Chapter 1437

   "Comrade Chief of Staff, when will the expert team arrive?"

"I don't know, the superior didn't say anything." Sameko replied truthfully on the other end of the phone: "I just said that they are leaving tonight. As for their specific travel time and what means of transportation, this is top secret. We can't Know."

   "That's troublesome. If I don't know their specific travel time and what kind of transportation they take, how can I know when they will arrive?"

"Comrade Commander," Sameko tentatively said in the face of Sokov's confusion, "Anyway, our current headquarters is just outside the city, so it's better to move directly to the church. At that time, we will not only be able to command troops to fight there; At the same time, the guards of the Army Group Command can also help guard cultural relics. This is also a good thing that kills two birds with one stone, what do you think?"

When Sokov heard that Sameko's proposal was a good idea, he nodded and said, "That's right, anyway, the fighting in the city is basically over, so you should arrange this immediately and move the headquarters here as soon as possible. "

After finishing the call, Sokov said to Shechtman: "Comrade Colonel, I am well aware that you want to use this as your division headquarters, but I regret to inform you that I intend to set up my headquarters at Here, please choose another place for the division headquarters."

Shechtman had heard the conversation between Sokov and Sameko a long time ago, and said with a smile at this moment: "No problem, Comrade Commander, I will notify the Chief of Staff later, and immediately look for a new location. Establish division headquarters."

  He glanced at the soldiers who were still moving wooden shelves out of the basement, and then asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, do you still need to continue moving out the things in the basement?"

"No need," Sokov saw that less than half of the cultural relics on the list were placed in the hall, and they occupied a lot of space, so he waved his hand and said, "Let the soldiers stop, and the rest of the items will be Let them stay in the basement. I will arrange for people to move them out after the expert team from Moscow arrives."

Hearing Sokov's order, Shechtman hurriedly called a staff officer standing not far away, and told him, "Comrade Lieutenant, go to the basement and notify the people who are moving things outside and call them Don't move out any more."

When the staff officer agreed loudly and turned around and ran towards the basement, Shechtman looked left and right, and then said to Sokov in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, I have one more important thing to do, I need to talk to you." You discuss it."

   "Follow me," Sokov led Shechtman into the stairwell not far away, and walked up the winding stone steps to the clock tower.

   Seeing that there was no one on the clock tower except himself and Shechtman, Sokov raised his chin at the other party and said, "Comrade Colonel, there is no one here, just say what you have to say."

   "It's about prisoners of war." Although there were no outsiders on the clock tower, Shechtman said cautiously: "Comrade Commander, are you really going to let that German captain named Grahams go?"

Sokov heard Shechtman's question and asked in surprise: "Didn't I agree to Captain Mikhaiev? Since Captain Grahams can actively cooperate with our army and protect these cultural relics, I can preserve them." His life. Are you going to let me kill him and be a villain who doesn't promise?"

"Comrade Commander, I am also thinking of you." Seeing Sukov's displeased expression, Shechtman quickly explained to him: "In any case, Captain Grams took his men to the north of the city. The arson caused huge casualties to our army and residents in the city. I think the superiors will definitely investigate this matter after they know about it. Are you going to cause trouble for yourself because of a German officer?"

Unexpectedly, Sokov's expression became relaxed: "Comrade Colonel, so you are worried about this matter. This is easy to handle. If the superiors investigate this matter, I will report that the culprit of arson has been Killed by us."

   "Killed?!" Shechtman exclaimed, "But if they find Captain Grimes, won't everything go wrong?"

   "I said that the culprit who was killed by our army was not Captain Grimes, but someone else."

   "Other people?" Shechtman asked puzzledly: "What other people?"

"Isn't the SS officer who was killed by Captain Grams's subordinates the chief culprit who set fire to the north of the city?" Sokov said without changing his face and heartbeat: "Everyone knows that the SS does all kinds of evil. Yes, the fire in the north of the city must have been done by them and has nothing to do with the Wehrmacht."

From Sokov's words, Shechtman heard that he intended to save Grams, so he didn't try to persuade him anymore, but echoed smoothly: "You are right, Comrade Commander, It was indeed the SS troops in the city who set fire to the north of the city and caused heavy casualties to our troops and residents."

"Didn't Captain Grams detain five SS soldiers when he surrendered?" Seeing that Shechtman didn't object to his statement, Sokov continued, "I'll order them all to be shot later." Now, when the superiors start to investigate, you can say that after the SS officers and soldiers who set fire to the north of the city were captured by you, they were all shot on the spot."

