Tyryshkin Alexander Nikandrovich Rank: Lieutenant. Branch of service: Land Forces, Air Forces (except for Marine Aviation), the coast guard, the troops of the NKVD, border troops. Unit: 126th rifle division (of the 1st formation). The article "One day of war "was published in the newspaper" Star of Altai " on April 5, 1975, from the words of my grandfather Alexander Tyryshkin Nikandrovich: June of 1944. Mogilyov area. Coming out swamp our battalion stopped for a rest. Some soldiers befixing their weapons, some smoked, many people struggled against drowsiness after a sleepless night. Suddenly, automatic rifle fire rose behind a nearby hillock. Everyone jumpt to his feet. A strange soldier in a colorful camouflage coat ran up to us holding a machine gun. He reported to the battalion commander: "A divisional recon group has been attacked. Not many of us survived. The Germans are sending reinforcements. We can't do it alone." The battalion commander ordered me, the commander of a platoon of submachine gunners, to help the recons. We went down the ravine, then saw a strip of rye and the Nazis behind it. We formed a line and charged on ahead. The recons jont us. The stunned fascists ran away. But only two managed to escape alive. Submachine gunner Tsygankov even gritted his teeth in annoyance: «Bad shooting!» We picked up the spoils and returned to the battalion's location. The battalion commander thanked the soldiers for their courage. And again we started on our way – to Mogilev. The sun was already at its Zenith. The villages of Bolshiye and Maliye Vasilky appeared ahead. They were located on the hills. Between them there was a hollow. There was a small shed in it and a willow bush nearby. Nothing else. The rest of the area was well viewed. Commander captain Bogoslovsky gave the order to conduct reconnaissance. But the Germans opened machine-gun and mortar fire as soon as they saw us. The platoon lay down and immediately rushed forward again. In the middle of the valley we lay again under heavy enemy’s fire. The platoon's chain thinned noticeably. Only one of three machine-gunners Tsygankov fired. Then our bombers appeared in the sky, turned around and began to bomb the front line of the enemy's defense, which was near gardens. Our artillery also started firing. In the roar of explosions the village went up in flames. The Germans were rushing around it not knowing where to hide. From the direction of Maliye Vasilki came four our tanks “T-34”. The artillery moved fire deep into the enemy's defense, and at the signal of the red rocket we rushed to the attack. Suddenly an enemy mine exploded in front of me. One of the fragments broke the helmet and wounded my head. I fell unconscious. I regained consciousness in the evening. Nearby, in a crater, lay a familiar recon – one of those whom we rescued in the morning. He smiled with difficulty: "I have bandaged you. Revenue for revenue". And he can't even move his hand – he was exhausted. Field hospital. A soldier entered the room. He was from a nearby company. He was the one who told how the fight for the Bolshiye Vasilky ended. Submachine gunner Tsygankov distinguished again. After I was wounded he took command. True, there were only twelve men left in the platoon, but they, like everyone else, continued to attack. Tsygankov and his submachine gunners ran towards a large house on the outskirts of the village, while running they fired their light submachine guns. Tsygankov ran out of ammo and took the machine gun slung on his back. He noticed three fascists running towards the bushes that were visible behind the village. One of them was carrying a long bundle. This seemed very suspicious to Tsygankov. And he took aim and fired a long burst at them. All three fell down. But the one with the bundle was alive. Tsygankov jumped up to him, kicked out the machine gun, and tore the bundle. However, the Hitlerite was not weak. A struggle ensued. Other soldiers could noot help Tsygankov – the machine gunners were fighting the house with a fight. Then Tsygankov snatched the captured gun that the battalion commander had left for him as a gift in the morning, and killed the fascist. The bundle turned out to be a German banner. So, on the 23rd of July 23 in 1944 another regiment of the Hitler army ceased to exist. A few days later, many of my comrades-in-arms were awarded government awards for their fight. Tsygankov received the Order of the Red Banner. I don't know what happened later to my close friends – the submachine gunners – Tsygankov, Sanin, Krylov, Filippov and others. But the memory of them will live on in my heart. (Alexander Tyryshkin, former commander of a platoon of submachine gunners).