Yakov Davidson Poedinok. We were friends with Sasha Kobzenkov almost from the first day of my stay in the squad. He helped me to develop films, and only one thing upset the boy - there was nowhere to print the cards. Sasha was a liaison, and the guerrillas spoke about him with respect: "This one will not let you down! I photographed Kobzenkov often. But only one photo survived! It was taken in March 1943. Kobzenkov just returned from a mission - under the fire of the enemy delivered a message to the headquarters. Right at the headquarters hut, I photographed him, "So they gave me a turn from the gate," - said Sasha Kobzenkov, not having fun, returning from the Glinsky detachment. It was a shame for him. Didn't he deserve a different attitude to himself? Either he was tired or upset and stopped watching the road, but Sasha got lost. He did not understand it at once: in the forest all trees are similar and all ravines are deep. But when Sasha found himself twice in the place of the burnt down forester's hut, he realized that his business was bad. The day went closer to the evening, there was a cold autumn rain, and rare yellow leaves with a sad rustle flew down from the branches. There was nowhere to hide, there weren’t even crumbs of bread in the shoulder bag... And the day began so promisingly. In the Glinsky squad, Sasha almost immediately ran into his father. Bearded, wearing a hat with earflaps, which hid almost half of his face, his father seemed to Sasha as some stranger. But as soon as he saw his son, the wrinkles smoothed out and a joyful smile illuminated his face.- Sashka, son, - quietly pronounced his father and held him to himself.- Son...he repeated with a trembling voice.- I, father, - said Sasha respectfully, although his eyes were on a wet spot. But he did not allow himself to cry, because he was a partisan liaison. – It’s so goo that you came. Tomorrow you would not have caought me here, we’re going to the railway," my father said. But suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked in surprise: - Wait, wait, how did you find yourself in the squad? Because contact persons are not allowed to leave the villages. - I brought you an urgent report. The Germans and Magyars were caught up with - horror. Uncle Ivan said that we should inform you. - Really? - My father thoughtfully noted and added: - Go, report to the commander.- Batya, I want to stay in the squad. Fedka-policeman started coming over too often to the house. He is sniffing out where you are. It seems he’s guessing that you did not go to any Vladimir-Volynsky to earn money ... - Perhaps, you're right, son, you should stay, - agreed my father. He did it so easily, without resistance, that the boy's heart was beating joyfully. But the commander of the Glinsk squad, having listened to the report and having thanked Sasha, refused to leave the boy: - No, Yegorych, and don't ask, - he put an end to the conversation, when the father supported his son, - You see, the Germans piled up from four sides. I can't take on my conscience such a thing... that children die under bullets. The fights are going to be fierce. Do not judge me, Yegorych, strictly. I respect your son, the real man is becoming of him, but I can't take him... - But he is under the suspicion of the local policeman... - We will have a special conversation with the policeman. And let Sasha move to the neighboring village, far away ... Sasha walked all night. He tried to have a rest, but he got cold quickly in the cold rain. He realized that his rescue was in motion. He remembered various pleasant prewar stories. Sasha especially liked hikes, which were conducted by a military officer from Osoaviachima. He learned to camouflage and orientate himself in the area. Went to ambushes and sentries, in short, grasped the military wisdom. It was interesting ... But anyway, no matter how cheerful he was, the fatigue took its toll. Having caught his foot on the root, he fell down and bruised his knee. Sasha was completely exhausted when he was picked up by the partisans. Sasha knew the commander of the machine-gun company Ilya Mikhailovich Avksentiev well - he had been to their house more than once, he was a friend of his father. - Rest, then you will tell about everything, - gently, but authoritatively ordered Avksentiev, when Sasha wanted to tell about his misfortunes. When Kobzenkov woke up, it was noon. Awksentiev was sitting at the table and wroting something," I look at you, Sashok, - said Avksentiev, - and think: why don’t you stay in the squad? You probably won't get to batya now - the Krauts are chasing them...Sashok instantly lost the desire to tell about what happened to him in the Glinsky squad.