However, before the artillery began, the air force under the command of General Vershinin rushed to the battlefield. Because the German anti-aircraft gunners on the ground were almost destroyed in the shelling, and the fighters and bombers at the nearby airfields, fearing the blows of the Soviet troops, moved to other places. Without anti-aircraft artillery fire and enemy aircraft, the Soviet air force successfully seized air supremacy on the battlefield.

Verchinen understood that the German warships anchored in Danzig Bay would inflict heavy casualties on their attacking forces, so their first target was to bombard German ships in the Tsopot area with naval guns.

The German ships anchored in Danzig Bay never dreamed that the Soviets would strike them in the air, so when they saw the bomber formation that suddenly appeared in the air, the sailors on the ships immediately panicked, and some of them stuck to their gun positions and continued to shell the Tsopot area; Others run around the deck, looking for a safe place to hide.

As the Soviet bomber formations approached the Danzig Bay, they lowered the heights one after another, dived down on the warships anchored in the military harbor, and dropped the bombs they carried. The bombs that broke away from the fuselage rolled in the air with the sound of death and rushed towards their respective targets. After the bomb hit the target, it made an earth-shattering explosion, and the warship hit by the bomb burst into flames, and for a time the deck was shattered, the bridge was crooked, and the bombs that exploded on the gun emplacements even caused a martyrdom, and the surrounding area was blown into a sea of fire. The bomb that missed the target exploded in the seawater, stirring up columns of water that soared into the sky.

Several warships with small tonnage, with flames and billowing smoke, slowly sank, and the sailors who were unwilling to die with the ships put on life jackets and lifebuoys and jumped into the sea. The slightly larger warship, seeing that the situation was not good, also drove at full speed, and headed for the outside of the military port with billowing smoke.

Vershinen adopted the tactic of assault in batches, with eight bombers in a formation, to carry out non-stop air raids on the military harbor in an attempt to destroy the German ships in the military harbor. According to his idea, even if he could not sink all the warships in the general port, at least he had to drive them out of Danzig Bay, so as to ensure that the troops attacking the Tsopot area would not be attacked by naval artillery.

The German warships were bombed by the Soviet air force, and naturally they could no longer continue to shell the Tsopot area, and the Soviet troops, who had been suppressed by the artillery fire of the German ships, once again launched an attack on the second line of defense of the German army. In order for his troops to quickly break through the German defensive positions, Fedyuninsky sent a fully formed tank brigade to Pern's troops, allowing them to provide sufficient fire support for the charging infantry.

Without the interference of German naval guns, the offensive of the Estonian 8th Army became smooth, and after half an hour of fierce fighting, the commanders and fighters of the 300th and 354th regiments managed to break through the second line of German defense and develop in depth.

Not only in the Tsopot area, but even in the areas where the 2nd Assault Army and the 65th Army attacked, the assault troops on the ground were also supported from the air. In order to hold their direction, the Germans kept launching counter-charges, but they had no effect, and each time they lost dozens or hundreds of corpses, and then retreated in disgrace. Individual attacking units of the Soviet army, taking advantage of the enemy's defeat and retreat, followed the pursuit, and rushed in to occupy their positions in one fell swoop.

The battle was going well, and Rokossovsky was naturally in a happier mood, and in his office, sitting opposite the military commissar Subozin, he said with a smile while drinking tea: "Comrade military commissar, judging by today's offensive, the resistance of the Germans is not as stubborn as we imagined. If nothing else, the Germans would declare defeat by June at the latest. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, he deliberately pushed back the time of Germany's surrender.

However, even so, Su Bojing's face still showed a surprised expression: "Comrade Marshal, I really didn't expect that you are so confident that you think that we will completely defeat the *** invader in two months?" ”

When Rokossovsky heard Su Bojing say this, he naturally did not tell the other party, saying: "For you, what has not happened in the future has long been history written in books for me. He just smiled faintly and said lightly, "Comrade Military Commissar, I think it is entirely possible for us to defeat the Germans fundamentally within two months, don't you have such confidence?" ”

Rokossovsky's question made it difficult for Subotin, who could not answer: "I'm sorry, Comrade Marshal, I have no confidence, I don't believe that in two months our army will be able to completely defeat the Germans." ”

