Red Moscow

"By the way, how many people are there in your division?" Sokov finally asked: "I heard that the organizational system of the Romanian army is based on that of the German army. A full division is 17,500 people. Am I right?"

"That's right, Mr. General." Efrem nodded and said in an affirmative tone: "According to the original troop establishment, each division is indeed 17,500 people. But with the loss of our army on the battlefield, the surviving or rebuilt divisions , the number of soldiers will be greatly reduced. For example, our division now only has more than 6,000 people, which is equivalent to one-third of the original number."

After hearing this, Sokov began to mutter in his heart: "During combat deployment, when it was learned that the enemy on the opposite side was the Romanian army, it was usually calculated on the basis of 17,500 troops. Now it seems that after a long period of fighting, Romania can be incorporated There are fewer and fewer young adults in the army, so that the size of the army has to be reduced."

Seeing the Iron Cross on Ephrem's uniform, he couldn't help asking curiously, "Lieutenant Ephrem, can you tell me where you got this medal?"

"Of course, General Sokov." Efrem said respectfully, "This medal was awarded in Stalingrad."

"Oh, you got it in Stalingrad?" Sokov was full of curiosity about the Romanian officer in front of him: "What battle did you get it in?"

Efrem hesitated for a moment, but said truthfully: "My unit took part in the attack on Mamayev's Hill and fought hand-to-hand with your unit. Unfortunately, I was seriously injured during the bayonet fight. , and was sent back to the rear for treatment after the battle."

"It proves that you are a lucky person to be able to leave Stalingrad alive. When our cooperation began, for you and many people in the army, the war had already ended prematurely." Sokov said to Efrem : "Okay, Lieutenant Efrem, our negotiation is over here, you go back as soon as possible to report the result of our negotiation to your division commander. If you are willing to accept our army's proposal, the troops stationed in Chernivtsi will Drive towards Otac in a short time."

After receiving Sokov's promise, Efrem, who was full of joy, couldn't wait to return to Otatz, preparing to report the results of the negotiations to division commander Antoneta.

"Mr. Commander, good news, good news." As soon as he walked into the division headquarters, Evrem excitedly said to Antonetta: "There is great news."

"Lieutenant Efrem," Dinu asked tentatively when he saw that Lieutenant Efrem was so excited, he knew that there must be unexpected gains in this negotiation, "Do you have any good news to tell us?"

"Yes, Mr. Chief of Staff." Efrem said happily: "This negotiation can be said to be unprecedentedly smooth."

"Oh, what a smooth way, let's talk about it." When Dinu said this, he unconsciously glanced at Antoneta who was sitting behind the desk: "Did the Russians agree to our request? "

"How should I say it?" Efrem said with some hesitation: "Although they didn't expressly express that they would accept our conditions, they actually agreed to all our requests."

"Lieutenant, what's going on here?" Antonetta finally lost her composure when she heard this, "What do you mean? It confuses me."

"Yes, Lieutenant Efrem, what is going on, please tell us carefully." Dinu also echoed: "No one can understand what is going on when you talk like this. Something happened."

Efrem coughed twice, cleared his throat and said, "The Russians mean to defend Otac with us."

"Common defense?" Efrem's words confused both Antonetta and Dinu. Dinu tapped on the table twice, and asked with a serious expression, "Lieutenant, what does this mean?"

"That is to say, the Russian army will officially enter Otac after the agreement is reached." Efrem explained: "But they will not take any hostile actions against our army in the city. As an ally, let's protect this city together."

"Not to take any hostile actions against our army?" Antonetta had a contemptuous smile on his face after hearing this: "Lieutenant Efrem, I don't know what level is the Russian who is negotiating with you?"

Dinu heard the implication of Antoneta's words, and felt that the Russians who might be negotiating with Efrem were too low-level, so they made up lies to prevaricate Efrem. Then he asked tentatively, "I don't know what level the Russian is negotiating with you. Is he the commander of the 130th Infantry Division stationed in Chernivtsi?"

