In the middle of the city of Pustoska, in the basement, Captain Nobel sat in the middle, and "Chen Dao", Major Bach and Major Lorenz sat around him.

The faces of the four people were full of sadness, and Captain Nobel's nose twitched even more,

Captain Nobel's choked voice echoed in the basement.

"Wait until I get rid of the Russians who are in the way, and get to the place where he departed by the Agron River. Seeing only dead bodies on the other side of the river. Only the middle half of the three houses they occupied before the Russians launched a large-scale offensive remained. Even this half of the building, the side facing the Russians, also collapsed, and it must have been bombarded by Russian heavy artillery. ”

Major Bach had a gloomy face, and only smoked a cigarette, and Major Lorenz crossed his arms and fell into a terrible silence in the same way.

Chen Dao kindly took out a clean handkerchief and handed it to Captain Nobel.

Wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, Captain Nobel continued: "I know that it is because of their sacrifice and their dedication that we will suffer the least losses in the middle of the line, and the enemy who crossed the river will soon be destroyed by us. The enemy on both flanks was also flanked by us and soon collapsed. Speaking of which, the success of this defensive battle depends on him and those soldiers who crossed the river, and they should enjoy the highest honor of this victory. However, we can't even find his body now. In the future, when you return home, if you ask about this matter, how will we answer? ”

"After our counterattack, we crossed the river together to look for him, maybe he was wounded and captured by the Russians, and now he is waiting for us to rescue him." Major Bach said.

Major Lorenz also enlightened Captain Nobel.

"Yes, maybe he was captured by the enemy, and this is very likely."

"Don't lie to yourselves, you know in your own hearts how likely he is to be captured. Infinity approaches zero. Even if he were really captured, in the Russian way, he would probably be living a life worse than death now, and in the end he would not even find a complete corpse. ”

Major Bach and Major Lorenz fell silent again, and on the way to the Soviet Union, they saw the corpses of some border guards who had been captured by the Soviets after the start of the war. Most of these border guards were brutally tortured before their deaths, and their bodies were mutilated.

Compared to the terrible result of Captain Nietzsche being wounded and captured and falling into the hands of the barbaric Russians, they would rather Captain Nietzsche die on the battlefield and at least suffer a lot less.

A knock broke the silence in the basement, and a sergeant pushed the door open and reported to Major Bach.

"Report, just received a telegram from the rear that the command of naval aviation asked us about the progress of last night's battle."

The eyes of several people all shifted to Major Bach.

Major Bach knew. The Naval Aviation Command's inquiries were only a pretext, and it was the Lord who was in the rear who really asked them about the state of the battle.

Under the gaze of everyone, Major Bach said slowly: "Reply, the enemy has been repulsed, and the Agron River defense line is still under our control. Also, Captain Nietzsche is missing in battle, and we are looking for it. Reply like this first, and then there will be a telegram later. Notify me immediately. ”

The sergeant withdrew from the door, and Major Bach said to Major Lorenz: "You write a report on the battle." I remember to write about the heroic experience of Captain Nietzsche and his troops crossing the river, and I want to ・・・・・・"

A knock on the door interrupted Major Bach's words.

"What's the matter?" Major Bach frowned and asked the sergeant who had gone and returned.

"Major, we have just received a call from the Führer's regiment saying that during the battle they met a wounded man in Soviet uniform, who was holding our officer ID. He claimed to be Captain Nietzsche, and his position was that of an adjutant at the side of His Excellency the Governor. He also claimed that he was on a secret mission in the Soviet army. The Führer could not confirm whether his identity was true or not, and hoped that we would be able to send someone to identify that person. ”

Major Bach stood up in unison and gathered around the sergeant.

"Where is that person?" Major Bach asked.

"Field Hospital."

Ten minutes later, in front of the crowded field hospital in the western part of the city of Pustoshka. A barrel car and a SDKFZ251 armored car came to an emergency stop in the open space in front of the hospital, and Major Bach jumped out of the car and rushed into the hospital gate in a rage, with Captain Nobel in the front.

The four of them rushed to the second floor of the hospital and quickly rushed into a room numbered 204.

Rushing into the room, the four of them took a brief look at the four beds in the room, and Captain Nobel rushed to the side of a hospital bed by the window.

