Under the night sky that was lit up by flares from time to time, Wei Ran and the three men, wearing mud-filled blankets, carefully approached the lying T-34 tank.
Picking up the kettle neatly placed on the hatch of the driver's seat and unscrewing it, Roman raised his neck and took a sip of water with a slight vodka flavor. Then he leaned on the muddy tracks and whispered, "I said he had already guessed us.
it's here."
"He's so awesome"
Vajim admired in a low voice, then asked curiously, "But why did he..."
"I'm afraid that political commissar has encountered this situation more than once..."
Roman responded to the other party's unanswered doubts and said, "Okay, don't waste time, we should go find some usable parts."
"I'll get the wrench"
After Vajim finished speaking, he walked around to the side of the tank and took out all the useful things from the tool box. Weiyan picked up the kerosene lighter specially left by the political commissar Trosha.
Under the leadership of Vajim, under the brief light provided by the flares that flew up from time to time, the three people quietly reached the side of another T-34 lying dozens of meters away.
"This is it"
Vajim whispered, "The side of its turret was penetrated, but fortunately it didn't explode, so we should be able to find one that can be used."
"I'll remove the road wheels and tracks." Roman walked around to the front of the tank as he spoke.
"Victor, come here and help me." Vajim called to Wei Ran and walked around to the back of the tank, then climbed up with his waist down.
"What do you need me to do?" Wei Ran asked in a low voice.
Vadim took off the blanket that served as a cloak and pointed around, "Cover me up with a blanket later. If there is any light leakage, remember to cover it. Also, go to the tank to see if there are any usable radio parts. Also,
, the Germans might have planted a bomb."
While talking, Vajim took off an L-shaped "tank key" from his belt and handed it to Wei Ran along with the blanket he was wearing.
This so-called tank key is, to put it bluntly, more like a universal wrench designed to open the hatch cover. Although most of the time, whether in combat or marching, tank crews generally do not lock the hatch cover from the inside in order to facilitate escape.
The hatch of this tank was undoubtedly locked by the Soviet Red Army soldiers who took advantage of the darkness to clean the battlefield.
Taking the wrench and blanket from Vajim, Wei Ran waited for the former to gently lift the grille and lay his upper body on it, then immediately covered him tightly.
After waiting for a moment, Vadim, who was hiding under the blanket, first fumbled around with his hands, then took out a German military box flashlight tied with a leather cord from his collar, held the mouth of the lamp with his hand, and then turned on the signal.
The power supply took a quick look.
In less than two seconds, Vajim immediately extinguished the flashlight and started disassembling the necessary parts with a wrench.
Outside the mud blanket, Wei Ran carefully walked around to the front of the tank and carefully opened the locked driver's hatch.
Looking back at his surroundings, Wei Ran leaned his upper body into the hatch and covered his body with his own blanket before taking the risk and lighting the lighter.
He frowned after just one glance. The situation inside was tragic. Wherever he looked, he could see traces of blood spatters and torn pieces of tank uniforms. As for the crew inside,
Members have been taken away.
Turning his head and looking at the position of the electromechanical man, Wei Ran couldn't help but sigh. This tank had no electromechanical man at all, and it was not equipped with a radio. But in the electromechanical man's position, there was a half-sized dog curled up.
Corpse.
On the neck of this dog, its previous owners also hung a bravery badge stained dark red with blood. Even on the top of its little head, it was placed by Soviet soldiers who were cleaning up the battlefield.
An unknown yellow wild flower.
"You are also a brave electromechanical engineer"
Wei Ran reached into his pocket and took out a small piece of uneaten bread, and gently placed it next to the puppy with blood stains on its ears and nostrils. Then he silently extinguished the lighter, retracted his upper body, and locked it again.
The dead hatch cover smelled of blood.
"Let's remove the road wheels," Roman, who had just been removing the spare track at the front of the car, said softly.
Wei Ran nodded silently in response. He took the wrench handed to him, walked around to the side of the tank, and carefully disassembled the road wheel that had also lost its track.
"I'll send the track back first," Roman greeted in a low voice, then used a rope to pull the removed track plate and walked back.
When he came back, Wei Ran had already unscrewed all the bolts on a road wheel. With the cooperation of the two, the road wheel weighing more than 100 kilograms was pinned down by two crowbars wrapped with cloth strips.
, fell heavily on the blanket that had been laid out in advance.
"How long will it take?" After finishing his work, Roman came to Vajim's side and asked through the mud-covered blanket.
"It'll be ready soon."
Vadim's response seemed a little dull, but then he turned off the flashlight, lifted the blanket and handed out a long cylinder head, a few metal pipes that were still dripping oil, and some greasy parts.
After waiting for a moment, Vajim removed a few more screws and threw them into the cylinder head held by Roman, and then whispered, "These are enough, let's go back quickly."
