Unexpectedly, after the telegram was sent, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no movement at all.
Sokov looked at the time. Almost ten minutes had passed, and he couldn't help but feel anxious. He also called the communications company commander over and asked: "Comrade company commander, why haven't the front army headquarters responded to the telegram yet? Could it be that they didn't receive our telegram?"
"Comrade division commander," the communications company commander straightened his body and replied in a positive tone: "The other party has completely received the telegram we sent."
"But why hasn't it taken so long for you to call me back?" Ivanov, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but ask.
The communications company commander opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say, so he stood there silently.
"Comrade Deputy Division Commander, this is not the responsibility of the communications company commander, it is because we were too anxious." Sokov sighed and said to Sidorin: "Paulus surrendering to us is of great concern, even if Rokossovs General Ji is the commander of the front army, and I am afraid that he cannot make decisions on some matters without authorization. I guess he should be asking for instructions from the headquarters of the Supreme Command at the moment. When he gets the answer, he will give us an order."
Everyone waited in agony for another quarter of an hour when the phone on the table rang. Ivanov thought it was a call from a regiment commander at the front, so he walked over, picked up the phone, and said into the receiver: "I am the deputy division commander Ivanov, where are you from?"
"I'm Rokossovsky." Unexpectedly, Rokossovsky's voice came from the receiver: "Is Sokov there?"
"Commander of the Front Army, please wait a moment. I will ask the division commander to answer the phone right away." After Ivanov said this, he covered the phone with his hand and shouted to Sokov who was standing next to the walkie-talkie: "Comrade Division Commander, Front Army The commander wants to speak to you.”
"Hello, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." Sokov walked over, took the phone, and said to his ear: "Do you have any instructions?"
"Misha, I have reported the content of the telegram you sent to the Supreme Command." Rokossovsky said: "The Supreme Commander himself is very satisfied with the results you have achieved."
Knowing that Stalin was satisfied with the results he had achieved, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little elated. However, he still tried to ask in a calm tone: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, I wonder if the base camp will allow me to accept the surrender of the German army?"
"Go, Misha, this is an opportunity that can go down in history, don't miss it." After Rokossovsky said this, he said enviously: "To be honest, if it weren't for my command It’s too far away from you, and I want to go to the department store myself and accept Paulus’ surrender there.”
After putting down the phone, Sokov said to Ivanov: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, you stay here and sit in command. I was ordered to go to the department store to accept the German surrender."
"Okay." Although Ivanov dreamed of participating in such a surrender, after all, the distance was only a few hundred meters. However, due to his responsibilities, he could only choose to stay at the forward headquarters, but he still told Sokov: "Comrade division commander, you must pay attention to safety."
"Don't worry, Comrade Deputy Division Commander." Sokov grinned at Ivanov, "I should be safer than ever at this moment. Not only will our soldiers protect my safety, but even the Germans who are preparing to surrender, I don’t want any accident to happen to me. I believe today’s surrender will be very smooth.”
"Comrade Colonel." As soon as Sokov reached the door, a man came over from the other side of the traffic trench and shouted to him: "Let me come with you."
Sokov turned around and saw clearly that the person speaking was Ulbricht, the leader of the Anti-Faxi Temple Alliance. I thought that when I surrendered later, I would need someone who knew German to translate. He shook his head at the other party and said: "Let's go, Comrade Ulbricht, come with us to accept Paulus's surrender."
Ten minutes later, Sokov and Ulbricht walked into the department store with a guard platoon of soldiers. As soon as he entered the door, Schmidt came up to him and said flatteringly: "Colonel Sokov, our commander is waiting for you in the basement. Please come with me."
When Sokov followed Schmidt to the basement entrance, he found that the two iron doors at the entrance were tightly closed. Sokov frowned slightly and asked: "Chief of Staff Schmidt, didn't you say you want to surrender to us? Why did you close the door?"
"Colonel Sokov, don't get me wrong." Seeing that the door that was still open when he came out was actually closed now, Schmidt was also a little panicked. He quickly explained to Sokov: "Maybe some people don't want to surrender. The officers and soldiers were up to something, I immediately asked them to open the door."
