Chapter 1208 Discrimination

  The infantry brigade that was thrown into the battlefield became the last straw that broke the camel's back. The German defense line, which had been struggling under the attack from both sides, suddenly fell apart.

  The line of defense was breached, and the Soviet troops from the north and south joined together, and the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Division were immediately beaten to pieces. Troops that have lost their organizational structure have also completely lost their combat effectiveness. The sporadic resistance they organized was quickly wiped out under the attack of the Soviet army.

  At this last moment, the gap between the SS and the Wehrmacht became apparent. Those areas controlled by fanatical and stubborn NPCs are still carrying out the final resistance. Facing the charging Soviet commanders and fighters, they desperately pull the trigger until the last bullet is fired and the last person is fighting .

  The situation in the area defended by the Wehrmacht is another matter. Seeing that it was meaningless to continue to resist, the officer took the initiative to order the soldiers to stop shooting, and raised a white flag on the position to surrender to the charging Soviet troops.

  The two completely different performances of the German army confused the attacking Soviet commanders and fighters. It was thought that the position could only be captured through a **** battle, but as soon as the troops rushed up, the enemy on the position raised a white flag and surrendered. And some positions that obviously have no meaning of holding on, when the commanders and fighters rushed over, they encountered tenacious resistance.

  After discovering this situation, Colonel Chuvashov immediately reported to Sokov through the telephone line just set up: "Comrade Commander, we encountered a very strange situation during the offensive."

   "Strange situation?" Sokov asked puzzled, "What situation?"

   Colonel Chuvashov introduced the confusion encountered by the troops to Sokov in detail, and said: "Because the enemy's reaction is so abnormal, we don't know whether we should accept the enemy's surrender."

After listening to Chuvashov's report, Sokov quickly figured out what the problem was, and said into the microphone: "Comrade Colonel, I know what's going on. After the Imperial Division was annihilated by me last time, there was another It was reorganized because the number of SS troops was not enough, and because a large number of Wehrmacht troops were deployed to fill them. I estimate that those units that voluntarily surrendered should belong to the Wehrmacht; and the enemies who resisted to the end should be fanatical NC elements."

   "Then what shall we do?" Colonel Chuvashov asked.

   "Treat differently." Sokov knew very well in his heart that if he ordered the troops to destroy all enemies indiscriminately, the SS and the Wehrmacht would join forces to resist. The best way now is to divide and disintegrate them, so as to achieve the goal of resolving the battle in the shortest time. "You can order political workers to shout at the enemy. All officers and soldiers of the National Defense Forces, as long as they put down their weapons and surrender, we will definitely treat the prisoners preferentially and give them the treatment they deserve as prisoners of war."

  Seeing that Sokov only mentioned the Wehrmacht but not the SS, Colonel Chuvashov tentatively asked: "Comrade Commander, I would like to ask, how should we treat the SS?"

"Are the SS soldiers still human?" Sokov gritted his molars and said viciously: "They are just two-legged beasts. Think about how many heinous crimes they have committed in our country, even if you kill them ten times Ten times, it's a good deal for them. So my order to you is to eliminate every single SS officer and soldier firmly and completely. Understand?"

   "Understood, Comrade Commander." After understanding Sokov's intentions, Colonel Chuvashov quickly and loudly replied: "I will immediately pass your order to all brigades."

After Chuvashov put down the phone, he immediately said to the communications staff officer standing aside: "Immediately send someone to inform the friendly forces. According to the order of Comrade Commander, we can accept the surrender of the Wehrmacht, but all captured SS soldiers will be shot on the spot." , we absolutely do not accept their surrender."

  So orders were communicated to the attacking troops through telephone lines and communication soldiers. As a result, the situation on the battlefield changed greatly. After the commanders and fighters found the enemy's traces, they did not launch an attack immediately. Instead, they found a German-speaking soldier and shouted at the opponent: "Brothers of the National Defense Army, our commander has an order. Your surrender is acceptable. As long as you put down your weapons and surrender, you will be able to enjoy the treatment that prisoners of war deserve."

  Originally, the commanders and fighters felt quite strange when they received such an order. It was already difficult for the enemy to organize into an organized resistance. It was only a matter of time before they could be wiped out. Was it necessary to do so much?

