After Shechtman received Sokov's order, before he had time to convey it to the troops, the commander of the 764th Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan, called him and reported the battle situation to him: "Comrade Division Commander, our regiment has already moved the troops in the city center. The church was besieged. But the enemy took advantage of the strong building of the church and fought stubbornly inside. Our first attack on the church ended in failure."
"What, the attack failed?" Shechtman, who had not yet had time to convey Sokov's order, frowned after hearing Lieutenant Colonel Ivan's report: "Didn't your regiment break through the enemy's defense?"
"Comrade Commander, the church is surrounded by open areas. The enemy can hide on the bell tower of the church and shoot at our officers and soldiers from a high position, causing us huge casualties." After reporting the situation, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan reported to She Hertman asked for instructions: "I ask you to allow us to use rocket launchers or new rockets so that we can take down the church controlled by the enemy in the shortest possible time."
"It doesn't have to be so troublesome." Although Shechtman didn't feel that the enemy would lay down their weapons and surrender to him after understanding Sokov's intentions, but since the storming failed, he might as well use a political offensive to persuade the enemy to surrender. "Immediately send a soldier who understands German to shout in front of the church. Just say that according to the commander's order, if they lay down their weapons and surrender, their lives can be guaranteed. If they continue to resist to the end, they will be killed when we attack the church. No one will be left alive.”
When Ivan learned that it was Sokov's order, he immediately replied unambiguously: "Don't worry, comrade division commander, I will immediately send people to persuade the enemies in the church to surrender. If they do not surrender, I will resolutely eliminate them."
"Wait a minute, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Shechtman was worried that the other party did not understand his intentions, so he quickly stopped him: "How do you plan to persuade the enemy to surrender?"
"It's very simple. Let comrades who understand German speak to the enemy and ask them to immediately lay down their weapons and surrender to us. Otherwise, we will resolutely destroy them."
"No, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, this is ineffective." Shechtman told Lieutenant Colonel Ivan: "The enemy never listens to our broadcasts on the battlefield. You can't make them put down their weapons by shouting to them. Surrendered.”
"Then what should we do?"
"Send an officer and a translator directly into the church to persuade them to surrender." Shechtman said solemnly: "Only by persuading them to surrender face to face can it be effective."
"But, Comrade Commander, it's too risky to do this." After Ivan waited for Shechtman to finish speaking, he defended him: "Even if the people we sent to negotiate were not shot by the enemy when they approached the church, wait until When they enter the church to persuade the enemy to surrender, they will also be in danger..."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Shechtman interrupted before Ivan could finish his words, "Where is it absolutely safe on the battlefield? If we cannot persuade the enemy in the church to surrender, then what will happen if we capture the church?" In the process, we will make more sacrifices. As a commander, don’t you know what choices you should make?”
Shechtman's words were like a revelation to Ivan, and he suddenly understood that even if the personnel sent to negotiate were in danger, only two or three people would be sacrificed. If the church was attacked by force, at least hundreds of casualties would be incurred. After weighing the pros and cons, he quickly said: "I understand, comrade division commander, I will immediately dispatch personnel to go to the church for negotiations."
After Ivan put down the phone, he called his chief of staff to him. After conveying Shechtman's meaning to him, he asked in a questioning tone: "Who do you think should be sent to perform this task?"
The chief of staff thought for a while and then replied: "Captain Mikhailov, the deputy commander of the second battalion, is courageous, knowledgeable and eloquent. It is perfect for him to carry out this task. As for the translator, I can let him Sergeant Vadim from the regimental headquarters serves as the commander."
Regarding the chief of staff's proposal, Ivan thought for a moment and then decisively agreed, "Okay, let's send the two of them to perform this task."
Mikhailev was called to the temporary command post by Ivan. When he learned that he was going to carry out the task of persuading the enemy to surrender, he looked reluctant: "Comrade leader, I think you should send someone else to perform this task."
"Why?" Ivan asked puzzled.
"If we want to enter the church smoothly, we must go there with a white flag." Mikhailev said with a face full of grief and indignation: "If I am asked to raise a white flag to the enemy, it is better for me to hold a pistol and shoot at my own head. One shot.”
