"The Russians don't have the ability to blow up our anti-aircraft towers, Colonel. This is what will happen."
"Our air defense towers withstood round after round of air attacks, and even the British long-range heavy bombers had to go around us. Even they sank the Navy's battleship Tirpitz, but they still didn't dare to stand in front of us.
Push your limits."
"I don't believe that the Russians have the ability to destroy our air defense tower. The engineers who designed and built it personally guaranteed that even if the enemy uses the largest caliber howitzer, they will not be able to destroy it. This is a defense standard that can withstand direct hits from aerial bombs. Russia
People must be scaring us, they are bragging, they have no ability to destroy it, they just want us to escape on our own initiative."
The solemn-looking Colonel Sternheim did not speak, but the young and impetuous adjutant continued to express his own opinions and chattered away.
Perhaps because he was tired of listening to this guy's nagging, Colonel Sternheim, who had been silent for two minutes, suddenly spoke, but the words that came out of his mouth were not the answer that the young adjutant wanted.
"So what if the Russians are not lying, and they are not trying to scare you or us? What if they are really capable of doing things that seem impossible? Have you ever thought that they will be able to do it again?
What’s the result?”
"."
People will always selectively believe what they want to believe. This is the same no matter what year, month or era, and the current German army is no exception.
The young adjutant kept talking to himself and comforting himself. He didn't even think about the possibility that Colonel Sternheim said, and he didn't even think about what if the Russians were really capable of blowing up this place.
It seems like an indestructible giant tower, so what will it be like in the Berlin Zoo?
"If you don't tell me, then I'll answer it for you."
Colonel Sternheim, who already had the leaflet in his hand but no longer looked at it, spoke in a calm tone, with nothing out of the ordinary, as if he was telling an ordinary, everyday thing.
"Not just us, everyone here, regardless of whether they are male or female, regardless of their identity, will be buried under the ruins of this air defense tower and turned into a mess of bloody mud."
"Excluding our 408 defenders, there are a total of 2,192 registered civilians."
"If the Russians are really capable of doing what they promised and keep their word, then there is no doubt that most of the 2,600 people will die in this zoo, and the vast majority of them will die in this air defense
Beneath the ruins of the tower."
"You are a native of Berlin. I guess even if there are no relatives or friends of yours among the more than two thousand people, there must be people you know and are familiar with. After all, you and I both know that except for those special places where dignitaries stay, this place
There is no safer air defense bunker in the city than an air defense tower. It is the best place for people whose power and status have not reached the peak. Am I right?"
"."
The young adjutant stopped talking. To be precise, he was speechless when faced with Colonel Sternheim's truth. He wanted to argue but could not say anything.
Colonel Stettheim was right. It was precisely because there were people among the people taking refuge in the air defense tower that the young adjutant hoped to be protected that he almost without hesitation rejected the idea of abandoning the air defense tower.
The reason is very simple. After abandoning this air defense tower, where will you let so many civilians go to take refuge next? Huh?
Should he run around in the streets and dance with the Russian artillery shells, or should he continue to crawl back into the cold and dark basements or subway tunnels to hang out with rats and bugs, fearfully praying that the bombs dropped by the Russian bombers would not blow up his own rat holes?
collapse?
No matter which situation is considered good, once they leave the shelter of the anti-aircraft tower, the survival probability of both soldiers and civilians will plummet. At least this is true based on past experience since the beginning of the Berlin Battle.
That's why the young adjutant had the reaction just now. It's not surprising or difficult to understand.
But if you think about another possibility.
Whether it's running around on the streets or hiding in a dark basement, it's better than being buried under thousands of tons of reinforced concrete construction waste and being a pile of fresh, steaming meat sauce, right?
?
It is undeniable that Colonel Sternheim's words outlined the horror of the scene. The young adjutant who wanted his relatives to survive also did not want to see this happen, but he didn't know what to do. He was caught in a trap for a while.
In the midst of a dilemma.
However, just when the young adjutant was hesitant, Colonel Sternheim, who had indeed spent some time thinking, had already made his decision.
"Let the civilians evacuate, we will stay."
".What?!"
The adjutant on the side could hardly believe that what he heard was true. He blinked his eyes with surprise on his face, and soon heard his immediate leader continue to speak.
"The Russians have never lied about the use of force against Berlin. Everything they have done so far can be regarded as true to their word."
"And according to what I know about them, they have been like this since the second half of 1943. They say they will destroy you, but at least they will use all their strength to try to destroy you, and with their seemingly unstoppable power
In the face of power, there are very few situations that would make them break their promises, just like this."
Before he finished speaking, Colonel Stetheim took the initiative to raise his left arm and show off his left arm. The front end of the severed arm, which had lost the entire left hand, was wrapped in cloth and looked so awkward.
"We are soldiers. It is our duty to fight here, and it is also part of our duty to die here."
"But it's just us. There is no need for more than 2,000 people who have nothing to do with it to be buried with us."
"Start the evacuation and tell all those who are not wearing military uniforms to pack up and evacuate as soon as possible. Those who are wearing military uniforms and are not affiliated with our air defense force, if they are willing to stay and help, they are naturally welcome. You can stay or leave if you want."
"Besides."
Colonel Sternheim raised his head and looked at the sky with a sad smile. The sadness of that smile was even worse than the tragic casualties of the Berlin defenders.
"We don't have much food supplies to feed so many people, and not everyone can go out at night to search for supplies, and can find the supplies and bring them back alive."
"What about those who have nothing to eat? How do we respond to the mother who begs us to give her child a morsel of food? When everything is gone and the battle in the city is not over yet."
"Let a group of hungry people cross the crossfire, and more people will die."
"Before the Russian front is pushed over, while we still have some rations to distribute, and before the Russians turn the Berlin Zoo into the largest mass cemetery in the city, our only choice is this.