"No, Mr. Chief of Staff." Ephrem shook his head and said, "It's not him."

"That's his commander." According to Ephrem's answer, Dinu judged that since the division commander did not personally participate in the negotiation, the person who talks to Efrem can only be the regiment leader or level below. Lower officer: "Or a battalion commander or something. Am I right, Lieutenant Ephrem?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Efrem shaking his head desperately: "No, no, Mr. Chief of Staff. You guessed it wrong, the person I was negotiating with was not the division commander stationed in Chernivtsi, It was General Sokov, the commander of the army group."

At this moment, even if a cannonball landed in the room and exploded, the shock it brought would definitely not compare to the words that Efrem said lightly, and the whole room fell into silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Dinu broke the silence in the room. He asked cautiously in a voice hoarse from excitement, "Lieutenant Efrem, you just said that General Sokov, the commander of the 53rd Army, talked to you personally?"

"That's right, Mr. Chief of Staff." Ephrem nodded vigorously, and replied in an affirmative tone, "That's indeed the case."

At this time, Antonetta finally realized that what Efrem said was true, and quickly asked, "Lieutenant, what does General Sokov look like?" High popularity, but not many people have seen him. Many German generals still don't know what Sokov looks like, let alone Antonetta, who is only the commander of the slave country.

"Very young, very young." Efrem replied cautiously: "I originally thought that such a famous general would be at least 40 years old. I was shocked when I saw him. , he is probably only in his twenties, from the outside, he is just an ordinary college student. No one would have thought that he is actually a powerful general."

"Lieutenant, what did you say?" Antoneta asked in surprise, "You mean General Sokov is just a young man in his twenties?"

"That's true." Efrem said with affirmative tone: "If I hadn't seen the officers in the headquarters with my own eyes, I would have thought he was an ordinary college student, and I thought he was related to the front line. Experience life."

"Mr. Master." After Dinu confirmed that Efrem was negotiating with Sokov, his attitude changed. He took the initiative to say to Antonetta: "I think the Russian proposal is very good, we can consider it carefully. Consider it. If you think it is appropriate, we should sign an agreement with the other party as soon as possible."

Antonetta originally surrendered, but he was still somewhat conflicted in his heart. Now that he learned of Sokov's real thoughts, his thoughts suddenly changed 180 degrees. He looked at Efrem and asked, "Lieutenant, what did General Sokov say to you before you came back?"

"He said that if you have no objections, you can sign the agreement immediately." Efrem said: "After the agreement is signed, the troops stationed in Chernivtsi will be stationed in Otac where we are."

"Chief of Staff," Antoneta told Dinu impatiently after Efrem had finished speaking, "Go to Chernivtsi immediately and sign an agreement with the commanders there, asking them to settle in as soon as possible. Otatz. Be fast, otherwise, if the Germans hear the news and move in here ahead of time, you and I may lose our lives.”

"Mr. Commander." After accepting Antoneta's order, Dinu reminded the other party: "I have no problem going to Chernivtsi, but you have to issue an order to our troops so that they are not allowed to be enemies with the Russians. Otherwise, I worry that the agreement we signed may be torn up by the Russians at any time."

"Chief of staff, you can rest assured about this." Antonetta has a clear understanding of his poorly equipped and severely undertrained troops, and he said to Dinu: "I will notify all the troops and stop everything Hostilities with Russian forces."

"Also." Dinu told Antoneta: "Mr. Commander, before the agreement is formally signed, I suggest that this matter should be kept strictly confidential, otherwise once the Germans know about it, they will definitely send troops over. When the time comes, we Once disarmed, we become lambs to be slaughtered."

Antonetta didn't think Dinu's statement was alarmist at all. Just a few months ago, Italy announced its surrender and withdrawal from the war, and then the Germans disarmed and even massacred some of the Italian troops on the Soviet-German battlefield. Fearing that the same fate would eventually befall him, he asked Evrem cautiously: "Lieutenant, if we are attacked by the Germans, will the Russians support us?"

