Before the advance a Communist Party conference was held in the brigade. Colonel Chunikhin took to the floor to give a report: ‘The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front have been fighting local engagements, improving their positions and getting resupplied with men, fighting equipment, arms and matériel. They are preparing for a new advance. Our time has come! The situation requires active and resolute action. The 18th Tank Corps has been charged with the task of conducting the Jassy-Kishinev Offensive operation.’ Thus we first heard of our objective. The brigade was to advance in the direction of Husi–Vaslui–Bucharest. The combrig instructed the officers that the advance would involve deep penetration at high speed. It would require that every fighting man of the brigade adopted a high level of responsibility for the preparation of their men, arms and equipment for combat, along with a well-coordinated supply of matériel from the technical and rear-line staff.
The colonel continued: ‘I would like especially to emphasize that for the first time we will be advancing through a foreign country. Once more I am reminding you of the declaration of the government of the USSR of 2 April and the decree of the State Committee of Defence of 10 April regarding the behaviour of Soviet troops on Romanian soil. We are marching onto it not as conquerors but as liberators, therefore each of you must behave with dignity when liberating villages and cities. I understand you pretty well. As you were fighting your way from Stalingrad, you saw evidence of the atrocities of the occupiers, including the ones done by the Romanian troops. But we need to be above emotions, maintaining the inspiration and dignity of the Soviet people. We have to treat the Romanian people without hatred and, moreover, without revenge or violence.’
Before the advance, much attention was given to concealing and disguising the operation. A regime of complete radio silence was introduced two weeks before the beginning of the advance. The combrig’s and the Chief-of-Staff’s radio stations now only received incoming messages. A week before the advance 3-metre-high camouflage nets and fascines were set up at all plainly visible locations on main and secondary roads. These concealed the movement of troops and matériel from the rear to the front pretty well. Every night fake withdrawals of troops from Jassy towards Soroki and Tiraspol were simulated. All these measures misled the enemy.
The night before the attack was warm and quiet. The darkness fell quickly and imperceptibly, and the stars were bright in the cloudless sky. The troops of the forward echelon began taking up their starting position. Control and observation posts were being brought up to the advance line; artillery positions were set up. The signallers were drawing cables to new locations; the sappers were making passes through the minefields. Slumber wasn’t coming; jokes, laughter and bawdy anecdotes were heard all around, and a concertina was playing. People had become tired of being idle for so long and were keen to fight.
On 19 August at 6.00 a.m. the artillery bombardment started with a mighty salvo of Katyushas.38 Huge tongues of flame appeared against the blue sky. Leaving dazzling plumes, missiles flashed by with a huge rumbling sound, and in an instant the enemy defence line disappeared in a sea of fire, smoke and dust. The whole front line and front artillery pieces then started advancing, following the Katyushas. Aircraft appeared in the sky between artillery bombardments, their attacks revealing the enemy positions, though not yet neutralizing the fire emplacements. It was just hell on earth at the advanced enemy line and within the nearby line of defence – it was a horrific and terrifying scene.
After the artillery and aerial bombardment the troops of the 52nd Army attacked, facing no resistance. The forward echelon of the corps – the 170th and 110th brigades – also attacked at the start of the advance. As we passed through the demolished enemy defence line, we were astounded – there was not a square metre without a shell crater!
The tanks moved forward in battalion columns superbly, like ducklings following their mother. When they approached the Bahluiul River, the combrig clarified the task before the combats. After a short burst of shelling the 1st and the 2nd battalions, covered by rifle units, crossed the river near Cojeska-Nou and immediately attacked. Koltunov’s company, along with ours, led by Gulyayev, pulled ahead. Our first losses soon followed. An enemy shell smashed a roller and tore a track off Lieutenant Romantsev’s tank. The platoon commander was wounded but remained in the ranks after having his wound dressed. One tank of the 2nd Battalion burnt out, and the badly-wounded tank commander, Junior Lieutenant Krivenko, was sent off to a hospital.