- That's what I wanted to ask you, Comrade Commander, - Kobzenkov said solidly, hardly holding back his joy.- Get ready, let's talk to Popuprepko. As Nikolai Nikitich decides, so it will be! Popudrepko, deputy commander of the partisan unit of Chernihiv region, Hero of the Soviet Union, met the boy friendly. He asked about his family, about his father - he knew him from pre-war times. - Where do you think to determine the boy? - He asked Avksentiev.- Second number to Ivan Krasavin, to the machine gun.- Good idea! - praised Popudrepko. Sasha came out of the dugout and therefore did not hear Nikolai Nikitich say to company commander: - You need to take care of such guys... take care of... Keep away from bullets for nothing! - Clearly, Comrade Popudrenko. Krasavin is an experienced soldier. Sasha Kobzenkov, not feeling the ground under his feet from joy, rushed to look for his friend Volodya Kaznacheev. If to tell the truth, Sasha has long been jealous of his comrade. Volodya was only six months older, and already fought for a long time.- You'd better ask to join us, - said Kaznacheev.- Partisan is the same soldier, - cut off Sasha.- The order of the commander is the law.- True, - agreed Kaznacheev.- Gunners also have a responsible job ... Don't worry, we will go to the "railway" together. Machine gunners always come with us. When the echelon jumps on a mine, especially if it is with the live force of the enemy, my case ends. The task of the machine-gunners is to make sure that no fascist gets out alive! Sasha quickly became friends with Vanya Krasavin, a young, cheerful Red Army soldier. He liked the boy, who wanted to understand every detail with his own mind, and tried to make everything with his own hands. Sasha was ready to tinker with a machine gun from morning till late at night, and even sleep with it in his arms. Seeing such devotion, Krasavin willingly passed on the combat experience to his second number. He taught how to determine the correction to the wind, how to hit the heap, and how to lay a bullet "fan" - to cover a large area. They never parted: they even slept in a dugout nearby. One day, they were lifted in the middle of the night. It was so frosty in the yard that it took their breath away. Partisans were gathering at the commander's dugout. When the order was given, everything became clear. The messenger warned the guerrillas that the Germans and the police in two columns were heading for the forest, and tomorrow they were going to attack the camp. The detachment's command decided to organize ambushes on the far approaches to the camp. It was necessary to meet the Hitlerites with machine gun fire and cause them as much damage as possible... Partisan rider confidently ruled the horses. The sleigh, where Sasha Kobzenkov and Krasavin were layng, covered with a coat, were moving in the middle of the column. The snow squeaked as a lullaby under the skids. Krasavin fell asleep quickly. Sasha lay with open eyes and looked at the distant furry stars. He was looking forward to the battle, wanted to take revenge on his mother, who was sent to the concentration camp. Finally, they stopped. The full moon shone brightly. It was visible as if in the afternoon. Quiet orders could be heard. Ivan went to Avksentyev to get an order. Sasha did not lose time: he pulled the machine gun off the sledge on the snow, took off Krasavin’s bag, checked the carbine… They equipped the position on a hillside, which was enveloped in a wide arc by a road coming out of the forest. The old curved pine, half-turned out of the ground by the storm, securely covered the position. The rest of the guerrillas lay in the spruce to the left of the road. It took a long time to wait. Everyone froze, and Sasha was about to ask Krasavin for permission to run and get some warmth when the muffled sounds of car engines were heard from afar. An anxious magpie flew by, followed by a flock of crows. A roundnose truck "fiat" was seen on the road. It was swaying on the bumps, dangerously heeled, and therefore the driver kept at low speed - twenty to thirty kilometers per hour. Behind the truck there was a 'passenger trap,' painted white, and then sleigh full of soldiers stretched out. The second "fiat" dragged a short-bore gun. The column bent out like a snake. Krasavin took to gently bring the sight to the head car. Sasha quickly ran his fingers over the machine-gun belt. When the signal shot was fired, Krasavin pressed the trigger, and "Maxim" began