With one of the anti-tank guns, which posed the greatest threat to tanks, was destroyed by Major Skvortsov's tank, the road to the headquarters of the German regiments was opened. The Major's tank bypassed the two still burning tanks in an S shape, guided the infantry that followed, and launched an attack on the German regimental headquarters.

Outside the door of the building where the regimental headquarters was located, there was a circular sandbag fortification, in which a machine gun was arranged. Seeing the Soviet tanks rushing over, the machine gunners immediately pulled the trigger without hesitation and fired at the tanks. The dense hail of bullets hit the tank hull with a rattle, splashing a series of sparks, but it did not slow down the tank's advance in the slightest.

In several windows on the second floor of the building, German soldiers came out and condescendingly shot at the infantry following the tanks with submachine guns and rifles in their hands. After the first few fighters were knocked down, except for a few commanders and fighters who continued to bend down and rush forward after the tank, the rest hid behind obstacles on the side of the street and fired at the Germans at the window.

Major Skvortsov's tank stopped again, slowly turned the turret, and aimed at a firing window on the second floor. A moment later, there was a cannon shot, and a one-meter-long flame erupted from the barrel of the 85 mm gun, and the window on the second floor exploded in response.

The tank drew the gourd in the same way, and aimed the muzzle of the gun at another window, and the same shot destroyed this firing point. A German second lieutenant in the window next to him, seeing this situation, suddenly became excited, and a thought quickly flashed in his mind, he immediately grabbed this life-saving straw, hurriedly stopped shooting, and shouted at his subordinates around him: "Stop fighting!" Don't fight! Surrender! Hurry up and surrender! ”

With his shout, a white handkerchief was tied to the broom rod and stretched out of the window to shake desperately, telling the tanks below that they had stopped resisting and begging to stop firing at them. However, the number of officers and soldiers of the Skeleton Division who took the initiative to lay down their arms and surrender was not large, and most of them still chose to resist desperately and stubbornly, and they wanted to fight the Soviet army to the end.

Major Skvortsov saw a white flag sticking out of one of the windows and did not shoot at them. He fired a few more shots, eliminating the enemy in several windows on the second and third floors, and then let the driver rush over at full speed, crashing the German sandbag fortifications and crushing the machine gunners who were hiding behind to shoot into meat sauce. The infantry, which followed behind the tanks, took the opportunity to rush into the German regimental headquarters and engage the enemy who were holding on inside.

The German commander hid in his room, and when he heard the sound of gunfire outside the house, he picked up the phone and asked the division commander Becker for help: "Your Excellency, the Russians have hit my door and started hand-to-hand combat with my guards. I beg you to send reinforcements immediately, or our regiment is in danger of being annihilated. ”

When Becker learned that the situation of his subordinates was so bad, he immediately realized that he had made a mistake in judgment, and hurriedly called the chief of staff, and said with great sadness: "Immediately transfer the 3rd Panzer Regiment and the 3rd Anti-Tank Battalion to support, our 5th Grenadier Regiment is almost unable to support it." ”

Hearing Becker's order, the division chief of staff reminded him: "Your Excellency, the two units you have mentioned are deployed at the junction of our division and the 73rd Infantry Division, and once they are transferred, I fear that we will not be able to provide them with adequate support in the event that the Russians attack the infantry division." ”

"If the 5th Grenadier Regiment is annihilated," said Becker, somewhat annoyed, "then our division will be divided by the Russians into two separate parts." Immediately go and carry out my order to transfer the 3rd Panzer Regiment and the 3rd Anti-Tank Battalion to the area under attack. ”

While the German troops were being moved, the commanders and fighters of the 397th Infantry Division had already occupied the building where the regimental headquarters was located, captured the German regiment commander and more than 20 of his staff officers, and planted the division's flag on the top of the building, announcing the division's successful occupation of this settlement.

Gusev, who was in the forward headquarters, could not help but applaud after hearing the report of the commander of the 397th Infantry Division that the division had completely occupied the settlements, routed the German 5th Grenadier Regiment and captured the commander of the regiment. As soon as he finished the call with the division commander, he called the chief of the communications corps over and ordered: "Immediately connect me to the headquarters of the front army, and I will talk to the commander comrade." ”

When Gusev heard Rokossovsky's voice coming from the earpiece, he triumphantly reported to him: "Comrade commander, I tell you good news, the 397th Infantry Division of our army, in cooperation with the 50th Tank Brigade, has managed to seize the settlements occupied by the German 5th Grenadier Regiment and capture the commander of the regiment. ”

Rokossovsky knew Gusev and knew that he called himself, and there must be something good. I just heard that I had captured the settlement, and I didn't feel anything yet, but after hearing that the commander of the 5th Grenadier Regiment had been captured, I couldn't help but feel happy, and hurriedly asked: "General Gusev, I don't know where the prisoner is now?" ”

"Still in the settlement," Gusev quickly replied, "it may take another hour or so before it can be delivered to my headquarters." ”

"Who captured this captive?" Rokossovsky then asked.

Gusev hesitated for a moment, then spoke: "It was a tank of the 50th Tank Brigade that destroyed the positions on the enemy's perimeter, so that the infantry could smoothly rush into the regimental headquarters of the German army. I think it should be caught at the same time. ”

"All right, General Gusev." After listening to this, Rokossovsky nodded and said: "The capture of a regimental commander of the skeleton division is not a small credit, and I will capture these two troops together." Later, when you have finished interrogating the other party, you will send someone to me. ”

Before hanging up the phone, Rokossovsky suddenly remembered something and hurriedly reminded Gusev: "Comrade Gusev, let me remind you that with the defeat of the German 5th Grenadier Regiment by you, the troops of the Skeleton Division have been cut off into two disconnected parts, you must be vigilant and prepare to meet the German counterattack." I suggest that you, in addition to the 77th Infantry Corps into battle, have the commander of the 3rd Tank Corps also put the remaining two tank brigades and one motorized rifle brigade into the battlefield to ensure that you have a local advantage over the Germans. ”

"I see, Comrade Marshal." Gusev heard Rokossovsky's order and hurriedly replied: "I will let the new troops enter the battlefield as soon as possible from the breakthrough opened by the 397th Infantry Division." ”