   "Understood, Comrade Commander." Seeing that the matter had been resolved satisfactorily, Shechtman straightened his back and replied, "The SS officers and soldiers who set fire to the north of the city have all been shot after being captured by officers and soldiers of our division."

  Sokov was very satisfied with Shechtman's statement. He nodded with a smile, and then said: "Comrade Colonel, the wind on this clock tower is too strong, let's go downstairs."

After going downstairs, Shechtman saw that the soldiers he sent to carry the cultural relics were coming out of the basement one after another, so he tentatively asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, allow me to leave? I need to find a suitable place to build a division as soon as possible." Ministry's place."

"Allowed, of course allowed." Sokov naturally agreed to Shechtman's request very readily, and he also specially reminded the other party: "You let the commanders rest well, maybe we will launch an attack on Kharkov tomorrow. .”

Knowing that the attack on Kharkov will be launched tomorrow, Shechtman couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry, Comrade Commander, I will definitely let the commanders and fighters take a good rest so that they can maintain better health when they go into new battles." status."

When Colonel Billing walked out of the church side by side with Shechtman, he asked in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, our troops lost too much in the battle to liberate Djergach. Why don't you ask the commander when will the What about our teacher supplementing?"

"Comrade Commissar, you don't have to worry about this kind of thing." Knowing Sukov's character, Shechtman explained to his partner: "If Comrade Commander has extra troops, even if we don't speak , He will also take the initiative to supplement for us. Since he did not mention this matter, it proves that he does not have extra troops in his hands, even if we say it, we will not be supplemented."

Thinking of nearly half of the casualties of the entire division now, Billing felt bad. He asked unwillingly: "During this period, the casualties of each division are not light, and they all need to be supplemented. After the recruits sent by the superior arrive , how much can you add to our teacher?"

   Shechtman turned his head to look at the door of the church, smiled and asked Billing, "Comrade political commissar, would you like to make a bet with me?"

   "What bet?"

   "Even if the superior doesn't send recruits over, Comrade Commander can give us supplements. Do you believe it?"

  Billing waited for Shechtman to finish speaking, and did not answer lightly whether he believed it or not, but thought carefully. This thought startled him immediately. He suddenly discovered that since the Battle of Kursk, the troops belonging to the group army had been supplemented several times. , are all from the German prisoner-of-war camps. Most of them are veterans with rich combat experience, and they can go into battle immediately after being incorporated into the army. Not only will it not affect the combat effectiveness of the troops, on the contrary, with their joining, the combat effectiveness of the troops can be further improved.

After thinking about this point, he suddenly realized that he almost jumped into the pit dug by Shechtman. According to Sokov's personality, if he had the opportunity to liberate a few more prisoner-of-war camps, he would definitely incorporate the rescued commanders into the army , while replenishing troops, let these commanders and fighters who had suffered humiliation in the prisoner-of-war camp have a chance to pay back their blood debts from the German army.

"Hehe, Comrade Commander, I don't want to make this bet with you." Colonel Billing said with a smile: "If Comrade Commander feels that the strength of each division is too large, even if he can't get supplements from his superiors, he can still think about it." There is a way to get qualified soldiers and use them to enrich the troops."

  Seeing that Colonel Billing saw through his little trick, Shechtman laughed a little embarrassedly. He walked quickly to the jeep parked at the entrance of the church, opened the door, and greeted Billing graciously to get in the car first: "Comrade political commissar, please get in the car."

  After the two got into the car, Billing asked Shechtman tentatively: "Comrade Division Commander, do you think that the commander's reinforcements to our division will still come from those comrades rescued from the prisoner-of-war camp?"

"Yes, Comrade Political Commissar, that's what I think." Shechtman didn't hide his true thoughts from his partner at all: "To be honest, when the commander added those rescued commanders and fighters to the division, my heart It is very contradictory. But after this battle, I found that the performance of these commanders and fighters whom I despise on the battlefield far exceeded my imagination, and it seems that Comrade Commander has a better vision."

  As Shechtman's political commissar and partner, Billing naturally understood his little thoughts. Originally, I wanted to consider how to persuade the opponent and change my attitude towards those commanders and fighters who had been prisoners of war in the division. I didn't expect that after a battle, the opponent's thinking took a 180-degree turn, a huge change beyond my own expected.

But it was a good thing that Shechtman's thoughts could change so quickly, so he said while the iron was hot: "Comrade commander, since you no longer discriminate against those commanders and fighters, can you ask the commander to give us more supplements next time. "

   Shechtman nodded with a smile on his face, then raised his hand and patted the driver on the shoulder twice, telling him: "Drive, let's go back to the division headquarters outside the city."

  (end of this chapter)