Chapter 1006: Germany's Eastern Front

Inside the 170th Division’s headquarters, a high-ranking Soviet officer stood stiffly, his hands clasped behind his back. His face was a cold, emotionless mask, as if everything happening before him had nothing to do with him. Around him, other Soviet officers also stood, their heads bowed, paying no mind to the events unfolding.

Right in front of them, several German soldiers, Mauser 98K rifles slung on their backs, were hauling out box after box of intelligence records, along with the division’s personnel rosters and other documents. The sheer volume of files was immense; sorting out what was useful would be a massive undertaking in itself.

This haul contained a trove of classified intelligence: the depletion rate of Soviet manpower, mobilization statistics, the performance gap between new divisions and veteran units… A careful analysis would reveal countless conclusions, painting a true picture of the declining combat effectiveness of Soviet frontline formations.

“Colonel Borovsky, your decisiveness in siding with the victors in this situation was an extremely wise choice.” The German officer in charge of receiving the surrender spoke with his chin held high, a smug tone in his voice. “You will become a friend of the German people.”

After speaking, he motioned for the soldiers carrying the boxes to hurry up and load them onto the truck. He then turned to study the map hanging in the command post. “I heard you’ve even met our great Führer. You’re far more fortunate than I. At least, I never had the good luck to know him when he was so young.”

The German officer was clearly speaking the truth. The officers who had followed the Führer in his prime were now all world-famous giants of the German military. Rommel and Raeder had reached the rank of Field Marshal, while Guderian, Kesselring, Dick, and Dönitz were all powerful Generals, commanding entire army groups.

So, in the eyes of outsiders, these generals of the “Führer’s Faction” all had a bit of luck on their side. They believed that if they, too, had gotten to know Führer Akado early on, their own careers might have been far more prosperous.

At this thought, the German officer’s arrogance softened, replaced by a touch of envy and admiration. “You must have been moved by the Führer’s greatness, yes? Or were you a nail, planted by the Führer in the Soviet Union all those years ago? Our great Führer truly leaves nothing to chance.”

“This has nothing to do with me knowing your Führer!” Borovsky felt it necessary to explain, lest the German officer ramble on. “I was simply unwilling to work with those butchers any longer, and I was unwilling to watch my soldiers die here for nothing.”

The two divisions had surrendered, one after the other, instantly weakening an entire section of the Soviet defense line. A gap had appeared in the painstakingly constructed front, and so the battle had inevitably erupted anew. The sound of gunfire in the distance began to grow denser, and the roar of cannons joined in. The earth once again trembled from the bombardment and explosions, and a new round of slaughter commenced.

The Soviet soldiers in the rear, not yet understanding what had happened, were suddenly struck by a fierce German artillery barrage. These 105mm howitzers, which originally could not have reached the core positions, were now joining the bombardment.

Shell after shell landed on the outskirts of the town near Govorov’s command post. The sound of collapsing buildings rang out like a death knell, unnerving all the Soviet officers in the headquarters. The German shelling lasted for 20 minutes before finally, intermittently, dying down.

This did not mean the Soviet army had stopped the German advance. On the contrary, the advance of the German armored forces had just begun. Over 70 tanks fanned out near the road of attack, their engines roaring as they covered the infantry following behind. They easily tore through the fragile defense line behind the Leningrad infantry group’s core position.

Their tracks crushed the helmets of the Red Army soldiers, rolling past one after another of the 122mm howitzers that had been abandoned on their positions. The nearby field hospitals and several concealed supply depots were all captured by the Germans. Most of the hard-won supplies had not been destroyed or taken, left perfectly intact for the charging German armored units.

For the Soviet army at this moment, gauze, tents, and even door panels were precious resources. The result was that even some of this scrap was lost, which made everyone extremely沮丧 (dejected/frustrated). After all, one defeat after another was tearing at the hearts of the living, and the remains of the dead also destroyed the fragile will to resist of those left behind.

“The Germans have advanced more than 7 kilometers here and here. The 170th and 77th Divisions surrendered without a fight. We have already reported this to Moscow. The reply from General Vatutin is that the designations of these two divisions will be permanently struck from the record…” In the chaotic command post, General Govorov’s adjutant quietly explained the frontline situation to his old comrade.

