The first thing that appeared in Koida's field of vision was a group of civilians. Driven by German soldiers, they stumbled out of the bastion filled with smoke and fire. As soon as they left the bastion, some civilians ran for their lives.
, trying to rush to the Soviet side in the shortest possible time, so that they can be safe.
However, the civilians who fled in panic were shot down by German soldiers hiding in the crowd and turned into corpses after they ran not far. Among these corpses were not only young people, but also old people, women and children.
Seeing civilians being defeated by the Germans in front of them, the Soviet commanders and fighters who were preparing to launch an attack were all filled with indignation. They became a little restless. With civilians on the battlefield, they could not concentrate all their energy on dealing with the German troops who were as dense as locusts.
. Some soldiers who could not hold their breath aimed at the exposed German soldiers and fired. But as soon as the cunning enemy heard the sound of gunshots, they immediately squatted down and hid in the crowd, causing the bullets fired by the soldiers to miss.
Political commissar Mashkov came to Koida and said to him: "Comrade division commander, the enemy has trapped so many civilians. We must find a good way to deal with it, otherwise the enemy will rush over."
Koida didn't want to eliminate the enemy as soon as possible and rescue the trapped civilians, but this was the first time he encountered such a situation, and he couldn't come up with a good solution in a hurry. After a fierce ideological struggle, he decided
Report the matter to his superiors and let Sokov make a decision.
After answering the phone call from the Army Headquarters, he heard Sameko's voice: "I am Sameko, where are you from?"
"Hello, Comrade Chief of Staff." Koida said very quickly: "Is Comrade Commander here?"
"He's not here," Sameko replied simply: "He went to the front line and may now be at the division headquarters of the 182nd Division or the 84th Division."
When he learned that Sokov was not at the headquarters, Koida was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. He kept saying: "What can we do? What can we do?"
"Colonel Koida!" After hearing what Koida said, Sameko immediately realized what had happened and quickly asked, "What happened?"
"When our division was preparing to attack the bastion, a large number of civilians were trapped by the enemy. The cunning enemy was walking behind them and was advancing towards our position!"
"These shameless Germans actually did such a despicable thing." Samek said angrily: "Have you taken any measures?"
"No, Comrade Chief of Staff." Koida replied awkwardly: "We have never encountered such a situation and have not taken any measures yet."
Koida had never encountered such a situation, and how could Sameko have encountered it again? He frowned and thought for a while, and said to Koida: "Colonel Koida, order your troops to prepare for battle.
Once the Germans use civilians as cover to attack you, fight back decisively."
"What should we do if civilians are accidentally injured?"
Sameko didn't know what to do, so he could only vaguely say: "You can figure it out yourself."
After ending the call with Koida, Samyko realized the seriousness of the problem and quickly ordered people to ask the division headquarters of the 182nd Division and the 84th Division to learn about Sokov's whereabouts.
Seeing that the war was progressing smoothly, Sokov originally wanted to leave the 84th Division and go to a new destination, but he received a call from Samyko. After listening to Samyko's report, he asked in surprise: "Comrade Chief of Staff
,Is what you said true?"
"Yes, it's true, Comrade Commander." Samyko asked Sokov in a dilemma: "I just couldn't think of a solution, so I called you for help. Please think of a solution quickly.
I'm worried that if it continues like this, the 188th Division may be driven out of the fortress by the Germans."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, don't be anxious, don't be anxious." After listening to Samyko's words, Sokov felt panic in his heart. He kept saying: "Let me think about it, let me think about it."
Fomenko, who was sitting not far away, saw Sokov answering a phone call, his expression suddenly became extremely solemn, and he quickly asked with concern: "Comrade Commander, what happened?"
Hearing Fomenko ask himself, Sokov thought that the situation of the Germans coercing civilians would definitely not only happen in the 188th Division's combat area, but also in other areas. He quickly covered the microphone with his hand and told Fomenko
Said: "The chief of staff just told me that a large number of civilians were abducted by the Germans in the combat area of the 188th Division. The enemy drove the civilians towards our positions. Please call the front line quickly and ask if there is a similar situation.
occur."
