Backing away, the flame hit the end of the tunnel in front of them, burning fuel spitting towards them from the impact as they were engulfed in acrid smoke. Tatu instinctively turned, shielding them both with his jacket, then shaking and slapping the back of the leather hide to dislodge or extinguish any burning fuel.
Petru’s eyes were wide with fright, dragging his countryman towards him as he backed to the corner. Hearing Russian voices in the next tunnel, Tatu raised his weapon, firing another burst at the corner where he had just knelt, the bullets ricocheting off the brick, dislodging dirt and debris that flew across the passageway.
Dropping to his knees at the corner, Petru raised his rifle ready to fire at any Russian peering into the passageway, Tatu backing round the corner slowly at a crouch, his weapon held pointing before him. As he leant against the cold bricks, he could hear the frightened voices of the Russian civilians in the reservoir behind him, their panic rising. Grabbing Petru’s shoulder, he pulled him from the tunnel, pushing his countryman before him.
Another grenade bounced into the passageway before Tatu, the grenade rolling towards him. Pushing himself back, Tatu fell against Petru as the grenade exploded just the other side of the corner, showering them with debris and dirt from the ceiling. Their ears ringing, Tatu turned to move to the reservoir, hesitating as he saw Hausser advance towards them a stick grenade in his right hand. Turning back, he raised his own weapon as Hausser pulled the fuse on the grenade and tossed it at an angle into the next tunnel, the grenade bounding out of sight towards the junction.
Shouts of alarm from the tunnel and the scraping of boots as two Russians tried to turn and flee the explosion that followed, then the blast and pained screaming, the dust and smoke from the grenade billowing down the tunnel. Further shouting in Russian, then bullets whipped across their front in the passageway before them, the Russian soldiers providing cover fire to drag their two wounded men away.
Hausser slapped Tatu’s shoulder, ‘Time to leave old man…get to the maintenance hatch!’ Tatu turned, hesitating and shaking his head, unable to hear the command, his ears ringing. Hausser grabbed the shoulder of his jacket, dragging him backwards, ‘Go!’
Flames surged into the tunnel at the end, fuel spitting into the passageway they were in, the three soldier’s instinctively jumping back as the intense heat emanated towards them. Backing to the reservoir itself, Hausser shouted into the tunnel, ‘Russkie, these are your people with us!’
There was a short silence, then the flame surged up the end of the tunnel again. Hausser dropped to his knee at the edge of the reservoir, raising his MP40 to point into the tunnel, ‘Get to the maintenance hatch!’
As Tatu and Petru ran across the walkways, their boots clunking on the metal floors, soldiers emerged from other passageways, fright on their faces. Tatu looked across at the water on the other side of the reservoir, seeing the level had lowered sufficiently for the rusted hatch door to be seen, catching his breath as he saw the hatch was only half open. Glancing upwards, he saw the elderly Russian trying desperately to wind the handle that opened the small metal door.
Indicating to Petru to head for the hatch, the Romanian quartermaster grasped the handrails leading up to the platform the elderly Russian was on as Petru passed him to his right, heading for the step ladder. As he reached the ladder set into the wall, Petru turned, beckoning to the soldiers behind him to come forward.
Hausser fired again into the darkness, hearing the clunk of studded boots on metal to his right as Udet and Hase backed out of the next passageway, firing into the tunnel as they did so. A muffled explosion and pitiful scream came from the tunnel, one of the tripwires having been broken.
Petru assigned three men to form a makeshift defence on the metal platforms as the remainder of the fourteen men began to raise their rifles over their shoulders to enable them to climb the ladder. Pointing at a German soldier, Petru indicated for him to go first, snatching his rifle, the man clambering onto the cold metal rungs and descending quickly. The Romanian turned and tossed the extra rifle to Nicu.
Glancing up, Petru could see Tatu and the Russian ‘yanking’ the handle as fast as they could to open the hatch, the metal door rising frustratingly slowly, the mechanism squealing as the door rose. Looking down, he could see there was now enough space for a man to slip into the small tunnel and beckoned more soldiers forward as the German below him disappeared into the opening.