to catch fire, throwing dozens of bullets. Apparently, the driver of the car was killed immediately, because the "fiat" pulled off the road and rolled straight through the field land, throwing snow fountains out from under the wheels. Soldiers jumped out of the car covered with a tarp, but Krasavin hit without a miss. When the car finally stopped drowning in the deep snow, two or three gunners jumped out of the car and rushed to escape. Krasavin carried the fire to the tail of the column and immediately scattered the Nazis, riding in a sleigh. Caught by surprise, the punishers fired indiscriminately. The gunners managed to deploy the cannon, but the shells exploded far into the forest. Krasavin laid down the servants in a short queue and the cannon became silent. - Order in the tank units, - said Krasavin his favorite proverb, satisfied. – They won’t dare to show up soon. But he made a mistake. Furious at the unexpected attack and losses, the punishers almost immediately rushed into the attack. They fired automatic weapons on the move. The fire was unattended, but so dense that the wounded appeared among the guerrillas. Even the pine tree, under which the machine gunners had settled, seemed to moan pitifully from the bullets that were soaked into it. Krasavin was firing by short bursts, sparingly. But the ammunition was rapidly melting. - Ammunition is running out! - warned Sasha.- Damn it! - clicking on the jacket, but not hearing a shot, shouted Krasavin. His hands grabbed the empty belts and immediately threw them aside. - Run to the forest, Sashok! There should be bullets there. Look on the other sleigh! Two heavy boxes with belts seemed to Sasha as light as fluff. When he jumped out of the ravine, he realized with a fallen heart: the Hitlerites shoot more. It is their automatic rifles beat so sharply. Sasha was running along the field land, not looking at the road. - Come on, Sashok, come on, my dear you! - shouted, seeing him, Krasavin. In the blink of an eye, he reloaded the machine gun. The fascists had just risen to the attack. "Maxim" spoke in the hands of Krasavin, and Sasha barely had time to serve the belt. Black figures fell into the snow here and there and did not rise anymore. Soon the Germans stopped the attack and rolled back. The guerrillas took a break and stepped back - the task was completed. Stalled horses abruptly rushed from their places. Far behind, where the partisan ambush had just fought with the chasteners, the mines ruptured loudly... This fight of Alexander Kobzenkov was marked with the first award - the Medal 'For Courage'. The German garrison in Skrygalov resisted persistently. However, the partisans managed to defeat the main post. But the battle dragged on near the stone building, which was turned into a long-term defensive point by the Nazis. The semi-basement room was occupied by a department of chasteners. They had machine guns and automatic rifles, they fired heavily, not sparing bullets. The most annoying to the guerrillas was the machine-gunner. He didn’t let them pick their heads uo off the ground. – These won’t run – said Krasavin with a sigh, having stopped a meaningless waste of their poor ammunition. - They have one chance to survive - to resist our onslaught. They know that they will never be forgiven for their atrocities, - Ah, if only I had a cannon here! - said Sasha dreamily. The stone building stretched out on the hill, and the approaches to it were cleared in advance. The Germans controlled the situation. Of course, they could have waited for the night, crawled closer and thrown grenades at the embrasures. But the day was just beginning. In a couple of hours, for sure, the support would come to the fascists, and then the partisans would be at a disadvantage. The factor of surprise was lost, the guerrillas were forced to lie down one and a half meters from the stronghold and stop senseless bombardment. - Now it's time to leave! – was offered by Krasavin: "Did we smash the main post? We did! Did you blow up the communication node? We did! Did the Chief-traitor take the deserved punishment? He did! What else do we need? - And these will come out and start again with even more cruelty to deal with the old people and children. Now “ is the time"! - Alexander Rasokhin intervened in the conversation. Rasokhin was a sniper who flew to the partisans from the Big Land. He was famous for his imperturbability and good eye. Usually, Rasokhin hunted the officers when they were lifting the soldiers to attack. He used to hit them without a miss. But here he was also powerless. The embrasure, where the gunner was firing from, was securely covered.