After saying this, Sokov released his hand covering the microphone and said to Samyko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please contact other divisions to see if similar situations have occurred in their areas. Yes.
Please report the result to me immediately."
"Okay, Comrade Commander." Samyko couldn't find a solution from Sokov. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he could only say helplessly: "I will contact the commanders of each division immediately to see how the situation is there.
.”
"Comrade Commander," Fomenko said when Sokov put down the phone: "My subordinate has encountered similar situations. Maybe his experience will be useful to you."
"Okay, call him over. I want to ask him personally if there is any way to deal with this German conspiracy."
A few minutes later, a sergeant named Lyushka came in from outside. When he entered, he saw not only the division commander, Major General Fomenko, but also a strange general. For a while, he didn't know who to report to.
.
"Sergeant Lyushka," Fomenko introduced him: "General Sokov, the commander of the group army, you report to him."
"Comrade Commander," Lyushka faced Sokov, raised his hand and saluted, and then reported according to the order: "Sergeant Lyushka is here to report to you, please give instructions!"
"Hello, Comrade Sergeant." Sokov stepped forward and shook hands with him, and then asked: "I heard that you have seen the Germans coerce civilians and attack our positions before?"
"Yes, I have indeed encountered it."
Knowing that the other party had indeed encountered a similar situation, Sokov asked curiously: "Can you tell me where you encountered this situation?"
"The first week when the war broke out, it was at the Brest Fortress!"
"Brest Fortress?!" Hearing this familiar ground, Sokov became a little excited: "Then can you tell me, are you a subordinate of political commissar Fomin or a subordinate of Major Gavrilov?
"
This time it was Lyushka's turn to have a look of astonishment on his face: "Comrade Commander, do you also know Political Commissar Fomin?"
"Yes, I heard about it." Sokov was eager to know how to deal with the Germans who were holding civilians hostage. He just said it casually and then asked: "It seems that in the battle to defend the fortress, you followed Fomin.
They fought as political commissars. Then under what circumstances did you encounter the German army coercing civilians?"
"Comrade Commander, the situation is like this." Lyushka explained to Sokov: "After the war broke out, I followed Political Commissar Fomin to stand near the Holm Gate. The enemy launched more than ten attacks on the area we were holding.
We charged several times, but we were repulsed every time without exception.
Seeing that the enemy was still unable to conquer the Holm Gate we were holding on to, they came up with a vicious plan, which was to drive away the captured wounded, medical staff and civilians to open a path in front of them, so that we would not dare to shoot at will, so that they
We can successfully capture the Holm Gate."
"Then how did you repel them?" Sokov asked curiously.
"Political Commissar Fuming saw the wounded, medical staff and civilians walking in front, blocking our view and preventing us from shooting at the enemy. After some thought, he decided to go out alone to deal with the enemy and told another commander
, once he saw the kidnapped people lying down, he would immediately shoot them. When I heard him say this, I thought it was quite strange. What ability could he have to make all the kidnapped people lie down?
Political Commissar Fomin walked out of the Holm Gate and walked towards the Germans. When he was still more than 20 meters away from the trapped people, he suddenly shouted at those people: 'Get down, get down quickly!'
The shout was in Russian, so our personnel naturally understood what he said and immediately got down on the spot; but the Germans did not understand Russian and stood there stupidly, making them targets for us to shoot at."
"What a great job!" After hearing Lyushka's words, Fomenko slapped his lap excitedly: "Why can't I come up with such a good idea?"
"Well, this is a good idea." Although Sokov felt that this method was a bit old-fashioned, he could only act as a doctor now. After he called Samek, he suddenly remembered a key question.
"Comrade Sergeant, I have another question. After the fortress fell, did you successfully break through, or were you captured?"
Hearing Sokov's question, Lyushka's face turned red: "I...I was captured."
Although no one in Sokov's army discriminated against commanders and fighters who had been captured, this kind of thing always made people look down upon them. Fomenko stood up, patted Lyushka on the shoulder, and spoke to him in an encouraging tone.
He said: "Comrade Sergeant, tell the commander how you came to our division."
Seeing that the other party was not skinny and skinny, nor did he look like he had just been rescued from a prisoner of war camp, Sokov asked curiously: "Comrade Sergeant, tell me, how did you come to the 84th Division?"