After understanding the reason why Mikhailev was unwilling to perform the mission, Ivan straightened his face and said seriously: "Captain Mikhailev, your superiors are ordering you to go to the church to persuade the Germans to surrender, not to go to the enemy." Surrender. As long as you can persuade the enemy to surrender and thereby reduce the casualties of our army, this is a great achievement. Don’t you understand?”
Although he said this, Mikhailev still couldn't accept it psychologically. Ivan and the chief of staff took turns to persuade him, but they achieved little effect. Just when the two were helpless, Vadim, the translator who had been standing silently beside him, suddenly said: "Comrade leader, since Captain Mikhailev is unwilling to fly the white flag, then you can leave this matter to me. There won’t be any psychological burden.”
Seeing that Vadim took the initiative to take over the things that embarrassed him, Mikhailev couldn't help but cast a grateful glance at him.
"Okay, since Sergeant Vadim is willing to fly the white flag, you will feel that the white flag is at the front of the team later. After entering the church, your task is to be responsible for every sentence spoken by Captain Mikhail words, accurately translated to the Germans, do you understand what I mean?”
"I understand completely, Comrade Commander." Vadim straightened his back and replied, "I will never betray your trust."
A few minutes later, Vadim, holding a white flag in his hand, cautiously crossed the church square and walked towards the church. Captain Mikhailov followed closely behind, walking towards the church step by step.
The commanders and fighters on the Soviet position suddenly saw someone walking towards the church with a white flag, and they couldn't help but have some questions: "What's going on? Didn't we win? Why did we surrender to the Germans?"
"Is it possible that we were surrounded by enemies, so our superiors issued orders to surrender to the Germans?"
"..."
Just as everyone was speculating, Mikhailev and Vadim arrived at the door of the church. Soon, the church door opened, and a German second lieutenant walked out, followed by two German soldiers holding submachine guns.
The three came to Mikhailev and Vadim, and the German second lieutenant asked: "Russians, what's the matter with you?"
Upon hearing the other party's question, Mikhailev replied in an unassuming manner: "I am the negotiator sent by Major General Sokov. I want to see the supreme commander in the church. Please go in and let me know."
If it was a negotiator sent by another Soviet commander, the German second lieutenant would probably not pay attention to it. But when he heard that it was a negotiator sent by Sokov, he couldn't help but feel shocked. He smiled and said to Mikhailev: "Mr. Officer, please wait here for a moment. I will go in immediately and report to our commander." After Shechtman received Sokov's order, he had not had time to convey it. When he arrived at the unit, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan, the leader of the 764th Regiment, called him and reported the battle situation: "Comrade Division Commander, our regiment has surrounded the church in the city center. But the enemy took advantage of the strong building of the church to gain access to it. Resistance. Our first attack on the church ended in failure."
"What, the attack failed?" Shechtman, who had not yet had time to convey Sokov's order, frowned after hearing Lieutenant Colonel Ivan's report: "Didn't your regiment break through the enemy's defense?"
"Comrade Commander, the church is surrounded by open areas. The enemy can hide on the bell tower of the church and shoot at our officers and soldiers from a high position, causing us huge casualties." After reporting the situation, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan reported to She Hertman asked for instructions: "I ask you to allow us to use rocket launchers or new rockets so that we can take down the church controlled by the enemy in the shortest possible time."
"It doesn't have to be so troublesome." Although Shechtman didn't feel that the enemy would lay down their weapons and surrender to him after understanding Sokov's intentions, but since the storming failed, he might as well use a political offensive to persuade the enemy to surrender. "Immediately send a soldier who understands German to shout in front of the church. Just say that according to the commander's order, if they lay down their weapons and surrender, their lives can be guaranteed. If they continue to resist to the end, they will be killed when we attack the church. No one will be left alive."
When Ivan learned that it was Sokov's order, he immediately replied unambiguously: "Don't worry, comrade division commander, I will immediately send people to persuade the enemies in the church to surrender. If they do not surrender, I will resolutely eliminate them."
"Wait a minute, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Shechtman was worried that the other party did not understand his intentions, so he quickly stopped him: "How do you plan to persuade the enemy to surrender?"
