First Soviet battle, and due to kit shortages I'm in a camouflage overall with pilotka and gym (no pants). Because I look the most like a pioneer out of the group, I'm sent forward to dig up some mines the Fascisti have buried to stop our T-34 rolling over them. Now, it's been pissing it down all night so the ground is muddy and slippy as anything. I get up to the cover by the road, lean out and start to dig. I get the mines out, put them aside, then get up to run back to the treeline and retrieve my PPS-43. I then trip, my pilotka goes flying into the explosives zone, and I fall flat on my face. The public are having a right old giggle at this, so I figure I'll act wounded to make myself not look like a total arse. My mate jogs forward and starts to pull me back as the rest of the regiment advances up the field towards this village the Germans are holding. The red banner goes forward and we give the public a nice loud "URA!" as we take the village and send the Fascisti running. We begin to set up positions in the village while the T-34 feigns mechanical problems to make it a little fairer. All of a sudden, the Germans appear at the top of the road we just went down in a half-track with a SdKfz. 221 as support. Now, I've never seen anyone in German uniform before today, and can honestly say that for some psychological reason I'm a little bit scared as they come down the road in full force. The T-34 takes a mortar hit and is out of the fight, so we naturally get a bit overwhelmed. Some comrades are running, some are dying, some are surrendering. So I throw down my SMG and run out shouting "Ne strelyayte! Ne strelyayte!" I get put in the charge of a young Private, probably his first battle too, and he gestures for me to walk with his rifle. We're walking towards the holding area for prisoners when I notice that the Starshina's dead, and his Tokarev is lying next to him. Figuring it'd be nice to put on a bit of a show for the public, I make a grab for it and turn around, only to be greeted by a rifle butt almost knocking my teeth out. I go down and then these two Fascisti start Jackbooting me while shouting what I can only presume are rude words in foreign speak. Needless to say, quite an introduction to the brutality of the Eastern front!
