By Blood Spilt Trilogy by Ricky Balona

Author:Ricky Balona [Balona, Ricky]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ricky Balona
Published: 2016-09-02T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Legionnaires waited bleary-eyed sipping on coffee laced with Cognac in the forward trenches. Artillery shells screamed overhead raining down a few seconds, later on, the German positions around the battered village of Regneville. An eerie glow emanated from the bunkers and shell holes as Legionnaires lit up their last cigarette before going over the top. Steele waited tensely for the signal to push forward knowing that every minute counted if he was to find Genevieve before Jean managed to move further behind the German lines detonating the booby-trapped gas.

Slowly the seconds ticked away. Looking at their watches, the section commanders of the 3rd Battalion held their whistles to their lips. Steele leant against the rain drenched parapet of the trenches recently vacated by the Germans. He watched Jensen clutching his rifle staring at the sand bags inches in front of his eyes. He breathed heavily in anticipation of the moment they would have to leave the relative safety of the trench and dash through no man's land. Hertzog risked a peak over the top. Changing position slightly he knelt with his back the trench wall. Suddenly he stood up spinning around. A shot rang out. He dropped back under cover. “I got him right between!” Close by a Legionnaire risked a quick look at the enemy trenches. For a moment, he scanned the area between the lines. It was a jumble of wooden poles with entangled barbed wire strung between the posts. The debris of war littered the mud and blood soaked the ground. Rifles lay broken and abandoned. Bodies from both sides ripped apart by shell and shot lay in unburied, ignored by the living. Somewhere out in a shell hole, a wounded man cried for help. Raising his head looking toward the wounded man the Legionnaire spotted a bloody arm waving feebly. He turned to get a better look. Before Steele could shout a warning, a rifle bullet ricochet kicked up stones and dust inches from the Legionnaires' face. He fell back screaming in pain. The stones kicked up by the bullet had smashed into his forehead and cheek. A gapping wound appeared where his jaw had been. Blind and with his face destroyed beyond recognition he was led back toward the medics.

Barely audible above the sounds of war the Legionnaires hear a shrill whistle from the German trench. Grey uniformed soldiers slid or jumped from their positions rushing headlong at the Legionnaires waiting to attack. “Let’s give them warm welcome men!” Jumping up onto the firing step of their trench the Legionnaires emptied their rifles into the ranks of the advancing enemy. Artillery from both sides joined in shelling no man's land with air burst shells exploding above the heads of the storm troopers. Lethal metal shards rained down on them but still they advanced ignoring the gaping holes in their ranks.

Corporal Schmidt set up his machine gun firing short bursts as the first of the attackers reached the barbed wire entanglement to their front. Rushing headlong into the deadly steel web they struggled to free themselves.

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