Chapter 1274: Letter of persuasion (Part 1)

  Chapter 1274 Persuasion Letter (Part 1)

   Regarding the order issued by Sokov, Shechtman immediately conveyed it without hesitation. As Sukov's subordinate, he has an inexplicable trust in Sukov, which has been established by countless victories before.

  If it is said that before the attack began, he still had doubts about whether his own division could defeat the Skeleton Division. But as the battle started, the Skeleton Master's resistance was not as strong as imagined. On the contrary, the enemy even gave himself a feeling of collapse. It was precisely because of this that Shechtman made up his mind that he should execute not only any order given by Sokov without hesitation.

   After receiving the order, the artillery regiment immediately pushed the artillery to a distance of several hundred meters from the German position, and used direct-point shooting to bombard the German trenches, trying to drive the enemy out of the position with artillery fire.

  After Simon escaped from his division headquarters, he thought he could escape the danger by hiding in the position of the grenadier regiment on the right wing. Unexpectedly, he was still panting, and the Soviet artillery shells fell on the position like raindrops. As soon as the artillery fire stopped, groups of Soviet infantry rushed up, and before the German army could react from the shelling, they quickly occupied the ground. Part of the position.

  In order to block the breakthrough, Simon ordered his subordinates to organize troops to carry out a counterattack, trying to drive them all out while the Soviet army was not gaining a stable foothold. But what I didn't expect was that this Soviet army was different from the previous troops. Seeing the appearance of the German counterattack troops, they immediately searched for a suitable position to hide, and then called for artillery support to blow up the German troops who rushed up. Howling ghosts and howling wolves.

The chief of staff, who had just escaped from the destroyed division headquarters, heard the increasingly fierce gunfire outside and said to Simon nervously after learning that the counterattack had failed: "Mr. , it should be the Sokov troops who just arrived before dark. Now our soldiers have fallen into chaos, I don’t think they can hold their positions.”

   "Then tell me, what should we do?" Why didn't Simon know that the enemy he was fighting with was Sokov, who gave him a headache? Hearing what the chief of staff said at this moment, he became a little annoyed and said, "Should we continue to retreat?"

   "Yes, sir." Unexpectedly, the chief of staff said unexpectedly: "In order to preserve our vitality, I think it is absolutely necessary to retreat."

"What, retreat at this time?" Simon was defeated, and his instincts were extremely bad. Hearing what the chief of staff said, he suddenly became furious: "Isn't this the position we took with great difficulty and handed over to the Russians again?" ?"

"Your Excellency, I also know that we should find a way to hold on to our position, but in the current situation, it is very unfavorable for us to continue to hold on." The chief of staff explained to Simon: "After our division advances outside the city of Prokhorovka , Sokov's troops cut off our logistical supply lines. Now we are seriously short of ammunition and fuel. If we continue to fight, once we run out of ammunition and food, we will be in danger of annihilation. Do you want to be a Russian again? captive?"

   Being captured by Sokov's troops was, for Simon, a stain in his military career. Even though Mustache trusted him and continued to let him be the commander of the Skeleton Division, he could feel the private contempt for him from the following regiment leaders. If he becomes a captive of the Russians again, even if the head of state has a large number of people, he will have no face to live on.

  Thinking of this, he asked the chief of staff: "Chief of staff, tell me, what should we do?"

"Retreat." The chief of staff replied very simply, "If you don't want the entire army to be wiped out and become Russian prisoners, you must choose to retreat." He pointed to the map on the table and said to Simon, "Mr. Commander, where we are located The location is only two or three kilometers away from the defense zone of the Banner Guard Division, and I think it is completely possible to retreat there. As long as our two divisions join forces, even if it is Sokov's troops who are attacking, they will not dare to act rashly."

   "Master Commander," just as Simon was a little hesitant, an officer broke into the headquarters and shouted at him: "The Russians are bombarding our position with artillery fire. It seems that they are preparing to launch a more violent attack."