"Mr. Commander, I haven't had time to report this matter to you." Efrem said quickly: "General Sokov said that after his troops stationed in Otatz, they will be responsible for dealing with the Germans. And our troops..."

Before Efrem finished speaking, Antonetta couldn't wait to ask: "What should our troops do?"

Efrem looked at Antoneta and said with some helplessness: "Mr. Commander, General Sokov made it very clear that our troops' combat effectiveness is very poor, and I am afraid that they are no match for the Germans. Therefore, when the Germans launched an attack on the city At that time, the Russian army will resist the opponent's attack. Our task is to maintain law and order in the city and prevent the residents from panic."

The only trace of worry that Antonetta had left in his heart suddenly disappeared at this moment. He thought with peace of mind that his troops were definitely not the opponents of the Germans. If the Germans knew that they were going to surrender to the Soviet army, once they sent troops to attack, he would have to sit and wait to die. Now that Sokov has personally stated that he is willing to let the troops help the Romanian army defend the city, he has nothing to worry about.

"Chief of Staff," he urged the other party when he saw that Dinu was still standing there, "what are you doing in a daze, why don't you go to Chernivtsi to sign an agreement with the Russians? If the Germans find out that we Cooperation with the Russians, you and I will have the fear of life, hurry up."

After Efrem left with Dinu, Antoneta picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, and said to the microphone: "I am General Antoneta, and I will send the three regimental leaders to the office immediately." I'm here for a meeting."

Soon, the heads of the 52nd, 53rd and 54th regiments appeared in Antoneta's headquarters. The three regiment leaders didn't understand the division commander's order to call them here urgently, so they couldn't help but looked at each other in blank dismay, at a loss.

"Three commanders." Seeing that everyone was here, Antonetta didn't go around in circles, and said bluntly: "I called you here because I have an important matter to announce. Now the Germans are on the battlefield. It is retreating steadily, we continue to follow the Germans, there is no future."

"Mr. Commander," the head of the 52nd Regiment stepped forward and said, "Even the Germans are no match for the Russians, let alone us. You see, in just a few days, we have passed from the left bank of the South Bug River." , and retreated to the right bank area. If the situation is not good, we still need to cross the Transnistria and retreat into the Moldavian region. What we can do now is to prepare for the retreat, and once we find that the situation is not right, we will be decisive Choose to retreat."

"We retreat, and the Russians will definitely take the opportunity to attack." The head of the 54th regiment retorted: "Since they can occupy as many of our cities in just a few days, they can occupy more. If we continue to Keep retreating, and before long, we will find that we have retreated to Romania."

"We can't retreat anymore." The head of the 53rd regiment said: "We must build fortifications in the existing area to resist possible attacks by the Russians."

After hearing this, the head of the 52nd regiment sneered: "Can we stop the Russian attack? Or, our two regiments will switch defenses, and your 53rd regiment will resist the Russian attack?"

"Enough is enough, stop arguing." Seeing the three commanders under him, arguing endlessly over whether to fight or withdraw, Antonetta slapped the table hard a few times to stop their dispute.

After the room became quiet again, Antonetta expressed his plan: "I have carefully considered, whether it is defense or retreat, it is not the best choice for us."

The head of the 52nd regiment was quite clever. Hearing what Antonetta said, he immediately realized that the other party might have some mature ideas, so he tentatively asked: "Mr. Master, do you have any good ideas?"

"Since you can't beat it, why don't you join." Antonetta said bluntly: "I plan to hand over this city to the Russians."

"What, hand over this city to the Russians?" The three regiment leaders were taken aback by Antonetta's decision, and the commander of the 53rd regiment hurriedly said, "Mr. Teacher, are you joking with us?"

"No." Antoneta shook her head and said, "How can I joke with you on such a big matter? I have already sent someone to contact the Russians, hoping to hand over the city's defense to them."

Knowing that Antonetta had sent someone to contact the Soviet Army, the head of the 52nd Regiment asked agitatedly, "Mr. Commander, what is the result of the negotiation?"