Chapter 1278 Exchange Conditions

  Sokov's words made Khokhlov's heart beat faster. If it is really like what Sokov said, there are only two possibilities. One is that Asiya was blown to pieces during the battle; the other is that she was captured and escaped. German officers and soldiers took away.

   The first possibility, Khokhlov thinks it is not realistic. Because after the battle, he personally checked all the places in the field hospital. During the entire battle, the two sides only used various firearms and some grenades, and it was absolutely impossible to blow up a living person. The remaining possibility is that Asiya was captured by the enemy and taken away from the field hospital by a road she didn't know.

   "Comrade Colonel," Sokov saw Khokhlov's delay in speaking, and asked with emphasis: "Tell me, where did Asya go?"

   "Comrade Commander," Khokhlov quickly straightened his back, and said with some lack of confidence, "I think Assia may...may have been captured by the enemy."

"Captured by the enemy?" Sokov had already guessed the possibility when he heard that Assia was alive or dead, but at the moment when Khokhlov said such a guess himself, he was unwilling. Believing that this was true, he tried his best to deny it: "This is impossible. If the enemy really wants to capture a prisoner, they will definitely not only capture her."

From Sokov's words, Khokhlov heard that the other party did not believe the news that Assia had been captured, and even said that if the Germans wanted to capture prisoners, they would definitely not only arrest Assia, but a group of them. people. He organized the vocabulary in his mind, and explained to Sokov bravely: "Comrade commander, we have no way of knowing how many people are in the field hospital. After all, new wounded will be sent in here at any time, and there will The injured were released from the hospital in good condition."

"Colonel, you are right. There are indeed a lot of wounded and sick coming in and out of the field hospital every day, and we simply cannot grasp the exact number." Sokov said to Khokhlov with a straight face: "The number of wounded and sick cannot be counted." , but the number of medical staff in the field hospital is always fixed, right? Even if someone died on the battlefield during this period, I think we can find detailed records. You can check for me now to see if there is anyone with Assi Ya disappeared together."

One word awakened the dreamer, and Sokov's words reminded Khokhlov. He hurriedly said to Shepilov who came over after hearing the news: "Comrade Comrade, you are familiar with the situation of the field hospital, and you should immediately find the main responsible person of the hospital." Someone, ask him to assist you in counting the number of medical staff in the hospital to see if anyone has disappeared with Asiya."

  Shepilov understood what Sokov and Khokhlov meant. By counting the list of medical personnel in the field hospital, he could figure out whether it was Asiya who was missing alone, or whether there were other people missing together.

  Shepilov's work efficiency is very high. After he accepted this arduous task, he immediately led people to find the director and political commissar of the field hospital, and asked them to assist him in checking the medical staff of the hospital. After more than ten minutes of checking, Shepilov got the answer he wanted and returned to report to Sokov.

"Comrade Commander," Shepilov reported with a serious expression after returning to Sokov, "After checking with the director and the political commissar of the hospital, in the battle that ended not long ago, the hospital's medical staff had a total of Five people died, one of whom was an assistant medic. Seventeen people were wounded, including three medics. Of the six missing, one was an assistant medic."

   When Sokov heard that Shepilov mentioned that one of the medical staff who died was an assistant military doctor, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, but he quickly evaluated it because he knew that Assia did not die. When he heard that six medical personnel were missing, including an assistant military doctor, he finally lost his temper: "Comrade political commissar, is Asia possibly the missing assistant military doctor?"

"Comrade Commander, it's not a possibility, but a certainty." Shepilov replied with a bitter face, "I guess the enemy escaped and took away six missing medical staff, and Asiya is one of them." .”

   "Damn, how could Assia be a prisoner?" Sokov slapped the table angrily, and said angrily: "With her character, how could she be captured obediently?"

"Comrade Commander, according to my knowledge, Comrade Asia was operating on a wounded man before he disappeared." Shepilov said cautiously: "The wounded man lying on the simple operating table has been shot dead by the Germans." No, no bodies of medical staff were found nearby, so they should have been taken away."