"Führer bless, you're still alive."

Holding Captain Nobel's hand and looking at Captain Nobel with tears streaming down his face, Captain Nietzsche's tone was unusually low.

"Yes, thanks to you, I'm still alive."

Major Bach walked to the bedside, looked Captain Nietzsche up and down, and asked curiously, "Where are your wounds?" ”

Major Lorenz's gaze also swept over Captain Nietzsche's body, and he also did not see a bandage wrapped around Captain Nietzsche.

Captain Nietzsche pointed to his heart and said weakly: "My wound is here. ”

"Heart disease, did you have a heart attack? This is not a disease that a superhuman like you deserves. Captain Nobel said.

Captain Nietzsche did not answer Captain Nobel's question, but asked rhetorically: "Do you all think I am dead?" ”

Major Bach smiled and gently patted Captain Nietzsche on the shoulder.

"Of course, we didn't expect that you would put on a Russian uniform and mingle with the Russians, and this is really in the style of the DreamWorks troops."

Captain Nietzsche said with a smile: "It was the thought of the DreamWorks troops that allowed me to escape the greatest crisis of my life." ”

Captain Nietzsche turned his head and looked at Captain Nobel with a strange smile on his face.

"What did you do after confirming that I was killed? Didn't want to avenge me? ”

Captain Nobel was completely immersed in the excitement of his old friend's "resurrection", not perceiving the danger hidden in his old friend's smile.

He danced and said: "I was going mad, I summoned three land Stuka and personally commanded them to bombard the recalcitrant Russian troops by the river, and with the paratroopers a single charge broke through the Russian defenses on the southern road and cut off their retreat. If you do die. I swear that I will make the Russians pay a hundred times for your life. ”

"Sure enough, it's you, it's you・・・・・・ it's really you." Captain Nietzsche muttered.

Captain Nobel realized that the situation was not right, and hurriedly asked, "What are you talking about?" ”

Captain Nietzsche lay on his back on the bed and talked about the glorious history of being an "invisible assassin" in the rear of the Soviet army after his transformation.

Three minutes later, Captain Nobel retracted the smile on his face. His face was blue and white for a while, and then red again, as if possessed by a chameleon.

Major Bach and Major Lorenz tensed their faces and looked at the restless Captain Nobel, trying not to let themselves laugh out loud.

After telling the whole story of the battle, Captain Nietzsche said to Captain Nobel: "Even if the Russians saw me, they would only greet me with a grenade, and at most they would entertain me with a 152-millimeter howitzer." But what about you, as soon as you come up, it's a 280 mm caliber rocket. And 320-mm incendiary shells, "

"I ・・・・・・" Captain Nobel tried to defend himself, but was stopped by Captain Nietzsche waving his hand.

Stretch out your right hand and make a V-shaped gesture.

Captain Nietzsche said: "And it is two rounds in a row, this kind of behavior of yours is really an unbearable weight in my life, and you have deeply hurt me." ”

Seeing Captain Nobel's embarrassed self-esteem, Major Bach could no longer hold back his smile at this time. He waved his hand and said, "Enough is enough, you can keep talking." Our explosives specialists will never dare to play with rockets again. ”

Major Lorenz said: "So, you were bombarded by a large-caliber shell and were crushed in your internal organs, no wonder you can't see the wound on your body. ”

"This injury requires a long period of recuperation and it looks like you're going to be in bed for a long time." Major Bach said.

"I'm the legendary Aryan Superman, and I'll be healed soon. Unless once again they are warmly received by friendly rockets. Captain Nietzsche teased.

Captain Nobel stretched out five fingers and gestured to Captain Nietzsche and said, "Five bottles of Fanta, don't spread this matter." ”

"Five bottles of Fanta? Who are you and I? I'm so easy ・・・・・・."

"Ten bottles."

"Deal."

In a matter of seconds, a deal is struck.

After confirming with the attending doctor that Captain Nietzsche would not be in danger of life, Major Bach and the four of them comforted Captain Nietzsche and left the hospital.

