"Comrade Marshal," Vasilevsky did not refute Zhukov's statement, but said with emotion: "If Sokov's troops could have entered the battle earlier, maybe the German troops outside Prokhorovka would have been defeated. Defeated.”
"Yes," Vatutin agreed with Vasilevskiy's statement. The Skeleton Division, which his own troops could not stop, became vulnerable in front of Sokov. He hurriedly said: " Judging from the speed with which they defeated the Skeleton Division tonight, if they could have been mobilized earlier, the enemy might have been driven away from the outside of Prokhorovka."
"That's not necessarily true." But Zhukov shook his head and said: "A few days ago, the enemy who broke into the city of Prokhorovka had powerful artillery and armored units, and also received air support. Even if the rope was I'm afraid that if Cove's troops are transferred over, they won't be able to play a big role. On the contrary, if they fight the enemy without artillery and air cover, they will inevitably pay heavy sacrifices."
"But I heard that the officers and soldiers of Sokov's army are using assault rifles newly developed by our country. They have the shooting speed of submachine guns and the accuracy of rifles. With such equipment, they can Suppress the enemy with firepower." Vatutin said with some dissatisfaction: "In addition, there are new rockets and anti-tank rocket launchers that are easy to carry. With these equipment, it will be much easier for them to defeat the enemy."
Zhukov knew that Vatutin was telling the truth, but these weapons were all designed by Sokov. In addition, he had a good relationship with Yakov and Ustinov, so the advanced equipment produced was naturally given priority to him. of troops. "Comrade Vatutin, you can't say that. Misha is indeed very good at commanding operations. Only when these newly developed weapons are equipped with his troops can they play a real role. Besides, he is originally The designer has personally tested the performance of these weapons on the battlefield and obtained first-hand information. He is undoubtedly the best candidate."
Vatutin thought about it and felt that what Zhukov said made sense, but in the end he could only sigh. He felt that even if his troops were equipped with these weapons, it would be a problem whether they could stop elite troops like the Skeleton Division, let alone annihilate them in an organized manner.
"Wait, comrades." Zhukov finally said: "I think Misha may give us a bigger surprise at dawn."
Zhukov was just talking and said such a sentence, but what he didn't expect was that not long after, what he said became reality.
The propaganda vehicle Colonel Billing was riding in was parked behind a ruined wall. It was only a hundred meters away from the German position. Unless the Germans used mortars to bombard him, it would be difficult to threaten his life. Although he knew that his location was safe, the soldiers still forced him to hide in a basement and shout to the German troops in the distance through the loudspeaker in the car.
There are more than 300 German troops trapped in the siege, with five Panzer III tanks and a dozen 88mm anti-aircraft guns. Although this force is so small compared with the Soviet troops besieging them, if the Soviet army launches a strong attack on them, the German commander Major Fitman is still confident that the other party will pay an extremely heavy price.
When he heard the shouting from outside, Fetterman didn't pay attention at all. It was not the first time he heard such shouting, and there was nothing new at all. Just when he was drowsy, an elderly second lieutenant ran in from outside and woke him up: "Mr. Major, the Russians are shouting outside, asking us to put down our weapons and surrender to them, saying that they can ensure that all of us life safety.”
"Second Lieutenant." Fetterman opened his eyes and looked at the other party and said: "Don't you know that the Russians hate our SS the most. As long as they capture our people, whether they surrender voluntarily or are captured on the battlefield, Those who are captured will end up being shot on the spot. Think about it, how could they accept our surrender?"
"Mr. Major," who knew that the second lieutenant still said reluctantly after listening to Fetterman's words: "I think it is necessary for you to go out and listen to what the Russians are saying. I think if you follow what the Russians say, put down your weapons and go out Surrender, maybe the rest of us can survive.”
"Propaganda! This is all Russian false propaganda." Fetterman said in an unquestionable tone: "They just want to trick us into putting down our weapons and surrendering. Second Lieutenant, I can tell you with certainty that once we put down our weapons, They will become lambs to be slaughtered and be slaughtered completely by them."