Zorya, the tank commander from another platoon, acted listlessly and irresolutely. His platoon commander Chebashvili continually urged him on via two-way radio, helping him to maintain the right direction and find the indicated targets. But the young officer’s first battle was clearly unsuccessful: he was nervous and rushed about, and his anxiety spread to his crewmen. An armour-piercing shell from a Panther tank bounced off their machine after a direct hit. Sparks flew into the turret and a smell of burning ensued. The lieutenant lost his head and just stayed there in a stupor, waiting for the next shell. The driver Sergeant Simonov was the first to come to his senses. Observing the battlefield through the eye slit, he began to set up targets to be destroyed himself, and the gunlayer Brovin also began to spot out targets, aim the gun and hit them. The crew operated self-sufficiently, ignoring their commander. A second shell hit the running gear, split the track and tore off a roller. The crew now leapt out of the tank and dropped flat. Meanwhile, the company was slowly moving forward, waging battle. A repair crew arrived; in a few hours they had replaced the rollers and fixed the track and the tank moved forwards to catch up with the company again.
The fierce action lasted for several hours. At last the enemy wavered and began to withdraw. Pursuing the retreating enemy, we entered Vorvesti without a fight and headed towards Urikani. My platoon overtook the scouts and was the first to enter Urikani. We met no resistance in the town and travelled out to its southern outskirt, where we encountered artillery fire from the Bogdenesti–Hill 188–Belciu line. We turned, engaged the enemy and, once the battalion had arrived, tried to attack, but the enemy fire was too strong and accurate and our attack failed.
The brigade scouts reported that the rear echelons of the German 1st Tank and the 18th Mountain Rifle divisions held this defensive line: two artillery batteries, eleven tanks and seven assault guns were emplaced directly in front of the brigade in a strongpoint. Having assessed the situation, Colonel Chunikhin took a decision: ‘Upon the arrival of the troops of the 21st Rifle Corps we will cut the strongpoint into pieces – two tank companies will strike at a narrow sector of the front, and two tank companies will sweep the flanks, which will completely destroy the enemy and allow us to continue the advance.’ The 315th Artillery Regiment, attached to the brigade, arrived and turned their guns on the enemy fire emplacements, firing at point-blank range. Our aircraft struck too, and the rifle units were brought up – the advance resumed. During this battle I destroyed a tank and an assault gun, and Maximov managed to wipe out two anti-tank guns.
The combrig’s plan succeeded. The enemy couldn’t hold the line and began to withdraw; our battalions advanced. We captured Cornesti, Dankasti and Cioresti on the fly, reaching the left bank of the Nikolenka River and we regrouped in a forest east of Sureturile. We hadn’t managed to get our machines under cover or set up camouflage nets, however, before enemy aircraft came over. Waves of bombers pounded the brigade. To save themselves from the bombs, soldiers mingled with the captured Romanians. When the aircraft withdrew, our medics and two Romanian doctors began to help the wounded men, who were then sent to a rear hospital in three vehicles.
Later in the day the scouts reported that a column of vehicles escorted by tanks was retreating southwards. Without stopping the pursuit of the enemy, the combrig ordered the commander of the 2nd Battalion to set up a tank platoon with tommy-gunners on armour as an ambush and go and destroy the column. The platoon of Junior Lieutenant Panfilov surreptitiously took up a suitable position near the village of Skorobitcul. Having let the column come within shouting distance the tankers began to shoot the enemy. Panic descended on the column: the vehicles were dashing about trying to escape from the heavy fire; some were trying to break out forwards, others backwards. Having dispersed the column and inflicted heavy losses, the platoon attacked and completed the destruction of the enemy. During the battle Dmitriy Ivanovich Panfilov personally destroyed three light tanks, and hundreds of enemy corpses remained on the road. Soon afterwards, Panfilov was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.39
Thus ended the first day of fighting, during which we had advanced 20 kilometres. During the night we refuelled and replenished our ammo stocks. The field kitchen arrived, people were fed and allowed to rest. At daybreak the battalions continued their advance towards Gura, Dobrevecul and Husi in the same battle formation. Dislodging small defensive blocks, we quickly reached Krovopar where we caught up with an enemy column retreating from Jassy. Moving at high speed on a parallel course, our battalion overtook it and attacked the head of their column, whilst Matveev’s battalion struck it from the rear. Gripped in such a vice, the column quickly ceased to exist: only contorted metal and corpses of men and horses remained on the road. Without delay our combrig rushed his unit further forward. We captured Rusii, moved out to its southern outskirts, but here we encountered more organized resistance. An initial attack conducted by Senior Lieutenant Mayevskiy’s company failed; having lost a tank, the company pulled back. Scouts moved forward. Soon the scouts’ platoon commander Berezovskiy briskly rolled up to Otroshenkov’s tank and reported that ahead of us there was an enemy strongpoint occupying a 5-kilometre sector of the front. In defence there were up to a battalion of infantry, two anti-tank batteries and entrenched tanks.
