Germanic Officer x You Who Traveled Across Time (Sixty-Eight)
Chapter 68 Winter is Coming: Christmas Encirclement
The imminent standoff between the German and Hungarian armies ended with the withdrawal whistle of the special underwater demolition team.
Dawn is approaching. You must find another way to cross the river before the Soviet encirclement is completely closed. Esztergom is no longer a place you can stay.
The main reason is the lack of engineers.
The route from Budapest to Esztergom had not yet been captured by the Soviet army, but only less than a company of police divisions came to escort the Christmas Eve retreat, and there were no soldiers from the division's engineering battalion.
Engineers are indispensable auxiliary forces on the battlefield for both ordinary infantry and armored troops.
Attacks assisted by engineers often have a high probability of success, not to mention that if the remaining troops want to cross the river, they must have engineers to build a bridge.
Besides, the Hungarian army in Esztergom seems to want to use you as a token of surrender.
The 23rd Reserve Division of the Hungarian Army led by Stephen had almost no combat troops, and most of the Hungarian troops did not even change into battlefield uniforms.
The Hungarian army and the German army were of different natures to the Soviets. As long as the Hungarian army surrendered, the Soviets would be happy to accept them.
We can't stay in Esztergom anymore. This is a military fortress, and the Soviets will fight to take it. You must rush to Nergesh Novy Village immediately and cross the river from another location.
Just after midnight, December 25th arrived. The sky was gloomy on Christmas Day, and in less than five hours, a major drop in temperature swept across the Hungarian Plain.
Along the way, there was light rain and wind in the sky, and then the continuous rain was slowly mixed with snowflakes.
The army marched slowly. Rain in winter was worse than snow. Rain turned into ice when it hit the ground, and the vehicles kept slipping on the road. The rain had no grip at all when it hit the ground, so the soldiers had to stop their march and install anti-skid chains on the vehicles.
When you sit in a car, even if there is shelter on all sides, the cold wind still blows in through the gaps in the car.
Feinz covered you with the thick blanket, said a few words to you, and then closed his eyes. He had been sleeping less than three hours a day for almost a week.
Everyone was secretly hoping that the Russians would stop the "Christmas Offensive". People had not forgotten that during World War I, the German and British armies ceased fighting on Christmas. Everyone walked out of the trenches, stopped shooting and played football together.
With such excellent examples before them, people all hope that Russians can also have such chivalrous behavior and chivalrous spirit.
The early hours of Christmas morning remained peaceful, with only the noise of marching troops in the air.
Everyone couldn't help but secretly rejoice in their hearts, wondering if the Russians were planning to let them go at Christmas.
You are not someone who can stay up late, and after midnight, coupled with the cold weather, you gradually feel sleepy.
You tucked in the military blanket covering you and your brother, said something to Yuri who was driving, then leaned next to Feints and closed your eyes.
Just when you think you're drifting off to sleep, there's that all-too-familiar buzzing sound in the sky, following the German army as it marches through the winter night.
Yuri, who was sitting in the driver's seat, rolled down the car window and looked out. The cold wind mixed with rain and snow immediately twisted and roared into the car.
Feinz was still asleep one second ago, and he opened his eyes immediately the next second. People who have fought on the battlefield have extremely sensitive ears.
The humming sound of the enemy planes is very heavy. Even you, an inexperienced newbie on the battlefield, can hear it. The heavy-loaded sound of the aircraft engine means that the bombs on the aircraft have not been dropped yet and the bombing has not yet begun!
You turned your head to the back of the jeep and saw two Soviet dive bombers flying from the west, and the leading plane dropped several cylindrical objects.
The object jumped up and down after landing, and then stopped due to the obstruction of the stone covered with a layer of ice. Then it made a hissing sound like hundreds of pythons in a snake den making the same sound at the same time.
"Disperse! Disperse quickly!!"
Feynz's roar filled the biting cold wind of Christmas, and it broke out at the same time as the violent white light. In an instant, the white light tore across the entire Hungarian plain.
The vast expanse of pure white instantly occupies your entire vision, and the only sound in your ears is the piercing roar of the plane diving down.
