The fighting for this city had been brutal, and as soldiers, we could with stand that... However, I am still unsure whether we could sustain any more attacks. The Nazis are heavily bent on seizing this city, and any more force from them could still break us... But I will stand firm with my men... We took hold of our gains, positioned ourselves, and now we are bent on defending the city from the Germans, whichever one of their savage dogs they send for us.
'Spite in Victory'
Kharkov, U.S.S.R.
March 14, 1943
Sgt. Viktor Reznov
270th Rifle Division
I emerged from a building, holding my PPSH gun as I emerged onto a wide street in the city of Kharkov. Men had moved an amount of sandbags and crates to form a trench line stretching across the street. Behind it, on my side, were numerous Soviet infantry, riflemen carrying SVT 40 and Mosin rifles as well as PPSH sub machine guns, all lining the trench line, waiting to give a barrage of hell fire onto the enemy when they advance.
As I came out to see Kamarov directing men to move supplies, more and more men all lined themselves along the trench line, and several others prepared ammunition boxes and placed DP 28 machine guns on mounds behind the cover line. I walked up to Kamarov, checking on his progress
"Has he returned?" I asked.
"Not yet," Kamarov replied, "We're still waiting."
"...Is everything prepared?"
"We have these defensive lines built here... If this one falls, we retreat to a second trench back down the street and hold it. Our last line of defense is a supply building... If that falls, we'll have to give up the city... I'm sure we have enough to hold out, but we'll see."
"...We'll fight with whatever we can." I said, walking over to inspect a machine gun.
Kamarov walked behind and kept speaking, "Your comrade, Dimitri... He's a really fine soldier, isn't he."
"One of the finest I know, Comrade Commissar," I replied, "He fights the Germans with great bravery... He saved lives and hunted down those responsible for taking the lives he couldn't save during the siege... That's why they call him the 'Hero of Stalingrad'."
"...Well don't sell yourself short, Sergeant... You have proven yourself to be just as brave as he has, and what I hear, you were also a legend back in that city. You both have fought very well... Maybe one day, you will receive a title as 'Hero of' something as well."
"All these men here, fighting for our country, should... Dimitri deserves the honor."
As we spoke, we saw a car quickly pull up, a GAZ 67B jeep, with Vylkalev at the helm and Dimitri next to him. The jeep drove past the trench line and the two men exited their vehicle, with Vylkalev going over towards a machine gun as Dimitri came over towards us.
"Reznov, we found a large force of Germans," Dimitri noted, "Coming down this road... Mostly Wehrmacht armed with rifles and machine guns, with Waffen SS behind them... And tanks, Panzer IVs."
"Those bastards are coming right into our jaws." I remarked.
"Sergeant Reznov," Vylkalev said, standing near his DP gun at the front of the defenses, "You will help lead this defense, yes?"
"Till my last breath." I replied, slinging a DP 28 gun over my back as I brandished my PPSH 41.
"Excellent then, Sergeant," Vylkalev continued, "Show them exactly the fierceness you showed in Stalingrad... Everyone, take your positions!"
With that, all the Russians lined up along the trench line, aiming their guns down the street to await the Germans' arrival. Dimitri wielded a DP 28 gun and aimed it down the road as I stood next to him, aiming my PPSH. Chernov emerged from a building and aimed his Mosin rifle as he stood near Kamarov, who wielded a PPSH, while at the front, Vylkalev manned a DP mounted gun. All us Russians were lined against the trench, aiming our rifles at the road... Just waiting to greet the enemy.
A brief moment passed, when we then heard a faint booming sound, and something coming... Or raining rather, towards us... "German artillery!" a Russian said.
"Hold your positions, comrades!" I stated, "Get to cover when the shelling gets close."
The artillery shells slammed down onto the street before us, but they just slowly started to creep up to our line. We waited with worry, yet firmness as each shell slammed closer and closer... Soon they started to rain past us, taking out a few Russians a couple yards behind our line, tearing off both of one soldier's legs and blasting away another one's head... But the others made use over cover behind rubble, and soon, the barrage stopped.
Once it was over, most Russians immediately lined the trench line again, all aiming their rifles back down the street. Vylkalev manned his machine gun at the front as Dimitri and I both aimed our guns down the road from behind the trench line, and behind us were several different sand bag lined nests were made for Russian riflemen and machine gunners, And in the second story windows in a building to the right, were Chernov and Kamarov, both ready and aiming... Then we heard sounds, coming toward us.
"Here they come!" Vylkalev stated.
German soldiers started coming down the road by the dozens, some rushing at our lines, others taking cover by different pieces... But all the enemies were firing their guns, blazing bullets that flew by, whizzing.
"Fire!" I ordered.
The Russians lining the trench line all fired their guns, shooting down several enemy Germans, and thus, a fierce battle commenced. I gunned down two Germans as Dimitri fired his DP 28 gun and shot a few others, then I shot two more while blazing cover fire. The Russians kept firing hails of intense gunfire, shooting numerous enemies to bloody pieces as I fired rapid shots and gunned down four more. Vylkalev sprayed numerous rounds with his mounted DP gun, shooting down several enemies while pinning a few others, all while Chernov and Kamarov fired off rounds that struck a few others down. However, the enemy soldiers kept advancing, firing their guns and shooting several friendly soldiers down... But in return, Dimitri and I fired more shots and gunned several more Germans down, while the line of Russians at the trench kept firing their guns.
It was a rather small assault, but it was still a fierce one, with German forces shooting down a few more Russian soldiers, but as Vylkalev kept blazing machine gun rounds and Kamarov and Chernov firing cover from the building, we kept holding on. Numerous Germans kept charging down the road, and I fired shots that cut four others down while Dimitri shot a few more with DP bullets. Russian gunfire blazed from all across the trench, gunning several more enemies down as Vylkalev blazed bullets that shot a few other troops, shredding off the legs of a couple of them, leaving them crawling in a trail of blood and meat pieces. As the fighting continued, I gunned down two more enemies, and as I looked further, the German attack started to dwindle.