The artillery regiment attached to us turned its guns around and opened fire. After fifteen minutes of barrage Chebashvili’s and Ambarzumov’s platoons attacked, firing guns at point-blank range. The main forces of the brigade, meanwhile, were surreptitiously encircling the strongpoint using deep, long gullies and cornfields. Our company was charging ahead of the rest in a column, trailing behind a plume of dust. The enemy hadn’t expected such a development and began to pull back. My platoon cut across their path, straddling the road, and opened a devastating gun and machine-gun fire at the enemy. The enemy column stopped and began to backtrack, looking for a way to escape our fire. Two tanks and an assault gun, however, slowly crawled forward. I was the first to notice them and ordered: ‘Blinov! A tank straight ahead. 500, an armour-piercer, fire!’ The gunloader Sergeant Akulshin loaded an armour-piercing shell into the breech-lock and barked: ‘Armour-piercer’s ready!’ – and Blinov hit the target with the very first shot. Bright tongues of flame licked the armour of the enemy tank. Kolya Maximov made short work of the second tank. Two more shells fired by Blinov went wide. I swore: ‘You scatterbrain!’ but we scored a hit with a third shot. Other machines were pressing forward, and a jam formed. Our other battalions, which approached from the flanks, opened fire as well. Very few enemy soldiers managed to break out and flee across the surrounding fields.
The brigade was rapidly advancing towards Husi. The sun was scorching, though, and the tank engines began to overheat: the water boiled in the cooling systems, and some tanks had to stop. Enemy aircraft began to appear in the sky more often, though our fighter planes continued to protect us. On the second day we captured Dobrevecul, and then Belciu. The speed of the advance meant that we neglected elementary rules of offensive action. Having passed through Belciu we suddenly came under fire from a line between the road and railway line intersection and Hill 218. Panic broke out – under enemy shelling, even though we were returning fire, we began to pull back. The combats tried to rectify the situation, but in vain. It was only when the HQ combrig had arrived, examined the situation and issued specific tasks to the artillery and the battalions, that coordinated action occurred and control was regained.
After a short barrage the 1st and 2nd battalions drove a wedge into the enemy defence lines. Romanian units offered stiff resistance: we had to grind our way through. Colonel Chunikhin led the 3rd Battalion into action. He advanced successfully but Golevskiy’s company encountered a minefield on a high road near Kodesti: five tanks hit mines. The enemy intensified its resistance; the 3rd Battalion’s command was confused and the tanks stopped firing. The combrig protected Captain Grishenko’s battalion using artillery fire and ordered the commanders of the 1st and 2nd battalions to reinforce the onslaught. This additional blow cracked the enemy resistance: the battalions finished off the destruction of the strongpoint and pursued the enemy; they captured Kodesti on the way and by the end of the day they had reached the Vaslui River south of Kodesti. During that day the brigade had advanced another 25 kilo -metres, fighting the enemy along the way and inflicting heavy losses, but had also incurred significant losses itself: two tanks had burnt out, and five had been damaged by land mines.
The corps’ reconnaissance reported that a large column of infantry and artillery was moving from Jassy to Belciu, escorted by tanks. The comcor40 decided to cover the flank of the corps with two tank battalions of the 170th and 181st brigades, reinforced by tommy-gunners, by straddling the road to Vaslui south of Belciu to destroy the approaching enemy column and thus ensure that the main forces of the corps had an opportunity to move forward. Colonel Chunikhin assigned the 2nd Tank Battalion for this task. Senior Lieutenant Matveev placed Koltunov’s and Fesenko’s companies at the Pribestii–Hill 218 line. The Hill 218–Sherbetii line to the right of them was taken up by a tank battalion of the 181st Brigade. The tankmen moved to wait for the enemy column at these lines, and at dawn the main forces of the brigade crossed the Vaslui River and continued the advance at Husi, dislodging defence posts as they progressed.
