I'm back! Sorry this is two days late (better than last time, maybe the next chapter will actually be released on time) anyways, no more delays. Enjoy! This chapter contains combat scenes. Standard warnings apply
November 10, 1941: 0930 Malinovka training grounds- outdoor mess
Guardian company was eating breakfast when the attack came. I had just sat down with my food when all conversation in the outdoor mess was drowned out by the air raid siren. "Get to your vehicles!" Kapitan Chemris shouted, bolting from the table.
"But I haven't gotten to eat yet," someone complained
"Forget about that!" Katerina barked in a harsher tone than I normally heard her use. "We have to defend ourselves!" With that parting shot, the two of us stood and ran for the hangars, where the rest of our crews were already waiting.
Because the design of the hangars, built for storage rather than combat use, made deployment difficult, all of the tanks were sitting outside. I leapt onto the engine deck, catching my foot on a handhold and falling on my face in the process. Only allowing myself a brief curse, I quickly scrambled to my place, literally dropping into the turret. After a pause to allow everyone to get set up in their vehicles, Kapitan Chemris came over the radio to give directions. "Guardian 1 to all guardian callsigns. Stonewall is meeting the enemy push head on. Get to the top of the hill and cover them," he ordered.
Our base was located on the northern side of the 5x5 km square training field and the hill Chemris was talking about was to the east, perfectly located to provide fire across the field at the exposed flank of the enemy formation charging across the center. Once we reached the hill, Chemris had the himself, the T-34-85's and the T-34-57's set up on the side of the hill to bombard the advancing force while the T-34-76's and T-28's covered our flank.
"We can't afford to get hit so just crest the hill until the gun clears," I explained. "I can't see the gun too well so Alex, you have to call the stop."
"Understood," he replied.
"Driver, ahead slow," I ordered. "Gunner, she's all yours."
"Standby," Alex responded, staring down the gunsight and waiting until he could see to hit targets on top of the hill. "Driver, halt!" Ivan brought the tank to a smooth stop. Out the forward viewport I thought I saw a flash of grey on the horizon. "Contact, south slope!" Alex called, seeing it too. "Three Panzer IV's, permission to engage."
"Guardian 13, contact, south slope," I relayed over the radio.
"Guardian 13, guardian 1, roger. Take them out," Chemris replied.
"Fire!" I ordered.
"On the way!"
The lead tank in the enemy formation hit one of our T-34-85's, lighting the engine on fire before our shell hit him squarely in the lower front plate. Although I couldn't see the shell hit the engine, I did see the gun drop to the lowest elevation with the loss of hydraulic power. "Good hit, good hit," I called. "Target, cease fire. Gunner traverse left, target tank at 11."
"Up!" Vitaly shouted, slamming another round in the breech.
"Identified," Alex said, zeroing in on the target.
Before I could give the fire order, one of our T-34's shot and disabled the tank. "Target destroyed, hold fire," I ordered.
At that moment a shell whizzed over the turret from slightly to our right. I looked that direction and saw the tank we had already hit suddenly alive again. Apparently our shot hadn't hit quite where I thought it had. "That other tank's still alive," I told my crew. "Gunner traverse right, target tank at 1."
After what felt like an eternity, Alex finally called out "identified!"
"Fire!"
"On the way!" The round hit dead center in the lower plate of the Panzer IV, starting a transmission fire. The crew bailed out of their vehicle which was now billowing smoke, but before they could reach cover an HE round from somewhere on my right landed in their midst, blowing at least one man, possibly even two, over the edge of the 100 meter tall cliff overlooking the field to our right.
"Guardian 15, what the hell was that!" I barked, appalled by the unnecessary use of what I considered to be excessive force. I know this is a war but I still don't want to come off as overly sadistic and firing on a retreating tank crew like that seems to me like a pilot shooting the parachute of someone who has bailed out of his plane. At least the infantry we sometimes have to target are equipped to fight back.
"Wasn't us commander," my platoonmate replied. "Only the 85 mm guns carry HE rounds with that kind of punch."
I started to look for another target, but the surviving attackers began to flee.
"Remaining hostiles retreating," Chemris said, seeing the same thing I did. "All units pursue."
"Belay that order," Mayor Burkatovisky cut in suddenly. "We need the supporting fire."
"But sir," Chemris protested, "we can end this now if we get behind..."
"That's an order Kapitan!" Burkatovisky cut him off.
"Yes sir," Chemris finally relented. "All units continue bombardment. Guardian 13-15, that includes you. I don't need you hiding behind the hill anymore."