"Chyort, enemy forces attacking!" a Russian shouted.
"Burn, you svoloch!" another Russian said.
The firefight kept up as the German numbers began diminishing. I fired some more rapid shots and gunned two others down as Dimitri blazed fire with his DP gun, covering my aiming. As the Russians kept firing more gun shots that raked the incoming Germans, eventually, the remaining enemies began to move backwards retreating back down the road until they were gone.
"Hah, was that all Manstein has to send?" Dimitri remarked.
A brief cheer resulted from my fellow troops, but they immediately put their SSH 40 helmets, caps and ushankas back on, reloaded and aimed their rifles back down the streets and waited...
"Enough, get back in positions, comrades," Vylkalev shouted from his machine gun nest, "They were testing us... They'll be coming at us with a full assault next!"
"Good, send them all here," Dimitri said, "So we can silence all of those bastards!"
"Be mindful, comrades," Vylkalev spoke, "I want your full attention, so we can drive those dogs back to their fatherland."
It was a short moment, but we heard more sounds... And then German soldiers started coming down the street, much more of them in swarms. Countless German soldiers were charging before us, firing their guns as they advanced, their fiery bullets raking our positions.
"Shit, Kraut soldiers!" Dimitri shouted.
"Fire on those bastards!" I ordered vehemently, then Dimitri and I fired our guns at the Germans, shooting several of them down as the Russians all fired volleys of gun shots.
A greatly vicious battle commenced as the line of numerous Russian infantry lining the trench all fired their guns, firing hails of intense gunfire which cut down numerous Germans, some bullets ripping off the limbs of several and leaving them in pools of blood and pieces of flesh. In the fierce fighting, the Russians kept firing intense gunfire that shot multiple other enemies to bloody pieces, with the trench line blazing fiery bullets from across the trench, raking the German positions in the street before us. I aimed and shot two Germans as Dimitri blazed covering fire that gunned down a few others, then I fired and shot two more. However, as some started taking positions by rubble while others charged, the Germans were all then firing their guns, shooting down several friendly troops with barrages of fiery bullets. Still, while Vylkalev blazed furious cover fire, the Russians kept firing their guns and shooting several more enemies down, then I fired rapid PPSH fire that shot five more Germans.
The line of Russian infantry kept firing intense hails of gunfire in vicious fighting, cutting down numerous enemies while the Germans blazed fiery gun shots back and shot several friendlies down in return. Kamarov and Chernov blazed their guns from the window in the building to the side, shooting a few enemies down while blazing cover shots as I gunned down two other soldiers. Intense German gunfire blazed back, striking several more Russians down, but as Dimitri shot several other enemies with DP 28 fire, I fired rapid PPSH shots which cut six more Germans down in a hail of furious gunfire. Vylkalev blazed rounds with his DP machine gun, shooting a few others down while the Russians lining the trench line kept firing more hails of gun shots, gunning several other enemies to shreds, then I aimed and shot two others while Dimitri gunned down a few more, then I fired and shot two more again. Kamarov and Chernov blazed cover that struck a couple others, however, the Germans fired hails of intense gunfire back which cut numerous defending Russians down in return, and the fierce battle raged on.
As the Russians lining the trench kept firing intense gunfire that shot multiple other Germans, behind us, the several sandbag lined nests blazed machine gun and rifle fire that struck several more. Dimitri shot a few other Germans down while I fired intense PPSH fire that shot five more, but the Germans fired hails of gun shots back and gunned multiple Russians down in the fierce fighting. Kamarov aimed and shot a few other soldiers while Chernov gunned down a couple more, then the Russians fired intense gunfire that cut numerous enemies down. Vylkalev kept raking the German attackers with machine gun rounds, while the sand bag nests fired more covering shots that gunned down several enemy soldiers, but the Germans fired some gunfire of their own that gunned down several friendly troops. However, as I shot two other soldiers and Dimitri gunned down several more with DP 28 fire, the Russians fired more rifle fire that cut several other Germans down, then I shot another two.
"I'll kill you Kraut bastards!" a Russian shouted, firing his gun.
"Burn in Hell!" another friendly said.
The fighting intensified with more and more Germans advancing, taking cover by rubble and firing back, raking our positions with furious bullets. In the fierce skirmishes, Russian rifle fire shot more enemies to bloody pieces, but those enemies were merely replaced by other Germans who fired back. As I shot two other enemy soldiers, Dimitri aimed and gunned down another several, then I fired and shot four more with PPSH fire. With the Russians firing intense covering fire that gunned several other enemies to shreds, Chernov gunned down a few other soldiers with precise Mosin rounds as Kamarov fired his gun and shot several others as well. As I gunned two more down and Dimitri shot a few others, the Germans fired back and raked our positions, shooting several Russians as well... Still, we kept fighting with even greater and stubborn determination.
"Die, you animal!" a Russian said furiously.
"Keep firing on those svoloches!" a friendly demanded.
"I'll break them to pieces!" another Russian stated.
As the fighting continued, more Germans came in, firing more furious rifle fire at our trench line and gunning down multiple Russians in the vicious skirmish as their fiery bullets raked our positions. Dimitri aimed and gunned down a few other soldiers while I fired rapid SMG fire and shot four more enemies, just as the Russians fired more gun shots that cut numerous other Germans down. Vylkalev kept blazing covering rounds with his DP gun, pinning several others with desperately furious bullets while Dimitri shot a couple other soldiers. The Russians kept firing more gunfire that raked the German assaults, with machine gun fire from the nests behind us bloodily ripping off the limbs of some enemies, but after I shot two other Germans, the enemy troops fired some bullets back and shot several friendlies in return.
The fighting had been very fierce, and many enemies died... But our numbers were beginning to dwindle as well. Ammunition was also beginning to dry up for this line, and I saw that even more Germans were coming in, with tanks rolling up behind them, blazing shells at friendly positions.
