And Seydlitz, who was still observing the battle, listened to the sound of gunfire that gradually stopped, and watched the hordes of German officers and soldiers raise their hands and be escorted out of the trenches or buildings by our soldiers, he muttered a lot of words. Because I didn't understand, I gently pulled the translator standing behind me and asked in a low voice, "Comrade translator, what did he say?" ”

The translator hurriedly whispered: "He said, it's just incredible, the entire 50,000 German elite army didn't even hold on for three hours, and the whole army was wiped out." ”

Looking at the stunned Seydlitz, I thought to myself how to communicate with him. If he had been just an ordinary captured officer, I would have said the classic line to him in a mocking tone: "You deserve it, 50,000 people in three hours, and you can't catch ducks so fast." "But the thought that he will be our partner soon after, to say that would be too much of a blow to his self-esteem.

Just as I was still thinking about how to persuade Seydlitz, Gurov next to me had already preemptively asked: "General Seydlitz, how do you feel when you see your 50,000 elites being defeated by us in such a short period of time?" ”

After listening to the translation, Saidlitz turned his head to look at Gurov and did not speak. After a long time, he let out a long sigh and said leisurely: "In the face of your powerful attack, there is no point in continuing to resist, only surrender can avoid tragedy and save more young lives." As a result, because of Lieutenant General Strecker, both sides paid an unnecessary price. ”

After it was determined that the besieged enemy had all ceased to resist, the excited Chuikov called Rokossovsky and reported what had happened here: "Report to Comrade Commander. It is with great excitement that I report to you. The remnants of Hitlerite could not withstand our final attack. The white flag was hoisted and the surrender began in formation. ”

Since I wanted to know Rokossovsky's reaction first-hand, I was always there for Chuikov when he called. Only to listen to Rokossovsky, after listening to Chuikov's report, was surprisingly silent, and after a while, he said loudly: "Comrade Chuikov, please say it again!" ”

Chuikov immediately raised his voice. shouted into the microphone: "Report to Comrade Commander, the remnants of the Hitlelites have hoisted a white flag and are surrendering to our troops in formation!" All the Hitlerites who were surrounded by us surrendered! ”

Rokossovsky's voice, perhaps because of excitement, became a little hoarse: "I congratulate you, Chuikov. Congratulations! ”

Without waiting for Rokossovsky to put down the phone, Chuikov hurriedly asked: "Comrade commander, can you come to me today?" My headquarters is now located in the office building of the 'Red October' plant. ”

"Yes, yes, dear Vasily. Ivanovich. Rokossovsky said cheerfully: "When I report the good news to the Supreme High Command, I will immediately rush to your headquarters." That's right. I would like to personally thank you all the members of the Military Council of the 62nd Army, all the division commanders, brigade commanders, and regimental commanders who have made great achievements in the war to your headquarters......"

Rokossovsky's words are not finished. Suddenly, there was another dense burst of gunfire outside. After Rokossovsky gave a strange "um", he asked Chuikov in a stern tone: "Comrade Chuikov, what is the matter with the gunfire coming from outside, are there still remnants of Hitlerite elements who are stubbornly resisting?" ”

Chuikov didn't finish, he covered the microphone and turned his head to look at Gurov, who was standing in front of the sandbag. Gurov waved his hand at him with a smile on his face and said excitedly: "Comrade commander, don't worry, it is our fighters who are firing at the sky with pistols, rifles, submachine guns, and machine guns, celebrating the victory in their own way!" ”

After Chuikov figured out what was going on, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, removed the hand covering the microphone, and reported to Rokossovsky in a steady tone: "Comrade commander, it is the soldiers who are firing guns at the sky, celebrating this hard-won victory. ”

"If that's the case, let them continue to celebrate." Rokossovsky said reasonably, "When I go to your headquarters later, I will celebrate this great victory with the commander!" ”

When Chuikov put down the phone, he looked at me standing beside him and said with a smile: "Oshanina, call Colonel Vitkov and ask him and your division commanders and brigade commanders to come over, and we will celebrate the victory together." ”

I happily agreed, and then dialed the phone of the army headquarters, and informed Vitkov to come with all the division commanders and brigade commanders in the army, and thinking that the 150th Division was doing well during this time, I specially instructed Vitkov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, during this time, Colonel Pandereev's troop is good, and you let the four regiment commanders under him come with you." ”

Over time, first the chief of staff of the army group Krylov and the rest of the members of the military council, and then the commanders of the divisions also came to the headquarters one after another. As soon as they met, they hugged and kissed each other, and some of the division commanders even burst into tears because they were too excited. I kept my distance from these enthusiastic conductors as much as possible, only shaking hands politely with them, neither hugging nor kissing.

