Gromov switched to his RTS view and had a brief look. And his heart is going to explode.
The enemies are everywhere in the town. While there are only a few blue dots, a few or mostly a squad remains.
He could see a quarter of the city from his view.
Yet, he got some good news and some bad news.
Good news, there is a field hospital that is still resisting. He got a place to get some medicine.
Bad news, the escape Brandenburgers have told the news of them, the enemies are waiting for them.
By now, after gathering, their troops have already grown slightly more than 100 men, and the number is still increasing.
"So what is your plan, Comrade Captain?" Kirov asked.
Gromov doesn't reply, but he observes enemies deploying in detail from his view.
There is a German anti-tank gun, Pak-40... another future weapon, is waiting for him.
Hiding in one of the houses.
It can penetrate his KV easily.
But there is one thing.
The Germans expected they would be coming directly from the forest, so all their heavy weapon that could destroy the KV were deployed towards the forest.
Meanwhile, at the southeast exit, there are a few garrisons, with only a few squads armed with an MG.
It would be easier if they launched the attack from that direction.
However, from the edge of his view, he also sees some German tanks stationed.
With a moment of thought, he knows what it could mean.
"We will break into the city directly from the southeast exit."
"We have only a limited time. I believe there will be a German panzer battalion waiting for us in the city."
"I believe our mission is clear enough. We will get into the field hospital, get any medicine we can get, and withdraw from the city before they react."
Before that, Kirov and he had already got the news from the soldiers who escaped from the city, knowing that there was a field hospital.
"Alright, listened to the order?"
"Prepare yourself!"
Soon, Gromov's KV starts moving to the road, while the infantry moves itself to the forest that is along the road.
At the same time, in the field hospital, which is just some residential wooden houses.
Commissar Kamarov is commanding his men in the last resistance.
"Comrade Commissar, please surrender. We have many wounded here, surrendered, and they got the chance to stay alive."
The doctor begged him.
Kamarov remain in silence, of course, he knows what their ending is.
But he has no choice, as a commissar, as a member of NKVD, once they surrender, their only destiny is death.
"We don't have enough medicine to save them. If we surrender, we may ask for help from them. "
The doctor still wants to continue to convince him, but Kamarov stopped him.
"Enough, doctor."
"As a commissar, I could not allow surrender. As a soldier, it is a shame for me to surrender."
"So, you and the wounded stay in the basement. After all of us die, you surrender to them. That's it. No more arguments."
Kamarov says in silence.
The doctor looks at him in sorrow.
"What is the point... Commissar? You have done your job. It is not a shame to surrender."
Kamarov stopped him again.
"I said enough, get back to the basement."
"The motherland appointed me as a commissar is not for me to surrender."
"If we do the dirty job for what we believe, then we should die for what we believe as well."
"If the fascists think the only good communist is a dead communist, then we will show them what a dead communist can do before they die."
The doctor shakes his head, turns around and prepares to get back to the basement.
"Wait, I got something for you."
Kamarov called him.
He takes out a picture, a family photo of him, his wife and his children, and a letter from his pocket.
"If you survive until the war ends, try to pass the letter to the address."
The doctor takes over, and a moment later.
"I will do that. Farewell, Comrade."
"Farewell, comrade."
After the doctors got back to the basement, Kamarov immediately returned to his firm and serious expression.
Boom!
"Ahhh!"
In the front, a machine gun position that was set on a window was destroyed. A hole appears in the houses.
A tank without a turret is providing fire support on any fortifications. After it destroys it, the infantry will charge and eliminate anyone who survived.
"Not a step back! Get back to your position!"
NKVD soldiers stop anyone who tries to run from their positions until the bullets hit them.
However, seeing soldiers fall in front of him one after the other.
A sense of despair rose in Kamarov's heart.
Unlike the other NKVD soldiers, he stopped to stop soldiers who ran from their position.
Run! Run as fast as you can, stay alive.
Thinks in his mind.
At this time, a cannon sound came from his rear.
Later, he sees the tank that was supporting the infantry on the assault turns and moves.
Hopes rise again in Kamarov's heart.
"Reinforcement, it was the reinforcement."
"Our reinforcement is here, we are safe."
"Stay at your position, our reinforcement is coming."
He quickly gets back to his duty, stops soldiers who were deserting.
"URA!"
After destroying an MG position at the entrance, waves of Soviet soldiers start to charge with the cover of the woods, approaching the exit.
"30 degrees to the right. Enemies MG position. Fire!"
Within minutes, his tanks had already reached the entrance and destroyed all the German MG positions.
"Go! Clear the path for the tanks, save our comrade."
Gromov exposed half of his body outside the tank, ordered.
It is the only way he can give his order where a communication device is lacking in this era.
Maybe after returning to their own line, he got some ways to improve, but now, he still needs to use the traditional ways.
After giving his order, Gromov gets back to the turret and continues to command.
As his tank breaks breakthrough, the infantry starts to bypass him, clear the rooms.
Gromov tank provides fire support, only fire when there is heavy resistance.
What's different from just now, his tanks don't charge at the front and attract all the firepower.
Gromov makes sure his tank remains at a distance of 100 to 200 meters with infantry at the front.
Tanks are more vulnerable in urban warfare. Buildings and houses provide a very good cover for infantry to destroy them.
Just as this time, Gromov realises what is coming to him. A Stug III and the Pak-40.
Without any way, he could risk and expose half of his body outside the turret to order again.
"Commissar, enemies might send an anti-tank gun to deal with us. Ask our men to take it down before it reaches us."
"Sidorov, get your team to somewhere you can ambush the enemy tank. Make sure it blocks the whole road."
After arranging everything, Gromov believes he would not be too much problem to push until the field hospital.
As the infantry continued to push, Sidorov and Kirov both successfully destroyed the Pak-40 and Stug III.
And since Gromov is more deeply inside the city, he can now clearly see the tank at the edge of his view earlier.
There are like 60 tanks there.
He is out of time.
"Go! Go! Go!"
No more time to hesitate.
Forget about the distance. Speed is more important now.
He quickly gets to the front again, leading the infantry to charge.
Until he reaches a 3-level tall building with only a few German soldiers.
Gromov looks from the view with surprise. They are holding the RPG.
"Shit!"
They are on the streets, and nothing can cover them.
"Turn left now, crush into the houses."
At the same time, he also showed his body from the turret again, with his PPSh firing, suppressing the enemies.
Luckily, the building was quickly cleared, though it also took some casualties.
In another five minutes, they will reach the field hospital.
Under fire from both directions, the attacking German soldiers start to retreat. With it, they have successfully saved the friendly from the Germans this round.
After reaching, Gromov couldn't wait to jump out of the tank.
"How many of you were here? Are we going to launch a counterattack and take back the city?"
This is the first question Kamarov ask after he meets Gromov.
"I apologise, Comrade Commissar, there are only 100 of us here, with additionally a tank. We are here to save you all and the medicine."
"Where are all the wounded and doctors? We need to send them back to the rear now. We don't have much time."
Listened to Gromov's words. Kamarov could reply with seriousness.
"They are all in the basement. But before that, I should tell you some bad news. We don't have the medicine as well."