Panfilov's 28 Men

In the autumn of 1941, German units stationed outside Volokolamsk were a mere two hours' drive from Moscow. The road to the capital, however, was guarded by the 316th Rifle Division, commanded by General Ivan Panfilov. So highly-regarded was this commander among his men, that they referred to themselves as "Panfilov's Men" (Panfilovtsy) and to the division as a whole as the Panfilov Division. And so, on 16 November, 4th company of 2nd Battalion of the Panfilov's Division came face-to-face with the enemy on a day that would go down in World War II history. Having dug in at a crossroads in Dubosekovo, 28 of Panfilov's Men barred the way to a German tank battalion -- and stopped its advance.