Red Moscow

Two days later, units of the 8th Guards Army reached the outskirts of Lublin and launched an attack on the city.

Seeing that his troops easily broke through the outlying positions on the southern outskirts of the city, Chuikov couldn't help but be overjoyed. He immediately ordered the signal soldier to help him connect to the front army headquarters, and prepared to personally report the good news to Rokossovsky.

"Comrade Commander," Chuikov excitedly reported to Rokossovsky as soon as the phone was connected: "My troops have broken through the outer positions of the German army on the southern outskirts of Lublin, and the vanguard has approached the city."

"Good job, Comrade Chuikov." After praising Chuikov, Rokossovsky continued: "Now Sokov's 48th Army has two infantry divisions, which are deployed in Majdanek near the city. In the concentration camp, you can send someone to get in touch with them and ask them to assist you in launching an attack on the city."

"What, Sokov's troops are in the Majdanek concentration camp?" Hearing what Rokossovsky said, Chuikov asked in surprise: "Comrade commander, when did they enter the concentration camp?"

"Two days ago," Rokossovsky said, "because these two divisions were not equipped with enough tanks and artillery, they were unable to attack Lublin. Now that your troops have reached the outskirts of Lublin, you guys It is entirely possible to take joint action and jointly launch an attack on the city."

"There is one more thing I need to report to you." After Rokossovsky finished speaking, Chuikov said, "General Bellinger's Polish 1st Army is now behind our army. They also want to Participate in the attack on Lublin, do you agree?"

"I agree, of course I agree." Rokossowski said without hesitation: "Since we launched the campaign to liberate Poland, as the Polish army, they naturally have an unshirkable obligation to participate in the war."

"However, it didn't take long for this army to be formed." Cuikov raised his own concerns: "Is it okay to let them take on the tragic task of attacking the fortifications?"

"Although they have not been formed for a long time, there are still many areas that need their contribution in the next battle to liberate Poland." Rokossowski said: "This time it should be regarded as training. If they do not attack well If it goes well, you can send troops to take over their offensive. You know, even if a well-trained army does not go to the battlefield to experience it, it is just a display. Do you understand?"

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Chuikov replied: "I will immediately contact General Bellinger and ask them to take charge of the attack in one direction."

After finishing the call, Chuikov hesitated. Should he call Sokov first, or call General Bellinger?

After thinking for a long time, he finally decided to call Sokov. In any case, the other party used to be his subordinate. Although the rank and military rank are the same now, he is more familiar than Bellinger anyway, and some words are more familiar. convenient.

"General Sokov, I'm Chuikov." The phone was connected, and when he heard Sokov's voice coming from the receiver, Chuikov said with a smile: "I heard that you have two divisions, and they are deployed in Maida. In the Necker concentration camp, is it true?"

"Of course it's true, General Chuikov." Although Sokov didn't receive any orders from the front army headquarters, he immediately realized that the other party might have launched an attack on Lublin after hearing Chuikov's question, so he asked tentatively: " So your troops are attacking Lublin?"

"Yes, General Sokov." Chuikov said affirmatively: "I just heard from the commander that you have two infantry divisions deployed in the Majdanek Concentration Camp. I hope your troops can also attack the city at the same time." Offensive so that the enemy cannot concentrate his forces in a certain direction for defense."

"No problem, General Chuikov." Sokov readily agreed to Chuikov's request: "My troops were deployed in the Majdanek concentration camp to cooperate with you in capturing Lublin. Now that your offensive has begun, then It’s only natural to cooperate with you.”

"That's really great." After hearing Sokov's reply, Chuikov couldn't help being overjoyed, and he quickly said to Sokov: "My troops launched an attack from the south of the city and have successfully broken through the outer positions of the German army. We have reached the edge of the city and are preparing to launch an attack on the urban area."

"General Chuikov," Sokov waited for Chuikov to finish, and asked tentatively, "Is it your army or several armies that are attacking the city?"

