"Please take a seat, Lieutenant." Since the other party was here to discuss surrender, Surodenko was naturally very polite to him. After asking him to sit down, he ordered a staff officer next to him: "Pour a glass for this guest.
Come over with hot tea."
After the staff officer brought hot tea, Surodenko took the tea cup, placed it in front of Ephraim, and said politely: "Lieutenant, I don't know how to call you?"
Eprem stood up suddenly and replied loudly: "Mr. Colonel, I am Lieutenant Eprem, deputy commander of the reconnaissance company of the 18th Division of the Romanian Army."
"It turns out to be Lieutenant Efrem. I am Colonel Surodenko, commander of the 130th Infantry Division." After Surodenko revealed his identity, he asked the other party's purpose directly: "I didn't know you came to my defense area.
,What's matter?"
"That's right, Mr. Colonel." Ephraim said respectfully: "I am here to discuss with you the transfer of the defense of Otac on the order of the division commander, Major General Antonetta."
"Oh, handing over defense to us?" Surodenko looked at Efrem and said with a half-smile: "If I remember correctly, our country and Romania are still in a state of hostile war at the moment, and the handing over of defense has not been resolved yet.
Where to start?"
"Mr. Colonel," Ephraim blushed slightly and said calmly: "Our division commander feels that it is unwise to continue fighting with your army. In order to avoid the city being damaged by artillery fire, in order to avoid
More lives were lost in meaningless battles, so he decided to hand over the city's defense to your army."
"Please take a seat, Lieutenant Ephraim. If you have anything to say, please sit down and continue talking." Surodenko waited for Ephraim to sit down and then asked: "I think you want to hand over the city's defense to us.
There must be some additional conditions. Tell me, what are your conditions?"
Since Surodenko asked about his own conditions, Efrem repeated the conditions mentioned by Antonetta one by one. Finally, he said: "Mr. Colonel, this is the prerequisite for our army to transfer defense to your army."
condition."
If the person standing in front of Surodenko was a German officer at this moment, he would definitely say without hesitation: "I will not agree to any of your conditions. All you can do is surrender unconditionally." But now he is talking to himself.
It was not a German officer, but a Romanian officer, so Surodenko had to treat it with caution.
"Lieutenant Ephraim, you must have had a hard time coming all the way here." Surodenko said to Ephraim politely: "Why don't you go rest and have something to eat first, and we will talk again in a few hours."
Eprem wanted to say that it was not hard at all for him to come all the way, but as he spoke, he realized that Surodenko was thinking about something with a frown on his face. He immediately understood in his heart that this matter was of great importance.
Even a colonel cannot make the decision. He must first ask his superiors for instructions before he can give himself a definite answer.
So he said smoothly: "Okay, Mr. Colonel, then I will go and rest first. I hope that the negotiations between you and me can proceed as soon as possible."
After asking his staff to take Ephraim away, Surodenko did not dare to neglect, and quickly answered the phone at the army headquarters and reported what happened here to the army commander, Major General Melehov.
After listening to Surodenko's report, Melekhov felt that the matter was of great importance and he did not dare to make the decision casually, so he said into the microphone: "Colonel Surodenko, I need to report this to the headquarters. Wait.
I'll call you again after I get the commander's reply."
After saying that, he hung up the phone and immediately ordered the communications soldier to help him get through to the army headquarters. He wanted to report the matter to Sokov as soon as possible.
After receiving the call, Sokov was also surprised. He was afraid that he had heard wrongly, and asked specifically: "General Melekhov, are you sure that the Romanian army intends to surrender to our army?"
"That's right, Comrade Commander, they are planning to surrender to our army." Melekhov asked Sokov for instructions on the phone: "How should we reply to the other party?"
After confirming that he heard correctly, Sokov felt that this matter should be treated with caution and that he could not make any promises to the other party's negotiators casually, so he said into the microphone: "General Melekhov, we need to study this matter. Wait for more.
It won’t be too late to inform you after I know the results.”