While we celebrated our victory, General Seydlitz quietly hid in the corner of the conference room, accompanied only by the dutiful interpreter.

When the people were almost there, Gurov raised his hand and looked at his watch, then pulled Chuikov to the side and asked him in a low voice: "Comrade Chuikov, the time is not early, why hasn't the commander of the front army come yet?" Look, do you call and ask? ”

Chuikov also raised his hand to look at his watch, nodded and said, "Yes, it's not early, if you don't come again, it will be dark." ”

At this time, a communications soldier ran to Chuikov's side and whispered to him: "Comrade commander, there is your phone, it is from the commander of the front. ”

Looking at Chuikov squeezing through the joyous crowd, I thought to myself what Rokossovsky would say to Chuikov when he called at this time. In my memory, Rokossovsky appeared at the end of the film "The Battle of Stalingrad" with a commendation order from the Supreme High Command to the 62nd Army. He called Chuikov at this moment, otherwise he just wanted to tell Sù Chuikov the good news in advance?

Waiting for Chuikov to answer the phone. I caught a glimpse of the commander of the second regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Oleg, standing near me. He beckoned to him. called him to the front, and then asked him sternly with a stiff face: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I would like to ask you, in yesterday's attack, why did your second regiment let Commissar Velol lead the charge?" ”

Hearing my criticism, Oleg blushed and repeatedly defended me: "Comrade division commander, please listen to my explanation. "If he calls me commander. Maybe I didn't give him a chance to speak, and I would interrupt him later. When I heard him call me division commander, I thought that he was an old subordinate who had fought side by side for several months after all, and my heart immediately softened, so I patiently listened to him continue to speak; "At that time, before launching the attack, I said that the battalion commander Khrushov should lead the charge, but the political commissar of Vylor resolutely refused, she said that the whole campaign had entered the final moment, she could no longer stay in the command post every day, and all the resolute requests to lead the charge were made."

Gurov: When I was teaching Oleg. He came to my side, and he waited for Oleg to finish. Then he asked with concern: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, how is the injury of Commissar Velol?" ”

Oleg saw that the person who asked him was Gurov, and quickly straightened up and replied: "Report to Comrade Military Commissar, Commissar Verol was hit by several pieces of shrapnel in his forehead and back, but after being treated by doctors, there is no serious problem. ”

While the three of us were talking, Chuikov didn't know when he finished the call, walked up to us, and said to Gurov and me with a stern expression: "Comrade Military Commissar, and Oshanina, come with me." ”

When the three of us came to the corner not far from Seydlitz, Gurov, who saw Chuikov's strange expression, looked left and right, lowered his voice and asked Chuikov: "Vasily. Ivanovic, what's wrong? ”

"General Rokossovsky can't come today." After saying this, Chuikov, probably afraid that we would ask questions, said in one breath: "The call came from the airport, and he was about to fly to Moscow to provide a detailed report on the battle to the Supreme Commander himself. ”

After listening to this, Gurov glanced at Saidlitz next to him: "Then what should he do?" ”

"Commander Rokossovsky has an order, let's send General Seydlitz to the front headquarters first, and lock them up with Paulus." He shrugged his shoulders helplessly: "As for whether or not to let him come forward to recruit a group of prisoners from the prisoners of war to form a force, we will have to wait for the commander of the army to come back from Moscow." ”

After saying this, he turned to me again: "Oshanina, the more than 20,000 prisoners you captured yesterday do not need to be sent to the temporary prisoner of war camps on the east bank for the time being, and leave them in the city as laborers, responsible for cleaning up the ruins and corpses. ”

"Yes!" I hurriedly agreed, "I'll arrange it right away." ”

"Wait a minute," said Chuikov, glancing at the delighted group of commanders, and in a voice I could hear, "you accompany Comrade Military Commissar to send General Seydlitz out." After saying that, he walked up to Seydlitz and, after nodding at him, said regretfully, "Mr. General, I regret to inform you that due to the temporary departure of the commander of our Front, the matter of cooperation with you can only be postponed indefinitely. Now I have my military commissar and General Oshanina take you downstairs, where you will be in a car back to the front headquarters. ”

After listening to the translation, Seydlitz stood up without saying a word, and walked outside with a grim face. Seeing this, Gurov and I, as well as the interpreter, hurriedly followed.

