When Ponejelin learned that the reconnaissance company he had sent had reached an agreement with the Romanian 27th Border Guard Regiment and was ready to take over the regiment's defense area at any time, he suddenly felt confident and called Sokov to report this to him. good news.
"Comrade Commander," Ponedelin said quickly when he heard Sokov's voice coming from the receiver, "I have good news to tell you."
"You want to tell me good news?!" After hearing this, Sokov thought for a moment and then asked tentatively: "Lieutenant Colonel Ponejelin, have your troops entered Romania?"
“I sent a divisional reconnaissance company into Romania, but unexpectedly I met Lieutenant Colonel Luca, the regimental chief of staff of the 27th Border Guard Regiment. He said that his troops were unwilling to fight with our army and were willing to hand over their defense to us. "
After learning that another Romanian army surrendered without a fight, Sokov couldn't help but be overjoyed and said repeatedly: "Great, this is really great. Lieutenant Colonel Ponejelin, I congratulate you and congratulate your troops on their victory." It’s great to have established a strong foothold in Romania in such a short period of time!”
But Sokov suddenly thought of a question and couldn't help but ask Ponedelin: "Lieutenant Colonel Ponedelin, have you discovered a problem?"
"what is the problem?"
"The reason why our attacks went so smoothly during this period is entirely because the Romanian troops fighting against us were all Romanian troops." Sokov frowned and said, "The German troops seemed to have suddenly disappeared."
"Yes, Comrade Commander, I have also discovered this problem." Ponejelin said on the phone: "I initially thought that we were about to enter Romania, so we encountered relatively more Romanian troops. But Now it seems that it is not the case at all, it seems that there is something wrong in some link."
Sokov knew that there was no answer to this matter yet, so he did not waste time on the phone. Instead, he ordered Ponejelin: "Lieutenant Colonel Ponejelin, immediately order the troops to enter the defense area of the Romanian Border Guard Regiment, in Prut Establish a landing site on the right bank of the river.”
After putting down the phone, Sokov called Trofimenko, Samyko, Smirnov and others to him and said to them: "Comrade commanders, let me tell you good news. Romania's 27th Border Guard Regiment , have voluntarily surrendered to Ponejelin's troops and are willing to hand over their defense area."
"Great, this is simply great." After hearing this, Sameko said excitedly: "Comrade Commander, if our troops can often encounter such troops who abandon the dark and turn to the bright, I don't think we will be able to do it in a few months." Able to occupy all of Romania.”
Sokov knew very well that the smooth progress now did not mean the smooth progress in the future. Maybe in a few days, the troops would fight a tough battle, even a tough battle with heavy casualties. But that's something for later, let's not talk about it. What he is eager to know now is what caused the German army to disappear from the direction of his attack.
"Comrade commanders, I have a question to ask you and see what you think."
Everyone didn't know what Sokov wanted to say, so they all focused on him.
"Have you noticed that in recent times, the proportion of Germans among the enemies fighting us has been getting smaller and smaller." Sokov said: "Especially in the recent battles, the number of enemies fighting us has become smaller and smaller. They are all Romanian troops. I want to ask, where are the Germans?"
Everyone fell into deep thought regarding Sokov's question.
After a while, Smirnov was the first to break the silence: "Comrade Commander, do you think it is because we have advanced to the Romanian border, and the Germans feel that Romania's strength is enough to protect their country, so they have no choice. Fight alongside them."
"This reason is not valid." Sokov shook his head and said: "The Germans know very well that once their ally is defeated by us, it means that Romania may join our camp, and they will never allow this to happen. of."
"Could that be a conspiracy?" Seeing Sokov denying Smirnov's guess, Sameko put forward his own idea: "The Germans deliberately let us compete with the Romanians, and after we have both suffered losses, , and then unexpectedly launched an attack on us. By that time, we had already suffered heavy losses, but the commanders and soldiers had also become exhausted and were unable to resist their attack. "
Sokov felt that Sameko's statement meant that the Germans were sitting on the mountain and watching the fight between tigers and tigers, waiting until both themselves and the Romanian army were defeated, and then taking advantage of the situation. But then I thought: "It's not like that. When they designated this combat plan, didn't the Germans consider how much adverse impact it would have on the morale and morale of the military once the Soviet army entered Romania?"