  Simon saw clearly that the officer who came in was the head of the Grenadier Regiment, he couldn't help frowning slightly, and then said: "Colonel, can you stop the Russian attack?"

When the head of the grenadiers heard Simon's question, he was taken aback for a moment, then turned to the chief of staff for help, and saw that the other party nodded to him, indicating that he could tell the truth, so he boldly said: "Your Excellency, if Our regiment has just arrived outside the city of Prokhorovka. Facing such an offensive from the Russians, I can assure you that we will be able to defend. However, the Russians have recently cut off our logistics supply line, and the regiment has already There is a shortage of ammunition and supplies, and I am worried that if the fight continues, our entire army will be in danger of being wiped out at any time."

It was another person who said that the whole army was destroyed. When he heard the word "the whole army was destroyed", Simon was furious, but he couldn't get angry, because whether it was his chief of staff or the commander in front of him , what they said was the truth. What is fighting a war, isn't it logistics supplies? Without ammunition and fuel, the tanks and cannons he relies on are just a pile of scrap iron. If he wants to retreat lightly, he can only throw them all away.

Simon stood at the table, staring at the map for a long time without speaking, but his mind was running fast: If you follow the chief of staff's advice, retreat the troops to the defense zone of the Banner Guard Division, and the two divisions will join forces , the Russians dare not continue to attack. But the most worrying point is that if the Banner Guard Division is also facing the same situation as itself, lacking ammunition and fuel, then the next battle will not be able to be fought.

   Seeing Simon's delay in speaking, the chief of staff was a little anxious: "Your Excellency, the Russians are firing more and more fiercely. It seems that they will launch a new attack soon. You must make up your mind as soon as possible."

   Before Simon could make a final decision, a call came in, from a battalion commander of the Grenadier Regiment. He panicked and reported to the head of the regiment: "Colonel, it's not good. The Russians on Height 252.2 have left their positions and are moving towards our defense zone."

"It's broken." The chief of staff was dumbfounded when he heard the news. He pointed to the map and explained to Simon: "Your Excellency, our main force is fighting Sokov's troops. Now the Russians on the high ground If we move again, we may not have enough strength to stop them."

   "So, we can only choose to retreat." Simon knew that if he didn't retreat, he would fall into the encirclement of the Soviet army, and it might be difficult to escape the fate of becoming a prisoner. But he is still worried that the Banner Guard Division is in the same situation as his own division. They all lack ammunition and fuel. Once the Soviet army comes to hug grass and beat rabbits, not only will he be finished, but even the Banner Guard Division will be doomed: "However, the Banner Guard Division Will the division be like us, also short of ammunition and fuel?"

  The head of the grenadiers immediately shut his mouth when he heard Simon's question. He was just an ordinary head, and he had no way of knowing whether the friendly troops had received enough supplies. But the situation of the Chief of Staff is different. Due to his position, he is destined to have more information than Simon. Hearing Simon's worries at this moment, he quickly explained: "Your Excellency, you don't have to worry about this. The Russian troops staying behind the Banner Guard Division are just a guard division of the 69th Army, and it may not be a big problem to use them for defense. , but if it is used for offense, it is far from enough. Therefore, so far, the supply lines of the Banner Guard Division are still functioning normally, they have enough ammunition and fuel, and we can even get some necessary supplies from them Replenish."

The attack of the Soviet army on the high ground and the words of the chief of staff made Simon completely determined: "Well, since this is the case, then we will immediately move to the position of the Banner Guard Division and get rid of this **** Russian. "

  As the order was issued, the German army, which was still desperately resisting, began to retreat in batches along the traffic trench in the direction of the Banner Guard Division in an orderly manner.

  The news that the German army began to retreat soon reached Sokov's ears. After confirming that the enemy has really started to retreat, the boulder that Sokov hangs in his heart is considered to be on the ground. He uses an infantry regiment and an artillery regiment to actively attack the right-wing position of the Skeleton Division. A grenadier regiment and several divisions are stationed here. In the eyes of outsiders, the troops directly under it are hitting a stone with an egg.