   With such an explanation, the whole thing seems reasonable. When Asiya and several health workers were operating on a wounded person, a group of German officers and soldiers disguised as Soviet troops broke in, brutally killed the wounded person on the operating table, and took Asiya and other health workers away. Walk.

   "Colonel Khokhlov," Sokov waited for Shepilov to finish speaking. Although he understood the fact that Assia had been captured and it was a certainty in his heart, he refused to believe it was true. He told Khokhlov: "Immediately send scouts to infiltrate the defense zone of the 19th Armored Division to find out where the enemies who fled from your division's position are now!"

"Comrade Commander, when you sent the political commissar to check the number of medical personnel in the field hospital, I have already dispatched a reconnaissance team, which quietly crossed our army's defense line and sneaked into the enemy's defense area to conduct reconnaissance." Khokhlov told Suko The husband reported: "I believe it will not be long before we have a report from the reconnaissance team."

The disappearance of Assia made Sokov feel extremely heavy. Even at dawn, Colonel Shechtman reported to him that the Skeleton Division was basically wiped out, and the division commander, General Simon, became a prisoner again. It didn't dispel the haze in his heart at all.

  Capturing the commander of the Skeleton Division, Simon, is a major event and needs to be reported to the front army headquarters immediately. Sokov, who had not waited for the report from the scouts of the 182nd Division, had to return to the headquarters on the Pushol River.

When Sameko and Lunev saw Sokov walking in from the outside, they got up and greeted them, and said excitedly: "Comrade Commander, we congratulate you. The Skeleton Division was annihilated, and Division Commander Simon was captured again. , This is a remarkable victory, and we believe that the superiors will be very happy when they know the news."

   Sokov, who looked frustrated, nodded slightly after hearing this, and then asked: "Have you reported the results to the Front Army Command?"

   After Sokov finished speaking, Sameko asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, I don't know which front army headquarters should report this result? Is it the original steppe front army, or is it the Voronezh front army that commands us now?"

"Since we now belong to the Voronezh Front Army," Sokov said angrily, "the results of the battle will naturally be reported to General Vatutin. Comrade Chief of Staff, don't dawdle, call the Front Army Command and send Let us report to them what we have achieved."

   Lunev saw Sokov's displeasure, so he asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, I think you seem very unhappy, is something wrong?"

Sokov nodded and said with a wry smile: "Before dawn, when Colonel Shechtman and I were commanding troops to attack the defeated Skeleton Division, we received a telegram from Colonel Khokhlov. It said that a German army Dressed up as our army and attacked the division's field hospital."

  Lunev naturally knew that Asiya worked in the field hospital of the 182nd Division. He was surprised when he heard that the field hospital was attacked. He asked nervously, "Comrade Commander, is Asiya okay?"

   "Assia is missing."

"What, Assia is missing?" Sameko, who was holding a microphone and waiting to talk to the front army headquarters, happened to hear Sukov's words, and couldn't help but turn pale with shock: "Comrade commander, what is this?" Such a thing, how could Asiya disappear?"

   Before Sokov could answer, a strange voice came from the microphone: "This is the duty room of the Front Army Command. I am the staff officer on duty. Where are you?"

Hearing the staff officer in the duty room talking, Sameko had no choice but to temporarily put aside his curiosity, and said respectfully into the microphone: "Hello, Comrade Staff Officer. I am Major General Sameko, Chief of Staff of the 27th Army Group. I have Important information needs to be reported to Commander Vatutin immediately."

The person who answered the phone was Lieutenant General Ivanov, Chief of Staff of the Front Army. He heard the call from the 27th Army, and quickly took the phone: "I am Ivanov, Chief of Staff of the Front Army. Do you have anything to ask?" Report, Major General Sameko?"

"Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army." After hearing Ivanov's voice, Sameko reported to him in accordance with the regulations: "I am Major General Sameko, Chief of Staff of the 27th Army Group. I have the honor to report to you. After a night of fighting, our 354th Infantry Division, with the cooperation of friendly forces, successfully wiped out the German Skeleton Division and captured the division commander, General Simon."

"Major General Sameko, I would like to extend my congratulations to you." Ivanov was overjoyed when he heard the news that the Skeleton Division had been wiped out, but he still said the routine according to the regulations: "Congratulations to you for achieving such a great victory, I The matter will be reported to General Vatutin immediately."

