Chapter 593 True Glory

The cruel war turned all the soldiers involved into ferocious monsters, even future time-travelers like Malashenko.

Since the troops expanded from the initial establishment of the independent First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion to the present, Malashenko has never suffered such heavy casualties.

The Guards Tank Regiment, which was equivalent to an ordinary tank division, had been decimated, and now only eight moving tanks were left.

In the battle just now, even the correspondent and communications staff of Malashenko's regiment picked up their weapons and rushed forward. The hand-to-hand fighting in front of the position dyed the land under their feet scarlet.

The German armored units were blocked in the village and annihilated. Seeing that there was no hope of victory, the infantry were frightened by the rolling Soviet heavy tanks. They simply dropped their weapons and surrendered with their will on the verge of collapse.

Preliminary casualty statistics have come out.

Malashenko currently has only 172 remaining infantrymen, including the field maintenance battalion officers and soldiers who have taken up arms to improvise and the non-combatants at the regiment headquarters.

Excluding these personnel, Malashenko has only 50 combat infantrymen available, including militiamen.

One of the more ironic things is that there were more than 400 German infantrymen who laid down their weapons and chose to surrender where they were.

The fact that there were more prisoners than the infantry under his command was something Malashenko had seen from some historical records in the school library when he was studying in Moscow in his previous life.

It's just that in 1944, the Soviet infantry division captured a large number of surrendered German troops, and the entire battlefield situation had been reversed in favor of the Soviet army.

Malashenko had never dreamed of such a bloody thing happening in the summer of 1942.

Sitting on the corpse was already the third consecutive cigarette. The frowning Commissar Petrov knew that it was time for him to do something.

"What are you going to do with those Kraut prisoners?"

Facing the question quietly raised by Commissar Petrov on the side, Malashenko, who kept smoking as he was, was noncommittal. It was not until the cigarette in his hand burned to the butt that he noticed the burning sensation.

"Do you want to hear the truth or just a formality?"

It seems that he has noticed something from Malashenko's connotative answer. Commissar Petrov, who frowned even more, had almost guessed what Malashenko was planning to do, but in the end he did not say anything but thought Listen to Malashenko himself.

"I never want to hear you tell me those perfunctory words. It was like that in the past and it still is like that now."

After taking a strong puff of the cigarette butt in his hand and throwing it to the ground, Malashenko stood up from the sitting body and simply told everything in his mind.

"Kill all these German prisoners of war, comrade political commissar! Let them bury them with our fallen soldiers!"

Even though he had already guessed that Malashenko was paying such attention, Commissar Petrov couldn't help but feel heartbroken after hearing these words.

"You know that killing prisoners to vent your anger has no practical significance, Malashenko, you cannot and should not issue such an order that is degrading to honor!"

"Oh? Really? But I just killed a German official. Did I tarnish my own honor? Comrade Political Commissar."

Looking at Malashenko's red eyes staring closely at him, Commissar Petrov knew that Malashenko had almost fallen into a hysterical rage and madness at this moment.

"But that's different, Malashenko, you know what I mean."

"Know? Haha, I'm sorry, Comrade Political Commissar, I don't know! I just know that I want to kill these Germans right now. Regardless of whether you agree or not, anyone who wants to stop me had better shoot me first!"

Malashenko, who was so excited that he said harsh words, immediately picked up the Somi submachine gun slung over his shoulder and was about to take action himself. Political Commissar Petrov was forced to a dead end by Malashenko's actual actions. Clenching his teeth, he shouted loudly at Malashenko again.

"We are glorious Red Army soldiers who fight for our ideals, our beliefs, and to protect our families and motherland! You and I are both party members, and we swore an oath under the red flag!"

"Killing all these Germans who have laid down their weapons may make you feel the pleasure of revenge for a moment! But what happens after? After that, what is left in your empty heart except that it can't be filled with anything? The first guard What’s the difference between the glorious title of the heavy tank breakthrough group and the butcher’s army! This is not our ideal, Malashenko!”

The sharp scolding from behind was like a pair of invisible hands that forcibly stopped Malashenko from moving forward.

At the moment when his soul was awakened, Malashenko recalled many countless things.

When he accepted the entrustment of another soul, it was as ethereal as a dream, Natalia's face watching him quietly at home, the silly smile and voice of the bearded battalion commander Maxim in front of him, and his personal assurance that he would do it. The face of Platoon Commander Andre who will complete the mission

"Revenge cannot save you. That is the path I have taken before and I don't want you to repeat it again. Look around you. They are all glorious Red Army soldiers with firm beliefs. They are still waiting for you to lead. No one wants you to Do this kind of thing!"

Following the direction pointed by Commissar Petrov's words, Malashenko looked around and saw living faces that were tired but shining with hope.

War is a synonym for the worst evil in the world, which is composed of a series of evil factors such as hatred, massacre, cruelty, and revenge. However, heroes born in war are not equivalent to murderous devils who have committed many crimes.

He stood there and watched for a long time with the Suomi submachine gun in his hand and the bullet loaded into the gun chamber.

Malashenko, whose heart was originally filled with hatred and anger, suddenly felt an inexplicable emptiness. This was an unprecedented emptiness after the tide of hatred receded, which was enough to instantly destroy Malashenko's already fragmented and cracked will, making this glorious Red Army tank hero experience unprecedented pain.

""

The Suomi submachine gun in his hand slipped to the ground unconsciously. Malashenko, who had no idea what he was thinking and what he should do at the moment, lost his center of gravity and strength and fell back directly on the lawn.

The dark golden afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on Malashenko's mottled face, which was bruised and battered by the war. Malashenko looked up at the sky and really hoped that time could be frozen in this quiet moment forever.

The heavy smell of blood and smoke in the air had been quietly blown away by the breeze that brushed across his cheeks.