The small town they were in, the room chosen as the command post, was now less than 5 kilometers from the front line. Govorov had not chosen to leave, to move to a relatively safer position. The entire town was now within range of the German artillery, which was extremely unfavorable for the safety of the entire group’s command. But Govorov had no intention of moving. Or perhaps he was praying, praying that he would be finished off by a German shell and be done with all the trouble.

“Send a telegram to the corps commanders and the front army commander in the other pocket. Tell them to immediately transfer forces in our direction.” Govorov still wanted to concentrate his forces for a final resistance. Although no one knew what was going on in his mind, he was indeed giving the combat order to continue to resist.

“General, those corps have already been tied down by E Army Group. They can’t move. They can’t even detach a portion of their forces to retreat,” the adjutant explained helplessly. “The artillery of the German E Army Group is very powerful. They haven’t left us many opportunities.”

He really wanted to tell Govorov: We were the ones who abandoned those 122mm howitzers! Those large-caliber cannons were exactly what we couldn’t take with us and had to abandon to the Germans! Now those deadly weapons have all become killing tools in the hands of the Germans. Apart from surrendering, what else can I do?

Govorov seemed not to have heard his adjutant’s words. He just continued in a low voice, “Only by concentrating the forces over there will we have a chance to break out towards Moscow! Go, quickly, give my order. Have the elite over there concentrate here! I’m going to break out towards Moscow! I’m going to make one last attempt!”

To forcibly withdraw troops from the front line under enemy pressure and attack? Isn’t that just asking for that encirclement to completely collapse? To lose the distraction and delay over there, even if he did manage to concentrate a portion of his elite, where could he break out to? If they could have broken through several German panzer divisions to their front, they wouldn’t have been surrounded here in the first place.

“Comrade General! Please reconsider your judgment!” the adjutant asked, staring at General Govorov, his words slow and deliberate. “If you do this, a hundred thousand men will die here for it! Not ten, not a hundred, not a thousand, but a hundred thousand!”

“Ivan… how long has it been since I’ve called you that? If I don’t do this, are there any other, better options?” Govorov gave a bitter smile, then stood up, walked around his desk, and went to his adjutant. “I’ve already lost this campaign. I cannot surrender, so I can only continue to fight on…”

After he said this, he suddenly laughed, as if he were mocking others, and also as if he were mocking himself. “Do you know why I’m insisting on not leaving this place? I’m waiting for the Germans to shell it… The people who surrendered couldn’t possibly not have told the Germans the location of this command post. I’m waiting for them to finish me off. That way, everyone will be liberated.”

Hearing this, the adjutant also gave a bitter smile. “General, I have been by your side for many years. How could I not know what you are thinking? The only reason I haven’t left is to be with you, to walk with you in these final moments. We cannot live to see our motherland’s victory, so let us be buried with it!”

BOOM! A shell landed in the courtyard outside the window. The massive shockwave swept through the entire command post. The bright glass windows were shattered, and the sound of things collapsing was everywhere, as well as the violent shaking from the explosion.

In the distance, someone was shouting, “Take cover! Artillery!” but the people here could no longer hear it. The explosion had made their ears ring, and they couldn’t hear any other sound at all. Immediately after, a second shell landed, this time squarely on the church building where Govorov was. After a loud bang, this building completely collapsed.

When the nearby soldiers found Govorov in the ruins, the general had been dead for some time. He and his adjutant, as well as many other high-ranking commanders, had died in battle in their command post at the same time, becoming the highest-ranking Soviet general to be killed by German artillery so far.

Two hours later, a representative of the encircled Soviet army met with the highest-ranking German on the Eastern Front, Field Marshal von Rundstedt, and expressed their willingness to cease fighting and surrender. They demanded a dignified surrender ceremony and the protection of the soldiers’ personal safety. The German army agreed to some of the demands and agreed to send this batch of prisoners to a concentration camp with better conditions to serve their hard labor.

On the morning of June 2nd, these Soviet troops, who had been trapped in their positions in the open field, laid down their weapons and surrendered to the German army. The Battle of Tver was thus concluded, and the area north of Moscow was at this moment completely occupied by the German army.

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