After Uzhakov sent soldiers to shout everywhere, news soon came that more than 30 skinny Jews had been rescued from an attic in a neighborhood not far away. They were the second victims of the city's fall.
For days, I hid in the attic and stayed there for two full years.
Sokov was shocked when he heard the news. He had been in the city several times and knew the structure of the houses here. An attic covered 20 square meters, and more than 30 Jews had to be hidden there. On average, every
The area occupied by people is less than one square meter, and they have been there for two years. I don’t know how they have survived until now.
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," just as Sokov was sighing with emotion, Lunev took the microphone in his hand and talked to Uzakov: "I want to ask who provided food and daily necessities to these Jews.
Necessities?”
Lunev's words reminded Sokov that anyway, there were more than thirty people hiding in the attic. Even if they saved more, their monthly food consumption would be a large amount. If the people who provide them with food do not have enough
Their economic strength simply cannot meet their needs.
Gorokhov on the side whispered to Managarov: "Comrade Commander, General Lunev's question is on point. Even if each Jew only needs 300 grams of bread a day, more than thirty people
We only need ten kilograms of bread. If ordinary people buy ten kilograms of bread every day, it won’t be long before the Gestapo comes to visit us.”
When Sokov heard what Gorokhov said, he tapped his fingers lightly on the table and thought to himself: If ten kilograms of bread are needed a day, then three hundred kilograms of bread are needed a month. The family who protects them,
The fact that the Germans did not discover the Jews they were hiding for up to two years proves that this family has some backing and a certain financial strength.
After Uzakov heard Lunev's question, he covered the microphone with his hand and turned to ask the officer who reported the situation to him: "Comrade Lieutenant, what does the family who protects the Jews do?"
The officer quickly replied: "That's a bakery, and the owner of the bakery is the one who provides them with food."
Uzhakov quickly released his hand covering the microphone and answered the question raised by Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, my subordinates said that the place where the Jews were hiding was a bakery, and the place that provided them with food was a bakery.
The boss.”
After listening to Uzhakov's report, everyone felt that this answer was a matter of course. The bread in the bakery was all produced and sold by themselves. How much bread they baked every day, if the Germans did not check, they would not know at all. And
They could take advantage of this and give the bread they baked to the Jews hiding in the attic.
And Sokov was thinking that no matter what the purpose of the bakery owner was in taking in these Jews, it was precisely because of his kindness that these Jews who might have been in the gas chambers survived.
If they repay the bakery owner, it is their own business, and they should also express their gratitude to such a boss.
Thinking of this, he looked up at Lunev who was still talking to Uzhakov and said to him: "Comrade Military Commissar, ask Lieutenant Colonel Uzhakov, the owner of the bakery, where he is now.
Where?"
Luniev nodded, and then said into the microphone: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the commander asked, where is the owner of the bakery now?"
Uzakov didn't know the answer either, so he could only ask the officer who reported the work again: "Do you know where the owner of the bakery is now?"
"I'm sorry, Comrade Chief of Staff." The officer didn't know much about the bakery owner's situation, so he could only say apologetically: "With your permission, I can immediately arrange for manpower to investigate."
"Comrade Military Commissar," Uzakov said apologetically after sending away the officers: "The officer who reported to me does not know where the bakery owner is now. But don't worry, I have ordered him to go
After asking around, I believe it won’t take long for you to get the answer you want.”
After Luniev put down the phone, he curiously asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, why are you asking about the owner of the bakery? Do you know him?"
Not only Lunev was curious about this matter, but Managarov and Gorokhov also wanted to know the answer. Sokov glanced at a few people, and then said leisurely: "This bakery owner risked his life
, took in more than 30 Jews and hid them for two years. For such a kind person, we should give him the necessary rewards."
"I wonder what you plan to reward him with?"
"Comrade Military Commissar," Sokov replied: "Didn't we implement a rationing system in the city of Kremenchug starting today? In order to meet the needs of the residents of the city, a large amount of bread needs to be produced. I think
You can leave part of the processing work to this kind boss. What do you think?"
"I agree." Luniev considered that if the rationing system was to be carried out for a long time, there must be several reliable bakeries to provide residents with daily necessary food, so he agreed with Sokov: "I can meet
The food ration quota for the block where the private room is located is left to him."
Seeing that Lunev understood his intention and was going to arrange a good job for the bakery owner, he smiled and nodded and said: "First let his bakery provide daily rations of bread for the residents of the neighborhood. If he
Well done, let's consider giving him a few more streets..."
Next, Lunev called several distribution points one after another to learn about the situation of food distribution in those places. Sokov also took the time to call Samyko and asked: "Chief of Staff, where do you have food?"
What's going on?"
"Report to Comrade Commander," Samyko heard the call from Sokov and quickly reported: "Not long ago, the German army once again launched an attack on the defense area of the mechanized army. Maybe they were worried about our air force, so they
There was no artillery preparation before the attack, and the infantry launched the attack directly under the guidance of the tanks."
"What's the situation like with the mechanized army?" Sokov heard Sameko's calm tone. He knew that the enemy's attack must have failed. However, out of caution, he still asked: "Have you repelled the enemy's attack?"
?”
"Yes, the enemy's attack has been repelled by the commanders and fighters of the mechanized army." Sameko replied: "The enemy left more than two hundred corpses and eight repelled tanks, and retreated in despair.
Their starting position."
"What about other areas?" Sokov continued to ask while feeling relieved: "Is there any movement from the Germans?"
"According to the scout's report, signs of the concentration of German armored forces were found in the southwest of the landing site." Samyko asked Sokov for instructions: "Comrade Commander, do you want to see if the air force is dispatched to bomb the enemy assembly point?"
?”
"How large is the armored force that the German army is gathering?"