I paused a moment to asses the situation before deciding that we had probably driven off the assault for real and it was relatively safe to move up. "Guardian 13, roger," I replied. "Guardian 14-15, follow me." I had Ivan take us to the edge of the hill and waited for Katerina and my other platoonmate to catch up. "Target range, approximately 2 kilometers," I informed them. "Begin bombardment, fire at will"
"Preferred target sir?" Alex asked.
"Use your judgement," I told him. Leaving target selection to a gunner more familiar with our penetration capabilities than myself, I simply sat back and observed as Alex sent a shell downrange every 2.5 seconds, scoring a few glancing hits but nothing seriously damaging. Unfortunately for us, the Germans seemed to have upgraded their equipment. While the Panzer IV's we had fought directly were little trouble, these unknown vehicles had tougher armor. That, combined with the range and bad optics we were cursed with, led to a relatively unsuccessful bombardment. Kapitan Chemris's T-43 scored the only kill of the engagement, hitting the rear of one of the tanks and lighting it on fire.
"Damn it!" Alex cursed. I can't see where the shells are going. Commander, can you call adjustments for me?"
"It's been a while since I've tried that but I'll do my best," I told him.
"Thank you sir!"
Opening the hatch for better visibility, I watched the next round sail just over the target. "Miss, long," I called. "Adjust elevation minus 1 degree." There was a pause for adjustments before the next round, which landed about 5 meters behind the enemy tank. "Miss, behind. Adjust lead plus 0.5 degrees." The next round hit the side of the tank and didn't penetrate. "Hit, no discernible effect."
By this time, the approaching Germans had closed within 500 meters of the entrenched Stonewall company and begin firing at them. Just as the attack started, I saw a flash of grey in my peripheral vision. Glancing left, I came face to face with a Panzer IV, its commander also looking outside. I saw him yell something down into the turret and the tank fired, the round sailing just over my exposed head. The German flanking force was back with a vengeance, at least 10 Panzer IV's and Panzer III's charging at my oblivious allies. "Button up!" I called to my crew, dropping back into the turret and slamming the hatch shut behind me before grabbing the radio. "Guardian 13, contact 3 o' clock less than 400 meters!" I called over the radio. "10 or more hostiles, mixed type!"
"All units, Guardian 1, fall back! Fall back!"
"You don't have to tell me twice," Ivan said to himself, whipping our T-28 around and taking off back down the hill.
"Guardian 15, mayday! Mayday!" The other T-28 whose crew I still hadn't met called. "Right track destroyed! Bailing out!" Looking back, I saw the crew leap out and run for the relative safety of the nearby church.
"All units, guardian 1, regroup behind the church. We need to keep these guys away from stonewall," Chemris ordered.
Once at the church, we lined up in the forest and waited for the enemy to come past. "Keep your eyes peeled guys," I told my crew
"Okay here they come," Chemris called out. "All vehicles, target enemy force at 11 o' clock, one round AP, ready report."
"Guardian 13, ready," I replied.
"Fire!" Chemris ordered once everyone reported ready. 13 rounds flew into the enemy formation, scoring 7 hits on 4 tanks. The return volley fared somewhat better, disabling 6 of our remaining tanks, leaving us with 7 operational vehicles to their 11 that I could see. "Stonewall lead, Guardian lead! We're taking heavy casualties! Need backup."
"Guardian lead, Stonewall lead. Field is secure, I'm sending assistance now. Fall back to our position."
"Guardian lead roger. All units, fall back!"
"Driver, full reverse, continue firing," I ordered. We barely made it 5 meters before we were hit, but the shell ripped through the left machine gun turret before ricocheting off the front armor, most of its kinetic energy already expended.
"We're hit, but not bad," Alex reported. "Left machine gun destroyed, no other damage."
"Guardian company, Stonewall 9-15 in position to cover. We'll attack on your signal," our much needed backup reported.
"Stonewall 9-15, Guardian lead, engage," Chemris ordered. The volley of fire from our 7 tanks, plus the 5 vehicles from stonewall behind us, disabled another 5 German tanks, sending the survivors into a panicked retreat. "Stonewall 1 actual, guardian 1. All remaining enemies fleeing," Chemris reported to our unit commander
"Guardian 1, Stonewall 1 actual, roger. Fall back to our position and prepare for a possible second wave."
For another two hours we stayed in our vehicles, but no further assault came, so we were eventually released and the scouts were sent back out.
I hope you enjoyed the latest installment. As always favs and comments are appreciated. Next time: the realities of a long camp fest.
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