Perhaps it was the news of the occupation of Warsaw by Soviet troops that made Stalin's mood cheerful. So much so that when he heard Terekin report to him that he planned to order the 70th Army to liberate several prisoner of war camps and reorganize the commanders and fighters who were imprisoned in them into the ranks, he did not get angry. Just said to Terekin: "Comrade Terekin, for such a trivial matter, you and Rokossovsky will be in charge in the future, and there is no need to ask me for instructions!" ”

After the end of the phone call with Stalin, Terekin felt that his back was soaked with sweat. After putting down the phone, he said to Rokossovsky, who was sitting next to him: "Comrade commander, the Supreme Commander himself has agreed that after the liberation of the prisoner of war camps, we will integrate the commanders and fighters in better physical condition into our ranks. ”

The call between Terekin and Stalin, Rokossovsky, who was sitting on the sidelines, had already heard it clearly. For such a military commissar who supported him, he tried to squeeze a smile on his face and said gratefully: "Thank you, Comrade Military Commissar. ”

Terekin only grinned at Rokossovsky's gratitude, and then said: "Comrade commander, I am your political deputy, so naturally I have to cooperate with you in carrying out all work. ”

After receiving Stalin's sword, Rokossovsky called Malinin over again and said to him: "Chief of Staff, we have consulted the Supreme Commander himself, and he has agreed in principle that after the liberation of the prisoner of war camps, we can integrate those soldiers who are in better physical condition into the combat unit. Tell General Popov about this immediately. ”

Just as the Soviets were preparing to rescue their comrades in the prisoner of war camp, Hitler, who was far away in Berlin, also received a report that small Soviet troops had been spotted near several prisoner of war camps north of the Brest Fortress. Upon learning of this, Hitler became annoyed and hurriedly called Moder personally, and on the phone, he hysterically shouted: "...... Immediately kill all the Russians in these prisoner of war camps, not one by one. I absolutely cannot tolerate the Russians replenishing their soldiers with prisoners of war after occupying these prisoner of war camps......"

When Moder received this angry order from Hitler, he immediately called his chief of staff, Blakes, and asked for his opinion: "Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, I wonder what you think of this order from the Führer? ”

"Your Excellency, Commander," Blakes said cautiously as soon as Moder finished speaking, "it stands to reason that the Führer's orders must be carried out unconditionally. However, the situation of these prisoner-of-war camps was rather peculiar, and the rest of the area was guarded by the SS, while these were guarded by our Wehrmacht. ”

"That's right, Your Excellency Chief of Staff, you're right." Modell went on to say: "This is where the things that make me embarrassed. We are the Wehrmacht and not the SS, how can we casually slaughter prisoners of war? This is detrimental to the honor of the soldiers, and I will never agree to it. ”

"But Your Excellency, Commander." Seeing that Moder had already made his attitude clear, Blakes carefully reminded him: "If you disobey the Führer's orders, I am afraid of ......"

"Worried about what?" Modell, who was walking around the room with his hands behind his back, paused, turned to look at Brecx and asked, "Are you worried that he will remove me?" After saying this, Moder couldn't help but smile bitterly, "The battle has come to this point, even if the Führer does not remove me from the post of commander, I feel that I am no longer suitable for this position." Someone who can save the German army should be allowed to sit in my place. ”

"Don't, Your Excellency, Commander." Hearing Moder say this, Blake was immediately shocked, and hurriedly persuaded: "At present, our army is already discouraged and demoralized because of repeated defeats, and if you are dismissed again, I am afraid that the defense line that is still struggling to support will collapse in an instant." ”

Modell savored what Blakes had said, and felt that he made a lot of sense, so he asked tentatively, "Chief of Staff, do you have any good ideas?" ”

"It is obviously inappropriate for our soldiers to carry out the task of slaughter." Blakes said cautiously, "We might as well change the guards of the prisoner of war camp." ”

"Change of guard?!" Modell asked a little puzzled: "What is the change of defense?" ”

"It's very simple," said Blakes with a smile, "and we let the SS troops, take over the duty of guarding the prisoner of war camps, and remove all of our men." As for what the SS would do with those Russians in the POW camps, it is none of our business. ”

"Makes sense, makes sense." After listening to Blakes's suggestion, a smile appeared on Moder's face again, and he said to Blakes: "Chief of Staff, you immediately give an order to the SS divisions close to the POW camp to send someone to take over the guarding of the POW camp. ”

After recording what Moder said, Blakes did not immediately go to give the order, but stayed where he was and continued to ask: "Do you need to give them this order from the Führer?" ”

"No," said Moder, waving his hand, "from what I know of the SS, even without this order from the Führer, they will not treat the Russians in the prisoner of war camps favorably, so let it be." ”

After Moder's telegram was sent, it was quickly intercepted and deciphered by the Soviet army. After seeing the telegram handed to him by Maksimenko, Rokossovsky pondered for a while, handed the telegram to Malinin and asked: "Chief of Staff, do you have any intention to let the SS take over the task of guarding the prisoner of war camp at such a time?" ”

Ma Lining frowned and thought for a while, shook his head, and said with a wry smile: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I really can't think of it." Don't know what you think? ”

"The purpose is obvious." Rokossovsky sneered and said: "According to my judgment, the Germans must have seen our army approaching the prisoner of war camp, and they were deeply afraid that after our army seized the prisoner of war camp, they would enrich the fighters inside to various combat units, so they were ready to come to the bottom of the kettle and send people to kill all the prisoners of war in the prisoner of war camp first." Unwilling to do it himself, Moder let the SS do such unconscionable deed. ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's analysis, Malinin said with some surprise: "My God, these are tens of thousands of people, and they will kill them all?" ”

Rokossovsky glanced at Malinin and said, "If you had known that the Germans had killed six million Jews, you probably wouldn't have said that." However, the task at hand was to free these commanders and fighters from the clutches of the enemy, so he immediately ordered, "Send a telegram to General Popov ordering him to free all the commanders and fighters held in these prisoner of war camps in the shortest possible time." ”