Meanwhile the enemy column approached Belciu. Having passed the town cautiously, it then came under coordinated attack. After a brief hesitation the tanks turned and tried to break through our ranks, even though we were supported by artillery fire and infantry. A fierce engagement broke out – the enemy wanted to reach the Siret River whatever the cost – and the battle lasted for more than two hours. The losses were huge on both sides. Realizing that a breakout was not going to happen, the enemy decided to pass through Belciu in separate columns and then head towards Nigresti. Having grasped the situation, the battalions switched to attack, smashing the advanced enemy lines and continuing the destruction of the enemy up to Belciu.
Intense shooting was heard north-west of Belciu. The commander of the 2nd Battalion decided that it was a neighbouring unit involved and happily concluded that the fleeing enemy had come across our forces and would therefore be annihilated. In reality, however, only one tank of the brigade, commanded by Lieutenant Ryazantsev, was engaging the enemy. It had been damaged the day before and so was lagging behind the main force of the battalion. Having replaced a smashed roller and repaired the tank, the platoon commander was catching up with the battalion when, as he approached Belciu, he bumped into the column of retreating enemy infantry. Having quickly assessed the situation, Ryazantsev engaged the enemy. Using a hill as cover and skilfully manoeuvring, he began to strafe the enemy methodically: leaping up onto the crest of the hill, he would fire the gun and machine guns at the leading vehicles and then duck down behind the crest. The enemy began to turn around and back off – at which point Ryazantsev opened fire on the flank of the column, which had bypassed the hill on the left. The enemy began to rush about in panic, but Ryazantsev was already approaching from the right and opened fire again, smashing vehicles and horse-drawn carts. Seven anti-tank guns were destroyed, along with dozens of machines, and many corpses littered the battlefield. At this point the deputy Chief-of-Staff Novikov arrived on the scene. He was an experienced and literate officer – before the war he had been the third secretary of a district Communist Party Committee. Having examined the results of the action, he thanked the crew and the platoon commander for the skilful way they had handled the operation. For this battle Lieutenant Ryazantsev was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.41
While Matveev’s battalion was in action near Belciu, the main forces of the brigade continued their advance and captured Milestii without a fight. By the end of the day the brigade had taken Mancul and reached the Crasna River. Having wiped out the defensive screen emplaced by the river, we immediately crossed it and took Striestii. Our battalion massed in a forest 2 kilometres south-east of the village.
Next day, the brigade was to capture Husi – an important strategic road junction. Then we were to reach the Prut River without stopping in the area of Leovo, to capture river crossings and join with the advanced troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Thus the ring of encirclement would be closed and the enemy would be deprived of the chance to retreat behind the Siret River. The combrig intended to use the whole brigade in the attack on Husi, and the mopping-up would be done by a motorized battalion of tommy-gunners and the 2nd and 3rd battalions. At the same time the 1st Battalion, with a company of infantry on the armour, along with an artillery battalion, would advance to the Prut River without delay to join with the advancing detachment of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.
The combat gathered the commanders of all the companies and platoons. Captain Klaustin reported that all officers had arrived except for the 2nd Company commander who had lagged behind beyond the Crasna River, as his tanks needed repairs. ‘All right,’ the combat said, ‘let him do his repairs and catch up with the battalion, and his company will then be led by Bryukhov.’
He proceeded to assign tasks for the companies; then, having specified further organizational issues, dismissed us. Routine work preparing our machines for the next day’s combat began. Self-consciously proud of the responsibility laid on me, I was doing my best. Unable to contain himself, Kolya Maximov made a caustic remark: ‘Watch yourself, rotnyi,42 don’t bust a gut.’
At dawn we started the advance, and when we were approaching Husi, the enemy, doing their best to avoid encirclement, began a disorderly withdrawal. Our battalion spread out and attacked at the same time, bursting into the city and, after a short fierce battle, smashing the enemy and reaching the south-western outskirts of Husi. The 181st Brigade took the south-eastern suburb. Our company, leading the battalion column, headed towards the Prut River and came across an enemy column of light and staff vehicles and trucks near Novenesti. The company attacked the column’s head, and the 1st Tank Company, arriving on the spot almost immediately, pounced on the column’s rear. The column, caught from both sides, was wiped out after a short action; those who remained alive surrendered. It turned out to be the HQ column of the 79th Infantry Division of the Romanian 41st Army Corps. We captured all their secret documents and maps, though they were not of any great value any more. The light vehicles and trucks that had escaped destruction were picked up by the brigade HQ.
