No Place To Lay My Head: A Memoir of the Eastern Front in World War Two (Remarkable Survivors from World War Two) by Richardson Anthony

Author:Richardson, Anthony
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published: 2023-06-11T00:00:00+00:00

9

Sunday, 2 July, dawned bright and clear, with scarcely a cloud in the sky. Such was the feeling of security that only one “gruppe” of No. 1 Platoon of No. 1 Company had troubled to keep any kind of watch. At Divisional Headquarters at Radzimichy Major Shaeffer and Sergeant Karol slept in beds for the first time for many weeks, while under an improvised shelter of ground-sheets and branches Hauptmann Henkel lay on his back with his mouth open, and snoring so loudly that Hauptmann Weine was forced to move away in disgust to another part of the wood.

Sasha was on guard with Mikita Tomko as the light came into the sky. They lay side by side in the long grass of a meadow on the north side of the wood. There was a narrow belt of ground-mist half-way across the field but with the first rays of the sun it quickly dispersed. A quarter of an hour after first light, when their watch ended both Sasha and Mikita heard the sound of artillery fire from the direction of Stolpcy.

An artillery duel as distinct from aerial bombardment was in progress. The sound after the first few rounds became a regular drum-fire. In a very short time it was possible on occasions to distinguish the calibre of a salvo and then the drum-fire would re-commence.

“That is artillery,” said Mikita.

“That’s what I was thinking,” said Sasha.

With a shifting of the wind the sound of the cannonade became more distinct.

“That is heavy artillery firing,” said Mikita. “I don’t think it can be more than ten miles away.”

“It seems to be drawing closer,” said Sasha.

From the corner of his eye he could see Lieutenant Kubik and two other Wehrmacht officers emerging from the edge of the wood. They stood together talking quietly amongst themselves. Kubik held up his hand for silence as the rumble of the distant guns momentarily increased.

“Drawing closer?” said Mikita. “No, just a change of wind. I wonder whose guns are those, little rascal?”

He nodded grimly to himself, then he looked Sasha steadily in the eye.

“Those won’t be Partisan guns,” he said slowly. “Because the bandits don’t possess any artillery!”

He rose to his feet.

“Let us go and see what the Herr Lieutenant, the poor half-wit, has to tell us,” he said. “Do you feel that it might be on the cards, little rascal, that quite a big surprise might be in store for us? Come, let’s go and see what the clever ones have to say.”

The two of them made their way through the long dewy grass towards the group of officers. The sun was beginning to touch the tops of the trees. Mikita saluted so punctiliously that in the circumstances the gesture seemed almost exaggerated, and a flicker of annoyance passed across Lieutenant Kubik’s face as he returned the compliment.

“Well,” he said abruptly. “What can I do for you? I’ve seen you before, haven’t I? Ah, yes, I remember. Subversive and insolent.” His eye fell on Sasha. “Ah, the ‘kutscher’,” he said.

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