The smell of cordite and the noise of shells filled the air around us. The Reds were making another push against our line and this time we knew we'd have to fold, but still we tried to hold our ground. We lifted our rifles, many of us down to our last magazine, we waited for the sight of the Russian infantry to become clear through the smoke. The wait felt like it lasted forever, but soon the shapes began to appear as they marched towards our position in the street. Our sandbags were burnt and ripped open from two days of constant combat, now each man touched his bag and his rifle and prayed to whatever deity they hoped would save them. "NATO soldiers, we give you one last chance to surrender! The USSR is not your enemy join the Great Socialist Revolution and help us free you from the oppression of your capitalist governments!" The voice of Ivan began to echo through the loud speakers as we laid there our uniforms bloodied and muddied. For the BAOR we weren't looking too good anymore but now we had a chance to even the score. "Open up Lads!" The Sergeant's voice was quick and sharp as we all lifted ourselves up and opened up on the advancing Russians. We saw the Russians fall hard and fast, as our rounds impacted and dropped them the sound of dying men's screams filled the air, before being replaced by the steady chatter of return fire as the Red's moved into firing positions to fire back at us. As we prepared for another drawn out combat withdrawal, I heard the slow grinding of tank treads and immediately I knew what was coming as the deep thump of the tank turret filled the air, blasting the smoke that hid it aside and slamming straight into our position.
I jumped up in my tent as the sounds of friendly tank treads rolled past.