Just when Su Bojing was in a dilemma and didn't know how to answer this question, a voice suddenly came from the door: "Can you come in, Comrade Marshal." ”

Rokossovsky looked towards the door when he heard the sound, and saw the head of the Political Department, General Okorokov, standing at the door, he quickly nodded and said, "Please come in, General Okorokov." ”

After getting Rokossovsky's permission, Okorokov strode into the house, and after standing up and saluting, he looked at Subotin and asked Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, I have something to find Comrade Military Commissar, is it allowed?" ”

Hearing Okorokov say this, Rokossovsky felt a little crying and laughing, and said in his heart that Su Bojing is in front of you, if you can just say something, do you need to ask me? However, since the other party had already asked, he still politely replied: "Please, General Okorokov." ”

"Is there anything wrong, Comrade Chief of the Political Department?" Su Bojing stood up, looked at the director of the political department and asked.

"That's right, Comrade Military Commissar." Okorokov pulled a folder out from under his armpit, took out a piece of paper from it, and said respectfully to Subotin: "Our troops liberated a prisoner of war camp yesterday, in which more than three hundred prisoners of war are held. One of them, a major officer, was captured by the Germans shortly after the outbreak of the war. When we conducted the routine administrative trial, he behaved very uncooperatively, saying that he wanted to meet with the head of the Fang Front Army at a higher level. Therefore, I have come to ask you what to do with him. ”

When Subotin heard Okorokov say this, he couldn't help frowning, he took the piece of paper in Okorokov's hand, looked down for a while, raised his head, and said in a stern tone: "Since he doesn't cooperate, then send someone to send him to Siberia and let him reflect on it there." ”

"Yes!" Okorokov agreed, turned around and prepared to walk out of the office.

"Wait a minute, General Okorokov." Rokossovsky was very interested in the officer who refused to cooperate with the political trial, so he stopped Okorokov and asked curiously: "What is the name of this officer?" Where was he captured? ”

Okorokov turned around, faced Rokossovsky, straightened his back and replied: "Report to Comrade Marshal, his name is Pyotr Mikhailovich Gavrilov, with the rank of major." According to our captured German documents, he was captured in the Brest Fortress a month after the outbreak of the war. ”

"What, General Okorokov, what do you say his name is?" When Rokossovsky heard about Gavrilov and the Brest Fortress, his emotions immediately became agitated, he grabbed Okorokov's shirt and asked emotionally: "Repeat his name again." ”

Okorokov did not know why Rokossovsky was so out of shape, but he honestly repeated Gavrilov's name, and then asked: "Comrade Marshal, do you know him?" ”

Hearing this, Rokossovsky nodded instinctively, but then shook his head again and said: "I have heard of his name, but I have never met him in person. Saying this, he loosened Okorokov's shirt and asked a little nervously: "Where is he?" ”

"It's in the office of the Political Department of the Front." After Okorokov finished answering, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, do you need me to bring him here?" ”

"Bring him here, I want to talk to him." As soon as Rokossovsky said this, he immediately realized that by doing so, he was disrespectful to the defenders of the Brest Fortress, so he changed his words and said: "General Okorokov, you take me to meet him." And you, Comrade Military Commissar, also go with you. ”

Su Bojing didn't know why Rokossovsky was interested in the major, who had been captured for many years, but when he heard the invitation from the other party, he nodded and said obediently: "Okay, Comrade Marshal, I'll go to the Political Department with you." ”

As he followed Okorokov towards the Political Department, Rokossovsky was still thinking in his heart: he only knew that Major Gavrilov was captured by the Germans and put in a prisoner of war camp, but he did not know where he was held. If it weren't for Okorokov mentioning it, he would have almost forgotten about this person.

Anxious to know what relationship there was between Rokossovsky and this Major Gavrilov, Subotin asked Rokossovsky tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, how much do you know about the situation with this major?" ”

Rokossovsky considered that this matter could not be explained clearly in a few words, so he waved his hand at Su Bojing and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, don't be in a hurry, when we meet Major Gavrilov, I will naturally tell you the ins and outs." ”

Seeing that Rokossovsky refused to vent his mouth to himself, Su Bojing's heart couldn't help but be a little disappointed, and he urged Okorokov, who was leading the way in front: "Comrade Chief of the Political Department, go quickly, I want to meet this major from the Brest Fortress as soon as possible." ”