With that said, Schmidt called a soldier and told him to come forward and call the door. The soldier stepped forward and slapped the iron door hard with his hands, making the door crackle, but the iron door never opened.
Seeing that the people inside refused to open the door, Sokov turned to Samoylov who was following him and said: "Comrade Lieutenant, go and call the door. Remember, ask the enemy to open the door and surrender in Russian."
Samoilov nodded, took a few steps to the door, banged the door heavily with his fist, and shouted sternly: "Open the door, I order you to open the door immediately."
When Samoilov knocked on the door, Sokov was wondering if he should order someone to blow the door open with explosives if the Germans inside refused to open the door. As for whether the German soldiers staying near the door were dead or alive, he didn't care.
Before Sokov could order the use of explosives, several gunshots were suddenly heard from the door. With his sharp ears, Sokov heard the guns being fired inside, including pistols and submachine guns. Just when he was about to let Schmidt come forward and ask what was going on inside, the two closed iron doors had been opened from the inside.
The door was opened by several soldiers wearing steel helmets. After they opened the door, they threw their weapons on the ground and stood on both sides of the door with their hands hanging down. "Please come in, Colonel Sokov." Now that the door has been opened, Schmidt quickly took a step forward and made a gesture of invitation: "Our commander is still waiting for you."
When Sokov walked into the iron gate, he saw the body of a German officer lying at the door, with a pistol still clutched in his hand. Five or six steps away from him, a soldier without a helmet sat, and a companion was bandaging a wound on his arm. In Sokov's mind, he immediately connected the wounded soldier with the killed German officer. He guessed that the soldier might have wanted to open the iron door, but was stopped by his commander, and a fight broke out between the two sides. The officer shot him in the arm, but the submachine gun in his hand killed the officer who prevented him from opening the door.
After thinking clearly about the cause and effect, Sokov stopped, turned around and said to Samoylov: "Comrade Lieutenant, let someone bandage the wound of this wounded soldier. Also, give him some food."
"Comrade division commander, why is this happening?" Samoilov didn't understand why Sokov suddenly issued such a strange order. He asked: "Why do you need to treat this wounded soldier and give him food? ?”
"It's very simple, Comrade Lieutenant." Sokov looked at the wounded soldier sitting on the ground and said: "If it hadn't been for him, we might still be locked out at this moment. It was precisely because he shot and killed the officer who tried to prevent the door from opening. We can get into the basement smoothly. Got it?"
"Understood, comrade division commander." Samoylov said, took out a first-aid kit from his pocket, bent down and handed it to the wounded soldier with an injured arm. Seeing that the wounded soldier accepted the first aid kit, he took out a fist-sized piece of black bread from his pocket and gave it to the wounded soldier. The wounded soldier did not expect that the Soviet army who came in gave him food as well as a first aid kit. He was so excited that he thanked Sokov.
The last time Sokov came to persuade him to surrender, the basement was still well ventilated and there was no smell. But only a few days later, the basement smelled like a huge garbage dump. The smell of blood and shoes and socks mixed in the dirty air.
Schmidt led Sokov along the corridor crowded with officers and soldiers, to the door of a room, stopped and said to Sokov: "Colonel Sokov, the commander is waiting for you in the room."
Sokov nodded, stepped forward, pushed open the door, and strode in. Ulbricht and Samoilov, who were behind him, also quickly followed in.
When he came into the room, with the dim light, Sokov saw a soldier wearing an officer's coat and an otter fur cap, standing against the wall with his back to the door, looking up at the map hanging on the wall. .
"Marshal Paulus," Sokov knew that this man was Paulus. He walked up behind him and said righteously: "I am Colonel Sokov of the Soviet Red Army. I have been ordered to come to accept the surrender of the German army and Take you all prisoner."
Paulus, who was facing the wall, slowly turned around after listening to Ulbricht's translation. Sokov saw clearly that he was still wearing the uniform of a general. It seemed that Hitler had not had time to let the air force drop the marshal's uniform. Paulus took off his otter-skin hat and put on a large-brimmed hat. After raising his hand to salute Sokov, he said loudly: "Marshal Paulus of the German Army surrenders to the Soviet Red Army!"
