red moscow

Chapter 3091

Time ticked by, each second feeling exceptionally long and heavy. With the remaining five minutes drawing to a close, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's expression grew increasingly grim. He resolutely picked up the microphone again and addressed the German soldiers in a calm and firm voice: "German soldiers, this is Lieutenant Colonel Sokov! This is my final, solemn warning to you: lay down your weapons immediately, leave this forest, and surrender unconditionally to our forces. Otherwise, our forces will not hesitate to launch a concentrated artillery bombardment of your current assembly area. Once the artillery fire begins, we will no longer accept any form of surrender until you are completely and utterly annihilated." His words were filled with unquestionable authority and resolve.

Meanwhile, deep in the dense forest, Martinek clearly heard Sokov's shouts, and his heart was instantly filled with anger and humiliation. He gritted his teeth, wishing he could tear the man to pieces to vent his hatred: You could have simply entered the forest to capture prisoners, why did you have to repeatedly shout and force us to lay down our weapons and surrender? If we were captured in the heat of battle, at least our families back home would receive some preferential treatment because of our bravery; but if we voluntarily lay down our weapons and surrender, the situation would be completely different. It would be seen as cowardice and betrayal, and our families back home would be implicated, possibly even ruthlessly sent to concentration camps to suffer endless hardship. This dilemma tormented him with immense resentment.

The chief of staff and adjutant standing to the side were even paler, their faces filled with anxiety as they stared at Martinek. Their eyes were filled with panic and anticipation, eagerly awaiting his final decision. They knew that Sokov was not bluffing or joking; once time ran out, a deluge of shells could rain down on the forest, plunging everyone into a hopeless situation with no chance of survival. This sense of urgency and despair seemed to freeze the air around them.

Martinek's gaze slowly swept over his chief of staff and adjutant beside him, then fell upon the remnants of his troops, huddled in the snow and behind tree trunks, a resolute glint in his eyes. He abruptly rose from the tree trunk he was sitting on, snow falling softly from his overcoat. He turned to his chief of staff, his voice low and firm: "Chief of staff, immediately organize the guards to break out. We absolutely cannot stay here and wait to die; every minute means greater danger."

The chief of staff and his adjutant exchanged a glance, both understanding Martinek's true thoughts in each other's eyes—he would rather die fighting than surrender. They both gritted their teeth, a surge of resentment rising within them. They thought to themselves: If you're going to commit suicide, why drag so many men down with you? If a breakout were truly possible, how could the troops have been trapped here for so long? Clearly already in dire straits, this talk of breaking out now is nothing but a desperate struggle.

Seeing that the chief of staff and adjutant were still standing there, not moving, Martinek frowned, his face showing impatience and dissatisfaction. He quickly drew his pistol from his waist, raised it high, and shouted at the surrounding soldiers with all his might, "Everyone, follow me and charge out immediately!"

Seeing Martinek's insistence on leading the guards in a risky breakout, the chief of staff and adjutant exchanged a glance, both reading helplessness and heaviness in each other's eyes. They knew there was no better choice at this point, and could only quickly gather the remaining officers and soldiers around them, hastily assemble them, and prepare to follow their division commander in breaking through the encirclement.

However, whether they chose to surrender or fight to the death, it was already too late for them. Sokov stood at his command post, staring intently at his watch. When the appointed final moment arrived and the German troops still showed no intention of surrendering, his face darkened, and without hesitation, he gave the order to the artillery battalion to open fire.

Once the order was given, the artillery battalion immediately adjusted its guns and began a fierce bombardment into the depths of the forest. Initially, due to the hasty deployment of the artillery positions before the battle, only a few artillery pieces were available for combat. However, as the gun positions gradually came to a ready state, more artillery pieces, even mortars, joined the bombardment. In an instant, shells rained down like raindrops, turning the entire forest into ablaze with fire and billowing smoke, accompanied by deafening explosions.