"Mr. Major, if other troops are trying to persuade us to surrender, my men and I will definitely shoot the last bullet and fight to the last man." The old second lieutenant said to Fetterman: "The surrender letter being played outside is Written by General Sokov. Although he is our enemy, I believe that his promises will be fulfilled."
"How can we trust the Russians? Even if this is a promise made by the Russian general, he may still not keep his word..." When Fetterman said this, he suddenly realized that the second lieutenant heard a familiar name. After a pause, he asked tentatively: "Second Lieutenant, who did you just say wrote the letter of persuasion to surrender?"
"It's General Sokov of Russia."
"General Sokov?!" Fetterman asked cautiously: "Is it the General Sokov who captured Paulus in Stalingrad?"
"Of course it's him!"
"Are you sure?"
The second lieutenant pursed his lips toward the outside and said: "Major, as long as you listen carefully to the content of the surrender, you will know that this is the surrender letter written by General Sokov."
When Fetterman heard what the second lieutenant said, he quickly came to the door of the command post and listened to the broadcast room in the distance. After hearing the unusual content of persuading him to surrender, Fetterman couldn't help but tremble all over, as if he felt that Sokov was standing in front of him, pointing at him and issuing him an ultimatum.
"Mr. Major," the second lieutenant saw that Fetterman was silent and asked him quickly: "What should we do? Should we continue to resist, or should we put down our weapons and surrender?"
If the loudspeaker not far away was playing the same words of persuasion to surrender, Fitterman would definitely choose to continue to resist without hesitation. After all, as an SS soldier, he was destined to choose to die in battle instead of surrendering to the Russians. surrender. But what is being played at this moment is the surrender letter written by Sokov himself. Even if they lay down their weapons and surrender, they can still survive. It seems that there is no need to continue to resist?
"Second Lieutenant," Fetterman did not make an immediate decision, but asked the Second Lieutenant a question: "What kind of reaction did the soldiers have when they heard General Sokov's letter of surrender?"
"What other reaction can there be?" the second lieutenant shrugged and said, "Since there is a chance of survival, why die in vain? Besides, everyone wants to live until the end of the war and go home to reunite with their relatives."
After listening to the second lieutenant's story, Fetterman made a decisive decision. Since Sokov was persuading him to surrender, it would not be a shame to order the participating troops to lay down their weapons and surrender. If it were a different Russian commander, even if his subordinates wanted to surrender, the other party would not accept it.
Fetterman said to the second lieutenant: "Lieutenant, judging from the current situation, it is meaningless to continue to resist. In order to save the living people, I decided to order all officers and soldiers to lay down their weapons and surrender to the Russian General Sokov."
As soon as Fetterman gave the order for the officers and soldiers to lay down their weapons and surrender, many guns tied with white shirts or white handkerchiefs were immediately stretched out from the trenches, shaking desperately, announcing their intention to surrender to the Soviet troops in the distance.
Colonel Billing did not expect that the German army on the opposite side actually surrendered after only reciting the surrender letter a dozen times. He simply could not believe it was true. It wasn't until he saw many German soldiers coming out of their hiding places with their unarmed hands raised in the air, and some of them were holding a white handkerchief, that Billing was convinced that the Germans had really surrendered. .
Billing quickly ordered the telegraph operator who followed him: "Immediately send a telegram to the division headquarters, saying that the German troops surrounded by our troops outside the farm have laid down their weapons and surrendered to our troops after listening to the commander's letter of persuasion." "
"The Germans have surrendered?" After Sokov learned the news, although he felt ecstatic in his heart, he pretended to be nonchalant on the surface. He tried his best to use a calm tone and said to Colonel Shechtman: "Comrade Colonel, since the enemies on the left have surrendered, let Colonel Billing send some troops to escort these enemies to the group army headquarters. The remaining troops will immediately go to the group army headquarters." We move closer and try to break through the Guards Division's defense zone before dawn."
"Comrade Commander, what about the 18th Tank Corps that is cooperating with us?" Shechtman asked Sokov for instructions: "Let them stay where they are, or let them move here with our troops?"
