Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 22 The Longest Day (Part 2)
On August 26, 1914, at dusk, 15 kilometers from the Drevenz River in East Prussia, a German unit was making its final preparations before attacking.

Wooden-handled grenades, Mauser rifles, and bayonets were pulled out, inspected, and then put away. Light mortars and MG08 heavy machine guns were disassembled into parts and handed over to different soldiers along with the ammunition.

Steam rose in the distance; the cooks were preparing dinner before the mission.

The entire camp was busy yet orderly, with German soldiers operating like a machine under the command of their officers.

After marking the map with red and blue pencils, the lieutenant colonel in command handed letters to specialized communications soldiers who rode bicycles to relay the message that the troops were about to launch an attack to friendly forces in the surrounding area.

click!
The sound of military boots clashing rang out, and a lieutenant with bandages wrapped around his hand stood at attention in the doorway.

"You haven't given up on that unrealistic idea yet?" The lieutenant colonel frowned, thinking to himself that these old Junker aristocrats were really stubborn and inflexible. If it weren't for his duty, he really wouldn't want to take on such subordinates.

"Sir, please allow me to depart with the troops." The young man with bandages had a poker face and spoke in a stiff tone, showing no intention of asking for help.

“Lieutenant Manstein, what you need now is to recover from your injuries, not to return to the battlefield so soon. I think this is also what your elders…”

“Excuse me, sir, I have no elders in the Eighth Army, only superiors and subordinates!” Manstein interrupted him again after standing at attention.

huh~~~
The lieutenant colonel took a deep breath and then exhaled, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Then Lieutenant, as your superior, I need you to convince me how to avoid becoming a burden on the battlefield with an arm injury."

*Crack!* The sound of military boots clashing rang out again.

"Sir, during my internship at the General Staff, I achieved the best performance in firepower configuration, and I also speak Russian, can copy 80% of the maps of this region, and have received training in intelligence studies."

The young man straightened his back and said, "In conclusion, even without participating in combat, I can serve the Empire on the battlefield! I humbly request that you grant my request!"

The arrogance and rigidity characteristic of the Junker aristocracy, mixed with the stubbornness of youth, made the lieutenant colonel feel his temples throbbing.

The lieutenant colonel rubbed his head and pondered for a moment.

"Alright, I'll allow you to participate in this battle."

"Thank you for your trust, sir!"

"Wait a minute, I haven't finished speaking yet!" The lieutenant colonel raised his hand to stop the other person.

"Given your current physical condition, Lieutenant, you need to operate with the rearguard and be among the last to enter the battlefield. Is that alright? If you can't even guarantee that, then I can only express my regret." The lieutenant colonel spread his hands, stating his final condition.

After a moment's thought, Lieutenant Manstein nodded and saluted. "Sir, I'll go prepare!"

"Go on, and remember to find yourself a helmet," the lieutenant colonel thoughtfully instructed.

The footsteps faded at the door, and the lieutenant colonel summoned the messenger at the door. "When you see Max Hoffman, tell him that I have done my best to do what he asked of me."
-
As night fell, the German vanguard was quietly approaching the Russian positions.

Because of the previous agreement, Lieutenant Manstein had to stay at the back of the column and watch others make their mark.

"Look, our people are going up!" a colleague pointed to the moving shadows in the distance.

"The terrain here seems rather open, is that alright?" Manstein used his telescope to observe the opposite side by moonlight.

"Don't worry, our men have scouted this area several times. Because it's so open, the Russians have hardly set up any sentries here. By the time our men launch their attack, it will be too late for them to react," his colleague assured him confidently.

"Alright, then we'll wait..."

The situation has suddenly changed!!
A gust of wind blew by!
Torches! Candles! Lanterns! They lit up in an instant!

Suddenly, the open space in front of us became brightly lit!

At least two or three hundred Russians were on the opposite hill, holding up flares and watching the German soldiers lying in ambush. Standing at the forefront was a man whose face was obscured, wearing a black cloak; he stood on the platform with his arm outstretched. *Snap!*
A crisp sound rang out in the darkness, and a dazzling white flare rose into the sky, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime.

"Germans!" "They're Germans over there!" "The enemy is coming!"

A cacophony of Russian voices rose and fell, and the German vanguard was momentarily thrown into disarray.

"We've been spotted! Get out! Get out now!" his colleague shouted, jumping up and down.

"No! Charge! Charge forward!" Manstein shouted the exact opposite.

"What do you mean by this! Are you trying to send soldiers to their deaths?!" His colleague turned around and glared angrily!

"Idiot! Didn't you see?! The Russians were also unprepared! Otherwise, Maxim's voice would have already rang out by now!" Manstein shouted, pointing to the open space in front of him.

But the young lieutenant himself was caught in a dilemma the next second: "How could this be? If they discovered something that could have severely damaged us, they should at least have been well-prepared. Could it be a coincidence? But how do you explain the flares?"

Upon realizing this, the young lieutenant could no longer maintain his composure. Manstein drew his sidearm with his uninjured hand and told his comrade, "You stay here and watch over things. I'm going to find the lieutenant colonel!"

"Wait, wait a minute..." Before his companion could stop him, the sudden sound of gunfire from the other side drowned out his voice.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang! ! ! ! ! ! ! Bang bang bang bang bang bang! ! ! ! ! ! !
puff! puff! puff! puff!
The two sides, who had suddenly encountered each other, had entered a firefight phase. Although the German army had been discovered in advance, they still launched a strong attack with their superior equipment and individual soldier skills.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Boom!
After several mortar shots destroyed the Russian heavy machine gun positions, the German troops rushed in.

Manstein jumped into an occupied trench and saw the commander's adjutant. He immediately grabbed the man's shoulder and asked, "Rodman, how is it?! Where is the lieutenant colonel?"

"Fortunately, the Russians caused some trouble at first and even injured a number of our men!"

"Then how come things are progressing so quickly?"

“A fat man rode out on horseback and was shot dead. The man in front said he was their commander.” The adjutant shrugged and continued, “Then the Russians started to run away. Our men are pursuing them while consolidating our positions. The commander is on the other side of the trench checking what the Russians left behind.”

"How could this be..." Manstein felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Was what just happened really just a coincidence?
The young lieutenant listened intently to the distant gunfire, then suddenly turned around. "Something's wrong! The Russians' firing is very structured; they still have someone directing it. They haven't collapsed at all! Quickly remind the lieutenant colonel!"

"Brother, aren't you too tired? I think you should take a rest." The adjutant looked helplessly at the excited young man in front of him, waved his hand, and continued...

"Let's hurry up and leave. I still need to clean this place up. The wet ground is really unpleasant."

"Damp? It didn't rain yesterday?" Manstein suddenly bent down, picked up a clod of soil, and smelled it.
"this…"

"It's oil?!?"

"Quick! All soldiers, get out of here immediately!" Manstein shouted as he ran out.

Whoosh! A strong gust of wind blew by!

Several bottles, still glowing with fire, fell into the trench dozens of meters away!

boom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the distance, a huge explosion rang out, and flames shot into the sky, instantly engulfing hundreds of people.

The two officers turned around and saw terror in each other's eyes.

Their commander is in that direction!

(End of this chapter)