When people of later generations mention the concentration camps established by Germany, they will definitely mention Auschwitz, known as the death camp, where 1.1 million people were massacred throughout World War II.
But Auschwitz was not the only concentration camp established by the Germans in Poland. Near Lublin, where the 48th Army was about to attack, there was the equally notorious Majdanek concentration camp.
When Sokov saw the place name of Lublin on the map, he suddenly remembered that although this concentration camp was not as famous as Auschwitz, it still killed 360,000 Jews and Soviet prisoners of war, so he ordered Sidorin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, immediately call the commanders of the 211th and 284th Infantry Divisions and ask them to adopt a rapid march speed and quickly advance towards Lublin."
Upon hearing Sokov's order, Sidorin couldn't help but be stunned, and then reminded Sokov: "Comrade Commander, our task is to assist the troops on the left wing of the front to launch an attack on the Lublin area, but to serve as the main attack Task."
"I know," Sokov pointed at the map with his hand and said to Sidorin: "As far as I know, the German army established a Majdanek concentration camp on the outskirts of Lublin, which in addition to detaining a large number of Jews In addition, there are many prisoners of war from our army. If we don't act quickly, I'm worried that the Germans will kill them."
Regarding Sokov's statement, Sidorin and Ponedelin both expressed doubts: "Comrade Commander, where did you get the news? How come we have never heard of any concentration camps here?"
Naturally, Sokov would not tell the two of them that his knowledge of this concentration camp came from books of later generations. He could only say vaguely: "I have my own sources, and they will never be wrong."
Hearing what Sokov said, it was natural for the two of them to ask each other's source of information. After all, there were some things that they were not qualified to know based on their level. Ponejelin was silent for a moment, and then asked: "Comrade Commander, can you tell us about the situation in this concentration camp?"
Sokov nodded and repeated what he remembered to the two of them: "The purpose of the Germans in establishing the Majdanek concentration camp was to eliminate the enemies of the Third Reich, assist in the extermination of the Jews, and participate in the deportations and ' Resettlement of Poles living in the Zamosc area.
The concentration camp covers an area of 667 acres and is located next to the road connecting Lublin, Zamosc and Chełm. It is surrounded by a double-layer barbed wire fence with high-voltage electricity and 19 watchtowers. The camp consisted of five parts: 22 cells, 7 gas chambers, 2 wooden gallows, a small crematorium and various other 'essential' buildings such as storage rooms, workshops, laundry rooms and coal Storage room etc. In September 1943, a large crematorium was added. "
"Comrade Commander," Ponejelin said with some surprise: "The information you obtained is quite detailed. You can even clearly understand the number of buildings in the enemy's concentration camp."
Sidorin asked with some confusion: "Comrade Commander, I don't understand why the Germans built crematoriums in concentration camps, and there are two crematoriums, one large and one small? Is the death rate of prisoners in the concentration camps so high?" Is it high?"
Since the inside story about the concentration camps has not yet been released, many people confuse the death camps with ordinary prisoner of war camps. In order to give everyone a clear understanding of the death camps, Sokov told the two men: "The German concentration camps are different from the prisoner of war camps we are familiar with. Everyone who enters the concentration camp will be screened. Strong men , and skilled people will be left to work for the Germans. The remaining thousands of old, weak, women and children will be tricked into gas chambers and poisoned by the Germans in the name of taking a bath, and then their bodies , sent to the crematorium for burning."
"No way, Comrade Commander." Sidorin still expressed doubts about Sokov's statement: "If you say that the Germans shot some people in the concentration camp, I believe it. But if you shoot groups of people It would be too far-fetched to think that the old, weak, women and children in the team were sent to the gas chambers to be poisoned. I think it may be a rumor deliberately spread by the British and American countries for some purpose."
Sokov did not expect that Sidorin did not believe what he said, and even thought that the gas chambers in the concentration camps he mentioned were deliberately fabricated by Britain and the United States for some purpose. He did not argue with the other party, but turned to ask Poniejlin: "Comrade deputy commander, do you believe what I said?"
"How should I put it, Comrade Commander." Ponedelin was much more experienced than Sidorin. Although he also questioned what Sokov said, he said it very tactfully: "Speaking of the fact that the Germans often massacred tens of thousands of people. Thousands of old, weak, women and children, I think this is indeed a bit unbelievable."
