Considering that Danzig was a historic Polish city, the attack could not be carried out with the same unscrupulous use of all kinds of artillery fire in order to crush the resistance of the German army, as was the case with other cities. In front of the two Polish commanders, Rokossovsky picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, and said into the microphone: "Pick me up for Batov's command." ”

The phone was quickly connected, and Rokossovsky said loudly into the microphone: "Is it Batov?" I'm Rokossovsky. ”

In order to facilitate the command, Batov and Fedyuninsky stayed in the same command headquarters, and when they heard a call from Rokossovsky himself, he hurriedly emphasized: "Hello, Comrade Marshal, I am with Fedyuninsky, what instructions do you have?" ”

Rokossovsky did not immediately mention the matter of protecting the city, but first asked the other party about the situation after the letter of surrender was issued: "General Batov, is there any sign of surrender from the enemy in front of you?" ”

"Nope." Batov replied: "The enemy's positions are quiet, there is not the slightest sign of surrender. ”

"If the enemy does not surrender, then destroy him." Since the Germans did not react in the slightest to their letter of persuasion, Rokossovsky did not want to delay any longer with them, so he said to Bartov: "When the time comes, immediately bombard the outlying positions of the German army with heavy artillery fire, and then cover the infantry with tanks to rush up." ”

When Batov heard Rokossovsky's command, he was stunned, and he thought to himself, don't we fight like this in our usual battles? Could it be that Comrade Marshal called us specifically to teach us how to fight?

Rokossovsky heard Batov's sudden silence, guessed what he was thinking, and quickly explained the reason for his call: "General Batov, I want to remind you that Danzig is a historical ancient city in Poland, and you must not break it when you liberate this city." ”

"Don't smash the city?" Hearing Rokossovsky say this, the muscles in Batov's face couldn't help but twitch violently: "Does that mean that when we fight in the city, we can't use tanks and artillery?" ”

"It's not that you are not allowed to use tanks and artillery, but you can't use tanks and artillery as you do with the outlying positions." Rokossovsky did not want to let a large number of commanders and fighters die in vain in order to protect this historical city, and he said cautiously: "When we shell the outlying positions of the German army, we use as many caliber artillery as we can, and strive to annihilate more enemies on the positions." The large-scale use of heavy artillery in the city would inevitably leave the city in ruins, so mortars or small-caliber artillery could be used to destroy enemy fire points when encountering stubborn German fire...... In a word, the city should be preserved as completely as possible. Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Marshal." Batov replied: "I will convey your orders as soon as possible." ”

"Wait a minute, Comrade Batov, I haven't finished my sentence yet." Rokossovsky was afraid that Bartov would hang up the phone first, so he sped up his voice and said: "This time to liberate Danzig, the comrades of the Polish tank brigade will fight side by side with you......"

"What, the Polish tank brigade is also going to fight alongside us?" Batov, who had fought side by side with the Polish First Army, still had some understanding of the strength of the tank brigade, and when he heard Rokossovsky say this, he couldn't help but say with some embarrassment: "Comrade Marshal, they don't have many tanks left in total, and even if they participate in the siege, I'm afraid they won't play much role." ”

"Don't you understand," Rokossovsky said with some hatred when he saw that Batov did not understand his intentions, "the purpose of the Polish tank brigades in the war was not to destroy how many enemies they had destroyed and how many places they occupied, but to show that their army had not forgotten the suffering people, and now they had come out with our army to liberate them." It's just a military battle, and it's also a political battle, get it? ”

After Rokossovsky's explanation, Bartov immediately realized that he had thought the problem too simply, and the real intention of the Polish tank brigade to participate in the war at such a time was not to destroy how many Germans, but to show the Polish people under German rule an attitude: the motherland has not forgotten you, and now our army has come to liberate you.

After thinking about this truth, he hurriedly expressed his attitude to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, we will definitely do our best to assist the comrades of the Polish tank brigade in liberating the city." I would like to ask, when are they ready to go into battle? ”

"The battle to break through the perimeter of the German army, they did not participate." Rokossovsky knew that it would be a vicious battle to clear the enemy from the periphery, and if the Polish tank brigades were involved, perhaps all the tanks would be reimbursed by the enemy's anti-tank men before they could storm the city. After recalling in his mind the place that Polisius had just introduced to him, he said cautiously: "When your troops reach the Golden Gate, the comrades of the Polish tank brigade will enter the battlefield through the gap you have opened. ”

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Batov hurriedly repeated Rokossovsky's order: "When our troops reach the Golden Gate, let the comrades of the Polish tank brigade enter the battlefield through the gap we have opened. ”

"Good." Rokossovsky was satisfied with Batov's statement, he nodded and said: "I wish you good luck!" ”

After putting down the phone, Rokossovsky said to Mei Rican and Polisius: "Comrade commanders, I have already agreed with General Batov that you will not need to participate in the storming of the outskirts of the city, and when the advance of our army reaches the Golden Gate, it will not be too late for you to enter the battle." ”

After expressing his gratitude to Rokossovsky, Mei Rican asked tentatively: "Comrade Marshal, can I lead the troops to the defense zone of the 65th Army now?" ”

"Go, General Mei Rican." Rokossovsky smiled and nodded at the other party and said, "General Batov will send someone to greet you!" ”

After raising their hands to salute Rokossovsky, Mei Rican and Polisius turned around and left the headquarters with a smile on their faces. Bogolyubov hurriedly followed, he was worried that the two were not familiar with the terrain here, and planned to send someone to act as a guide for them to lead them to the starting point of the 65th Army.

Rokossovsky was the only one left in the room, and he came to the wall with his hands behind his back, looked up at the map hanging on the wall, and thought silently: "After the capture of Danzig and Gdynia, should I propose to the High Command to send at least one army group to participate in the capture of Berlin?" ”