During the second half of the day our battalion reached the Hill 127–Hill 80 line, where it encountered enemy fire from the Hill 181–Beltanul line, which defended approaches to river crossings near Leovo. The countryside from Husi to the Prut was rugged and hilly; boundless fields of high corn spread in all directions, safely hiding enemy infantry, artillery and even tanks. It was dangerous and difficult to operate in those conditions. Apart from that we were irritated by the heat and unbelievable dust. Otroshenkov deployed the battalion and led it into attack. Groping along, our tanks slowly smashed their way through the lush fields of corn, destroying the retreating enemy as we went. Having pulled out of the field onto an earth road, I suddenly saw a Panther tank about 400 metres away from me. The Germans also spotted us and began to turn their turret towards us. My heart stopped, and the thought flashed through my mind: ‘Is this the end?’
Immediately I ordered: ‘Left by twenty, a Panther at 400, an armour-piercer, fire!’
The gunloader barked ‘Ready!’ but the gunlayer Sergeant Blinov hesitated, still looking for the target. I threw the gunlayer aside with such an abrupt jerk that he fell over onto the ammo stack. Quickly flipping the gun to the left, I caught the Panther in the sights and pressed the electric trigger. A shot! A firework of sparks exploded on the armour of the German tank, and in an instant we saw flames engulf the Panther. There had only been a split second between us and death!
Ecstatic shouts of joy came from the crew after an initial moment of numbness. Only Blinov sat on the shell stack as if dejected, fearing to look into his comrades’ eyes, although no one was blaming him. I leaned back in my seat and was looking into the gunsight smugly. My heart was still beating rapidly, with only one thought flashing through my mind: ‘I’ve done it . . . I did it in time . . . and once again I’ve been spared . . .’ After a short pause I ordered: ‘Roy, forward!’ The driver changed into second gear, and the tank dashed further with a strong jerk, leaving the burning Panther behind. The attack was moving on . . .
My company reached a water obstruction south of Leovo. We stopped, camouflaged in bushes along the riverbank. I examined the opposite side through binoculars for a while, and then saw approaching tanks. Seeing our company, they opened fire and a brief duel broke out. I realized that they were T-34s and reported it to the combat. Two red flares were quickly fired into the air – the signal for ‘friend’, but the tanks on the opposite bank kept shooting from their concealed positions. Sergeant Pylnikov – radio-operator and machine-gunner – searched the airwaves and soon caught a transmission in Russian: ‘Seagull, seagull! I am Camomile . . .’ followed by a number of code words.
When ‘Camomile’ switched to reception, Pylnikov transmitted: ‘Camomile, cease fire. The tankers of the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the opposite bank are friendlies. Over.’
Unfortunately our radio-operator heard the following reply: ‘Seagull, I am Camomile, switching to a reserve frequency, the enemy’s tapped into our network.’
‘You stupid idiot!’ Pylnikov cursed. ‘Don’t they see and understand that we are friends over here?’
We had to spend all evening trying to clarify the situation with these advanced units of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, and in the meantime the enemy blew up a bridge in Leovo. Only by the morning of the next day, 25 August, was a stable radio contact established. Troops of the 52nd Army subsequently entered Husi, and the Jassy–Kishinev enemy group was finally encircled.
The comcor ordered the combrig to clear the strip of land adjacent to the Prut in the Leovo area of enemy units. At dawn the brigade started the attack to destroy and capture the enemy troops on the riverside. At this stage the structure of the fighting was far from clear as there was no distinct front line. The action was very dynamic, with manoeuvring and agility being decisive factors as much as the onslaught itself.
Tank battalions with companies of tommy-gunners were combing through the countryside in defined areas. Our battalion deployed in a line and began to advance towards the Prut methodically, moving in coordination with the other lines. As we approached Felcsnul the company ran into the fire emplacements of an anti-tank battery, and the Germans opened fire on us at short range. The tanks halted in their tracks. I was the first to came to his senses after a long pause. In situations like this there is only one well-tried method to overcome the psychological problem and make the crews continue with the attack – surge forward, take all the enemy’s fire and so make the running for the whole company. I have to admit that it is hard, terribly hard, to find the guts to make this desperate dash! But if you don’t, the losses can be much higher.
