Capítulo 22: Platoon Leader
Qin Chuan heard about the situation regarding the platoon leader from the baker. The platoon leader had been killed earlier while clearing houses during the battle with the Australian forces, and no suitable replacement had been found, so the position remained vacant for the time being.
Qin Chuan wasn't surprised by this. He knew that the German army's approach to appointing platoon leaders differed from other countries. In the German army, typically only the first platoon's leader was an officer, usually a lieutenant, while the leaders of the other platoons were often senior non-commissioned officers, such as sergeants.
This method was mainly to clarify the chain of command. If the company commander was killed, the deputy commander would take over; if the deputy commander was also killed, then the first platoon leader would assume command. This avoided confusion or disputes among platoon leaders of the same rank over who should take charge.
Qin Chuan's platoon was the first platoon, so the platoon leader had to be a lieutenant. In a situation where the unit had suffered heavy casualties, finding and assigning a new lieutenant wasn't something that could be done quickly.
With nothing else to do, Qin Chuan sat on a stone, pulled an oiled cleaning cloth from his pack, and began cleaning his rifle. In desert warfare, it was easy for tiny grains of sand or other debris to get into the weapon, and Qin Chuan didn't want to risk a malfunction during combat.
As he cleaned his rifle, Qin Chuan's gaze wandered over the camp where the unit was resting. This had originally been an Italian army camp in Agdabia. As mentioned before, Libya was an Italian colony, and Agdabia was an important city in Libya, so naturally, the Italians maintained a military presence there.
It was clear that the Italians knew how to live well because the buildings here were noticeably better than the local civilian houses. The camp even had two wells, and some German officers were bathing in the well water—a luxury in the desert.
Of course, as a squad leader, Qin Chuan wasn't entitled to such privileges. He could only endure the stench of sweat on his body while enviously watching the nearly naked officers splashing water and cheering by the well.
Just then, someone stopped in front of him. Qin Chuan looked up and was surprised to see that it was the sniper lieutenant who had secretly competed with him at the school.
Qin Chuan quickly stood up and said, "Sir!"
The lieutenant glanced at the stripes on Qin Chuan's collar, nodded slightly, and asked, "Sergeant, is this the first company, second platoon?"
"Yes, sir!" Qin Chuan replied.
"Good!" the lieutenant said. "Gather the troops!"
Qin Chuan then realized that their new platoon leader had arrived.
Sure enough, after the troops were assembled, the lieutenant said, "My name is Kuhn. I've been appointed as the platoon leader. You all know what to do... Dismissed!"
Qin Chuan and the others were taken aback. None of them had expected the new platoon leader's introduction to be so brief, leaving them almost bewildered when it ended. After a moment, they responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Werner sidled up to Qin Chuan and whispered, "Do you know who he is? Everyone calls him 'Viper Kuhn.' We're in for a rough time!"
Viper Kuhn... the nickname seemed fitting. Qin Chuan couldn't help but recall Kuhn's cold eyes and his deadly sniper rifle, always ready to take a life.
Soon enough, Qin Chuan understood what Werner meant by "rough time" and why Kuhn was called the "Viper."
While other units were resting—taking the time to regain their strength after the big battle—Kuhn had a different philosophy.
"Resting only increases your chances of being killed by the enemy!" Kuhn explained. "It takes time to get into a combat-ready state, and many people never make it through that process because they're dead before they can. So, if you don't want to die, you can't allow yourself to slack off—unless you're sure you'll never have to fight again!"
What followed was a relentless series of armed marches, fortification building, and shooting drills...
For most German soldiers, these were things they had done countless times before, but for Qin Chuan, it was his first experience with some of these exercises, so he learned a lot.
For instance, during the armed marches, Qin Chuan learned how to properly pack his bag: towels and shirts went on top, food at the bottom, and rifle cleaning tools, spare ammunition, and other items each had their designated place.
This method was clearly effective because it allowed him to find what he needed immediately, which could be lifesaving on the battlefield, especially when it came to spare ammunition.
The shooting drills were a point of contention because the unit was low on supplies, and shooting meant consuming ammunition, even if it was just a small amount.
Captain Three-Fingers Basil had discussed this with Kuhn, but Kuhn didn't back down. Qin Chuan and the others continued to shoot at targets under the scorching sun without interruption...
As Kuhn put it, this was the most effective way to maintain combat readiness. Wasting a little ammunition now could mean the difference between life and death for a soldier later, making it well worth the cost.
One memorable moment was when Kuhn taught them a practical skill:
During a break in the training, Kuhn gestured at Qin Chuan with his rifle and said, "Let's see what you've got!"
Qin Chuan was taken aback but quickly responded, "Yes, sir!"
He picked up his rifle and stood up.
The other German soldiers gathered around, and even some from other units came over to watch... Most of them were rooting for Qin Chuan, hoping he could defeat Kuhn, as a way of venting their frustration with the harsh lieutenant.
"Shoot all your bullets!" Kuhn said in his signature icy tone. "Whoever scores the most wins!"
"Yes, sir!"
The targets were about three hundred meters away, and at that distance, Qin Chuan was confident.
Kuhn fired first, hitting a nine-ring, while Qin Chuan immediately followed with a ten-ring shot, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Kuhn then fired several more shots, all hitting the nine-ring... Qin Chuan began to suspect that Kuhn was deliberately aiming for the nine-ring.
On the final shot, the fifth bullet, Kuhn hit the nine-ring again, prompting the spectators to cheer because Qin Chuan had won: four ten-rings and one nine-ring.
But just as everyone thought the competition was over, Kuhn calmly raised his rifle and fired again, hitting the nine-ring once more...
"This is impossible!" Qin Chuan's eyes widened in shock. The K98K only held five rounds, yet Kuhn had fired six.
The trick Kuhn had used, which he later explained, was a little-known tactic. After firing five rounds, he quickly reloaded a single cartridge into the chamber before anyone could notice, thus allowing him to fire an additional shot. This technique not only demonstrated Kuhn's exceptional skill but also served as a reminder that even in situations where you think you're out of options, there's often a way to gain an advantage. It was a lesson in always being prepared and thinking ahead, no matter the circumstances.
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