Chapter 33 Selection
Major Gavrilov did not agree to the request of the wounded in the end, although the final result was almost certain.
It is sometimes difficult to tell what is cruel and what is kind, and there is no choice.
Soon, the time given by the Germans came... Shulka found an interesting thing, even on the battlefield, the Germans were still trying to realize what they had said. This is smart, because they know that if the words used to threaten the enemy are not acted on again and again, then subsequent threats will have no effect.
So, the Germans counted down the seconds very accurately on the horn, and then poured piles of artillery shells towards the central fortress again, including gasoline barrels dropped by bombers, because Shulka saw the flames burning outside.
However, because the basement was built very solidly, the German artillery fire failed to "end everything" as they said, even though they put in 600MM mortars again.
Amidst the rumble of cannons, Shulka began to hate this fortress.
The fortress is actually incompatible with modern warfare, and it can even be said that it should not exist...
It is more suitable for combat in the era of cold weapons. The enemy has knives and guns in their hands, or there are cavalry, which prevents the enemy from harming the defenders hiding in the fortress.
However, as the equipment becomes more and more advanced, the role of the fortress becomes smaller and smaller, and it is even a cocoon:
Enemy artillery and aircraft may easily cross the city wall and enter the fortress, and then just block a few places such as bridges, or station a small number of troops on the river bank to easily surround more enemies in the fortress.
Even the fortress can't play its due role... The original intention of building the fortress was to block this traffic artery to prevent the enemy from advancing, but the main force of the German army bypassed the fortress to attack the hinterland of the Soviet Union.
Unless it is integrated like the Maginot Line to tightly seal the entire gap, it can play a little role. However, the facts have proved that even the Maginot Line can be bypassed.
The situation at this time is like this, the painful thing is that Shulka is still the one who is surrounded.
The sound of the artillery gradually subsided, but the situation was still grim.
The biggest problem is drinking water.
When preparing to cross the river before, everyone thought about breaking out and did not take the opportunity to fill in more water. At this time, the kettle is gradually empty, especially the wounded and their family members need a lot of water... The wounded need water not only to clean the wound, but also the wounded who have lost too much blood Rehydration is required. Needless to say at home, no one can stand the longing eyes of those children and the pleadings of their mothers.
In this case, the major had to send someone to the river to fetch water as before.
However, the Germans blocked the river much more tightly than before. When performing water fetching tasks, they often sent a squad and only one or two came back alive.
"It's Altu!" Major Gavrilov said angrily, "He is very aware of our weaknesses, and he is very familiar with the terrain in this area!"
Major Gavrilov's guess is reasonable. Others may tell the Germans that Brest is short of water, but they cannot tell the Germans which locations are suitable for water intake and where to place targeted fire blockades... Only those who know this Officers like instructors.
You don’t even need to guess in the next second, because the instructor’s voice has already come from the loudspeaker:
"Comrades, I am the instructor, Yermak Altu!"
The soldiers couldn't help being stunned when they heard this.
Major Gavrilov couldn't help cursing: "This bastard, he actually calls himself 'instructor'!"
Political Commissar Fuming also cursed at him.
But whether everyone wanted to listen or not, the voice of the instructor came clearly from the other end of the speaker:
"I have to admit that there is no point in resisting!" the instructor said over the loudspeaker: "Because at this moment, the Germans are almost reaching Minsk... Do you know what this means? Start from where you are." , the range of 350 kilometers has been completely occupied by the Germans, and it will be further away as time goes by. Even if you break through successfully, where can you go? There is no place for you, comrades, surrender! Even if you don’t For your own sake, you should also think about your family, your wives, and your children..."
The instructor is a person who is responsible for ideological work, and he knows the Soviet soldiers, so he is much better than the hard countdown and threats of the Germans. These words are like a sharp sword piercing through the city wall and piercing the most vulnerable hearts of the soldiers. That part made the Soviet soldiers bow their heads silently, and there were a few sobs in the darkness.
There was indignation, of course, because many people knew how the instructor was, and what he said was only for his own benefit, like what he said to the Soviet soldiers before the surrender.
This also includes Shulka, but he is more out of resentment, because even now, Shulka still thinks that this is not his own war.
Shuerka just felt sick for a while, he couldn't imagine how anyone in this world could do such a shameless thing and still be full of anger and no shame at all.
No matter what Shulka thought, it was unavoidable that more and more Soviet soldiers sneaked out in the dark and fled to the German camp.
Even Major Gavrilov and Commissar Fomin were powerless to stop it.
In fact, they don't have a lot of will to stop.
If there is no hope of staying here, it doesn’t matter if there are more people or fewer, the result is the same, so why force them to stay together to die together?
After a long silence, Commissar Fumin said to Major Gavrilov: "Perhaps, we should send the women and children out!"
Major Gavrilov was taken aback for a moment, then nodded silently in agreement, although he knew that sending them out would not be easy, but it was better than waiting here to die.
So, under the order of Commissar Fuming's organization, the woman and the old man came out of the basement tremblingly with their children, raised their trembling hands, walked slowly towards the German camp, and then slowly disappeared into the darkness middle.
Shulka smiled bitterly. This happened in history, but he didn't expect it to happen again.
But still a dozen people stayed, which surprised Shulka.
Matvey gave the answer: "They are single and beautiful!"
Then Shulka understood.
Being single means having no kids to look after, or you'd have to take them with you anyway. Beauty means that it is difficult for them to escape the abuse of the Germans, so they should stay with the soldiers even if they know the final result.
This is a bit cruel, but there is nothing you can do about it.
During the war years, beauty was a mistake.
(end of this chapter)