I yelled: ‘Roy, forward!’ The driver threw the machine straight ahead and aimed the tank directly at the battery, gaining speed. My gunlayer commenced running gun and machine-gun fire. I saw two assault guns poke out from the right-hand side of the battery. Having turned my turret, I opened fire on them and at the same time began to shout into the two-way radio, calling everyone to follow me. There was no more hesitation: the tanks of my company burst into the battery position and smashed the six guns. We torched one assault gun, and the second one disappeared in the tall corn, fleeing for its life, but came across Parfenov’s company and was subsequently destroyed as well.
After the arrival of the 181st Tank Brigade our brigade switched to the pursuit of the retreating enemy. That day the brigade destroyed two tanks, six guns, up to fifty vehicles, 300 carts and captured 970 men. What started as a rather disorganized enemy withdrawal turned into chaotic flight – everyone was fleeing, with no coordination or cooperation, jamming the roads. Vehicles were packed with people, many of them hanging onto the boards, though, lacking any strength, they were also falling off and getting caught in the stampede. Congestion increased at the destroyed river crossings, with crowds of panic-stricken troops being wiped out by our aircraft and tanks with little resistance. An intolerable stench filled the air, which made you nauseous – it was a horrific scene but there was no remorse. On the contrary, it was almost calming – at long last we’d learned how to fight.
During the night of 26 August the brigade refuelled the vehicles, replenished ammo stocks, and the troops were able to eat some hot food and grab some rest. At dawn we continued the pursuit. Our battalion was ahead of the rest, followed by the brigade HQ with a motorized battalion of tommy-gunners and then the 2nd and 3rd tank battalions. On the road to Beresti we caught up with a withdrawing column of enemy infantry, tanks and artillery. Firing on the run, the tanks of my company bypassed them, cutting off their line of retreat, and Lieutenant Mayevskiy’s company struck their rear – four shot-up German tanks and seven destroyed guns were left on the road, and that didn’t even take account of smashed vehicles and carts.
Having dislodged the enemy defensive screen, the battalion broke into Beresti and met more organized resistance at the Hill 264–Valeiku Forest line in the middle of the day. Berezovkiy’s scouts brought back a prisoner who informed us that their 325th Assault Brigade had barely managed to break out of our encirclement and was currently switching to a more defensive role, and that there were assault and anti-tank guns in their brigade. Otroshenkov decided not to allow the enemy to consolidate their position, and so we needed to attack immediately and destroy them. He deployed the battalion, and the attack commenced. Kolya Maximov pulled ahead; I ordered the platoon commanders Yakovlev and Chebashvili not to fall behind, and rushed to catch up with Maximov, cursing him badly on the radio. It mystified me how the Germans managed not to hit Maximov, but the attack turned out to be swift and successful due to our onrush. The company burst into the enemy positions and flattened them. In the meantime Mayevskiy’s company attacked the enemy units in Valeiku Forest, having consolidated our left flank. An enemy SPG pulled out from behind a single shack standing on the southeastern slope of Hill 264, and began to turn towards Maximov’s tank. The crew hadn’t noticed it in the heat of the action. I yelled into the intercom:
‘Right of us at 10 o’clock, an SPG, an armour-piercer, fire!’
The block wedge clinked, having pressed the shell into the breech.
‘Ready!’ the gunloader reported.
‘I see the target,’ Blinov advised, quietly operating the elevation and rotation gear.
It fell too short! Sergeant Roy stopped the tank on a flat piece of ground for another shot. The second shot thundered, and a shower of sparks blazed on the SPG’s armour, and the machine was quickly engulfed in fire.
The attack continued, though Mayevskiy’s company got stuck in the forest, clearing the Germans out of it. The pace of our advance slowed down. The combat was doing everything possible to intensify pressure on the enemy, but there were not enough resources. Fortunately, the main forces of the brigade then arrived. Colonel Chunikhin quickly grasped the situation and ordered the 2nd and 3rd battalions to deploy immediately and hit the flanks of the enemy strongpoint, before completing the annihilation of the enemy together with our 1st Battalion. This fierce action lasted for about two hours. Having lost four SPGs, five anti-tank guns and dozens of soldiers and officers, the enemy finally wavered and began to retreat towards Goresti. Alas, because of the ruggedness of the terrain, we failed to encircle and wipe out the remaining enemy force.