"It's very simple. Let comrades who understand German speak to the enemy and ask them to immediately lay down their weapons and surrender to us. Otherwise, we will resolutely destroy them."
"No, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, this is ineffective." Shechtman told Lieutenant Colonel Ivan: "The enemy never listens to our broadcasts on the battlefield. You can't make them put down their weapons by shouting to them. Surrendered.”
"Then what should we do?"
"Send an officer and a translator directly into the church to persuade them to surrender." Shechtman said solemnly: "Only by persuading them to surrender face to face can it be effective."
"But, Comrade Commander, it's too risky to do this." After Ivan waited for Shechtman to finish speaking, he defended him: "Even if the people we sent to negotiate were not shot by the enemy when they approached the church, wait until When they enter the church to persuade the enemy to surrender, they will also be in danger..."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Shechtman interrupted before Ivan could finish his words, "Where is it absolutely safe on the battlefield? If we cannot persuade the enemy in the church to surrender, then what will happen if we capture the church?" In the process, we will make more sacrifices. As a commander, don’t you know what choices you should make?”
Shechtman's words were like a revelation to Ivan, and he suddenly understood that even if the personnel sent to negotiate were in danger, only two or three people would be sacrificed. If the church was attacked by force, at least hundreds of casualties would be incurred. After weighing the pros and cons, he quickly said: "I understand, comrade division commander, I will immediately dispatch personnel to go to the church for negotiations."
After Ivan put down the phone, he called his chief of staff to him. After conveying Shechtman's meaning to him, he asked in a questioning tone: "Who do you think should be sent to perform this task?"
The chief of staff thought for a while and then replied: "Captain Mikhailov, the deputy commander of the second battalion, is courageous, knowledgeable and eloquent. It is perfect for him to carry out this task. As for the translator, I can let him Sergeant Vadim from the regimental headquarters serves as the commander."
Regarding the chief of staff's proposal, Ivan thought for a moment and then decisively agreed, "Okay, let's send the two of them to perform this task."
Mikhailev was called to the temporary command post by Ivan. When he learned that he was going to carry out the task of persuading the enemy to surrender, he looked reluctant: "Comrade leader, I think you should send someone else to perform this task."
"Why?" Ivan asked puzzled.
"If we want to enter the church smoothly, we must go there with a white flag." Mikhailev said with a face full of grief and indignation: "If I am asked to raise a white flag to the enemy, it is better for me to hold a pistol and shoot at my own head. One shot.”
After understanding the reason why Mikhailev was unwilling to perform the mission, Ivan straightened his face and said seriously: "Captain Mikhailev, your superiors are ordering you to go to the church to persuade the Germans to surrender, not to go to the enemy." Surrender. As long as you can persuade the enemy to surrender and thereby reduce the casualties of our army, this is a great achievement. Don’t you understand?”
Although he said this, Mikhailev still couldn't accept it psychologically. Ivan and the chief of staff took turns to persuade him, but they achieved little effect. Just when the two were helpless, Vadim, the translator who had been standing silently beside him, suddenly said: "Comrade leader, since Captain Mikhailev is unwilling to fly the white flag, then you can leave this matter to me. There won’t be any psychological burden.”
Seeing that Vadim took the initiative to take over the things that embarrassed him, Mikhailev couldn't help but cast a grateful glance at him.
"Okay, since Sergeant Vadim is willing to fly the white flag, you will feel that the white flag is at the front of the team later. After entering the church, your task is to be responsible for every sentence spoken by Captain Mikhail words, accurately translated to the Germans, do you understand what I mean?”
"I understand completely, Comrade Commander." Vadim straightened his back and replied, "I will never betray your trust."
A few minutes later, Vadim, holding a white flag in his hand, cautiously crossed the church square and walked towards the church. Captain Mikhailov followed closely behind, walking towards the church step by step.
The commanders and fighters on the Soviet position suddenly saw someone walking towards the church with a white flag, and they couldn't help but have some questions: "What's going on? Didn't we win? Why did we surrender to the Germans?"
"Is it possible that we were surrounded by enemies, so our superiors issued orders to surrender to the Germans?"
