the 41st Division of the Guards. Are you Colonel Sivakov?"
Chapter completed!