Paul, who was helped by two soldiers to sit up, originally looked dying. When he saw the Red Banner Medal that Samoilov put on him, his face suddenly glowed and his whole person became energetic.
After Samoilov put the medal on Paul's head, he immediately took two steps back to make way for Sokov. Sokov stepped forward and held Paul's hand, smiled and said to him: "Comrade Paul, congratulations on winning the Order of the Red Banner. In addition, I want to tell you good news. You have been officially promoted to the rank of captain." You go to the rear to recuperate first, and when you return to the team after recovering from your injury, I plan to make you the battalion commander."
"Serve the Soviet Motherland!" Paul said with red eyes what he should say after receiving the medal. Then he held Sokov's hand tightly and said excitedly: "Comrade Commander, thank you. If you hadn't arranged If I advance to the military brigade, I probably won’t have a chance to get medals or be promoted.”
Sokov understood Paul's mood very well. No matter how outstanding your performance was in the past, as long as you become a prisoner of the German army, you will be put into another book and it will be difficult for you to stand up again. But Paul could enjoy equal treatment in his own army, and be promoted and decorated like other commanders and combatants. This was something that was simply unimaginable in other armies.
Sokov knew that talking too much would lead to mistakes, so he didn't say much. He just encouraged Paul a few words and then let go of Paul's hand. After Sokov retreated, Runev and Samyko also stepped forward to shake Paul's hand and said a few words of comfort to him.
After the brief and simple investiture ceremony, Sokov and others walked out of the tent.
Seeing a military doctor standing not far away, Sokov walked over and said to him: "Comrade military doctor, I see that Captain Paul's injury is not serious. It may be difficult to get ideal treatment here. It is better to send him as soon as possible." Go to the military hospital in Moscow."
"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." The military doctor nodded to Sokov: "Tonight, a group of seriously wounded people will be sent back to Moscow. I can arrange for Captain Paul to leave with these wounded people."
Sokov thought that this place was almost 600 kilometers away from Moscow, and then thought about the bad road conditions in Russia. He couldn't help but asked worriedly: "It will take more than ten hours to drive from here to Moscow at the fastest. The injured are on such a bumpy road." Go on, can you last that long?”
"Comrade Commander, you don't have to worry." The military doctor explained to Sokov: "We only need to use ambulances to transport the wounded to the railway station in Oboyan, and then transport the wounded to Moscow by train, so that the wounded can be spared." The pain of bumps along the way will be reduced and unnecessary casualties will be reduced.”
"I really didn't expect that the Oboyan train station would be put back into use so soon." Lunev said with emotion: "But it's good, the wounded can return to Moscow by train. You know, many of the wounded did not die. On the battlefield, they all died unfortunately because they could not bear the bumps during transportation, resulting in aggravated injuries."
The three returned to the headquarters.
Lunev asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, are we still going to continue the screening and review of rescued commanders and combatants?"
"Of course, Comrade Military Commissar, this is a task assigned to us by our superiors, and it must be completed to the letter." After Sokov finished speaking righteously, he lowered his tone and said to Lunev: "But these The commanders and soldiers have not been captured for a long time, so there shouldn’t be much of a problem. You can relax some standards appropriately during the screening and review. Do you understand?”
"Understood." Lunev knew that the war was now tense and there was an urgent need for a large number of commanders and fighters to supplement the severely attrited troops. If the original standards were still followed, it would take at least one or two months to complete the screening and review of more than 30,000 commanders and fighters. "I'll get this done as quickly as possible."
Sokov nodded and turned to Sameko: "Chief of Staff, how is the battle on the front line? How much time does it take to completely annihilate the besieged 255th Infantry Division?"
"Our troops have rushed into the residential area from different directions and are fighting for the building with the enemies who are holding on to the building." Sameko replied: "I estimate that the battle can be resolved in two hours at most. "
"I don't need your estimate, I want to hear a definite answer."