The man's big hands immediately reached out and covered your eyes, suddenly blocking out the burning white light from your eyes. Then he pulled back and hugged you in his arms again. The cool leather gloves covering his eyes relieved the stinging pain.
In the darkness, you finally have to understand that the object just now was actually a flare that guided the bombers in the air to drop bombs!
Things happened so quickly that there was almost no time for people to react.
The moment the bomb fell, time no longer moved at a constant speed, but became completely crazy.
In addition to the whistling sound of bombs, there was also the raindrops falling from the planes' crazy strafing. The strong airflow caused by the explosion had overturned the carriage at the end of the army, and it was torn into pieces with shrill and desperate screams.
The anti-aircraft guns on the other side of the Danube also began to rumble, but the battle took place at high altitudes beyond the range of the guns, and the hurricane-like anti-aircraft fire was powerless.
"Sir! Those Ivans are trying to force us into a large encirclement!"
"Damn it! Run southeast first!"
The cold wind rushed in from the wide-open car windows, blowing painfully on people's faces. The intermittent conversations were intercepted in mid-air by the heavy force of steel.
Feynz held you tightly in his arms with one hand, and with the other hand he held the roof handle to control his body, preventing it from tilting sideways at the jeep's terrifying speed.
The man lowered his head, unable to free his hands, and said in a steady yet urgent voice: "Yina, cover your ears! Open your mouth!"
The whistling of close-range bombs nearly deafened you and triggered a pounding headache, the fear of war robbing you of your normal reflexes.
It was not until you heard Feynz's guidance that you raised your hands like a robot following orders, covering your ears uncomfortably, and opening your mouth in his arms to equalize the pressure in your middle ears and reduce the impact of the explosion on your eardrums.
Yuri drove the jeep and took you speeding through the artillery fire. Seeing that the Russian planes were chasing you, he stepped on the accelerator so hard that sparks flew out.
Feintz sat in the back seat of the car, holding you tightly, looking to the side and back to observe the enemy planes about to dive down. "They're getting ready to strafe! Use slow tactics to defeat fast ones!"
When Yuri heard the order, he immediately released the accelerator and stepped on the brake to slow down, but inertia still drove the jeep forward quickly, almost synchronizing with the enemy aircraft on land and in the air.
Less than a hundred meters away, the jeep was still relying on inertia to rush forward, and was about to fall right under the bomb bay door of the enemy plane!
Yuri turned the steering wheel sharply in the opposite direction, and the jeep turned around. The tires squeaking violently, and the rear wheels rubbed sideways. The tires still moved several meters in the original direction before turning in the direction of the front wheels.
The enemy plane missed the target. At this moment, Yuri stepped on the accelerator and rushed forward, doing the opposite and using speed to defeat slowness. However, this usual method was no longer effective. The bombing became more and more frequent. The Russians did not care that there were still Budapest civilians at the end of the army!
Finally, Yuri obeyed the order and abandoned the vehicle. Feinz jumped out of the vehicle holding you. The rest of the army's vehicles made almost the same decision. You rolled on the ground a few times and hid in the pit to avoid the bombing.
The man completely protected you under his body. The blast brought up tongues of fire that flew all the way. Suddenly, heavy rain began to fall from the sky. The rain mixed with the raindrops and fell on people with crackling sounds. It was actually red blood!
Gradually, everything seemed to quiet down, the smoke and dust were slowly blown away by the wind, and Feinz also got up from you, and you shook off the dust on your body.
The smell of sulfur, blood and burnt flesh mixed together and rushed straight to the top of his head. There were piles of broken arms and limbs around him, but the strong feeling of vomiting at this moment could not compete with the belated feeling of touch brought by this close contact with the earth!
Cold! Bitingly cold!
The coldness penetrated, spread, and tore through the exposed skin, instantly pulling people into the ice cave!
"elder brother……"
"Ina! Lie down here and don't move!"
Feintz first checked and warned you, then quickly jumped out of the bomb crater to find Yuri who was hiding somewhere else. The jeep you were riding in had been completely destroyed. The two of them quickly searched for other surviving members of the army while treating the wounded.
The moaning sounds in my ears were constant and could not be ignored.
You gritted your teeth, endured the fear and the coldness that was surging over your body, crawled up from the ground, and quickly found the wounded man who was groaning the loudest nearby. Feinz also happened to come to his side.
