English Translation

We need such young ones! A few poor wooden stalls are only, blackened with smoke, half charred and decayed, which lie a few hundred meters before the German line. But the Soviets have used the wintry span to build up a firm position in their sparse protection. Already two German push troops tried in vain to lift out this Bolshevik nest. The enemy's well-installed defensive weapons have so far thwarted any attempt at rapprochement. Above the base over there must be made harmless; for the two adjacent front sections have already advanced beyond the height of the village; like a sharp, dangerous thorn, the toughly defended Soviet position here protrudes into the German line. In this way, two German companies are ordered to prepare for the attack on the village. For reinforcement, a storm gun is requested from the neighboring section. The Sturmmann K. leads it; he brings his comrades, who are to participate in the storm attack in his fire protection. Now everything is ready. Only a few minutes are missing until the ordered attack time. Cold determination and iron calm are evident on the faces of the men. But what is that? Suddenly the stormman K. raises the glass to the eye. Can it really be? Hardly does he believe he can trust his eyes. In fact, there is no doubt. For these movements over there there is nothing else to explain: the enemy is about to make a replacement. They certainly feel obvious; from our approach preparations they seem to have noticed nothing. "Now or never!" the stormman K. twitches through the brain; almost unconsciously his hand grabs at the starter. Already the heavy engine of the storm gun roars dullly. A look at the comrades: they understand him. The steel colossus rolls on, followed by the waitress, who is ducked in his protection. Now he is already in the open field. Every moment the enemy defensive fire has to use. Banished, the eyes of two companies ready to attack follow this unexpected spectacle. Isn't that foolishness? But the expected enemy defense fire remains. For days it was hardly possible to lift the head over the cover without the bullet of a Soviet sharp-guard whipped past the steel helmet; why does the Bolshevik not shoot now? There, finally - 40 to 50 meters the assault gun can now be at most still from the village edge — flash up over the first MG.-Salven! But it is already too late. Some well-targeted shots from dcm storm guns make their annoying barking mute. Further, the steeled monster rolls in the middle of the boardhouses, one of these dilapidated huts at the start immediately. Again shots at the enemy. Detonate hand grenades. But the first Bolsheviks come out of their loop angles with their raised hands, one after the other, more and more. 20, 30, 45 counts Sturmmann K. Like frightened rats, they spring from their holes with poisonous eyes. After all, it is almost a hundred prisoners that he can proudly report to the company's chief when the two companies provided are now entering the taken village in a closed manner. The gun service, at its head the stormman K., has paved the way for the troops and spared them a lot of blood sacrifice. As a few days later the storm man K. to his Untersturmführer is ordered to receive out of his hand the Iron Cross and the promotion to the Unterscharführr of the weapons-4, then he asks him among other things also about his age. "Eightteen years, Untershurführers! But, he adds, glacial as if he wanted to make himself right because of his youth, quickly added, "I was chief of the young people before I joined the 4y as a volunteer. And since I have already learned a little, that in case of emergency you may also have to do something, even if it has not been specifically ordered before." "You can say that, laughingly, the Untersturmführer confirms. "Just keep doing that, my boy, because we can need such boys as you and your comrades." 71