  The front of the 84th Brigade and the 384th Division's attack direction, there is a defensive zone, and there are about 200 German officers and soldiers in it. The Soviet army launched two attacks here, but no progress was made. The commander who led the team remembered the order delivered by Colonel Chuvashov, so he found two soldiers who knew German and shouted at each other with a simple horn.

  The German officers and soldiers on the ground stopped shooting after hearing the shouts of the Soviet army. After a while, a broken Russian voice suddenly came from the position: "Who is your commander?"

   After the soldiers heard each other's question clearly, they immediately replied: "Sokov, Major General Sokov."

  After listening to the soldiers' answers, there was a chaotic sound from the battlefield, and then a soldier holding a white flag walked out of the trench. He walked slowly towards the position of the Soviet army, and shouted loudly as he walked: "Don't shoot, I'm here to negotiate."

   Soon, the German soldier was brought to Chuvashov.

   Chuvashov looked at the German soldier in front of him, and asked blankly, "Private, which part is it?"

   "I am from the 5th Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 4th Grenadier Regiment of the Imperial Division," the German soldier stopped and replied, "The company I am in is holding on to the position that was besieged by you."

   "How many people are left in your company?"

   "There are more than 130 people, plus the troops that have been dispersed, the total strength of the entire position now exceeds 200."

  After listening to the German soldiers' answers, Chuvashov thought to himself: If he wants to destroy so many enemies, he may have to pay a higher price. If they are willing to surrender, then the casualties of the troops can be minimized.

  Thinking of this, he asked the German soldier: "What are you doing here?"

   "Our captain heard that General Sokov allowed the Wehrmacht to surrender, so he sent me to negotiate with you. I want to know whether what you said can be fulfilled."

"whats the matter?"

   "It is to give our prisoners of war the treatment they deserve."

"It's absolutely possible." Chuvashov is willing to pay any price as long as it can reduce the casualties of the troops, let alone let some prisoners of war enjoy the treatment they deserve. He said straightforwardly: "Not only can your personal safety be guaranteed, but also Food and water will also be provided, and those who are injured will receive the treatment we provide."

  After receiving Chuvashov's promise, the German soldiers went back to report to their company commander, who immediately ordered the white flag to be raised without hesitation, and everyone surrendered to the Soviet army down the hillside.

   A few hundred meters away from this position, there is a position controlled by a platoon of the SS. After a night of fighting, their ammunition has almost been consumed. If the Soviets attacked them, they would have to fight with butts and knives.

   But fortunately, the Soviet army stopped advancing seventy or eighty meters away from their position and began to shout. The soldiers listened for a while, and found that what the Soviet army shouted was to persuade the officers and soldiers of the Wehrmacht to surrender, and they didn't mention a word of the SS at all. It is inevitable to start a discussion. Since there is no point in continuing to fight, it is better to put down your weapons and surrender.

Just as the SS officers and soldiers were probing their heads in the position, the soldier who was shouting found him. He saw the lightning mark on the opponent's collar badge, so he stopped shouting, turned around and shouted to the commander behind him: "Comrade Captain, the front position The Germans here are SS, and I see the lightning bolt on their collar badges."

Knowing that the defenders in the front position are the SS, the commander leading the team is not interested in calling people to persuade them to surrender. Anyway, Sokov's order is very clear, as long as it is the SS, no one will be left behind. Destroy them all. He stood up and shouted to the soldiers lying on the ground on the left and right: "Brothers, the front line is full of SS soldiers, follow me, and kill them all!"

Seeing that the Soviet army stopped shouting, they rushed towards the position with guns in their hands. The SS officers and soldiers in the position suddenly became confused. The officer shouted at the subordinates who were running around like headless flies: "Shoot!" , shoot quickly, we must not let the Russians rush into our positions."

  A soldier who had run out of bullets a long time ago ignored the officer's yelling. He threw the gun in his hand into the trench, crawled out of the trench on hands and feet, and fled towards the distance without looking back. There was one leader, and immediately there were countless followers who saw their comrades throwing down their guns and running away. The rest of the soldiers who had no bullets were not to be outdone. They also threw away their weapons and crawled out of the trenches like their companions. Flee away.