After returning to your accommodation. Major Bach said to Major Lorenz: "Send a telegram to the rear at once that Captain Nietzsche has returned safely. Also, Captain Nobel, as punishment for accidentally wounding his comrades, you will write his battle report, and when it is ready, give it to me, and I will go to His Excellency the Governor to apply for a medal for him. ”

・・・・・・

In the town of Katyn, west of Smolensk, at the headquarters of the 14th Panzer Corps under the 2nd Panzer Army, General Witessheim was holding a copy of the People's Observer newspaper from three days ago and perusing the headlines on the front page.

Because he was on the front line, there was always a delay in the delivery of newspapers, and it was then that Admiral Witsheim learned what had happened to the 46th Panzer Corps.

After reading the front page of the newspaper, Admiral Wietsheim walked out of the lounge, went to the operational command room, and asked the chief of staff: "Where have the troops of the Fourth Army arrived?" ”

The chief of staff pointed to the map, and the west of Katyn Town said: "Their reconnaissance unit has arrived, and is currently conducting reconnaissance on our two flanks, and the main infantry force behind us is ten to fifteen kilometers away, and will be able to arrive one after another before noon." ”

"Great, they've finally arrived, and we can get out of here with peace of mind. Where did the 9th Panzer Division go? ”

"The 9th Panzer Division, together with the Guards Division, is making a detour from the north to the rear of Smolensk City, has reached the east of Smolensk City, and is now engaged with the enemy."

"Very well, according to the advice of the Excellency, in the face of a large city like Smolensk with a population of nearly one million, it is more appropriate to adopt the tactics of encircling the city first and then attacking the city."

Staring at the large expanse of green east of Katyn Town on the map, Admiral Wietsheim then asked, "Is there any news from the sappers?" ”

"Not yet, it's been two hours, and they haven't found anything in the Katyn Forest, will the news from His Excellency the Governor be biased."

Wittsheim did not answer, but asked rhetorically: "Have you read the nearest newspaper?" About the Lord and the Forty-sixth Panzer Army. ”

"Look, they are counter-surrounded by the enemy in the city of Pustoshka, and it is said that the enemy has ten times more troops than them."

"When he parted ways with me, the governor told me a famous saying from the East, that though you don't have me by your side, you still have my legend.

Only two days after His Excellency left us, he and the 46th Panzer Corps were on the front page of the People's Observer, and the radio was full of bulletins of their battle in Pustozka.

For their sake, the High Command even formulated the "Iron Cross Act", and all his actions are the best interpretation of that famous saying. Although we don't have him by our side, we still have his legend.

I don't think he will waste our precious time with inaccurate information about a man who creates legends wherever he goes, and if we wait, maybe under his guidance, we will soon create legends as well. ”

Another two hours of waiting flew by.

As a herald appeared with the smell of sweat in his uniform, Admiral Wietsheim excitedly said to the chief of staff: "The legend that belongs to us has come. ”

With the adjutant and the guards, Wittsheim was about to leave the military headquarters when the herald said: "Mr. General, the battalion commander asked me to remind you that if you are going to the scene, be sure to bring a gas mask. ”

Half an hour later, Admiral Wiesheim, with a gas mask on his face, stood in front of a large pit three meters deep and forty or fifty meters long with his hands behind his back, staring at the rows of neatly stacked corpses in the pit, numbering four or five hundred.

Waving his hand to the adjutant beside him, General Wiesheim said: "You go back to the military headquarters immediately, and immediately send a report to the army group headquarters, and ask them to send war correspondents, the more the better." ”

"What do you think the total number of corpses here will be? Including those that have not been excavated. "Sending off the adjutant," General Wiethesheim asked the commander of the engineer battalion.

"According to what I received from local farmers, from early April to mid-May of '40, there were regular gunfire in the forest, and a large number of NKVD soldiers were active in the forest. I speculate that there are at least 5,000 of them. ”

"Keep excavating, find out all of them, and we're going to reveal the crimes of the Russians to the world."

While Admiral Wittsheim was busy dealing with mass graves in the Katyn Forest, General Hort was standing next to the map at the headquarters of the Third Panzer Army, holding a telegram in his hand.

"The infantry of the Ninth Army has arrived, and we are finally relieved. Command Admiral Schmidt, turn around and head north, aiming for Veliko Luki. Let's go and save that brother-in-law. (To be continued.) )