Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 24 The Longest Day (Final)
"One, two, three! Shoot!!!"

Whew! Whew! Whew! Whew!
*Smash! Smash! Smash!*

With rhythmic commands, burning glass bottles were thrown out one after another. The raging fire that broke out fifty meters away burned away the nearby weeds and also illuminated a small group of German soldiers who were preparing to approach under the cover of darkness.

Bang!! Bang!! Bang bang bang!!

After the gunfire, the Germans retreated, and the probing ended.

Manstein, who had just become the acting commander, put down his binoculars. "That guy is no ordinary person; he's definitely not some charlatan!"

"Those bottles that burn for half a day if you smash them once weren't just made; it at least shows the other side was prepared for our arrival." A colleague chimed in, then asked, "Sir, what do we do now?"

“Rodman, we are of the same rank, and you are older, there’s no need to address me like that,” Manstein said, turning around.

“But I have no experience in frontline command. Since you are the supreme commander chosen by everyone, I must abide by the necessary etiquette,” his colleague replied in a formal and methodical manner.

Surprisingly, this blunt attitude did not provoke Manstein's displeasure; instead, a look of satisfaction appeared in the young lieutenant's eyes.

"Okay, so would you like to hear my opinion?"

"Please speak, sir!"

“We’ll stay right here, where we are,” Manstein said, making a startling statement.

"But our mission is..."

“Our goal is to control this area behind us and prevent any Russian troops from occupying the crossing points on the Drevents River, not to eliminate a large number of enemy troops.” Manstein picked up a tree branch and easily drew a map of the area on the ground.

"Although we suffered some losses in the battle just now, we also captured a position. With our current strength, we are still capable of completing this mission."

"Are you worried that if we continue with a strong offensive, we might suffer unnecessary losses and encounter unexpected situations?" a colleague continued the conversation.

“That’s right. Tactical victories serve the purpose of achieving strategic objectives. Therefore, I believe that holding the position is the best option at present. What do you all think?” Manstein looked at the other officers around him.

The other officers looked at each other, and most nodded in support, but only one person stood up.

"Sir, have you considered that if we do this, we will not achieve any results and will lose many soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel? After the battle, we will not only not be commended, but we may even be reprimanded."

Upon hearing this, everyone else fell silent.

Young officers who aspire to achieve merit on the battlefield will find it difficult to accept this outcome.

"Gentlemen, we serve the nation, the people, and the Emperor. The nation's victory is paramount, even before considering personal honor. Rest assured, if responsibility is pursued after the war, I will take full responsibility!" Manstein's expression at this moment was calm yet resolute.

"What about the Russians on the other side?" someone asked as a final question.

“They don’t have radios, and we’ve killed all the messengers on the way. They certainly don’t know what’s going on around them.” Manstein paused for a moment and said, “If I were the enemy commander, I would definitely choose to hold the position and wait for friendly forces to come to our rescue at dawn without any intelligence.”

"However, they didn't expect that there would be no reinforcements at all, and by then it would be too late."

"unless…"

"That guy really can foresee the future!"
-
"We can't wait! By the time it's dawn, it will be too late!" At the impromptu meeting, Qin Hao, contrary to his usual behavior, rejected the other officers' suggestion to stay put.

An officer, with whom he usually got along fairly well, said, "Father, I don't mean to offend you, but the situation is unclear, and we've lost many men. Holding out and waiting for reinforcements is the best option. As soon as dawn breaks..."

"Everything will be over as soon as it gets light!" Qin Hao had completely let go at this point, forcefully interrupting the other person.

"Right now, the German troops are like a dinner knife, cutting apart all the connections between the units. Tomorrow morning, they will dissect the entire 2nd Group cleaner than a peeled orange. We will all become canned fruit on the Germans' plates, mashed into a paste!"

"Reinforcements? Samsonov can't even take care of himself! Where would he get reinforcements!"

The officer standing to the side stared dumbfounded at the priest, who was so different from usual. After spitting slightly, he said, "Father, it sounds unbelievable. Your words sound more like a prophecy..."

