There were few of them. Significantly less than heroes-Panfilovtsev, but they were from the magnificent cohort.
They could not enter into battle, this is not their task. But it so happened that on the segment of the front where they were and German divisions, who rushed to Moscow, was no longer anyone.
In general, it was not. In a panic and the Sumyatice of those days it was quite possible, as well as now.
They lasted. 11 people against tanks. It seems impossible. Not conceivable, but they destroyed 11 tanks. 11 people destroyed 11 tanks. One to one. People from steel. They did not have artillery did not have support from air, only grenades and PDD, but there was will and determination. And they did what not in human power.
"The night replaces the gloomy autumn morning. It came slowly and reluctantly, just did not want to see him to see the blood and suffering of people. But it was the morning of the memorable day, when 28 Panfilovtsev from the regiment of Caprov made their immortal feat, "the Z.S. wrote in his memoirs Shehtman, former commander of the 1077th Regiment of the 8th Guards Rifle Division named after I.V. Panfilova.
On November 12, 1941, when it became clear that it was impossible to retain employed positions on the Volokolamsk direction further, the 1077th regiment of the 316th rifle division was ordered to retire Maleevka - string - Golubtsovo. And on November 16, the opponent began an offensive. All day on November 16, the 1077th regiment beat baked attacks on the right flank.
By evening, it became clear - the occupied position of the division is not to keep, a departure is needed to a new frontier. The 1077th regiment was ordered to keep the opponent to give divisions to break away. After completing this task, the regiment departed to the believer appointed him, leaving three groups of covers. One of them, led by a platoon commander of the younger lieutenant Kolesnichenko, was located south of the village of Strokov, opposite the village of Galtsovo, already occupied by the fascists. The north-west of the line, against the village of Maleevki, took the defense group of the commander of the platoon of the junior lieutenant Mileshina. The protection of the central, most responsible plot was charged with the suspension of sappers under the command of the younger lieutenant P.I. Firstova.
"He was the junior Politruk A.M. Pavlov. The choice was not random. Firms, Pavlov and Assistant commander of the platoon Alexey Zubkov became famous in our regiment with their fearlessness and special luck. All three one year old - twenty-five years. In the company Firstov, except Pavlov and Zubkov, there were eight sappers: Pavel Sinegynevsky, Gleb Ulchenko, Vasily Semenov, Proophilia Kalyuzhnik, Erofey Dovggio, Vasily Manyushin, Peter Geniyevsky and Sergeant Daniel Materkin, the youngest of all. There were all eleven people, "wrote later in his memoirs Z. S. Shehtman.
It is precisely the share of eleven sappers fell the hardest battle. Ten tanks accompanied by infantry appeared at all from there, from where they were waiting. They walked from the southwest, in the direction of Avdotina, and they had to pass by the sappers, without noticing them. But french decided not to miss the enemy. The sappers opened fire on the infantry. Enemy soldiers climbed, and three tanks turned around and headed against the Okop Pavlov. Polyrtrok jumped out of the trench, threw the grenade bundle in the front tank. The remaining two tanks rushed into the attack on the trench, in order to crush those who were in it. Then Sergeant Alexei Zubkov and Fighter Gleb Ulchenko also jumped out of the tune and managed to throw tanks with grenades and bottles with flammable. Two more tank were chopped, and the crews were destroyed. Sappers twice rushed into a counterattack. Already six flashed tanks near the trenches. About one hundred enemy corpses rushed the earth.
Three hours lasted the fight before the fascists retreated. Alive there were only three sappers - Peter Firms, Vasily Semenov and Peter Genyevsky ... After a short period of time, the second wave of tanks and infantry went. Peter Firms jumped out of the tag with a scream: "For the Motherland!", Detacked the pomegranate and undermined the tank before the wounded, fell on the road. Semenov and Genyevsky fought to the last cartridge and were killed by Nazis.
Firms, collecting the last forces, crawled away from the road. As soon as the Nazis saw that the Soviet officer was alive, they sketched him on the neck of the belt, tied another end to the tank and dragged the lieutenant on the frozen land. The tank pulled, the belt was cut off, and the rest of the tanks passed along the dead body of a selfless patriot, a fearless hero of Peter Firstyov.
At night, a resident of the village of Strokova Lyubov Naumova, Claudia Kachachaov and Anna Krutov, since the details of the battle were known, the remains of the heroes were very famous.
From memories Z.S. Shehtman.