On the morning of the 25th, the troops of the 57th Soviet Army marched into the defense area of the 29th Motorized Division. It was only at this moment that Paulus did not know the bad news that Leezer had quietly surrendered to the Soviet army. Upon hearing the news, he broke his beloved coffee cup and tore up the military map that hung on the wall.

When he had done all this, he sat down in his seat with his elbows on the table and his hands over his eyes. He never dreamed that General Lesser, whom he trusted, would secretly surrender to the Soviet army without telling him, and he couldn't believe that everything that happened was true.

After a long time, Schmidt, who was standing next to him and didn't dare to squeak, walked up to him and asked in a low voice, "Your Excellency, what should we do next?" ”

Paulus raised his head and looked at his chief of staff, as if he were looking at a stranger, carefully examined the face that he was all too familiar with, and finally asked in a hoarse voice, "Chief of Staff, what do you think we should do next?" ”

"Your Excellency, Commander," Schmidt was well aware of the current situation, so he said bluntly, "at the moment we have been completely cut off from supplies, and the soldiers are running out of ammunition and food. If this stalemate continues, even if the Russians do not attack, our officers and soldiers will be frozen and starved to death. ”

"So what should I do?" Paulus asked, a little flustered.

"We should surrender to the Russians immediately." Schmidt said carefully: "Only in order to minimize the losses of our army." ”

After listening to Schmidt's suggestion, Paulus thought for a long time, and finally spoke: "Well, Chief of Staff, you will record my telegram to the Führer, and hope that he will agree to our surrender to the Russians. ”

When Schmidt heard that he was going to send a telegram to Hitler, the muscles in his face twitched, but he sat down next to Paulus, took out a pen and paper, and prepared to record Paulus's dictated message.

Paulus glanced at Schmidt, then said with a blank face, "...... It would be pointless to continue on the defensive, tragedy was inevitable, and in order to save those who were still alive, I ask for immediate approval to surrender. This is to save our nation and people, Paulus. ”

After Schmidt finished recording, Paulus took the telegram and looked at it, and after confirming that the contents on it were correct, he signed his name at the bottom, handed it to Schmidt, and ordered: "Send it out immediately!" ”

When Hitler received Paulus's telegram, it happened that Manstein was also present. After reading Paulus's telegram, he tactfully suggested to Hitler: "My Führer, I think Paulus's 6th Army has done its best to contain the Russians, and there is no point in continuing to resist, and now the time has come to put an end to this heroic battle." ”

"No, I will never allow surrender." Hitler explained to Manstein: "As long as Paulus does not surrender, the troops in the encirclement in time, divided by the Russians into several smaller combat units, can still resist for a considerable time; In addition, the Russians will not keep their promises to the 6th Army at all, and as soon as our soldiers surrender, they will send them to Siberia and die a painful death in the cold and hunger. ”

After Hitler said this, he walked quickly to the chief of the General Staff, General Zeitzler, and instructed: "Chief of the General Staff, call back Paulus, I will never allow surrender, and the army group must hold its position until all the bullets are dead." Hitler! ”

After reading the telegram, Paulus threw it on the table and said to Schmidt with a blank face: "Chief of staff, the only way out for us now is to continue fighting, and the soldiers need some spiritual encouragement." Without waiting for Schmidt to speak, he said to himself, "Soldiers, you know how threatened we will be if we stop resisting, and now we have only one way left, to fight to the last bullet." We still have hope, the coming Savior, who is on his way here. ”

Schmidt, after recording Paulus's words, handed him his signature as usual, and asked curiously: "What is the coming savior?" Is there any place where reinforcements can be sent to rescue us? ”

Paulus glanced up at Schmidt and gritted his back molars and spat out a word: "Death!" Then he quickly signed his name on the piece of paper, handed it to Schmidt, and asked him to immediately send it to all the troops, ordering all the officers and men of the group army to continue to resist to the end.

After learning that Tolbukhin's troops had successfully entered the defense area of the former German 29th Motorized Division, Rokossovsky immediately instructed Malinin: "Chief of Staff, send a message to the commanders of the 21st and 64th armies and ask them to immediately launch an offensive against the German army." ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's order, Malinin was stunned at first, and then asked in surprise: "Comrade commander, has the final battle against the Germans begun?" ”

"That's right." Rokossovsky nodded and replied: "Let the troops of the 21st, 57th and 64th armies go on the offensive and, in the shortest possible time, clear the German troops south of Stalingrad." ”

After the battle south of Stalingrad began, the German army, which was already short of food, clothing and ammunition, fell to the bottom of morale because of the discouragement of the army, and in the face of the powerful offensive of the Soviet army, they almost collapsed at the touch of a button.