"If that's what you want to think, fine, but right now, we must break through to the Drevens River immediately!" "You all saw it, the lieutenant colonel handed over command to me with his own hand before he died, so now I am responsible for all the soldiers!" The priest in black suddenly raised his voice so that the soldiers outside could hear him.

“I am responsible for the soldiers! I have to bring them home!” Father Putin’s words reached the ears of every soldier through word of mouth.

In the hearts of these simple farmers, Father Pukin always had their best interests at heart, unlike other officials.

I won't go into the details of the blessings and holy water, but tonight, if it weren't for the priest leading everyone, most of us would probably be corpses on the ground by now.

With this in mind, the soldiers began to gather, supporting Father Putin in their own way.

The other surviving officers exchanged glances, knowing that today's events were no longer within their control. If they confronted Father Putin directly, the enraged soldiers might use the same methods they had used against the Germans.

Thus, the Russian army finalized its next operational plan in just 15 minutes.

Break out under cover of night!

After the flames on the open ground were extinguished, the night seemed to return to calm, and the German soldiers were using shovels to repair their makeshift positions.

In the darkness, hundreds of shadows were quietly approaching, only to be alerted by a soldier who had been awakened when they were less than thirty meters away.

"who!"

"Hurrah!!! Charge!!!"

"For the Father!! For survival!!" The soldiers shouted impromptu slogans as they charged toward the German positions.

The Germans, who never expected that the enemy, with its inferior forces, would dare to launch a counter-charge, were caught off guard. When the gunfire rang out, the charging troops were less than twenty meters away.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the rush, before the heavy machine guns could be turned around, the first rank of soldiers fired at the column with Mauser rifles.

Those in front fell, but those behind continued to quicken their pace.

In the crowd, a cross was raised like a two-handed greatsword! It led the soldiers forward like a banner.

A German soldier aimed in that direction, but upon seeing the cross ahead, he instinctively veered his gun away.

No believer would willingly shoot at the cross; it's too unlucky.

Everyone assumed that with such a large target, someone would shoot it, and they wouldn't need to do it themselves, but the problem is that everyone thought that way!

Qin Hao was unharmed, carrying a cross half his height, and led his men into the German lines!
In an instant, everyone was thrown into chaos, and the usual commands and slogans were no longer effective. Everyone was fighting with their biological instincts.

Vasily, a tall man, wielded a hand axe and moved through the German ranks as if they were nothing, cutting down three enemies in succession. The soldiers following him plunged into the German battlefield like arrows.

When Vasily slashed at the fourth person, his body suddenly jolted.

Bang! A gunshot rang out, and a bandaged lieutenant shot him horizontally through the abdomen with a pistol.

Manstein and his staff provided pistol support for hand-to-hand combat in the trenches.

The wind rushed past his ears, and the hard wooden cross swung towards his head like a battering ram!

Boom! ! !
His head was buzzing, and the entire sky in front of the lieutenant began to spin.

On the night of the 28th, the German Eighth Army launched a full-scale offensive, dividing and encircling most of the Russian Second Army. The entire process progressed smoothly.

However, in a small battle on the banks of the Drevent River in East Germany, a Russian force of less than a thousand men launched a night attack, tearing a gap in the incomplete encirclement. About 500 men eventually broke through the encirclement and then marched across the Drevent River, becoming one of the few breakout troops.

It wasn't until he boarded the small wooden boat that Qin Hao felt the fatigue wash over him. He plopped down on the deck, lying there rather unseemly.

Looking at the faint morning light in the distance, Qin Hao felt an irresistible drowsiness wash over him.
-
In another world, on a delicate little table, a white chess piece emits a soft glow, and a pointed hat grows from its head.

The "Crusader" is a historical reference, specifically occurring in 1915 at the Osowitz fortress on the East Prussian border. A priest, carrying a crucifix, led 60 Russian soldiers in a surprise attack on German positions using melee weapons, and the attack was successful.
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(End of this chapter)