Sokov put down the phone, called Smirnov and Gorokhov over, and said to them: "Chief of Staff, Comrade Military Commissar, I have important news to tell you. The Romanian army stationed in Otac
, prepare to surrender to our army."
"The Romanian army in Otac is preparing to surrender to our army?" Gorokhov suddenly became excited when he heard what Sokov said: "Is this true?"
Sokov nodded and gave him an affirmative answer: "Of course it is true, my comrade military commissar." After a pause, he asked the two of them again, "I want to hear what you two are saying about this matter.
What’s your attitude on the matter?”
"I think," said Military Commissioner Gorokhov who spoke first: "If the Germans want to surrender to us, we will definitely not agree to these conditions, but if it is the Romanian army that wants to surrender, we must treat it carefully.
.”
Smirnov heard an overtone in Gorokhov's words and couldn't help but asked curiously: "Comrade Military Commissar, did you hear some special news from a certain channel?"
Since there were no outsiders here, Gorokhov stopped hiding and answered truthfully: "According to what I learned from Moscow, after our army entered Romania, we attacked the country's army.
We will no longer focus on military strikes, but will use political offensives to disrupt the enemy, make them give up their hostile stance against our army, and win them to side with us."
Sokov was not surprised at all by Gorokhov's statement. When the Romanians saw the German army retreating steadily, they would naturally no longer be loyal to the mustache. As the pro-German faction was overthrown, Romania was severed from Germany.
He joined the Soviet Union without hesitation and joined the Soviet army to liberate the European lands occupied by the Germans.
But this was the first time Smirnov heard about this, so he was a little surprised. He asked Gorokhov in surprise: "Comrade Military Commissar, so we can consider accepting these conditions of the Romanian army?"
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." When Gorokhov said this to Smirnov, his eyes were fixed on Sokov standing aside: "In order to occupy more cities and reduce the casualties of the troops, for
I think some of the other party’s conditions that are not too excessive are acceptable.”
"Comrade Military Commissar, your words make sense." Sokov first agreed with Gorokhov's statement, and then expressed his doubts: "But before the Supreme Command issues new regulations, how to treat those who are ready to surrender?
In the Romanian Army, we still cannot make arbitrary decisions and must seek instructions from our superiors."
Sokov's proposal was immediately approved by Smirnov and Gorokhov, who said in unison: "Then let's report this matter to Marshal Konev and let him make the decision."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov saw that the two people were in agreement and began to give orders: "Call Marshal Konev and report the matter to him and hear his opinion."
While Smirnov was on the phone to Konev, Sokov picked up the phone, called the 49th Army headquarters, and said bluntly: "General Melekhov, please inform Surodenko.
Colonel, ask him to send someone to send the Romanian negotiator to me, and I will negotiate with him personally."
Melekhov waited for Sokov to finish speaking and immediately replied: "Understood, Comrade Commander, I immediately informed Colonel Surodenko and asked him to send someone to send the negotiators to the group army headquarters."
Soon, Surodenko received a call from Melehov. He put down the phone and immediately ordered someone to find Efrem and said to him politely: "Lieutenant Efrem, I just
After receiving the order, I will send you to the Army Group Headquarters."
Hearing that he would be sent to the Army Group Headquarters, Ephraim couldn't help but feel a little in his heart. He thought to himself that there had been no progress in the negotiations so far, but he was suddenly sent to the Army Group Headquarters. What did this mean?
, do you want to shoot yourself?
With this question, he curiously asked Surodenko: "Mr. Colonel, can you tell me why you sent me to your group army headquarters? Are you planning to shoot me there?"
After listening to Efrem's words, Surodenko couldn't help laughing: "Lieutenant Efrem, you have such a rich imagination. It's our commander who wants to talk to you in person, not
Shoot you."
"Your commander wants to talk to me?" Eprem asked anxiously: "Can I ask, is your commander General Sokov?"
"Yes, that's him." Surodenko continued to smile and said: "Don't worry, Lieutenant Efrem, our commander never shoots anyone casually. Of course, except for Germany's notorious SS.
"
Hearing what Surodenko said, Eprem's heart that was hanging in his throat finally returned to his stomach, and he followed Surodenko's men confidently and boldly by car to the army headquarters.