"Chyort, German tanks!" Dimitri stated.
"Our ammunition is running out," a Russian said, "More Germans incoming!"
"Shit," Dimitri said, "This line is being overrun!"
I looked around and saw our numbers and ammunition starting to dwindle even further... And Vylkalev saw this as well, as he started to tell me, "Sergeant, bring the men with you down the road!"
"...Everyone retreat," I ordered to the men, "Fall back to the second defensive line!"
With that, all the men started falling back, running down the street towards the second line while several others remained to cover them. While Kamarov and Chernov exited the building with a few other troops and escorted the retreating Russians back down the street, Dimitri and I fired intense covering fire at the German forces, gunning several more down, and then we started escorting the last remaining Soviets back down the line... But as we started falling back, I noticed that one man was still remaining... Vylkalev, who kept firing his DP gun, with a few other remaining riflemen next to him.
"Mikhail, are you coming with us?!" I asked.
"I will cover your escape, comrade," Vylkalev replied, "You escort the others down the road!"
I hesitated a little bit as Vylkalev kept blazing his gun, but Dimitri placed a hand on my arm and urged me backward, and we went down the road with several other troops. I watched as Vylkalev bravely held his ground, blazing more cover rounds a midst the exploding Panzer shells that struck near him, but Dimitri and I still had our jobs to do, and we kept moving on back to the second line.
The two of us were far down the road now, in which we then ran over to a building, where we hid behind a large piece of cinder block. From here, Dimitri handed me a pair of binoculars, and when I looked into them, seeing Vylkalev in the distance, still firing his DP machine gun. I watched the Lieutenant as a couple tank shells rained around him, sending debris and broken pieces into the air while Vylkalev gunned down a few other approaching Germans, before signalling the few other remaining men into a building to the left.
Once the remaining few escaped into the building, Vylkalev picked up his DP gun and stood, aiming it and shooting down two more Germans to the right before another charged to his left with a bayonet. As the German thrust ed his attack, though, Vylkalev grabbed the enemy's rifle barrel and then quickly drew his Tokarev pistol to gun him down. immediately after, he ran over into the building to follow after his men... He disappeared from the battle and seemingly escaped... But just seconds later, a Panzer aimed and blasted the side of the building with a shell, the rubble collapsing in on itself.
"Shit," Dimitri said, "They killed him."
"...We need to keep moving, Dimitri." I said.
The two of us emerged from the cinder block and took a turn as we went further down the street, seeing the second line of defense before us. We rushed up and jumped over, taking position behind the line made of sandbags and crates, as well as small pieces of rubble. There, along with some numerous troops from the first defense and many more fresh defenders, we found Kamarov and Chernov in a nest just behind the line.
"Reznov, glad you made it back," Kamarov said, "...Where's Vylkalev?"
"He fell behind." I answered.
"...We will mourn him later... We need to focus on the next German assault."
Kamarov and Chernov held cover in one of the nests behind the second trench line while Dimitri and I each took position at the line itself with numerous other Russians lining the trench. It only took a rather short moment before the sounds of boots and tank tread began rolling in down the street, right towards us.
...But something else caught our attention, suddenly, and a small group of them came charging into our view, rushing at our lines on four fast strong legs, snarling with their sharp fangs showing off their white color in the sun a midst their tan and black fur... German attack dogs.
"Chyort, they sent dogs for us!" Dimitri stated.
"Everyone, defend yourselves," I ordered, "Shoot them down!"
I spotted eight dogs, strong German Shepherds precisely, as they rushed at us with growling barks, their aggressive teeth trained to hunt for Soviet blood. Several of us fired our guns to stop them, but they proved to be tricky targets, quickly maneuvering around the bullets as they charged even faster. Still, my rapid PPSH bullets managed to strike two of them down while Soviet gunfire from several friendlies blazed and shot down three more with riddling bullets... However, two of the dogs charged fast enough to reach our line, and they pounced on each, a different friendly soldier. The two dogs viciously attacked their targets, mauling the soldiers' arms as they lunged for their necks, both tearing the throats of their targets open into bloody flesh with their sharp teeth. In the confusion, one dog managed to pounce on another Soviet, but while the animal was bloodily seizing the soldier's arm, the Russian took out his pistol and shot the dog in the head.
I gunned down the other dog in the trench, but when I took a look to the right, the last dog was right in my face as he lunged, pouncing on top of me. With the animal's legs firmly in place on me, the dog lunged its teeth towards my throat, but I quickly seized the dog's snout, trying to push him hard off of me. After some vicious wrestling, I finally got one hand on the head and another on the throat... And in one sharp thrusting jerk, my hands snapped the dog's neck... I then stood back up and wielded my PPSH once again.
"Shit, the svoloches are coming for us!" a Russian stated.
Immediately, we saw cylindrical grenades landing in the street before us, smoke steaming out of them, which created a rather thick fog to block our view, and more sounds of boots, treads and war cries came near.
"Hold your ground, comrades," Kamarov said, "You are brave soldiers of the Red Army... Fight them all to your last dying breath!" Immediately, the cries got much louder as the smoke filled up the street in front of us. It was just seconds later that we saw figures, appearing as ghosts before emerging from the mist to reveal themselves as German soldiers, who all began firing on our positions. "Do not fall back, brave comrades," Kamarov continued, "Show them no mercy... Kill them all!"
Once German bullets began raking our positions, some Russians fired their guns, shooting several enemies down as they emerged from the smoke. I tried aiming carefully, wishing to conserve my ammunition, but I did manage to shoot one to the left aiming and gunning another one down, my bullets splattering his blood in trickles a midst the smoke... Shortly after, the smoke cleared, and we could see a great horde of Germans approaching.
"Send those God damned Kraut bastards to Hell!" a Russian shouted.
