The distance of seven or eight kilometers took at least an hour to escape the Germans on foot. Palansky's tank platoon, although more than half an hour late in the sortie, caught up with the enemy before it entered the settlement of Starodubki.

On the plains, when tanks meet infantry, it's a one-sided slaughter. What's more, those German soldiers were only concerned about fleeing for their lives, and no one thought of stopping to stop the resistance, so under the attack of the Palansky tank platoon, their casualties were even heavier.

The enemy, who was responsible for defending the settlement of Starodubki, did not look at two or three hundred men, but when they saw that the troops who had been holding on to the town of Gorodok were chased by Soviet tanks and fled into the settlement, they thought that their defense line had been broken through all fronts, and they also became panicked.

In just ten minutes, the German troops in the settlement of Staroduki had fled cleanly.

Palansky's tank stopped first, not because he didn't want to pursue the Germans, but because he ran out of fuel and couldn't drive again. The other three tanks also drove up to his tank and stopped.

The deputy platoon commander pushed open the top of the turret and climbed out and said to Palansky: "Comrade lieutenant, I have run out of shells and bullets. ”

"We've run out of shells and bullets." The commanders of the other two crews also reported to Palansky: "There is no fuel left. ”

When Palansky heard that ammunition and fuel were gone, he immediately realized the seriousness of the problem. If they just didn't have ammunition, the Germans could still drive tanks to crush them when they counterattacked. But now that there is no fuel, we can't let the tankers fight the enemy with their pistols.

Thinking of this, he immediately instructed everyone: "Brothers, look around and see if there are any German ammunition depots. ”

After his order was given, the tankmen of the tank platoon entered the nearby buildings as a group and searched for ammunition left behind by the Germans when they fled.

The deputy platoon commander ran out of a three-story building and excitedly shouted to Palansky: "Come and see, comrade lieutenant, here is an ammunition depot for the Germans. ”

Palansky followed the deputy platoon commander into the building and came to a conference room, where there were no conference tables and chairs, only neatly stacked ammunition boxes. He walked over and lifted the lid of a box to see that there were mortar shells inside. He hurriedly looked left and right again, and saw four mortars in the corner, and his mood suddenly became happy: "Great, this is really good." With these mortars, it will be possible for us to hold the settlements. ”

He ordered his subordinates to move out mortars and boxes with mortar shells, and behind the tanks lined up, a proposed artillery position was arranged. A firing point was set up at the level of tanks, and captured German machine guns were mounted.

After doing all this, he leaned his back against the tank body, lit the cigarette in his mouth, and asked the deputy platoon commander standing aside: "Comrade deputy platoon commander, I don't know when reinforcements will arrive, but even if we fight only one person left, we can't give up this settlement." Are you confident? ”

"Yes, Comrade Lieutenant." The deputy platoon commander took out a cigarette from his cigarette case and lit it, and replied with a smile: "We are trapped behind enemy lines, and even if we want to withdraw, there is nowhere to withdraw, so I believe that all the fighters will fight until the last moment." ”

…………

At noon, the Germans launched a counterattack on the settlement of Starodubki. More than a hundred enemies, armed with guns, pressed over from the north. More than 200 meters away from the settlement, the machine gunner chose a suitable position to set up a machine gun position and opened fire into the settlement to cover the rest of the infantry charge.

Palansky lay under the tank and quietly watched the Germans approach. When the enemy was only a hundred meters away from his position, he suddenly shouted: "Fire!" ”

As the order was given, the machine guns arranged under the tank began to fire, and the mortars in the rear of the tank began to bombard. The German soldiers, who were caught off guard, fell in large numbers under the strafing of machine gun fire. And those German machine-gun fire points were also named one by one by the mortars operated by tank gunners.

The first German attack lasted less than ten minutes before ending in a crushing defeat.

However, the Germans were not reconciled to their defeat, and an hour later, the regrouped German troops attacked again. This time they not only had the cover of machine guns, but also the support of mortars.

A German mortar shell fell behind the tank and exploded, destroying a Soviet mortar group, and three tankmen fell in a pool of blood. While sending men to treat them, Palansky ordered the remaining mortars and machine guns to fire at the same time to stop the enemy's attack on the settlement.

After repelling the second wave of German attacks, Palansky realized that it would be very difficult to hold the settlement of Starodubki on his own. So he climbed into the tank, got in touch with the battalion commander by radio, and said anxiously: "Comrade Major, how long do you have to arrive?" ”

"We have been stubbornly resisted by the Germans," said the battalion commander rather helplessly, "We are organizing a new assault, and we will rush over to meet you as soon as possible." ”

In less than three hours, the Germans organized two more attacks in order to recapture the settlement of Starodubki, trying to eliminate the Soviet troops in the settlement and reoccupy it.

By the time the fourth German attack had been repulsed, Palansky and his men were left with only five men, all wounded. The deputy platoon commander, whose face was blackened by the smoke of gunpowder, looked up at Palansky and said: "Comrade lieutenant, there are only five of us left, and there is not much ammunition, if reinforcements do not arrive, it may not be possible to hold the settlement of Starodubki." ”

A tank soldier who served as an observation post couldn't help but turn his head to look when he heard something coming from behind. When he saw it clearly, he couldn't help jumping up and cheering: "Reinforcements are coming, our reinforcements are coming!" ”

Palansky and the deputy platoon commander, who were sitting on the ground, heard the shouts of the observation post, stood up one after another, turned their heads to look south, and saw a group of Soviet troops wearing steel helmets and submachine guns appearing at the entrance of the settlement, and the standard-bearers holding high the bright Guards flags, silently telling them that it was the Guards troops with strong combat effectiveness.

One of the captains came up to Palansky, his eyes swept over the five surviving tank crews, and then he said: "Comrade lieutenant, I have been ordered to take over the defense of the settlement of Starodukki. ”

Palansky hurriedly saluted the other party and said excitedly: "Comrade Captain, I am Lieutenant Palansky, the commander of the tank platoon of the 157th Tank Brigade, and I will now hand over the Starodubki settlement to your troops in its entirety. ”

As soon as his hand was put down, the other party gave him a warm hug: "Comrade lieutenant, don't worry, we will definitely hold this place resolutely." Your mission is over, go back and rest. ”

When Palansky was about to leave the settlement with his surviving comrades, a huge roar of tank engines was heard from the south, and the deputy platoon commander looked over there for a while, and couldn't help but say with tears in his eyes: "Comrade lieutenant, it's the main force of the tank brigade that is coming!" ”