We had a chance to sleep for about five or six hours. I was sleeping like a log.
I had a dream that I am home and the war has never started... but in an early morning our officer made us wake up.
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We know our goal - it is an old large fortress that lies before us now. So strange, I think. Sitting in a castle, being surrounded by the enemies, it's the true death.
But our enemies wouldn't be our enemies if they were stupid. They know the outskirts much better than we, the fortress blocks all crossroads and the fire from the towers can cover a large space around the fortress.
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Before the first shoots our scouts have checked the fields around the fortress. They said there is no mine. Good, said 'der Oberst' (the colonel).
We have checked our rifles and ammunition. Our artillery teams turned their field guns and howitzers on the central wall of the castle.
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It is dead silence... no birds fly, no people talk, nothing, nobody. The officer beside me is smoking a cigarette in a silence and looking frequently at his watch.
Right before the first artillery shoots I even could hear the sound of his watch's hands.
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The silence has been broken by the officer's shouting: "Get ready!" ... "Open fire!" ...
and the first howitzer has opened the fire.
Right in a moment there was the first explosion on the wall and our other guns started their dead hurricane.
It has been continuing for ten minutes. The guns have stopped shooting. The fortress has disappeared in the smoke. Nothing was visible.
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The officer has shouted: "Soldiers, forward" and I've heard first, second, third, a lot of whistles and after that a brittle of thousands of jackboots.
Right in a moment I see a light on the opposite side and an unknown guy is shot down...
after that another one, and another one...
to be continued...
...
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Thank you for your interest, mates!
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