The Russian fighters are unpleasantly active these days. We had a bad
surprise yesterday afternoon. Three heavy aircraft flew over us at an
attention. Shortly after, we hear wild machine gun fire to our rear. A
team of scouts, including myself, is assembled to go back and see what
is going on. As we reach the edge of the forest, we see a group of
about fifteen civilians running like mad onto a bridge. Suddenly,
something whistles above our heads; we throw ourselves to the ground
and simultaneously five or six hand grenades explode with a deafening
bang just a few meters away from us. In short bursts we sprint from
cover to cover in order to approach the group. With great effort we
manage to cut off access to the bridge for this ferocious firing
group.
civilian clothes had jumped from the aircraft with order to destroy
this important bridge. What a lucky coincidence that we caught them
and prevented the bridge assault at the last minute. Their boxes full
of dynamite would have been enough to destroy an entire city
neighborhood. One of the paratroopers has unfortunately managed to
escape; a burst from his machine gun killed one of our comrades and
seriously wounded another.
Eastern Inferno-The Journals of a German Panzerjager on the Eastern
Front, 1941-1943-Hans Roth
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