Sokov took out a ruble from his pocket, raised it to Gorel, and asked: "Can you copy the currency we use?"
Goriel looked at the paper and pen in Sokov's hand, then shook his head and said: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I don't have the ability to imitate such banknotes. After all, there are too many aspects involved. I can use them
Resources are limited to accomplish this difficult job."
"Gorel," Gorel's answer was already expected by Sokov, and he had already prepared it in his mind: "If I arrange a group of people and the necessary equipment, can you imitate something like this?"
banknotes?”
"Is that the ruble in your hand?" Gorel asked.
"Of course not, I hope you are copying German marks." Sokov knew very well that if he wanted Guolel to agree to his request, he must give him a little sweetener: "If you agree, the matter of you forging ration certificates,
It can be written off in one go.”
After speaking, Sokov did not give Gorel time to speak, and ordered Samoilov: "Comrade Lieutenant, take him to the next room first, and I will send someone to call you when necessary."
After Gorel was taken away by Samoilov, Runev, who had long been unable to hold himself in any longer, couldn't wait to ask: "Comrade Commander, do you plan to let him forge the German mark?"
"Yes."
Even though Runev came from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he knew nothing about economic warfare. He asked in confusion: "Comrade Commander, I don't understand, what is the use of counterfeiting German currency?"
"It's very useful, my Comrade Military Comrade." Sokov explained his point of view in front of everyone: "We will create a large number of counterfeit banknotes and put them into the German-occupied areas, which will not only disrupt and destroy the economy of the German-occupied areas; at the same time,
Counterfeit banknotes can also be used for intelligence work or the daily expenses of espionage organizations. It can be said that it kills two birds with one stone and is beneficial and harmless."
Although Sokov had made the matter very clear, Lunev still said with concern: "Comrade Commander, it seems easy to create counterfeit banknotes to attack the economy of the German-occupied areas, but it is difficult to do it.
More difficult."
"General Lunev is right," Managarov waited for Lunev to finish and immediately agreed with his point of view: "This thing looks easy, but it is very difficult to do it.
As far as I know, printing banknotes requires special printing plates, paper and ink, and I don't think we can easily obtain these things."
Seeing that Managarov got to the crux of the problem, Sokov nodded and replied: "Comrade General, you are right. To make counterfeit banknotes that look like real ones, in addition to what you said, you also need professional talents.
.I think the Guolel I just put to use can be put to good use."
"But where do we get the printing plates, paper and ink needed to print counterfeit banknotes?"
"I will report this matter to the commander of the front army, and he will report it to the Supreme Command." Sokov smiled: "I believe that after the Supreme Command realizes the importance of this kind of banknote war, it will provide us with enough
s help."
"The phone here can be used to communicate with the front army headquarters." Lunev pointed to the phone on the table and said to Sokov: "I think you should report this matter to General Konev as soon as possible and listen to his opinion.
How about next."
The call was quickly connected. When Konev heard that Sokov wanted to see him for something, he thought there was something wrong with the landing site. He asked in a panic: "Comrade Sokov, is there something wrong with the landing site?"
"No, Comrade Commander of the Front Army." Seeing that Konev had misunderstood, Sokov quickly reported his ideas to him, and finally said: "We can use the counterfeit banknotes we created to buy various items in the German-occupied areas.
sourcing supplies, arms, smuggling intelligence, etc. In a word, doing this will only bring benefits to us and no harm."
After figuring out what was going on, Konev was silent for a long time, and finally said: "Comrade Sokov, your idea is very bold, but as for the specific effects, I dare not draw conclusions easily yet. So, I will
Report the matter to Marshal Zhukov immediately and listen to his opinion. If he has no objection, we will report it to the headquarters of the Supreme Command."
Although Konev did not explicitly express his support for this matter, Sokov could still tell from the tone of his voice that the other party was happy to see it happen. As soon as Konev finished speaking, he continued: "
If the base camp passes this plan, we will probably have to find a suitable location to produce a large amount of counterfeit banknotes on a large scale. In addition to the printing plates, paper and ink used to print counterfeit banknotes, we also need professional talents to participate."