Since he wanted to cooperate with Sokov's troops, Chuikov naturally would not conceal the real situation. He replied: "The troops attacking the city today are the 8th Guards Army under my command. But behind us is Bellinger The Polish 1st Army under the command of Lieutenant General, they are ready to fight at any time."

Knowing that the rear of Chuikov's troops is the Polish 1st Army, Sokov said with a smile: "General Chuikov, I think you can hand over a certain attack direction of the city to the Polish 1st Army."

Chuikov didn't expect Sokov to say the same thing, he was very strange in his heart, he quickly reminded the other party: "General Sokov, you don't know, the Polish 1st Army was formed for a very short time and has never participated in a large-scale battle. , Is it too hasty to let them be responsible for attacking in one direction?"

"General Chuikov, most of the soldiers of the Polish Army have participated in battles and have certain combat experience." Sokov said: "Although the formation of the Army Group has not been long, they are liberating their own motherland and will definitely break out. It is completely appropriate to let them independently take charge of a direction with amazing fighting power."

"General Sokov, your thoughts are similar to those of Comrade Commander." Chuikov saw that Sokov's thoughts were similar to those of Rokossovsky, and he continued: "Since the two of you have such similar thoughts, then I will try to Try to give one of the directions to the Polish army to attack, and I hope their performance will not disappoint me too much."

After Chuikov finished the call with Sokov, he immediately ordered someone to contact General Bellinger of the Polish 1st Army to discuss with him how to liberate Lublin.

After Sokov put down the phone, he said to Sidolin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, according to the report of the scouts, a large number of scattered German officers and soldiers appeared around the city. Immediately send three infantry brigades to the vicinity of the city." Do a search."

The German officers and soldiers that Sokov was going to search for were the regular German army that had been dispersed. In order not to become captives of the Soviet army, they quietly passed through the swamp or forest in groups of twenty or thirty, and went west on foot, trying to find their main force.

This scene happened three years ago, but at that time the troops who wanted to withdraw to their rear were the Soviet army. The Soviet commanders and fighters were divided into small groups, or groups of two or three people, and used the complicated terrain to pass through the German army quietly. The line of defense retreated to the friendly defense zone, and was reorganized to participate in a new round of battle.

Most of the German soldiers who crossed the Soviet defense line were veterans with rich combat experience. Once they were allowed to escape back to the German defense zone, they were reorganized into the army this year and participated in the next battle. In order to prevent these single German officers and soldiers from returning to their own troops, Sokov specially sent a search team, with companies as units, to conduct searches around the city.

German detachments or groups, concealed on both sides of the road during the day, attacked the weak Soviet supply vehicles and field kitchens to collect the food they needed for the march. However, due to the large number of people, the food they robbed from supply vehicles and field kitchens was limited after all, so they could only collect wild fruits in the forest, hunt small animals, and even steal wheat ears and rot in the fields when they passed by the village. potatoes. When they couldn't find even these foods, they ventured into the villages and robbed the villagers of their cattle, sheep, chickens and ducks, slaughtered them hastily and used them to satisfy their hunger. After eating, continue westward.

However, after the Soviet army discovered a large number of scattered German troops, they all formed search teams to arrest these stragglers. When Sokov set up the task, he specifically told Sidolin: "Comrade Chief of Staff, tell the commanders below that it is best to send soldiers who understand German, disguised as German officers, and pretend to be taking in stragglers to deceive the enemy. And bring these assembled enemies to our search party."

"Comrade Commander," Sidolin waited for Sokov to finish speaking, and asked tentatively, "How do you plan to deal with these German prisoners?"

"Since they didn't voluntarily surrender to us, and they tried to escape back to their own defense zone, then we can't be too polite to them." Sokov said blankly: "Then let's shoot them all, so as not to waste our time." food."

"What, shoot all captured prisoners?" Sokov's order surprised Sidolin, and he asked tentatively, "Is it appropriate to shoot prisoners of war?"