Ideas were proposed one after another, but were quickly overturned one by one by everyone. Finally, Military Commissioner Gorokhov said: "I think this question should be asked to Marshal Konev. As the commander of the front army, he knows more information than us, and he may be able to tell us what the correct answer is."
Gorokhov's suggestion immediately aroused everyone's approval. Seeing that no one objected, Sokov found the director of the communications corps and asked him to connect the phone to the front army headquarters.
After listening to Sokov's narration, Konev couldn't help but fell into deep thought.
After a long time, he said: "Comrade Sokov, I really have the answer to the question you asked."
Knowing that Konev had the answer he wanted, Sokov quickly said: "Comrade Marshal, what is the reason? Can you tell me?"
"Comrade Sokov, I'm not entirely sure." Konev said cautiously: "But I think it must be related to the fact that you encounter fewer and fewer German troops."
"Comrade Marshal, don't tease me anymore, just tell me quickly."
"I think this matter may be related to the surrender letter issued by Marshal Zhukov to the German army a few days ago."
"Marshal Zhukov's letter of persuasion to the Germans to surrender?" Sokov asked in confusion: "What is the connection between the two?"
"I wonder what is written in the surrender letter?"
"Wait a minute, Comrade Sokov, let me look for it first." Soon, Sokov heard the sound of rummaging through the receiver. Fortunately, not long after, Konev's voice sounded again: "I found it, I'll read it to you."
"1. In order to avoid further casualties, I recommend that you stop unnecessary resistance and surrender all auxiliary units before the end of March 25. You are surrounded on all sides and there is no hope. You cannot escape from our encirclement. "
"2. If you do not surrender before the end of March 25, 1944, then all officers and soldiers who do not accept this proposal to end the senseless resistance will be shot one out of every three. This is the punishment for the senseless resistance. You should form a group Offer to surrender as a group, because you are surrounded by three to four."
"All officers who voluntarily cease resistance will be allowed to keep their weapons, medals and vehicles."
"Signed: Zhukov, Commander of the Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union."
After listening to this letter of persuasion to surrender, Sokov felt that Zhukov's tone was a bit aggressive, and it was strange that the Germans would agree. "Comrade Marshal," Sokov knew he had to express something, so he said into the microphone: "I feel that Marshal Zhukov's surrender letter will not only fail to make the Germans lay down their weapons and surrender, but will even make some German officers and soldiers rebel. psychology."
"Comrade Sokov, you are right." Konev expressed a strong interest in Sokov's statement: "This nonsense full of cruelty has made all German commanders shocking."
"However, after Marshal Zhukov sent this telegram, he realized that his surrender letter was too simple and crude, and he was going to revise it again." Konev said: "So he drafted a new surrender letter. Some of the original text was inexplicable. The words have been cleverly modified.”
"New surrender letter?!" Sokov asked curiously: "What does it look like?"
"At 11 o'clock in the morning, a proposal from the commander of the Front Army, Marshal Zhukov of the Soviet Union, was sent to you, but there were some discrepancies after translation. The proposal is as follows: German officers and soldiers who voluntarily lay down their arms will be treated well. Only those who Officers who have received the Marshal's offer but who refuse to cease their unnecessary resistance before tonight will be shot mercilessly. And they will be executed in front of their subordinates. This is a needless sacrifice for the soldiers entrusted to them. A punishment for sacrifice.”
After listening to this, Sokov immediately expressed his opinion: "Comrade Marshal, I think the new surrender letter is impeccable in terms of language, but I don't know what the final outcome will be?" Ponejelin learned that he had sent The reconnaissance company had reached an agreement with the Romanian 27th Border Guard Regiment and was ready to take over the regiment's defense area at any time. I suddenly felt confident and called Sokov to report the good news to him.
"Comrade Commander," Ponedelin said quickly when he heard Sokov's voice coming from the receiver, "I have good news to tell you."
