Chapter 3: Factory
Stalingrad is no longer a city. By day it is a cloud of burning, blinding smoke; it is a vast furnace lit by the reflection of the flames. When night arrives, one of those scorching, howling, bleeding nights, the dogs plunge into the Volga and swim desperately to the other bank. The nights of Stalingrad are a terror for them. Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure.
From the diary of an unknown German Soldier
Frank woke up in the night as he heard sobbing. Ruby was shaking, small tears leaving her eyes.
“I-I had a nightmare…” she sobbed as Frank hugged her.
“Shh, it was just a dream, shh…”
“I-I dreamed that I was restrained standing next to other humans, a high-ranking soldier ordered you and the others to shoot me as he called me a Saboteur. He said anyone who would refuse would be shot too. I closed my eyes as you raised your weapons. I-I…” she buried her head into his chest.
“Shh, I would never do that, neither would my comrades.” She cried herself to sleep.
I will protect you from all harm, I promise. The young soldier thought as he fell asleep too.
In the morning, he yawned and stretched himself. Ruby was sleeping peacefully.
He got up and breakfasted with the rest of his squad.
“She had really bad luck to land here.” Nick felt sorry for her.
“Yeah, but I’m afraid the attack yesterday damaged her mind already. She had a nightmare where she was about to get executed and we were the Firing Squad.”
“Oh my god…If this becomes reality, I will kill the bastard who ordered this!” Klaus exclaimed in rage.
“And I will make sure that won’t happen to her. I could say that she’s the daughter of a high-ranking General who had a front visit and she got separated from him. Our task is to keep her safe until she can be evacuated.” Nick suggested.
“I’m not sure if this works.” Lars had doubt.
But it’s worth a try.” Kevin added.
“Yeah it is.” Manfred smiled.
“I look after her.” Frank walked back to Ruby.
She stirred in her sleep and let out a cute yawn. “Good morning, Frank.”
“Morning, sweetheart. Slept well?”
“Uh-huh. Time for breakfast.”
They breakfasted and the Commander gave them their new orders.
“Good morning, men. This attack is intended to capture a nearby factory. We were on our own now, but StuGs are on their way to support us. Thank you, men. Good luck.
Private Lange, your little friend stays safe with me.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
They moved out.
Ruby stayed in the bunker and watched how the Commander used his binoculars to oversee the assault. The soldiers stopped and he used the radio.
“Battalion, this is Platoon Commander, Battalion, this is Platoon Commander. Fire support needed. Coordinates 1, 9, 9, 3, 2, 0, 1, 1, requesting Artillery fire. Battalion to Platoon Commander.”
“Battalion to Platoon Commander, understood. Target 1, 9, 9, 3, 2, 0, 1, 1 accepted, Artillery fires as requested, out.”
“That should shake the Ivan up.” The Commander said as the artillery fired. Ruby prayed that Frank would survive.
The German soldiers waited in cover.
“Are they stupid!? They fire on their own men!" A soldier complained.
“Boys, stay calm. Just do exactly the same like me!” Nick said to Frank and Manfred.
He used his Binoculars. “Men, that’s our primary objective. We have to capture it at any cost. Our first objective is the Russian MG right in the front.”
Lars laughed at the explosion. “That should blow them out. Nothing to see, Hauptmann?”
“It’s always suspicious.” A soldier gave him the radio.
“We’re ready. Where are the 5 StuGs? Here is none to be seen, as always. Understood, Commander.”
The soldier took the radio as Nick gave out new orders.
“Fire only on my command and be quiet. Forward, men! Follow my lead!”
They moved from cover to cover. A young recruit vaulted over debris as he accidently pulled the trigger.
“Great, now the Ivan knows where we are!”
“Sorry!”
The MG opened fire.
The Germans went to cover and returned fire but took heavy casualties.
A soldier dragged his comrade to cover as he screamed in pain, his right arm was blown off.
Another that was prone got hit. A comrade checked him, the neck was covered in blood. “He’s dead.”
Manfred’s MP40 jammed. Frank gave him a PPSh-41. “They never jam.”
“With that you can mow some Russians down.” Lars commented with a smile.
They all gave an Engineer cover as he rushed to the building the MG was in to place a satchel charge. “Smoke ‘em out!” Klaus yelled.
“Get out! Take cover!”
The explosion set the entire building ablaze.
“Keep moving, men. We’ve getting closer.” Nick commanded.
Kevin spotted a soldier that cowered in a crater. “I don’t want to get out!” he yelled.
“Pull yourself together!” Kevin yelled but the soldier was too scared. He couldn’t blame him, still, Kevin took his dog tag and got out.
An explosion hit the crater. “Poor guy.” He commented.
“Follow me!” Nick waved as they came closer to their objective.