"Comrade Sokov, the professionals you mentioned can never be found in the army." Konev said thoughtfully: "But you can go to prisons or liberated concentration camps to find them."
"Prisons and newly liberated concentration camps?" Sokov heard what Konev said and asked in confusion: "Why?"
"The reason is very simple. Printing money is the specialty of the Jews." Konev replied: "As far as I know, all the Jews in the German-occupied areas were either massacred by the Germans or imprisoned in prisons or concentration camps.
Labor. If you need professional talents, you can only go to these places to find them."
Konev's words reminded Sokov that he vaguely remembered that Germany implemented Operation Bernhard in 1942, which was a German conspiracy to destroy the economies of the Allies. They selected a group of Jews from various concentration camps who were highly skilled and
The ingenious Jewish craftsmen were used by the Germans to make counterfeit banknotes.
Perhaps because they believed in the pie that the Germans drew for them and the illusory promises, the Jews made the printing quality of the counterfeit banknotes very good, completely reaching the point where the fakes were real. And at the peak of production, the monthly output of counterfeit British pound banknotes was
Reached 30 million.
After he put down the phone, he said to Managarov, Lunev and others sitting next to him: "Commander Konev agreed in principle with my suggestion, and he will immediately report the matter to Marshal Zhukov. As long as Zhukov
The marshal has no objections, and the matter will be reported to the Supreme Command as soon as possible."
Based on Lunev's understanding of Sokov, as long as Zhukov knows about this matter, and based on the degree of Zhukov's doting on Sokov, he will definitely agree to the matter. Even if he encounters any objections when reporting to the Supreme Command, Zhukov will
He can also clearly support Sokov.
After thinking about this, Lunev tentatively asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, should we make preliminary preparations now?"
"That's right, that's right." Regardless of whether this matter would be approved by his superiors, Sokov felt that he should do all the work he could do in the early stage. He shouted towards the door: "Lieutenant Samoilov,
Come in!"
Following his shout, Samoilov appeared at the door and asked respectfully: "Comrade Commander, are you bringing the person next door here?"
Seeing that Samoylov had guessed what he was thinking, Sokov did not speak, but nodded slightly, expressed his agreement with Samoylov's proposal, and brought over Guolel who was locked up next door.
Soon, Gorel was brought in by Samoylov.
After entering the door, Gorel looked at Sokov with an uneasy look on his face. He didn't know what this commander, who was wearing an ordinary soldier's uniform, would do with him. Should he be dragged out immediately and shot, or would he be directly imprisoned and wait until later?
Dispose of yourself.
Unexpectedly, the situation he imagined did not happen. On the contrary, the other party asked kindly: "Golel, do you know any friends who know how to print coins?"
Hearing Sokov's question, Gorel immediately understood that his life was temporarily saved. He nodded vigorously and said in a positive tone: "Yes, Comrade Commander, I do know some Jews who know how to print coins."
.But since the Germans entered Kremenchug, they seemed to have disappeared out of thin air.”
When Sokov heard this, his heart sank suddenly, and he asked tentatively: "All disappeared into thin air?"
"It can't be said that they disappeared out of thin air." Goler said hesitantly: "Some of them must have been killed by the Germans. After all, the first thing they did after occupying the city was to purge the Jews in the city.
They took them to the suburbs and killed them..."
Sokov heard the key word "part" from the other party's words, and then asked: "According to you, there are still some people who survived?"
"Yes, that's the case, Comrade Commander." In order to save his own life, Gorel also fought hard, and he decided to tell what he knew: "Although the Germans entered Kremenchug,
They hunted the Jews vigorously, but some people in the city took the risk to take them in. They hid them in the basements or attics of their homes and provided them with food and water regularly so that they could barely survive."
Gorel's words reminded Sokov that he had seen many World War II movies, in which he could see good-hearted people hiding Jews in distress in their homes and providing them with food and water. Could it be that in this city,
Does such a situation also occur?
Thinking of this, Sokov turned and asked Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, did our troops conduct a large-scale search after occupying the city?"
