"Negative, our men need our help. They will not be able to find us if we move to the east too early."
"We will not abandon any of us easily."
Kirov said with seriousness.
Gromov felt only helplessness. They can't even help themselves, and now they need to help others.
"But, comrade commissar, the West is all Germans now. We might need to sacrifice more men just to gather those survivors."
"Those survivors can break through more easily since they only remain in small units, but not us."
"It is dangerous and suicidal if we go back to the city."
Gromov continues to persuade.
"What is wrong with it? Dangerous and suicidal, that is the most suitable job for us. Remember what unit we are?"
"We are the glorious penal unit, and we do all the dangerous and suicidal jobs."
Kirov got more and more excited as he spoke.
"That is it, some will remain here, and some of us will move to the west and gather the survivors."
"Gromov, you are doing well. You and I will go to the edge of the city together."
Why me again? Gromov thinks.
Kirov passed him a whole can.
"Finish it, you have the priority to enjoy it. These men won't survive without you."
"We will depart half an hour later."
Gromov blankly accepted the can.
He does not have the right to choose. Despite not knowing how the Red Army's detailed structure is in this world, at least in the penal unit, the commissar has absolute power.
They can replace the commander if they think they are not doing their job or have shown their cowardice.
Gromov got back to Elena with his can and decided to share it with her, but something bad happened.
She closed her eyes, lying beyond a tree, with a painful expression.
"Elena! Elena! Are you all right?"
He shook her and felt what was wrong with her.
Her whole body was very hot.
She is in high fever now.
Infection.
Wounds on the leg weren't properly treated. The bullets were still there.
"Medic! Medic!"
Soon, someone was here, and Gromov told the situation.
However, the medic didn't give him the answer he wanted.
"There is nothing I can do, Comrade Captain."
"I was not even a medic before I was sent here. I became just because I knew some first aid skills."
"Medic was not prepared for the penal unit. I can't do the surgery for her."
"Even though you forced me to do so, there is not enough medicine to prevent further infection."
"She is not the only case. We have many other wounded who are suffering the same thing. I have reported to comrade Alexee about it."
Medicine.
They need it now. Without it, many wounded will not survive tonight, and those lightly wounded will become seriously wounded due to infection.
By that time, he does not even know how many of them can walk out of this forest.
Gromov falls into silence.
And after some moments of thought. It seems like the commissar's suggestion of going west is correct, and they might even need to get back into the city.
Of course, the most rational way will still be to just abandon those seriously wounded and just bring along those that are lightly wounded.
But, Gromov does not want to go to that step if there is still a way or something he can do.
Half an hour later, a group of 60 men and KV started moving towards Zhytomyr, while the other stayed.
Gromov stuck half his body out of the turret, looking at the troops that formed skirmish lines in front, thinking how he could bring back some medicine later.
The tank turret was stuffy and hot, and the crew would open the hatch whenever they could.
"Captain, what is the point of us still going to Zhytomyr now? The town has fallen, and we should fall back. Couldn't you explain this simple truth to the political commissar?"
Sidorov, who was sitting on the KV, looking at Kirov and his NKVD soldier who followed behind the troops, asked Gromov. Beside him, there is still a whole squad that sits around the KV.
"Like I didn't. You know we are the penal unit, we do all the dangerous and suicidal jobs, not a step back before receiving any orders from higher command. That is what he told me."
"I only persuaded him to retreat to the forest. Still haven't persuaded him to get back to our friendly in the rear."
Sidorov pursed his lips.
"My RPG only has a few rockets left, especially HEAT, only two more. I think it's more or less the same for the other team."
"One more last battle and it is used up. And then we could only rely on your KV or the traditional way, throw an anti-tank grenade for anti-tank operation."
Gromov remains silent. Still the same answer, what can he do?
The troops are getting closer to Zhytomyr.
During the journey, they gather a few tens of defeated soldiers and stragglers.
All are soldiers or mostly sergeants who can't find their commander.
Every time they are first inspected by Kirov, then only reorganised into the troops.
Until they met a weird platoon.
"Friendly!"
When there is still a distance from the skirmish line, a shout alerts everyone.
A squad of 12 people showed up.
Gromov, as usual, checked them with his RTS view, but this time, his pupils dilated, and their names were in red colour.
His analysis was correct. It is the Brandenburgers.
"Get down! Get down!" He immediately ordered Sidorov and the squad on the vehicle with a low but urgent voice.
Despite still being blur about it, they still do it.
Just then, two NKVD soldiers ran from behind, one towards Gromov and towards the commander at the front.
And tell in a low voice.
"Prepare to battle, this 'friendly' might be enemies."
Gromov was surprised by it. As expected, they are NKVD.
Even without a system like him, they could distinguish these as enemies.
However, these actions also alerted the Brandenburgers.
"Commander, something is wrong," one of the members said in a low voice with a Moscow accent of Russian.
"Stay calm, they might just be suspicious of us right now." The commander said.
He did notice what the Soviet troops in front of them were doing.
The Soviet soldiers quietly loaded their weapons and deliberately moved towards the nearest cover.
"Identify yourselves." A shout came from the Soviet side.
"I am the commander of the Captain of the 9th Company from the 3rd Assault Battalion, the 532 Regiment, 146th Motorised Rifle Division, Konstantin Gromov."
The Brandenburgers' commander also replied calmly.
Meanwhile, in the turret of the KV, the gunner and reloader look at Gromov with curiosity.
"Commander, isn't that you?"
Such a coincidence.
"Glad that you know it's me, then why are you still wasting your time? Load a HE and fire at those idiots."
When the Brandenburgers are still waiting for the reply.
And the HE rounds will be the reply.
However, the explosion did not even injure anyone.
Brandenburgers that were already prepared quickly spread and found their cover.
"Retreat."
The commander ordered calmly.
Even if they do not get to know how they expose, the fact is they have already exposed, and there is no point in wasting time fighting with them.
Their value and function are much higher than that.
"Idiot, how can you miss it?"
In the turret, Gromov blamed the gunner.
"Commander, this is how accurate it is, not my problem."
"Forwards, kill them all!"
Gromov intended to eliminate all these German special forces.
But it goes in differently than how he thought.
The Brandenburg troops took turns covering the retreat.
Not a single word was spoken in between. Everything was so orderly and so perfectly coordinated.
Though with the help of almost 60 infantry, he failed to take down all of them, but only 2, with the cost of at least 10 injuries and 5 deaths.
Gromov watches the whole process with his RTS view. He only feels a sense of horror.
What kind of troops is this? Their training, discipline, and tactics are far superior to the one he is leading.
The whole battle lasted for 10 minutes.
Gromov and Kirov stand in front of the two dead Brandenburgers.
"Just like us, isn't it? One of them even has the Moscow accent." Kirov sighed.
"How did you notice they might be the Germans before they even told out my name?"
Gromov asked with curiosity. He could not do it without the RTS-view.
"Experienced, my friend. When you see them, you don't feel like they were defeated, but more like someone who just gained a decisive victory."
"Of course, I could confirm they are the Germans after they shout out your name."
Gromov slightly nodded his head. Continue to have a more detailed look at the two bodies.
Five minutes later, he gives up. There is nothing different he can find out.
He has also just become a Red Army soldier for not even one day.
Yet, Kirov has found something.
"Mark these down, it will be how we identify the Germans in the future."
Kirov instructed his men.
Gromov does not get the chance to see. NKVD stuff is not for him to know.
"Alright, it is just some small stuff here. Everyone, move."
After another half an hour, they finally reach the edge of the forest, and can see the town of Zhytomyr.