The Russians all fired hails of gunfire at the German attackers, bloodily striking numerous enemies down as a vicious skirmish ensued. I shot several German soldiers with PPSH fire while Dimitri gunned down a few others with DP 28 shots, though many Germans just fired back, shooting several Russians in return. There was more rubble in the street, so the enemy had more cover to use, but we just kept firing on them, trying to pin down their advance. Kamrov blazed some PPSH rounds and struck a few others down while Chernov shot a couple more, then I fired and shot five more enemies to pieces with rapid rounds. Furious Russian gunfire blazed from across the trench line, cutting down multiple German soldiers as Dimitri shot several more with DP fire. I aimed and gunned two others down as German soldiers fired their guns back and shot several more Russians down, but as I shot another two, the Russians kept firing shots that raked the German positions, shooting several soldiers to fleshy bits with strong rounds and pinning others down behind rubble.
Powerful machine gun bullets and grenades ripped limbs and flesh off enemy soldiers, spilling them in pools of blood, but still, the enemy advanced with even greater determination, with Germans firing gun shots that cut multiple Russians down. In return, I fired a hail of rapid fire and shot six enemies, then Kamarov aimed and gunned down several others while I shot another two. While the Germans kept blazing rounds that blasted our cover to bits and pieces, the Russians offered even more stubborn resistance, firing more hails of shots back that cut numerous other Germans down, which Dimitri followed by shooting several more enemies with DP fire. As I shot several more enemies with fiery PPSH shots, Chernov aimed and gunned down a few others with concentrated fire, then I aimed and shot two more. While Russian gunfire shot multiple enemies in the vicious fighting, Dimitri shot several other soldiers as Kamarov gunned down a few more, but the Germans fired bullets back that tore down several friendly troops. Chernov shot another charging German, then Dimitri and I blazed cover fire as the Russians gunned down several other enemies, then I aimed and gunned down two more.
"You were nothing!" a Russian remarked as he shot a German.
Dimitri shot several more Germans with DP 28 fire as the Germans kept firing more gun shots at our positions, riddling the cover with fiery bullets. Still, the numerous Russian infantry lining the second trench kept firing more immense gunfire, cutting numerous other Germans down. I fired some more rapid shots that gunned five more Germans down, and after I reloaded, Dimitri and I blazed covering fire at German positions and chargers, which allowed Kamarov to shoot down several other enemies with PPSH fire. While the Germans shot several Russians down with their rifle fire, Dimitri shot a few others down, and then he blazed covering fire as I aimed and gunned two more down in a flurry... Some other Russians were bloodily struck by enemy bullets, but we all held our ground as determined as possible, fighting and shooting down as many Germans as we could.
"They shall all drown in their own blood!" I shouted as I fought.
"Slaughter all those who dare threaten the great Soviet Union, brave comrades!" Kamarov spoke, "Victory will be ours with our combined strength!"
We kept fighting on fiercely, shooting down riflemen and machine gunners. But as I fired my PPSH, soon after, a new enemy came into my view, where my regulars bullets would prove worthless... The steel behemoths rolled into the battlefield, firing off a few shells, revealing themselves to be Panzer IV tanks.
"Chyort!" I shouted, "Panzer!"
"Kamarov," Dimitri asked, "Are their any rockets... Something we can use for those Panzers?!"
"We have some Panzershrecks," Kamarov responded with, "In the nests just behind us! Pick one up and use them against those damned tanks!"
I aimed and gunned down two other soldiers as Dimitri and Kamarov fired their guns, striking several others. German rifle fire blazed furiously and gunned multiple Russians down, but I fired my gun back and shot several enemies in return, then Chernov gunned down another soldier. German Panzers shot off different shells that blew away some friendly troops, the shells sending broken debris and torn mangled bodies in the air in a mighty hurricane... Even so, the Russians held their ground, the line of friendly infantry firing hails of immense gunfire that cut numerous other enemies to pieces, and I contributed by shooting two more down.
Dimitri blazed covering rounds with his DP gun, allowing me to race over to one of the nests just a couple yards behind me, seeing a German Panzerschreck rocket launcher with several rockets in a box. I picked one up and fed a rocket into the back, just as a Panzer blew away another Russian nest just next to me with a might blast, the explosion tearing off the legs of the occupiers, even bursting the head off one of them... But I was not deterred as I aimed the launcher and fired, damaging the lead tank. I fed in another shell and finished off the lead Panzer to a smouldering ruin, just before he could aim his barrel at me.
"Yes, yes!" Dimitri shouted, "Burn those bastards, Viktor!"
The Germans gunned down several more friendlies in a volley of gunfire, but Dimitri fired back and shot a couple others in return. Taking out my PPSH gun, I aimed and shot two other Germans at the right, and then gunning down another two straight down. The Russians kept firing their guns, shooting multiple enemies apart, though the Germans kept fighting in vicious assaults, their furious bullets riddling our cover fiercely. But as Dimitri blazed covering rounds, I shot a few other Germans with SMG fire... But that when the second Panzer rolled in and fired shells, blasting at our cover.
Taking the opportunity, I brandished a Panzerschreck and slid a rocket into the back, aimed and fired, striking the hull of the Panzer. As I tried to load a second rocket into the launcher, however, the Panzer aimed its barrel right towards me, so I picked up and hurried off, escaping as the Panzer shot the nest I was in formerly apart. Once I got to a new position, I finished loading in the rocket and then taking aim. As the Panzer pointed its barrel right at me, I fired and struck the tank, blasting it into flames.
"Enemy Panzers are eradicated," Dimitri said, "Excellent, Reznov!"
The fighting kept up as German infantry kept up their fierce assault, and the Russians tried their best defending the line, blazing flurries of bullets at the advancing Germans. I gunned two more down while Dimitri shot a few others with DP fire. Russian gunfire cut several Germans down, but the Germans kept up their advance, firing more shots which tore down multiple Russian soldiers, though I responded by shooting several enemies with rapid PPSH fire... Still, I saw that our numbers were beginning to dwindle, and the German forces keep coming with steady numbers, so I thought it be time to move again.