Regarding the question raised by Sokov, Lunev thought for a while and then replied: "Comrade Commander, the troops currently stationed in the city are Colonel Chuvashov's 98th Guards Division. I think you can learn from him.
You’ll get the answers you want there.”
Sokov picked up the phone on the table again and asked the operator to help him take over the headquarters of the 98th Guards Division. When he heard someone speaking, he immediately said: "I am Sokov, Colonel Chuvashov."
Answer the phone."
Unexpectedly, it was Uzhakov's voice that came out of the receiver: "Comrade Commander, the division commander is not here. If you have anything, just tell me."
Learning that Chuvashov was not at his headquarters, Sokov was somewhat surprised and asked: "Where did he go?"
"That's it, Comrade Commander." Uzakov heard that Sokov's tone was a little unhappy, and quickly explained: "Isn't today the first day of the official implementation of the rationing system? Comrade Military Commissar asked the division to transfer
A lot of troops were mobilized to maintain order, and the division commander was there to check whether these troops had faithfully performed their duties."
"Since the division commander is not here, I ask you the same thing." Sokov was eager to know whether the troops had carried out a large-scale search after occupying the city. Therefore, he couldn't wait for Chuvashov to come back, so he couldn't wait to ask Uzakov: "
After you captured Klementchuk, did you carry out extensive searches of the city?"
"Big search?!" Uzakov couldn't help but be startled when he heard Sokov's question, and then asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, do you think there are still Germans lurking in the city?"
"That's wrong, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Seeing that Uzakov had misunderstood what he meant, Sokov quickly explained to him: "As far as I know, there are some Jews in the city. After the Germans entered the city,
They were hidden in their homes by kind-hearted citizens. I asked you whether you had carried out any large-scale searches. I just wanted to ask if you had ever found any Jews hidden by kind-hearted citizens in the basement or attic."
After figuring out what Sokov wanted to ask, Uzakov couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat and said repeatedly: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, although we have searched the city, it was just to find the enemies hidden in the city.
Our citizens are full of hatred for the Germans. They will not hide the Germans. Once they discover our search troops, they will take the initiative to report to us the whereabouts of the hidden Germans."
"So you haven't searched the basements or attics of the building at all?"
"Yes, we have not searched." After Uzhakov answered this question, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, I want to know, why are you asking this?"
"I want to find the hidden Jews." Since the operation of making counterfeit banknotes has not yet been approved by his superiors, Sokov did not want to make a fuss in the city, so he said vaguely: "I need them to help me do something important.
.”
"Comrade Commander," Uzakov asked respectfully, "How about I take people to search now to see if I can find those hidden Jews?"
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Sokov thought for a while and said to Uzakov: "If you dispatch troops to conduct searches, not only will it waste a lot of manpower and time, but the effect will not be obvious. You can send people to various buildings
Go outside and shout out to the hiding Jews to come out of their hiding places as soon as possible and we will provide them with necessary food and medicine."
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Uzakov replied simply: "I will resolutely obey your order and immediately organize manpower to go everywhere to make propaganda so that those Jews who are still hiding can come out as soon as possible."
Seeing Sokov put down the microphone, Managarov immediately gave him a thumbs-up: "General Sokov, your idea is really wonderful. Those Jews who are still hiding in the basement or attic, due to the whole
The sky is full of fear, and the mind is in a state of high tension. If your troops conduct a large-scale manhunt, I am afraid it will make them even more frightened."
Lunev's perspective on the problem was different from everyone else's. He knew very well that the plan proposed by Sokov had a very high chance of being passed, so he specifically asked: "Comrade Commander, I wonder what your plans are?"
Where should the counterfeit banknotes be printed?"
"Gorel," Sokov looked at Gorel standing next to him with his hands hanging down, and humbly asked him: "I wonder where the printing house you usually go to is located?"
"At No. 1417 Dnieper Street." Goeler replied cautiously: "There used to be a relatively large printing factory, but since the Germans came, it was almost abandoned, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it so easily.
In and out.”
Sokov nodded, and then said to Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, I think the factory for manufacturing counterfeit banknotes should be located in the printing factory mentioned by Gorel."