Seeing that neither of them believed what he said, Sokov didn't bother to waste any more words, but said to Sidorin: "Chief of Staff, call the two division commanders and ask them to speed up and advance towards Lublin. Wait until they are liberated After visiting the Majdanek concentration camp, you will be able to understand whether everything I said is true or unrealistic rumors."
While Sokov's troops were advancing rapidly toward Lublin, the guard commander in Majdanek concentration camp, Arthur Liebchencher, was arranging his men to prepare for the liquidation of the concentration camp.
As the second guard commander of the Auschwitz concentration camp, Arthur Liebchencher had a ruthless side. In order to prevent the crimes in the concentration camp from being exposed, he decided to kill all the prisoners in the concentration camp and burn all the buildings at the same time.
His deputy, a major named Miller, learned that Arthur Liebuchencher had issued such an order and asked him: "Your Excellency, Commander, I don't think it is right to kill all the prisoners in the concentration camp." Wise behavior.”
Arthur Liebchencher looked at his subordinate, frowned and asked: "Why?"
"Your Excellency, Commander, the main reason why you want to kill these prisoners is to prevent the secrets in our concentration camp from being discovered by the Russians who are rushing towards Lublin. Am I right?"
"That's right." After Arthur Liebchencher reluctantly admitted this, he asked: "What do you want to say?"
"There are many highly skilled craftsmen in the concentration camp. It would be a pity to kill them like this. After all, relying on their skills, they can do more things for Germany." Miller said: "Also, kill them After the prisoners in the concentration camps, someone still needs to dispose of their corpses, otherwise everything we do will be in vain, and the Russians will easily obtain the secrets in the concentration camps through the corpses that are left undisposed of."
After listening to Miller's words, Arthur Liebchencher had to rethink his order. If he really followed his original idea and killed all the prisoners in the concentration camp, who would take care of the mountains of corpses? We can't let the concentration camp guards do it, right? Besides, there are indeed many talented people among the prisoners in the camp. It would be a pity to kill them all without explanation.
Thinking of this, he said to Miller: "Major, you immediately select a group of skilled technicians and send them to Auschwitz by train. For the remaining people, let them dig a big hole for themselves, and then shoot them all. After all this is done, the hole is filled with bulldozers.”
"Yes, your Excellency, Commander." Major Miller said, "I will immediately start arranging this matter."
Miller returned to his office and immediately ordered his subordinates to sort out the list of technicians, preparing to select a group of skilled technicians and transport them to Auschwitz as soon as possible.
But in the concentration camp, which could accommodate 45,000 prisoners, the number of various skilled workers alone exceeded 30,000. It takes a lot of time to select qualified candidates from these 30,000 people.
Before the list was completed, the leading troops of the 211th Infantry Division appeared near the concentration camp.
When he learned that the leading troops of the Soviet army had appeared nearby, Arthur Liebchencher was startled. He asked Miller: "Major, what is going on? Doesn't it mean that the Russians are still at sea?" Umm, you haven’t crossed the Polish border, how come you suddenly appeared near our concentration camp?”
"Your Excellency, Commander!" Miller replied in a panic: "Judging from their location, these Russians are not coming from the direction of Chelm, but more like coming from the Brest Fortress."
"What, from the Brest Fortress?!" Hearing what Miller said, Arthur Liebchencher's eyes widened in surprise: "Didn't our army deploy heavy defense forces in the direction of the Brest Fortress? How did they get here?"
Miller didn't know what was going on, so he could only answer vaguely: "The specific situation is not clear, but this Russian force did come from the direction of the Brest Fortress."
"Have arrangements been made for the technicians who are going to be transferred to Auschwitz?"
"Not yet, Your Excellency Commander." Miller replied with some embarrassment: "According to my idea, no less than five thousand technicians should be transferred to the Auschwitz concentration camp. However, since the number of technicians in the concentration camp exceeds three million, so the screening and screening work is not yet in progress.”
“If there are technicians who can be transferred immediately, how many are there?”
"About eight hundred people."
"Load them all into trucks immediately!" Arthur Liebchenscher shouted: "Take them to Auschwitz before the Russians arrive."
