Johann Huber Speech At DX'05 Friday Night Dinner

Part 2 (After Dinner)

To be or not to be - Page 5

© 2005 by Johann Huber

I unbutton his camouflage-uniform for him, then the shirt and trousers. The Lieutenant has retained the bullet in the body. I can only see a small, blue spot and a drop of blood at the bullet hole. I reach around behind, but I don't find any exit hole in the back. Everything is dry there. "Thank God" We have not eaten anything the whole day so he has a chance to survive. It will be difficult for him now in the middle of this inferno at the OXHÖFTER KÄMPE to survive. However, we do not have to bandage him as the bullet hole doesn't bleed.

I close his shirt and uniform again and reach for the radio on the other side of the tank. I then send a radio call reporting the injury of our Lieutenant. The radio operator at the other end of the radio line arranges a point to handover our injured officer. Its located north of the entry to the Hexengrund canyon. I told the radio operator that we also need a new company commander now. The other crews listened to our call and know that we have to bring the wounded Lieutenant back so he can get treatment by the medics. All except for the crew of Weber Michl.

There will be hell to pay when the Russians observe our movement. I take over the commander’s position. We drive back with a loaded cannon so we are able to fire immediately to our left. Then we leave our position. While driving backward with our tank, Weber Michls crew finally wakes up. They heard the starting of our engine. Our radio operator tells them what happened and that we have to bring the Lieutenant back.

Now we drive back for nearly a mile. At first we drive for a few minutes across the front line until we reach the cross road. Then we turn right and back to the meeting point. A SPW already waits for us over there. We carefully unload the Lieutenant. He is unconscious now. Once again I tell the Medics that he has not eaten anything during the entire day. This is very necessary information so he can undergo surgery perhaps.

Our new commanding officer is already at the meeting point. It is Lieutenant Klaus. We immediately turn around with our Panzerjäger and drive to the forward lines again, but we are only able to reach the crossroad at the windmill. As we turn left to our former position, our pistons get jammed. The engine is damaged. That is the last thing we needed today and we get very angry.

The Panzerjäger is no longer mobile. Our cannon at least points in the direction of Hill 66. Only four Panzerjäger provide security now. We should have joined them but this is impossible now. Via radio we tell the company headquarters about our breakdown. Maybe there is a recovery vehicle available who is able to pick us up.

The hostile artillery constantly fires into the surrounding area. I have been hungry for many hours and I eat a small plate of Kommisbrot as it is the last piece of our stock. Now we don’t even have any food left.

It is getting dark, the night comes! The windmill is 200 yards in front of us with the front line shortly beyond that. The trees in front of us cast long, flickering shadows from the opponents flares. The gun barrel reflects a brown yellow shine, otherwise there is darkness. The sky is covered. Lieutenant Klaus takes the watch so we are able to sleep for a few hours. He is aware that we are extremely tired after being on the front for many days.

When I begin watch in the crew-compartment around midnight, it is raining. It splashes on our tank. The cannon shines strangely in the pale bright light of the parachute illumination rounds. For many days the Russian mortars shoot illumination rounds every 3 a half minutes -beginning in the evening until morning.

Again we pass another night on the front line.

Johann Huber

Huber's Speech at DX'05 Friday Night Dinner

Part 1-1 | 1-2 | Part 2-1 | 2-2 | 2-3 | 2-4 | 2-5 | Rokossowski

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