The Cathedral of Warsaw is a sturdy stone structure that was still standing after more than a dozen bombs when the Germans bombed Warsaw five years ago. In order to prevent the Soviet army or the insurgent army from occupying this place, Stegger specially sent 300 elite German troops to hold on here.

The offensive launched by Pankov's troops did not go well. A few general-purpose machines erected on the bell tower fired a storm of fire on the road leading to the church, leaving countless brave Soviet commanders and fighters in a hail of bullets.

The commander of the 412th Guards Regiment was tasked with the offensive mission, and seeing that the enemy's fire was too fierce, the regimental commander hurriedly said to Pankov: "Comrade division commander, the enemy's firepower is too fierce, and we have no heavy weapons, so if we want to capture the church, we will inevitably pay a huge price." ”

"This is the commanding height of the whole city." Pankov pointed to the church in front of him and said loudly to the regimental commander: "If we do not occupy this church, then the enemy inside may launch a counterattack against us at any time." As soon as they join forces with the enemy who comes to our aid, we are in danger of being attacked on our backs. ”

The regimental commander knew very well that Pankov was not unfounded, and if German reinforcements entered the city of Warsaw, then the German troops who were stuck in the church would echo them and pose a great threat to themselves. However, he also knew what a heavy price he would have to pay to capture the church occupied by the Germans without heavy weapons, and that his regiment would have to be abolished in the end.

It was precisely because of this consideration that he again suggested to Pankov: "Comrade division commander, I think we should wait a little longer, and after finding the rebels in this area, we will attack more churches. ”

"What's the use of finding the rebels?" Pankov pointed to the church a few hundred meters away with his hand and said loudly to the regimental commander: "They were ordinary people not long ago, and they had no combat experience at all, even if hundreds or thousands of rebel soldiers came to assist us, what difference is there between their attack and suicide. ”

"Comrade division commander," while the two were arguing, a captain came up with two Poles in civilian clothes with armbands on their arms, and reported to Pankov: "These two Polish comrades, who say that they belong to the Lyudov Guards, have come to assist us in the capture of the Cathedral of Warsaw. ”

"Hello, comrades." Hearing that the person who came was from the Lyudov Guards, a smile suddenly appeared on Pankov's face, and while shaking hands with the other party, he asked curiously: "How many of you came?" ”

"Two hundred." A tall man replied: "Every warrior has a weapon, and although many have never fought before, we are not afraid of death for the liberation of our homeland." ”

"It's not enough to be afraid of death." Pankov pointed to the church in the distance again, and said helplessly: "The flesh and blood of the soldiers alone cannot stop the bullets of the Germans." Even if you throw these two hundred into battle, it is estimated that they will all fall under the guns of the Germans before they even come close to the church. ”

After hearing Pankov's words, the tall man turned his head to look at the elderly man beside him, and after seeing the other party bowing slightly, he said: "Comrade General, if we want to seize the Cathedral of Warsaw, we do not necessarily have to attack from the ground, we can use other methods. ”

"I can't think of a better way than to attack from the ground......" Pankov was just halfway through his words, when he suddenly shook his whole body, and then asked the tall man with wide eyes and surprise: "What did you just say?" If you don't attack from the ground, is there still a passage underneath the church? ”

A smug smile appeared on the tall man's face: "That's right, Comrade General, there is indeed a secret passage to the church. One was the drainage ditch in the church, but the Germans had installed an iron fence at the exit and planted mines nearby to prevent anyone from getting in. ”

When Pankov heard that there was an underground passage leading to the church, he looked very excited, but when he heard clearly that the exit of the sewer into the church had been sealed by the Germans with an iron fence and a mine had been planted nearby, he couldn't help but have a disappointed expression on his face. He asked nonchalantly, "Is there another entrance?" ”

"Yes, Comrade General." The tall man nodded and said affirmatively, "There is another secret passage for the priests to escape, and the exit is under the shrine." Judging by all indications, the Germans have not yet discovered this secret passage. ”

When the head of the regiment heard the tall man say this, he couldn't help but interject and ask, "Since you know this secret passage, why don't you enter the church from there and destroy the Germans inside?" ”

The tall man smiled bitterly and said, "Comrade Colonel, as I just said, there are only two hundred of us, and most of them are recruits with little combat experience. Do you think that our troops, with the same number of Germans, can be wiped out? ”

"I see." When the regimental commander figured out what was going on, he continued: "So you have come here to ask for our help?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Colonel," replied the tall man, not hiding his true thoughts, nodding his head and truthfully "we do think so." With your joining, the destruction of the Germans is even more certain. ”

Pankov raised his hand and looked at his watch and asked the tall man: "When can you take our troops to find that passage?" ”

"Anytime." The tall man smiled and replied, "As long as you have completed the assembly, we can go at any time." ”

After receiving the reply from the tall man, Pankov turned his head and instructed the regimental commander: "Colonel, immediately transfer a battalion of troops, carrying more submachine guns, grenades and sapper shovels, and follow the Polish comrades into the church through the secret passage to destroy the enemy who are holding inside." ”

The regiment commander had only joined the Eighth Guards Army during the Belarusian campaign, so he was very puzzled by Pankov's order to carry an sapper shovel: "Why should we carry an sapper shovel?" ”

Pankov smiled at him and said: "Comrade Colonel, when we were in Stalingrad, we used sapper shovels to engage in street battles with the Germans indoors. I think these things can be useful when fighting in churches. ”

Ten minutes later, the assembled battalion followed the two Polish comrades of the rebel army and quietly made their way through the ruins to the secret passage where the church could be entered, ready to give the Germans a center to blossom. The regimental commander looked at the church opposite and nervously asked Pankov: "Comrade division commander, do you think our sneak attack will be successful?" ”

"Whether it succeeds or not, Comrade Colonel." Pankov looked at the regimental commander and said with a serious expression: "We should all try, maybe we are lucky enough to take this church with only a small number of casualties." ”

The Germans, who were holding on to the church, were surprised to see that the Soviets did not attack again after one attack was thwarted. A second lieutenant asked the captain in command: "Mr. Captain, what a strange thing, why didn't the Russians attack?" ”

The German captain snorted and said disdainfully: "You don't look at how powerful our firepower is, the Russians without heavy weapons want to come in, it's a dream"

The regimental commander knew very well that Pankov was not unfounded, and if German reinforcements entered the city of Warsaw, then the German troops who were stuck in the church would echo them and pose a great threat to themselves. However, he also knew what a heavy price he would have to pay to capture the church occupied by the Germans without heavy weapons, and that his regiment would have to be abolished in the end.

