Chapter 2220 Dismissed Commander

   For Sokov, the capture of Letzen was nothing more than the liberation of an insignificant small city. But he didn't know how much uproar the news of the city's fall caused. Because the meaning of this city has long been beyond his imagination.

  First of all, after Rokossovsky got the information, he clapped hands with Subbotin, Bogolyubov and others to celebrate. According to his vision, to liberate the city, at least one **** battle would be required, and at least one or two divisions would be killed or injured. Unexpectedly, the enemy encountered the 3rd Infantry Division of the 48th Army, but only made a symbolic resistance, and then put down their weapons and surrendered.

   Rokossovsky reported the news to the General Staff, and Chief of General Staff Antonov reported the matter to Stalin. Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Stalin applauded again and again, and said emotionally: "I really didn't expect that the city regarded as a fortress by the Germans is not worth mentioning in front of Misha, and it was taken so easily." Then He said to Antonov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please record my order. In recognition of the bravery and heroism shown by the 3rd Infantry Division under the 48th Army in the battle to liberate Letzen , specially awarded the Red Banner Medal to the division."

  Although the number of the 3rd Infantry Division is higher, but due to the incompetence of the previous division commanders, no great feats have been established. But now that Kirilov has served as the division commander, he has won a Red Banner Medal awarded to the collective for his battle to liberate Letzen.

  The Soviet army liberated Letzen, which was simply bad news for the German High Command.

   Chief of the General Staff Guderian was extremely shocked to learn that Letzen put down his arms and surrendered to the Soviet army with almost no resistance. He didn't expect that in an area where a large-scale defensive battle could have been fought, the defenders surrendered as soon as the guns sounded, which was simply incredible.

  When the mustache heard about this, he became even more furious. He pointed to Guderian and asked loudly: "Guderian, what is the name of the commander who sticks to Letzen?"

   "It's called Klein." Fortunately, Guderian had read the information in advance and knew the names of the city defenders, so he was not asked by the mustache: "Colonel rank."

"I once gave a special order that this city must stand firm." Mustache growled hysterically: "Even if you can't hold on, you must get my order before you can retreat. Who knows this **** Clay Because, without even a decent resistance, he ordered the troops to lay down their weapons and surrender to the Russians. Where is his home?"

   "His home is in Berlin." Guderian replied: "There is a wife, two sons, and a sister."

  Moustache waved his hands like convulsions: "Catch them all and send them to a concentration camp. I want everyone to know that this is the fate of betraying me."

Just when Guderian promised to convey his order, he changed the original order: "No, they cannot be sent to a concentration camp, that would be too cheap. Hang them and hang them on the road Hang a sign on the chest next to it, which says 'the end of the traitor', hurry up, follow our orders."

   "Yes, my head of state." Guderian picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, and conveyed Mustache's order.

After the phone call, Guderian continued to report the intelligence on the battlefield: "My head of state, Admiral Reinhardt, called and said that the situation there is not ideal. The current pressure on Königsberg, Forcing the 4th Army to continue to retreat, I am afraid that the entire East Prussia east of the Aare River will have to be abandoned."

"No, Guderian, this kind of retreat is absolutely not allowed." The mustache who had fallen into madness growled and said: "The coward must stop, as long as I personally order no more retreat, correct those cowardly generals The wrong order given can re-invigorate the courage of the soldiers. You put me through Reinhardt immediately, and I want to speak to him."

  When Guderian picked up the phone and dialed, a bitter smile appeared on his face. He knew very well in his heart that if the situation had not reached an irreversible point, Reinhard would not have offered to withdraw.

The phone was quickly connected, and when Reinhardt's voice came out of the receiver, Guderian said into the microphone: "Reinhardt, the Führer wants to talk to you." After saying this Afterwards, he held the microphone in both hands and handed it to Mustache, "My head of state, Reinhardt is online."

"Reinhardt, I am the head of state." Mustache said loudly into the microphone: "I order you, let all the troops stop retreating, turn to defense on the spot, resolutely block the Russian attack, and defend our east Prussia..."

