Chapter 1252 Biography of Artyom

Artyom, from Odessa, 2017

In 1940, Artyom was just a worker in the local shipyard in Odessa. He lived a peaceful life like most young workers with his wife, who was not particularly beautiful but gentle and virtuous. His two daughters, one big and one small, were the most beloved ones of Artyom.

Artyom was very satisfied with such a life.

Artyom's family, who had lived in Odessa for generations, was a native of the area. When Artyom was still a child, his grandfather had told him and taught him.

It was those who carried the banner of communism who liberated the workers and peasants from the nobles. Before they came, the peasants and workers were left with only endless exploitation and oppression. They brought a hope for tomorrow that no one had ever expected.

It was as if from that day on, everything in the future was full of hope.

At that time, Artyom did not quite understand why his grandfather told him these things, nor did he understand the great truth in them.

When he grew up, when Artyom himself became a glorious worker. Artyom, who could feel that he was making contributions to the country and the land that gave birth to him, finally understood the meaning of what his grandfather told him.

Everything he did was meaningful. Workers were no longer money-making tools in the hands of capitalists, but used their own hands to create a better tomorrow for this country and for the great belief that united everyone as never before.

Artyom was a glorious worker. He was proud of his identity and felt unprecedented pride. He firmly believed that the phrase "the future belongs to us" flying under the red flag was not empty talk.

Until later, everything changed.

The roaring and black smoke-spraying German war machines crossed the border and drove onto the land of the motherland. The territory continued to fall, the outposts were destroyed one after another, and countless brave Red Army soldiers who went forward to defend their country died.

Artyom's future should not be like this, but it is just like the choices made by thousands of young people of his age.

Artyom put down his tools, picked up his weapon and signed up to join the army, defending this hard-earned achievement with practical actions.

Because he was proficient in mechanics, had received basic education, and was strong due to the characteristics of long-term work, Artyom was selected and sent to the tank soldier sequence as a technical branch.

After a short training, Artyom was assigned to a KV1 heavy tank as a loader. His first battle was the Battle of Moscow, which was known as the coldest winter.

After that, Artyom experienced countless difficult and dangerous battles, and he brushed shoulders with death countless times and survived countless times.

In the process of constantly fighting the enemy, Artyom heard a name that his comrades passed on by word of mouth: Malashenko. This name and his troops almost became a symbol and sign of victory. Almost everyone was talking about news and things related to it.

Artyom, who could read and write, began to collect newspapers and look for any news about the man named Malashenko, and even took the initiative to tell his comrades.

As a Red Army tank soldier driving a heavy tank, Artyom, who admired him, began to hope more and more that one day he could join the heroic team led by Malashenko to fight on the fiercest front line with the evil fascist lunatics who trampled and destroyed everything.

The turning point of things soon came, and Artyom ushered in a change of fate in an unprecedented way.

In the Battle of Stalingrad, Artyom and his crew were penetrated by the side armor of a German long-barreled Type 4 tank. Fortunately, the German fired a tungsten core armor-piercing bullet without charge. Although it destroyed the KV1 in a tactical sense, it failed to kill all the crew members. Artyom was one of the only two survivors.

Artyom, who would never abandon his comrades, drove his wounded body and dragged the driver, whose half of his body was cut into a bloody mess by armor fragments, out of the immobile tank under the enemy's hail of bullets.

Dragging his comrades in one hand and holding the Tokarev pistol in the other, he retreated while firing. Just when Artyom was only a few steps away from his infantry comrades who came to pick him up, a German bullet that flew from nowhere pierced his cotton coat and blood splattered instantly.

Feeling that all his strength was rapidly draining away like a floodgate, Artyom lost consciousness and fell heavily. When he woke up again, Artyom found that he was already lying in the hospital, and all he could see was a strange and pale ceiling.

Because of this experience, Artyom, who was brave and did not abandon his comrades, was awarded a Red Flag Medal.

When the colonel who came to the hospital to visit the wounded and awarded him a medal asked him if he had any other requests, Artyom, who had hesitated for a moment, finally mustered up the courage and spoke firmly.

"Please send me to Malashenko's command. I want to continue fighting the enemy and defending the motherland!"

Artyom, whose ribs were broken by bullets, was seriously injured. He lay in the hospital and the time for recovery was counted. It was the end of the Battle of Kursk in a blink of an eye.

When Artyom finally received the signature of "passed the physical examination and allowed to return to the team" from the military doctor, the colonel who had never met him met his request. Artyom was transferred to the newly formed Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division to return to the battlefield. The division commander was the number one tank hero of his motherland whom he had admired for a long time: Major General Malashenko.

It was not until he actually arrived at the Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division that Artyom learned that the colonel who came to visit the wounded and awarded him a medal was Political Commissar Petrov.

At the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, Political Commissar Petrov and the troops led by Malashenko were only less than a block away from him.

That day, Political Commissar Petrov was just entrusted to come to the field hospital for routine work, but he never thought that it would change Artyom's fate for the rest of his life.

In short, Artyom, who had realized his dream, is now very happy.

He firmly believed that he could do a good job as a loader and get along well with his new comrades, even if the gunner looked at him with a sour face. Artyom was confident and believed that he had the ability to change his opinion of himself and finally prove himself with strength.