The sharp shrapnel hit the soldier's thigh, and the impact of the bombing just now caused a fracture.
The man locked eyes with you for a second, his deep blue eyes filled with determination and relief, and then the two of you began to work together in tacit understanding.
After initially stopping the bleeding, Feintz helped lift the wounded man up and leaned him against a thick tree root. You helped support him while he pulled out a triangular bandage from the woven first aid kit clipped to his pistol belt. He passed it from the wounded man's armpits around his chest and back, through his shoulders and armpits, and quickly tied a knot at his clavicle.
The remnants gathered together, including the Gestapo and their families, as well as about four squads of the police division. They collected the remaining weapons and equipment, including rifles, submachine guns, grenades, smoke canisters, drum magazines and magazines.
"Sir, what should we do next?"
"The enemy planes could come back at any time. We can't go back any further. We need to go to Pirsh first. The wounded must be treated quickly!"
Feintz conferred with the commander of the 1st Company, 2nd Infantry Regiment, Police Division, shining his flashlight on a small, personal map. The rain continued to fall, dripping onto faces, leaving long streaks of blood.
Soon, the remaining troops rested and the wounded were placed on sidecar motorcycles and taken to the Piersh aid station. You also arrived at the Piersh Fortress just before dawn.
…
The fort's floors are cast in reinforced concrete, and the rooflines and window surrounds of the two towers are brick-lined, with stairwells leading up to the second floor and down to the basement.
Each tower had a small hole in the wall facing the courtyard outside, which made it convenient for soldiers to set up machine guns for reconnaissance and firing.
The icy and snowy weather on Christmas Day is really freezing, but fortunately the brick fireplace in Fort Pirsh is good enough to heat you up. After you warm yourself by the fire for a while, your frozen hands will slowly regain feeling.
Feintz and his men discussed countermeasures with the defenders of Fort Piersch in the commander's room.
In another room, you eat, recharge, and rest with Belinda, a member of the Budapest Gestapo family.
Each person ate two small pieces of meat patties and three crackers, and drank a full bowl of delicious noodle soup. You felt that this was the happiest time you had in recent days.
While eating, you saw a mini Christmas tree on the wooden table. It was made of artificial pine branches, wrapped with silver silk thread, and decorated with a few cute little mushrooms, cotton wool and a few candles.
A guard who stayed in the room to guard your Fort Pirsch noticed your gaze and came over to light the candles on the mini Christmas tree. The faint light instantly burst out in the room, which was very beautiful.
The significance of Christmas for the Germans cannot be overstated, especially during the war years.
This day is the most important dinner day, and almost everyone starts to imagine what the Weihnachdstisch (Christmas table) will be like without them.
"This is a Christmas present given to us by the messenger sent by the division battalion headquarters on Christmas Eve."
The defender was a shy boy named Anton, no more than eighteen years old. He liked to laugh when he spoke and often had two dimples at the corners of his mouth.
It was obvious that they were new recruits who had just arrived at the front line not long ago, because the veterans had long lost the ability to smile in the empire's day-to-day defeats and the increasingly biting cold.
"Madam, even though we haven't received any Christmas packages this year, we should still celebrate Christmas as much as possible, right?"
Belinda took a sip of the warm soup and said in a heavy voice, "Yes, those rude and uneducated Russians don't celebrate Christmas, but they can't stop us from celebrating Christmas."
"Today is Christmas! Hey, beautiful ladies, be happy! Although I haven't received a Christmas package this year, I still received a little gift."
Anton turned around and fiddled with the moisture-proof cloth, then brought you a bottle of Cointreau and gin mixed liquor. Please have a drink.
Infected by Anton's optimism, you shared the chocolates you had with you with Belinda and Anton as Christmas gifts.
Anton flattened a cardboard box and put the mini Christmas tree on it. Several people chewed crackers, drank mixed drinks and chatted together. In the warm fire, the low-quality drinks made people a little drunk.
"If there were no God, I would have fallen into despair countless times. From childhood to adulthood, I have always called on God when I needed him most, and he has saved me from danger time and time again."
Anton is a child who believes in God very much. He tells you and Belinda about his devout and deep faith in God.