"My head of state, I really want to continue to hold on." Reinhard complained: "But my troops have been severely weakened, while the Russians on the opposite side of us have received a steady stream of supplies of soldiers, weapons and ammunition , making our situation worse and worse. If we continue to stick to our current positions, we may be wiped out by the Russians. But if we abandon some areas that are not necessary to defend and gather more troops, we can Temporary advantage in local area..."

"That's enough, don't explain." Before Reinhardt could finish, Mustache interrupted him: "I order you, let all the troops stop retreating, stay where they are or return to their original positions, and resolutely keep the Russians at bay. Do you understand?"

"My head of state, this matter may be difficult to handle." Reinhardt said perfunctorily: "Most of the troops are moving, and it may be very difficult to contact them in such a short period of time. And our Many troops have already withdrawn from the original defense zone, and if they are ordered to return at this time, I am afraid it will cause unnecessary confusion."

"Reinhardt," Reinhardt's words caused Mustache to fall into thought. After a long time, he said with some hesitation: "I will give you a final answer at five o'clock in the afternoon. But before that, you Troops must be ordered to stop their senseless retreat."

   Reinhardt, who got the mustache's promise, put down the phone contentedly, and only waited for five o'clock to call the Berlin High Command to ask what the mustache's final decision was.

After the mustache put down the phone, he put his hands on the table and stared fiercely at the map spread out on the table. He began to think in his mind whether he should agree to Reinhardt's request, abandon the current position, and head towards the Königsberg area. direction to retreat.

   I don't know how long he looked at the map, and even Guderian, who was standing next to him, almost fell asleep. Just when Guderian was drowsy, he suddenly heard the voice of Mustache: "Guderian!"

   "My head of state!" Hearing the voice of the mustache, Guderian shuddered, and quickly straightened his body and said, "Do you have any instructions?"

"I got up too early today, and I'm a little tired. I want to go back and rest. I'll leave things here to you." Before leaving, Mustache told Guderian: "During the time I'm sleeping, no one can Don't bother me."

   "Yes, my Führer."

  After Guderian sent the mustache away, he suddenly remembered that the mustache had told Reinhardt that he would give him a final reply at five o'clock. But it was almost four o'clock now, and it was obvious that Mustache would not be here when Reinhardt called.

  When the hands of the clock on the wall pointed to five o'clock, the phone on the table rang.

   Guderian stared at the ringing phone on the table for a while, then turned his head and asked a general who had just entered the door: "Is the head of state here?"

   "No." The general shook his head and said, "I didn't see the head of state on the way here."

   Hearing what the general said, Guderian couldn't help complaining in his heart. He didn't expect that the mustache would not count his words, and ran back to sleep at a critical moment. How could he reply to Reinhardt? However, the phone kept ringing, and it was obviously impossible not to answer it, so he could only bite the bullet and pick up the receiver.

   "Hi, I'm Guderian. Where are you?"

  "Hi, Chief of Staff!" Sure enough, Reinhardt's voice came from the receiver: "I followed the agreement with the Führer and called him at five o'clock..."

"General Reinhardt." Guderian didn't wait for Reinhardt to finish, and interrupted him: "I'm really sorry, the head of state was a little uncomfortable just now, so he went back to rest. Before he left, he specifically told us, No one is allowed to disturb them. So General Reinhardt, I cannot call the Führer for you, please forgive me."

"Damn, how did this happen?" Reinhardt knew that he had been fooled by the mustache when he heard it. It was obvious that the other party asked him to call again at five o'clock. Went to run and rested. Originally wanted Guderian to call Mustache, but remembered that Mustache had left and said that no one was allowed to disturb him, so he swallowed the words that came to his lips abruptly, but asked cautiously: "Your Excellency, Chief of the General Staff, do you know?" When is the best time for me to call?"