"You want to tell me good news?!" After hearing this, Sokov thought for a moment and then asked tentatively: "Lieutenant Colonel Ponejelin, have your troops entered Romania?"
“I sent a divisional reconnaissance company into Romania, but unexpectedly I met Lieutenant Colonel Luca, the regimental chief of staff of the 27th Border Guard Regiment. He said that his troops were unwilling to fight with our army and were willing to hand over their defense to us. "
After learning that another Romanian army surrendered without a fight, Sokov couldn't help but be overjoyed and said repeatedly: "Great, this is really great. Lieutenant Colonel Ponejelin, I congratulate you and congratulate your troops on their victory." It’s great to have established a strong foothold in Romania in such a short period of time!”
But Sokov suddenly thought of a question and couldn't help but ask Ponedelin: "Lieutenant Colonel Ponedelin, have you discovered a problem?"
"what is the problem?"
"The reason why our attacks went so smoothly during this period is entirely because the Romanian troops fighting against us were all Romanian troops." Sokov frowned and said, "The German troops seemed to have suddenly disappeared."
"Yes, Comrade Commander, I have also discovered this problem." Ponejelin said on the phone: "I initially thought that we were about to enter Romania, so we encountered relatively more Romanian troops. But Now it seems that it is not the case at all, it seems that there is something wrong in some link."
Sokov knew that there was no answer to this matter yet, so he did not waste time on the phone. Instead, he ordered Ponejelin: "Lieutenant Colonel Ponejelin, immediately order the troops to enter the defense area of the Romanian Border Guard Regiment, in Prut Establish a landing site on the right bank of the river.”
After putting down the phone, Sokov called Trofimenko, Samyko, Smirnov and others to him and said to them: "Comrade commanders, let me tell you good news. Romania's 27th Border Guard Regiment , have voluntarily surrendered to Ponejelin's troops and are willing to hand over their defense area."
"Great, this is simply great." After hearing this, Sameko said excitedly: "Comrade Commander, if our troops can often encounter such troops who abandon the dark and turn to the bright, I don't think we will be able to do it in a few months." Able to occupy all of Romania.”
Sokov knew very well that the smooth progress now did not mean the smooth progress in the future. Maybe in a few days, the troops would fight a tough battle, even a tough battle with heavy casualties. But that's something for later, let's not talk about it. What he is eager to know now is what caused the German army to disappear from the direction of his attack.
"Comrade commanders, I have a question to ask you and see what you think."
"Have you noticed that in recent times, the proportion of Germans among the enemies fighting us has been getting smaller and smaller." Sokov said: "Especially in the recent battles, the number of enemies fighting us has become smaller and smaller. They are all Romanian troops. I want to ask, where are the Germans?"
After a while, Smirnov was the first to break the silence: "Comrade Commander, do you think it is because we have advanced to the Romanian border, and the Germans feel that Romania's strength is enough to protect their country, so they have no choice. Fight alongside them.”
"This reason is not valid." Sokov shook his head and said: "The Germans know very well that once their ally is defeated by us, it means that Romania may join our camp, and they will never allow this to happen. of."
"Could that be a conspiracy?" Seeing Sokov denying Smirnov's guess, Sameko put forward his own idea: "The Germans deliberately let us compete with the Romanians, and after we have both suffered losses, , and then unexpectedly launched an attack on us. By then, we had already suffered heavy losses, but the commanders and soldiers had also become exhausted and were unable to resist their attack. "
Sokov felt that Sameko's statement meant that the Germans were sitting on the mountain and watching the fight between tigers and tigers, waiting until both themselves and the Romanian army were defeated, and then they would benefit from it. But then I thought: "It's not like that. When they designated this combat plan, didn't the Germans consider how much adverse impact it would have on the morale and morale of the military once the Soviet army entered Romania?"
Ideas were proposed one after another, but were quickly overturned one by one. Finally, Military Commissioner Gorokhov said: "I think this question should be asked to Marshal Konev. As the commander of the front army, he knows more information than us, and he may be able to tell us what the correct answer is."