"I pray to Jesus Christ every day, hoping that this terrible war will end soon and that Christ will send me back safely to my parents and sisters."
"Of course, I also pray to God, praying that he can give me a brave heart and strong fighting power, at least not to be afraid in front of ladies."
Belinda seemed to be a non-believer. She remained silent about Anton's statement and sipped her wine with her head down.
"Anton, yes, the Savior will definitely hear our prayers and save us from the suffering of war."
You replied in accordance with Anton's words, and in your heart prayed to the God who often disappeared:
I hope St. Peter can be magnanimous and be kind to these poor children who are not yet adults in this cruel winter.
A ray of light shines in from outside the window, and the dawn of Christmas arrives quietly. Looking out from afar, the surroundings are freezing cold, with only white dew turning into frost, and the white snow making everything look bleak.
Good things are always fleeting. Before you could chat for long, you suddenly heard a dull explosion outside.
The walls of Fort Pirsh were so thick that they almost blocked out the noise of the war. Even the sound of the series of explosions was filtered through the thick walls and became a muffled rumble.
But soon, the whistling sound of shrapnel rushed into the fortress.
On the lowest floor, the roar of machine guns was mixed with German and Russian, followed by the crazy sound of submachine gun fire and the crisp sound of rifles.
These sounds, in the almost enclosed space of the fortress, achieved an effect that was enough to deafen people's ears.
The moment Anton heard the sound, he turned from a big boy into a soldier in a second. He picked up a submachine gun and stood guard at the door.
"Ma'am, it's the Ivans! We planted mines at the windows and entrances, and they've been caught! But we don't know if they're Russian reconnaissance troops or assault troops!"
"Anton, please be careful!"
Belinda and you held hands tightly, and you responded nervously from behind. The system seemed to have disappeared again, and this time you couldn't even feel the sound of electricity.
Fort Pirsch was surrounded by a barbed wire fence, with explosives placed at the main entrance facing the avenue and trip mines set in some of the ground-floor windows.
At dawn, the Soviet army wanted to enter Pirschburg quietly, but instead ran into a trap that the Germans had prepared long ago. The tripwires connected to the jumping mines ruthlessly ended the lives of several Soviet soldiers, and the explosions also alerted the defenders of Pirschburg to the enemy invasion.
The fighting between the two armies became more and more intense. Fires broke out in many places in the fortress. The flames shot up into the sky and choking smoke gradually spread. Anton had no combat experience, and his hands holding the submachine gun were already covered with heavy sweat.
Outside, German soldiers took off their military coats and cotton jackets and kept beating out the flames on the stairs and corridors.
The constant crackle of submachine gun and machine gun fire was like the crackling of velvet.
I don’t know how long it took, but everything became very quiet. The noise of war disappeared again. There was no screaming of bullets, no whistling of shrapnel. Fort Pirsh was as quiet as a tomb.
You and Belinda stared at each other silently for a second. It was obvious that this was the first time for new recruit Anton to encounter such a situation. He swallowed nervously, and despite the fear in his heart, he still protected you.
Suddenly, there was a sound of something being stepped on in the corridor, and a fast figure rushed through the entrance of the north tower, moving along the inner wall of the fortress, throwing some objects into the rooms along the way.
The object was suddenly thrown into the room you were in. It was cylindrical and looked like a grenade!
Belinda, who lacked battlefield experience, couldn't help but let out a shrill scream when she saw this scene.
You were stunned for half a second, then you reacted and immediately let go of Belinda's hand. You wanted to rush over and kick the "grenade" out like the scenes in those TV dramas you've seen!
But it was too late. Anton suddenly threw away the submachine gun in his hand and, with the great spirit of Christian dedication, used his body to block the "grenade" that was about to explode!
"Ah! Anton—"
Witnessing the heroic scene of someone willing to sacrifice himself for you, you and Belinda couldn't help but cover your mouths, and no one could help but burst into tears.
The "grenade" did not explode. There was a heavy muffled sound, and a large amount of reddish-brown smoke came out from under Anton's thick military cotton jacket. The strong and pungent smell immediately gave everyone present a splitting headache.
You instantly realize that this is not a grenade at all! It is some kind of weapon filled with toxic chemicals!