   After Ivanov put down the phone, he turned and walked back to Vatutin. He glanced at Zhukov and Vasilevsky sitting next to him, raised his voice and said excitedly: "Comrade Commander, General Sameko, the chief of staff of the 27th Army, just called and said that the 354th Infantry Division was in cooperation with friendly forces. I have successfully annihilated the Skeleton Division and captured the division commander Simon."

  Although some of you here know that it is only a matter of time before the Skeleton Division is wiped out, they are still very happy to have been confirmed at this moment. Just when everyone was about to have a drink for the good news, Vasilevsky suddenly thought of a key thing: "The troops of the 27th Army were assisted by the troops of the 5th Army of Guards Tanks in the process of annihilating the Skull Division. ...Why didn't General Rotmistrov report this good news to us?"

Hearing Vasilevsky's question, Vatutin hastily put down the wine glass in his hand, and said to Ivanov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you should immediately call General Rotmistrov and ask Ask what the **** is going on."

After calling Rotmistrov, Ivanov reported to Vatutin: "Comrade Commander, I have already asked General Rotmistrov. In combat, the troops of the 27th Army play the greatest role, and even if they want to report the results of the battle, the friendly troops should report first."

   "Nonsense, it's just nonsense." After hearing this, Zhukov murmured, "If the 27th Army didn't report, wouldn't we never know the news that the Skeleton Division was wiped out?"

Zhukov originally said that casually, but Ivanov did not expect that he took it seriously. He quickly explained to Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, even if the 27th Army does not report the results of the battle, we can still learn about the skeleton by intercepting the enemy's telegram. The news that the division was annihilated."

  Zhukov chuckled, then raised the wine glass in his hand: "Let us have a toast for the annihilation of the Skeleton Master!"

Just when Zhukov and others were toasting for the annihilation of the Skeleton Division, Sokov finally received a call from Khokhlov: "Comrade Commander, I have figured out that Asya and the other captured The five female health workers were indeed brought into the defense zone of the 19th Armored Division."

  When he learned that Assia was really captured and that she was in the 19th Armored Division's defense zone, Sokov couldn't help feeling a little emotional: "Comrade Colonel, can your people rescue them all?"

"Comrade Commander, I'm afraid there will be difficulties." Although Khokhlov knew that Sukov would not be able to see him, he shook his head instinctively and said, "The enemy guards them very strictly. There are only five people in the reconnaissance team. Carry out rescue operations."

  The reconnaissance team was short-handed and unable to carry out the rescue, which made Sokov very disappointed. He asked nervously: "Comrade Colonel, how far is the place where they are being held from your position?"

"It's about five kilometers away." Khokhlov could naturally guess what Sokov was thinking, and explained to him: "There is a German defense line in the middle. Even if we carry out an assault, it will take at least an hour or two before we get back to the city." It may tear the line of defense. But I am afraid that when we attack, the Germans will move Assia and the others to a new place, and it will be very difficult to find them then."

  Since a strong attack is not possible, Sokov can only use another method to rescue Asiya. He pondered for a while, then asked Khokhlov: "Comrade Colonel, are there any fighters in the reconnaissance team who can speak good German?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Khokhlov replied: "Because during the reconnaissance process, prisoners are often interrogated or German documents are seized. It will be very convenient for the reconnaissance team to have a soldier who understands German. of."

   "Very good." In order to rescue Asiya, Sokov decided to risk his own future: "You immediately contact the reconnaissance team and ask them to meet the commander of the 19th Armored Division..."

   "What, let them meet the commander of the 19th Armored Division?" Khokhlov was terrified by Sokov's wild idea: "Comrade commander, why?"

   "I want them to negotiate with the German army," Sokov replied: "Find a way to get back Asia and the others."

   "Comrade Commander," Khokhlov's heart beat faster, but he still tried to ask in a calm tone: "Can the enemy easily agree to release Asiya and the others?"

   "Let the reconnaissance team tell the German commander." For Asiya, Sokov decided to go all out: "As long as they are willing to release Asiya, I can exchange them with the captured General Simon."

  (end of this chapter)