Sokov learned some information from Sergeant Doppler that he was eager to know, and ordered Cydolin: "Chief of Staff, send someone to the Army Command and hand them over to the commander for disposal."

"Mr. Colonel," Doppler was panicked after listening to the soldiers' translation. He stepped forward and grabbed Sokov's hand and said excitedly: "Leave us behind, let us do anything, don't shoot us." When he said this, Doppler was filled with regret. He didn't expect that Sokov would turn against him and after learning the information he wanted to know from him, he was ready to shoot him.

When Sokov heard Doppler's plea, he immediately realized that the other party had misunderstood, so he explained to him with a smile: "Sergeant, who told you that we are going to shoot you? I just asked someone to send you to the Army Command, where there will be a special person to arrange your next food, clothing, housing and transportation." Hearing that he was not going to shoot himself, Doppler breathed a sigh of relief and followed the soldiers out of the division command.

As soon as Doppler left, Cidolin asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, it seems that your method is really effective. Comrade Ubricht shouted for so long to the enemy's position, and his voice was hoarse, and only a dozen German soldiers came to surrender. You used the method of providing food to German officers and soldiers, and within a day, seven or eight came over."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you're not right." As soon as Cydollin finished speaking, Ivanov corrected him and said, "Seven or eight German soldiers surrendered in the defense zone of the Belkin regiment alone. And there are also gains in the defense zone of the other three guard regiments." He raised a piece of paper in his hand and smiled and said to Sokov, "Comrade Commander, good news. When you were interrogating the prisoners, I called the other three guard regiments, and they also had good news."

"Oh, there are good news coming from the other three regiments?" Sokov's eyes lit up when he heard Ivanov say this: "Comrade Deputy Commander, read it quickly and listen."

"The 122nd Regiment defense area, six German soldiers surrendered, one of the sergeant and one of the sergeant; the 124th Regiment defense area, nine soldiers surrendered, no non-commissioned officers and officers; the 125th Regiment defense area, three of them surrendered, one of the lieutenant officers."

After Ivanov finished reading, Sokov smiled and nodded, saying, "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, it seems that the three guard regiments have gained a lot. Eighteen officers and soldiers surrendered. Please tell the three regiment commanders to arrange personnel immediately and send all these prisoners to the Army Command."

"Comrade," Ivanov called his three old subordinates and said to Sokov with a smile: "When you just proposed this plan, I was quite resistant from the bottom of my heart. Although we did not have a food shortage, I felt very uncomfortable to provide precious food to the Germans who fought against us.

But I never dreamed that just a few pieces of bread and a bowl of red cabbage soup would make so many enemies give up their resistance and take the initiative to surrender to our army. It was simply incredible."

Hearing the other party's flattery, Sokov thought silently in his heart: "If you see a red army in the east use this tactic to dismantle the enemy's resistance and cause thousands of soldiers to come to surrender from the opposite position, your glasses will probably be broken."

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov suddenly thought of Cuikov giving himself a three-day deadline, and hurriedly ordered Cydolin: "Now you call the commander and report the achievements we have made to the commander, so that he can be happy."

As expected, when Cuikov heard that more than 20 German officers and soldiers surrendered tonight and had sent people to the headquarters, he was overjoyed. After asking Sidolin to hand over the microphone to Sokov, he said in admiration: "Sokov's idea is really good. He made the enemy surrender so easily. The effect is worse than Ulbrich and the others."

"Comrade Commander, through the interrogation of the captives, I have obtained a very important news."

"What news?"

"When the enemy broke through in November, in order to facilitate the operation, the German commander ordered the soldiers to burn the military coats they wore." Sokov reported: "In other words, most of the German soldiers who are besieged by us now have no winter equipment. Moreover, due to insufficient supply, many officers and soldiers are starving. In such cold weather, even if we do not take the initiative to attack them, a large number of soldiers will be frozen and starved to death every day."

"What? A large number of German troops freeze or starve every day?" Cuikov expressed doubts about Sokov's statement: "I think there will definitely be officers and soldiers who will freeze or starve to death, but they are definitely not as serious as you said."

When Sokov heard Cui Kov say this in a suspicious tone, he was not easy to argue with him. After all, many of the things he knew were obtained from later history books. The information that Cui Kov could obtain was limited, and it was reasonable to not believe his words completely.

However, Sokov did not get involved in this matter, but changed the topic in time: "Comrade Commander, I think providing food to the German army on the opposite position is the best way to disrupt their morale. I strongly suggest that this tactic be promoted immediately within the entire army."

"You make sense." The recent battle in the factory area in the north of the city has been going very smoothly. Although the commanders and fighters of the counterattack troops showed bravery and tenaciousness in the battle, they paid a huge price in time in the face of the German army's stubborn resistance. However, the distance they were moving forward every day could still be calculated in meters. Now seeing the method introduced by the 41st Guards Division, which was so effective, Cui Kefu couldn't wait to promote it within the scope of each division. "I immediately asked the Chief of Staff to give orders to each division, asking them to implement the same tactics to deal with the enemy."

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Sokov said with emotion: "As long as we can save the life of one commander and fighter, it will be completely worth it even if we waste a little more food."

Krelov originally had some doubts about the results achieved by Sokov. After hearing the order issued by Cuikov, he solemnly retorted: "Comrade Commander, even if this method can achieve results in the defense zone of the 41st Division of the Guards Division, it does not mean that other troops of the group army can achieve such a tactic."

But his view, with the arrival of more than twenty prisoners, his attitude took a 180-degree turn: "Comrade Commander, I have considered it. Colonel Sokov's method is really good. I never expected that there would be so many German soldiers who would take the initiative to go to our position to surrender."