Guderian looked up at the wall clock on the wall, and then said: "General Reinhardt, I think you'd better call in two hours. Even if the head of state went to rest, after two hours, he should be Come back here again. If he is not here by then, you can call the Army General Command and see if he has signed any orders."

  Although Reinhardt was unwilling, but since the mustache deliberately avoided seeing him, no matter how anxious he was, it was useless. The only way now is to wait another two hours, and then call the High Command or the Army General Command to see if there is any latest instruction from Mustache.

  Two hours later, Reinhardt called the High Command again, found Guderian, and asked about Mustache's whereabouts. Guderian, who answered the phone, apologized and said: "I'm really sorry, General Reinhardt. I haven't seen him since the head of state left. If you have something to ask him, I suggest you call the Army General Command Call and ask if there is any order he signed there."

Reinhardt dialed the phone number of the Army General Headquarters again, and with the last sliver of luck, he asked the officer who answered the phone: "I am General Reinhardt, and I want to ask, where is the head of state?" An autographed order concerning East Prussia?"

   "No, General Reinhardt." The officer on duty replied very simply: "We don't have an order signed by the head of state here."

Reinhard, who had guessed the ending long ago, was furious. He raised his voice and said to the officer on duty: "Please record my words: Since I have not received any clear instructions, I will withdraw the troops to Afghanistan according to my original plan. Le Heilsberg-Friedland line, and build new fortifications there."

  After Reinhardt hung up the phone, the officer on duty did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly reported the content of the call with Reinhardt to his superior.

  The call record was quickly delivered to Mustache. After reading it, Mustache directly pulled the water glass in front of him to the ground, stood up at the same time, walked back and forth in the room like a trapped animal, and began to think about how to deal with a bold person like Reinhardt.

As far as Reinhardt in East Prussia, because he made several phone calls back to Berlin, but couldn't find the whereabouts of Mustache, he made the final decision in a fit of anger, and withdrew his troops to a reliable location according to the original plan. area and re-establish a new defensive zone.

  His chief of staff, General Heide Koppel, reminded him: "Your Excellency, Commander, you have withdrawn the troops against the will of the head of state without authorization. I am worried that it will have adverse effects on you."

"What adverse effects can there be?" At this moment, Reinhardt has decided to go all out: "At best, I will be dismissed. I really don't want to be this commander. Since accepting this position, I haven't had a good night's sleep. , thinking every day how to block the Russian attack, and even drive them away from the East Prussian region. But unfortunately, the high command did not replenish us with new troops, relying only on the existing strength, it is impossible to stop Russians live."

   "Okay, Your Excellency, Commander." Seeing that Reinhardt had already made his final choice, Hyde Koppel knew that no matter what he said, he would not be able to change the other party's mind. The only thing he can do now is to help Reinhardt cooperate with the retreating troops and try to get them to the designated location earlier. After all, it wasted half a day just waiting for the order from the superior.

While they were busy, a communications staff officer came over with a telegram and said to Heide Koppel with a serious expression: "Your Excellency Chief of Staff, the telegram was sent by the Supreme Command in Berlin. There are relationships."

  Heide Koppel took the telegram with a puzzled face, and looked down. After he read the contents of the telegram clearly, he was stunned.

And Reinhardt, who was standing not far away, saw his chief of staff holding a telegram in a daze, and asked with some displeasure: "Chief of staff, what did you say in the telegram? You look so out of your mind." .”

"Your Excellency, Commander," the chief of staff quickly came to Reinhardt after waking up, and said in a flustered expression: "The high command in Berlin has just issued an order, and in view of your poor health, we are going to let you After dismissal, go to Berlin for treatment."

"Oh, the action is quite nimble." Reinhardt said with a sneer, "I am dismissed so soon. Chief of Staff, it seems that until the arrival of the new commander, this unit can only be handed over to you for temporary command." gone."

   "Your Excellency, I haven't finished my words." Heide Koppel said with a wry smile: "I, like you, have been dismissed from duty."

  (end of this chapter)