  Because the Germans couldn't figure out their own reality, they dared not leave the position easily to carry out a comprehensive counterattack. They just concentrated a part of their troops to try to block the breakthrough. Now that the enemy has been scared away by his own attack, he can just order the troops to follow and pursue. If you can break through the position of the Banner Guard Division in one go, it will naturally be a happy thing for everyone. But even if you can't break through, you can establish an offensive starting point close to the enemy's position, and it won't be too late to launch a new attack after you mobilize enough troops.

   "Colonel Shechtman," the battle on the right wing has come to an end, Sokov began to ask Shechtman about the battle situation on the left wing. According to his thinking, it should not be a big problem for two infantry regiments reinforced by tank troops to annihilate a heavily damaged German armored regiment and a grenadier regiment with the cooperation of a friendly tank army: "The left wing How is the battle going, have the enemy been eliminated?"

"Comrade Commander, I am preparing to report this matter to you." Colonel Shechtman quickly replied: "The enemy who was flanked by the two regiments of our division and the friendly tank army has suffered heavy casualties and has been compressed in one In a small area. Due to the enemy's stubborn resistance, we launched two attacks in a row, but both failed to achieve the desired effect. But please rest assured, we will definitely eliminate this enemy before dawn."

"Do you still have to wait until dawn?" Sokov raised his hand and looked at his watch. It was still very early before dawn, and he was anxious to transfer the two regiments from the left wing to the right wing to carry out the task of attacking the Banner Guard Division. Can't wait that long. After a short thought, he said to Shechtman: "Comrade Colonel, the battle in the direction of October Farm must be resolute as soon as possible..."

"Comrade Commander, we have tried our best." Hearing Sukov say this, Shechtman explained with a sad face: "But the enemy's resistance is too tenacious. If we want to attack desperately, we will inevitably die." Paid a heavy price. I am afraid that our two regiments will basically lose their combat effectiveness after finishing the enemy near the farm."

"In war, you must not only be brave, but also know how to use your brain." Sokov nodded his head with his fingers, and continued: "We must not only be able to fight military warfare, but also learn to fight political warfare. Let Colonel Billing immediately organize Political workers shouted at the besieged enemies, urging them to lay down their weapons and surrender to our army."

"Comrade Commander, I don't think the enemy will surrender." But Shechtman questioned Sokov's words: "You know, when we captured SS officers and soldiers, all of them were We have never accepted their surrender. Secondly, even if we shout, do you think the enemy will listen to it?"

   After waiting for the other party to finish speaking, Sokov took out a pen and paper and began to write with his head down. After writing what he wanted to say in about five minutes, he tore off the piece of paper and handed it to Shechtman, and told him: "Colonel Shechtman, order someone to hand over this piece of paper immediately." Give it to Colonel Billing, ask him to find someone to translate into German, and then shout to the besieged German officers and soldiers. I believe that after they listen to my persuasion, some of them will put down their weapons and surrender."

   Knowing what Sokov wrote, some German officers and soldiers could put down their weapons and come out to surrender after listening. Shechtman dubiously picked up the piece of paper and looked at it carefully. After a look, his pupils began to shrink violently. He didn't expect Sokov to write such a letter of persuasion.

Shechtman quickly browsed through the letter of persuasion written by Sokov, and quickly straightened his body and said to Sokov: "Comrade commander, don't worry, I will send someone to send this letter of persuasion to Commissar Bilin immediately." Li. He had studied in a military academy in Berlin before, and his German level is no worse than our translators, so I think it will be more effective if he speaks in person."

  Sokov just wanted to disintegrate the resistance of the German army through this letter of persuasion. As for who read the letter of persuasion in front of the two armies, it made no difference to him. But when Shechtman took the initiative to recommend Bilin's political commissar, he didn't object. He just nodded slightly and said, "Comrade Colonel, hurry up and send this letter of persuasion to surrender. Let the enemy lay down their weapons earlier, and we can pay less." There are some costs. After the enemies near the farm are settled, we can concentrate our forces and go to the opposing flag guard division."

  (end of this chapter)