Upfall

The two buildings were lined up end to end, so that the Ukrainians did not have a clear shot at the Jews next door. Rather they had a view across the open space to the gate, and Shapira's squad, while Shapira had a direct view of the Ukrainians. The Israeli saw rifles emerge from the barrack windows. He pointed to the building and team Gimmel opened fire. The Ukranian barrack was instantly splintered by dozens of 5.56mm rounds, particularly from Ro'i‘s Negev, which he raked along the length of the building. A few Mausers fell from the window sills or were pulled back by the stunned Ukrainians.

Shapira called over to Chaim, who crouched a few feet away. "Put a couple of grenades into the building."

Chaim put a 40mm high explosive grenade into the Tavor's launcher and sent it expertly through one of the barrack windows where it exploded with a bright flash. He put a second grenade through the next window. Smoke poured from the stricken building.

Shapira looked toward De Jong who was cringing with the rest of his men against the wall of the first barrack, watching in amazement as the Israelis poured fire into the second.

"Los! Los!” Shapira called to him in German, swinging his arm in a forward motion, the universal military sign to advance. "Aufgehts!” he yelled for emphasis.

De Jong knew what was expected of him, but felt as if his courage had been drained. He turned toward Fliegel. "Go" he told the other man. "You lead them."

Fliegel took a deep breath, hunched over and waved to his men.

He was scared but there was nothing for it. They either had to see this thing through or die. "After me!" he cried.

Fliegel was brave, scared shitless, and sensible. The Silesian ran over tn the second barrack, but as he reached the building threw himself to the ground and began crawling toward the front door out of the view of the Ukrainians inside, and out of the way of any remaining Mausers in the windows. His men, recognizing a good idea when they saw it, followed. Shapira watched at a distance, impressed. Not only were the attacking Jews out of the view of the Ukrainians in the building, but the Israelis could still put fire on the building over their heads— which they did—carefully.

Shapira was just about to shoot some rounds of his own into the building when Chaim handed him the radio handset. It was Yatom.

"Report" ordered the colonel.

"Ready and in position at the Forward Camp—De Jong's men are attacking."

"Tov" replied Yatom. "Continue. We've taken the platform and most of Camp 2. We are behind you now. We are taking down the remaining watchtowers and that the big forester's tower—there's a radio antenna on it."

Shapira turned and glanced at the tall wooden tower in the center of the camp. A couple of seconds later the antenna exploded hit by a 40mm grenade fired by one of Yatom's men.

"Acknowledged" said Shapira, as he turned back towards his own battle.

The second Ukrainian barack resembled a charnel house. Most of the men inside were dead or dying. The rest hid as best they oould behind bunks. A few had altogether given up on fighting and sought escape through the windows on the back side of the building.

Gorobets hunched by the door gripping an MP-40 and cursing his men, calling them girls and cowards—tr'ying his best to make them hold. As grim as the situation was, he still feared the SS more. There was no lock for the door and there was no way to block it because the SS had bolted the Ukrainian bunks to the floor. The SS didn‘t trust their auxiliaries. There was no way for Gorobets to bar the door except with his own body.

Outside the barrack, Fliegel reached the door and stood up. Next to him was a squat young man he knew only as Baruch who carried a stick grenade.

"Geh! ” Fliegel urged the man in Yiddish.

Baruch, guessing the door would be locked or blocked turned the handle and thrust into the room with his shoulder, plowing into Gorobets. The Ukrainian fired his machine gun wildly, managing to hit Baruch once in the stomach. Baruch fell forward onto the Ukrainian, but Gorobets managed to kick the door shut as the wounded Jew collapsed on top of him.

From the doorway, Fliegel watched Baruch disappear into the building. He wondered why the young grenedier had not tossed his grenade. Fearing the worst, but without another option, he waved in the next rrian, who carried a rifle liberated from one of the Ukrainian guards at the gate. This fellow looked like his cousin Karl, if Karl had been shit-stained and terrified, but amazingly the man pushed at the door and went in anyway. Fliegel saw Karl‘s doppelganger crumple as a Ukrainian guard fired into him at point-blank range. Fliegel instinctively backed away from the doorway.