Gao Guang knew this battle would be difficult, but he truly hadn't anticipated just how difficult.
The Russians suffered heavy casualties. The squads sent forward practically never returned; this wasn't just a typical fifty-percent casualty rate—it was near-total annihilation. Once anyone stepped into the underground tunnels, their fate was almost certain death, with a casualty rate approaching one hundred percent.
"Things were normal after we entered, but as we moved along the tunnel, there was suddenly an explosion. I don't know the exact range of the blast, but out of twelve of us, only I survived. I crawled back, was found by the brothers coming to meet us, and then they brought me back here."
The casualty rate wasn't absolutely one hundred percent only because one severely injured soldier managed to be rescued, and while he was still conscious, they hurriedly questioned him about the situation inside.
