Oster, the commander of the Tiger tank, belonged to the infamous 3rd Armored Regiment of the SS Division.

At this moment, he was sitting alone on the tank turret, gazing up at the gloomy sky. The lead-gray clouds weighed heavily on his head, as if foreshadowing a greater crisis to come.

Oster had a cigarette in his mouth. The wispy smoke slowly rose in front of his eyes, blurring his vision, but it could not dispel the heavy fatigue and deep worry in his heart.

Theodore Eicke, the commander of the Death’s Head Division who was usually known for his harshness and stinginess, suddenly appeared like the sun rising from the west today and made a move that surprised all the soldiers – he distributed a pack of cigarettes to each soldier.

This is undoubtedly a rare luxury for soldiers who have been fighting in harsh environments for a long time.

Taking advantage of the rare time for the troops to rest, replenish logistics and personnel, Oster grasped this moment of peace as if it were a life-saving straw, enjoying the comfort brought by the cigarette, trying to relax his nerves that were as tight as a string and could break at any time.

“Hey, I didn’t expect the division commander to be so generous this time. Everyone can get a pack of cigarettes! The smell is so strong that it makes people feel comfortable all over!” Oster smoked several cigarettes in a row. His exhausted body and mind seemed to finally get some relief. A long-lost smile gradually appeared on his originally tense face. He turned his head and said with emotion to his busy comrades beside him.

“Yes, we are usually as stingy as a miser, and this time it is really a rare opportunity that we have been waiting for for a thousand years. Not only are there cigarettes, but we also got canned braised pork. This is simply pie in the sky, a snack!” The driver agreed without looking up while concentrating on wiping the greasy tools in his hands, with a gleam of surprise in his eyes.

“Cigarettes are really good things. When you feel as if there is a fire burning in your heart, taking a puff of it will instantly refresh your mind and make your whole body feel relaxed, as if all your worries have been blown away by this puff of smoke.” The loader also came over, his face filled with satisfaction, as if he was in the happiest paradise at this moment.

“But how long can I rest and relax like this?” Oster took a deep breath of cigarette and exhaled slowly. The lingering smoke spread in front of his eyes, as if it was the embodiment of the confusion and uneasiness in his heart.

“It’s probably just a few days away. I don’t know what’s wrong with the Soviet army lately. They’ve been launching large-scale counterattacks one after another like crazy, leaving us no time to rest. We’re like a clockwork machine. No sooner have we taken a breath than we have to engage in battle again.” The gunner frowned, his expression looking helpless, his tone full of fatigue and annoyance.

“Who said it wasn’t? This battle has exhausted us. We feel like our bodies and souls are being drained. I don’t know how long we can survive in this cruel battlefield. Let’s take it one step at a time. We can have a leisurely day. Who knows what will happen when we open our eyes tomorrow? We may die in this cold battlefield tomorrow.” The machine gunner muttered as he pried open the can of braised pork. He looked so impatient as if this can was his last hope in the world. He couldn’t wait to take two big bites, with an intoxicated look on his face. He said vaguely, “Well, it’s really enjoyable. It tastes great! It’s a pity that there are no sandwiches. Otherwise, if I put this braised pork in it, the taste would be absolutely amazing.” In these days of war, a delicious meal can make them temporarily forget the cruelty of war and feel a little bit of the beauty of life.

“You eat this can now, what will you eat tonight?” The driver glanced at the machine gunner and asked jokingly. In this tense war atmosphere, such a little joke was like a glimmer of light in the darkness, bringing them a moment of relaxation.

“Never mind, let’s try it first. We might be pulled into battle again in the next second. If we don’t eat it now, we’ll be at a great loss later. In this damn place, every bit of enjoyment is a good thing.” The machine gunner waved his hand nonchalantly and continued to eat the canned food in big mouthfuls, as if he wanted to imprint this possibly last delicacy deeply in his memory.

“Yes, maybe the Soviet army will suddenly surrender in the next second, and the world will be at peace all of a sudden.” The driver said half-jokingly, with a hint of desire for peace and a hint of helplessness towards reality in his tone. In this long and cruel war, peace is the most unattainable but most desired dream in their hearts.

However, when the word “peace” was mentioned, everyone fell silent as if they were under a spell.

Oster has been fighting on this cruel battlefield for four years. From the vast plains of Poland to the icy wastelands of the Soviet Union, he has witnessed too many life and death separations and too many human tragedies.

Every battle was like a nightmare, deeply engraved in his memory, making his desire for peace even stronger.

The machine gunner had just joined the army and stepped into this cruel battlefield with ignorance and passion. Although he had not experienced too many life and death tests, the cruelty of war had given him a deeper understanding of peace.

But no matter how long they participated in the war, they all had the same dream in their hearts – world peace, so that people could escape the shadow of war and live a stable and peaceful life.

“Don’t worry, peace is not far away. With these new weapons, victory will come soon.” Oster tried to break the suffocating atmosphere with a hint of hope in his tone, as if as long as he firmly believed, peace would come soon. He looked at the cigarette in his hand, and the flickering cigarette butt was like a little hope in the darkness, weak but enough to keep him going.

“Hahaha, let’s not talk about peace or not. Before that, I have to become the strongest ace gunner! When I go to the battlefield, I will let those Soviet soldiers see how powerful I am and beat them to a pulp!” The gunner finished the can and waved his fist excitedly, with a fiery light flashing in his eyes, which was full of desire for battle and pursuit of honor. In his heart, becoming an ace gunner is not only an honor, but also a way to prove his worth.

“I support this! If you become an ace gunner, don’t forget to buy us a drink!”

“I support you too! When you accomplish something great, you might even get a big medal!”

