Southwestern Front of Stalingrad — Sector 9KJanuary 29, 1943, midday
The map was laid out on the hood of a Kübelwagen dusted with frost. Thick red lines. A pencil that trembled slightly. The staff officer spoke quickly, tension thick in his voice:
—"We can't wait. Soviet reserves are pulling back to seal the breach. If we don't open the corridor now, the 6th Army goes down with the city."
Albrecht stared at the man without blinking.
—"Artillery support?"
—"On the way. Too late."
—"Infantry?"
—"Two hours behind. Bogged down in frozen mud."
The officer turned to Falk.
—"Zugführer Ritter, your platoon is the only one operational on this flank.We need you to break the Soviet line now."
Silence. All eyes turned to Falk.
—"Alone?" he asked.
—"With all due respect, not because you're expendable," Albrecht replied."But because you're the only ones who can do it."
Falk nodded. Just once. Then climbed into the Tiger.
—
12:23 hours
Snow trembled beneath the treads. The Tiger led the charge. To its right, Konrad's Panther. Behind, the three Panzer IVs, aligned like wolves.
Ahead of them: half-buried Soviet bunkers, machine gun nests, minefields.And beyond that… the doomed city.
Falk opened the hatch. The wind tore at his breath, but he didn't look away.
—"They're sending us in. No rear guard.No one's coming… until we break through.So either we pass… or we die here."
Helmut slammed a round into the loader.
—"I'd rather die shooting."
Konrad murmured on the radio:
—"Ready. Let the storm begin."
—
12:27 hours
—"FIRE!"
The Tiger fired first. The high-explosive shell gutted a fortified trench, throwing dirt, timber, and bodies into the air.
The Panther flanked right and annihilated an anti-tank position with surgical precision.
The Panzer IVs opened fire together.The Soviet line responded with everything: mortars, anti-tank rifles, flanking fire.The ground turned into a cratered wasteland of snow and smoke.
Falk barked orders between jolts.
—"Konrad, left bunker!"—"Lukas, push to the crossroads!"—"Helmut, reload! NOW!"
The Tiger advanced like a living fortress, absorbing hits, belching flame.The Soviets, caught off guard by such a direct charge, fell back, fired, died.
One of the Panzer IVs took a hit. Its turret jammed, but it kept firing. It didn't stop.
The Panther was struck by a grenade, but Konrad corrected and blasted the source.
The line began to crack.
—
12:46 hours
Falk saw the Soviet flag fall from a raised position.
—"They've broken! KEEP MOVING!"
No shells left. Just smoke.Ernst's radio crackled with voices from the 6th Army. Crying. Laughing. Not understanding how… but knowing that something had happened.
The encirclement was no longer whole.
Falk lowered his head. Konrad had blood on his eyebrow. Helmut reached for another round. Lukas accelerated. Ernst gritted his teeth.
And they kept moving.Because steel, once it breaks through… doesn't stop.