"We didn't shoot prisoners of war." Sokov looked at Sidolin and said, "It was German soldiers who were alone. As long as they didn't take the initiative to lay down their weapons on us, they were our enemies. We can't be too merciful to the enemy. Understand?"

Seeing that Sidolin was still standing there in a daze, Sokov added: "Thinking about what Andrew and Kowalski said to us, you think that if we fall into the hands of the Germans, they will be merciful to us." ?"

"It's definitely not." Ponejelin, who has never spoken, interjected: "I talked with some soldiers who escaped from the enemy's rear before Uman was captured. On the way, after being captured by the enemy, the Germans shot them directly. Only those captured in major battles were sent to prisoner-of-war camps by them, and the rest of the sporadic people were shot directly after being captured. "

"I understand, Comrade Commander." Under Sokov's arrangement, what the group army headquarters said to Andrew and Kowalski was propagated within the group army to arouse the hatred of the commanders and fighters against the German army. Thereby raising the morale of the troops. Sidolin also understood at this moment that if Sokov's order was passed on, the commanders and fighters of each unit would be happy to carry out such an order.

After receiving the call from Sidolin, the three infantry brigade commanders replied without hesitation when they learned of Sokov's order: "Please tell the chief of staff to Comrade Commander, we will strictly implement his order." , Destroy those enemies who try to escape back to the west through our defense zone."

When the three troops were assembled, Victor, the commander of the 122nd brigade, approached the other two brigade commanders, and asked straight to the point: "Comrades, two brigade commanders, I wonder how you plan to deal with those captured German officers and soldiers?"

The commander of the 109th brigade, Major Sukharev, replied without hesitation: "Does it need to be said? Naturally, they were all shot in accordance with the order of Comrade Commander."

The 118th Brigade Commander Glu Shike sneered and said: "It would be too cheap to shoot them. If I captured the prisoners, I would let them organize a football team and play with my subordinates. If they win, everyone on the team is shot; if they lose, for every goal they lose, five people are shot..."

Victor laughed loudly after hearing this, and then said to Glushko: "Lieutenant Colonel Glushko, aren't you copying what the Germans did in the Majdanek concentration camp? There is nothing new about it."

Hearing what Victor said, Grushiko was a little unhappy, and asked, "Do you have a better way?"

Victor said with a smile: "Didn't the Germans massacre the Jews and our captured commanders and fighters? After thinking about it for two days, I finally came up with a good way to deal with them."

"What's a good way?!" Sukharev urged, "Veja, tell me quickly."

"If the German prisoners are captured, I will divide them into two parts." Victor said: "The left and right parts will form a football team and a boxing team, and then let them compete.

For example, in the first football match, the team on the left lost and was shot immediately. The winning team on the right will play against the newly formed team on the left. It's still the shooting of the loser, and the sign of the win is to compete with the newly formed team..."

After listening to Victor's thoughts, Sukharev and Glushiko gave him a thumbs up, and then said: "Lieutenant Colonel Victor, if you are asked to manage the concentration camp, you may be more cruel than the Germans." .”

Regarding the evaluation of the two, Victor was not angry, but just laughed dryly twice.

"By the way," Sukharev went on to say, "The team that loses the game is shot. What about the boxing match? Is the loser also shot?"

"No, no, that would be too cheap for them." Victor shook his head and said, "The boxing match I organize will be a death boxing, and the match will be over only if one side kills the other. Of course, winning does not mean that he will survive, he will continue to participate in the competition, and compete with new players until the winner is determined again."

"Lieutenant Colonel Victor." Hearing this, Sukharev couldn't help frowning: "Comrade Commander just told us not to keep any prisoners. But isn't your approach too cruel?"

"Yes, yes." Glushiko also nodded and agreed, "I think it's better to just shoot them for so many tricks."

After the three brigades were assembled, they drove out of Brest City and headed towards the designated direction. After arriving at the designated location, they will break up into parts and search in forests and swamps with companies as units. Those sporadic German officers and soldiers and wiped them out completely.