At the top of the staircase, I again met the commander and fighter escorting Seydlitz to the site. The young baby-faced lieutenant saw us coming out with Seydlitz and couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Comrade commander, is something wrong?" Where are you going to take this German general? ”

"Comrade Lieutenant," Gurov said to Lieutenant Babyface, "we have just received an order to immediately return this German general to the Front Command. Where was the car you were in? ”

"It's downstairs, Comrade Commander." To Gurov's question, Lieutenant Babyface replied respectfully.

"Take us there."

"Yes." Babyface agreed, and his men sandwiched Seydlitz in the middle and walked downstairs together.

We didn't just send Seydlitz downstairs and then return, on the contrary, in order to appease him, Gurov sent him outside the factory gate. Perhaps after Gurov's enlightenment, the expression on Saidlitz's face returned to normal, and after giving Gurov and me a military salute, he turned and got into the jeep.

Seydlitz and the commanders and fighters who were responsible for escorting him, in four jeeps, drove slowly south against the long line of prisoners. Gurov saw a clearing near the factory gate, piled up with weapons thrown by the Germans, and couldn't help but stop, standing on the side of the road and admiring the passing captives.

Next to the pile of weapons, there were several of our fighters guarding them, and there was a little boy who came out of nowhere. Reminiscent of a document I read before, which said that before the battle, Stalingrad had 850,000 inhabitants, and in the end only 1,500 people remained, and no one knows how many civilians fled their homeland and how many died in the fighting, and it is a miracle that this boy survived.

Just as I was feeling a lot of emotion in my heart, the boy suddenly made a surprising move, taking advantage of the inattention of the guards and walked quickly to the pile of weapons, stooped down and picked up a submachine gun, and pulled the trigger on the group of captives who passed in front of him.

A barrage of bullets flew into the ranks of the captives, and as the guns rang out, the team plopped down four or five captives. The unexpected gunfire did not blow up the captive team at all, and the whole team still moved forward slowly and neatly, and none of the captives looked down at the unlucky ones on the ground, but continued to move their steps mechanically.

The soldier guarding the weapon shop only then noticed the boy's recklessness, and immediately a soldier went over and snatched the weapon from his hand and raised his hand to slap him. The slap was not light, and I could still hear the crisp sound clearly from a long distance.

Gurov muttered in a low voice: "Nonsense, it's nonsense." After saying that, I walked quickly towards them, and I didn't dare to slack off, so I hurriedly followed.

Although the boy had been slapped, he did not cry, but just stared at the fighter who had beaten him with his head held high. The warrior wanted to hit him, but seeing his expression, his hand raised into the air slowly lowered.

"What's going on here?" Gurov stepped forward and asked loudly at the fighter: "Comrade fighter, why are you hitting this child?" ”

After the soldier saw the emblem of Gurov's collar badge clearly, he quickly straightened up and reported: "Report to the divisional comrade, this kid shot and killed several German prisoners without authorization. ”

"A few captives, let's die." Gurov waved his hand disapprovingly and said, "Even if the child does something wrong, you can't hit him." He put his hand on the boy's shoulder, gently pulled his body over, and asked softly, "Child, where is your home?" ”

"No, my home is gone." The boy's tears, which had been held back for a long time, finally came out of his eyes, and he wiped his tears as he said: "My parents died in the German bombing, and I am the only one left. ”

"And how did you survive?" Hearing the boy say this, Gurov couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Comrade political commissar of the divisional level, allow me to answer you." "He's our little scout who lives with us all the time, so he has enough food to make ends meet," the warrior said. ”

"I see," Gurov nodded, handing the boy back to the warrior, and said kindly, "Then I will leave him to you, and take good care of him, and make sure that he lives until the day when we achieve our final victory." ”

"Yes!" After holding the boy's hand, the soldier replied loudly: "Please rest assured, comrade political commissar of the division, I promise to complete the task well." ”

Gurov nodded, turned around and shook his head at me, and said, "Let's go, Comrade Oshanina, let's go back to the headquarters." (To be continued......)