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>Recon discovered that German forces in the Elevator were insignificant but they had light machine-guns , submachine-guns and some mortars. With only 27 soldiers, Polyakov attacked with three groups from the rear and flanks: the first group drew the Germans’ attention upon itself; the second group enveloped the Elevator from rear; the third approached from the flank. The Soviet then consolidated and covered the exposed flanks by posting a few soldiers in destroyed houses. The top floor of the Elevator was also set up for all-round defense.
>II. Bataillon, which was faced with the fortified Elevator . One of the II. Bataillon’s soldiers, Willhelm Hoffman, recalls: “Our battalion, plus panzers, is attacking the Elevator , from which smoke is pouring – the grain in it is burning , the Russian seem to have set light to it themselves. Barbarism. The battalion is suffering heavy losses. There are not more than sixty men left in each company. The Elevator is occupied not by men but by devils that no flames or bullets can destroy. “ Soviet records state that “at 13.00, enemy submachine-gunners launched an attack on the Elevator but the positions was restored by a counterattack.”
>Over the next four days, the Germans launched attacks on the Elevator several times a day, having brought forward artillery and tanks (including flamethrowers. Fifty rounds of 88mm Flak were pumped into it but the effect was minimal; a series of small round holes. German infantry, under cover fire, repeatedly stormed the Elevator, but all attempts were smashed by the tenacity of the Soviet defenders. On 19 Septembers, the Elevator was surrounded. The Germans launched two attacks supported by 7 panzers. The Soviet counterattacked and threw them back to their starting positions. About 30 Germans corpses left the walls of the Elevator