The intense shelling lasted for about fifteen minutes. Sokov concluded that the German troops in the forest should have largely lost their ability to mount organized resistance, so he ordered the artillery battalion to cease fire. Immediately afterwards, he issued the order for a general offensive to the four infantry battalions on standby via communications equipment.

Captain Bobrikov, the guard company commander, was extremely anxious as he watched the infantrymen charge into the woods like tigers descending a mountain. He rushed to the propaganda vehicle and earnestly pleaded with Sokov inside, "Comrade Brigade Commander, all the other brother units have rushed up; could you let our guard company join the battle? We will never let you down!"

Sokov gazed at Bobrikov's anxious face and understood perfectly well that this company, which had long been responsible for his security, rarely had the opportunity to directly kill the enemy and earn merit. Now, seeing their comrades rushing to the battlefield while they could only stay in place, the soldiers naturally felt a surge of determination and a desire to prove themselves.

Sokov smiled slightly, patted Bobrikov on the shoulder, and said in a firm but gentle tone, "Alright, Captain, I approve your request. Now lead the guard company into battle, pay attention to tactical coordination, and try to minimize casualties. If you successfully capture the German division commander, I will personally apply to the higher command for a medal for you!"

Bobrikov's spirits lifted at the news. He waved excitedly and immediately turned to the waiting soldiers, shouting, "Guard company! All of you—charge with me! We'll show the enemy what we're made of!" The guard company had just rushed into the woods when they encountered Martinek's guard unit.

Although the German guards had been decimated by artillery fire, they still mustered their courage and fought to the death to ensure Martinek's safety.

In the face-to-face confrontation with the German guards, the guardsmen fell one after another to the enemy's guns. Seeing this, Bobrikov's eyes turned red, and he shouted, "Charge! Fight them in hand-to-hand!"

While the guard company engaged in close combat and bayonet fighting with the German guards, the rest of the troops rushed over and joined the battle. Outnumbered, the German guards quickly became overwhelmed and fled into the woods.

The guard company followed closely behind. Many German soldiers along the way, upon seeing the guard company charging towards them, immediately ceased resistance and surrendered with their hands raised. However, Bobrikov had no time to gather the prisoners; he was now single-mindedly focused on capturing the German division commander, Martinek, and obtaining the medal that Sokov had promised.

Martinek, who had just been hit in the abdomen by shrapnel in the shelling, was lying next to a tree screaming in agony. The chief of staff and adjutant standing guard nearby could only watch helplessly as Martinek suffered, unable to find a medic or medicine.

Upon seeing the guards rushing towards him, the chief of staff quickly pulled out a white handkerchief and waved it frantically, shouting, "I am Colonel Meyer, the chief of staff of the 267th Infantry Division. Our division commander has been seriously wounded. Please, please save them quickly!"

But the ordinary soldiers couldn't understand the German he was shouting, and they quickly surrounded the men, waiting for Bobrikov to come and deal with them.

Upon hearing from his soldiers that several German officers had been captured, Bobrikov rushed over to investigate. Seeing Major General Martinek lying on the ground and Colonel Meyer standing nearby, he guessed that the two must be German division commanders or something similar. He quickly ordered stretchers to be brought and carried them out of the woods.

Before the stretcher could even be carried out of the woods, the messenger sent by Bobrikov appeared before Sokov. After saluting, he excitedly reported, "Comrade Brigade Commander, our company captured a German major general, a colonel, and a major during the battle. The company commander said that one of them might be the German division commander you're looking for, so he ordered him to be brought over."

Upon learning that they might have captured the German division commander, Sokov was overjoyed. He quickly said to Belkin beside him, "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, would you like to come with me into the woods to see if the German commander captured by Captain Bobrikov is indeed the German division commander?"

“Yes, of course I am.” Capturing a German division commander in battle is a great achievement, and Belkin would certainly not miss such a golden opportunity. He nodded in agreement with Sokov’s suggestion: “Let’s go together.”

(End of this chapter)