-Instead of arguing, guys, you better think about what you can do, - Avksentiev interrupted the discussion.- If the machine gun was pulled out to a comfortable position, - started Krasavin. – Not possible. Here, the German shot every inch. I wouldn't take a step... - Though I would go at least to that hut, - Krasavin didn’t stop, annoyed by an unforeseen hitch that threatened to break the guerrilla plans. A peasant house covered with straw rose within eighty meters of the building. When the guerrillas had just launched an attack, there were several policemen, who were quickly destroyed by machine gunners. But the guerrillas failed to use the house. Of the three people sent there with a hand machine gun, two were killed, and the third crawled into the house, but so far has not shown any signs of life. – Forget about it – said Avksentiev sharply – We’ve tried already. While the conversation was going on, Rasokhin was carefully examining the area through the sight of a sniper rifle. He was slowly "feeling" with his eye every bump, every bush.- Listen, Sashok, - he said, turning to Kobzenkov.- Will you come with me? - I will! - Sashok immediately agreed, not knowing where the paratrooper was calling him. - What are you up to, Rasokhin? - the company commander asked. – You can’t really get into the hut with a machine gun - the paratrooper began to quickly explain the plan. - With a rifle - you can. You'll cover us with fire, and we'll crawl... - Why do you need the guy? He has nothing to climb under the bullets for! - Avksentiev strongly objected. - This idea is not good, even if you sneak into the house. The moment you get out - the German will make a sieve out of you.- I need Sashok to distract the gunner's attention, - Rasokhin continued calmly.- He will lift his hat from the second window on a stick and move it. The machine-gunner will be distracted, and here I will enter into business.- Hm, - the company hesitated.- How are you, Sashok, ready to go? - Certainly! They crawled to the hut, and the platoon opened frequent fire. The Germans did not notice that in the hut, just opposite the machine gun embrasure, appeared two people. The floor of the room, overlooking the dot with two windows, was dotted with shards of window glass and pieces of plaster. Partisan moaned under the wall. Rasokhin quickly dragged him to another room and tied his wounds. Then he went behind the cloth screen that had been broken through in several places and began to examine the situation. Sasha silently watched his actions. The sniper squatted and carefully got close to Sasha. – It looks bad. It was not as simple as I had imagined.- Why? - I will not have time to shoot once, as I will be killed. The windows are very close, practically in one queue, taking into account dispersion, will cover both your hat and me... There is, of course, a way out... The risk, however, is great ... - What? - You can go up to full height behind the screen and shoot from the depth of the room ... But I need a support for the rifle... I need your shoulder, Sashok... - So what is the stop? – Kobzenkov was surprised. - For what if... ...in short, the muzzle of the machine gun is pointed at your chest. Maybe the German feels that someone appeared in the hut, or maybe it's different, but only behind the house fascists are looking around carefully... They snuck into the room, and Sasha rose to full height behind an old cloth screen. Rasokhin clicked the shutter and straightened himself out too. Sasha stood up facing the embrasure. Through the gaps he saw the muzzle of the machine gun and a light smoke above it. He knew that should the Germans catch the movement in the hut, and the gun queque will kill him and Rasokhin. "Hold still, don't move," Rasokhin ordered, resting a rifle on Sasha’s shoulder. The shot stunned Sasha, and the rifle hit him in the head painfully. The second shot seemed to sound simultaneously. Sasha saw the machine gun muzzle hinged up. A loud partisan "hooray!" was heard. The disbanded fascists were thrown with grenades... Many years passed since then. The former guerrillas went different places, meetings became rare. But once Kobzenkov took a vacation and went not to the south - to the Black Sea, but to the north - to Chernigov and Bryansk forests. He drove by car from village to village and did not recognize familiar places, no matter how much he looked at them. New houses, new streets, new people. Only the monuments of the fallen reminded of the past, of the losses and of Sashka's fighting youth.