The 64th Army under the command of Shumilov has been in a state of rest and recuperation recently, and the commanders and fighters have long been holding back their strength when they see that friendly troops are making meritorious contributions while they themselves sit on the sidelines and listen to the sound of gunfire. As soon as today's battle began, morale was immediately like a rainbow, and the commanders and fighters braved the enemy's bullets and bullets, poured into the city like a tidal wave, and rushed forward along the streets.

In the afternoon, when the battle was underway, Shumilov suddenly received a call from Major General Denishchenko, commander of the 36th Guards Division. The latter excitedly reported on the phone: "Comrade commander, the Germans have sent several negotiators to ask us for a two-hour ceasefire and are ready to start negotiations with us. ”

Hearing the report of his subordinates, Shumilov felt very happy in his heart, and he hurriedly asked: "What level of officers is the German army who came to negotiate?" The purpose of his question was to figure out what kind of scale should be used to receive the other party.

"The person who came to negotiate was a lieutenant general who said that his name was Otto Reynoldi, and that he was the chief medical officer of the German 6th Army." Denishchenko hurriedly replied: "There is another, Lieutenant General Daniels, commander of the 376th Infantry Division of the German Army." ”

After finding out that the other party was coming with big people, Shumilov immediately rushed into the microphone and said solemnly: "Comrade Denishchenko, you first settle the negotiators of the German army in your headquarters, and I will go over immediately." ”

"Okay." After agreeing, Djenyshchenko suddenly remembered the ceasefire conditions proposed by the Germans, and hurriedly added: "Then will our army temporarily stop attacking?" ”

"Your division has temporarily shifted from offensive to defensive, and as for when it will be launched again, I will wait until I have negotiated with the German representatives." Immediately after the call with Denishchenko, Shumilov called the command of the Front and reported this important situation to Rokossovsky.

Rokossovsky was busy with affairs and could not get out for the time being, so he entrusted the military commissar Terekin to negotiate with the German negotiators on his behalf and Shumilov.

Terekin and Shumilov met with the German representatives who came to negotiate in the humble headquarters of the 36th Guards Division, and Terekin said straight to the point: "Your Excellency, two generals, the current situation is very clear, your general trend has gone, and continuing to resist to the end will only increase unnecessary casualties for you. ”

Reynoldi looked Terekin up and down and felt that he was a man of charge, so he said to him: "Your Excellency, we can surrender to you, but there is one condition. ”

Without waiting for Terekin to speak, Shumilov preemptively asked in a displeased tone: "What conditions?" He thought to himself that the Germans were already cornered, and they still wanted to negotiate terms with us.

Terekin, on the other hand, said to Reynoldi in a polite tone: "If you have any conditions, please say it, Your Excellency the Lieutenant General of the Military Doctor." ”

Reynoldi Chongterekin bowed slightly, and then said: "The health department of our army group is located nearby, and there is also a military hospital with hundreds of wounded in it, I hope you can treat them well and provide them with the necessary medicine." ”

"Don't worry, Your Excellency Lieutenant General." Hearing that Reynoldi had put forward such a condition, Telegin immediately replied lightly: "In our circular, it was said that as long as the German officers and men lay down their arms and surrender to us, we will guarantee their lives, and we will provide necessary treatment to those wounded and sick." ”

After listening to Terekin's speech, Reynoldi asked with some anxiety: "Your Excellency, can you tell me your identity?" So that I can confirm if you speak counts. ”

"I am the military commissar of the Don Front, the deputy of General Rokossovsky." Terekin replied in a loud voice: "Your Excellency, Lieutenant General of the Military Doctor, can my identity reassure you?" ”

Reynoldi turned his head to look at Daniels next to him, and when he saw that the other party bowed slightly, he faced Terekin and said, "Your Excellency, I believe in you." Now I can officially inform you that the Ministry of Health of the Army Group under my leadership, the 376th Infantry Division under the command of General Daniels, and the Army Signal Regiment will cease hostilities against the Soviet troops and immediately lay down their arms and surrender to you. ”

"Great, that's great." After Terekin said these two words, he stepped forward to shake Reynoldi's hand and said emotionally: "Thank you, Mr. Lieutenant General Military Doctor, for making the right choice and saving thousands of lives. ”