Gunfire echoed round the reservoir as the defenders at the opening of the tunnels fired into the darkened tunnels before them, the frightened cries and whimpering of the Russian civilians rising at each gunshot.
Petru glanced up at Tatu, seeing his countryman holding the lever to keep the hatch open. Turning to the men before him, he pushed one nearer the ladder, shouting ‘Hurry up, there is no time!’ He looked down, seeing the soldiers on the wet and frozen ladder disappear into the opening one by one, their pace painfully slow.
Hausser fired again into the tunnel, realising in annoyance his weapon was almost empty. He ducked back against the wall pulling a fresh magazine from his belt pouch and attaching into the MP40, pushing the empty canister into the slot in his belt. Flames shot out of the tunnel on the wall opposite, the flamethrower now at the last corner before the reservoir.
The screams of the civilians echoed across the reservoir as the flame receded back into the tunnel, the chemical ‘whoosh’ leaving burning splatters across the walkway. Hausser gritted his teeth and fired into the tunnel, keeping his body back, pressed against the wall. Looking down in desperation, he saw three soldiers including Nicu aiming up at the tunnels next to Petru, fright on their faces. Three soldiers were still descending the rungs on the ladder, with Tatu on the platform above holding the hatch open.
The officer drew breath, firing into the tunnel again, then shouting across at Udet and Hase, ‘Get going now!’ The two soldiers glanced across at him startled, then rose from their positions and began running along the metal walkway, descending the first set of steps. Hausser closed his eyes briefly, then forced himself from the wall, firing a burst into the tunnel as he ran across it. Stopping by the next opening, he fired a blind burst into the passageway, then ran across it, his legs pushing him forward on the metal walkway. Reaching the steps, he turned and started to back down them, his weapon raised, jerking it back and forth from each tunnel opening above him.
The moaning of the Russian civilians got louder as he descended the steps, the panic rising within the people as they realised the danger they now faced. Hausser dropped onto the platform below him and backed away, awaiting the first Russian soldier to appear. The rifles cracked behind him as the soldiers saw movement in the tunnels, the gunfire echoing across the brick reservoir walls.
Hausser glanced round, seeing Udet and Hase on the ladder…then froze, realising Tatu was still above them. He turned frantically, seeing the elderly Russian raise his hand in acknowledgement, pushing Tatu from the lever and grasping it, the strain evident on the old man’s face. A smile briefly crossed Hausser’s lips as he saw Tatu’s irritated expression as he turned from the lever, pushing his PPSH 41 over his shoulder and beginning to descend the metal steps.
As he passed under the flowing waterfall from the tunnel above, Hausser saw the grenades bounce out of the passageway entrances, dropping to the water below. The explosions throwing the freezing water over the remaining defenders. Screams from the civilians above him echoed round the walls as he ducked down, his hands rising to protect his face.
Rising from his crouched position, he fired into the openings, Tatu firing from behind him. Hausser climbed the last couple of steps backwards, firing controlled bursts as Tatu indicated for the three defenders to move to the ladder. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he glanced round, realising Tatu was behind him, the Romanian pulling him up the last two steps.
Hausser fired again at the openings, the bursts short as two more grenades bounced through the tunnel entrances, falling into the reservoir and explodi
ng in the water below, the men ducking as the freezing liquid and debris fell on them. The screams from above were becoming continuous as the Russian civilians huddled next to the walls, covering their faces in panic and rising terror.
Glancing round, Hausser could see the three defenders descending the rungs of the ladder, their boots ‘clunking’ on the cold steel. He backed towards them, Tatu beside him, their weapons pointed across the reservoir at the passage openings. Firing another burst, Hausser grasped his ammunition pouch for another magazine, his hands shaking.
As Tatu reached out for the first rung of the ladder, his hand missed it, turned his head to look and grasp the metal bar. A Russian soldier emerged from one of the tunnels firing his PPSH submachine gun, two of the soldiers on the rungs dropping into the water below, their punctured backs arched as they lost grip on the metal rungs, hands flailing as they fell. Tatu spun his head round firing with his right hand at the Russian, the soldier toppling over the handrail with his momentum, falling down into the reservoir. Tatu then backed down the ladder, his submachine gun raised. Two of the bodies were sucked downwards in the water, dragged through the opening below, the current tearing at their bodies.
