before it is burnt out. The Old Man is in a state of considerable excitement. He is the first who’ll be hanged if the vehicle isn’t a total wreck before we leave it. But it won’t catch fire properly. There’s a lot of smoke but no flames.
‘Goddam it!’ hisses Porta. ‘When you don’t want them to they catch so fast you’re passing St Peter before you’re finished shitting your pants!’
Tiny arms a T-mine determinedly and throws it through the turret hatch. A whole series of explosions wreck the tank. Only the red-glowing undercarriage is left.
We pick up our Mpis and run towards the hazel bushes, where three dead horses are lying. Porta takes time to cut a couple of hefty chunks from them.
Suddenly a machine-gun is throwing long salvos at us and a T-34 breaks through the hedge so violently that we only just manage to escape its whipping tracks.
Desperately I dig myself into a large mud-hole. As if in a slow-motion-film I see the commander in his turret; his black leather uniform coat shining wetly from the mist in the woods.
Like a weasel Porta springs on to the T-34 and throws apotato-masher down into the turret hatch behind the commander.
A hollow explosion and the commander is thrown a hundred feet into the air to burst like a star-shell.
The T-34 jerks to a stop and the crew, living torches, jump from the vehicle. They roll madly on the ground in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
‘Take ’em!’ shouts the Old Man pulling his 08.
Mpis crash and the Russian tank-men die.
We take up position in a deserted machine-gun nest in an orchard. Tiny takes over a black-mouthed SMG gaping skywards. Tracer rattles towards the Russian infantry.
‘Back!’ cries the Old Man appalled.
Behind us three T-34s burst through the brush.
A green under-belly rocks forward and I feel steel slide forward over my back pressing the breath from my lungs. I see the grey heavens again and feel the rain whip at my face. I am still alive . . . .
1 Sampolit: (Russian) Divisional Commissar.
2
Wáhlt den etc. (German)
Vote for National Socialism
The peoples friend!
New programmes daily
Lots of fun – laugh yourself to death!
Children and soldiers
From Feldwebel down
Half-price!
3 Mpi: Maschinen-pistole (German) submachine-gun.
4 Black and white: The Prussian colours.
5 Fuhlsbüttel: Prison just outside Hamburg.
6
Dassvidánja tovaritsch
(Russian): So long, comrade.
7
Zolostaja Zvezda
: Hero of the Soviet Union.
8
Rasputiza
(Russian): bottomless mud.
9
Djavolls
(Russian): Devils.
10
Tovaritsch kamandir
(Russian): Comrade Commander.
‘The Germans are a nation with principles. Once an idea has taken hold of them they become completely convinced of its truth and do not give it up willingly .’
Lenin to the Turkish Ambassador Ali Fuad Pascha,
Moscow, 3 April 1921.
Corps and Divisional Commanders had taken their places in the great salon. The light from the chandeliers blinked from uniform buttons and decorations. Cigar smoke curled towards the ceiling. Feelings were animated and high. Champagne fizzed and sparkled. The toast was: ‘A quick end to the war!’
General-Oberst Guderian slapped dust from his long black leather overcoat, pressed Generalfeldmarschall von Bock’s hand in comradely fashion. The two high-ranking officers spoke in low voices of the latest events. The Feldmarschall moved over to the table and leafed through some documents.
‘Gentlemen, the Führer has ordered the attack on Moscow!’ he began with gladness in his voice. ‘This magnificently conceived campaign is now entering its final and decisive phase. With the fall of Moscow we will have achieved the greatest victory in all history. Our army has been given the great honour of smashing the Communist monster and forcing Bolshevism to unconditional surrender.’ The Feldmarschall went over to the large wall-chart.
‘Operation TAIFUN will be carried out in two phases. First we break through the Soviet western front, north and
‘Goddam it!’ hisses Porta. ‘When you don’t want them to they catch so fast you’re passing St Peter before you’re finished shitting your pants!’
Tiny arms a T-mine determinedly and throws it through the turret hatch. A whole series of explosions wreck the tank. Only the red-glowing undercarriage is left.
We pick up our Mpis and run towards the hazel bushes, where three dead horses are lying. Porta takes time to cut a couple of hefty chunks from them.
Suddenly a machine-gun is throwing long salvos at us and a T-34 breaks through the hedge so violently that we only just manage to escape its whipping tracks.
Desperately I dig myself into a large mud-hole. As if in a slow-motion-film I see the commander in his turret; his black leather uniform coat shining wetly from the mist in the woods.
Like a weasel Porta springs on to the T-34 and throws apotato-masher down into the turret hatch behind the commander.
A hollow explosion and the commander is thrown a hundred feet into the air to burst like a star-shell.
The T-34 jerks to a stop and the crew, living torches, jump from the vehicle. They roll madly on the ground in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
‘Take ’em!’ shouts the Old Man pulling his 08.
Mpis crash and the Russian tank-men die.
We take up position in a deserted machine-gun nest in an orchard. Tiny takes over a black-mouthed SMG gaping skywards. Tracer rattles towards the Russian infantry.
‘Back!’ cries the Old Man appalled.
Behind us three T-34s burst through the brush.
A green under-belly rocks forward and I feel steel slide forward over my back pressing the breath from my lungs. I see the grey heavens again and feel the rain whip at my face. I am still alive . . . .
1 Sampolit: (Russian) Divisional Commissar.
2
Wáhlt den etc. (German)
Vote for National Socialism
The peoples friend!
New programmes daily
Lots of fun – laugh yourself to death!
Children and soldiers
From Feldwebel down
Half-price!
3 Mpi: Maschinen-pistole (German) submachine-gun.
4 Black and white: The Prussian colours.
5 Fuhlsbüttel: Prison just outside Hamburg.
6
Dassvidánja tovaritsch
(Russian): So long, comrade.
7
Zolostaja Zvezda
: Hero of the Soviet Union.
8
Rasputiza
(Russian): bottomless mud.
9
Djavolls
(Russian): Devils.
10
Tovaritsch kamandir
(Russian): Comrade Commander.
‘The Germans are a nation with principles. Once an idea has taken hold of them they become completely convinced of its truth and do not give it up willingly .’
Lenin to the Turkish Ambassador Ali Fuad Pascha,
Moscow, 3 April 1921.
Corps and Divisional Commanders had taken their places in the great salon. The light from the chandeliers blinked from uniform buttons and decorations. Cigar smoke curled towards the ceiling. Feelings were animated and high. Champagne fizzed and sparkled. The toast was: ‘A quick end to the war!’
General-Oberst Guderian slapped dust from his long black leather overcoat, pressed Generalfeldmarschall von Bock’s hand in comradely fashion. The two high-ranking officers spoke in low voices of the latest events. The Feldmarschall moved over to the table and leafed through some documents.
‘Gentlemen, the Führer has ordered the attack on Moscow!’ he began with gladness in his voice. ‘This magnificently conceived campaign is now entering its final and decisive phase. With the fall of Moscow we will have achieved the greatest victory in all history. Our army has been given the great honour of smashing the Communist monster and forcing Bolshevism to unconditional surrender.’ The Feldmarschall went over to the large wall-chart.
‘Operation TAIFUN will be carried out in two phases. First we break through the Soviet western front, north and
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