[烛光生存狂]-1944年夏天在芬兰的坦克战

http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=17831

This story is written in a style of a novel, but it is true. When the book was first published, in 1957, the author used a pseudonym “Mänty”; I have chanced it to his real name, Lehväslaiho.

This is my own translation, so mistakes are mine, too!

Source: Reino Lehväslaiho: "Panssarisotaa" (Panzer war). 1957

Panzer war in Finland, summer 1944

... Behind enemy infantry the Russian panzers broke through in direction of the road. Men in positions in Konkkala-hill saw, how heavy panzers drove from the edge of a forest to the field. Tens of panzers were in line, which was pushing towards Portinhoikka with considerable speed.

The men of the heavy Panzerkompanie were sitting beneath the tents or on the hulls of their panzers eating porridge.

“I think we will get a longer rest. I suppose the infantry is managing by themselves in the Front-line.”

“Listen to that artillery fire! “

“Yes, I hear it.”

“Then don’t talk anything about resting. They have hard times there.”

“So it always is at war. This is no party. We are just trying to live a day at a time.”

Sound of a motorcycle could be heard. Eating halted. Spoons stayed between their mouths and the field-pots. A quick look at the neighbor and some wrinkling of forehead was all they did. The sound of the motorcycle came closer and louder.

“Eat up the food fast!”

They walked towards the orderly. He drove between the tents and waved his hand. That explained a lot. Men knew that it is time to move on.

“The company is to prepare for action to destroy the enemy panzers that have broken through.”

They run to their T34/76s; bread bags were thrown to the bottom of the panzer along with their overcoats. They sat on their positions and had a quick look around; everything was in order. Ammunition shined clean in their places and the Dektarjev-light MG-magazines were in line. There was quite an excitement in the air. Now they knew that there would be T34/85s against them. They kept long distances between panzers because of the dust that the Vehicles aroused. The Battalion Commander drove with his T50 with the Kompanie, and took the Command.

Driver Virtanen was first with his T34 /76. The tank arrived to the Saimaa-Canal. Sweaty men came towards, whom, with their last strengths, running backwards with horror in their eyes.

“Something has scared them.”

“It is not ‘Something’, it’s the enemy. Just be alert there in the turret!”

The first panzer crossed the pontoon bridge, and halted to wait for the others to follow. Men opened the hatches and looked around. Someone shouted behind the canal:

“Don’t stand there! The others will follow. Just keep on going!”

Hatches were closed and the driving continued. After less than a kilometer they saw a junk of a truck. “Stop the tank!”

They noticed that a grenade has not destroyed it, but that it was driven over by a panzer. The truck was totally flattened, and there were marks of tracks on the road.

“@#%! The enemy cannot have penetrated this far behind our lines, or?”

“Of course not, there are eight km to the lines. What the hell has been driven here? Someone must have driven with war-bounty panzer over the truck, which had been destroyed earlier.”

“Move on, who cares.”

After 300 meters they saw a curve on the road.

“Slow down. You’ll never know…”

There were still 100 meters to the curve, when a Long-barreled T34 appeared using its best speed.

“It is one of our own panzers!"

“No, its not!”

Although their panzer was still moving, the gunner fired. Simultaneously the driver drew the clutches back, and the panzer halted. It stopped so suddenly, that the platoon leader-loader, Lieutenant Teppo - a former Finnish SS-soldier, by the way - and the gunner, Staff sergeant Lehväslaiho, were about to fell off their seats. The Finnish grenade hit the tracks of the enemy; it swung, and turned sideward at speed. The big white number and a red star were clearly visible at the turret. The Staff sergeant fired rapidly three grenades in a row; every one was a hit. The breathing of the men in the turret halted for a moment. A shell was stuck in the barrel, while two more enemy panzers were appearing to the curve. There was no time to think, when hands were rushing. They tried the Shell-remover, but it slipped, and fell to the floor. Also the hammer and the screwdriver went down there. Hands of the gunner were bleeding, because of the bolts and the tools slipping off the shell. It did not move a bit. Lehväslaiho threw the last tool down with such a force, that it was obvious, that his nerves were about to crack. Fortunately, the destroyed Russian panzer was blocking the road, so the newcomers could not shoot them.

Lehväslaiho jumped out, and took the gun bore brush, and pushed it to the gun barrel. A clinging sound from inside was heard, when the shell fell to the floor. A strong pull and the rod flew to the road. Staff sergeant jumped back to his bench. He shot rapidly again, as to pull pressures away. Finally grenades started to come also from behind. Own panzers had finally arrived. The two enemy panzers withdrew behind the road curve to the covering woods. Staff sergeant leaned his head to the head-cover and breathed deeply. Sweat was dripping down his face. Lieutenant Teppo and Lehväslaiho shook hands; it was a long handshake.

“That was the one, who destroyed the truck.”

“That one, of course, it is obvious.”

“What if we would have driven to that curve before the enemy?”

“That would have been it!

“You’ve said it.

The Major drove beneath the first vehicle. The Commander’s hand swung as a sign of approval. Lehväslaiho also raised his hand to salute. He had not noticed that his tanker’s-helmet had been fallen. The major waved his hand: Forwards!

There was a deep silence in the spearheading panzer, because they knew, that in a situation like this, attacking panzer is always destroyed in a curve, when there are panzers against you. The Platoon commander piled ammo on his laps and the stuff sergeant squeezed his nose. They were ready to advance. Lehväslaiho had his eye on the bore-sight and had some deep breaths. That was the only medicine against the paralyzing fear.

“Drive to the woods, to the right!”

Virtanen drove off the road. He continued about 30 meters, when the panzer stopped and the driver shouted:

“A tank ahead!“

The gunner saw nothing but trees and bushes. He got nervous.

“Where in the hell?"

“There, right in front of us. Fire!”

Finally the gunner saw in left front a dark shadow behind the bushes. Rapidly, the crosshairs were stationed and a shot burst out. Another followed immediately. Something was flying around behind the bushes. After the smoke from the discharge faded, they saw, that they had shot a pile of logs to pieces. There was hysterical laughter inside der Panzer. It was something between cry and joy. Virtanen laughed twisted on his bench, laughed and coughed. Finally the radio-operator had to hit sergeant's back to calm him down.

“If we tell this to the guys, they will get a good joke out of it.”

“Let’s just keep our mouths shot; otherwise they laugh to us the whole year.”

Virtanen drove back to the road. There they got a signal to stop.

“What is it over there?”

“We were only sighting the gun, Major, sir!”

A couple of men run to the edge of the forest to observe. They came back telling, that there were six T34s rolling in the field, all their barrels pointing to the road curve. The Finns stayed still waiting for an own KV1 to arrive. Its crossing of the channel was slow. It had a specially strengthened armor. The KV1 was now to take the lead.

Own soldiers started to arrive with their hands up. They tried to surrender, because they were so exhausted, that they thought the Finnish T34s as enemies. They were

新用户注册返回首页
首页上一页下一页尾页页次1/1 转到第页