Hausser bit his lip, forced the magazine into his weapon and raising it, firing into the tunnels on the opposite wall. Turning, he looked briefly up at the elderly Russian, ‘Danke!’ He grasped the rung of the ladder and swung himself onto it, holding his submachine gun with one hand pointing at the passageways as he descended, his left arm straining as he gripped the upper rungs.
Tatu crouched and backed into the opening, firing a burst at the passageways above, then lowered himself to the floor of the small tunnel to cover Hausser. As the officer swung himself across and into the tunnel, he spun round, bent double, his weapon raised.
His arms straining, the elderly Russian looked down, seeing the German commander had entered the hatch, one body below floating face down in the water. The Russian tensed then jumped back, the handle swinging round as the maintenance hatch rolled downwards, plunging the small tunnel into complete darkness.
Hausser turned in the dark, hearing Tatu swear, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ Several bullets clanked against the steel hatch, then there was just the sound of distant sobbing behind the metal plate, the civilians’ relief evident as the Russian soldiers swarmed into the reservoir.
Chapter Forty Nine: Emergence
The cold water soaked into their damp combat trousers as they crawled up the incline in the tunnel through the darkness, the small tunnel from the hatch being too low to stand or crouch in. Reaching a turning in the narrow passageway, Tatu could see a small light ahead, one of the soldiers using his lighter to illuminate the area. Behind him, Hausser crawled backwards, his submachine gun on his back, distant muffled shouting in the reservoir seeming to indicate the Russians had no appetite for chasing them into the darkness. Hausser hoped the elderly man would be treated well by the pursuing Russians and that they would perhaps not understand the lengths the man had gone to assist them.
The light flickered across the men’s faces as some sat in a small storage area, relief at having escaped their pursuers evident on their expressions. Tatu nodded a greeting solemnly to the small group as he arrived in the area, the six soldiers awaiting the men further forward to send news back of having located the exit.
Slipping past the small gathering into the next passageway, Tatu adjusted his submachine gun, pushing it under his jacket as protection against the water running down the walls and dripping from the ceiling. Seeing another flickering light just up ahead, Tatu crawled forward, beginning to feel the rising claustrophobia with the closeness of the walls and roof of the tunnel. The lower parts of his combat trousers were now soaking wet, the cold seeping into his muscles as he progressed.
Reaching another junction with a dark passageway to the right, he could hear two soldiers whispering in German in the darkness, awaiting the call to move forward, he continued crawling along the passageway for thirty metres. Approaching the flickering light, he saw a Hungarian soldier sitting at the next junction, a lighter in his hand. The soldier pointed to his left, indicating the next turning on Tatu’s right. As the Romanian quartermaster turned into the next passageway he saw the short tunnel led to a wider room, a further light flickering as he approached the more open space.
Entering the small room, he nodded to Udet and Hase, the two of them sat smoking in the dim light next to Petru. Looking to the left, he could just see a small side tunnel, beyond it the rungs of a metal ladder, a dim light illuminating the side room the ladder was in. Indicating with a nod of his head to the soldiers sat in the small room, he moved towards the small opening on his left.
Crawling sideways into the narrow tunnel, Tatu lowered his head to crawl into the small passageway. As he reached the other side, he glanced up, following the rungs of the ladder as they ascended a long shaft. At the top, he saw a thick metal grille some twenty metres above him, with dim daylight shining through the holes in the cover that were not covered in snow.
Rising to his feet, he stretched his back, the journey through the low tunnels stiffening his muscles. Looking down, he noticed Udet crawl through the opening behind him, then Tatu grasped the rungs on the ladder and started to climb wearily from the sewer.
As he gradually reached the top of the ladder, Tatu listened intently out for sounds above. Hearing only distant gunfire, he pushed the metal grille above him slowly. The metal cover moved slightly, a creaking sound coming from the worn hinges and slight cracking as the ice around the grille broke. Pushing harder, the grille moved upwards in the recess in the road. Tatu stepped up another rung and pushed the grille open with his shoulder, the cold air hitting his face as the metal obstruction swung upwards, a slight squeal from the rusted hinges as it did so.