"Comrade Ubrich and his companions also shouted for a while in our defense zone." Cuikov asked Krelov: "I wonder how many enemies he has persuaded to surrender?"

"Not many, there are only about fifty people." Krelov said with emotion: "On average, there are only two or three soldiers who surrender every day, and the Sokov division's achievements are ten times that of his."

"I think the shouting to the Germans should continue," said Cuikov thoughtfully: "Let Comrade Ublich and others continue to tell the situation of the German army and those enemies who do not know the truth, plus the food we provide them, I believe that in the next days, more and more enemies will come to surrender to our army."

As the two were talking, the phone ringing on the table rang. Krelov picked up the phone and listened for a moment, then straightened his body and said to Cui Kev: "Comrade Commander, it is the phone of the commander of the Front Army."

When he heard that it was Rokosovsky's call, Cui Kev quickly took the microphone and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Commander of the Front Army. I am Cui Kev. What instructions do you have?"

"I just received a report from General Batov." Rokosovsky said on the other end of the phone: "The 23rd Infantry Division under his command is now less than twenty kilometers away from Mamayev. You must notify Colonel Sokov as soon as possible to prepare for the meeting."

"Ah, the troops of the 23rd Infantry Division are coming to join us?" Cuikov became excited when he heard this. Although he had been talking about "meeting" since the Battle of Stalingrad, he was shouting slogans, but in the end there was no follow-up. There was even a tank brigade that broke through the German defense and tried to join the troops of the 62nd Army. However, this tank brigade was annihilated by the German army on the way to Orlovka. If the "meeting" was mentioned again, the previous tragedy would not happen again: "Comrade Commander of the Front Army, please rest assured. I will notify Sokov immediately and let his troops prepare to join forces with friendly forces."

"By the way, has Sokov done anything recently?" When Rokosovsky put down the phone, he suddenly realized that Sokov was not a person who was content with the status quo, so he asked curiously: "I think he must be idle, and maybe he might do something."

"Comrade Commander of the Front Army, you guessed it right. He has really made some new tricks in the past two days." Cuikov quickly provided Sokov with food to the German army, and successfully induced more than 20 German troops to surrender voluntarily, reported to Rokosovsky, and finally said: "I think his tactics are very limited and he is planning to promote them within the entire army."

After listening to Cuikov's report, Rokosovsky also felt that Sokov's approach was strange. Although he did not agree with Sokov's actions, he was still very moved by the results he achieved. When he hung up the phone, he immediately ordered someone to invite Malining over, intending to seek his opinion on this matter and whether it should be promoted within the entire military.

Sokov received a call from Cui Kov and learned that the 23rd Infantry Division, which belongs to the 65th Army, was less than 20 kilometers away from Mamayev. He was likely to be overjoyed when he met him in the near future. He quickly assured Cui Kov: "Comrade Commander, please rest assured. I will immediately issue an order to each regiment to prepare for the meeting."

"Col. Sokov," Cuikov remembered that Cuikov had reported to him that Paulus's headquarters might be built in the department store in the central district. If he acted slowly, his superiors might hand over the task of seizing the department store to the 64th Army that invaded Stalingrad from the south. Therefore, he solemnly reminded Sokov: "Remember, hurry up and meet, so that you can mobilize troops into the city this morning to attack the department store. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Comrade Commander." How could Sokov easily give it to others that could be recorded in history? He quickly assured Cui Kev: "I will strive to meet with the 23rd Infantry Division who came from the west within one or two days, and then draw the main force to attack the key part of the enemy. I will never disappoint you."

"Very good, Colonel Sokov." After hearing Sokov's statement, Cuikov nodded with satisfaction and said, "I'm waiting for your good news."

"Comrades, I will tell you good news." As soon as Sokov put down the phone, he said to Sidolin, Ivanov and others standing next to him: "The 23rd Infantry Division, which came to join us, is now less than twenty kilometers away from us. If nothing unexpected happens, the meeting can be completed in one or two days."

"That's great, this is really great." Ivanov heard this and stepped forward to hold Sokov's hand, shook it vigorously, and said excitedly: "Comrade Commander, thank you for telling us such good news."

Although Cidolin was also very excited, as the chief of staff, he considered the issue more comprehensively: "I would like to ask, which regiment's defense zone will the troops of the 23rd Division of the Infantry reach first?"

"From their offensive route, it is definitely not the defense zone of the Belkin regiment." Sokov said without hesitation: "Therefore, the place where we meet can only be near the defense zone of the three guard regiments."

"Comrade Commander," after roughly confirming the meeting place, Ivanov straightened his body and asked Sokov for his order: "Please let me command the meeting troops, I promise to complete the task."

"Comrade Deputy Division Commander, how can you go alone at such an important historical moment?" Sokov smiled at Ivanov, then pointed at Cidolin: "The Chief of Staff stayed in the division headquarters, and then I, the deputy division commander, and the political commissar each went to a guard regiment and brought the troops to the direction of friendly troops. As for who commanded the troops to meet with friendly troops in the end, it depends on everyone's luck. How about it, do you have different opinions?"

Sidolin could not participate in the meeting, so he naturally would not express his opinion. Ivanov and Anisimov replied loudly: "There is no different opinions, we firmly obey the orders of the teacher."

"Since there is no different opinion, then I will assign everyone to the Guards regiment." Sokov continued: "I will go to the 122nd Regiment, the deputy division commander will go to the 124th Regiment, and the political commissar will go to the 125th Regiment."

After allocating the regiments that everyone should go to, Sokov added: "But don't rush to the regiment now. When friendly troops appear two or three kilometers away from our defense zone, it's not too late to rush over."
Chapter completed!