I looked just behind me and saw Kamarov in a nest with a radio, another Soviet handing the mike over to him. Dimitri and I fired some intense gunfire at the Germans and then I went over to him to inquire on the situation, seeing Kamarov speak into the radio with unease.
"Chto proiskhodit tam? (What is happening over there?)" Kamarov asked as he spoke into the radio mike.
"Vrazheskaya pekhota i pulemety napadenii nashi pozitsii v zdanii postavok s tankami v podderzhku! My prosim nemedlennoy pomoshchi! (Enemy infantry and machine guns are assaulting our positions at the supply building with tanks in support! We request immediate assistance!)" the Russian soldier said frantically over the radio.
"Chyort," Kamarov said with a sigh, then spoke, "...Da, ya priyedu, kak tol'ko vozmozhno... Iz (Yes, I will arrive as soon as possible... Out)." With that, Kamarov turned to me and spoke, "Reznov, our lines are beginning to thin out here, and the supply building is under attack... We need to head over there now."
"Yes, Commissar," I responded, then turned to the others to order, "Everyone fall back to the supply building!"
As such, the Russians fired one last volley of rifle fire at the incoming Germans before leaving their posts, all running even further down the road in an organized retreat. Dimitri and I fired some covering shots at the Germans, allowing more Russians to retreat alongside Kamarov and Chernov, then we followed after them, heading down the road towards the supply building.
Dimitri and I lead the retreating Russians down the from from the front. As we moved, I slung my PPSH over my back and brandished my DP 28 gun. We all took a turn and entered onto another street, but as we did, we found numerous German infantry emerging onto the street before us from buildings and alleyways.
"Crush them!" I demanded to the others, "Burn those savage animals!"
Taking positions in the street, we all engaged the Germans in vicious street fighting, with Russian soldiers firing their guns and shooting several enemies down as the Germans blazed fiery gun shots back, and bullets flew back and forth between our two sides. Dimitri and I fired our DP 28 guns and shot several enemies to pieces and then I aimed and shot two more to the left. As the fierce skirmish in the street raged, the Germans fired hails of intense gunfire back, cutting numerous Russians down in the vicious fighting, but I aimed and shot four more enemies with intense DP fire. Dimitri then blazed covering shots while Kamarov gunned down a few other Germans with his PPSH, then Chernov aimed and shot a couple more. Several other Russians were struck down by enemy gun shots, but I aimed and gunned two more down to the right as Dimitri shot several other with his DP gun, then I riddled another two with rounds. While Dimitri and I kept blazing covering fire, raking German positions in the streets with fiery bullets, the Russians fired more rifle fire and shot multiple more Germans.
Still, the fierce fighting kept up, with German and Russian soldiers firing at each others' positions in the street. As Dimitri gunned a few more enemies down, I fired my DP gun and shot four more enemy troops in a hail of fire, then we all kept firing gun shots that raked the enemy positions to pieces. Still, the Germans kept firing their guns furiously, shooting several friendly soldiers while they still kept firing rapid bullets at our positions in the street. However, we still slowly advanced, with Kamarov and Chernov shooting down a few other Germans. The vicious fighting kept up as enemy bullets raked our positions with fury, but we all just fired back and riddled their positions with bullets and then I gunned down two enemies to the right as Dimitri shot several more with DP fire, then I struck two others with my own gun. After much more fighting raged, the Russians fired more intense gunfire that cut numerous enemies to shreds, then I aimed and shot a few others with DP fire.
"Eradicate them!" I said furiously, "Rip these bastards to shreds!"
As we kept firing on them, eventually our hard fighting paid off as we saw the enemy numbers diminish... And we just shot off a few more volleys that finished the remaining Germans in our way.
"Ha!" I exclaimed, "The vermin all fall before the might of the Red Army!"
With Dimitri and I at the front, we all charged down the street and took a turn to come out onto another street, where we saw a number of Germans before us, firing rifle fire at us as we entered the next street.
"Shit! Keep fighting, comrades!" Dimitri said.
As a few Russians were shot by German gunfire, the other friendly troops took position in the street, blazing their rifles back at the enemy troops. I shot two enemies with DP shots as Dimitri gunned several others down, but the Germans fired a hail of shots that cut several other Russians down. The fierce fighting raged on as Kamarov and Chernov blazed covering shots with their guns, striking a couple enemies, then I fired my gun and shot four other soldiers, which was followed with Dimitri gunning a few others down as well. The Germans fired their rifles and raked our positions with volleys, but we all kept firing back, Russian soldiers shooting numerous Germans with immense gunfire during the fierce skirmish, and while Russian bullets kept riddling German positions apart, I aimed and shot two more enemies straight down... The fighting soon ended in our favor as the last enemy troops were struck down by our bullets, clearing our way even further.
"Move down the street!" Dimitri ordered.
The two of us kept leading our fellow Russians down the road, taking a turn to the left and entering another street, and in the distance of this road, we saw the supply building itself, with a German Panzer blasting at the building with shells.
"There it is, comrades," Dimitri stated, "Get over there and help defend the building!"
We all rushed down the street towards the building, with me taking out my PPSH and shooting down the small group of Wehrmacht troops by the tank. Once we came near the tank, Dimitri climbed on top of it while I climbed onto the front and aimed my PPSH into the tank's viewing window, blazing a burst right into the occupants inside. This lead one tank crew member to open the hatch... And Dimitri to shoot him, then he primed an RGD 33 grenade and threw it into the tank, the burst taking out the inside. Dimitri then handed a pack of explosives to me and I placed them onto the tank's treads, the blast demobilizing it once we were safe away.
"All of you take positions here," I ordered to the men, then turned to my friend, "Dimitri, follow me."
