Infantry Aces: The German Wehrmacht in World War II - Franz Kurowski - Mass Market Paperback

Rudi Brasche "Mount up!" Unteroffizier Laupert, leader of the regimental pioneer platoon's 1st Squad, came rushing out of the makeshift battalion command post and ran toward the truck around which his squad had gathered. Feldwebel Wegener, the platoon leader, followed him on foot. Behind him came the other two squad leaders. "What's up, Herr Unteroffizier?" called Kneisel, commander of the first machine gun team. "We're leaving at once. The bridge at Homyly must be taken before it is blown by the enemy." The four Opel Blitz trucks, which were parked in a wood at the side of the road, drove off moments later. They left the main road and rolled along a field road. Rudi Brasche hung on tightly as the truck pitched and rolled. The first houses appeared before the trucks. That had to be Homyly. Soon the first shots were fired in their direction from the entrance to the village. "Ready the machine guns. Polle and Gambietz take over the antiaircraft machine gun." Machine gun bullets chewed pieces of wood and metal from the trucks. Soon they could hear the shots. Kneisel and Nehring, the two machine gunners, ripped their machine guns from the side racks and placed them on the side of the truck. "Faster, Grothe!" The Opel Blitz leapt forward. The village houses rushed closer. Rudolf Brasche saw the first smoking tracer rounds streaking toward the leading truck. Then the first burst of fire whipped from the MG34 mounted on the truck in front of them. The second machine gun joined in, and then the tripod-mounted MG15, which was actually intended for antiaircraft purposes, began to fire as well. Seconds later the three machine guns in Brasche's truck opened fire. The noise of the three guns nearly deafened him. As Brasche watched, Ecklebe, the second member of the gun crew, loaded a fresh belt of ammunition. Then a burst of fire struck the truck. Heierberg cried out. He let his rifle drop and half fell on Martens, the second member of Kneisel's gun crew. The truck veered hard to the right. A house flew past on the left. They were now safe from the enemy machine gun. The truck came to a small wood and jerked to a stop. "Get out and follow me!" shouted Unteroffizier Laupert. Brasche grabbed the two ammunition boxes. He jumped down and ran after Nehring, the leader of his machine gun team. They reached the wood together with the 2nd and 3rd Squads. Feldwebel Wegener appeared from the fourth truck. The Holtsteger squad followed with explosive charges. "Along here! This dirt road leads right to the bridge." Breathing heavily, Brasche ran along behind his leader. They had gone no more than four hundred meters when they came under fire from machine guns and fast-firing cannon from ahead and to the right. Glowing steel whipped toward the German soldiers. Brasche and the others hurried on, following their squad leader, who ran into a stand of tall ferns. In front of Brasche, Nehring fell to the ground heavily. The machine gun flew through the air in a high arc and fell into the ferns. Cursing, Nehring got to his feet, shook himself off, and kept going. The forest thinned out before them. Then they saw the bright band of the road, and finally the bridge appeared in front of them. Four figures were visible. First Squad fired at them on the run. Three of the men returned fire while the fourth ran back across the bridge. "Stop, stop! He's going to blow the bridge." Two bursts were fired at the fourth French soldier. One caught him before he was halfway across the bridge and knocked the man face down. "Across the bridge and dig in on the other side!" Rudolf Brasche felt himself getting short of breath but he kept on running, always following his squad leader. They reached the approach to the bridge. Machine gun fire whistled in from the far end ofKurowski, Franz is the author of 'Infantry Aces: The German Wehrmacht in World War II - Franz Kurowski - Mass Market Paperback' with ISBN 9780345451941 and ISBN 0345451945.