n a few hours, I will join my fellow soldiers in defense of the capital city. The enemies have closed to within a few kilometers, many citizens including my relatives have been killed by the enemy artillery.Although, I have never held a rifle in my life, I am ready to learn what I must and do my duty to protect our motherland against Fascists.
We have all been provided with two weapons, a long range rifle and a short range pistol. As for the training, we did not have expensive equipment or facilities available to us. We spent days shooting teddy bears attached to poles, and shot helmets, bottles and plates until we were sure we could hit a moving target 7 out of 10 times, desperate measures in desperate times.Commissar Letlev at first seemed like a weird man, but getting hold of the real situation, he had no other option but to crash train civilians to become the army.
Our unit has captured an enemy private soldier, precious information was procured from him. He was carrying some sort of equipment blueprints with him, and it does not seem too good. We also came to acknowledge that enemy has closed into around a kilometer or two near our base. They have installed Panzerwerfers, our division has been given the task of disabling and then destroying the panzerwerfers.
"You have to go through the underground passage to the armory, there is no risk until there. Once inside the armory, a sub machine gun, a supply of frag and smoke grenades will be waiting for you. Collect them. Follow the other privates already present there, Destroy the panzerwerfer or get destroyed while attempting to do so. You have no other choice, you must take the risk for your motherland. These fascists deserve a lesson in their own ways." Commissar Letlev briefed us before we started for the armory.
The underground passage was filled with snow. Looking above, I could see the barbed wires and heavy bags of sands to act as cover in case of enemy attack. As we collected the weapon supply, a wooden ladder was being set up to ground level from the basement where the armory was.One by one, a batch of twenty soldiers and our Capt Crik went up the ladder. We did not expect to come back alive, all we had in mind was to destroy the panzerwerfers in order to safeguard the real army units.
There was a reason for army being underground and I came face to face with it as soon as our division left the safe building. Across the street I had a clear view of an enemy soldier on a MG 17. Terrified, yes that could be the only emotion which I experienced.
"Shoot him." Captain Crik shot an order at me.I shifted in a split second and shot at him. It was a huge risk I took, because had I missed him, he would have known where to point his machine gun and MG 17 was one of the best, all twenty one of us would be dead in no time. But well, I did not miss him. The bullet hit his temple and he was dead in a minute.
"His disappearance will not remain hidden, quick throw a smoke grenade. We have to cross the street." Crik said to another soldier.
This soldier looked like an experienced one, the scars on his face, roughness of his skin texture and a loss of emotions in his eyes. Maybe he had been in a war before. His arms moved with exceptional agility and precise motion, the smoke grenade landed right in the middle of the street. It must have taken around ten seconds for the smoke screen to form. Crik and the other soldier led us across the street.
We took cover behind whatever we could find, there were a lot of canisters, and broken walls. The issue was not of finding cover, but of staying alive until the end of the mission. Another soldier pointed towards the open pathway, I could see five enemy soldiers approaching. Crik was right, they knew we were here.
Five would not be a problem, I thought.
Crik had ordered us not to fire until told to or in self defense. We trusted him because he knew the battlefield more than a bunch of novices hanging around him.
Crik and Smith, the experienced soldier, aimed at two of enemy soldiers in the back, they motioned at two soldiers beside them to aim at those in lead.
"Fire."
One, two, three and four. Four gunshots in total and four dead bodies were now lying in the street. One last soldier tried to run back for his life, but Crik took him out.
"That bastard, showing back in the battlefield to me." Crik said under his breath.
"MOVE, everyone." He snapped at us.
We moved slowly following their lead, taking cover, coming out and again taking cover. I wondered how long will this go on.
"Get down, another group. They are more than the last time." Smith said.There were fifteen of them at least. I felt a pang of anxiety rushing through my body.
"OPEN FIRE." Crik screamed.
I remembered the crash training, pick one soldier at a time, shoot for the kill. Well behind the cover, I aimed at chest of one soldier in the front and missed him, he was moving fast.
I took another shot at him, this time though, the bullet went through his left thigh. Before I could aim for another one, someone else had shot him. I aimed at the another soldier. As a bullet left my rifle, another one hit my helmet, disorienting me for a few seconds. When I got up, I saw in horror, another soldier crippled trying to aim at me. He was the same one I shot before getting disoriented.
Before he could shoot though, Smith cleaned him up.Within five minutes, all fifteen of them were lying dead but at a price.
Koslov, another crash training mate of mine was hit. Luckily though, the bullet had only brushed past his arm, blood was oozing through but nothing to worry about. We were witness to a martyr. One soldier had suffered a direct blow in his forehead, while trying to save someone else. Crik slided his body to a corner, buried him in the snow and order us to move.
We moved ahead and reached the abandoned school building. The gated complex and a secure open ground surrounded by classrooms, perfect setting to set up a war head. The two panzerwerfers were in clear view now, in the center of the school ground.
"There will be snipers in the school building and a lot of ground artillery. Keep your eyes and ears open. Move now." Crik said.