All the Russian soldiers took position in and around the building, either from the building windows, or behind the line of sand bags ringing around the building, all aiming their guns at the area around their structure. Dimitri and I entered into the building as Kamarov took position in sandbag line, and Chernov by a window, and the two of us began entering through the corridor.
"Be careful, Dimitri," I warned, "They could be in here with us."
"Hey... Just like in Stalingrad, Viktor." Dimitri replied.
The two of us came up to a door, and once I gave the signal, Dimitri kicked it down, finding a small patrol of Germans. The two of us fired our guns into the room and shot up the few soldier inside, riddling them with bullets, their blood splattering and pouring all over the walls and floor. After this, we went back out into the hallway and came up to two doors next to each other.
"You take the right one, Dimitri." I said as I faced the left door.
Once we faced our target doors, we burst through them and entered two different rooms each, separating us... And immediately, I found a rather tough enemy in my room. A German soldier charged at me from the left, screaming at the top of his lungs as he rushed me with his rifle.
As he reached me, I seized hold of his rifle with both hands, and when we each had a firm grip, we wrestled each other fiercely for the rifle. Hard struggling ensued as we fought, trying to wrestle the rifle out of the hands of the other. I managed to hit him with the rifle's stock in the side, but he kept his grasp and we wrestled even fiercer for the rifle. After much hard fighting, we struggled over the rifle, with the enemy striking me in the stomach with the stock. I managed to keep my hands on, so we still fought, and after a great deal of vicious wrestling, the German pulled out his knife, trying to bring it down on me while I still hand both my hands busy, but I just raised the rifle barrel up and blocked his wrist from bringing the knife down on me, so we fought some more.
With our hands on the rifle and me using the weapon to block his knife, the two of us kept on wrestling very hard. Still, after much struggling, we both managed to swipe the rifle out of both our hands, but he kept his grasp on the knife. He lunged the knife at me, which struck into the wall, just behind me as I dodged the attack, then I ducked as he scrapped the knife against the wall for another attack. I seized my arms around his waist and then threw him into the wall, but before I could reach my gun, he immediately recovered and charged with the knife, but I grabbed his wrists. The two of us wrestled very hard, with me trying to push away his knife with my grip. After some hard struggling, I managed to wrestle the knife out of his hands and then I kicked him down.
As he landed on his side, I picked up the knife and turned to face him... Only to see that he had quickly drawn his Walther P38 pistol. I stood, trying to figure out my next move... Just when the door on the side wall opened with Dimitri emerging... And he quickly aimed and shot down my opponent before he could fire.
"Let us check on the supplies." Dimitri said.
Heading down the corridor, we came to the door leading into the storage. I opened the door and looked into the storage room for the supplies, and we still saw an abundance of crates and barrels, looking intact. As we came out, we found a couple of Soviets already in the building come over to us.
"Are you our reinforcements?" a Russian asked.
"Somewhat," I answered, "Your supplies appear intact... Do you have trucks?"
"Yes, we have a couple."
"Get everything you can onto those trucks and get the supplies out of here. Whatever you can't get out, leave for us to defend... If we can't have these supplies, no one will."
"Yes, sir." the Russian replied, heading into the supply storage with three others, then I turned to Dimitri.
"Germans will be coming for this building," I said to him, "We need to get back to the windows and defend this structure, and cover our men so they can get our supplies out."
The two of us headed back down the hallway, coming back to the first room, where we saw numerous Russians positioned by the windows with Chernov and many more lined outside by the sandbag line protecting the perimeter with Kamarov. Dimitri went over to one of the windows and aimed his DP gun out as I stood in the room, brandishing my own DP 28 gun.
"This is the last line of defense, comrades," I said to everyone in a commanding voice, "If this building falls, the city falls... Fight to your last breath and hold it, comrades!"
As I went over to a window, I witnessed some enemy artillery shells coming down onto the street before us, blasting some pieces off of nearby buildings... The enemy was near.
"Get ready, brave comrades," Kamarov stated, "For the glorious Soviet Union, defend the remains of this city!"
Once the artillery barrage silenced and the smoke cleared, we immediately found a great many of Germans coming down the streets and alleyways towards our supply building, ready to deliver the kill.
"Fire!" I ordered, aiming my DP gun out the window from the inside and firing a hail of gunfire at the Germans.
Immediately, a fierce battle began as all the Russian soldiers outside lining the sandbag line were firing their guns, shooting numerous enemies as, behind them, Russians by the windows inside the building blazed covering rounds that raked the enemy troops, striking several others. While the Russians were all firing their rifles from their defensive positions, hails of intense gunfire cutting down multiple Germans in vicious fighting, I fired my DP gun and shot five enemies in a hail of fire before aiming and shooting another two at the right, then Dimitri gunned down a few others. While the Russians kept firing hails of gunfire that shot numerous enemies to pieces, the Germans all fired their guns back, striking down several friendly troops, with many soldiers taking cover in the rubble and shooting a few other Russians. But we remained determined, even more so now, as I shot two more soldiers while Dimitri gunned down several others, then I shot two more. As Chernov aimed and struck down a few other enemies with precise Mosin rounds, the Russians kept firing more gun shots that riddled several enemies to bloody pieces, then I fired intense DP fire that shot six more Germans.
The fighting raged on as the Germans kept firing more immense gunfire that cut multiple Russians down, their fiery bullets raking our defenses, but the Russians lining the sandbag line and windows kept firing more furious gun shots themselves that raked the enemy troops, shooting several to shreds. Dimitri gunned down a couple other soldiers as I aimed and shot two more two the right, then I gunned down another two straight down. Chernov aimed and gunned down a couple other soldiers as Dimitri fired his gun and shot several more Germans. Enemy gunfire cut several other Russians down, but then Dimitri and I fired covering fire at enemy soldiers, the Russians fired a volley of shots back that struck many other troops down, bullets blasting their rubble cover. In the fierce fighting, I fired my gun and shot five more enemies, then Dimitri aimed and gunned down a few others. German shots raked our positions and struck a few more friendlies down, but Dimitri and I fired covering shots that allowed the Russians to return fire, shooting several enemies in return.