It was precisely because of this consideration that he again suggested to Pankov: "Comrade division commander, I think we should wait a little longer, and after finding the rebels in this area, we will attack more churches. ”

"What's the use of finding the rebels?" Pankov pointed to the church a few hundred meters away with his hand and said loudly to the regimental commander: "They were ordinary people not long ago, and they had no combat experience at all, even if hundreds or thousands of rebel soldiers came to assist us, what difference is there between their attack and suicide. ”

"Comrade division commander," while the two were arguing, a captain came up with two Poles in civilian clothes with armbands on their arms, and reported to Pankov: "These two Polish comrades, who say that they belong to the Lyudov Guards, have come to assist us in the capture of the Cathedral of Warsaw. ”

"Hello, comrades." Hearing that the person who came was from the Lyudov Guards, a smile suddenly appeared on Pankov's face, and while shaking hands with the other party, he asked curiously: "How many of you came?" ”

"Two hundred." A tall man replied: "Every warrior has a weapon, and although many have never fought before, we are not afraid of death for the liberation of our homeland." ”

"It's not enough to be afraid of death." Pankov pointed to the church in the distance again, and said helplessly: "The flesh and blood of the soldiers alone cannot stop the bullets of the Germans." Even if you throw these two hundred into battle, it is estimated that they will all fall under the guns of the Germans before they even come close to the church. ”

After hearing Pankov's words, the tall man turned his head to look at the elderly man beside him, and after seeing the other party bowing slightly, he said: "Comrade General, if we want to seize the Cathedral of Warsaw, we do not necessarily have to attack from the ground, we can use other methods. ”

"I can't think of a better way than to attack from the ground......" Pankov was just halfway through his words, when he suddenly shook his whole body, and then asked the tall man with wide eyes and surprise: "What did you just say?" If you don't attack from the ground, is there still a passage underneath the church? ”

A smug smile appeared on the tall man's face: "That's right, Comrade General, there is indeed a secret passage to the church. One was the drainage ditch in the church, but the Germans had installed an iron fence at the exit and planted mines nearby to prevent anyone from getting in. ”

When Pankov heard that there was an underground passage leading to the church, he looked very excited, but when he heard clearly that the exit of the sewer into the church had been sealed by the Germans with an iron fence and a mine had been planted nearby, he couldn't help but have a disappointed expression on his face. He asked nonchalantly, "Is there another entrance?" ”

"Yes, Comrade General." The tall man nodded and said affirmatively, "There is another secret passage for the priests to escape, and the exit is under the shrine." Judging by all indications, the Germans have not yet discovered this secret passage. ”

When the head of the regiment heard the tall man say this, he couldn't help but interject and ask, "Since you know this secret passage, why don't you enter the church from there and destroy the Germans inside?" ”

The tall man smiled bitterly and said, "Comrade Colonel, as I just said, there are only two hundred of us, and most of them are recruits with little combat experience. Do you think that our troops, with the same number of Germans, can be wiped out? ”

"I see." When the regimental commander figured out what was going on, he continued: "So you have come here to ask for our help?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Colonel," replied the tall man, not hiding his true thoughts, nodding his head and truthfully "we do think so." With your joining, the destruction of the Germans is even more certain. ”

Pankov raised his hand and looked at his watch and asked the tall man: "When can you take our troops to find that passage?" ”

"Anytime." The tall man smiled and replied, "As long as you have completed the assembly, we can go at any time." ”

After receiving the reply from the tall man, Pankov turned his head and instructed the regimental commander: "Colonel, immediately transfer a battalion of troops, carrying more submachine guns, grenades and sapper shovels, and follow the Polish comrades into the church through the secret passage to destroy the enemy who are holding inside." ”

The regiment commander had only joined the Eighth Guards Army during the Belarusian campaign, so he was very puzzled by Pankov's order to carry an sapper shovel: "Why should we carry an sapper shovel?" ”

Pankov smiled at him and said: "Comrade Colonel, when we were in Stalingrad, we used sapper shovels to engage in street battles with the Germans indoors. I think these things can be useful when fighting in churches. ”

Ten minutes later, the assembled battalion followed the two Polish comrades of the rebel army and quietly made their way through the ruins to the secret passage where the church could be entered, ready to give the Germans a center to blossom. The regimental commander looked at the church opposite and nervously asked Pankov: "Comrade division commander, do you think our sneak attack will be successful?" ”

"Whether it succeeds or not, Comrade Colonel." Pankov looked at the regimental commander and said with a serious expression: "We should all try, maybe we are lucky enough to take this church with only a small number of casualties." ”

The Germans, who were holding on to the church, were surprised to see that the Soviets did not attack again after one attack was thwarted. A second lieutenant asked the captain in command: "Mr. Captain, what a strange thing, why didn't the Russians attack?" ”

The German captain snorted and said disdainfully: "You don't look at how powerful our firepower is, the Russians without heavy weapons want to come in, it's a dream"