Roman handed the cylinder head to Vajim, "You go back with this, Victor and I are responsible for the road wheels."
"We still have a problem"
Vajim took the cylinder head filled with parts and held it in his arms. While Weiran and Roman were trying to drag the road wheels with blankets, he continued to whisper, "After we repaired the engine, there was no chance to start it.
We can only wait until the fighting starts tomorrow. Otherwise, with such a dark sky, even if we want to drive back, we might be regarded as Germans. I don’t need to tell you what the consequences will be by then."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Then wait until tomorrow" Roman made the decision without thinking.
Hearing this, Vajim nodded, turned to Wei Ran and whispered, "Victor, is the firing pin still there?"
"Here you are." Wei Ran quickly took out the firing pin from his pocket and handed it to the other party.
"I'll install the firing pin later, and I'll leave the road wheels to you."
Vajim said as he tied the firing pin to the leather rope used to hang the flashlight around his neck.
"Be careful yourself"
After sending Vajim away, Wei Ran grabbed the blanket again, and he and Roman worked together to drag it back, little by little.
When they tried their best to send the road wheels back, Vadim was already lying next to the open engine grille, covered with a dirty blanket and starting to work.
After taking a breath, Roman pointed at the tank and whispered, "Victor, is that candle end still there? Bring it over and bring a blanket over."
"immediately"
Wei Ran wiped the mud and sweat from the corner of his eyes, and immediately got into the tank along the hatch of the driver's seat at the front of the vehicle. Using the dim light provided by the lighter that Trosha left here not long ago, he successfully found the finger-shaped finger.
Long and short candle ends.
Finally, he took an extra blanket and returned to Roman. The two of them worked together to hang the blanket with mud, used it to encircle a small space next to the road wheel that needed to be replaced, and lit the candle head.
With this only light, which could attract fatal bullets or even artillery shells to them at any time, the two of them tried their best and finally rotated the heavy loads they had worked so hard to get back.
By the time Wei Ran and Roman tightened the last screw, Vajim had just finished the work.
"Now we just need to put on the tracks."
Roman blew out the candle, leaned on the newly replaced road wheel and took a breath and said, "This is also the most dangerous part."
"Wrap the hammer with a blanket," Vajim suggested. "Maybe it will make less noise."
"You can also put a shoe on the track pin." Roman pointed to the wreckage of the No. 3 tank not far away. "There must be a shoe in there. Wait for me to find one and bring it back."
"I'll go"
Wei Ran handed the wrench and the submachine gun on his back to Roman, wiped the mud on his hands randomly, and then stood up holding on to the tracks.
Following the smell of blood, he carefully climbed into the turret. After closing the hatch cover above his head, he took out the bullet casing lighter left by the political commissar Trosha and lit it.
With the help of the small yellow flames, he could see clearly for the first time the inside of the tank that he had captured with a submachine gun.
The five crew members who had not been moved were all killed by Bobosha submachine gun fire without exception. They all had half of their soldier tags in their mouths at this time. Not only were there signs of turning around, but even the car radio was also
Destroyed.
He could even tell from the weird sitting postures of the corpses of two of the members that there might be something under their butts that would explode when touched.
There is no doubt that just like those German soldiers who buried grenades near the escape hatch of their tanks, this small trick was most likely arranged by the Trosha political commissar.
"When I was alive, I worked for Mustache, but when I died, I had to work for the Soviet Union. It's also a hardship for you."
Wei Ran sighed as if he was insane, and then carefully took off a boot from the foot of a corpse.
But what surprised him was that with a soft "clang" sound, a metal cigarette case with an eagle emblem also fell from the boot to the floor.
Reaching out to pick up the cigarette box, Wei Ran opened it and found that in addition to a few cigarettes and a few gold rings from unknown sources, there was also a piece of paper stuck to the cover, which was rare in this era.
Color photos.
With the small flame of the lighter, he could clearly see that in the photo was a young girl wearing a skirt. Behind the girl, he could also see a large barn and several cows.
"One more beautiful little widow"
Wei Ran muttered again, bent down and placed the cigarette box and its contents on the chest of the German soldier. Then he extinguished the already hot simple lighter and climbed out of the turret with his smelly boots in one hand.
.
Taking the boots from Wei Ran, Roman pointed in the direction of the German position, "Victor, keep an eye on the surrounding situation. We may make some noise later."
"give it to me!"
Wei Ran stepped directly from the wreckage of the Panzer III tank onto the chassis of the T-34 tank, then pressed his body against the turret, turned his back to Roman and the other two, and raised the telescope he took out of the metal book.
Behind him, Vajim found a German belt that he didn't know where it came from and passed it through both ends of the broken track, and then tightened it with a winch, gradually shortening the distance between the two tracks.