"Samoilov," Sokov took the pistol handed over by Paulus, turned around and handed it to Samoilov who was following behind him, and ordered him: "Order the soldiers outside to come in and bring them back." Take all the German officers and soldiers out of the basement."
After Samoilov left, Sokov pointed to the chair next to the conference table and said politely: "Marshal Paulus, it will definitely take a long time to accommodate so many troops. Why don't we sit down and chat? Let’s talk.”
"Mr. Marshal." After Paulus sat down, Sokov sat down on a chair not far away, looked at him and asked: "I want to ask you, there are obviously many opportunities to break out, why don't you organize Troops breakout?"
"We lack fuel, ammunition and food." Paulus heard this question and replied with a wry smile: "If we want to break out, we can only throw away all the technical equipment and escape lightly. But in such a cold climate, our Even if the troops break through your siege, they will be wiped out by you in the ice and snow."
Regarding Paulus's statement, Sokov did not object, but nodded. He also felt that once the enemy who lost his heavy weapons broke away from the position he was relying on and fled in a hurry in the snow, he would soon be defeated. The Soviet army that was chasing them was defeated and defeated.
Seeing that Sokov agreed with his statement, Paulus continued: "In the process of retreating, the troops are vulnerable to heavy losses from you, and even annihilation is one aspect. More importantly, I have sent telegrams to the head of state many times, I asked him to let the troops break out, but he refused without hesitation."
Schmidt led Sokov along the corridor crowded with officers and soldiers, to the door of a room, stopped and said to Sokov: "Colonel Sokov, the commander is waiting for you in the room."
Sokov nodded, stepped forward, pushed open the door, and strode in. Ulbricht and Samoilov, who were behind him, also quickly followed in.
When he came into the room, with the dim light, Sokov saw a soldier wearing an officer's coat and an otter fur cap, standing against the wall with his back to the door, looking up at the map hanging on the wall. .
"Marshal Paulus," Sokov knew that this man was Paulus. He walked up behind him and said righteously: "I am Colonel Sokov of the Soviet Red Army. I have been ordered to come to accept the surrender of the German army and Take you all prisoner."
Paulus, who was facing the wall, slowly turned around after listening to Ulbricht's translation. Sokov saw clearly that he was still wearing the uniform of a general. It seemed that Hitler had not had time to let the air force drop the marshal's uniform. Paulus took off his otter-skin hat and put on a large-brimmed hat. After raising his hand to salute Sokov, he said loudly: "Marshal Paulus of the German Army surrenders to the Soviet Red Army!"
"Samoilov," Sokov took the pistol handed over by Paulus, turned around and handed it to Samoilov who was following behind him, and ordered him: "Order the soldiers outside to come in and take the pistol." Take all the German officers and soldiers out of the basement."
After Samoilov left, Sokov pointed to the chair next to the conference table and said politely: "Marshal Paulus, it will definitely take a long time to accommodate so many troops. Why don't we sit down and talk? Let’s talk.”
"Mr. Marshal." After Paulus sat down, Sokov sat down on a chair not far away, looked at him and asked: "I want to ask you, there are obviously many opportunities to break out, why don't you organize Troops breakout?"
"We lack fuel, ammunition and food." Paulus heard this question and replied with a wry smile: "If we want to break out, we can only throw away all the technical equipment and escape lightly. But in such a cold climate, our Even if the troops break through your siege, they will be wiped out by you in the ice and snow."
Regarding Paulus's statement, Sokov did not object, but nodded. He also felt that once the enemy who lost his heavy weapons broke away from the position he was relying on and fled in a hurry in the snow, he would soon be defeated. The Soviet army that was chasing them was defeated and defeated.
Seeing that Sokov agreed with his statement, Paulus continued: "In the process of retreating, the troops are vulnerable to heavy losses from you, and even annihilation is one aspect. More importantly, I have sent telegrams to the head of state many times, I asked him to let the troops break out, but he refused without hesitation."
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