Another MG mowed the Germans down. “We can’t make it, Hauptmann. It’s impossible.” Frank reported as was prone next to Nick, correcting his helmet.
“Nothing’s impossible, Frank. Smoke grenade!” he threw his smoke grenade.
“How’s your name, recruit?”
“Müller.”
Now you can make up for your mistake. You want your wife to be proud when you return, don’t you?” Müller nodded and grabbed a grenade. “We’ll cover you.”
Covered by his comrades, Müller got close enough to throw the grenade but got hit as he threw it. Blood came out of his mouth as he collapsed but the MG was destroyed.
“We had never made it. He owned me that. Forward, men! Follow me!”
As the outside was clear, Reinforcements arrived. They escorted Ruby.
“Artillery! Get in!” A soldier pushed into a doorway before an explosion hit him.
She was disoriented for a moment. As she realized what happened, she decided to find a safer spot.
“Mother, please.” She looked at a dying Russian soldier next to her. “Don’t go. No, stay momma. Please. Just for a little longer. No... No…” He mulmbed before he died. It shocked her and was frozen in fear, unable to move.
To take out the last MG, Frank and Manfred pushed a wagon with a Petrol container towards it. As it had enough speed they dived to cover.
The Russians tried to stop it, to no avail. “We got iron crosses for that.” Manfred commented.
Ruby was startled by a big explosion. A door opened and a very severely wounded Russian soldier stepped out and walked towards her.
“Stay back! STAY BACK!” She yelled in fear and crawled backwards. A shot to the chest from behind but to sheer adrenaline he felt no pain, he only flinched and walked in a zombie like manner towards her but collapsed in front of the foal. She looked down as she felt something wet. “I wet myself…I wet myself…”
Frank took a cloth out of his pocket, dried her and took her on his arm.
“It’s alright. You're not the only one. That happens also to us.” He comforted her.
After it was over, they sat down in a nearby building.
“I want my mommy…” Ruby sobbed. Manfred booped her nose, causing her to giggle.
“Sorry, it’s just… I miss them so much.” She sniffed.
“Only with good lubrication the engine runs.” He smiled at her.
“Food comes!” a soldier exclaimed as two other with Food containers on their backs entered the building.
They also brought the mail.
It was soup, Ruby enjoyed it as she ate it. “Poppy.” Frank gave her some which she enjoyed with a smile.
“Delicious! You wife is a really good cook!” she exclaimed.
“Thanks. Before the war, I used to be a bartender. The bar itself was very popular. It’s gone. The English bombed it last month. But it can be rebuild.”
“How did you meet your wife?” the unicorn asked curious as she took another bite.
“We were in the same school and class. I got a crush on her, she on me. We dated and married after we’re grown up.” He read the latter and had a horrified expression.
“What’s wrong? Bombing?” Klaus asked.
“Yeah, house is destroyed but they were brought to friends in the neighbor city.”
Ruby hugged him. “But at least, they’re still alive.”
Frank stroked her hair. “Yeah. You were very lucky, the Commander must have a misinformation, the area wasn’t secure as he sent you with the Reinforcements.”
The Time passed and it was night. Ruby slept in Frank’s arms as a young soldier fired.
“What’s going on?” Nick asked as he got his weapon.
“The Russians went outside to get their wounded. So I fired.” The young man explained.
“Can someone Russian?”
“Me, Hauptmann.” Klaus responded.
“Ask if they’re agreeing with a Momentarily Truce, so everyone can get the wounded.”
“Excuse me Hauptmann but that is forbidden.” The young man said.
“Be quiet!” Klaus yelled.
“In this city none cares how you do it normally. I and Manfred go out.” Frank suggested.
“Alright.” Klaus asked and the Russians agreed.
Manfred, Frank and two Russian soldiers got slowly to the wounded.
Klaus traded bread and cooked chicken with an Ivan, Ruby suddenly ran out to give Frank bandages.
She wanted to help in any way she could. She was disgusted yet whispered to the wounded that they would be okay. “Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine, soldier. The medic will fix you up.”
The Russians looked confused at her, shaking their heads. Regardless, they took care of their wounded. The soldiers in the buildings lowered their weapons. “You’re going to be all right, comrade.” A soviet said to a wounded comrade who, despite the pain nodded.
“Thank you, Ruby.” Frank assisted Manfred in lifting a wounded German up, Ruby smiled.
Suddenly a shot got fired and hell broke loose.
The soldiers retreated to their comrades covered by them. Ruby panicked and tried to follow Frank but felt pain. She putted a hoof to her chest at stared at it.
It was covered in blood, a bullet had hit her into the chest.
She collapsed. As her vision faded to black, she said weakly, “Oh… Mother… Please help me…”