"I have no right to command the troops of the 18th Tank Corps." Sokov felt that the next attack on the defense area of the Color Guard Division should be a hard battle. If he could get the support of the 18th Tank Corps, the chance of breaking through the enemy's defense would be greatly improved. improve. In order to effectively break through the German defenses, he decided to ask General Rotmistrov for help: "But I will immediately report the situation here to General Rotmistrov and ask him to let the 18th Tank Army Move with us to destroy the Flag Guard Division."
Sokov personally drafted a telegram and ordered the telegraph operator to send it to the headquarters of the 5th Guards Tank Army. Then he said to Shechtman: "Comrade Colonel, regardless of General Baharov's 18th Tank Army, Whether you want to cooperate with us or not, you must tell Colonel Billing and ask him to lead the two regiments to come here to join our army in the shortest possible time."
Shechtman nodded desperately to Sokov's order. Even though the battle on the right wing was going smoothly, after all, we were fighting more with less, and the troops responsible for the main attack suffered a lot of casualties. Some companies only had a dozen or twenty people left. To break through the Guardsmen division's defenses, more troops would be needed.
Sokov felt somewhat uncomfortable when he thought that Simon had been allowed to escape during the assault on the German division headquarters. He thought for a while and then said to Shechtman: "Comrade Colonel, although there is a melee ahead, you still have to send people to search for the whereabouts of Commander Simon of the Skeleton Division. It would be best if you can capture him alive. Even if you cannot capture him alive, We must also kill him, and we must not let him slip away from our hands again.”
"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Shechtman knew that catching Simon would be a great achievement, and he would never let go of such an opportunity. He patted his chest and assured Sokov: "Although the enemy and we are in a melee, I have already sent two small teams deep into the enemy's defense area to find the whereabouts of Simon and his division. I believe that my Soldiers, they will not let me down..."
Unexpectedly, before Shechtman finished speaking, a communications staff officer walked over quickly, handed a telegram to Sokov, and said: "Comrade Commander, this is the commander of the 182nd Division, Khokhlov." Urgent telegram from the Colonel.”
"An urgent telegram from Colonel Khokhlov?" When Sokov received the telegram, he was still muttering to himself: "If the focus of the battle shifts to outside Prokhorovka, what will happen to his defense area?"
After Sokov saw clearly the contents of the telegram, he couldn't help but turn pale with shock, and his breathing became rapid. Seeing Sokov's reaction aroused Shechtman's curiosity: "Comrade Commander, what did the telegram say? Did something happen to the 182nd Division's defense area?"
"The Germans sent a force deep into the defense depth of the 182nd Division and besieged the field hospital." Sokov handed the telegram in his hand to Shechtman and said with a serious expression: "The battle is now taking place in the field hospital. spread out nearby."
Shechtman was shocked when he learned that the German army was attacking the field hospital of the 182nd Division, because many people knew that Sokov's wife, assistant military doctor Asya, now works in the field hospital of the 182nd Division. Now that there is an enemy attack there, it means that Asya is in danger. No wonder Sokov behaves so rudely.
"Comrade Commander," Shechtman asked Sokov with a serious expression, "Do you need us to dispatch troops to support you?"
"No need." Sokov waved his hand to Shechtman and said, "Colonel Khokhlov's troops are enough to destroy the enemies who sneak attack the hospital. You stay here and continue to command the battle. I will go over and take a look at the situation there."
After Sokov finished speaking, he turned around and shouted loudly outside the command post: "Lieutenant Samoylov!"
"Here!" Following Sokov's shout, Samoylov rushed in from outside, straightened his body and looked at Sokov and asked: "Comrade Commander, what are your instructions?"
After Sokov knew that he had arrived at Shechtman's unit, Samoilov had already transferred all the people from the guard platoon over. Since he has to rush to the defense area of the 182nd Division at this moment, he must take the guard platoon with him. Even if he encounters a small group of enemy troops on the road, it will be enough to deal with it: "I have something urgent to go to the defense area of the 182nd Division. You can do it immediately." Assemble the guard platoon, we'll leave in five minutes."