Sameko straightened up quickly and replied: "Report to Comrade Commander, our army can completely eliminate the 255th Infantry Division that is besieged by us within two hours."
The entrance to the basement where the German Chief of Staff was guarding was blocked with firepower, preventing the Soviet troops from rushing into the basement. Instead, fifty or sixty people were killed or injured.
After Shamrih learned the news, he came to the building in person. He stood not far from the entrance and took a look, then ordered the soldiers: "No need to rush in anymore, just throw grenades in. Since they don't surrender, then we will completely eliminate them."
"Comrade Battalion Commander," Yakuda heard Shamrih giving such an order and quickly reminded him: "According to the intelligence we have, the German division commander and chief of staff are both below. If you throw a grenade directly, I'm afraid none of them will survive."
"Deputy Battalion Commander, not long ago, I had the idea of capturing them alive, so that when I see the commander, I can have a bright face." Shamrih shook his head and said: "But look at us now. Dozens of soldiers were sacrificed, and we didn’t even rush in through the basement door. If we had to capture the enemy commander alive, we don’t know how many casualties we would have to pay.”
"Execute the order, Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander." After Shamrih finished speaking, seeing Yakov still standing there in a daze, he raised his hand and patted his shoulder: "Finally, use cluster grenades to blow up the basement. Collapse and bury all these damn German bandits alive in it."
As the order was given, the Yakuda fighters tied the grenades together to make cluster grenades, pulled the strings and threw them inside.
After bursts of earth-shaking explosions, thick smoke billowed out of the basement door. Shamrih felt that the whole building was shaking, and immediately realized that something was wrong. He quickly shouted loudly: "Everyone listen to my order and evacuate the building quickly. The building will collapse soon."
As Shamrih shouted, the officers and soldiers who threw grenades into the basement ran out of the building in panic. Some soldiers ran up the stairs to call their comrades upstairs to retreat together.
After most of the commanders and fighters escaped from the building, the already overwhelmed building collapsed after shaking a few times, and huge clouds of dust rose into the sky.
After the disgraced Shamrih and others withdrew from the dust range, Yakuda said with lingering fear: "Comrade Battalion Commander, fortunately you decisively issued the retreat order, otherwise at least more than half of us would have been crushed under the collapsed In the building.”
Shamrih looked at the looming buildings in the dust and felt that even if the people from the German command headquarters were still alive, it would be absolutely impossible to climb out of the ruins. He turned to his men and said: "Comrades, let's go to other places." Go to the building."
At this moment, a soldier not far away shouted loudly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, come quickly and take a look!"
"What's going on?" Shamrih walked up to the soldier and asked somewhat unhappily: "It's worth your shouting."
"Comrade Battalion Commander, come and take a look." The soldier pulled Shamrih to a pile of corpses scattered around and said to him: "There is something unexpected for you here."
"Unexpected harvest?" Shamrih looked at the corpses underground and remembered that when they tried to run to another building through the open space, they were shot by machine guns and mortars he set up on the roof not far away. dead. After staring at the corpses for a while, he squatted down next to one and asked, "What did you find?"
"Here, this is the corpse," the soldier pointed to a corpse and said to Shamrih: "You can't see that he is just wearing the uniform of an ordinary soldier, but he is an important person."
Shamrih stared at the face of the corpse and found that it was an older man who looked a little out of place with the soldier uniform he was wearing. He felt that this must be an important person, so he continued to ask the soldier: "Did you find anything useful on him?"
"Comrade Battalion Commander, this was found from his body." The soldier handed a document to Shamrih: "Although I can't understand the words on it, but looking at the big-brimmed hat he is wearing, it must be He’s a big guy!”
Fortunately, Shamrih knew a few Germans. After he carefully checked the corpse's ID, he excitedly patted the soldier's shoulder with his hand and said to him excitedly: "Comrade soldier, you have done a good job. This corpse The corpse is indeed not simple, he is not an ordinary soldier, but the commander of the 255th Infantry Division."
