Capítulo 42: Chapter 42: State of Mind
Finally exhausting the last bullet, Lynn let out a sigh of relief. In this cruel battlefield where blood and fire intertwined, many people had fallen before exhausting their ammunition, let alone dreaming of basking in the glory of victory.
The battlefield still resounded with the intense cacophony of gunfire. Lynn had no leisure even for a moment to indulge in the sentimentality of a faux artistic youth. He wrested a "Mosin-Nagant" from the hands of a fallen Soviet soldier. As far as he recalled, the performance of this Soviet rifle was comparable to the German Mauser 98k. Both were traditional bolt-action rifles with a five-round magazine capacity, and their range, power, and accuracy showed no significant differences. Despite the increased automation of Soviet infantry weapons in the late stages of the war, Lynn had witnessed many Soviet soldiers still using these reliable firearms.
For firearms, handling them in person was worth more than looking at pictures a thousand times. Lynn immediately noticed upon gripping the Mosin-Nagant that it was longer than the Mauser 98k, with a bayonet reaching almost the height of an average adult. As he pulled back the bolt, he found bullets already loaded into the chamber—a near miss that could have cost him his life. Resetting the bolt, he noticed similarities between the Mosin-Nagant and the Mauser 98k, with the bolt handle swinging down to the right and snug against the rifle body. However, the most noticeable difference was the connection between the lower part of the Mosin-Nagant's magazine and the trigger guard, distinguishing it visually from the Mauser 98 series.
Handling the Soviet rifle, Lynn felt a noticeably heavier downward pressure despite the overall weight almost unchanged. Before he could lock onto a target to fire, a string of bullets almost silently whizzed past from his right front. He had no time to evade, yet fate spared him—the last bullet "plupped" into the body of a fallen Soviet soldier. The bullet seemed to have encountered bone after piercing through skin and muscle, as Lynn distinctly heard the bone-breaking "crack," sending shivers down his spine.
Fortunately, the bone-cracking sound didn't emanate from his own body. His momentary fear transformed into anger. With a sidelong glance, Lynn swiftly shifted his body slightly to the left, simultaneously turning the rifle to the right. As night fell, visibility on the battlefield diminished, and neither side had yet launched illumination flares. However, the radiant starlight and occasional flashes of artillery provided some illumination. Lynn spotted a Soviet soldier crouching nearby, seemingly confident after his recent shot, but instead of spraying more rounds from his submachine gun, he peered in Lynn's direction.
Idiot!
Lynn inwardly snarled with disdain. Without knowing the exact range of the rifle's sight, he slightly lowered the muzzle, aiming at the Soviet soldier's midsection, and squeezed the trigger.
Snap!
With noticeably less recoil than the Mauser 98k, the bullet accurately hit the careless Soviet soldier. Upon being hit, he stumbled as if pushed by an invisible force. Though Lynn instinctively attempted to support himself backward with his left hand, his buttocks and back hit the ground successively, and his left hand provided no actual cushioning or protection during the process.
Confirming the target's demise, Lynn encouraged himself once more. As he pulled back the bolt again and glanced inside, he was surprised to find the magazine empty—it had been his last bullet. He quickly searched around the fallen Soviet soldier's waist and found a leather bullet pouch, where he discovered bullets secured by a clip bridge. The bridge, made of cold steel, was noticeably wider than the German counterpart, smooth and unperforated. Following the loading procedure for the Mauser rifle, Lynn attempted to press all the bullets into the magazine but couldn't manage to fit them all. Suddenly remembering a post he had seen comparing the Mauser 98k with the Mosin-Nagant rifle, he recalled a commenter mentioning that the actual capacity of the Mosin-Nagant was only four rounds, and when loading with a five-round clip, the top round had to be pushed into the chamber. At the time, this comment hadn't drawn much attention from onlookers, and as a forum moderator, Lynn had merely glanced over it. Thankfully, his memory served him well, and he recalled the detail in the moment.
Trying to push the bolt directly forward, he smoothly managed to reset it, indicating that the first bullet from the magazine had entered the chamber. With no opportunity for gun testing or trial runs on the battlefield, Lynn cautiously aimed at a slightly farther target, calculating that even if his operation was flawed, the sound of the bolt action wouldn't attract ferocious retaliation from the enemy.
