Red Moscow

Uzakov saw that after his order was issued, the second battalion commander still stood there without moving, so he asked a little puzzled: "Comrade major, what are you doing standing here if you don't carry out my order?"

"Comrade Brigadier," the second battalion commander replied with some embarrassment, "no one in my battalion understands Italian."

The words of the commander of the second battalion reminded Uzakov that even in the whole brigade, not to mention the second battalion, there would be no one who could understand Italian. After all, Italian was a relatively rare language for the Soviets.

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," seeing that Uzakov had encountered a difficult problem, Sergeant La Curry offered him: "Although I don't understand Italian, I do understand German. Ask someone to ask, these Italian prisoners of war Does anyone here speak German?"

"This is a good way." Since no one understands Italian, the prisoners can only be interrogated in German. This proposal was immediately approved by Uzakov, and he told the second battalion commander: "Comrade Major, you send someone to Ask the captive who knows German, and bring him here."

Ten minutes later, the second battalion commander and two soldiers escorted an Italian captain into the tent, and reported to Uzakov: "Comrade brigade commander, this is the commander of the Italian army. He can hear you." understand German."

"Let this gentleman sit down." Uzakov glanced at the Italian captain and said to La Curry: "This will also make our interrogation smoother."

After everyone was seated, Uzakov asked, "Mr. Captain, your name and rank."

The Italian captain immediately stood up after listening to La Curry's translation, and with his hands pressed to the seam of his trousers, he raised his head and replied, "Captain Comoli!"

"Very good." Seeing the cooperation of the Italian captain, Uzakov nodded with a smile and said, "This is a good start." After a short pause, he continued to ask, "Captain, what is your troop number?" ?”

"Third Company, 11th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, Svrzeska Division, 35th Italian Army." Captain Comoli articulated the number of his unit.

Uzakov didn't know anything about the unit number that Comolli mentioned. He waited for the staff officer in charge of the record to finish writing, and then asked, "Where did your troops take part in battles?"

"Our division participated in the Battle of Stalingrad," replied Comolli, "but it has always been stationed near the Don."

"Stationed near the Don River." After listening to Comolli, Uzakov said with some contempt: "Our army's comprehensive counter-offensive in Stalingrad was the earliest breakthrough in the Don River Basin. Captain , it seems that the combat effectiveness of your troops is not very good."

Uzakov's words immediately caused a burst of laughter in the tent.

"Mr. Lieutenant Colonel!" Unexpectedly, Komoli, who was originally sitting, stood up abruptly after hearing Uzakov's words, and said with a serious expression: "Although we and our German allies suffered a defeat in Stalingrad , but you cannot insult the honor of our Italian army."

Before Uzakov came to the prisoner-of-war camp, he had heard the report from the commander of the second battalion. After learning that his troops had rushed into the prisoner-of-war camp, the Italian troops who stood firm in the prisoner-of-war camp put down their weapons and surrendered with only symbolic resistance. , so I look down on this army in my heart. Hearing Comolli's rebuttal at this moment, he still asked in a joking tone: "Why, Mr. Captain, is there something wrong with what I said?"

"Of course it's not right." As it concerns the honor of the army, Captain Comolli began to retort with a solemn expression: "The task undertaken by our army is mainly to maintain the logistics supply lines of the German allies and to defend the secondary positions on the flanks. Since it is time to go to the battlefield less, so the results are definitely not as good as the German allies who are the main force in the attack.”

Comolli's words aroused Uzakov's curiosity, and he asked with a fake smile: "Mr. Captain, according to what you said, if your troops are allowed to hold on to the Don River defense line, will it be difficult for our army to make a breakthrough?" ?”

"That's for sure, Mr. Lieutenant Colonel." Comolion said proudly, "When your army attacked the Don River Valley, my 35th Army, the Romanian Third Army, and two German divisions, They are all surrounded by you, and their fall is imminent.

At the critical moment of life and death, we bravely launched an attack on you, and even launched hand-to-hand combat. After fierce hand-to-hand combat, more than 4,000 people from the whole army successfully broke through. And the huge Romanian Army was wiped out, and even the Germans, who you think are powerful in combat, have only 2,000 people who broke out of the encirclement. "

The battle example mentioned by Comolli, due to certain needs, the Soviet army will definitely not report it. So don't say that Uzakov doesn't know, even Sokov doesn't know.

Uzakov laughed twice, and changed the topic to what he urgently needed to know: "Mr. Captain, I would like to ask, there are more than 2,000 prisoners of war in the prisoner-of-war camp. Why are there so few wounded?"

When Comolli heard this question, he hesitated for a moment, and then replied with some hesitation: "The seriously wounded were all shot to prevent them from wasting our precious medicine."

Uzakov's eyebrows were twisted into a knot, and he gritted his molars and asked, "Did you order the shooting?" When he said this, he stretched his hand to his waist and put it on the holster, Once Comolli gave an affirmative answer, he would draw out his pistol and shoot at the opponent without hesitation.

"No, no, it's not my order!" Komoly yelled in panic when he saw Uzakov's hand on the holster, fearing that the other party would draw out his pistol and shoot him.

"Who is that? . . . I'm asking, who gave the order?" Uzakov asked, raising his voice.

"Germans, they are Germans." Comolli argued, "My company is a prisoner-of-war camp that just entered three days ago. When we took over the defense of the Germans, I found them in the forest outside the prisoner-of-war camp. At least 400 dead bodies, all wounded shot by the Germans."

"Damn the Germans." Uzakov punched the table angrily, startling the staff officer in charge of the interrogation record: "If I see those Germans, I will never spare them. Where are they? Part of it?" The last sentence was asked to Comolli.

"It's a grenadier company of the Banner Guard Division." Comolli knew very well in his heart that if he explained the matter clearly, he might lose his life here, so he quickly and honestly replied: "The SS has always done things. Such cruelty, the wounded captured by them, as long as they feel that they have no therapeutic value, they will all be executed."

"Take him down." Uzakov already knew what he wanted to know, and it was meaningless to continue the interrogation, so he asked the second battalion commander to take him down, and then called a staff officer and told him: "Immediately send a report to the Group Army Command, saying that we have successfully captured the prisoner-of-war camp, and request the higher-ups to instruct the next step."