"What, the commander of the German 255th Division was killed by us?" When the surrounding commanders heard what Shamrih said, they all came over to see what the German division commander looked like.
After confirming the identity of the German division commander, Shamrich became excited. He quickly handed over the radio operator and ordered him: "Get through to the brigade headquarters immediately. I want to report to the brigade commander in person that we are fighting. We killed the German division commander, and other members of the division headquarters were also buried by us in the ruins of the building."
After receiving Shamrich's report, Chuvashov was stunned for a moment, and then asked in an unbelievable tone: "Major Shamrich, are you really sure that the commander of the German 255th Infantry Division has been killed by you? "
"Yes, Comrade Brigadier." Shamrih replied in a positive tone: "His ID is in my hand. I have studied German for a period of time with the translator in the army. I can use the ID to Recognize the other person’s identity and position.”
Although Shamrich had already said this, Chuvashov still felt that the matter was like a dream, so he immediately ordered him: "Then you immediately arrange people to send the body of the German division commander over and hand it over to someone you know." His people came to make the identification.”
Regarding Chuvashov's order, Shamrich agreed very readily: "I understand, Comrade Brigade Commander, I will immediately send two trustworthy soldiers to deliver the division commander's body to you."
"Move quickly," Chuvashov urged: "Once I confirm that the person killed by you is the commander of the 255th Infantry Division, I need to report to the army headquarters immediately."
"Don't worry, comrade brigade commander." Shamrich assured Chuvashov on the phone: "The body I gave you must be that of the German division commander."
After ending the call with Chuvashov, Shamrih ordered Yakuda: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, I think you should lead a few people to carry the body of the German soldier to the brigade headquarters. I guess if the brigade commander If you're in a good mood, I might even award you a bravery medal when the battle is over."
Fortunately, Shamrih knew a few Germans. After he carefully checked the corpse's ID, he excitedly patted the soldier's shoulder with his hand and said to him excitedly: "Comrade soldier, you have done a good job. This corpse The corpse is indeed not simple, he is not an ordinary soldier, but the commander of the 255th Infantry Division."
"What, the commander of the German 255th Division was killed by us?" When the surrounding commanders heard what Shamrih said, they all came over to see what the German division commander looked like.
After confirming the identity of the German division commander, Shamrich became excited. He quickly handed over the radio operator and ordered him: "Get through to the brigade headquarters immediately. I want to report to the brigade commander in person that we are fighting. We killed the German division commander, and other members of the division headquarters were also buried by us in the ruins of the building."
After receiving Shamrich's report, Chuvashov was stunned for a moment, and then asked in an unbelievable tone: "Major Shamrich, are you really sure that the commander of the German 255th Infantry Division has been killed by you? "
"Yes, Comrade Brigadier." Shamrih replied in a positive tone: "His ID is in my hand. I have studied German for a period of time with the translator in the army. I can use the ID to Recognize the other person’s identity and position.”
Although Shamrich had already said this, Chuvashov still felt that the matter was like a dream, so he immediately ordered him: "Then you immediately arrange people to send the body of the German division commander over and hand it over to someone you know." His people came to make the identification.”
Regarding Chuvashov's order, Shamrich agreed very readily: "I understand, Comrade Brigade Commander, I will immediately send two trustworthy soldiers to deliver the division commander's body to you."
"Move quickly," Chuvashov urged: "Once I confirm that the person killed by you is the commander of the 255th Infantry Division, I need to report to the army headquarters immediately."
"Don't worry, comrade brigade commander." Shamrich assured Chuvashov on the phone: "The body I gave you must be that of the German division commander."
After ending the call with Chuvashov, Shamrih ordered Yakuda: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, I think you should lead a few people to carry the body of the German soldier to the brigade headquarters. I guess if the brigade commander If you're in a good mood, I might even award you a bravery medal when the battle is over."