The thick reddish-brown smoke is impure titanium tetrachloride!
When it comes into contact with air, it undergoes violent hydrolysis, producing a large amount of hydrogen chloride and titanium dioxide, and hydrogen chloride becomes hydrochloric acid after absorbing water!
At the same time, Anton understood everything.
Although he was a new recruit who had just been sent to the front line, during the more than 100 days and nights he had guarded Fort Pirsh, he had heard from veterans about this dazzling bomb that could make the enemy lose its combat effectiveness in a short period of time.
This kind of dazzling bomb was once a lethal weapon used by the German army to capture Russian barricades, but now, the Russians have copied their weapons and used them on the Germans themselves!
You quickly reminded everyone before wrapping the scarf around your neck around your face.
"Hold your breath! Cover yourself as much as possible! These gases are corrosive!"
Anton didn't have time to take any protective measures. He squinted his eyes, endured the severe pain of the gas entering his eyes, picked up the submachine gun again, and quickly took you out of the room you were originally in.
The terrible sound of the two armies' fire confrontation rang out again, and bullets whizzed past you, bringing a gust of air as they flew by. The whistling sound was like the devil's scream of revenge, and you almost collapsed on the spot with your hands and feet going limp!
"Madam, hide!"
Anton pushed you and Belinda behind the pillar, using these thick wall support pillars as cover, and then engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy opposite. He pulled out a long-handled grenade from his belt and threw it into the room opposite.
The grenade exploded, and in the smoke, a Soviet soldier staggered out from the opposite room.
You and Belinda hid firmly behind the support pillar, not even daring to poke your head out, but you could imagine that the Soviet soldier must have been covered in blood from head to toe.
Almost no medical knowledge is needed. Anyone with a brain can understand clearly that this Soviet soldier, who also looks less than 18 years old, is destined to meet God on Christmas Day!
Oh, Anton forgot, the Russians don't celebrate Christmas.
It was all because of these damn Ivans that they ruined what should have been a peaceful Christmas Eve and also ruined their Christmas Day reunion with their families.
Anton's face was filled with anger. He had just been exposed to poison gas during the assault, and signs of decay had begun to appear on the dimples on his cheeks.
He walked out from behind the support column and pointed the submachine gun in his hand at the staggering Soviet soldier, but the moment he saw the other party bleeding and looking for a chance to survive—
Anton softened his heart.
Anton was so nervous and anxious that he tried to face the enemy. He forgot that the Russians could only understand Russian, and he shouted in German.
"Surrender, I won't beat you anymore, I don't mind spending Christmas with the captives..."
You didn't expect Anton to be so bold that he walked out from behind the support pillar before the battle was over!
"Anton, come back soon——"
You stuck your head out from behind the support pillar, and before you could finish your words, a sharp bullet suddenly burst out from the smoke. Belinda screamed and suddenly pulled you out of the nightmare and back behind the support pillar.
Suddenly there was a ringing in my ears, as if a steel nail had pierced my ears.
Anton felt stars in his eyes and turned around unsteadily. His blood-red eyes met your extremely frightened light blue eyes.
In a trance, Anton reached out to touch his face. When he took his gray hand away from his face, there was a pool of blood that was so bright red that it was dazzling, and a few things that sparkled like diamonds.
Oh my God, those look like his teeth and jaw bones.
His face seemed to crack.
After thinking this, Anton fell to the ground with a bang.
"Anton! Anton! Are you okay?"
The sound of you and Belinda calling out for Anton provided an excellent direction. The Soviet soldier who was still alive and hiding in the house came out and walked towards you with a gun.
The surroundings were still caught in the midst of frantic shooting, but the sound of the Soviets' footsteps approaching you was so clear that every step touched your fragile nerve endings.
Belinda leaned close to you, and at this moment you had already taken out the Browning pistol, ready for a last-ditch fight. The fear of being isolated and helpless oppressed you, making you forget how to even take a deep breath.
This chapter has a total of 8.5k, 7k is released, and the remaining 1.5k can only be put into the hidden ending of the return gift.
Merry Christmas to everyone!!
I'll update every Saturday night.
Red heart is the driving force of renewalbr>
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