USSR 1941

Chapter 24 Accident

The gunshots were not from the Germans attacking, but from our own people.

Shulka quickly came to such a judgment from the location of the gunshots.

And this is what worries Shulka... The gunshots from the Germans are not surprising at all, but the gunshots from their own people prove that there is trouble.

Sure enough, news soon came from the other side:

"Someone has escaped, they are going to surrender to the Germans!"

"It was from the third battalion, there were eight in total, and three were killed!"

"These cowards!"

...

Unlike the Soviet soldiers who were busy cursing these deserters, Shulka turned pale when he heard the news.

Matvey also seemed to understand the truth, so he turned his attention to Shulka and asked, "Comrade squad leader, what should I do?"

Shulka knew what Matvey meant by asking this question... It is a trivial matter to escape a few soldiers. The problem is that they know that they will break out at seven o'clock tonight, and even the direction of the breakout is not a secret. It must be the forest in the north.

In order to please the Germans and obtain some kind of "preferential treatment", these deserters will inevitably disclose the information of the breakout to the Germans.

"Report to Comrade Major!" Shulka said.

"Yes!" Matvey replied, but he just got up and ran for a while and came back, because the major had already rushed over.

The soldiers chattered and reported to Major Gavrilov:

"Major, someone surrenders to the Germans!"

"They may give information to the Germans!"

"The Germans will set traps for us!"

...

There are still many sensible people among the Soviet soldiers.

"From now on!" Major Gavrilov ordered: "All commanders are optimistic about your soldiers, and no one is allowed to take the opportunity to escape!"

"Yes, Major!" replied the soldiers.

This is indeed necessary, but it is not the solution.

"The battalion commander has a meeting at the headquarters!" This was Major Gavrilov's second order, apparently to discuss a solution.

After walking a few steps, Major Gavrilov turned around and called out: "Shulka!"

"Yes, Comrade Major!" Shulka responded reflexively.

"You will also attend this meeting!" Major Gavrilov dropped the words and turned around to leave.

"Me?" Shulka stood there in a daze. Although he was the squad leader, his military rank was still the lowest...Private.

Okunev pushed Shulka from behind and said, "Why are you still standing there? Not everyone can go to this meeting!"

Of course Shulka knew this, so he walked towards the headquarters timidly.

The reaction of the soldiers on the road gave Shulka courage:

"Shulka, we believe in you!"

"Don't let those officers betray us!"

"Don't forget you're a soldier, Shulka!"

...

Only then did Shulka understand that Major Gavrilov had asked him to attend the meeting for another purpose: to stabilize the morale of the army. The Soviet army at this time needed this very much.

When Shulka got into the command post, a bunch of people had already gathered inside, and there was a heavy smell of tobacco everywhere, and the atmosphere was very depressing.

Major Gavrilov said something to the instructor in a low voice, then turned to the participants and said: "Comrades, the situation has changed. Several of our soldiers have fled to the enemy's camp. We have reason to believe that They will disclose the situation of the breakout to the enemy, which will obviously increase the risk of our breakout exponentially, what do you think about this?"

"I suggest breaking out early, Comrade Major!" The speaker was the battalion commander of the first battalion, Captain Venyakov, Shulka's battalion commander.

Shulka had met him a few times in battle before this, and he was a man of few words, with a straight face at all times.

Shulka thinks his suggestion is sound.

The Soviet soldiers had just surrendered, which meant that the German army would only get the news, and the news they got was that the Soviet army would break out of the siege two hours later, and they thought they still had time to prepare.

Therefore, if the Soviet army advances the time, such as breaking through now, even if the German army gets the information, it will not help.

"The problem is that we are not acting alone!" Major Gavrilov said: "There is also the central fortress, and they will break through at seven o'clock as agreed!"

"It's impossible to break through at seven o'clock, Comrade Major!" Captain Venyakov replied coldly, "If you stay here, you will die..."

"No, Comrade Venyakov!" The instructor interrupted Venyakov: "This is a crime, not only that, but also disobeying the orders of Comrade Comrade Commissar!"

"Order?" Venyakov replied, "Knowing that it is not feasible, but still carrying out the order?"

"Of course!" The instructor replied without thinking: "Because we are soldiers, and we just learned from the correspondent that there are many women and children in the central fortress. Are you planning to abandon them together?"

The officers fell silent for a while, abandoning women and children... This is also despicable, even more disgusting than being a deserter.

However, how will this account be settled in the end?

Everyone knows that it is impossible to break through successfully if this continues, and it is even more impossible to bring women and children.

In this battle in history, the Soviet army in Brest chose to let their families, such as women and children, surrender to the German army, and they continued to defend the fortress... This is also an admirable approach.

After a moment of silence, an officer said: "I have a compromise idea, advance the attack time to six o'clock, and at the same time send a correspondent to explain the situation to the central fortress!"

"No!" Major Gavrilov shook his head and denied: "One hour is enough time for the Germans to prepare. If this is the case, why not attack at seven o'clock as originally planned!"

Major Gavrilov was right. The German army moved quickly, let alone an hour. After ten or twenty minutes, the breakout would have lost its meaning.

So the compromise method seems to be useful, but in fact, not only will it not produce any effect, but it will also make itself into chaos.

Then, without knowing who started it, the officers fell into a quarrel:

"We have nothing else to do, Comrade Major! Order to break out!"

"I agree with Comrade Venyakov that we should break through immediately!"

"No, it's murder!"

"Even if you don't think about the comrades in the central fortress, you should think about the women and children there!"

...

"Shulka!" cried Major Gavrilov.

"Yes, Comrade Major!" Shulka responded.

"What do you think?"

"What?"