Samek paused for a moment, then reported: "About two armored divisions, no less than two hundred tanks."
"No less than two hundred tanks?" Sokov felt ecstatic in his heart. If there were really so many tanks gathered, then Goryunov's air force could blow them to pieces. He quickly ordered Samyko
: "Chief of Staff, ask the scouts to provide the specific location where the German tanks are gathering. Then I will contact General Goryunov and ask him to dispatch a large number of air forces to bomb the German armored units staying in this area."
But Sokov had only been happy for two minutes when he suddenly realized that something was wrong. There were many forests, lakes and swamps in the southwest of the landing site, which was not suitable for the deployment of armored forces at all, but the German army assembled two armored divisions there.
. Even if they are not worried about being bombed by the Soviet army, do they think they can deploy so many armored forces in an area with such complex terrain?
Thinking of this, Sokov quickly said to Samyko: "Wait a minute, Comrade Chief of Staff, I think something is wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
Sokov told Samyko all the questions in his mind, and finally said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, if you were the German commander, you would put so many tanks in an area that is not suitable for combat, or even
If you are so blatant, aren't you afraid of being bombed by our air force?"
After hearing what Sokov said, Samyko also realized the problem and said quickly: "I understand, Comrade Commander, I will order the scouts to conduct detailed reconnaissance again to find out what is going on."
As soon as he put down the phone, Uzakov called and reported to Sokov about the bakery owner: "Comrade Commander, we have figured it all out. The bakery owner is now under arrest by the Internal Affairs Bureau because he is suspected of collaborating with the enemy.
The people from the Ministry have been imprisoned and will be shot directly after tomorrow's military court hearing."
Sokov frowned: "What on earth is going on? How can he be suspected of collaborating with the enemy?"
Uzakov replied with some embarrassment: "I have inquired, and people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that during the German occupation of Kremenchug, he produced a large amount of bread every day and provided it to the Germans."
"This is nonsense." Sokov was so angry that he punched the table hard and said through gritted teeth: "Since he is the owner of the bakery, his daily job is to produce bread. As for where the bread is sold.
, is not something he should consider. Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you immediately take people to fish out the owner of the bakery and arrange for his bakery to reopen to provide bread rations for the city."
"I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I don't think I can do it." Regarding Sokov's order, Uzakov said awkwardly: "Although the officer who arrested the bakery owner was only a lieutenant, he was subordinate to
Ministry of Internal Affairs, I have no right to give orders to him."
When Sokov thought about it, it seemed that this was indeed the case. Even the lowest level person in the Ministry of Internal Affairs was not someone he could offend. After thinking about this clearly, he said to Uzakov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel,
You don’t need to worry about this matter, I will send someone to handle it.”
After putting down the phone, Sokov said to Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, you are the deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is just a trivial matter for you to deal with the soldiers who arrested the bakery owner."
Lunev didn't understand Sokov's psychology. Before he could finish speaking, he said first: "Don't worry, Comrade Commander. Lend me Lieutenant Samoilov and I can solve this problem in at most one hour."
thing."
"No problem, let Lieutenant Samoilov go with you." Sokov told Lunev: "Comrade Military Commissar, we must rescue the bakery owner from prison."
Not long after Luniev and Samoilov left, Samyko called Sokov: "Comrade Commander, you are right, the Germans really have a conspiracy."
"What conspiracy?"
"The tanks discovered by the scouts are all fake." Sameko reported with some embarrassment: "There are not only inflated tank models, but also models of cannons and trucks. Looking from a distance, the scouts looked like they were
A huge army."
"The Germans are really cunning." Sokov sneered after hearing this, and said: "They tried to use these fake models to deceive us, making us think that they really assembled a huge armored force in the southwest of the landing site.
Troops. If we are really fooled, we will send planes to bomb these models. As for the enemy, they may launch attacks from other directions."
"The most suitable direction for the attack is to the south of the landing site." Although Sokov did not have any map in front of him, the entire terrain of the landing site on the right bank was in his mind: "Comrade Chief of Staff, more scouts should be sent to the south to carry out
Know if there are any hidden enemies, so as not to be caught off guard by them."
"Okay, Comrade Commander." Sameko promised: "I will faithfully carry out your order."
The call between Sokov and Samyko aroused Managarov's curiosity: "General Sokov, the enemy actually arranged a large number of false targets in the southwest of the landing site. Please tell me their purpose of doing this.
What is it?"
"The reason is very simple," Sokov said casually: "The enemy just hopes that our attention will be drawn to the southwest. In this way, they can calmly gather their troops and technical indicators in other areas, etc.
When our army's defenses became lax, they launched an unexpected attack and caught us by surprise."
"Yeah, it makes sense, it makes sense." After listening to Sokov's explanation, Managarov thought about it for a while and felt that it was very reasonable, so he echoed: "The Germans may never have dreamed that they would actually do this.
When they meet an opponent like you, their conspiracy will not succeed."
Besides, Lunev took Samoilov to a nearby prison. The sentry on duty at the door was a soldier belonging to the 98th Guards Division. Naturally, he knew Lunev and Samoilov, so he hurriedly gave them to him.
His superior called and reported the news of Lunev's arrival.
The lieutenant officer who received the call from the sentry hurriedly ran to the door. After saluting the two men, he said: "Hello, Comrade Military Commissar, I am Lieutenant Fedoro who is responsible for guarding the prison. How can I help you?
place?"
"Comrade Lieutenant," Lunev said politely, "I heard that you arrested a bakery owner two days ago. I would like to see him, okay?"
Unexpectedly, Lunev's words made the lieutenant embarrassed: "Comrade Military Commissar, it stands to reason that when you come to inspect the prison, you can come in and out at will. But now our company is responsible for guarding the prison. As for the prisoners inside,
It is handled by specialized Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel."