Just as Rokossovsky was about to put down the phone, he suddenly remembered an extremely important thing, and hurriedly added to the phone: "By the way, General Batov, there is an important thing that I almost forgot." ”

"Please, Comrade Marshal." Batov, who was also about to put down the phone, heard that Rokossovsky still had a task to explain, and hurriedly said respectfully: "I'll listen." ”

"Where is the Polish tank brigade that fought alongside you?"

"You mean General Mei Rican's tank brigade, right?" Hearing Rokossovsky's question, Batov hastened to answer: "They are now stationed in the area of Long Square. Do they need to leave the city immediately and wait until dawn before the ceremony? ”

"Don't bother with it." Rokossovsky felt that the city had just been liberated, and the residents were still hiding in their homes and did not dare to go out casually, even if the Polish tank brigade was allowed to carry out the ceremony of entering the city, it would not have much effect, so he decided to change the way that was more acceptable to the city residents: "General Batov, please tell General Mei Richan and ask him to send soldiers to raise the Polish flag on the roof of the municipal building, so that all the Poles in the city know that the Polish army has liberated them from the clutches of the **." ”

"That's a good idea." Regarding Rokossovsky's deployment, Bartov said approvingly: "I immediately informed General May Rican and asked him to arrange manpower to immediately raise the Polish flag on the roof of the municipal building. Announce to the Polish inhabitants of the city that the city, enslaved by the Germans, is back in the hands of the Polish people. ”

By the time Rokossovsky called, the colonel on duty had already arrived at the corner to bring Gavrilov in. Although he had been rescued from the German prisoner of war camp for a long time, Gavrilov still looked scrawny, but his face was a little ruddy.

"Comrade Major," Rokossovsky said to Gavrilov with a smile as he shook hands: "Comrade Chief of the Political Department has just complained to me that you have made a lot of mistakes in the prisoner of war camp. Is there such a thing? ”

Since Gavrilov was brought here by Okorokov, he naturally knew what Rokossovsky was talking about, so he hurriedly let go of Rokossovsky's hand, straightened up and replied: "Comrade Marshal, I admit that I did shoot a group of German prisoners of war two days ago, but I don't feel that I did anything wrong. ”

Hearing that Gavrilov confessed to the shooting of the prisoners of war, but did not consider himself at fault, Rokossovsky could not help but ask curiously: "Comrade Major, why is this?" Can you tell me why? ”

Gavrilov glanced at Okorokov, who was sitting next to him, and said cautiously: "Comrade Marshal, the prisoners of war I executed were all the most heinous SS soldiers, and they had committed countless heinous crimes when they were serving as guards for prisoners of war. ”

Rokossovsky patiently waited for Gavrilov to finish speaking, and then did not immediately express any opinion, but said with a normal expression: "Major Gavrilov, I and the chief of staff are here, you can tell us what heinous crimes these former SS guards have committed." ”

"Tell me, Comrade Major." Bogolyubov was in a very good mood at this time, and he was curious to know what had happened and why Gavrilov had ordered the execution of these SS prisoners of war. "I'd like to hear what the hell is going on, too."

Seeing that Rokossovsky and Bogolyubov wanted to hear what was going on, Gavrilov spoke again: "...... When our soldiers were prisoners of war, they were not only starved, but also subjected to heavy manual labor, beaten with whips and clubs by SS guards at any time, and many were even executed en masse in the concentration camps simply because they felt the cold or were injured in the course of their labor.

At one point, more than thirty fighters dug a tunnel and escaped. In the process of escaping, they were discovered by the guards, half of them were shot and killed, and the remaining eleven were captured and the guards wanted to execute them. At this moment, Second Lieutenant Niemann of the POW camp said that in order to prevent any further escapes, it was necessary to teach all the POWs a lesson. So he had each of the captured prisoners of war choose two of us who did not participate in the escape to be shot together.

When Niemann gave such an order, none of the prisoners of war paid any attention to him. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he took a submachine gun from the hand of one of the guards and fired at the crowd, knocking down a piece on the spot. After emptying the magazine, he went to the crowd, counted the men he had killed and wounded, and then announced: If the captured prisoners of war did not choose their companions to be shot together, he would shoot another 110 men in the ratio of 1 to 10. In order not to enlarge more people, those prisoners of war had to come to our ranks and choose those who were willing to sacrifice with them.

After shooting eleven prisoners of war and twenty-two of his companions, he approached the prisoners he had wounded with his assault rifle, pulled out his pistol, and shot them in the head. ……”

Although Rokossovsky has seen descriptions of German prisoner of war camps or concentration camps in various documentaries or books in later generations, he has some understanding of what happened in them. But at this moment, hearing Gavrilov's narration, his body still couldn't help but tremble with anger.

After Gavrilov's account was finished, he then asked, "Major Gavrilov, is there this damned second lieutenant Nieman among the people you executed?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Gavrilov nodded and continued: "At the beginning of this year, Ensign Nieman and a group of his subordinates were transferred, and I thought I would never get a chance to see him again. Several soldiers from the same prisoner-of-war camp as I recognized Second Lieutenant Niemann in the camp, and although he was wearing the uniform of a Wehrmacht private, I recognized him at first sight when he appeared before me. Then, after an inventory in the prisoner-of-war camp, we found 28 more SS guards of the same kind. ”

Speaking of this, Gavrilov was silent for a moment, and after taking two deep breaths, he mustered up the courage to say to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, the execution of these guards was ordered by me, and had nothing to do with anyone else. If you want to punish me, punish me alone, and I'm willing to take all the responsibility. ”

"Are you up to the task?" Okorokov, who was sitting on the side, said with some yin and yang: "Major Gavrilov, do you know that what you have done has had a negative impact on our image? ”

Just when Gavrilov was dumbfounded by Okorokov's words, Rokossovsky spoke: "Justice will be late, but it will never be absent." These SS guards committed numerous heinous crimes during the war. Even if they lay down their arms and surrender to us, let them receive the punishment they deserve. Major Gavrilov, you have done the right thing, and not only will I not punish you, but on the contrary, I will recommend that you be commended. ”

Speaking of this, Rokossovsky turned his head to look at Bogolyubov and said to him: "Chief of Staff, record my order: all prisoner of war camps belonging to the Front Army must be carefully screened, and if there are SS prisoners of war who are extremely guilty among them, they will be executed on the spot, and they must be punished as they deserve, and they must not be condoned and connived at because they have laid down their arms and surrendered." ”

Seeing that Bogolyubov had finished recording his orders, Rokossovsky turned to Okorokov and said: "Comrade Chief of the Political Department, did you hear my order?" Seeing that the other party nodded in affirmation, he continued, "Then in the next few days, you will go to the various prisoner of war camps to inspect and see if they have effectively carried out my orders. ”

Okorokov originally came to Rokossovsky to complain, but he didn't expect the other party to give him such a task. He had the heart to refute, but finding that he could not find a reason to refute it, he quickly stood up and replied loudly: "I understand, Comrade Marshal, I will begin to inspect the prisoner-of-war camps everywhere tomorrow and urge them to earnestly carry out and carry out your orders. ”

Receiving Okorokov's reply, Rokossovsky nodded and said to him and Gavrilov: "It's not early, you all go back early and rest." If there's anything you don't know, you can call me or the chief of staff directly, understand? ”

Okorokov and Gavrilov loudly agreed, turned and walked out of the headquarters.

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