"What about the remaining people?" Miller asked: "Do we still follow the original plan and deal with them all?"
"Major, there are only 1,300 guards in our concentration camp." Arthur Liebchencher said: "If the incoming Russians really are the troops who just occupied the Brest Fortress, do you think we can stop them?" Them?"
"Then what should we do?"
"Leave some to hold on, and the rest will immediately board the train and move." Arthur Liebchencher was already panicking at this time: "We must leave this damn concentration camp before the Russians arrive."
When the Germans began to drive the technicians who were going to be sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp onto the train, the leading regiment of the 211th Infantry Division was no more than two kilometers away from the concentration camp.
Seeing the Soviet army close at hand, Arthur Liebchenscher became even more panicked. He knew that if he fell into the hands of the Soviet army, he would definitely not end well, so he quickly ordered Miller: "Drive, drive quickly! "
"But your Excellency, Commander, the number of technicians who have boarded the train is less than three hundred, and the rest are still waiting to board the train on the platform."
"Ignore them." Arthur Liebchencher, who was eager to escape, did not care about the life and death of the prisoners in the concentration camp. He ordered repeatedly: "Drive, drive immediately!"
In this way, under the strict orders of Arthur Liebchencher, the train, carrying 900 guards and 290 technicians, slowly drove out of the Majdanek concentration camp and headed towards the Auschwitz concentration camp. Drive away.
The remaining four hundred guards in the concentration camp were immediately disheartened and demoralized when they saw Arthur Liebchenscher abandoning them and fleeing. Originally, their combat effectiveness could not be compared with that of the ordinary Wehrmacht, but now they had no fighting spirit. Facing the overcoming Soviet troops, some soldiers even trembled with their trigger fingers.
As soon as the Soviet army rushed in front of them, the German guards who had already lost their fighting spirit and had no courage to continue fighting threw away their weapons and surrendered to the Soviet army with their hands raised.
When Colonel Liugekov, commander of the 211th Division, walked into the concentration camp, he was immediately stunned by the scene in front of him. Groups of scrawny prisoners wearing prison uniforms were standing in the open ground, looking numbly at the Soviet commanders and fighters who entered the concentration camp. . About 2,000 corpses were piled outside the crematorium before they could be burned.
The dressing room outside the gas chamber was full of victims before they entered the gas chamber. The mountains of shoes and clothes that had been taken off were horrifying.
"Comrade division commander," the leader of the vanguard regiment walked up to Liujikov and asked with red eyes: "We have captured about 300 German prisoners, what should we do with them."
"Shoot them all, shoot them all." Liugekov shouted at his men: "They are not prisoners, they are just a group of two-legged beasts, shoot them all."
Regarding Liujikov's order, the leader of the vanguard regiment said hesitantly: "Comrade division commander, why don't you ask the group army headquarters for instructions and see what the commander's attitude is?"
"What can I ask for?" Liujikov said angrily: "Shoot them all immediately. If the superiors want to investigate, I will bear all the responsibilities."
Then, the surviving prisoners in the Majdanek concentration camp saw a scene they would never forget: the guards who usually bullied and killed them at will were pulled in front of the barbed wire fence by Soviet commanders in groups of ten, and then used machine guns to Perform strafing.
In a short time, more than 300 captured German guards were all shot to death by the Soviet army. The blood seeping out from beneath the mountains of corpses flowed everywhere like a stream.
Seeing that the guards who oppressed them were all sent to meet God by the Soviet army, the obedient prisoners slowly walked towards the pile of corpses. After watching for a while, someone spat on the body first, and then someone picked up lumps of dirt on the ground and smashed them against the body.
When the Soviet commanders and fighters not far away saw the prisoners' actions, some tried to stop them, but were stopped by Liugekov. He whispered: "Let them go."
At this time, the division chief of staff came over and asked Liujikov for instructions: "Comrade division commander, since we have successfully captured the concentration camp, should we immediately report this news to the group army headquarters?"
"This is what we should do, Comrade Chief of Staff." Liujikov nodded and said to his Chief of Staff: "In the telegram, you report the situation we saw truthfully. At the same time, don't forget to tell me Orders to execute guards will also be reported.”
(End of chapter)