"Dasvidanya, you bastard!" I shouted, firing my DP gun.
Kamarov kept firing his gun from behind the sandbag line outside the building with the other Russians while Chernov fought from behind the windows with Russians inside the building. As the fighting continued, I went outside to join the sandbag line defense, Dimitri following me.
"Fight, comrades!" Dimitri shouted, "Drive these bastards back!"
Taking position in the sandbag line, I aimed and shot two more Germans as Dimitri gunned down a few others. The Russians lining the sandbag line all kept firing hails of gunfire, cutting numerous enemies down, though the Germans fired their guns back from rubble cover and the street, shooting several friendlies in return. As Russians inside the building behind us blazed covering rounds that struck the enemy positions, Kamarov aimed and shot several enemies with rapid PPSH fire. Dimitri gunned down a few other soldiers while I fired my gun, cutting six more enemies with intense DP fire, then the Russians fired more shots that gunned several more enemies down. The Germans kept firing immense gunfire back, shooting numerous Russians down, but Dimitri fired some fiery shots that cut several enemies in return. I aimed and shot two more soldiers, then as Dimitri and Kamarov blazed covering shots, I gunned down two more. The ferocious skirmish raged on as the Russians shot many other Germans with their rifle fire, then Dimitri and I fired our guns and shot several more.
Furious bullets flew everywhere in frightening volleys within the vicious fighting, and blood spilled all over the streets. The Russians fired some intense shots that gunned several enemies down as I aimed and shot two others, then Dimitri fired and cut a few others down with DP bullets. However, the Germans fired hails of intense gunfire back and shot down multiple Russians, but we were still undeterred as Kamarov fired and gunned a few other Germans, then I fired and shot five more in a hail of DP fire. Dimitri aimed and shot several more enemy troops as I gunned down another two, then the Russians all fired their guns and shot numerous enemies to pieces. Kamarov blazed covering rounds that allowed me to shoot two others, then Dimitri and I fired our DP guns and shot a few more enemies down, and the vicious fighting raged on... But not for too long.
"Chyort, they're still coming!" a Russian said.
As Dimitri and I kept firing our guns, I noticed that we were indeed losing. Many Russians fell from enemy bullets and as we kept fighting and killing enemies, more came in to replace them. Our numbers were dwindling and supplies were running very thin... I started losing my faith, especially as Kamarov came to me.
"Sergeant Reznov," Kamarov stated, "We can't hold out any longer... The city is lost."
Looking around, I then shouted to everyone, "...All men, begin retreat... Fall back from the city!"
Though they seemed to have some hesitation, the men slowly began leaving their posts and falling back down the road, heading out of the city... We had to concede defeat.
"Did we get most of the supplies out?" I asked.
"Yes, most of it got out," Kamarov said, "But the Germans are trying to surround us."
"Destroy what's left and then you and Chernov take most of the men out of here down the Eastern road... Dimitri and I will take the rest and fight our way out to the South East, see if we can get some of the Germans after us to ease your escape."
"I will do so, comrade," Kamarov said, then spoke to the others, "Units A and B, follow me... Troop C, you follow Sergeant Reznov... We need to leave the city now!"
Kamarov and Chernov both at the front, were leading most of the men down the street to the East, hopefully where they would meet little to no resistance on the way out. As they did so, Dimitri and I urged the rest of the men towards the South Eastern street.
"Let's get out of here, comrades!" I ordered to them.
"Davai, davai! (Come on, come on!) another Russian said.
We all began heading down the South East street, leaving the remains of the supply building behind. As we ran down the road, we encountered more Germans, emerging from the buildings and alleyways to confront us, and I wielded my PPSH once again to engage.
"Fight our way out of the city!" I said.
Immediately, the Russians with us, Dimitri and I were all firing our guns at enemy resistance in the way as we moved down the street, shooting down any Germans in the street and building windows to the sides in fierce skirmishes. I shot two enemies in the street, then aimed and gunned down another in a building. The Russians fired gun shots that cut several enemies down, then Dimitri shot a couple others while I gunned down another in a window. Still, the Germans fired tense gun shots that struck down a few friendlies with us, and in return, I fired some rapid PPSH fire that gunned two more enemies straight down, then I shot another to the right of the street as Dimitri shot a few others, then we turned onto another road.
A couple more Russians were struck by gunshots, but a midst the bullets, we all fired furious gunfire back and cut several enemies down in return as we moved further up the street. I gunned down another to the left while Dimitri shot a couple more, then I aimed and shot two others with rapid bullets. The Russians with us kept firing intense gunfire that shot multiple Germans down in the streets, allowing us to move onto another street, where I aimed and gunned down another in a building window. German gun shots blazed back that struck a few friendlies down, but I aimed and shot another soldier to the left, then I fired more PPSH shots that gunned two others down. As Dimitri shot a couple more, I gunned down one other in a building window.
"You were nothing!" a Russian said, remarking about the enemy.
"Die, you Kraut bastard!" another Russian said as he shot a German.
Taking a turn and coming onto another street, we encountered some more enemies. As the Russians blazed gunfire on the German positions, I aimed and gunned down two enemies in a building window, then I fired rapid shots that cut four other enemies down in the street. Dimitri gunned down a couple others while I shot one more to the left. German gunfire blazed all around, shooting a few other Russians down, but as I aimed and shot two more in the street, then gunned down another in a window, the Russians fired rifle shots back, striking several more enemies down in the vicious fighting. We then came onto another street where more Germans awaited us. Taking position by some rubble, I aimed and shot one in a window, though German rounds blazed and struck a couple Russians down. As Dimitri blazed covering shots, I shot two more in the street, then gunned down another to the right... But more enemies came out to engage us further.
"Chyort, more Germans!" a Russian noted.