Breathing in the fresh air for a second, Tatu climbed another step and cautiously raised his helmet out of the opening.
The opening was at the side of a wide road through the factory district, the damaged buildings on either side some of the numerous warehouses and machine shops for this area. Their roofs were mostly damaged or destroyed, the smoke still rising from some of the smouldering building shells. Turning slowly in the manhole shaft, Tatu could see the road was quite short with a turning at either end, deserted in the cold morning light. Heavy snow clouds moved overhead, the coldness of the dark night slowly giving way to the dim light of a new day.
Hearing footsteps on the rungs of the ladder below, Tatu cautiously clambered out of the shaft, the cold morning air gripping him as he rose to his feet on the side of the street. Turning and bending down, he grasped Udet’s hand, assisting him from the shaft, then indicated for him to move to the side of the street, unsure of where they were.
As the soldiers slowly emerged into the light, many blinking to accustom their eyes to the new day, the Romanian quartermaster moved them to the side of the thoroughfare, indicating for them to stay low. Tatu then turned to Udet, ‘Have a quick look round would you…I need to know where we are.’
Udet nodded, taking his rifle from his shoulder and walking slowly along the wall of the building they were stood alongside, the iced snow crunching beneath his boots. A shell burst in the distance, the soldiers ducking their heads instinctively, the distant sounds of machine gun fire and rifle cracks spread across the streets as fighting on the front line flared up in the housing districts to the south.
Udet exhaled heavily in relief as he leant against the side of the destroyed factory, the smell of burnt material in his nostrils. Looking back, Udet saw the last of the soldiers emerge from the shaft, Tatu lowering the metal grille back into place, seeing several of the men looking cautiously at him, Udet glanced briefly into the next street.
Grinning as his caution subsided, he turned back, waving to Tatu to bring the soldiers towards him. Then he stepped round the corner and walked towards the German armoured personnel carrier and Kubelwagen jeep parked by the side of the road.
Chap
ter Fifty: Attrition
Major Slusser turned to face Hausser, a grim expression on his face, ‘It seems you have had quite a night.’ He looked the young commander up and down, the stench from the man’s dirty uniform wafting across the table, staring at the young officer’s tired eyes, his scratched face unshaven and dirty.
Hausser nodded wearily, removing his helmet slowly, ‘Yes, the Russians are certainly becoming more aggressive now we are on the defensive.’ Feeling dizzy from the exhaustion, he ruffled his matted hair, looking down at his filthy uniform.
The major looked down at the maps on the table before them, pointing to one of the streets on the paper, ‘I have placed men at the exit you used. We were unaware of it until now.’ He leant forward and retrieved his glass, a distant explosion breaking the silence, ‘What is your unit strength now?’
Hausser sighed, placing his helmet on the table top next to the map, he looked up at the major, ‘Sixteen men in total. Fourteen killed, seven wounded and the rest missing, presumed dead in the sewers or blown apart in the attack last night.’
The major studied him for a second, ‘You look exhausted, I will move you and your men back for the rest of the day.’ He indicated to the seat next to the table, ‘Have a seat, Leutnant, before you pass out.’
Hausser slowly lowered himself into the chair, looking up at the major in scrutinising disbelief, dark lines beneath his eyes, ‘We lost a lot of men last night, please tell me we gained something from it.’
The major turned, looking to the wall of the warehouse office for a second, then he spoke thoughtfully, ‘Well, we did not accomplish our ultimate goal, but four tunnels were destroyed. That should be enough to force the Russians into a more limited number of routes if they want to attack. Not nearly as good as I wanted, but we should be able to hold them for the time being, so it wasn’t a complete failure.’ He turned back, staring grimly at Hausser, watching the Leutnant’s head nod, then the younger man moving his position slowly, trying to keep his exhausted body awake. Major Slusser raised his voice, watching Hausser jump slightly, the younger man adopting a deliberate stare at the major as he spoke, ‘General Hoth’s tanks of the relief effort crossed the frozen Alksay River this morning, they are now less than forty miles away from the south west of Stalingrad. They will be here in three or four days. Maybe sooner.’
Bloody Stalingrad Page 47