November 23, 0800 hours, outside the encirclement of the Abawahan Front Army.
The division commander of the Eleventh Guards Infantry watched the snow-covered plains ahead through binoculars from a forward observation post.
Just then, a whistling sound came from the sky, marking the start of the Prosen artillery bombardment.
The division commander put down his binoculars, listened for a few seconds, and asked the staff officer, "Do you hear the explosion of 210mm shells?"
"It doesn't seem so," the staff officer replied. "Only 150mm guns."
The division commander listened again and shook his head, "The density of fire is not high either; it feels like only one division's complement of artillery is pounding us. They certainly underestimate the bomb shelters we dug in the permafrost. This level of bombardment is ineffective."