As he squeezed the trigger, a sense of relief washed over Lynn as he watched the target fall in surprise. Yet, an indescribable sense of frustration lingered in his heart: while many around him, regardless of friend or foe, were using automatic or semi-automatic firearms, he was still manually cycling the bolt. It was akin to working in the same company, with oneself tirelessly pedaling a bicycle while others comfortably drove cars. During sunny days, it might be considered a form of exercise and pleasure, but in the harsh weather conditions, the feeling of imbalance intensified.
Every person who survived in this world harbored similar emotions to varying degrees. Some could find relief and release through personal efforts, while others faced insurmountable dilemmas.
As Lynn pulled back the bolt again, he contemplated switching to a different weapon. He dismissed the thought of retrieving his former "PPSh-41" or MP40. Instead, he hoped to upgrade directly to the most cutting-edge weapon of the era—the MP44 assault rifle. Combining the range of a rifle with the rapid-fire capability of a submachine gun, it was an impeccable individual weapon for urban combat, trench warfare, or field battles. However, the appearance of this groundbreaking weapon came too late, with Germany's industrial capacity already struggling under relentless Allied bombing. Even with full efforts to organize production, it couldn't be widely distributed to every frontline combat unit. So far, Lynn had seen no more than ten MP44s on the battlefield, and most of the time, he only glimpsed them from afar, without the opportunity to examine them closely.
After considering everything, even the best dreams had to be based on survival. Before continuing to search for and hunt down targets, Lynn took a brief look at the battlefield. Starting from the moment the first T-34 charged onto the north bank of the river, it had been almost half an hour. The assault from Soviet tanks and infantry remained vigorous, while the German positions seemed like a lone boat in a stormy sea, appearing as if they could be engulfed by the waves at any moment. Despite the tumult, they stubbornly floated above the surface after the waves subsided.
Looking around, the conspicuously prominent villa-style building had become the focal point of fierce contention between both sides. The two-and-a-half-story structure attracted a variety of firepower from the attacking forces, including Soviet tanks that breached German lines, self-propelled artillery and howitzers providing fire support from across the river, as well as rifles, machine guns, and heavy machine guns wielded by Soviet infantrymen. Thanks to the Germans' expertise in mechanics and civil engineering, the building stood resilient despite enduring artillery bombardment, with some shells penetrating its interior and exploding. Bullets continued to fly out of windows and various openings without pause. Over time, its role in supporting the entire defensive line became increasingly apparent, as many retreating German soldiers regrouped around it to organize their defense. Several Soviet armored vehicles that had breached the main defensive trench were either destroyed or disabled in front of this building, while the remaining tanks attempted to create breakthroughs from the flanks.
In the end, the appearance of the German reserve forces brought solace to the souls of fallen defenders—those who had sacrificed their lives for a fierce and hard-won victory in battle. Perhaps this was just a small part of the entire German defensive line, with strategic significance perhaps being minimal, but the German fighting spirit was vividly demonstrated here.
In a situation where nearby positions were under attack by Soviet forces, the available reserves for the German defense were very weak. However, with the arrival of their own tanks and supporting infantry, the German soldiers suppressed around the villa area erupted in a fierce counterattack that far exceeded the capabilities of the hundreds of men themselves. On the right flank of the defensive position, a mere six German tanks and assault guns destroyed three T-34s, one BT-7, and one SU-76 in a sudden and rapid battle, forcing the remaining Soviet armored vehicles and infantry to retreat back to the riverbank. On the left flank, two German tanks even managed to destroy four Soviet tanks in cooperation, showcasing remarkable efficiency in contrast to the strategic situation on the Eastern Front.
Of course, the appearance of these German armored vehicles on this unknown battlefield was not ordinary. "Panthers," "Hunters," and even a "Cheetah" were among the uncommon combinations present. Although they were temporary formations, their outstanding performance, combined with the elite armored veterans who had survived the battlefield's selection, fully demonstrated their combat effectiveness in the night battle unaffected by Soviet air power. However, once the Soviet tanks voluntarily withdrew from the riverbank, these German tanks and assault guns ceased their battle, hastily abandoning their positions and driving towards the town along forest paths. Like a makeshift band rushing to various night venues or a fire brigade on a dry night, they remained busy throughout the night...
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