After a while, Roman pushed the track pin he had been holding into the link hole on the track from the outside in in the completely opposite direction.
Immediately afterwards, Vajim also placed the boots that Wei Ran had found on the pin, and Roman also raised the hammer wrapped in cloth and waited patiently.
Almost at the same time that the flares fired from the Soviet position took off, the hammer in his hand also hit the upper of his boots.
"Boom"
After an inconspicuous knocking sound, the mud-covered pin also went in for a small section.
After waiting quietly for a moment and seeing no movement around him, Roman patiently waited for the flare above his head to fall, and then waited for the moment when the second flare rose. Then he slightly increased his strength and struck the cushion for the second time.
On the track pins on the soles of the boots.
With such a slow and heart-wrenching knocking sound, the slender track pin was finally completely smashed in.
"Victor, come down" Roman shouted in a low voice.
"Is it done?" Weiran quickly put away the telescope and jumped off the tank and asked.
"Only the last two jobs left"
"The first thing is to find an opportunity to see if it can be activated."
Roman kicked the track and continued, "The pin is driven in from the opposite direction. After it is successfully activated, you have to go forward for a certain distance and then smash the pin back in from the inside out. Otherwise, the track will not be able to drive very far.
It’s time to fall off.”
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "As long as it can be started, these tasks will not take long."
Vadim pointed to the turret, "Should we hide inside the tank, or under the German assault gun?"
"Is there any movement around?" Roman asked Wei Ran in a low voice.
"Nothing happened." Wei Ran shook his head, "Except for the free flares."
"Then let's go to the tank." Before he finished speaking, Roman was about to climb up the tank.
"Wait a minute" Vajim reached out and held Roman.
"What's wrong?" Roman asked in a low voice.
"if..."
Vajim glanced at Weiran and Roman under the flares raised from the Soviet position, "If our tanks can't be started by then, how about letting me be the loader? I've been driving tanks for so long, and I still can't.
I have never loaded a single shell with my own hands, so this might...maybe it will be the last time we drive this tank into battle."
Roman and Wei Ran looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, nodded as the flare slowly fell, and said solemnly, "If this tank cannot start, you will be the loader."
"Thank you," Vajim said, before letting go of Roman's muddy shoulders.
"Tankers don't need to say thank you, that's unnecessary nonsense." Roman smiled and said the words that the previous loader Agafond often said.
"If you don't say thank you, when we capture Kharkov, I'll treat you to a drink of vodka, including Agafoon's share." Vadim also made a promise with a smile.
“We’re waiting for your vodka”
After saying that, Wei Ran, who had given up his position as loader, had already walked around to the front of the tank and got in along the open hatch of the driver's seat. At the same time, he did not forget to take away the pack of cigarettes left by Trosha and the three bags next to him.
A kettle.
Amidst the soft knocking sounds, the three people got into the tank and carefully closed and locked the hatch cover. Then they brought up the armor-piercing bullets that had been thrown down the escape hatch one by one and wiped the mud off it.
“Try the German canned food”
After everyone used cloth strips to block the observation holes that could transmit light, Roman also took out the candle head with a height of less than five centimeters from his pocket and lit it. Then he took out three German cans from the canvas pocket next to him.
.
“It’s a pity there is no wine”
Vajim took a sip of the fresh water left by Trosha and smacked his mouth, looking for the faint taste of vodka in the water.
"I still have a few sips here, take it and drink it." Wei Ran said, having already taken out the wine bottle and handed it to Roman behind him, and took the German canned food from him.
"Keep it," Vajim refused first, "and drink it before the battle begins."
"You really have to stay until the battle begins."
Roman refused the wine bottle Wei Ran handed him, and moved his eyes to the periscope to take a look. Then he opened the can and whispered, "Take advantage of this opportunity to arrange a battle plan first."
"You are the commander of the vehicle. You can fight us however you want." Vajim said without thinking.
“Then you have to have a plan.”
Roman whispered, "If our tank can start, Vajim, you should drive the tank and try to go around the side of the tank we choose."
"clear"
Vajim used his bayonet to pry open the can and said nonchalantly, "Isn't that what you say in every battle plan? I have already remembered it."
“This time is different”
Roman took a sip of the soup in the can, looked at the flickering candle on the breech and continued, "If our tank can't start, we have one more man."
Before he finished speaking, Wei Ran and Vajim both looked over.
Roman smiled, picked up a piece of chicken from the can with a fork and stuffed it into his mouth. While chewing, he said vaguely, "If our tank cannot start, we will have one more person."
Before he finished speaking, Vajim immediately said, "You have just agreed to let me be the loader. Let Victor go back then."