When he went to Tulchin this time, Surodenko did not ask anyone to blindfold Ephraim. After all, the other party had spent a lot of time in this area. Even if he was blindfolded, he could wait until he got there.
You know where you are based on the surrounding environment and buildings, so you don't have to worry about it.
When Eprem came to the army headquarters and saw Sokov, he was dumbfounded. He had always thought that a commander who was so experienced in using troops was at least a middle-aged man in his early forties.
The person in front of him was actually a young man in his twenties.
At that moment, he thought he was dreaming. How could there be such a young general? Moreover, he was a general who had won many battles on the battlefield and had almost never lost a battle.
"I'm Sokov!" Seeing Eprem in a daze, Sokov took the initiative and said, "Are you the negotiator sent by the Romanian 18th Infantry Division?"
"Yes, Mr. General!" Hearing Sokov talking to him, Ephraim woke up from a dream, straightened his body quickly and replied: "I am Ephraim, under the command of the division commander, Major General Antonetta.
Order to come and negotiate with your army."
"Negotiation?!" After Sokov heard Eprem say this word, he smiled and asked: "What can we negotiate between us?"
Eprem was stunned. He didn't expect Sokov to ask this question, which disrupted his train of thought. After reorganizing some words in his mind, he said: "Mr. General, our division commander feels that he has nothing to do with us."
It is an unwise move for your army to fight. In order to prevent the city from being destroyed by the war and to allow more innocent people to survive, our army plans to hand over the defense of Otac to you. Of course, we will hand over the defense to your army.
Defense is still conditional..."
"Lieutenant Ephraim, you don't have to say anything anymore." Sokov raised his hand to interrupt Ephraim's words: "I know all the conditions you want to propose."
"Then can you accept it?"
"Lieutenant Ephraim," Sokov did not answer the question immediately, but asked rhetorically: "If you are attacking a city and the defenders in the city want to surrender to you and put forward a lot of conditions, what will you do?
Do you agree?"
Ephraim thought for a while, lowered his head and replied: "No."
"That's right." Sokov said with a smile: "Since you can't agree, then why does your division commander think that we will agree to similar conditions?"
Ephraim was silent for a long time, and finally asked quietly: "Mr. General, I would like to ask, what are you going to do?"
Before Efrem's arrival, Sokov had received clear instructions from Konev, not to disarm or disperse the defenders in Otac City, but to allow them to maintain their status quo.
The reason Konev made this arrangement was because he considered that he might one day fight side by side with the Romanian army. If the defenders in Otac were to be disarmed at this moment, some conflicts would inevitably arise when the two armies fought side by side.
It will have some adverse effects on the next battle.
Precisely because of Konev's instructions, Sokov knew how to deal with the troops who were preparing to surrender to him: "Otats, our troops will definitely go in. Our troops entering the city will not attack you.
We will disarm and instead manage the city with you."
"Jointly manage the city?" Eprem was confused by Sokov's words. He asked in confusion: "How to jointly manage the city?"
"A city that is jointly managed means that in every street and square in the city, wherever there are your troops, there are also our troops." Sokov explained to the other party: "Even the headquarters will work with you.
Your division headquarters is in the same building. The sentries standing guard at the door are half and half between you and me. How about I explain it to you fairly clearly?"
"Clear, clear!" Ephraim nodded vigorously and said in a positive tone: "The explanation is very clear. So, you are not planning to disarm our army, but are just defending this city with us?
"
"Yes, we will not disarm you. Your troops can continue to stay in the city and jointly manage the city with our troops stationed in Otac."
After figuring out that both parties jointly manage the city, Ephraim asked tentatively: "What should we do if the Germans attack?"
"By then, our troops will welcome the German attack." The reason why Sokov said this is because the Romanian army's combat effectiveness is too weak. If they go to the battlefield together, they will definitely be delayed. It is better to let them be honest.
Stay in the city. But Sokov did not tell the truth, but said euphemistically: "And your task is to be responsible for the security of the city and prevent panic among the residents."