Everyone was talking and laughing in this temporary camp. Such scenes were happening in all the German troops at the same time. During the short rest time, the exhausted soldiers tried to find the joy of life and comfort their hearts that had been traumatized by the war.

At this moment, the gunner suddenly raised his head and looked at the sky. His expression instantly became alert, like a wild animal that smelled danger. He shouted loudly: “Look, why are there so many planes? Are they ours or the Soviets’?” His voice broke the silence of the camp. Everyone looked in the direction of his finger and saw a large group of planes densely packed in the sky, flying in a certain direction like a dark cloud.

Upon hearing this, Oster quickly jumped down from the turret, as agile as a cheetah. He grabbed the telescope beside him and stared at the sky without blinking, as if he wanted to see through the sky.

After a moment, he let out a long sigh, looked relaxed, and said, “They are our planes. Strange, why do so many of them appear all of a sudden? Does the Supreme Command have any new combat plan?” His heart was full of doubts. The appearance of these planes was too sudden, and there were so many of them, which must indicate that a major operation was about to begin.

“It is possible that they are about to launch a counterattack. Although our tank battle is temporarily over and the troops are resting, other troops are still engaged in fierce exchanges of fire with the Soviet army on the front line. Perhaps the Supreme Command wants to take this opportunity to concentrate its forces to deal a fatal blow to the Soviet army.” The driver also looked up at the fleet of planes that were gradually moving away, nodded thoughtfully, and his eyes revealed a hint of expectation.

“What do you think? Should we follow those planes to see what’s going on? I just saw a lot of transport planes. Maybe there are some good stuff in them. Maybe there are more advanced weapons, or rich supplies for us.” Captain Oster’s eyes flashed with curiosity, and he suddenly suggested. His heart was filled with the desire to explore, wanting to know what secrets were hidden behind these planes.

“That’s not okay, is it? If the company commander knows that we went out without permission, we will definitely be locked up in the small dark room again. I don’t want to go in there again. That place is not a place for human beings. It can drive people crazy.” The gunner shuddered unconsciously when he heard the word “small dark room”. The small, dark, airtight small dark room was like hell on earth, full of fear and despair. He was locked up there once for making a mistake, and that horrible experience made him never want to recall it again in his life.

When the others heard the word “small dark room”, they also shuddered subconsciously. The small dark, airtight dark room was simply a nightmare for the soldiers, and they never wanted to step into it again in their lives.

In there, time seemed to stand still, and darkness and loneliness tightly entangled them like a demon, making people feel extremely scared and desperate.

“What are you afraid of? If anyone blames me, I’ll take the responsibility alone. Besides, we’re on rest now, so it’s no big deal to go out and take a look. And judging from the direction the fleet is landing, they should be near us, and will arrive in twenty minutes at most. Let’s go and come back quickly, and no one will find us.” Oster waved his hand nonchalantly.

He had fought in the battlefield for four years and had made countless achievements, as evidenced by the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross he wore. With his qualifications, he was already qualified to be promoted to an officer, but he was naturally carefree and unused to commanding others, so he remained in the position of tank commander.

His heart was filled with an adventurous spirit and he was full of anticipation for this unknown exploration.

After hearing what the tank commander said, everyone’s worries immediately dissipated. They looked at each other, their eyes sparkling with excitement. So, they called another crew member to help maintain the tank, and they hurried to the direction where the fleet landed – the airport.

Their steps were quick and firm, as if they were about to embark on a grand adventure.

When they arrived at the airport breathlessly, the scene before them made them gasp and they were deeply shocked in an instant.

The entire airport was densely packed with all kinds of fighter planes. The Messerschmitt fighters were like agile falcons, with smooth and sharp fuselage lines; the Focke-Wulf bombers were like huge steel beasts, exuding a chilling atmosphere. There were all kinds of models, shining with cold metallic luster under the gloomy sky, like a forest made of steel.

These fighter planes are lined up neatly, as if ready to spread their wings and fly into fierce battle at any time.

They stood in the distance, staring at the fighter planes without blinking, and felt dazzled.

At the airport, ground crews were busy moving around, making various preparations for the fighter jets.

Fuel trucks and ammunition trucks were running back and forth, creating a busy scene. Unfortunately, the airport was surrounded by guards, and the guard posts were even set up five kilometers away. If they hadn’t shown their soldier IDs, they would have been arrested as spies.

The guards had serious expressions, were armed with live ammunition, and were watching everything around them vigilantly, as if no movement could escape their eyes.

“Oh my God, it seems that the Supreme Command is serious this time. They have assembled so many planes. This scene is simply amazing!” Oster couldn’t help but exclaimed.

His eyes were filled with shock and excitement. Such a large fleet meant that a large-scale battle was about to break out. He seemed to have seen the dawn of victory, and his heart was full of anticipation.

“Hey, look, what is that transport plane bringing down?” The gunner pointed at the transport plane that was unloading cargo not far away and shouted. The door of the transport plane slowly opened, and huge containers were slowly unloaded. Soldiers were busy moving them to the designated location. Due to the distance, they could not see clearly what was in the containers.

“I can’t see it clearly, but it must be a new weapon or something like that. It looks like this battle will be a lot easier for us. Maybe with these new equipment, we can defeat the Soviet army.” The loader rubbed his hands excitedly, his eyes flashing with anticipation.

Captain Oster’s face was full of surprise. He clenched his fists and said excitedly: “Maybe this time, we can really defeat the Soviet army and turn the tide of the war! Let’s vent all the frustration we have suffered these days!” His eyes were burning with fighting spirit, as if he had already seen the Soviet army retreating step by step under their attack. (End of this chapter)