"We still need someone to hide outside the tank"
Roman raised his head abruptly, "If our tanks can't move, and if the Germans rush over, we need someone outside to protect us and let us fire as many shells as possible."
Hearing this, Vajim fell into silence. If the tank really couldn't be started, it would be equally dangerous whether inside or outside the tank. It was just a matter of who died first and who died last.
"Victor, I want to be a loader." Vajim looked at Wei Ran. In the flickering candlelight, a clear look of prayer could be seen on his mud-covered face.
"Okay." Wei Ran nodded simply after a moment of silence.
"Then it's decided"
Roman lowered his head, "If the tank can start tomorrow, Victor will be the loader. If it can't start, Victor, hide in the wreckage of the German assault gun to cover us, and make sure not to let those Germans take it.
The grenade was thrown into the tank."
"If our tank is destroyed, you can escape back." Vajim added, reaching out to touch the gun breech, and finally sighed hesitantly, pinched a piece of meat from the open can and threw it in
In the mouth.
"You can rest after you're full." Roman put down the empty cans, "I'll be on guard."
"Let me do it." Wei Ran pointed to the cockpit cover, "I have a better view here."
"You can wake me up if you're sleepy," Roman said, before blowing out the candle that was about to burn out.
Inside the tank, which was plunged into darkness, Vajim ate the food in his hand silently. Wei Ran also carefully opened the hatch that had just been locked, and vigilantly observed the surrounding movements with the help of flares that rose from time to time outside.
In this unquiet night, time passed slowly minute by minute, and the flares fired from time to time by both sides gradually stopped.
I don't know when it started, but a dense drizzle began to fall in the night sky. The cool raindrops hit his face, which also made Wei Ran, who was already a little sleepy, wake up a little.
He stretched out his upper body and glanced at the morning glow on the eastern horizon. Wei Ran yawned, got out of the tank lightly, pointed at the wreckage of the No. 3 assault gun next to him, and untied his belt.
However, before he finished urinating, he suddenly realized that something was wrong. After listening for a moment, Wei Ran immediately tightened his belt and raised his telescope in the direction of the Soviet position behind him.
Just by taking a glance, he realized that all the tanks in his field of vision were tanks! All T-34 tanks! Tanks without infantry following them!
"Roman! Vadim!"
At this time, Wei Ran no longer cared about whether shouting would attract the attention of the Germans. He even picked up a crowbar and hit the thick armor plate hard, "Quickly try to start the tank!"
"What's wrong?!" Roman was the first to push open the hatch cover above his head, and then he heard the roar of the engine behind him from the direction of the Soviet army.
"Vadjim! Start the tanks!"
Almost at the same time that Roman shouted these words, rumbling artillery fire also came from the German position opposite!
"Hurry up!" Wei Ran shouted with a hammer, and immediately after, Roman jumped down with two tank pins, waiting to complete the final repair work on the tracks.
However, in addition to the asthma-like roar of the starter and the gurgling black smoke from the rear of the car, the negative response of the tank engine for which they had high hopes made their hearts grow colder and colder!
"boom!"
Amidst the dull sound of artillery, the tanks coming from the Soviet position had begun to fire, which also indicated that the distance between the two sides had reached within 500 meters! But for the three people trapped in the center of the battlefield, the Germans
The tank is probably not even 200 meters away from them!
"Can it still be started?!" Roman, who was covered in mud, asked in a loud voice.
"I'm already working hard!" Vajim responded loudly without releasing the start switch at all.
"That's too late!"
Roman jumped from the wreckage of the assault gun to the T-34 that was struggling to start up, threw away the track pin in his hand and asked, "Vadjim, do you want to be a loader?"
After trying to start the engine for the last time, Vadim turned around and moved to the loader's position, shouting at the same time, "Victor, there are two drums under my feet!"
"Victor"
Roman, who had already climbed into the turret, pointed to the left side of the front of the car, "This direction is our only shooting range. The other directions are left to you. Don't let the German soldiers touch it."
Wei Ran gritted his teeth and responded loudly, "Don't worry, leave it to me!"
"If we are destroyed, you should flee back immediately." Before Roman could finish his words, he had already closed the hatch above his head with a clang.
Looking around, Weiran ran to the hatch of the driver's seat and took out the two drums that Vajim just mentioned. After closing the hatch, he bent down and hid in the shadow of the front of the assault gun, and stepped under the chassis.
A bundle of German grenades was pulled out of the mud.
It's funny to say that this is the only individual weapon that can be considered a threat to German tanks. It was buried under the tank by the Germans who were cleaning the battlefield last night, and he dug it out with his own hands.
A moment later, the T-34 tank turret, with only Roman and Vajim included, was slowly turning towards the left side of the front of the vehicle, turning into an immovable artillery position. In the dawn shrouded in gunpowder smoke, it was anxious.