  Even if there were no officers and soldiers who escaped from the position, they didn't have much ammunition, and they couldn't stop the flood of Soviet commanders and fighters at all. Before they fired two shots, they were condescendingly shot to death by Soviet soldiers who rushed to the edge of the trench. The Soviet soldiers who crossed the trenches aimed at the enemies who fled to the distance, and used bursts of fire like shooting targets, knocking down the enemies one by one.

  The same fights, happening everywhere.

  Because the main force of the SS was basically exhausted after a night of fighting, most of the rest were the Wehrmacht. Under the persuasion of the Soviet army, more and more National Defense Forces put down their weapons and surrendered to the Soviet army.

  At 7:40, the gunfire on the battlefield became sparse. Chuvashov called Sokov to announce the good news: "Comrade Commander, the battle is coming to an end. According to incomplete statistics, we have captured more than 1,700 German officers and soldiers."

   "Good job, Colonel Chuvashov." Sokov waited for the other party to finish speaking, and said approvingly: "When the battle is over, you will get a medal."

Sokov knew that Zhukov had been concerned about the battle here, and now that the dust had settled, he could call and report to him: "Comrade Marshal, this is Sokov. After a night of fighting, our troops encircled and wiped out the battle of the Imperial Division." It is basically over, and more than 1,700 enemies have been captured..."

   "Why are there still prisoners?" Hearing this, Zhukov couldn't help frowning and said, "Didn't we always shoot those captured SS soldiers?"

"Comrade Marshal, you have misunderstood." Sokov quickly explained: "The ones captured are not the SS, but the Wehrmacht. After the Imperial Division was surrounded and wiped out by us last time, the enemy did not have enough SS troops when they rebuilt. So a large number of National Defense Forces were deployed to fill it. The officers and soldiers captured today are all affiliated to the National Defense Forces."

   "What are you going to do next?" Zhukov asked, "Are you going to transfer all the troops?"

"Comrade Marshal, I think about it this way." Sokov replied: "In order to encircle and wipe out the Imperial Division, I used an infantry division and three brigades. Now that the combat objective has been achieved, I plan to deploy them all here. "

   "What about the remaining troops?" Zhukov continued to ask: "Let them stay where they are?"

"Yes, Comrade Marshal, I intend to keep them in the Shumakovo area." Sokov explained to Zhukov: "Once the enemy finds that it is impossible to achieve an effective breakthrough from the direction of Oboyan, they will adjust the direction of attack. Detour from the Prokhorovka area... As long as my main force is deployed in Shumakovo, then even if the enemy breaks through in the Prokhorovka area, we will have enough troops to stop them."

"Do you think the troops deployed by our army in Prokhorovka can't stop the enemy's attack?" After hearing Sukov's words, Zhukov said with some dissatisfaction: "Do you know that what you said is true?" It's very unifying."

   Hearing Zhukov's criticism of himself, Sokov immediately realized that he was sloppy. I knew that the focus of the Kursk battle was Prokhorovka, but Zhukov didn't know that, he believed very much that the troops standing there could block the enemy's attack. Therefore, my own statement is somewhat taboo.

Fortunately, Zhukov didn't bother with him, but said to him: "After you deploy the defense mission, hurry back to Shumakovo immediately. You can't let me, the representative of the base camp, act as your chief of staff for a long time. .”

   "Comrade Marshal," Seeing that Zhukov did not pursue the matter, Sokov couldn't help but secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly replied, "I will rush back to the headquarters immediately after I finish setting up the defense here."

   Half an hour later, Sokov met the commanders of the four participating troops. Looking at the ashamed Major General Gritsenko, Sokov asked with some displeasure: "Comrade General, I want to clarify one thing. If I didn't send Colonel Chuvashov's troops to support you, would you Break through the enemy's defenses?"

"No, Comrade Commander." Major General Gritsenko looked at Sokov and replied sincerely: "My troops have launched many attacks on the enemy's positions, but they have not achieved the desired results. If Chuvasau Colonel Fu's troops did not arrive in time, it is estimated that we are still in a tug-of-war with the enemy."

  (end of this chapter)