"Comrade Commander," Lyushka raised his head and looked at Sokov and said: "Although I was captured by the Germans, during the escort process, I and several comrades who were in relatively good physical condition took advantage of the Germans' absence.
Pay attention and fled into the nearby forest. Two of them were killed by the German search team during the escape; the remaining three comrades and I spent more than a month to escape to Kiev and join the Southwest Front."
Hearing that the enemy actually came to Kiev after escaping from danger. Thinking of the Southwest Front Army, which was almost completely wiped out by the Germans in the area, Sokov couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head. He said to himself that Lyushka was really wrong. He had just returned from Bures.
He escaped from the special fortress and came to Kiev, which was about to fall. I wonder if he would be a prisoner again this time. "Then what did you experience after arriving in Kiev?"
"Not long after I arrived in Kiev, I was injured in a German air raid. Because the injury was too severe and the situation in Kiev was not good at the time, I was sent to Moscow with a group of seriously injured people. After recovering from the injury, I was sent to Moscow
The reorganized Southwest Front Army participated in the attack on Kharkov. But unfortunately, in the later stages of the battle, it was captured by the Germans."
Sokov thought to himself that this man really didn’t know whether to say he was lucky or very unlucky. If he stayed in Kiev, there were only two endings waiting for him. One was to be captured, and the other was to die in battle. There was no third option.
After recovering from his injuries, he was incorporated into the Southwest Front Army and participated in the attack on Kharkov. Unfortunately, he was captured again. However, this did not harm him. If his unit retreated to Stalingrad, could he
Surviving the bloody battlefield is still an unknown.
"Did you escape later or were you liberated by our army?"
"I escaped." Lyushka said to Sokov: "After I was imprisoned in the prisoner of war camp, I have been looking for opportunities to escape. After waiting for more than two months, I finally waited for such an opportunity. The Germans every day
They would send a carriage to the nearby area to haul wood for the fire. The original driver happened to be ill that day, so I temporarily took over his place.
Since there was only one German soldier guarding the carriage, I felt that I had an opportunity to escape, so I drove the carriage to a hidden place and pretended that the axle was broken. While the German soldier lowered his head to check the axle, I used the ax on the carriage seat to kill him.
He. Then I fled towards the location of our army on horseback. Half a day later, I found my own unit. After some review, I was incorporated into the Voronezh Front Army."
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help being happy: "Comrade Sergeant, won't you tell me that you were captured by the Germans again during the Battle of Kharkov at the beginning of this year?"
Unexpectedly, after Sokov finished speaking, Lyushka unexpectedly nodded and replied truthfully: "Yes, Comrade Commander, I was indeed captured again in the battle. But I, who have rich experience in escaping, took advantage of the opportunity.
When the Germans escorted us through a forest, they sneaked into the forest and hid. After the enemy was far away, I went back the same way to find my troops."
"I really didn't expect that you were captured three times." Sokov shook his head and said, "I guess there is no one in our army who has been captured more times than you."
"Comrade Commander, actually more than three times." Hearing what Sokov said, Lyushka replied with some embarrassment: "During the Battle of Kursk in early July, I was captured by the Germans again in Oboyan and imprisoned.
Entered the prisoner of war camp. Fortunately, the prisoner of war camp was not held for long, our army liberated the prisoner of war camp, and as one of the rescued commanders and fighters, I was incorporated into the 84th Division."
After listening to Lyushka's story, Sokov was really speechless. He never dreamed that his army actually had a soldier who had been captured four times. He waved to the other party and said: "Comrade Sergeant, there are no soldiers here."
It's your business, you can go."
As soon as Lyushka left, Fomenko nervously said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, although Sergeant Lyushka has been captured by the Germans four times, I assure you that his loyalty is absolutely
question."
"General Fomenko, don't be nervous." Seeing Fomenko's nervous look, Sokov quickly comforted him and said: "Although he has been captured four times, he has never surrendered to the enemy.
If in the following battle today, our commanders and soldiers can solve the problem of the enemy driving away the civilians who were held hostage based on the method he described, I will also give him credit."