Staying to the End
How a Handful of Russian “Madmen” Held the Fort Until They Were Wiped Out
Here is a weird story of unavailing heroism on the part of a Russian officer and the remaining few of his company who held one of the forts in the siege of the Novogeorgievsk fortress. It is laconically told by the reporter but it needs no flourish:
Several forts pass through the last hours of their life. All the fortifications are swept away; most of the guns are silent; the men are nowhere in sight. German infantry floods the plain. Columns of soldiers advance from the right and from the left. Their front seems impenetrable.
In one of the forts, however, are still a few men. It is one limb of the stricken animal, with claws unsheathed, still throbbing with life. For these men there is a road of escape behind the fort, making their return to the fortress possible, but the “brave ones’ madness” asserts itself. The commanding officer gathers his men together and says:
“Boys, it’s for you to say. If you speak the word, we’ll all go back, though I’m for staying here.... Remember if we stay, the chances are that not one of us will escape. Which shall it be?”
“Of course, we’ll stay. What difference does it make? It’s just the same in the fortress.... We’ll stay and have our fun here.”
They bared their heads, made the sign of the cross, and kissed each other like brothers. The officer informed the fortress, through underground telephone, of the decision of his men.
“We stay here to the end. And maybe you’ll come and get us out.”
A few moments later, the struggle between this handful of men and several German columns began. The Germans, encircling the silent fort, never expected to find amid its ruins a handful of “madmen.” The advancing columns were rolling on. Suddenly the ruins burst into life. Machine guns splashed their hail of lead, and a shell or two fell into the midst of the German columns.
The Germans became furious. They rushed to the remains of the fort, and turned back, met by a living wall of lead and fire. The heavy German guns began their booming.... Clouds of dust and broken stone surround the fort, which still speaks its language of fire. The officer reports the operations to the fortress through the telephone:
“We are surrounded. Firing incessantly. They’re falling fast. They’ve turned back. They are hammering our covers with heavy guns. The Germans are beginning their attack. Firing, firing, firing. We’re mowing them down. How are things with you? We are waiting for you....”
A half-hour later, the officer reports again: “They’re hammering hard. The arches seem to hold out. Attacking us again. We’ve lots of ammunition. We are waiting for you....”
Another hour goes by. “Everything around is strewn with bodies of Germans. They are all mad. Throw themselves on us like starved rats, and we shoot. Every shot tells.”
A little later, the voice speaks excitedly: “The Germans are flooding everything. We’ve no time to fire.... We cut down ten, and twenty take their places.... We mow down the twenty, and forty others are there already.... The Germans are in the fort. We are still firing at those in the field.... They’re trying to break through the roof.... Can’t hear anything.... The Germans are piling rocks against our gun-openings.... We are still firing.... Fire....”
The voice stopped short. The Germans were in full possession of the fort.