"Cut them all down," another Russian said, "Fight our way out!"
"Burn the svoloches!" a third Russian stated.
I aimed and shot two other soldiers as the Russians fired shun shots that raked the German positions, striking several enemies down, then I gunned down another one to the left. The Germans fired their rifles, however, and shot several more friendlies down, but Dimitri and I fired our guns, with me shooting four soldiers while Dimitri gunned down a couple others. We went onto another street to find some more enemies, where I fired my gun and shot two, but the Germans fired hails of shots back, taking down a small few of my colleagues. Dimitri gunned down a couple other troops as I shot another one in a windows, then the other Russians fired their rifles and shot a few more enemies as I gunned down one more. The Germans all fired another spray of bullets, but dodged them with cover behind a piece of rubble, and while Dimitri blazed covering fire, I aimed and shot two more enemies before aiming to the right to shoot one more.
Coming onto another street to find another wave of Germans, we took positions in the rubble on the street and fired our guns on them. As I gunned down two others to the right and then shot one more to the left, Dimitri blazed rounds that struck down a couple others, though the Germans fired shots back and cut a few Russians down. I aimed and shot another in a building and then gunned down two more straight ahead, then gunned down another to the right. A midst the fighting, the Russians fired gun shots that cut several enemies down while Dimitri shot a few more, and after I gunned down another in a window, we moved onto another street. There, the Germans fired on us, but I fired PPSH shots that gunned four enemies down while Dimitri shot a couple others.
"He was on the wrong side!" a Russian remarked about the Germans.
We kept fighting down the streets until we emerged into the outskirts, where German resistance was beginning to thin. While the Russians blazed covering fire, Dimitri and I fired gun shots that cut several enemies down, clearing our way out... It seemed like we would escape rather easily... That is, until we heard rumbling.
"What the Hell is that sound?" a Russian said.
"...Viktor?" Dimitri said, wary.
That rumbling immediately turned into a crash behind us... A Panzer IV, smashing through a house with its terrifying might, and it already spotted us, aiming its fearsome barrel over towards us.
"Shit! Panzer!" Dimitri shouted.
"Run!" I ordered.
As we had no way of destroying it, we ran together down the street, trying to escape the tank, and the steel behemoth gave chase, rolling in after us. In a tense pursuit, the Russians, Dimitri and I ran down a couple roads with fury, running as fast as we could, as the Panzer chased us down with just as much fury, hellbent on hunting us like a wolf hunting its prey.
As we moved down the road, we encountered several other Germans emerging from houses, blazing their bullets on us. I aimed and shot two down in the street as Dimitri gunned down a few others, then I riddled another in a building window with rounds. As Dimitri fired covering shots, I gunned down two more enemies, but then the tank appeared behind us, blasting off a shell that just missed us and hit the ground nearby.
"Keep moving, men!" I shouted.
We all kept running hurriedly down the roads, the Panzer pursuing us. I could hardly catch my breath as I ran, but I just kept rushing out with the others. Eventually we reached past the last houses and emerged into the grasses on the edge of the city, hoping to get to the trees just a short distance away... Dimitri and I turned around and fired our guns back at our pursuers, striking down a few enemies, but the tank came in and shot off another shell that stuck a building just near us... Something had to be done.
"Dimitri, You take the men and make your way into the trees," I said, "I'll provide a distraction for that tank."
"...But, Viktor..." Dimitri said, worried.
"Get them out now." I said sternly.
"...Yes, sir..." Dimitri said hesitantly, turning to the men, "This way men!"
I watched Dimitri lead the other men across the grass, heading towards the trees. As I saw them leave, my mind knew exactly what to answer him, as I thought, I'll be okay... We always survive.
Still, I couldn't rest, as the tank came out from the building, trying to aim its barrel towards Dimitri. I had to get the attention of that armor, so I took out a Molotov cocktail, lit the tip and threw it at the tank, the bottle breaking and splashing flames onto the side... And this was enough, as the tank turned towards me, and I began to run.
The Panzer rolled after me, aiming to crush me under its treads. But I ran and made my way behind the wall of a house, trying to hide their so the tank couldn't spot me. The steel beast followed after, searching for me with its barrel, but I moved around the walls, trying to keep away. Eventually, it seemed to have lost me, and I looked at the forest to see that Dimitri had escaped... But the pursuing tank couldn't just lose us, it had to be destroyed.
I looked over, trying to find a weapon, up until I saw a tower just several meters away in the middle of the grass. I looked through my binoculars to see something leaning against the inside of the tower platform, something that looked like a tube... Possibly a rocket launcher.
I took that chance and ran over to the tower, climbing my way up the ladder and entering the platform. Once I was up, I could see the tank below me, circling to find its prey. I took out my binoculars and saw into the city with them, seeing German soldiers moving down the streets, and on one street, I saw German soldiers aiming their rifles at captured Russians and cruelly gunning them down in a ruthless execution, their bullets spilling their blood against the walls... And as I looked with anger at the slaughter, I looked over through the lenses and found an interesting sight... An SS officer, with a firm, youthful appearance and blond hair, looking through binoculars of his own, then turning them to face over to my direction... As if he was looking right at me.
I lowered my binoculars and saw that their was indeed a Panzershreck on the platform. I took the launcher and loaded a rocket into the back before quietly aiming it out the window, tailing after the back of the Panzer... I concentrated my aim as I aimed the launcher, and once I was precise, I fired, striking the armor right in the back and setting it ablaze, bursting the backside open.
I was just about to celebrate... But the tank wasn't done yet. In one last move, the Panzer started to turn and drive forward, a bit uncontrollably, as it headed right for my tower... And as much as I tried to count on my luck, the tank smashed right through the legs of the tower. The structure began to slowly tilt, and under the splintering wood, it gained speed as it quickly fell over with me inside... Until there was a great crash.
A midst the broken wood of the crashed tower, I lay on the ground, becoming dazed... Then everything went dark.